'•I Pi !*!Hi'; mmw- >' 1 A ( ', A K A , 1'' U ( ) at: .1 \y,\ ■ t ) v\' THE NORTHERN TRAVELLER; CONTAINING THE ROUTES TO THE SPRINGS, NIAGARA, QUEBEC, AND THE COAL MINES; WITH THE TOUR OF NEW-ENGLAND, A BRIEF GUIDE TO THE VIRGINIA SPRINGS, AND SOUTHERN AND WESTERN ROUTES. BY THEODORE PWIGHT, Jr. SIXTH EDITION. WITH EIGHTEEN MAPS, AND NINE LANDSCAPES. JOHN P. HAVEN, BOOKSELLER, PUBLISHER, AND STATIONER, 199 Broadway. ^0 If / f Eutei-ed according to Act of Cong^ress, in tlie year 1841, by John p. Haven, III the Clerk's Office of the Southern District of New- York. PREFACE This Sixth Edition of the Northern Traveller is pub- lished when the previous editions have been for some time out of print ; so that it seemed to be urg-ently demanded. The work has undergone a most thorough revision, as the numerous and important changes in the country required. The traveller will find in it a larger amount of informa- tion than at any former period, as the matter has been much condensed, almost every page has received some ad- dition or abridgement, and large portions have been writ- ten anew. Perfect accuracy is hardly to be expected in a work comprising such a number and variety of details, many of which are of a changeable nature: but exertions have been made to render it accurate, as well as replete with information and suggestions best adapted to the convenience, gratification and improvement of the mass of intelligent travellers. Notices of places or objects appropriate to the sphere of this work, transmitted by persons in any part of the .'!ountry, will be attended to in future editions of the IV PREFACE. Northern Traveller ; as the author has resumed his orig-i-* nal intention, formed after travelling abroad, of furnishing a Guide Book for the principal routes in his own country^ keeping pace w^ith the progress of society and public inv» pi'Dvements. ^in of r/fc J?on/c's iS^HYIStA^^lCAk GENERAL INDEX City of New York, . . . . . 7 Route up the Hudson, . . . . . 13 *' to Niagara, ...... 32 Routes to Ohio, &c. . . ... 6 7,221 Route from Albany to the Springs, 31,74 " to Lake George, . . . • 88 " to Canada, 104 Tour of New England, 141 Route up Connecticut River, 145 " from New York to Boston, 166 " " Boston to the White Mountains, 186 " " Boston to Maine, 203 Philadelphia, ...... 223 Route to the Pennsylyania Coal Mines, . 227 Baltimore, . . . . . , 220 Washington, ....... 215 Route to the Virginia Springs. . . . . 239 Routes from New-Orleans to New-York, 241 VIEWS FROM NATURE. 1. Prontispiece^ View of Niagara from l^elow Table Rock. 2. Scenery on Mohawk River, faoing page t^'3. Ballston Springs . . . ,< '•'A. Saratoga Springs .... 5. Lake George ^ . . . . 6. Ruins of Ticonderoga from the east -7. The same from Mount Independence = -8. Southerly view from Mount Holyoke fAGl 35 82 84 90 100 104 156 The Notch House, White Mountains 195 MAPS Of the Roads, Canals, Railroads, SfC. PAGE General Map of the Routes in the Northern States, 5 •- No. 1. Hudson River, from the mouth to Croton River, . . 14 ^ No. 2. " " to Kmgston . . 16 -No. 3. " '' to Albany . . 21 <'No. 4. Mohawk River to Utica, with a Profile of the Erie Canal . 32 "•'No. 5. '' " to Syracuse . . 32 'No. 6. Thence to Cayuga Lake . . .44 -No. 7. Thence to Canandaigua . . .45 -No. 8. Thence to Rochester and Batavia . . 46 ^No. 9. Thence to Niagara . . . .48 -No. 10. Buffalo and its vicinity, with a Profile of the Welland Canal . . .62 'No 11. To Glenn's Falls, with Saratoga Springs and Battle Ground, Schenectady and Pro* file of the Champlain Canal . . 30 •No. 12. Lake George . . . .88 •-No. 13. Do. Northern part and Lake Champlain . 98 -No. 14. Lake Champlain, northern part . - 108 ■No. 15. St. John's, Montreal, &c. . . .110 No. 16. Montreal Island . . . .118 ■Connecticut River, lower part . . .145 THE NORTHERN TRAVELLED. THE CITY OF NEW-YORK. Remarks to the Traveller at New-Yorh. It is recommended to suck travellers as have not formed a plan for their journeys, to turn to the general map of the routes, page 1. He may go to Boston by the Provi- dence steamboats and railroad, or by the Stoningtorl steamboats and railroad through Providence, or by the Norwich steamboat and railroad through Worcester, or by the New-Haven steamboat, the railroad to Hartford, and stagecoach to Worcester, or steamboat or stagecoach tot Springfield railroad. Those who wish to see Connecti- cut river may take a steamboat to Hartford. For Al- bany, take a steamboat. Before 1842, a railroad is ex- pected to be in use from Bridgeport, Con. to Albany, when that route may be preferred by some. A steam- boat goes t 25 miles east of the river. This route avoids the High- lands, except at a point where they are only 769 feet- above tide : that is, 50 miles northeast of West Point, Maximum graile 30 feet, and locomotives can pass at 12' miles- an hour. The stranger is advised to purchase a pocket map of New-York and other cities as he visits them. The principal objects worthy of attention will be here mentioned in order, as they present themselves to a per- son proceeding north from the southern point of the city. The Battery, perhaps the finest public walk in the Union, is the favourite retreat in warm weather. It is ex- posed to the sea breeze, and aifords an agreeable shade, and a view of the inner harbour, with part of Long Island, on the left. Governor's Island with its fort and castle, the Narrows, and Staten Island below, Bedlow's and' Gib- bet Islands, and New-Jersey beyond them, with Jersey City and Hoboken village. Castle Garden is a place of refreshment, formed of a fort, where music and 'fireworks are often provided in warm evenings. A fort was built on the Battery in 1623, which included all the Bouses. It was afterwards enlarged. Southeast of the Battery is Whitehall Slip, where are the steam-boat ferries for Staten Island (12 cents,) and South Brooklyn, (4 cents.) Washington and Greenwich- streets begin at northwest corner, extending about two miles north. There are the steamboats of the Philadelphia, railroad line, and those for Providence. Broadway begins at the Bowling Green, an oval piece of ground, 140 feet by 220. Here are the Atlantic and. Adelphi Hotels, and many hotels and fashionable board- ing houses above. Grace Church, on the left, stands on, the corner of Rector-street, which leads to the Havre packets. Trinity Church is rebuilding. Wall-street is opposite, and has most of the banks and brokers' offices. The new TJ. S. Custom-house, corner of Nassau-street, is. of white marble, 89 feet by 177, on the model of the Par- thenon of Athens, with two fagades with Doric columns, 32 feet high, a central hall, and a dome 62 feet in diame- ter. It will cost half a million. The New-York Exchange, entirely of Quincy Sie-- THE CITY OF NEW-YORK. ^ ^Ite, three stories high, and a basement, covers a block, between four streets, and is 197 feet 7 inches on Wail- street, 144 on one side, and 170 on the other, with a large dome abo\e, 100 feet high. This covers the circu- lar exchange room, 95 feet high, and 80 in diameter. In front is a row of 12 Ionic columns, with 6 more at the door. The shafts are single stores, 32 feet 8 inches long, and from 4 feet to 4 feet 4 inches in diameter at the base, those on the wings weighing about 33 tons, and the others 35. Each cost about $5,000. The building, which is nearly complete, contains Mr. Gilpin's News Room and Packet Office, several insurance and other offices. The Telegraph is to be kept on the top to communicate ■with that on Staten Island. The great fire, in 1835, des- troyed the former Exchange, but did not cross Wall- street. It swept down to Old Slip. Proceeding up Broadway, you pass Cedar and Court- landt-streets, which lead on the left to some of the Albany steam-boats, and the ferry to Jersey City, 6 cents. (Thence the railroads lead to Newark, 25 cents, Eli- zabethtown, Rahway and New-Brunswick to Philadel- phia ; also to Paterson. Fulton-street leads (right) to Fulton Market, Brooklyn Ferry, (3 cents,) the Connecti- cut and Flushing steamboats, some of the Liverpool pac- kets, &c. At the corner of Vesey-street is St. Paul's Church, with an epitaph in front to Gen. Montgomery, whose re- mains were brought there from Quebec in 1818. Oppo- site is the American Museum with four stories filled with stuffed animals, &c. Ann-street leads to the rooms of the Reformed Dutch Church Missionai'y Society, Episco- pal Sabbath School Society ; American Bible Society ; De- pository and Printing Office; Clinton Hall, where are the Mercantile Library, (20,000 vols.) reading and lecture room, and exhibition room of the National Academy of Design ; American Tract Society ; American Sunday School Union Depository ; and American Board of Foreign Mis sions. In Chatham Row are the Park Theatre and the Brick Church, The Park, (10 3-4 acres,) contains the City Hall, (216 feet by 105,) of white marble, and rear offree- •fitone, cost $538,734, with rooms for courts, caminoa 10* THE CITY OF NEW-YORK. council, mayor, governor, &c. and several portraits, an(2 Mechanics' Institute in the basement. The alarm-bell is liung above, and the cupola commands a general view oF the city. The New City Hall contains the American Institute of Manufactures, which holds a splendid fair and exhibition at Niblo's in September. In Chambers-street are the Savings Bank, the Arcade Baths, and the Reservoir of the Manhattan Company;^ which supplies some of the streets with water. Returning down Broadway to Park Place, we find Co- lumbia College, founded in 1750 as King's College, — » President Duer. Behind it is the Grammar School, Professor Anthon. Above the Park, Duane-street Iead& on the right to the Halls of Justice, the City Prison, built of Sienite in the Egyptian style. Gothic Hall i* near Pearl-street, opposite which is the City Hospital, founded in 1769. The Society Library, corner of Leon-?^ ard-street, 1754. Franklin-street leads on the left to the Opera House and French Church, originally in Pine-, street, 1704. (Hudson Park is some distance northwest from this- spot, 4 acres, with St. John's Church, 240 feet.) In White-street, (right from Broadway,) is the City Dispensary, 1790, with the Eye and Ear Infirmaries^ 1820. Canal-street has a sewer underground, and on the light from Broadway are the Gas Light Company's works,, pipes, 26 miles long, and a Jews' Synagogue. There are 10 or 11 other Synagogues, most of them recently formed by emigrants from Bavaria, &c. The Manhattan Gas Works are at the foot of Eighteenth-street. Above are the Circus and Tattersalls' ; above Spring' street Niblo's Garden. Opposite, the New-York Lyceum of Natural History with a line collection. The Stuyve* sandt Institute is several streets above, with the Library of the Historical Society. In Crosby-street behind Nib- lo's, are the Apprentices' Library, 1820, with 20,000; vol-» umes, the School of the Mechanics' Society, a Synagogue^,, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons. Fourth-street leads to Washington Square, 9 3-4 acres. The New York University fronts it, 1831, Chancellor*' Frelinghuysen. It has a large grammar sehoqd. Th© THE CITY OF NEW-YORK. 11 ^'tesbyterian Theolo^cal Seminary is above, and has the library of Leander Van Ess. The'Marble Cemetery is in Great Jones-street, east of Broadway. The City Reservoir is in Thirteenth-sfeet. Water is raised by a steam engine from a well il2 feet deep^ and conveyed to the south in pipes, to extinguish fires without the use of fire engines. The Croton Aque- duct, 45 miles long, to supply drinkable water to the whole city, is partly made, and will cost 45 millions. The Retreat for Juvenile Delinquents is at the end of Broadway; the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, 1817, Fiftieth- street, near the Harlem railroad, Mr. Peet principal. The Blind Asyhim, 1831, Sixth Avenue near Thirty-se- cond street, Mr. Jones. The Genei'al Episcopal Theolo- gical Seminary, 1819, Ninth Avenue and Twenty-first sti-eet. The Lunatic Hospital is six miles north. The Almshouse is on the East river, and beyond is Blackweil's Island, with the Penitentiary and Lunatic Asylum, and the Poor House Farm opposite, with the School. The Orphan Asylum, Half Orphan Asylum, Institution for Aged Indigent Females, and 17 Public Schools. Hudson river was discovered in 1609, by Henry Hud- son. First settlement by the Dutch, near Albany, 1610, to trade with the Indians in furs. (This trade yielded above $50,000 in 1632.) First fort in New-York in 1612, near the corner of Broadway and Garden-street. In 1623, a large fort on the Battery, enclosing the village, the island having been purchased. Captured by the En- glish in 1664, retaken 1673, restored 1674. First post- rider to Boston, 1673, going once in three weeks. First stagecoach to Boston, 1723, once a month. 1765 a Con- gress of delegates met. January 1776, the American army began to assemble for the defence of the city. August 26th, the Battle of Long Island, after M-hich the British army occupied the city till end of the war. Sep- tember 21st, 492 houses burnt. Evacuated by the Bri- tish army and entered by Washington, November 25th, 1783. All the churches except one had been burnt or occupied by soldiers. 1785 Congress met in the old City Hall, where the Slew Custom House is. 1789 Washington inaugurated President there. Free School Society incorporated 1805. 22 fliE CITY or NEW-fORKx iThe Great Fire December 16, 1835, loss about eigliteeW iTiillions. The latitude of the City Hall is 4()0 42' 40"' N. Longitude 74-^ 1' 8" W. from Greenwich. Excursions. Numerous pleasant excursions may be made from New-York in various directions. Di/Jamhattaii Island affords several agjfeeable rid^js j and also Long Isl-*' and and the neighbouring parts of New-Jersey» Brooklyn, on Long Island, opposite New-York, is the second city for size in the state, containing about 40,00(?- inhabitants. It enjoys a fine situation, good air, pure wa-' ter, retirement, and shsdy streets. The stranger should tisit it. Carriages will take him from the ferries to any part. The view of NewYork from Columbia-street, on the heights, is the finest to be found. The Lyceum, Washington-street^ contains a fine lecture' room, the collection of the Natural History Society, City Library, and Savings Bank. The Navy Yard, one mile" northeast from it, is worthy of a visit. There is the Na-' val Lyceum, with a fine collection of natural history, &c.. Greenwood Cemetery, two miles south of Brooklyn, iS' shady and picturesque, with sylvan lake, and a fine view: from Mount Washington. You pass Gowannis Cave, the scene of most bloodshed in the battle of Long Island iu'' 1776. The Jamaica railroad begins at t^e South ferry. Fortj Hamilton is four miles souib of Brooklyn. Fort Lafayette' is on a small island below it. Opposite is Staten Islandy commanding fine views. Prince's Linn^an Garden atFlusbing. The excur-* sion to this beautiful garden and nursery is very pleasant. The steamboat leaves Fulton-street slip at four o'clock in the afternoon every day, and affords a view of the most interesting parts of the East river, including the" famous rapids at Hell Gate. The vilhige is small, bu8 pleasant. The garden of Mr. Prince will supply strangers' of taste and science with rare Seeds, plants, flowers and trees, and has already done much to introduce useful and beautiful varieties into this country. It was first esta- blished about the middle of the last century. The four hothouses contain about 20,000 plants in pots^ and the garden covers about thirty acres. The species and varieties of trees and j-lants amount to about SOOOy fHE HUDSON HlfEP.. id "Wiiicii is considered the most numerous collection in Anie* rica. Tlie proprietor exerts himself to obtain all the na- tive productionsj as well as all interesting exotics, and foi" specimens forwarded to him he offers to make satisfactory returns from his own collection. Thompson's History of Long Island, and the Picture of New-York will be inte- restuag to traA'ellers of taste. Bath, Rockaway, and Grayesend, on Long Island; and Long Branch, in New-Jersey, fine situations on the seacoast, are among the most attractive for bathing, ifec. Orange Springs, near Newark, and Scholey's Mountain, are resorts during the wai-m seasons, particu- larly for visiters from New-York- The situations are very pleasant, in variegated tracts of country, and afford a most agreeable retreat, with fine air and good accommodations » PASSAGE UP THE HUDSON RIVER, On leaving New-York, the traveller finds himself in the rriidst of a fine and varied scene. The battery lieS behind him, with Governor's Island and Castle Williams projecting beyond; still more distant opens the passage called the Nai'rows, with Staten Island on the right, lead- ing to Sandy Hook and the Atlantic Ocean, which is 22 miles from the city. On the west side of the bay are Bedlow and Gibbet Islands, with fortifications ; the point at the mouth of the Hudson is Powles' Hook, on which stands a neat town in New-Jersey called Jersey City , and the village of Hoboken is seen a mile or more up the river. The hills of Wehav.'ken appear beyond: as the boat moves r'apidly on, it passes the crowded line of build- ings in Washington-street, the Episcopal Seminary, and^ at a greater distance, the Blind Institution. At Wehawken, under a ledge of rocks facing the river;) and about the distance of three miles from the city, is the spot where General Alexander Hamilton fell in a duel with Colonel Burr. This was the common duelling ground for combatants from this city, and many lives were afterwards lost on the fatal spot. The Palisadges — a remarkable range of precipices of trap rock, which begin near this place, extend up the river on the west side twenty miles^ to Tappan, and form Ti l^ORT WASHINGTOiSf. 'a singular, and in many places an impassable bduaddfyj In some places an old red sandstone foundation is seert below : but the great mass of the rocks presents the mu- 1-al precipices of the trap formation, and rises froiri thte ■height of 15 or 20 feet to 500 or 550. On the opposite side is Yorkville, and the route of the Unfinished Croton Aqueduct. The LuNATtc Asylum, about seven miles from the city, -is a large building of heWn stone, occupying a command- ing situation. Harlem Heights ate a short distance further. They form an elevated ridge across Manhattan Island, on which a line of fortifications was thrown up during the Revolu- tion and the late war, quite over to the East river. Fort Lee, on the west side of the river, is situated on the brow of the Palisadoes, more than 300 feet above the river. A village of the same name is near. Fori Washington v/as a fortress on the top of a high rounded hill, on the east side of the river, 12 miles from New-York. In October, 1776) when Gen. Washington had evacuated the city, and, subsequently to the battls of White Plains, (for which see just beyond,) had drawn off his army to Fort Lee, Fort Washington was kept gar- risoned, contrary to his advice, and was attacked in four divisions. The Hessians and Waldeckers, under Gen. Knyphausen, went up the hill on the north side; Gen. Matthews on the east, with the English light infantry and guards, intended against the intrenchments, which reach- ed almost to the East river. Col. Sterling made a feint of crossing that river lower down, while Lord Percy with a %''ery strong corps was to operate against the western flank. The Hessians suffered much from the I'ifletnen in pass* ing a swamp, but succeeded, with the other divisions, ih driving the Americans into this fort, where they all sur- rendered, to the number of 2600 men, including militia. They had lost very few ; but the British lost about 800. Fort Lee was immediately evacuated; but the British crossed so speedily at Dobbs's Ferry, that they took thfe artillery, military stores, baggage, and tents of the Ameri- can army. Battle of White Plains. In October, 1776, soon after the American troops had evacuated New-York, whilfe General Washington had his army assembled at Kingfl* ■.\\}l.-..7.^, K,..,'-Ni: NEW-YORK TO ALBANY. 15 bi'idge, and the British were in possession of the island up as far as Harlem, General Howe went up the East river^ with an intention of surrounding the Americans. He left his German corps at New-Rochelle, and marched for the high ground at White Plains, several miles east of the Hudson, to seize the interior road between the city and Connecticut. Washington penetrated his design, and entrenched him- self on the west side of the small river Bronx, with his right on Valentine's hill,, and his left on White Plains. He had garrisons near Harlem, at Kingsbridge, and Fort Washington. Skirmishes were kept up till the British approached very near ; when Washington assembled all his troops in a strong camp on the heights near the plains, with the Bronx in front and on the right flank, and a jnountainous region in the rear. l"he right was more ac- cessible ; and General M'Dougal was sent to entrench himself on a mountain about a mile in front. On the morning of October 28th, the Biitjsh advanced in two columns: the right led by Clinton, and the left by Gen. Heister. The former took post on the Mamaroneck road, and the latter on the Bronx,— ~the armies being a mile distant. Col. Ralle, with a Hessian regiment,, fell upon Gen. M'Dougal in flank, while Leslie attacked him in front with a brigade. The militia soon fled, but the regular troops resisted until overpowered. Washington, therefore, retired to North Castle ; and soon after, securing the bridge over the Croton, and Peekskill, crossed the Hudson. Fort Independence, on the east side. Opposite, the Palisadoes are of still greater height. Dobb's Ferry, 10 miles farther Tappan Bay is from three to five miles wide, eight or nine in length. Haver- straw Bay, still larger, lies just above. Tappan, 25 miles from New-York. Here Major An- (dre was executed, after a short imprisonment. Here will begin the NewrYork and Erie Railroad, which is to extend through Goshen, Deposit, Binghampton, Owego, Elmira, Corning, Hornellsville, and Olean, to Dunkirk on Lake Erie, 457 miles. It is thought that the whole distance from New Y''ork to Dunkirk, by a branch from the Harlem railroad, will be only 475 miles, and that it will cost but $6,000,000, Two branches are in operatioc. 16 STATE PRISON A.T SINGSING. xnz. the Ithaca and Owego railroad, 29 miles ; and thd Corning and Blossburg, Pennsylvania, railroad, 40 miles. Tarrytovvn, three and one half miles. This is the place where Major Andre was stopped, returning from his visit to Gen. Arnold, and on his way to the British lines. The place was then neutral ground, as the Ameri- cans and English lay encamped above and below. The tree was recently standing under which his captors search- ed him, and the bank near by concealed them from hia view as he approached them. The State Prison at Singsing is in a quadrangle of nearly 44 by 480ft. on the eastern shore, 33 miles from New- York. It has a double stack of cells built back to back, four tiers high and 200 on each tier: in all 800. Nine feet distance is the outer wall, which supports a gallery running all around ; size of the cells, three feet six inches by seven feet, and two feet door way. The whole work was done by convicts, and a great part is of hewn stone. The system is that of the Auburn prison. The convicts are employed in quarrying marble from the hill, and in other kinds of labour. The Entrance of the Highlands, is a short distance beyond this place, and 40 miles from New York This is a -region no less remarkable for the important military events of which it has been the theatre, than for the grandeur and nobleness of its natural scenery. Stony Point The little rough promontory on the left, nearly a mile below the entrance of the Highlands, was a fortified position during the American war. The British took it from Gen. Wayne in 1778, but lost it again the same year. Verplanck's Point, on the opposite side, was also the site of a fort. FORT MONTGOMERY AND FORT CLINTON, five miles further, on the west. These forts were taken by Sir Henry Clinton, on the sixth of October, 1777. His object was to co-operate with Gen Burgoyne. at that time closely watched by Gen. Gates near Saratoga, and to afford him an opportunity to iforce his way to Hudson river, by effecting a diversion in his favour. For this purpose Sir H. Clinton had left New- JSTcrtlt. . NEW-YORK TO ALBANr. 17 York with 3 or 4,000 troops, embarked in the fleet, and landed at Verplanck's Point. The next morning a detach- ment was sent to Stony Point, and marched round in the rear of these forts, then under the command of Gen. Putnam, and garrisoned by 1000 continental troops, part of whom were unfit for duty, and a small number of militia. Gen. Putnam, apprised of the landing made at Ver- planck's Point, and' supposing the object of the expedition to be Fort Independence, had crossed the river, and made preparations to oppose them. He did not discover their real intentions until he had heard the firing at forts Mont- gomery and Clinton, which are near each other, and were attacked at the same moment. The fighting began be- tween four and five o'clock in the afternoon, and lasted till dark, when the Americans having lost about 250 men, the forts were surrendered ; but all the garrison who were able, about 450, effected' their escape, with the governor and his brother, len. James Clinton. The British pro- ceeded to West Point, removed the chain which had been stretched across the river to prevent the passage of their ships; and a part of the fleet, under Sir James Wallace, went up to Kingston, with Gen. Vaughan and his troops. Although they found the village defenceless, the officers ordered it to be burnt, on the 13th of October. The Bri- tish proceeded no further than that place ; for the news of Burgoyne's surrender being received a few days after- wards, the fleet returned to New York. Anthony's Nose. This mountain (which has a pro- file resembling the human face,) rises 1228 feet from the river, directly opposite the mouth of Montgomery Creek, looking down upon foists Montgomery and Clinton. Be- hind the latf^r is Bloody Pond, where the bodies of those were thrown who were killed in the defence. As the steamboat proceeds up the river, West Point makes its appearance on the left hand, with the ruins of Fort Putnam elevated on a commanding eminence, a little beyond, 598 feet above the water level. Thi" view it com- mand's over this wild and mountainous neighbourhood, as well as its connexion with our history, will render it wor- thy of a Ndsit. There are still three or four subterraneous xooms to be seen, and the place is so often visited, that IS NEW-YORK TO ALBANY. ihe path is plain, and leads to most of the principal objects within it. This fortress commanded at once the river above and below West Point, and the passage into a defile ■which opens through the mountains westward. That de- file was farther defended by numerous little batteries and redoubts on the peaks around it. Kosciusko's Retreat is near this place, and the spot is still shown where he cultivated his little garden. A monument erected to him, will be seen on the rocks. West Point. This was a military position of great consequence in the Revolutionary war. A battery was erected on the extremity of the point, just over the river, to command the channel, while a strong iron chain was stretched across from the shore below, to the opposite side. On the east side of the river is Cold Spring, behind it is the West Point Foundry. There is a fine hotel on the point. The Military Academy of the United States is at West Point; and a more delightful situation for such an institution could hardly have been selected. It is designed for the instruction of young men destined for the army; and secondarily for maintaining the military science of the country. The Academy was established in 1802, by Gen. Williams, and extends only to the instruction of Cadets. The number of pupils is confined to 250 ; and in choosing from the applicants, the sons of revolutionary officers are allowed the first claim, and those children of officers of the last war whose fathers are dead, the next- The law prohibits admission under 14 years of age* The level on which the buildings of this institution are erected, is 188 feet above the river, though it has the ap* pearance of having once formed a part of its bed. The libra- ry consists of a large and valuable collection of books, on the various branches of military science, which have been obtained with great assiduity and no small expense from Europe. The buildings belonging to the institution are five ; all large, and built of stone. There are, besides, brick build- ings for the officers and professors ; near the water, some old military store houses, ivhich contain arms, &c. used in the revolution. The course of study is completed in four yoars, each; WEST POINT. 19 being devoted to a class ; and includes the French lan- :guage, drawing, natural and experimental philosophy, chemistry and mineralogy, geography, history, ethics, and national law, mathematics in the highest branches, and lastly, artillery and engineering. Study concludes each day at four P. M. and is suc- ceeded by the parade, which lasts till sunset. Arnold's Treachery, In September, 1780, while the British held possession of Hudson river up to the bor- ders of the Highlands, and Gen. Arnold was in command here, a correspondence was carried on by him with the British officers, on the subject of surrendering his post into their hands. To bring their designs to a conclusion, it was determined that a meeting should be h^ld. Andre was sent under cover of the night from the sloop of war Vulture, which was then lying in Haverstraw Bay, to a place which had been appointed for the conference. A man by the name of Smith had been sent on board by Arnold, under the pretence of negotiating about an ho- nourable treaty with Great Britain ; and he accompanied Andre to the foot of a mountain called the Long Clove, on the west side of the river. Here they found Gen. Ar- nold in a dark grove of evergreen trees, according to ap- pointment. Daylight put it out of the power of Major Andre to pass in safety the posts at Verplanck's and Stony Points. He vfas therefore obliged to retire to Smith's house, and change his dress for a disguise. Arrest of Major Andre. General Arnold had fur- nished him with a pass under the name of John Anderson ;. and on the following evening he set out by land, accom- panied by Smith as a guide. They rode that night to McKoy'^s after going eight or nine miles ; and the next he' spent at Pine's Bridge, over Croton river. Here he parted with Smith, and proceeded alone six miles, when,- as he had passed the American lines, and was approaching those of the British, he was discovered by three men, who were concealed from him behind a bank ; and one of them, suddenly stepping from under a tree by the road side,, seized his horse by the bridle. They found in his boots a description of the works at West Point, with returns q§' 20 NEW-YORK TO ALBANr. all the forces of the garrison, in the hand-writing of Arnold. This happened on the 23d of September. A messenger was imm^ediately sent to General Washington ; and, at Andre's request, Lieut. Col. Jamieson sent to Arnold to inform him that Anderson was taken. The lat- ter messenger arrived first ; and Arnold, as soon as he learned the truth, rushed down a very steep bank, sprang into his boat, and ordered the rowers to take him on board the Vulture. His Execution. On the 29th of September a board of officers was appointed for the trial of Major Andre, and sentenced him to suffer death as a spy. Objections were made to this sentence, on the ground that Andre had been introduced into the American camp under the passport of one of our officers ; but the delivery of Arnold being made the condition of his release, and that being refused by the British, he was kept in pi'ison until the 2d of October, when he was hung at the townof Tappan, where his body was afterwai'ds interred. A few years since the British government sent to this country to obtain his remains, which were removed to England, and placed in the family vault of the then Prince Regent. In 1827, the corporation of New-York erected a monument over the grave of Paulding, one of his captors. At leaving West Point, the traveller will observe several- remarkably high mountains on both sides of the river, for which he is referred to the map. Putnam's Rock was- roUed from the top of Butter Hill, June 1778, by a party of soldiers directed by Gen,. Putnam. Newburgh. This is a town of considerable size, six miles beyond the Highlands, with some handsome build-- ings. Newburgh is advantageously situated for the eye of one approaching it, as it stands on the declivity of a hill which slopes handsomely to the shore. Half a mile south of the village is seen the old stone house in which Gen. Washington had his head quarters when the celebrated' " Newburgh Letters " were published. Matte AWAN Factory, Fishkill. It stands near tb,&i river, and directly opposite JNewburgh. % ti 11 IT 1' C li I'- ^ S CO. o s«/t>n.^ £ \ ,^1 , i „ ^, ,, ^, ^. ,- CATSKILL MOUNTAINS. 21 PoUGHKEEPSiE is a place of considerable importance, und k situated two miles east of the river. Kingston. Here begins the Delaware and Hudson canal, opened in 1827. Saugerties. Here is a large manufacturing place es- tablished by Henry Barcklay, Esq. of New York. By a large stone dam on Esopus creek is obtained a supply of water at a fall of nearly 50 feet, which may be twice used on great wheels. The Catskill Mountains. As the traveller proceeds, he observes the distant ridge of the Catskill mountains. They no-where approach nearer to the river than eight miles, and in some places retire 15 and even 20. An excursion to the summit of these mountains may very properly be ranged among the principal objects in the great tour which we are just commencing. The visit may be accomplished in one day, though two or three may be agreeably spent in examining, at leisure, the grand and beautiful scenery of that romantic neighbourhood. There is a large and commodious house of entertainment erected at the Pine Orchard, one of the peaks of the moun- tain, about 3,000 feet above the river. It is visible from the steamboat, and the ascent to it is performed without fatigue, in private carriages or a stagecoach. The place to land for this excursion is Catskill, where begins a turnpike road to Ithaca. Taking the stage- coach here, you proceed towards the Pine Orchard, pass- ing an inn at the distance of seven miles, and then begin- ning the ascent, which is surmounted by a winding road, that affords much wald scenery, and many a glimpse at the surrounding country.* Five miles of such travelling brings th ; visiter to The Pine Orchard. This is a small plain, 3,000 feet above the river, scattered with forest trees, and furnished with an elegant house of great size, built for the accom- modation of visiters. The Hudson is seen winding from afar through its verdant valley, its margin adorned with villages, and its surface enlivened with vessels of various descriptions. Immediately below is seen a region of un- * The forests of this mountainous resion furnish immense quantities of the bark used iu tanning leather; and many Iftu- Beries are in operati-ou iutliis county. 22 THE CATSKILL MOUNTAINS. cultivated mountains, which is strikingly contrasted with the charming aspect of fertility that reigns beyond, and presents all the variety of hill and vale, town, hamlet and cottage. The Round Top is a summit of greater elevation to- wards the south, from which the view is more extensive. It is 3,718 feet above the ocean. On the west side of the I'iver is seen part of the counties of Albany, Greene, Ulster and Orange; and on the east, part of Putnam county, and all of Dutchess, Columbia and Rensselaer. The distant high land in the east be- longs partly to TaughU annuo and Saddle Mountains in Massachusetts, and perhaps partly to the Green Moun- tains in Vermont. Lower down is discovered a range of hills in the western counties of Connecticut. The eye embraces a tract of country about 100 miles in length, and 50 in breadth ; and a large part of it is supposed, by geologists, to have formed the bed of a great lake in some long past age, when the Hudson was thrown back by the barrier presented at the Highlands, before the present chasm had been cut for its passage. Nearly opposite is seen the old Livingston Manor, which is one of the few great aristocratical estates exist- ing in this part of the country. It originally contamed Clermont, (14,000 acres,) the Manor (146,000) and East Camp or Palatine, (6,000.) This last was settled by ■exiles from the Palatinate in the reign of Queen Anne. The Cascades. West from the Mountain House a path leads through the woods to the cascades, passing near two small lakes, from which the supply of water is ■derived. The stream flows through the woods to where the level terminates, very abruptly, at a high and shelving preci- pice, descending into a tremendous gorge between ridges of gloomy mountains. The first fall is 175 feet, and the second 80 : both perpendicular, without a single protrud- ing rock to break the snow-white sheet. A building is erected where refreshments may be ob- tained ; and on the right is a steep path by which even ladies may descend in safety to the foot of the falls. There is a cavern under the first cataract, where the .Sihelving rock shelters the stranger from the spray, and CiTY OF A'LBAKY. • ^9 l*ntO«rs a dark shade around him, which sets oif, in the itiost beautiful manner, the wild scenery below. The cavern is formed by the wearing away of the sandstone tocks, while the" stratum of grawacke remains unim'^' paired. At a little distance the stream takes its second leap iiito a dark abyss : and from a fock at that place, it is seen rushin* tumultuously along over a steep and rocky channel, winding between the bases of the mountains until it graduall} svi' eeps away towafd the south, and dis-" appears among the rude scenery that surrounds it. After gratifying his curiosity and taste with scenes Tike these, the ti'aveller will return to Cats kill to take the next steamboat; and by making the necessai'y ar^ I'ang'ements, he can proceed up the river with very little delay. The CitY op Hudson, 5| miles above Catskill. This is one of the lai'gest and most important towns on the river, and occupies a commanding eminence on the east- ern bank, with several ranges of large stores built neaf the water's level. On the brow of the ascent from the water is a favourite promenade, from which a charming view is enjoyed of the river and the opposite Catskill mountains. The western shore is variegated and beautiful, and contains the village of Athens. The railfoad leads from Hudson to West Stockbridgej Mass. The Union road to New-Lebanon is a good one, and passes through a varied, well cultivated and agreeable tract of country. There are extensive manufactories in this vicinity. Claverack is a pleasant village a few miles from Hud-* son. The Great Falls is a romantic cascade about nine miles from Hudson, near the old post route. ALBANY, 145 miles from New-York. Routes from Albany. Stagecoaches run daily towards all the four cardinal points ; and six or eight fre- quently set off in the same direction. Indeed the num- ber is often much greater than this when the full crowd 3* t4 Lebanon spiungs. of travellers is pressing towards this city. By steady travelling, you may go to Buftulo in three days, 296 miles. Two or thi^ee steamboats go daily to New-York; and boats go on the canal. The circuit and delays occa* sioned by the locks, make the passage to Schenectady consume a whole day The freight boats of the Trans- portation Companies are very numerous, and have been fitted up very comfortably for passengers, and convey them at a less price than the regular packets. For the route to JNiagara, see page 33. For other routes, &.c. see index. The Capitol, or State House, occupies a commanding position at the head of State-street, and contains the Assembly and Senate Chambers, the Supreme Court, the County Court, &c. &c. It is 115 feet in length, 90 in breadth, and 50 high. On the opposite side of the river is Greenbush, famous for more than a century as a canton- ment ; and the deserted lines of eutrenchment are clearly seen from the State House. This is the firstpoint worthy of notice, connected with the colonial wars against Can- ada. At Greenbush, the troops supplied in quotas by the eastern colonies, used to meet those of New Yoik; and hence they proceeded, under commanders appointed by the British government, against their enemies in the north. The Academy and Female Institute are large in- stitutions for the higher branches of education. LEBANON SPRINGS, 26 miles east from Albany. New-Lebanon Springs is one of the most delightful resoits for strangers, in point of situation, being in this ^respect incomparably superior to either of the great watering places, Saratoga and Ballston. Among all the places which might have been selected for an agreeable residence in the warm seasons, and calculated to please a taste for the softer beauties of nature, none perhaps could have been found more eligible than that we are about to describe. The village of New-Lebanon is situated in a little valley, surrounded by fine hills, or rather spurs from two ranges of high ground^ descending; with a rich and LEBANON SPRINGS. 25 ;^raceful slope on every side to its borders. The valley is almost a perfect level, which contrasts agreeably with the liold sides of the iiplands, some of which are divested •of their forests, and ornamented with cultivated fields and farms, preseiating a rich variety to the eye wherever it turns. On the side of a hill about two miles east from the village, and about half way to the summit of the ridge, issues out a Spfing of clear warm water, which, although possessed of no strong mineral qualities, has given the place its celebrity | and there stands a fine and spacious hotel, to which the visiter will direct his course. In coming from the west, the Shaker Village opens just beyond the last turnpike gate ; and on approaching the hotel, it is better to take the road which turns off to the right, as the direct road up the hill is very steep and laborious A little arbour will be observed on the acclivity of the hill above the house, the path to which lies through the garden ; and there an uninterrupted view will be enjoyed over the surrounding landscape. A still more exten- sive one may be obtained from the summit of the hill, by following the road for a considerable distance up, and then turning off into the fields. But the former point of view will be most frequently taken by visiters, on account of the facility of access. On the southeast is the road to Northampton; southwest, the most exten- sive scene, and the road to the Shaker Village ; west, village of NewLebanon, and road to Albany and Troy 5 nortlnvest, the side of a fine sloping hill, well cultivated, and near at hand. Distances. — To Albany, 26 miles ; Troy, 27. To Hart- ford, 69, Hudson, 28. The waters of the Spring are abundant, and much esteemed for bathing, always keeping the temperature of 72'-' Fahrenheit, although they cannot be supposed to possess any mineral virtues, as may be inferred from an examination of the following analysis given by Dr. Meade, and quoted by Professor Siiliman: Two quarts of the Lebanon water contain LSJJAI^ON gPltlfiGgi Muriate of lime, 1 grain. Muriate of soda, J^ Sulphate of lime, 1^ Carbonate of do. I Of Aeriform Pluids4 Nitrogen gas, 13 cubic itis Atlriospheric air, 8 do. 5 grains. 21 The Lebanon water is therefore puter than most natu" ral waters, and purer than those in the vicinity, which flow frorii the same hill. It resembles very much the Buxtdrt water in England, though it is not quite sa Warm I and. the Bristol water is another* example of tepid Vvater almost entirely without mineral qualities. Pro" fessor Silliman compares the scenery about Lebanon Springs to that of Bath in England. The Ijouse at the Springs is v6ry large, cominadiotl^ And elegant ; and has stccommodated 300 persons at one time. It stands close by the spring, and is furnished ■with baths supplied with the water. The old house mea- sures 90 feet, and the new One 120 feet long. They stand in the forrtl of an L, with a fine piazza itms along them both, measuring 220 feet. From New-Lebanon Springs to Troy, there is a very good road, through a variegated country. Distances ag follows: to Nassau, 16 miles ; thence to TrOy, 11. From the Springs to Hudson is 28 miles, and a Stage* Coach goes thither. The following is a table of distances on the I'oad to Boston : Pittsfield 7 miles, Biusdale 9, Peru 4, Worthington 6, Chesterfield 6, Northampton 13, Hadley 3, Amherst 4, Belchertown 7, Ware 6, Western 8, Brookfield 6, Spencer 7, Leicester 11, Worcester 6, Framingham 10, Boston 21 — 134. The Shaker Village, a few miles from the Springs^ is an an object of attention to most visiters. The village itself presents a scene of great neatness and beauty, as it is situated on a beautiful level, and laid out with the utmost regularity The fields are divided by right lines, fenced with the most substantial materials, and cultivated with great faithfulness and skill. It is a leading principle with the society, to allow of no private property ; all the possessions of those who join them are thrown into the common stock, and submitted at once to their peculiai* CITY OF ALBANY. 27 system of life and government. Celibacy they insist upon as indispensable ; and they profess to banish the love of wealth and ambition, as well as luxury in all its degrees, from all their territories. The founder of their sect was Ann Lee, who came from England some years ago, and established a small " fam- ily," as they call it, which has been sui;ceeded by ■various similar institutions in different parts of the 'Country. They regard that v/oman as nearly equal to the Saviour of the world ; and themselves as the only persons who have received that spiritual light which is ne- cessary to understand and practise the duty of man, that is, to renounce the pleasures of the world, and, by a life of self-denial, present a living testimony against error and wickedness. Their dress is plain, and their worship con- sists principally in a strange and disagreeable kind of dancing, whence they have their name, accompanied with a monotonous song. Some of their most experienced and perfect members, pretend to ''speak with tongues," heal diseases with a touch of the hand, and perform other miracles like the apostles. They consider the marriage contract as dissolved on joining the society. They pay great attention to the raising of garden seeds in most of their villages, as well as to several of the neat- er branches of manufacture, and derive from both a very handsome income, by making sales at home and in differ- ent parts of the country. Whoever has an opportunity to see this singular people, will probably feel gratified with their neatness, industry, and economy, but will perhaps leave the place with pity for some, and suspicion of others. The original settlement or family, is at Niscayuna, above Albany. ALBANY. The Albany Basin. The northern and western ca- nals unite at the distance of 8| miles from Albany, and terminate here, at a large basin, 4000 feet long. It has two or three handsome bridges, one vdth a draw to allow a passage for sloops, which leads from the foot of State- street. The pier which encloses the basin on the river side, is built of logs, and wide enough for a spacious 28 ROUTES FROM ALBANY. Street. It is a place of deposit for vast quantities of lumber. NORTH ROUTE FROM ALBANY. From Albany to Ballston and Saratog-a Springs, the traveller may take the railroad route throug^h Schenecta- dy, or ride to Troy, and take the railroad thence through Lansingburgh and Waterford, which joins the latter at Ballston. For Lake Champlain, take a canal packet at Troy. For the west, a series of railroads to Buffalo is partly finished as far as Canandaigua, 250^ miles. These are under different companies. At the other extremity of the line the Buffalo and Rochester railroad is in use to Ba- tavia, 32 miles. Description of a Canal Packet Boat. The length is 60 or 70 feet, a large part of which is devoted to the din- ing room, where two rows of tables are set. At night, mattresses are spread on the seats each side, and another row above them on cots suspended from the roof. The ladies are accommodated with berths in the cabin, which is usually carpeted, hung with curtains, and in other re- spects more handsomely furnished. A small library, a number of newspapers, &c. will serve ,£o make the time pass agreeably, even if the travel- ler be a stranger, or the weather not inviting. In many places, the view from the deck is highly interesting ; but It cannot be too often recommended to the stranger to be- ware of standing on deck when approaching a brid-je, and never to expose the head or hands out of a window. Rensselaerwyck, a fine estate with its respectable old mansion house, about a mile north of the centre of Albany is worthy of particular observation, as the seat of the late Hon. Stephen Van Rensselaer ; who bore the respected old Dutch title of Patroon of Albany. The estate is of im- mense value, extending ten miles along the river, and double that distance east and west ; embracing besides, a fine tract on the Black river, &c. It was formerly en- tailed, and secured by law to the oldest son of the family. ■U. States Arsenal, 5,^ miles, at Watervleit. The ground occupied by the arsenal extends from the TROY. 2^ road near the river, back to the tow path of the canal. The muskets are partly packed in boxes, and partly ranged uprig-ht, with fixed bayonets, in compact order ; and pre- sent an appearance truly formidable. Thousands of pistols are hung over head ; those in the alternate lines standing, different ways ; and swords with metallic scabbards are disposed horizontally on wire hooks. The walls bear several devices formed of swords, pistols, &c. inge- niously arranged. This is the principal depot of arms and equipments in the northern states. The passages and staircases are hung with drums, &p. On the ground floor are a few pieces of artillery, and va- rious sizes of shot, shells, &c. (fee. In the yard are two ranges of buildings. That on the north is devoted to work shops for the repair of arms, manufacturing locks, &c. The buildings on the south side are occupied by smiths and carpenters. Behind these is a handsome flower and fruit garden : the kitchen garden being on the north side of the grounds. Li the yard are a number of cannon,^ &c. There ai*e 4 medium 12 pounders, one 24, and one howitzer, all taken at Saratoga; 4 medium 12 pounders and one howitzer, taken at Yorktown ; two long antique pieces and one 8 inch mortar, taken at Stony Point ; two old French 4 ponnders and 14 guns, sent by King Louis to the Conti- nental Congress in the revolution. These are all of brass and most of them highly ornamented. The French guns presented by the king, bear each an individual name for- ward, and the inscription " Ultima ratio regum " — (the last argument of kings.) There are also 3 or 4 howitzers cast in New York and Phi- ladelphia in the revolution, someof the oldest specimens of Buoh manufacture in this country. They bear the letters U. C. for United Colonies. Troy. On the opposite side of the river, is a very handsome town, with fine hills in the rear, the most pro- minent of which has received the name of Mount Ida, to correspond with the classic appellation of the place. — There is a good horse ferry, which helps to render the town, a gi-eat thoroughfare during the travelling season. The Dam, Basin and Viaducts at Troy are expensive works^ The railroad to Ballston meets the Schenectady and Saratoga railroads 30 TROT. Sandy Lake is 10 miles southwest, Nassau 8 more, viY lage of New-Lebanon 12 miles further, and Lebanon' Springs 2 more. On Mount Ida, tlie hill east of Troy, is a fine succes- sion of water falls, on two streams, the Poestenkill and' the Wynantskill. One of them has cut its way in some places to a great depth, and takes three or four perpen- dicular leaj)S at short intervals of only a few yards. The road to New-Lebanon Springs leads near the place, which is woithy of attention for its pictui'esque character. Mount Ida. The view from the top of this hill, and' still more from the mountain behind it, is very extensive and beautiful. The Academy for young Indies is a very respectable institution — long directed by Mi's. Emma Willard. Troy. Very fine packet boats ply on the canal from Ttoj to Whitehall, setting out early in the morning, and arriv- ing before night. This mode of travelling is recommend- ed on account of convenience, and the good opportunity it affords of viewing the battle-ground of Saratoga or Behmis's Heights, the field of surrender, &c. Hydrostatic Lock. In order to prevent fraud in the collection of toll, one of these works has been constructed at Troy. They are commonly called weigh-locks. The chamber is on the same level with the canal, and is filled from it by a paddle gate. On a level below the chamber is a receptacle, into which the chamber can be emptied ; and from this the water can be discharged. After an empty boat has been once weighed, she \& numbered, and her weight is registered at the several hydrostatic locks. The opportunity for looking around on every side is- much better enjoyed in a canal boat than in a stage-- coach, or even a private carriage, although it sometimes happens, that the road commands more extensive views than the canal. The immediate scene from the latter^ however, will usually be found the most agreeable ; for a smooth sheet of water, with level and often grassy banks, is a more pleasant sight than a long stretch of a muddy or sandy highway. Besidies, it is always free from the inconvenience of dust, which frequently renders the roads in this part of the country extremely uncomfortable. The Double Locks just below the junction of the nor^rhp- REMARKS ON THE CANAL> 31 em and western canals, are built of marble from Westches- ter county. The Junction, 8^ miles from Albany, is where the Northern and Western Canals nieet and unite. To this spot the canal has been of a greater width than either of the branches will be found to be. The Northern Canal runs to Whitehall, Lake Champlain, with locks, a dis- tance of 685 miles, passing through Waterfbrd, Half- moon, Stillwater, near Behmis's Heights, (14 miles from Waterford,) with the battle-grounds of General Bur- goyne, Fort Hardy, where he suiTendered, Fort Miller^. Fort Edward, and Fort Anne. The Erie or Western Canal extends to Buffalo, on Lake Erie, a distance of 362 miles. It has 8!} locks, which raise and lower the water 688 feet in all. The principal points where the most labour and expense were required, are the following : The Basin at x\lbany, — the Dam and Basin at Troy, — the Locks at the Cohoes Falls, — the two Aqueducts on which the canal twice crosses the Mohawk, — the long Stone Wall and Locks at Little Falls, together with the beautiful Aqueduct for the Feeder at that place, — the long stretch through the Onondaga Swamp, — the great Embankment at Victor, where for two miles the boats pass 72 feet above the level, — the Aqueduct over the Ge- nesee at Rochester, — the five double combined locks at Lockport, and the long pier at Black Rock. At the nine Locks, the road to Waterford leaves the Erie Canal on the west, and the Champlain Canal on the east ; and crosses the Mohawk River below the Co- hoes Falls. There is a very fine view of the locks, the riv- er, and the falls, from the road which runs along the south bank of the river, 140 feet high, between it and the canal. CoHoES Falls. This is the great Cataract of the Mo- hawk River. The height of the fall is 62 feet. The banks are mere walls of stratified rock, rough, and some- times hollowed out beneath, rising about 140 feet above the river for a great distance below the falls. At first view the cataract appears almost as regular as a mill-dam; but on a nearer approach, the ledge of rocks over which the water is precipitated is found extremely irregular an tnan Flats, famous for its fertility. The inhabitants, who- are almost all of German extraction, still preserve their language, and many of the customs of their ancestors j and though often laborious and provident farmers, arei little inclined to those improvements in learning or the' useful arts, which distinguish so large a portion of th^ state. Tl^e scenes presented along this part of the tanalV bear a resemblance to some of the meadows of the Con-^ iiecticut, although of inferior size, and of more recent settlement. Herkimer. This village is situated about 7.^ mile^ beyond, and a mile north of the canal, orl a semicircular" plain ; the circumference of which is traced by the Mo- hawk, and the diameter by the railroad. It derives its^ name from Gen. Herkimer, of whom there will be more to gay a,t Rome. The traveller may take a carriage here, to visit Trenton Falls, and join the canal at tJtica ; or go first from Utica^ The Long Level begins at Lock No 53, neaily sil miles west of Herkimer It is the longest reach on the canal without any ir terruption by locks, extending to Sa- lina, a distance of 69^ miles, 40O feet above tide. Utica. This is one of the largest and most important bf the western towns Hotels, Bagg's, Canal Coffee-* House, i^ranklin, City Hotel, J\ational. Public buildings, &c. 3 Banks, 16 Churches, Female Institute, High School, Academy, Rcadmg Room, and Library of thd Y. Men's Association, (open to strangerS;) Lyceum, &c. The streets are broad, straight and commodious; and the principal ones well built, with rows of brick stores, ROUTE TO NIAGARA. 39 •*or elegant dwelling houses. The bridge over the Mo- hawk, is at the end of the street. Hamilton College is situated near the village of Olintjn, 9 miles from Utica. Trenton Falls. This most interesting vicinity is well worthy the attention of every person of taste, being justly considered, one of the finest natural scenes in this part of the country. From this house you descend a long stair case down the steep bank of the West Canada Creek, which has cut a frightful chasm through a rocky range, m some places 150 feet deep, and is seen gliding swiftly by through a declining channel below. The chasm continues for four miles, and presents the greatest variety of cascades and rapids, boiling pools and eddies. The passage or chasm between the rocks is everywhere very narrow, and in some places barely of sufficient breadth to permit the stream to pass; while the rocks rise perpendicularly on each side, or sometimes even project a considerable dis- tance over head, so that it has been often necessary to form an artificial path by means of gunpowder. These places appear dangerous, but only require a little cautiori and presence of mind to insure ihe safety of the visiter, as strong iron chains are fixed into the rock to offer him security. There are four principal cataracts, between the staircase by which you first descend and the usual limit of an excursion, which is about a mile and a quar- ter up the stream. The first of these you discover soon after the first turning, and is about 40 feet high ; with the greatest fall towards the west The top of the rock on the right side is 150 feet high by line measurement. The second is a regular fall, much like a milldam, about 8 feet high; the third a remarkably striking and beautiful one; and the fourth rather a succession of cascades, but presents many most agreeable varieties. Near the foot of this a melancholy accident occurred in 1827. A lady from New- York was drowned by slipping from a low bank ; unseen, although her friends and parents were near her. The ear is stunned by the falls, the rocks are slippery and great caution is recommended. Ab©ut a mile and a quarter from the house, is a smali 49 FORT STAKWIX. building' erected for the supply of refreshinents. A singU' Ig-r species of tree is found in this neighbourhood', called the white cedar, with drooping branches, which often grow to such a length as to descend far below the root, towards the water. The rocks here are all a dark lime- stone, of a very slaty structure, and contain astonishing' quantities of petrified marine shells and other animals of an antediluvian date, such as Dilobites, Trilobites, &c. There are several other cataracts besides those already mentioned, both above and below ; and a stranger might spend some time here very agreeably in observing then* at leisure, and in catching the fine trout with which the creek abounds. The house is commodious, and has the- reputation of furnishing one of the best tables in thia part of the state. From Utica to Syracuse, by the canal, 63| miles, Whitestown 4, Oriskany village 7, Rome on the right 8, Feeder from Wood Creek, and the old U. S. Arsenal 1, Oneida Creek, 14, Lock 54, end of the long level 29, Sy-? racuse|. These places are noted in succession. Whitestown is one of the most beautiful villages in this part of the state, as well as the oldest settlement. All this tract of country was a perfect wilderness in 1785, ■when Mr. White, from Middletown, in Connecticut, first took up his abode here and lifted an axe against the forest. The traveller may keep this in mind as he pursues his journey, and the progress of civilization will appear rnore astonishing. Siege of Fort Stanwix. On the road from Whites- town to Rome, is the spot where Gen. Herkimer sat down under a tree after receiving his mortal wound. In 1777, Gen. Burgoyne sent between 1500 and 1800 men, many of them savages, under Baron St. Leger, from Montreal, by Lake Ontario, to attack Fort Stanwix ; and then to go down the Mohawk to Albany. Early in August they arrived at Fort Stanwix. Gen. Herkimer, commander of the militia of Tryon county, was sent against them with 800 men. His men insisted on going on, to meet a detachment under Sir J. Johnson, sent out by St. Leger; but at the first shot they fled. A few remained and fought, and Gen. H. was mortally wounded. Congress voted a monument to his in&mory, but it has never been erected. The Americana ROUTE TO NIAGARA. 41 lost 160 killed, and 240 wounded and prisoners. [Two miles below Fort Stanwix the canal commences between the Mohawk and Wood Creek.] Fort Stanwix stood 60 or 80 rods N. E. of the centre of the villaofe of Rome, with a deep ditch, three rows of pali- sades, and a block house in the middle. It was defended against St. Leger, by Col. Ganzevoort. Lieut. Col. WilJet drove him off by a sortie, and plundered the camp. He was intercepted on his x'eturn, but cut his way through, and returned without the loss of a man. When Sir J. Johnson returned from the battle with Gen. Herkimer, the fortress was summoned, but refused to surrender ; and Col. Willet and Lieut. Stockton left the fort to inform the people towards Albany, of its situation^ They crept through the enemy's camp, and got to Gen. Schuyler's head quarters at Stillwater. Gen. Arnold volunteered to relieve it ; and frightened the besiegers by means of two emissaries, an Indian and a white man, who told such sto- ries of the force of the Americans, that they left their baggage and fled precipitately to Oneida Lake. Oneida Castle. This is a village on the confines of a tract of reserved land belonging to the Indians of the Oneida nation. The principal residences of most of the Indians in this part of the country were formerly fortified in a manner corresponding with their ideas of warfare, and hence the name of castle attached to this village, as well as to several others, which we may have occasion to speak of further on. The Oneidas were one of the original Five Nations, which form so conspicuous a figure in the history of this state, and whose power and influence, at the time of the settlement of New-York and New-England, were extended far and wide. They held the Dalawares in subjection in Pennsylvania and Delaware; the Cherokees in South Ca- rolina sought their friendship ; and all the country between the Hudson and Connecticut rivers was tributary to them. They must have been at that time extremely numerous. But since then their decrease has been great ; for besides the losses they have sustained in wars, and the diseases brought upon them by civilized vices, many of their young men have left their native country to go and join tlie tribes 42 SYRACUSE. SALT WORKS. who Still preserve some portion of their original habits ant? independence. A mile east of Oneida Creek, and by the road side, is the ancient Council Gkove, where all the public busi- ness of the nation was for many years, transacted. It is formed of fine butternut trees, which, in the summer season, from a little distance, present a beautiful and re- gular mass of verdure. Towards the southeast from this place is seen the Episcopal church, a building erected for the use of the Indians. Syracuse. This place is no less remarkable for the rapidity of its growth, than for the peculiar advantages of its situation. The great Salt Spring is only a mile and a half distant; and the water is raised 85 feet, and brought' in hollow logs to the salt vats, and at a very trifling ex- pense. These vats cover 400 acres at the western side of the village, and are well worthy of a day's delay, as well as the works at Salina, Liverpool, and Geddesburgh. — The vats are large pans inade of wood, three orfour inches deep, raised a little from the gi'ound, and placed in long ranges, with a very gradual descent, to permit the salt wa- ter to flow slowly along from one end to the other. Each range of vats is supplied by a hollow log placed perpen- dicularly in the ground; and the constant action of the sun evaporates the water, and leaves the salt to be deposited in small cubical crystals at the bottom. The water is at first a little thick, but gradually deposits its impurities; and the lower vats always show a beautiful white crust, like the' purest snow. Within 7 miles are 180 salt woi'ks. Light wooden roofs are kept ready to slide over the vats when the weather requires it ; and the salt is taken out once in two or three days, to be deposited in the store- houses, which are built at regular distances. Thence it is easily removed to the canal, and then is ready for transportation to any part of the country. The Oswego Canal leaves the Erie canal at this place,. and opens a direct communication with Lake Ontario. The bank is used as a tow path a considei^able distance.. The shores rise gradually to a height of 100 feet, with few inhabitants and little cultivation. The locks and other works are of the best description, and very admirable worliraanshipo. ROUTE TO NIAGARA, 43 Salina ia situated a mile and a half north from this ^lace, and should not be passed by unnoticed. A small but oonvenient little packet-boat is continually plying be- tween the two places, drawn by a single horse, and passes by many salt manufactories, built on both sides of the canal. The mode of evaporation generally adopted here, is that of boiling i Euid a brief description will convey a clear idea of the. process. Each building contains sixteen or eighteen large iron kettles, which are placed in two rows, forming what is called "a block." They stand about three feet higher than the floors and under them is a large furnace, which is heated with pine wood, and re- quires constant attention to keep the water always boiling. The water is drawn from a large reservoir at one end of the building, after having been allowed to stand awhile and deposit the impurities it has brought along with it. A hollow log, with a pump at one end, and furnished with openings against the kettles, is the only machine used in filling them. The first deposit made by the water after the boiling commences, is a compound of several substances, and is thrown away, under the name of '* Bittern ;" but the pure white salt, which soon after makes its appearance, is carefully removed, and placed in a store- room just at hand, ready for barrelling and the market. There are large manufactories here, where salt is made in reservoirs of an immense size, and evaporated by hot air passing through them in large pipes. The pipe is sup- plied with heat by a furnace below, and the salt is formed in large loose masses, resembling half-thawed ice. The crystallization also is different from that produced by the other modes, at least in secondary forms. The Village of Salina is of considerable size and a flou- rishing appearance. The extensive marshes which bound it on the we^t are extremely unwholsome during the warmer seasons of the year, and the whole neighbour- hood is more or less infected with the fever and ague, that terrible scourge, which has retarded so much the settlement of many parts of the western countrj'. Since the marshes have been partially cleared and draiired, the disease has been greatly diminished. The branch canal which runs through this village, is ap- plied to other valuable purposes beside those of transpor- 5 44 SALINA. SALT W0KK3, tation. A sluice •which draws off a portion of the waiter towards the marshes and the lake, is made to turn several mill wheels in its course A forcing' pump raises the wa- ter of the salt spring- destined to supply the manufactories here and at Syracuse ; and a large open frame building shows the spot from which all the kettles and the pans of both these places derive their supplies : that for the latter being elevated to the height of 85 feet. The 8alt Spring itself will be viewed as a curiosity, but in its present state presents no very remarkable ap- pearance, as there is little commotion visible on the sur- face, and the source would seem by no means equal to the great draughts which are continually made upon it. The Lake will be seen at the distance of about a mile. It is sixTtiiles long and two broad, and must receive a con- siderable quantity of salt water from the draining of the marshes, as its banks are covered with saline plants. The valley is surrounded by limestone hills, with petrifactions, and gypsum is found in great quantities. " The American Salt Formation,^^ says Dr. Van Rensselaer in his ' Essay,' " extends over the continent from the Alleghanies to the Pacific, between 31° and 45° North Latitude. In this immense tract, rock salt has been occasionally found ; but its locality is more generally pointed out by brine springs." The salt springs in this state are in the counties of Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, Ontario, Niagara, Genesee, Tompkins, Wayne, and Oneida, but this is the most valuable on various accounts. During the year ending August 1823, 606,463 bushels were manufactured here. In 1800 there were only 42,754. 45 gallons of water makes a bushel of salt. At Nan- tucket 350 gallons of sea water are required. The follL-wing approximated analysis of the water of this spring is given by Dr. Noyes of Hamilton College. 40 gallons, or 355 lbs. contain 56 lbs. of saline extract. Pure Muriate of Soda, 51 lb. Carb. Lime, coloured by ox)'de of iron, 6^ oz. Sulph. Lime, 2'lb. 4 oz. Muriate Lime. 1 lb. 125 oz. and probably muriate magnesia, and sulph. soda. From Syracuse to Rochester. Railroad. By the canal, 99 miles. Weed's Basin 26 miles. — A coach to Auburn, 8 miles for 50 cents. 11 m. Monts- OSWEGO C ? ROUTE TO NIAGARA. 45 Euma Salt Works. Here begin the Cayuga Marshes. The canal across the marshes v/as constructed at a vast expense, 35 m. Palmyra. Coachto Canandaigua, 13 m. for 75 cents. The Great Embankment, 72 feet high, extending 2 m. Antiquities. In the towns of Onondaga, Camillus, and Pompey, are the remains of ancient villages and forts, of which a description will be found in Yates and Moul- ton's History of the State, vol. I. p. 13. In Pompey the form of a triangular enclosure is visible, with the remains of something like circular or elliptical forts at the corners, 8 miles apart, the whole including more than 500 acres. De Witt Clinton, the late Governor of this state, in his memoir, read in 1817, before the Lit. and Phil. Society, thinks the place was stormed on the north line. In Camillus is an elliptical fort on a high hill, three acres in extent, with a covered way, 10 rods long, to a spring on the west and a gate towards the east. Another is on a less elevation half a mile off, and half as large. Sculls, pottery, and bits of brick have been picked up in these places. (There is a bed of Coal in Onondaga.) ROCHESTER Is the largest and most flourishing place in this part of the state, being indeed the fourth in the state in point of numbers. It is situated on the west side of Genesee river, at the upper falls, where it i:* crossed by the canal; and enjoys the finest advantages for water mills of all kinds, from the convenient and abundant supply obtained from the falls. Hotels. Rochester House, Eagle, Mansion, Monroe, Clinton and Arcade. Rochester was first surveyed into lots in the year 1811, the first settlement made in 1812, audit was not until the latter part of the year 1814, that any considerable addition was made to the number of inhabitants. In the museum may be seen the remains of mammoths dug up in this town and vicinity. There are many fine dwellings, the court house. Arcade, Athenaeum and Pagoda, gaol, market, 20 large flour milia 45 ROCHESTER, of Stone. There are three bridges over the Genesef?^ eight canal basins, two dry docks, &c. The Broadway bridge, 600 feet long, is a few yards above the aquedact. The water power belonging to this village and the vicinity is equal to the power of 38,400 horses ; or, 1,92© steam engines of 20 horse power each. Therefore the water power is worth (computing the cost of such en- gines, as in England, at $8,880 each ; and the annual expense of working at 222 dollars for each horse power,) almost ten millions annually. The whole river supplies 20,000 cubic feet a minute ; and the combined height of the falls at Rochester and Carthage is about 280' feet. A fall of 12^ cubic feet of water in a minute 2&feet, is equal to the power of one horse. The Aqueduct over the Genesee is one of the finest works on the course of the canal, and is no less remark- able for its usefulness than for its architectural beauty and strength. It is borne across the river's channel, oh ten arches of hewn stone. The river dashes rapidly along beneath, while boats, with goods and passengers^ glide safely above. A feeder enters the canal on the east side of the river, where sluices are also constructed for the supply of the numerous manufactories built on the bank. Other sluices are also dug on the west side, where many other mills are to be seen. The streets of the town are har/d- somely and regularly laid out, and several of them are very well built with store and dwelling houses o£ brick and stone, and well flagged on the side-walks. Falls. There is a fall in the Genesee of about 9& feet, near the northern extremity of the town, another near it ; and a fine one at Carthage, which, w^ith the truly impressive scenery of the banks, is worthy of par- ticular attention. To vary the ride, it is recommended to the stranger to go down on one side of the river, and after viewing the cataract, cross the bridge a little above> and return on the other. Carthage. The fall here is very sudden, though not in a single precipice. The descent is 70 feet in a few- yards. The cataract has evidently been retiring for ages,, as the deep gulf below the falls, with its high, perpen- dicular and ragged banks;, is s\ifficient Sestimony i aa-^ ROUTE TO NIAGARA. '47 tke seclusion of the place, the solemn and sublime effect of the scenery, redoubled by the roaring of the cataract, combine to render it one of the most impressive scenes in this part of the country. The precipices are walls of secondary rocks, presenting their natural stratification, and descending from the surrounding level, to a depth of about two hundred feet. A singular vein of whitish stone will be observed, cutting them horizontally, and disappearing at the brink of the falls, which it has kept at their present position ; its superior hardness, evident- ly resisting the action of the water, for a much longer time ; and probably rendering the descent more perpendi- cular than it would otherwise be. The rocks are over- hung with thick forest trees, which, in some places, have been able to find a narrow footing along the sides. Here are the hutments of a bridge thrown over a few years ago. It was 400 feet in length, and 250 above the water ; but stood only a short time, and then fell v/ith a tremendous crash, by its own weight. Fortunately no person was crossing it at the time — a lady and gentleman had just before passed, and safely reached the other side. On account of the obstructions at the falls, navigation is entirely interrupted here ; and all the communication between the banks of the Genesee, as well as the canal, and Lake Ontario, is through Carthage. Merchandise is raised up the bank, or lowered down, by means of an inclined plane, very steep, where the descending weight is made to raise a lighter one by its superior gravity. Road from Rochsster to Niagara Falls, 87 miles. To Lochport, and thence a railroad to the Falls. To Carthage Falls - - 2j To Gaines 8 Parma ----- 9 Oak Orchard - - - 7 Clarkson - - - - 7 Cambria - - - - - 11 Hartland - - - - 14 Lewiston - - - - 15 Sandy Creek - - - 7J Niagara Falls - - - 7 The principal objects on this road, are the Ridge, Lew- iston on Niagara River, and the Tuscarora Village. Ni- agara Village will be seen if you do not cross into Cana- da at Lewiston ; and Queenstown if you do. Lockport may also be seen by leaving the stage road at Hartland, • 40 LOCKFOKT^ 54 miles from Rochester, where a vehicle awaits the ut-^ rival of the coach, to take travellers to Lockport, 7 miles^ It will be proper, however, to pay your passage only %& this place, if you determine to stop here. Instead of going by land from Rochester, it may be more convenient to take passage in the canal boat to Lockport r and there take the railroad. The Ridge is a remarkable elevation, of little height, and for the most part very narrow, extending a great part of the distance from Rochester to Lewiston. It i» often perfectly level for several miles, and affords an ad- mirable foundation for the road, which has, in conse- quence, been laid along its top. The ground pre&ents a slope on each side of the path, peculiarly well adapted for home lots, gardens, and or- chards ; and the frequency and facility of transportation give the inhabitants very manifest advantages. Som& well built, and even handsome houses will be observed^ which are still few indeed, but show that a good style ha» actually been introduced. Lockport. This is one of the interesting places on the canal. Here is the noblest display of locks, two ranges^ made of fine hewn stone, being constructed against the brow of the Mountain Ridge, where the foaming of the waste water, the noise of mills, and the bustle of occupa- tion excite many lively feelings. Above the locks the Deep Cut offers a singular passage between high walls of rocks. Lockport is one of the most advantageous sites for m:achinery on the canal, as all the water passes down the mountain ridge, which the canal requires, for an ex- tent of 135 miles : Tonawanta Creek being the only feeder from Buffalo to the Seneca River. It is brought down by passing round the double locks, and falls 55 feet into a large natural basin. The rocks are blasted out to a depth of 60 feet. Within a few years, the spot has been changed from a wilderness to a village of several hundred houses. It is 65 miles to Rochester, and 27 to Buffalo. Minerals. The rocky stratum is a carbonate of lime, containing organic remains: encrinites, enthrocites, &c. &c. crystals of carb. lime, rhomboidal, dog-tooth spar. o ^ ^ ROUTE TO NIAGARA. 49 12 sided; fluate of lime; beautiful crystals of sulphate of lime ; sulph. of strontian ; pyrites; sulphuret of zinc; sulphuret of lead. Collections of minerals may be pur- chased here. The Tuscakora Reservation is an oblong tract of land reaching- within a mile of Lewiston. They emi- grated from North Carolina, near the beginning of the last century, at an inviiaiion from the Five Nations, and were admitted on equal terms into their confederacy, which has since received the name of the Six Nations. They have had a clergyman settled among them for many years, and Christianity has been voluntarily adopted by them. Their village has some handsome and well cultivated farms, and a house built for public worship. Hints to the Traveller at Lewiston. It will be the intention of many strangers v/ho arrive at this place, to devote several days to viewing the Falls of Niagara, the battle grounds in the vicinity, and per- haps in making short excursions in different directions-. To those who have leisure, such a course may well be recommended ; and it may be almost a matter of indif- ference whether they first visit the American or the Bri- tish side. The public accommodations are excellent at both places, and the river may be safely crossed at any hour of the day, by a ferry, at the expense of about half a dollar, including the transportation of luggage down and up the steep banks. Staircases are erected near the falls, on the British as well as the American side, to furnish a convenient mode of descending to the foot of the cataract, where the charge is 25 cents for each per- son. During the pleasant seasons of the year, both places are the resort of great throngs of visiters. Stage coaches also pass up and down on both sides every day. To such, however, as have but a short time to spend in this neighbourhood, it may be strongly recommended to proceed directly to the British side. The cataract on that side is higher, broader, more unbroken, and gene- rally acknowledged to be the noblest part of the scene. The visiter may indeed see it to great advantage from Goat Island, on the American side, but the view from Table Rock ought by no means to be neglected. Tho 50 JfALtS OP NIAGARA. finest views from ike level of the water below are now af" forded on both sides. THE FALLS OF NIAGARA— /rom if^e American side. The Inn or Hotel is a large building, and very well kept and commodious. On the American side a bridge crosses a frightful part ■of the rapids to Bath Island, and another thence to Goat Island. Part of a bridge rf^mains, which extended to Ter- rapin Rocks, and beyond to the brow of the cataract. By it you may reach the Stone Tower, to the top of which a winding staircase leads, affording a most impressive view of the awful scene below. The Biddle Staircase, erected at the expense of Nicho- las Biddle, Esq. of Philadelphia, leads from Iris Island to the bottom of the precipice. You descend first stone steps 40 feet, between stonewalls, then by 88 steps under a wooden cover, which brings you to three pathways with stone steps, which conduct to the water's edge, whence the view upward is most imposing. Several picturesque and romantic avenues and rocky recesses are to be seen at different parts of the river's banks. The height of the fall on this side is 160 feet perpen- dicular, but somewhat broken in several places by the projecting rocks* It extends 300 yards to a rock which interrupts it on the brow of the precipice. A narrow sheet appears beyond it, and then comes Goat Island, with a mural precipice. Between this and the other shore is the Grand Crescent, for which see a few pages beyond. The long bridge to the island, which com- mands many fine views of the falls, rests on wooden piers sunk with stones. The staircase conducts safely to the bottom of the pre- cipice ; and boats may row up near to the cataract. About two miles below the Falls, is a mineral spring:, said to contain sulphuric and muriatic acids, lime and magnesia. There is a ferry at Lewiston, which is about half a Jcnile across; but the current is strong on this side, and the eddy sets up with such force on the other, that a BATTLE OP QUEENSTOWN. 51 feoat moves more than double that distance in going over. The passage is not dangerous, although the water is much agitated by counter currents and changing whirl- pools : for the ferrymen are taught by their experience to manage the boat with care, and not only to take ad- vantage of the currents, but to avoid all the i-ough places, ripples and whirlpools. The banks here have an appear- ance very wild and striking. The rocks are a dark red sandstone, with thin strata of a more clayey character and a lighter colour, occur- ring every few feet. The river is 104 feet lower than at the foot of the falls. QuEENSTowN, On the Canada side of the river, is a small town, uninteresting, except so far as regards its natural situation, and some martial events of which it has been the theatre. The Battle of Queenstown. During the last war between the United States and Great Biitain, in 1812, while Gen. Van Rensselaer was stationed at Lewiston, he formed the bold design of taking Queenstown ; and, before daylight in the morning of October 13th, he em- barked his troops at the ferry, and passed over the river under cover of a battery. As the accessible points on the coast were strictly watched, and defended by batteries of some strength, the place selected for the attack was the lofty and precipitous bank just above, about 300 feet high. Two or three smail batteries had been erected on the brow, the remains of which are still visible ; but the land- ing was eifected, the heights were surmounted, and the Americans commenced a brisk action on the summit. Gen. Brock, vvho was at a distance, hearing the guns, hastened to the spot; but under a tree near the precipice was killed by a chance shot. The Americans remained in possession of the heights a few hours, but were then obliged to re-cross the river. The Momcment to General Brock was raised by the British government in the year 1824 ; and the remains of Gen. Brock were deposited there. Its height was 126 feet ; and the view from the base is very fine and exten- sive, being 350 feet above the river. In clear weather the eye embraces not only the river below, and the towns of Lewiston and Queenstown, but those of Newark and 52 FALLS OF NIAGARA. Fort Niagara, at the entrance of Lake Ontario, Toronto harbour, Youngstown, part of the route of the Welland Canal, a vast level tract of country covered with an uni- form forest, and the horizon formed by the distant lake itself. It has been lately blown up with gunpowder by some unknown person. From Queenstown to Niagara Falls is seven miles, over a level, sandy road. The country between Niagara and Toronto, U. C. is con- sidered the most beautiful, most fertile, and best culti- vated part of the province. The Whirlpool, sometimes called the Devil's Hole, cannot be seen without leaving the road and going to the bank. The rocks are about 300 feet above the wa- ter; and during the late war 50 Americans were driven off by a party of Indians, in the night, mistaking the trees for the verge of a wood. One was saved by falling into a cedar. A leisurely walk the whole distance, near the river, may please the admirer of nature; as the high and rocky- cliffs which form the banks on both sides present a con- tinued succession of striking scenes. Although the surface of the ground frequently indicates the passage of water in some long past period, the whole road is much elevated above the river, and owing to this circumstance the traveller is disappointed at not getting a sight of a cataract from a distance, as it remains conceal- ed by the banks, until he has approached very near. It frequently happens, also, that the roar of the cataract is not perceived before reaching the inn, for the mtervening bank intercepts the sound so much that the noise of the wheels is sometimes sufficient to drown it entirely. Yet, strange as it may appear, the inhabitants declare, that at the same time it may very probably be heard on the shore of Lake Ontario. THE FALLS OF mAGARA— From the British side. There are large Inns and Hotels on the Canadian side of the river, situated as near the falls as could be desired. One stands on what ought strictly to be called TABLE ROCK. 53 the upper hank, for that elevation appears to have once formed the river's shore. This is the larger house; the galleries and windows in the rear command a fine view of the cataract, although not an entire one, and overlook the rapids and river for several miles above. Following a footpath through the pasture behind For- syth's, the stranger soon finds himself on the steep brow of the second bank, and the mighty cataract of Niagara suddenly opens beneath him. Table Rock is a projection a few yards from the ca- taract, which commands a fine view of this magnificent scene. Indeed it is usually considered the finest \)o'\i\\, oi view. The height of the fall on this side is said to be 174 feet perpendicular; and this height the vast sheet of foam preserves unbroken, quite round the Grand Crescent, a distance, it is estimated of 700 yards. The distance from Table Rock to Termination Rock is 1.53 feet Goat Island divides the cataract, and just beyond it stands an isolated rock. The fall op the American side is in breadth 900 feet, the height 160, and about two thirds the distance to the bottom the sheet is broken by project- ing rocks. A bridge built from the American side con- nects Goat Island and the main land, though invisible from this spot. It may be recommended to the traveller to visit this place as often as he can, and to view it from every neigh- bouring point; as every change of light exhibits it under a diflferent and interesting aspect. The rainbows are to be seen, from this side, only in the afternoon ; but at that time the clouds of mist, which are continually rismg from the gulf below, often present them in the utmost beauty. Dr. Dwight gives the following estimates, m his Tra- vels, of the quantity of water which passes the cataract of Niagara. The river at the ferry is 7 furlongs wide, and on an average 25 feet deep. The current probably runs six miles an hour; but supposing it to be only 5 miles, the quantity that passes the falls in an hour, is more than 85 millions of tons avoirdupois ; if we suppose it to be 6, it will be more than 102 millions ; and in a day would be 2400 millions of tons. The noise, it is said, is 54 KAPIDS. sometimes-heard at Toronto, 50 miles.''TabIeRockis 6(S feel below the level of Lake Erie. The Rapids begin about half a nnile above the ca-' taract. The inhabitants nf the neighbourhood regard it as certain death to get once involved in them. Instances are oa record of persons being carried down by the stream ; but no one is known to have ever survived. In- deed, it is very rare that the bodies are found. Wild ducks, geese, &c. are frequently precipitated over the ca- taract, and generally reappear either dead or with their legs or wings broken. The most sublime scene is presented to the observer when he views the cataract from below; and there he may have an opportunity of going under the cataract. This scene is represented in the plate. To render the descent practicable, a spiral staircase has been formed a Jittle way from Table Rock, supported by a tall mast ; and the stranger descends without fear, because his view is confined. On reaching the bottom, a rough path among the rocks winds alongat thefootof the precipice, although the heaps of loose stones which have fallen down, keep it at a considerable height above the water. A large rock lies on the very brink of the river, about 15 feet long and 8 feet thick, which you may climb up by means of a lad- der, and enjoy the best central view of the falls anywhere to he found. This rock was formerly a part of the pro- jection above, and fell about 20 years ago, with a tremen- dous roar. In proceeding nearer to the sheet of falling water, the path leads far under the excavated bank, which in one place forms a roof that overhangs about 40 feet. The vast column of water continually pouring over the preci- pice, produces violent whirls in the air; and the spray is driven out with such force, that no one can approach to the edge of the cataract, or even stand a few moments near it, without bemg drenched to the skin. It is also very difficult to breathe there, so that persons with weak lungs would act prudently to content themselves with a ■distant view, and by no means to attempt to go under the cataract. The celebrated navigator captain Basil Hall, on a visit here in 1837, found that the air under FALLS OF NIAGARA. 5& llie cataract is not|conipressed : but he considered the gusts of wind more violent than any gale he had ever witnessed. Those who are desirous of exploring this tremendous- cavern, should attend very carefully to their steps. In the summer of 1827, an old schooner called the Michigan, jwas towed by a row boat to the margin of the rapids, where she was abandoned to her fate. Thousands of persons had assembled to witness the descent. A number of wild animals had been inhumanly placed on her deck, confined, to pass the cataract with her. She pass- ed the first fall of the rapids in safety, but struck a rock at the second and lost her masts. There she remained an instant, until the current turned her round and bore her away. A bear here leaped overboard and swam to the shore. The vessel soon filled and sank, so that only her npper works were afterwards visible. She went over the cataract almost without being seen, and in a few mo- ments the basin was perceived all scattered with her frag- ments, which were very small A cat and a goose were the only animals found alive below. The Burning Spring. About half a mile above the falls, and within a few feet of the rapids in Niagara Ri- ver, is a remarkable Burning Spring. The water, which is warm, turbid, and surcharged with sulphurated hydro- gen gas, rises in a barrel which has been placed in the ground, and is constantly in a stale of ebullition. The barrel is covered, and the gas escapes only through a cop- per tube. On bringing a candle within a little distance of it, the gas takes fire, and continues to burn with a bright flame until blown out. While on the Canada side of the falls, the visiter may vary his time very agreeably, by visiting the village of Chippewa and Lundy's Lane, in this vicinity; which, dur- ing the late war with Great Britain, were the scenes of two sharp contests. The Battle of Chippewa. In July, 1814, the Bri- tish and American armies being near each other. General Ripley ordered General Scoit to make an advance on Chippewa, on the 3d of July, with Captain Towson's di- 6 56 BATTLE OF CHIPPEWA. vision of artillery ; and the enemy's pickets were soon forced to retire acrosss the bridge. General Ripley came up in the afternoon and encamped with General Scott's advance. The stranger may be gratified by examining the field of these operations, by going to Chippewa Village, about two miles above Forsyth's. The American encampment of July 23d, is in the rear of a tavern near the road, about a mile beyond Chippewa. On the 5th, after some sharp shooting, the Indians were discovered almost in the rear of the American camp. At this moment General Porter arrived with his volunteers and Indians. General Brown immediately directed them to enter the woods and efifectually scour them. Gens. Brown, Scott, and Ripley were at the white house, in advance, reconnoitering. General Porter's corps had al- most debouched from the woods opposite Chippewa, when the whole British force had crossed the Chippewa Bridge, and General Scott advanced, and Gen. Ripley was in readiness to support. In a few minutes the British line was discovered formed and rapidly advancing — their right (the Royal Scots) upon the woods, and their left (the Prince Regent's) on the river, with the king's own for their reserve. Their object was to gain the bridge across the creek in front of the encampment, which would have compelled the Americans to retire. Gen. Brown, fearing a flank movement of the enemy through the woods on the left, directed General Ripley not to advance until he gave him orders. Meanwhile General Scott, under a most tremendous fire from the enemy's artillery, crossed the bridge, and formed his line. The British orders were to give one volley at a distance, and immediately charge. But such was the warmth of our musquetry that they could not withstand it. Ai this moment General Brown sent orders to General Ripley to make a movement through the woods upon the enemy's right flank. With the 2ist regiment he passed a ravme in his front, where the men had to wade up to their chins, and advanced as rapidly as possihle. But before he commenced filing from the woods into the open land under the enemy's batteries, BATTLE OF ERIDGEWATER. 57 they had been completely broken by General Scott's bri- gade, and threw themselves across the Chippewa Bridge, which they broke down. Although the Americans were not able to cross the creek, the British thought proper to evacuate Chippewa very precipitately, and to retreat towards Queenstown. In this affair the British loss, in killed, wounded and missing, was 514, and the American loss 328. Nothing of importance occurred after this until the 25th of the same month, the date of The Battle of Bridgewater, or Lundy's Lane. The principal scene of this hard-fought and bloody action is aboiU a mile from the Falls of Niagara, at an obscure road, called Lundy's Lane. Since their retreat from Chippewa, the enemy had received reinforcements of troops from Lord Wellington's army in Spain ; and on the 25th of July encamped on a hill, with the design of attackmg the American camp the next morning. At 6 in the evening. General Brown ordered General Scott to advance and attack them, which was immediately done ; and in conjunction with General Ripley the attack was commenced in an hour. The British were much surpris- ed at seeing the approach of their enemy at this hour, not having discovered them until they left the woods and began to march across the open level fields seen from Forsyth's Hotel, and about a quarter of a mile to the left. The following letter, written by a surgeon of one of the American reginicnts, the day after the engagement, contains some inierei^ting particulars; " The enemy had collected their whole force in the peninsula, and were reinforced by troops from Lord Wel- lington's army, just landed from Kingston. For two hours the two hostile lines were within twenty yards of each other, and so frequently intermingled, that often an officer would order an enemy's platoon. The moon shcne bright ; but part of our men being dressed like the Glen- garian regiment caused the deception. They frequently charged, and were as often driven back. Our regiment, under Colonel Miller, was ordered to storm the British battery. We charged, and took every piece of the ene- 58 WELLAND CANAL. my's cannon. We kept possession of the ground and cannon until 12 o'clock at night, when we all fell back more than tvvo miles. This was done to secure our camp, which might otherwise have been attacked in the rear. Our horses being most of them killed, and there being no ropes to the pieces, we got off but two or three. The men were so excessively fatigued they could not drag them. We lost one piece of cannon, which was too much advanced, every man being shot that had charge of it, but two Several of our caissons were blown up by their rockets, which did some injury, and deprived our cannon of ammunition. The lines were so near that can- non could not be used with advaniage." The British lost, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, 878; and the Americans 860. The Welland canal begins near the mouth of Grand River, Upper Canada, empties itself into Lake Erie, about iO miles from Niagara. It will admit the largest vessels on the lakes, viz. those of 125 tons. Here is Port Maitland, which is capable of receiving a number of vessels such as navigate the Lake, for which the Canal is calculated. Grand River serves as a part of the navigable line for a distance of 128 chains ; and then Broad Creek for 70 chains, The excavations there commence, and the Canal enters the Mainjieet Marsh. This is a tract of swampy land, elevated only about 8 feet above the level of Lake Erie, and extending from its shore to Welland or Chippewa River. The canal passes it by a thorough cut ten miles long and varying from 10 to 16 feet in depth, communi- cating with many ponds and pools. It is a fact well esta- blished by scientific surveyors, that only a narrow ledge of I'ocks occurs between the two lakes, and that, if this were removed, the soil is generally of so loose a nature, that a current of water might soon wear away a deep channel, drain off Lake Ei'ie, and cause a tremendous inundation. This barrier will be seen at the Mountain, Ridge., on the northern part of the Canal, where the de- scent is above 300 feet. From Lake Erie to that place the stranger will observe that he proceeds on an almost uninterrupted level. The continuation of the Mountaia FALLS OF NIAGARA. S» Hidge forms the Falls of Niagara, and tae elevation of ground at Lockport, surmounted by the noble v/orks at that place. It runs for many miles, presenting towards the east an irregular line of precipice, with sali" ent and re-entering angles, like an immense fortification. Most of the streams which fall over it pour down the ravines thus formed. The Welldnd River, a very sluggish stream, is used for 10 miles, being entered by a lock of 8 feet lift, a tow- ing path being formed along its bank. On leaving Welland River, the boats pass a ravine QQ -chains in length, where the excavations are 8 or 10 feet •deep. The Deep Cut, We approach a part of the canal in which the greatest labour and expense were required. It extends If miles, and required the excavation of 1,477,^ 700 cubic yards of earth. The excavation is to an aver" age depth of 4.5 feet. The ground is undulating, and the greatest depth is 56 feet. The Mountain Ridge. Within the extent of a mile and 55 chains are 17 locks of 22 feet by 100, which over- come nearly the whole elevation of Lake Erie above On- tario. The canal winds along the face of the descent, being on the left and right, to give room for reservoirs between the locks, necessary for a convenient supply of water. None of the locks are less than 30 yards apart. This is the only part of the route where rocks were to be excavated, and the amount of rock removed here was 70,000 cubic yards. At the foot of this long and steep descent the canal en- ters a ravine, which extends 2^ miles through 12 locks, between high banks, to St. Catherine'' s. The descent from the top of the ridge to this place is 322 feet. To Lake Ontario from this place, 5 miles, there are 4 locks, 32 feet by 125, and one of 10 feet lift. The route runs chiefly along the val- ley of the principal branch of the Twelve Mile Creek. Port Dalhousie, the harbour of the Welland Canal on Lake Ontario, is protected by two fine piers, run out 200 or 350 yards, nearly at the angle of storm, which i» ubout 80 degrees west. 6* §0 THE WESTEKN LAKES» The locks are of wood, but built on the most approved principles. The common dimensions are 100 feet long, 22 wide and 8 deep ; and are calculated for vessels of from 100 to 125 tons burthen. Toronto, the capital of Upper Canada, is a place of con- siderable size. The public buildings make little figure. The habour is very fine, protected by defensive works on Gibraltar Point. King's College is of recent institution^ and bears the style and privileges of a university. The traveller has now entered the great valley of the St. Lawrence, which embraces the five great lakes ; Supe- rior, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario, as well as Cham plain and its beautiful tributary, Lake George. Its length is nearly 1800 miles, and area about half a million;, of which about 73,000 are water. Here were the scenes of the early French discoveries, and the Jesuit missions among the Indians, many of whom, with the idolatry of Home, were taught implacable hatred against the protest- ants of New-England and New-York. Here were the scenes of most of the battles fought between the French and English, and here may be seen traces of many of their fortresses. Here also were the scenes of many of the later military operations between the English and our own countrymen. The traveller will more highly enjoy a jour- ney in any part of this region, if he prepares himself by a recurrence to some book of history relating to it. The French excited and led the Indians against the English colonies, and committed numerous depredations, for many years: but, after many unsuccessful attempts^ were finally subdued in 1759, by Gen. Wolfe, In 1775 the Americans took Montreal from the English, and some other paits of Lower Canada: but they were obliged to evacuate the country the next year. In the war of 1812, they made a similar attempt, but without success. The Western Lakes. Ontario is 180 miles long, 40 miles wide, 500 feet deep ; and its surface is computed at 218 feet above the elevation of tide water at Three Ri- vers, 270 miles below Cape Vincent. It is 330 feet below Lake Erie- Erie is 270 miles long, GO miles wide, 200 feet deep; and its surface is 565 feet above tide water at Albany. BATTLS Of ERIE, 61 Harofl 13 250 miles long, 100 miles average breadth, 900 feet deep ; and its surface is nearly 595 feet above the tide water. Michigan is 400 miles long, 50 wide, depth unknown; elevation the same as Huron. Gi-een Bay is about 105 miles long, 20 miles wide, depth unknown ; elevation the same as Huron and Mi- chigan. Lake Superior is 459 miles long, 109 miles average width, 900 feet deep; and its surface 1048 feet above the tide water Hence the bottom of Lake Erie is not as low as the foot of Niagara Falls ; but the bottom of each of the other lakes it will be observed, is lower than the surface of the ocean. Lake Superior is the head fountain, the grand reservoir of the mighty volume. After making a semicircle of five degrees to the south, accommodating and enriching one of the most fertile and interesting sections of the globe, it meets the tide a distance of 2000 miles from its source, and 5000 from the extreme point of its estuary, on the At- lantic coast. The lakes are said to have a periodical rise once in twelve years. It occurred in 1815 and 1827. The Ferry across Niagara river is about half a mile be- low the Falls, and may be crossed at any hour in the day, without danger, notwithstanding the rapidity of the current. The descent from the bank is so steep, that it has been necessary to build a staircase. To Bvjfalo, on the Canada side, 28^ miles, to Chip- pewa 2, Waterloo (Fort Erie) 16, (over the ferry to Black Rock, 25 cents each passenger.) to Buffalo 2.^. Opposite Buffalo, in Waterloo, are the remains of Fort Erie, a fortress of great consequence in the late war. — ' There was a strong wall, surrounded with entrenchments reaching to the lake. The remains of the British camp are also seen, and the trees are still wounded with shot. Battle of Erie. On the 17th of September, 1B14, a severe action was fought at a little distance from Fort Erie, when a part of the American garrison, 1000 regulars and ]000 militia, made a sortie, and took the British works, about 500 yards in front of their line. The British had two batteries on their left, which annoyed the fort, and Vs'ei'e about opening a third. Their camp was about twd miles distant, sheltered by a woods their works were gar" risoned with one third of their infantry, from 12 to 1500 men, and a detachment of artillery. Gen. Porter with the volunteers, Col. Gibson with the riflemen, and Maj. Brooks with the 23d and 2l9t hght infantry, and a few dismounted dragoons, were sent from the extreme left of the American position, by a passage cut through the woods, towards the enemy's right ; and Gen. Miller M'as stationed in the ravine betv/een the fort and the enemy's batteries; while Gen. Ripley had are* serve under the bastions. A little before 3 P* M. the left columns commenced their attack on the enemy's right, and Gen. Miller at the same time pushed forward between Nos. 2 and 3 of the batteries, broke their line^ and took their two block houses. Battery No. 1 was soon after deserted, the guns were spiked, and the magazine of No. 3 was blown up. Gen. Ripley was wounded, and Col. Gibson killed. The action lasted about an hour, which gave time for the Jfemaining two'thirds of the enemy's force to march from their camp and partake in it The Americans at length retired with prisoners, having succeeded in their object. The British suffered so much, that Lieut. Gen. Drum* mond broke up his camp on the 21st, and retired to his intrenchments behind the Chippewa River. To Buffalo, on the American side, 30| railes. Tona* wanta Creek, where the canal passes, 11 miles; Black Rock, 10 miles ; Buffalo, 2^ miles. To Fort George, 14 7mles. Queenstown, 7 miles ; Fort George, 7 miles. [The route from Niagara to Albany and the Spi'ings will be taken up after the route to Montreal. ]^^See p. 6G, ROUTE FROM NIAGARA TO MONTREAL, 392 miles. Those who have never travelled through the state of New-York, and have leisure to make so circuitous a route, will prefer to go to Buffalo, Lockport, or Roches- ter, and take the line of the railroads or Erie Canal, the Springs, Lake George, and Lake Champlain, in their way ROUTE FROM NIAGARA TO MONTREAL. 63 to Montreal. Many, however, will prefer to take the more direct route, which is by the steamboats throug-h Lake Ontario, and is performed in about two days. The Ame- rican boats go from Fort Niagara to Ogdensburgh, keep- ing towards the southern shore, and touching at the prin- cipal ports. The British boats make a few stops, but steer a course very near the middle of the lake, which is the boundary between the two countries : they are usually out of sight of land about twelve hours. From Niagaru to Montreal in the American steam- boats, 414 miles ; stagecoach to Levviston, 7 m. ; steam- boat on Lake Ontario to Fort Niagara, 7 ;* Genesee river, 74; Great Sodus Bay, 35; Oswego, 28; Sackett's Har- bour, 40 ; Cape Vincent, 20 ; Morristown, 50 ; Ogdens- burgh, 12; Prescott, U. C, 1 ; Dickinson's Landing, 30; stagecoach to Cornwall, 12; steamboat to Coteau du Lac, 41; stagecoach to the Cascades, 16; steamboat to Lachine, 24 ; stagecoach to Montreal, 9. Do. British steamboats, 449 miles; stagecoach to Lewiston, 7 ; steamboat to Fort George, 7 ; Toronto, U. C. 30; Port Hope, 65; Coburg, 7; Kingston, 105; Gananoque, 24 ; Brockviile, 32 ; Prescott, 12. See above. Port Genesee, 72 miles at the mouth of the Genesee River, is a port of entry and delivery. Here are a cus- tom house, and the village of Charlotte, in Monroe county. This river rises in Pennsylvania, and runs a gently winding course about 125 miles in the state of New-York. It is navigable only four miles from its mouth, to Carthage, where the banks are high, rocky, and perpendicular; and there is a fine fall (104 feet, in- cluding the rapids, &c.) about half a mile above. Stage- coaches are in waiting for Rochester, 6 miles. See Carthage, page 46. Great Sodus Bay, 35 m. Here are three bays in succession : Sodus, East, and Port Bays. There are three islands, and Port Glascow is at the head of the bay, only 10.^ miles from Clyde, on the canal, with a good road to it. Oswego, 28 m. This village is situated at the mouth of Oswego River, and has a good harbour, with 10 feet water. Navigation on the river ends half a mile above, " The old French fort Frontenac, destroyed in 1758, 64 FORT OSWXGO. except for boats, which go 12 miles farther. A very large button-wood tree, 35^ feet in circumference, is seen a mile from the village near the road. This place had a rapid growth. The Oswego Canal joins the Erie Canal at Salina, and will afford an interest- ing excursion either way. From the head of the falls to the village, it leads along the river's bank, preserving the elevated level almost to the brow of the hill over the lake, and then descends by loiiks. For the distance of a mile, the interval between the canal and the river affords the most advantageous situations for manufactories of vari- ous descriptions. Lake vessels can lie on one side of the manufactories and canal boats on the other; and Congress have appropriated money for protecting the harbour with piers. The lake is 70 miles wide opposite Oswego. Fort Oswego, so famous in the history of the Franc and revolutionary wars, stands on the east side of the river. The situation was very advantageous for the command of a large extent of country, as this river is the common outlet of all the interior lakes of the state. While this post was held alternately by the French and English, they could command a great part of the trade with the Five Nations of Indians, who inhabited the country with which it communicated. Fort Oswego is elevated only about 50 feet from the level of the water; and being overlooked by the emi- nence on which Fort Ontario was afterwards erected, was fit only for a defence in eai'ly times. A trading house was built here in 1722, and a fort five years after. This was extended in the beginning of the French war of 1755, when Fort Ontario was built. On the follow- ing year. General Montcalm came from Canada, and besieged the fortresses with 3,000 troops, and two vessels. Fort Ontario was evacuated after one attack ; and on the following day, August 14th, Fort Oswego surren- dered to the French, with a large quantity of stores brought at great expense through the wilderness, and 21 cannon, 14 mortars, &c. also two sloops, and about 200 boats. The captors, however, did not think proper to hold the position, but immediately abandoned it. Col. St. Leger attempted to approach Albany by this route in 1777, in order to co-operate with Gen. Bur- KOUTE PKOM NIAGARA TO MONTREAL, b-J goyne ; but he was repulsed at Fort Stanwix by Col. Willet, and obliged to return. In 1814, on the 6th of May, the British attacked the place, and, after a loss of about 100 men, got possession of it, but evacuated it the next day. Sackett's Harbour, 40 m. Settled in 1801. In the late war, it became an important naval station, and in= creased very rapidly It is 8 miles distant from the lake, on Hounslow Bay. The harbour is divided into two by a narrow point, and offers great advantages for ship build" ing. MoRRisTOWN. This is a small village, 10 miles from Ogdensburgh. The river is a little more than a mile in breadth, and on the opposite side is Brockville. There is a number of rocky islands in the St. Lawrence, and the gentle slope of the land on the New-York shore, adds a great degree of beauty to the scene. General Wilkinson embarked at this place in 1813. Ogdensburgh, formerly Oswegatchie. This is the end of the navigation, and here the steamboat stops. The %illage is pretty, contains some large stores, and carries on considerable business. On the other side of the river is Prescott, where the British steamboat stops. The ruins of Fort Oswegatchie, or Fort Presentation, may still be traced. It was not very large, and contained only a bomb-proof, two buildings of stone, barracks, &c. The Thousand Islands are a most beautiful part of the navigation, presenting themselves in every variety of forms, though never rising to any great elevation.— They might be compared with the islands of Lake George. Gallop Islands, 5 m. Here the rapids of the St. Lawrence begin. , A number of mills will be seen at diffe- rent places on the shore. On Stony Island was a fort of some consequence, which was taken by General Amherst on his way to Montreal, in the year 1760. St. Regis, 54 m. The Indian tribe which bears this name have a reservation of land here 11 miles by 3. Lachine, 53 m. (See Index,) Montrjal, 9 m. (See do.) 66 BUFFALO. ROUTE FROM NIAGARA TO ALBANY. Railroad to Buffalo or to Lockport. Black Rock is a pleasant village situated on the mar- gin of Niagara River, a little way from its head, and op- posite Squaw Island, at the mouth of Lake Erie. It was burnt by the British during the war in 18 14, but has since been rebuilt and increased lo a much greater size. Black Rock long disputed with Buffalo the privilege of having the Basin of the Canal built in her harbour, and at last obtained it. A pier about two miles in length was built to secure the boats and vessels from the waves of the lake, as well as to raise the water for the supply of the canal to Genesee River. But the swiftness of the current in the river, and the hea()ing up of the ice on the shore, proved great obstacles to the navigation. BUFFALO— 3 miles from Black Rock. Inns. The Eagle Tavern, Buffalo House, American and City Hotels. The situation of this town is remarkably convenient and agreeable, occupying a long hill of a gentle ascent, rising from the immediate vicinity of the lake. The principal street runs along the ridge of the hill, looking out upon Lake Erie to the horizon, and is ornamented with several fine blocks of brick stores and handsome dwelling houses, together with several public buildings, all erected since the burning of the village by the British in 1814, as well as the buildings in the other streets, which are fast increasing every year. In April, 1814, only one house was standing in the village, that of a wi- dow in the upper part of the street. A walk has also been laid out on the brow of the hill towards the lake. This is called the Terrace, and affords a charming view upon the lake, the harbour, and the canal, to Black Rock. The harbour of Buffalo is singularly fitted by nature for the junction of the two kinds of navigation v/hich are WESTERN ROUTES. _ 67 here brought together : the entrance from the lake being sheltered by the point on which the light house is erected, and the two small rivers which here unite their waters^ aifordiBg every convenience for landing and reshipping goods. The shores of these are very bold, and they are connected by a natural channel, which serves the purposes of a basin, as well as of an easy communication ; and as the canal to Black Rock commences close by it, the in- land tran?portation beijins without more ado. Fine steamboats are constantly plyinsron the lake. The water of the creek is brought in\o the village from above the falls, by a canal 3 miles long. The Canal to Black Rock is dug near the shore of the Lake. The first part of it is through a low, sandy level, ■■B WESTBRM ROUTES. 32, Cleaveland, 30. (Here begins the Ohio and Erie Canal *) Sandusky 54, ("unningham's Island, 12, North Bass Islands, 10, Middle Sister Island, 10, Amhersiburgh, Upper Canada, 20, to Detroit. 18. (For the routes west from Detroit, see beyond.) From Detroit to Chicago. Railroad to Ypsilanti, 33 * miles, and either steamboat on Lake Michigan to St. Jo- seph's, 169, (or by land through Jonesville, 35, Cold- water, 20, Sturges' Prairie, 25, MottviUe 17, St. Jo- seph's, 40 ) Or, by steamboat on Lake Huron, River St. Clair, 40, Palmer, 17, Fort Gratiot, 14, White Rock, 40, Thunder Island, 70, Middle Island, 25, Presque Isle, 65, Macki- uaw, 5S, Isle Brule, 75, Fort Howard, 100, Milwaukie, 310, Chicago, 90. Or, by steamboat, railroad and stage coaches, by steam- boat to Toledo, 71, railroad to Adrian, 33, stagecoach to Tecumseh, 10. Niles, 100, Michigan city, Indiana, 40, steamboat to Chicago, Illinois, 55. The following are the stopping places on the passage to Detroit, with their distances ; and steamboats run al- most every day. (See Ohio Ca.nal, Index.) From Buffalo to Erie, 90 miles, Erie to Grand River, 75, Grand River to Cleaveland, 30, Cleaveland to San- dusky, 60, Sandusky to Detroit, 75, total 330. * The Ohio and Erie Canal, 307 miles Ion?, extends to Ports- mouth. It has the breaflth and depth of the New-York Erie Ca- nal, and 1185 lockage. From Cleaveland it passes 37 miles along Cuyahoga river, across Portage summit, down Tuscarawas river up Tomoka creek, up Licking river down the Sciota through Cir- cleville, nearChillicothe to tho Ohio to Porlsmouth. Distances. Cleaveland to Cuyahoga Aqueduct 22 miles. Old Portage, 12, New Portage, 9. Clinton, 11, Bethlehem, 17, Bolivar, 8, Dover. 10, New Comer's Town, 26, Coshocton, 17, Irville, 26, Newark, 13, Hebron. 10, Licking Summit, 5, Lancaster, 11. (Here if a branch to Columbus, 18,) Bloomfield, 8, Circleville, 9, ChiUi- cothe,25, Piketon, 23, Lucasvilie. 14. Portsmouth, 13. Steamboat Route down the Ohio and Mississippi to New-Or- Jeans. Portsmouth to V^unceimigh, Kentucky, 20, Manchester, Ohio, 16, Muysville, Kentucky, 11, Charleston, Ky, 4, Ripley, Ohio, 6, Augusta, Ky. 8,Neville,0hio, 7, Moscow,7, Port Pleasant, 4, N. Richmond, 7,;Columbia, 15, Fulton, 6, Cincinnati, 2, Louis- Tille, Kentucky, 143, Misjissippi River, 366, New-Orleans, 1284. ROUTES FROM NIAGARA TO ALBANT. 69 The United States government have improved several of these harbours. Ancient Fortifications. — On BufFalo Creek, and to- wards Genesee River also, are several large and interest- ing remnants of ancient fortifications: but as they lie off the road, few travellers will visit them. They appear to form part of a great chain of defensive works, extending from the eastern part of Lake Ontario, along that Lake and Erie, down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to Mexico. See the books of Mr. Delafield and Mr. Atwater, who have published some very interesting details, drawings, &c, connected with them. A line of old forts extends from Cataraugns Creek, 50 miles, along the shore of Lake Erie, to the line of Pennsylvania. They are on the borders of creeks and old bays, although now from 2 to 5 miles dis- tant from the Lake, which is supposed to have retired that distance since they were built. Another similar line is said to exist in the rear of them, on another parallel eleva- tion. Seneca Castle. — The Seneca nation possess a large and valuable ti-act of land adjoining Buffalo on the east, and they have two villages 3 and 5 miles on the road. The Senecas are the westernmost tribe in the confederacy of the Five Nations, and have always held a conspicuous rank in their history. They were formerly considered the most n.umerous and powerful tribe, and preserved this su- periority until the fatal defeat they received from General Schuyler, in 177 8, since which they have made a less con- spicuous figure. Road from Buffalo to Canandaigua. Batavia, 40 miles from BufFalo, is a very handsome vil- lage, and contains the residence of the former Agents of the Holland Land Company, as well as the county build- ings. It is 878 feet above tide. The summit of the rail- road route between BufFalo and Albany, is just west of this place, 912 feet. ' Leroy, 10 miles. The Wadsworth Farm, at Geneseo, contains about 4000 acres, about 1700 of which are rich alluvial land on the banks of Genesee river. 70 BURNING SPRINGS. The Genesee meadows are the wheat region of the state, 60 miles long', and 1 or 2 miles wide, and composed of limestone and sand. They were formerly the residence of a large tribe of Indians of the Seneca nation ; and when Gen. Sullivan reached this place in his march through the country, he found and burnt a village of 120 log houses, on the second bank, which had been deserted at his ap- proach. The remains of a Mammoth were dug up about half a mile from the village of G;ineseo in 1825. There were 8 teeth and grinders, parts of a tusk, a thigh bone 3 feet long, the lower bone of the leg, 3 feet 6 inches, &c. They lay between strata of vegetable mould and sand. West Bloomfield, beyond the Genesee River, is one of the finest agricultural townships in the state, and pre- sents a succession of beautiful farms, tilled with care and yielding the finest crops. Fruit thrives remarkably well in all this western country. The prevailing winds are south west, and the climate mild and uniform. Wheat some- times yields 52 bushels to the acre. East Bloomfield is the next village. Canandatgua. This is one of the finest western towns, and its principal street runs along the ridge of a command- ing hill, rising from the north end of Canandaigua Lake. It is wide, and contains an Academy, and many handsome houses. The road in passing Canandaigua Lake, com- mands a finer view than on any of the other lakes it passes, •except Skeneateles. The banks are high and variegated, and at the distance of two or three miles, rise to an imposing height, and add a great degree of beauty to the scene. A number of gentlemen's seats are seen along the western bank ; and a little way oif in the lake on the same side, is a small rocky island, where the Seneca Indians carried all their women, children, and old men, when Gen. Sullivan appeared against them. Railroad cars go to Rochester andto Batavia every day. Burning Springs. Springs of water, charged with inflammable gas, are quite common in Bristol, Middlesex, and Canandaigua. The gas from the former rises through fissures of the filate, from both the margin and the bed of the brook. Their places are known by little hillocks of a few feet ROUTS FROM NIAGARA TO ALBANT. 71 ic fliamcter, and a few inches high, formed of a dark bitu- minous mould, through which it finds its way to the sur* face, in one or more currents. These currents of gas may be set on fire, and will burn with a steady flame. In win- ter they form openings through the snow, and being set on fire, exhibit the novel and interesting phenomenon of a steady and lively flame in contact with nothing but snow. In very cold weather, it is said, tubes of ice are formed round these currents of gas, (probably from the freezing^ of the water contained in it,) which sometimes rise to the height of two or three feet, the gas issuing from their tops ; the whole when lighted in a still evening, present- ing an appearance even more beautiful than the former. From a pit which was sunk in one of the hillocks, the gaa was conducted through bored, logs, to the kitchen of a dwelling. The novelty of the spectacle attracted a con- course of visiters, so great that the proprietors found it expedient to convert their dwelling into a public inn. The road between Canandaigua and Geneva passes over a singular tract of country. I'he ground gradually rises by large natural terraces, or steps, for about half the dis- tance, and descends in the same manner on the other side to Seneca Lake. They appear to have been formed by those strong currents of water of which geologists speak, which at some ancient period of time have evidently passed over many tracts of country in different parts of the world. The ridges and channels thus formed here stretch north and south, frequently to a considerable dis- tance, corresponding both in form and direction with the numerous lakes which are found in this part of the state. Several ancient fonifications have been traced here.— « From the middle ridge the view is extensive, but the sur- rounding country is of too uniform a surface to present any remarkakle variety of scenery. Geneva. This town occupies a charming situation at the foot of Seneca Lake, and for a mile along its western bank, which I'ises to a considerable elevation above the surface, and affords room for a broad and level street. The buildings in this village ai'e remarkably neat and handsome, and it has a college. Seneca Lake is o5 miles long, and about 3 or 4 wide. Its depth 15 unusuallv great, aiid th» water clear and \»erv 7« r2 AtTBtTRN. Cold, to which is attributed the scarcity of fish. There is la remarkable phenomenon long observed by those who reside nenrit, which has never been satisfacrorily account- ed for. The water has a regular rise and fall every seven years. This is perceptible along the shore, but more prac- tically established in the experience of the boatmen. Cayuga Lake is 40 miles in length, and generally about two in breadth. A fine bridge is built across it near the northern end, where it is a mile wide. A little before arriving at the head of the lake, in a steam- boat, a beautiful Waterfall is seen on the left hand, where a stream flows over a very high precipice into a deep glen, and forces its way along, turning several valuable mills in its course. The landing place is about three miles from the village of Ithaca, The village of Ithaca is neat and flourishing. Here centre the roads to Catskill, Newburgh and Neto-York. The first leads nearly in a direct line to the Hudson River, the second passes the Great Bend of the Delaware, and the third furnishes daily the shortest route to New-York. The Cascade. This beautiful and romantic scene is about three miles from the village. AiTBURM is another beautiful village, ard merits the name it has borrowed from Goldsmith's charming poetry. It is unfortunately placed at some distance from Oswego Lake, and therefore is deprived of the picturesque charac- ter which it might have enjoyed. There is a Presbyte- rian Theological Seminary in Auburn, and several hand- some public buildings in this place, but the most important is the State Prison. This institution, having been managed by Mr. Lynds, and the first established on his system so excellent, so celebrated, and with remarkable success, merits particular notice. Many of the new prisons in the United States are built after this general plan, which is also much approved in Europe. " The old Auburn prison was built in 1817, and cost about $300,000. It was constructed upon the plan of a hollow square, enclosed by a wall of 2000 feet in extent, being 500 feet on each side, and, for the most part, 35 feet in height. " The new one, designed to contain 400 cells, covers only 206 by 46 fefet of ground. There are five stories of c&lls, tlOUTE PROJI NIAGARA. TO ALBANY. 73 ^Hch containing eighty in two parallel lines, divided in the iniddle by a wall two feet thick. The walls between the cells are one foot thick. The cells are seven feet long, seven high, and three and a half wide, intended to receive only one convict in each. Each cell has a ventilator ex- tending to the roof, and is so constructed in front, that the prisoners can neither converse or make signs to each other. The area around the cells is 10 feet wide and open to the roof, which covers the galleries of the several stories. Besides the moral benefit arising from keeping the prisoners separate, it unites that of economy and secu- rity. From the construction of the prison, five small stoves, six large and twelve small lamps, all out of reach of the convicts, afford heat and light to 555 cells ; and one centinel is sufficient to 400 prisoners." Ancient Fortifications. There are some remains of ancient fortifications in the vicinity of this place, as well as in the neighbouring towns of Camillus, Onondaga, and Pompey, From Auburn to Syracuse. Bt/ the Canal, BAmiles. {Stagecoach to Weed's Basin,) 8 miles; Jordan Village, in Camillus township, 6 ; Canton, (half-way village be- tween Buffalo and Albany, 179 miles from the former, and 183 from the latter,) 6 ; Geddes Village, (with salt works,) 12; Syracuse, 2. By the Road, 28 miles. Skeneateles, 8 ; Marcellus, 6 ; Onondaga, 10 ; Syracuse, 4. Syhacuse. For a description of this place, as w^ell as of Salina, the Salt Spring, and Salt Manufactories, see page 42, &c. About 3,000,000 bushels of salt made yearly. From Syracuse to Utica. Bt/ the Canal, 61 miles. Manlius Landing,* 9 miles; Chitteningo Creek, 8 ; Canas- tota Village and basin, 8 ; Oneida Creek, 5 ; Wood Creek, 13; Rome, 3 ; Oriskany Village, 8; VVhitesborough, 3; Utica, 4. By the Road. 48 miles Derne, 3 miles; Manlluf;, 3; Sullivan, 9 ; Vernon, 11; Westmoreland, 6 ; New Hart- ford, 7 ; Utica, 4. For Utica, Hamilton, College, and Trenton Falls, see page 33. * About 20 yards from the cannl, Gypsum (plaster of Paris) Is obtained ia masses of from 1 to 100 tons. 74 9TILLWAT2K, From Uiica to Schenectady, hy the Canal 1Q^ miUs', Itock, No. 53, (end of the long level, which begins west" ward at Salina, and extends to this Y>lace, 69^ miles, with- out a lock,) 9 miles; Bridge over the Mohawk, and Her- kimer Village, 5 ; Little Falls, 8 ; Fall Hill, a mountain on the right, 518 feet higher than the canal, 712 above high water in the Hudson River, and about 145 above Lake Erie, 1 ; Old Mohawk Castle, 5 ; Fort Plain, 9\ ; Canajoharie, 4 ; a railway has been proposed to run hence to Catskill, 60; Anthony's Nose, 5 ; (this scene is repre- sented in the plate from this side— the bluff on the right is Anthony's Nose, on the top of which a remarkable cavern opens, extending further dovi'n than it has ever been explored) ; Schoharie Creek, 11; Amsterdam Vil- lage, (across the river,) 5; Flint Hill, 6 ; Rotterdam Flats, 8 ; Schenectady, 3. Road to Albany, 15| miles. ROUTE FROM ALBANY TO THE SPRINGS, Waterford is situated on the west side of the Hudson,, across which is a bridge. Lansingburgh stands opposite^ and is a place of considerable size. The streets of Water- ford are wide, regular, and handsomely built. Some of the private houses are remarkable for their neatness. There are numerous rocky islands with precipitous sides, at the mouth of the Mohawk River, which are seen at a little distance below the bridge. To these, the American army, under Gen. Schuyler, retreated in 1777, before Gen. Burgoyne, and befoi'e the battle of Saratoga. The boats on the Champlain Canal enter the Mohawk in full view of them, through guard locks, and are poled across, the curi'ent being stopped by a dam. Waterford is 211 miles from Ballston Springs, and 24 to Saratoga, by railroad. Stillwater is 11^ miles above Wateribid ; and 4 miles beyond that place is SmiUi's Tavern, where those will stop who visit the battle ground, at Buhmis's Heights. Although the great crowd of travellers on this road will take the road to Ballston or Saratoga, yet as they will tiud fQw objects of any interest, it may be proper to ROIJTE TO THE SPRINGS. 75 introduce, in this place, an account of the expedition of Oen. Burgoyne, and the battle of Behmis's Heigtits, often known by the name of the battle of Saratoga, as we are within a few miles of the field. Stillwater takes its name from the smoothness and quietness of the Hudson. The first battle within this region, of which history gives any account, was fought between the French and. the Five Nations of Indians, soon after the settlement of Canada, when the latter first learned the terrible effect of gunpowder, and began to flee from the approach of civil- ization. In the numerous expeditions which at sub- sequent periods were undertaken by tlie British against Canada, this route was taken in the attack, and not un- frequently m the retreat. The revolution and the last war with England, produced scenes which will be touched upon in their places. The first period to which we shall refer, is that of the revolution ; and the first scene that of the battle of Sa- ratoga, or Behmis's Heights, towards which we are fast approaching. " I could here," says Dr. Dwight, " almost forget that Arnold became a traitor to his country, and satisfy my- self with recollecting, that to his invin3ible gallantry, and that of the brave officers and soldiers whom he led, my country was, under God, indebted in a prime degree, for her independence, and all its consequent blessings. I should think that an American, peculiarly an inhabitant of New-England or New- York, little to be envied, whose patriotism did not gain force upon the heights of Still- water, or the plains of Saratoga. These scenes I have examined: the former with solemnity and awe, the latter with ardour and admiration, and both with enthusiasra and rapture. Here I have remembered ; and here it was impossible not to remember, that on this very spot a con- troversy was decided upon which hung the liberty and happiness of a nation destined one day to fill a continent ; and of its descendants, who will probably hereafter out= number the inhabitants of Europe." 76 burgotne's expedition. Borgoyne's Expedition. General Burgoyne* was appointed Governor of Canada in 1777, lo succeed Sir * General Burgoyne — (From an English Work.) — It is curiousj that a man of such celebrity as a writer, a senator, and an offi- cer, as the late Lieut John Burgoyne, should be found amonfj the number of those of wliose youtliful days no memorial has been preserved. Neither the lime, place, nor circumstances of his birth are known. Even his parentage is doubtful. He is said, buiupou ■what autliority it does not appear, to have been a natural son of that Lord Bingly,who died at an advanced aye in 1774. That he had the advantuge of a liberal education and early intercourse with poli.shed sociaty, is sufficiently evident from his writings ; and it is probable that he was early devoted to the profession of arms, for on the 10th of May, 1759, lie was raised to the rank of Lieut- Colonel, and in August of the ensuing year, he was appointed Lieut. Col. Commsndant of ihe 16th Light Dragoons. His after services at different periods, in Spain, Portugal, and America, are all well known, especially the unfortunate termination of his mi- litary career at Saratoga, which, though it tarnished not his ho- nour, cast a shade over his brow, ever afterward conspicuous to the physidgoomical eye. He made, on certain occasions, no ordinary figure in Parliament. Ho moved in the first circles, and married Lady Charlotte Stanley, a daughter of the Earl of Derby ; and yet we know not who and what he originally was. He was the author of four successful dramas : the Maid of the Oak, the Lord of the Manor, Richard CcEur de Lion, and the comedy of the Heiress; and yet the curiosity of his biographer, even in this aiiscdote-dealing and memoir-sifting age, cannot trace his origiis or the scenes of his education. The tale of the Lord of the Ma- nor Sf-enis, in some degree, to have been disguised in the modifica- ijoii of the character and circunistauces by the incident of his own juatriinouial connexion : for his was a clandestine and unauthoriz- ed marriage, at a time when he held only asulialtern's commission in the army ; and is said to have excited at first the resentment of the lady's father to such a degree, tliat he declared his resolutiors siever to admit the offenders into his presence, though in process of time, the anger of the Earl subsided, a reconciliation was effect- ed, and was succeeded by a warm and lasting attachment. It is probable, also, that the memory of his lady, v,'ho died in 1776, as Kensington Palace, during his absence in America, is embalmed by the affectionate regrets of the General, in that beautiful air of his composition : " Encompassed in an angel's frame, An angel's virtues lay ; Too soon did heaven assert the claim. And call its own away. My Anna's worth, my Anna's charms, Must never more return • What now shall fill these widow'd arms : Ah me! wy Anna's nraL" EOUTS TO THE SPRINGS. 77 Guy Carlton. He arrived at Quebec in May, and reach- ed Crown Point, June 20th. General Phillips was sent to Ticonderoga with the British right wing; and the out- posts and the fort were successively abandoned by the Americans. The news of the evacuation of this place was a most disheartening piece of intelligence to the country. During his delay, General Schuyler obstructed the channel of Wood Creek, removed every thing valuable from the country, and took the stores from Fort George to Fort Edward ; sending for regular troops, and caihng for the militia of the neighbouring states, both which were supplied. General Arnold and Colonel Morgan joined him with a body of riflemen, and General Lincoln with the New-England militia; and he fell back to Sara- toga, to Stillwater, and finally to the islands at the mouth of the Mohawk. Battle of Bennington. Being in want of provi- sions, General Burgoyne had despatched Lt. Col. Baum with his Hessians, to seize the public stores at Benning- ton. He was supported by Lt. Col. Brechman, who stopped at Baten Kill. Brig. Gen. Stark with the New- Hampshire troops, joined by Col. Warner, attacked Col. Baum at the Wallomsack River, where they were en- camped, July 16th, (1777,) and in two hours, forced their works, and completely defeated them. Colonel Warner began the attack on Col. Brechman, wounded him mor- tally, took him prisoner, and put his troops to flight. 226 of the British troops were killed at the battle of Bennington, or rather the battle of Hoosac, as it was fought in that town. 700 soldiers were taken prisoners, and 36 officers. Gen. Gates now received the command of the American troops, which had been greatly re-enforced ; and took a position on Behmis's Heights, a ridge of elevated ground, beginning on the left, about a quarter of a mile from the ri- ver, and stretching off towards the northwest, which of- fered great advantages for the defence of the road. Gen. Gates' Camp was about half a mile from the road on the left, and his quarters were in a house which was yet standing when the author visited thf spot. A bj-e-road 78 EATTLtt OF SARATOGA. leads to the place, and the old intrenchments, and after-a- wards you may proceed along the heights, which were oc- cupied by the American troops. By making a considerable circuit, by a road in some places rough, you may ride over the encampment and the scenes of the two battles, and then come back to the river at Smith's little tavern, 3 miles above this place, or cross over to the Springs. The space between the river and the hill was crossed by a deep intrenchment defended with artillery, and almost impracti- cable. The American Lines, three-quarters of a mile long, were furnished with a breast work of logs, (the hills being almost entirely a forest,) and the left terminated opposite the enemy's right. From the left almost to the centre, the ground is level, and was partly cleared, yet much encum- bered with fallen and girdled trees. An opening, left of the centre, had a battery — thence a ravine ran to the right. The British Lines, stretched from a hill opposite the American left, in a straight line across the meadow to the Hudson River. The enemy moved forward, and encamp- ed in two lines, about two miles from Gen. Gates ; his left on the river, and his right extending at right angles to it, across the low grounds about six hundred yards, to the lofty heights occupied by his elite, having a creek or gul- ley in his front, mnde by a rivulet which issued from a great ravine, formed by the hills, which ran in a direction nearly parallel to the river, until within half a mile of the American camp. The Northern or Champlain canal, and the coach road, now cross the ground occupied by the American right, and soon afterwards that occupied by the British lines. The Battle Ground is on an elevated plain, about two miles above General Gates' camp, and the same dis- tance west from Smith's tavern. It may be t.II this Durt of the co^^ntrv. li i \> ,Jlliillli:llllll!Sll!M4 i SARATOGA. 83 is said that the inhabitants were induced to trust to its pe- culiar virtues by the example of the deer of the forest, which had resorted to it in such numbers as to form beaten paths from every direction to the spot. In 1792 there was not a house %\dthin two miles of this spot. The Old Spring has lost much of its original excellence, which appears to be in a good degree transferred to the new ones. The Saline, or United States Spring is near the bath- ing house connected with the Sans Souci. It was disco- vered about 18 years since, and contains a large quantity of oxyde of iron, together with glauber and other salts, so that it is at once a strong saline, and chalybeate water. The New Spring is near the Sans Souci hotel. It was obtained in 1827 by boring to the depth of about 300 feet, and is full of gas, very sparkling, and considered both saline and chalybeate. The neighbouring country was almost a perfect wilder- ness at the close of the revolutionary war ; for the natural military route between Canada and the United States lay through it, to the Five Nations of Indians, and war par- ties were frequently passing over it. For some years the only place where visiters could find shelter here, was in a log house, near the Old Spring, which was for some time the only object of notice. SARATOGA SPRINGS. Saratoga Springs are 7 miles from Ballston Springs by the railroad. Saratoga is quite concealed until you are within a short distance, and then the clusters of frail board buildings which spi'ing up among the stumps of trees lately felled in the skirts of the pine forest, show what an unnatural sur- plus of population the place contains during the visiting season, which is principally in July and August. From the brow of a hill which descends into the village, the street lies in full view, with all the principal houses. On the right is Congress Hall three stories high with a row of 17 columns, rising from the ground to the eaves ; opposite is Union Hall with a row of 10 similar columns ; over which are seen the brick walls of the United States 8* M THE SPniNCS, Hotel ; and still beyond, and on the other side, the roof of the Pavilion. From this view the village is represented IP the accompanying print, which was taken on the spot. At the foot of the hill, the Congress Spring, the great attraction of the place, is seen at a short distance on the right, usually surrounded with a throng of people. Congress Hall has an imposing appearance. It is 196 feet long on the street, with two, wings of 60 feet running back, and contains lodging for 150. The first floor in front is divided in the following manner : a dining room in the middle, capable of containing tables for all the house can accommodate ; next the dancing hall, about 80 feet long ; and south ihe ladies' private parlour. The price of board is $10 per week. The United States Hall is a fine building of brick, three stories high, with a colonnade. The Pavilion, Those who wish to drink often of the Flat Rock water, will prefer it, as that Spring is only a few steps from it in the rear. There is a fine Bathing House connected with it, and a shady little wood not far beyond by the road side, on the way to the Round Rock Spring. Union Hall is the resort of those who wish to have the most convenient access to the waters of the Congress Spring, or to participate more moderately in the amuse- ments of the place, and to avoid the inconveniences of gaiety and mirth, produced by the continued round of balls and dances in the other principal houses. The Congress Spring, which is the great source from which this place derives its celebrity and its show of wealth and importance, was discovered by Mr. Putnam. He built the first house near it for the accommodation of invalids, which was subsequently enlarged to the present Union Hall, now kept by his son. The Congress Spring was long concealed by the neigh- bouring brook wbic.hformerly passed over it; but its valua- ble qualities being discovered, it has attracted universal attention, and the benefits of its waters are annually dis- pensed to thousands. Mr. Silliman gives the following analysis ; half a gal* Ion contains 320 grains of salt, 2u lime and magnesia, with u slight trace of iron. ^ ! lliiiill Jliiiiililli IISS THE SPRINGS. ot? The Flat Ttoch Spring is near the upper end of the street, and in the rear of the Pavilion. The Round Rock Spring is worthy of a visit merely as a natural curiosity ; the water, although for a time much celebrated, and indeed the only attraction of which Saratoga could boast, having gone into disrepute, since the discovery of the sources already mentioned. It is a feeble chalybeate with httle taste and little effect. The water rises in a small rock of calcareous tufa, of a coni- cal form, with a circular hole in the middle, about five inches in diameter. The rock is about five feet through at the base, and has evidently been produced by the lay- ers of lime deposited by the water. That part of the rock which is most exposed to the drip" ping of water taken out in cups through the hole in the top, is always smooth and even, while other parts are rough and broken. Fractures made by visiters are some- times found half obliterated by a recent coat of calcareous matter formed in this manner. A horizontal rock, of similar formation, extends under ground. It is said that the Round Rock was shown to Sir Wil* liam Johnson by an Indian, before which time it v/as un-- known to white men. The water, according to common report, formerly flowed over the top, but has for many years found its way below, through a crevice produced by a large forest tree which fell and cracked the rock. The Iodine Spring is near the Round Rock. Mineral Springs and Minerals of New-York. A scientific survey of the state of New-York, has been in progress several years, the reports of which are highly in- teresting. Numerous springs of almost all sorts are found in diiferent counties. Besides those mentioned in this book; there are petrifying springs at Watervliet, Chitteningo^ Marcellus, Governeur, St. Lawrence, Ithaca, &c. Brine springs in Cortlandt county, York, Lenox. Vernon, Mur- ray, and elsewhere in Orleans, Wayne and Oswego couu" ties. Sulphureous and chalybeate are most numerous. — ' The petrified shells, &c. found in many of the rocky strata^ are associated with petrified plants of the same species as accompany them in Europe. Specimens from both coun"* tries, if accidentally mixed, could not be discriminated. Iran, lead, copper. zinC; plumbago and other mines §6 SARATOGA. and beds are numerous. The Rossie lead mine, St. Law- fence county, is remarkably rich and valuable, and abounds in a variety of beautiful minerals. Education. This state has made most creditable progress in public education. A small sum is annually paid out of the {^chool fund to common school districts, which have expend- ed an equal amount on schools regularly conducteri ; and the system is now general. The share of the surplus reve- nue has been appopriated to the purchase of district libra- ries; and about 10,000 libraries of 50 volumes each, are now gratuitously open to thechildren and adults, under the charge of the teachers. The colleges and about 80 acada- mies are under the superintendence of the Regents of the University, and aided with money from the literature fund. Scientific observations are made at the academies, and full reports annually returned. Saratoga Lake. An excursion to this beautiful piece of water, is one of the most agreeable that can be made in any direction. It is 5i miles distant, in a southeasterly direction, and is frequently visited by parties from Saratoga. The lake extends seven miles in length and is two in breadth. The shores are bold and varied, gently descend- ing with a smooth slope to the margin, or rising in rugged crags from the water's edge; sometimes softened and beautified by the hand of cultivation, and sometimes aban- doned to all their native wildness. The Reading Room. Strangers will find newspapers from different parts of the country. A record will also be found at the same place, into which the arrivals and departures of visiters are copied, once a day, from the books of the principal houses. The Battle Ground. The defeat of General Burgoyne in the year 1777, took place a few miles east from the Springs. See page 78. Remarks on the Routes. North. Three great routes from the Springs towards the north may be particularized, although they run almost side by side, and all unite on arriving at Lake Champlain. Ist, The fashionable route, to Caldwell on Lake George. 2d, The road to White- hall. 3d. By stagecoach and canal to Whitehall.* * There also are two stage routes to Montreal, one on each side of Lake Champlain. THE SPRINGS. 87 The first of these is usually travelled hy strangers of taste and leisure, as it conducts directly to the fine scenery of Lake George, and the battle grounds in its vicinity ; and passes near several other spots of high interest for their historical associations. Even if a journey to Mon- treal is intended, it can hardly be too urgently pressed upon the sti'anger to devote a leisure day or two to Lake George on his way, as he will find himself most amply rewarded and can join the great route with facility at Ticonderoga. The traveller should stop at Ticonderoga to see the ruins of the old fortress. If he can visit Lake George, he may take the beautiful scenery, and interesting sites of that attractive region in his way. If he has not time for that, he may land at Ticonderoga, where a steamboat wharf has just been built, and a commodious house fitted up this season, and devote at least one day to a ramble about tliat picturesque and celebrated point. The second route is the road to Whitehall, which is furnished with public carriages from the Springs during the warm season, and like the canal passes near some of the interesting places to be mentioned hereafter. From Whitehall the traveller may proceed down Lake Cham- plain in the daily steamboats, or by land in the mail coach. East. Travellers wishing to go to any part of the country in this direction, may take their choice of several routes. Lines of stagecoaches run to Connecticut River^ from Burlington, Middlebury, Castleton, and Granville, as well as from Troy and Albany, in various directions — to Hanover, Brattleborough, Gi'eenfield, Northampton, Springfield, Hartford ; and there subdividing into nume- rous ramifications, offer the means of conveyance to every part of New-England. The most interesting route that can be chosen by a man of taste, from the Springs to Boston, is through Vermont to the White Mountains, and Winnipiseogee Lake in New-Hampshire. He may take what road he pleases to Connecticut River ; and then proceed to Bath on it» eastern shore, pursuing the course of the Lower Am- monoosuc River to the White Mountains. 88 EXCURSION TO LAKE GEORGB. EXCURSION TO LAKE GEORGE, 27 miles. This is by far the most delightful, as well as fashiona- ble excursion which can be made from the Springs in any direction, as it abounds with some of the finest scenery in the United States, and in numerous sites and objects inti- mately connected with the history of the country. For Lake George, 27 m. a stagecoach starts daily, after the arrival of the Albany train of cars, with six horses, and passing through Glenn's Falls, arrives by daylight. The beautiful and commodious steamboat Wm. Caldwell, Capt. Larrabee, plies on the lake daily (Sundays excepted.) The line is complete, rapid and convenient on this route to Lake Champlain, as coaches await the boat at the end of the lake, and go on to Ticonderoga. The boat waits 3J hours, which is sufficient time to see Ticonde- roga, dine and return. There the traveller finds a good hotel ; and, after reviewing the interesting ruins and scenery, may go back to Lake George, or pass down Lake Champlain to Canada. The splendid steampacket Burlington, Capt. R. W. Sherman, and the Whitehall, Capt. Lyons, touch daily at the new dock at Ticonderoga Point, which has been con- structed for their convenience by Mr. Pell, proprietor of the place. The ruins remain in the same state of careful preservation in which they were kept by the late Alfred H. Pell, Esq. to whose taste and intelligence visiters to this interesting spot will be indebted for much gratification. The fine and extensive garden, enriched by him with some curious exotics, is worthy of attention. There will be found, in luxuriant growth, several plants rarely found in so cold a climate : the cork tree, French willow, Euro- pean vines, &c. From the time of the earliest wars between the British colonies and the French in Canada, to that of 1755, the tract over which part of our route lies was the high road of war. It was traversed by many a hostile expedition, in which the splendour and power of European arms mingled with the fierce tactics of savage warriors : the ruins of fortresses are still to be traced in several places, and tradition points to many a spot that has been sprin- kled with blood. During the revolution, also, some of 12 GLENN S FALLS. QB the important events in our history took place in this neighbourhood. The Road from Saratoga to Glenn's Falls, 18 miles. Wilton, 7 m Thirteen miles beyond, the road branches off eastward for Sandy Hill. Half a mile before reaching the village, the road enters a rich plain, probably once overflown by the river, which is now discovered on the left, dividing it in its course, while the village appears in front, with a handsome church spire, and a number of neat white houses, all backed by the mountains, which here stretch off towards the north. French Mountam is the most prominent eminence, of which more anon A more distant range is likewise seen further to the right. Glenn's Falls. From the bridge, the falls in the Hudson are in full view. The river here makes a sudden descent of 37 feet, over a rock of dark blue limestone, which has been worn into so many forms as to break up the current in a very singular manner. The projection of two large masses of rock divides the water into three sheets. On the north side of the river is a feeder to the Cham- plain Canal. Caverns. The mouths of two caverns are found facing the north, in different places among the rocks. The first is just large enough to permit the passage of a man, and is cut with surprising regularity for a distance of about 25 feet. This place is made the scene of some of the most interesting chapters of Mr. Cooper's novel of the Last of the Mohicans. About half way between this place and Sandy Hill, a convoy of wagons was attacked in the French war, on their way to Lake George. Nearly north of Glenn's Falls, is Luzerne Mountain ; and a little to the right of it, French Mountain. Between them passes the road to Lake George. Towards the west, a range of high hills encloses the view, and in the east, the Vermont Mountains make a fine appearance. Near the foot of French Mountain is a small house, on the east side of the road ; and near this place Gen. Dieskau's advanced guard struck the route from Glenn's Falls and Fort Edward to Fort William Henry, The valley through ?)0 LAKE GEORGE. which we pass is narrow for some distance beyond 5 and after about half an hour's ride, a little circular pond ig discovered on the east side, and close by the road. It is usually almost concealed with water plants. This was near the place of action between Col. Wil*- iiams and Gen. Dieskau. The latter had extended his troops across the path, and advanced his wings some dis- tance in front, the left wing occupjing the rising ground on the west side of the road near this place. A small cleared spot may be noticed on the other side, a little beyond the pond, (in 1825 a hut stood upon it,) that is said to have been the principal scene of action; and a singular rock near by is pointed out by tradition as the mark of Col. Williams's grave. The little pond above mentioned was the place where most of the dead were thrown, and it bears the name of Bloody Pond to this day. It is probably much smaller than formerly. In 1825 the skeleton of a man was dug up from a depth of 1| feet, near the pond, with a marble pipe, and some silver eyed buttons bearing the royal stamp. This pond is nearly circular, and is covered, in their sea* son, with the Pond Lily, (Nymphea Alba.) LAKE GEORGE. Lake Geokge. Coming to the brow of a high hill, the prospect opens, and the lake appears, enclosed by moun- tains, many of which, at this distance, are of a deep blue. The side of French Mountain is near at hand on the east, covered with thick trees to the suminit ; while the smooth- ness of the lake, the beauty of its nearest shore, with the neat white buildings of Caldwell, communicate to the scene a degree of beauty and seclusion, which can hardly be found in any other spot. Directly at the south end are the remains of Forts George and William Henry. Caldwell. The village of Caldwell is the place at which the visiter will stop to take a view of this charming lake, and from which he will make his excursions across its beautiful waters. The village stands at the south end of the lake, and on its shore, commanding a fine view of the neighbouring sheet of water, and the mountains by which it is almost enclosedb The inn to which strangers LA.KK GEORGE. 81 resort occupies a spot peculiarly fitted to gratify the eye of taste, as it overlooks the lake for several miles, and the view is not interrupted by any neighbouring obstacle. A more delightful place can hardly be found in the United States> for the temporary residence of one Avho takes de- light in scenery of this description, and loves to recur to deeds long past, and to exploits great in themselves and important in their results even to the present day. Lake (ieorge is 34 miles long, and its greatest breadth 4. At the south end it is only about one mile broad. The greatest depth is sixty fathoms. The water is re- markable for its purity — a fish or a stone may be seen at the depth of 20 or 30 feet. It is undoubtedly supplied by sprmgs from below, as the water is coldest near the bottom. It contains trout, bass, and perch. There are deer in the neighbouring forest. The outlet which Icada to Lake Champlain contains three large falls and rapido. The lake never rises more than two feet. The three best points of view are at Fort George, a place north of Shelving Rock, 14 miles, and another at Sabbath Day Point, 21 miles from the head of the lake. The last view is taken southward, the other two north- ward. This beautiful basin with its pure crystal water, is bounded by two ranges of mountains, which, in some places rising with a bold and hasty ascent from the water, and in others descending with a graceful sweep from a great height to a broad and level margin, furnish it with a charming variety of scenery, which every change of weather, as well as every change of position, presents in new and countless beauties. The intermixture of culti- vation with the wild scenes of nature is extremely agree- able; and the undulating surface of the well-tilled farm is often contrasted vs^iih the deep shade of the native forest, and the naked, weather-beaten cliffs, where no vegetation can dwell. The situation of the Hotel is delightful, surpassing that of almost every other to be found in this part of the country, and the apartments are so arranged that half of them look out upon the lake. A green and handsome slope descends about 200 yards to the very margin. 9 92 tEA ISLAND. There is the wharf, at which the steamboat receives and lands her passengers. The discharge of a gun makes due echoes among ihe mountains in a clear night The lake is here aliout three-quarters of a mile wide, and the range of mountains opposite, which are high and uninterrupted, is quite uncultivated with the exception of a few farms near the shore ; the other parts being co* vered with trees almost to the water. On the right is seen the south end of the lake, which is formed of low land for some distance back, succeeded by French Mountain in the rear On a little point, half covered with trees, and rising only about 25 feet above the water, is the site of Fort William Henry; and about a mile towards the southeast from it, on a con- siderable elevation, are the ruins of Fort George. See page 93. Excursions on the Lake Boats are kept at the wharf to convey passengers to any part of the neighbour- ing shores and islands. Fine perch, or black bass, {Perca Frankiiaia,) are caught in abundance almost everywhere ; and trout, at the mouth of a small stream near the south end. Fishing rods and tac'b racing in the foreground the elegant gardens of some of the wealthier inhabitants, the College, with the streets of Burlington below, the curv- ing form of the bay, the whole breadth of the lake,- here ten miles across, and a noble chain of distant blue m,ouii- ID* 108 PLAt'tsBVRGK* tains on the opposite side. The road to Windsor by the Gulf is very good and interesting. A steamboat goes to Platlsburgh and returns daily. Port Kent, 10 miles, is a small village on the western shore, sixteen miles front Burlinaton. It serves as a port to the iron works established a little back in the country, where there is a vast quantity of ore. The Walled Rocks, and ike Falls of ike Au Sable> These are natural curiosities of a superior kind, although, from their secluded situation, they have not yet attracted general attention. To visit themj the traveller may land at Port Kent, take a carriage in waiting to Keeseville, 4 m. a village where ah active business is carried on in lumber and iron. Thefe are saw-mills at a fall in the fiver. A guide will be desirableo First, 1| m. northeast} passing through a fine wood near the road, you reach the brow of a rock, and have a view of Watson's Falls* This is a charming object. A letter to the editor of the *' Northern Traveller*' describes it as offering a '* striking resemblance to a magnificent chandelier of three tiers, 60 feet high, the drops of water sparkling like diamonds in hiotioHj and prismatic colours, like those of the rainbow, floating over the whole." You next pass a cluster of iron works, called Birming- ham, amidst a series of waterfalls ; and then, crossing the stream, and proceeding some distance through the woods, alight and walk to the Walled Rocks. These are preci= pices of stratified rocks, about 100 feet high, overhanging the stream, two of which are so uniform, and separated so precisely by deep and narrow channels cut down almost to the Water's level, that they seem ready to fall eVery in* Btant. When viewed directly endwise, they appear like tall chimneys, only a few feel in width ; while, at the same time, they lean very perceptibly beyond their narrow oases. Between them is a staircase, built by some of the lovers of nature in the neighbouring village of Keeseville, for the accommodation of visiters. By this ynu may de- scend to the bottom ; and there the scene is highly impres- sive and peculiar, while the spectator sees with dread^ that the point of view on the summit is on a thin project- ing shelf of rock. Plattsbltrgh, eight miles. This is a town o[ consi- ROXTTE TO CANADA. lOS iieifaljle importance, situated on the banks of the Saranac> and just behind the high and steep bank of the lake, on which is a line efforts erected for the defence of the place. The town commands a fine view. The St. Lawrence and Champlain railroad route has been surveyed from Plattsburgh to Ogdensburgh, 120 m. and the expense estimated at about one and a half mil- lions, crossing- Chateaugay river east of Malone. Another route has been surveyed up the north bank of Au Sable river across the highlands and down Racket river. The summit of the former near the Chateaugay is 1733 feet above tide ; and that of the latter, on the highlands, only 1277. The lake here is 87, and at Whitehall 93. Plattsburgh was the scene of a land and naval battle during the late war with Great Britain. The Battle of Plattsburgh. When Gen. Macomb wag stationed at Plattsburgh, Sir George Prevost came from Canada with an army, and occupying the village, stood ready to attack the American troops, who were in posi- tion on the elevated ground, between the east bank of the river Saranac and the precipitous shore of the lake, where a number of forts, &c. are still to be seen. Com. McDo- nough was at that time on the lake with the American squadron; and hearing cf the approach of Capt. Downie with the British ships, extended his line between Hospi- tal Island and Cumberland Head, where he received and fought the enemy with such success as to capture all his vessels. The action continued two hours and twenty minutes, and was performed ia full sight of the armies. Capt. Downie's ship, the Confiance, had 105 shot in her hull, and the Saratoga 59, and was twice on fire. This battle caused the retreat of Prevost, and relieved that part of the country from being overi'un. McDonough's Farm lies on that part of Cumberland Head which is opposite the scene of his battle, and con- sists of 200 acres. It was presented to hmi by the Legis- lature of Vermont, in gratitude for his victory. Chazt, 15 miles,— Rouse's Point, 12 miles. The country hereabouts is very uninteresting: for the level country has begun which extends fat into Canada. The appearance of the banks is quite uniform ; they being low, 110 ST. John's. and in many places almost overflown by the waters of the lake. There is a long wall and battery on the south side, with angles. The channel is on the east side, and very naf » row, faced for a considerable distance by another battery. Sentries are posted in different places. The shipyard succeeds, and the officers' quarters, generally neat, one* story buildings, with little gardens tastefully laid out. The expedition against Canada in 1775, consisted of two divisions ; one of 3000 New^Er.gland and New-York soldiers, under Generals Schuyler and Montgomery, pro- ceeded down Lake Champlain in rafts, from Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and took position at Isle aux Noix. The other, which was planned and despatched subse- quently, consisted of a large hody, under General Arnold, and proceeded through the wilderness, in the district of Mame, for Quebec. The former division, after a little delay, proceeded to St. John's. They afterwards formed at, this place a chevaux de frieze in the river. Beyond, the shores continue low and uninteresting, with numerous cabins of settlers near the water, the forest encroaching to within a short distance behind. St. John's, (Lower Canada,) 10 miles. Here the steamboat stops, at the head of the rapids, and at the end of navigation. A railroad leads to Alon- treal : (18 miles by land, and 9 by water on the St. Law- rence, in a steamboat. ) The village presents nothing worthy of particular atten- tion, except as the scene of some military deeds, con- nected with the expedition of Gen. Montgomery against this country. While the continental trooj)s were sta- tioned at Idle aux Noix in 1775, Generals Montgomery and Schuyler invested the fort, which contairied a garri- son of 5 or 600 troops, beside 200 Canadians, and was commanded by Major Preston. I'he siege lasted 6 weeks, and they did not capitulate till some time after the sur- render of Chambly, nor till the Americans had hronght their tienche.'j to the walls of the fun. They then ob- 15 y aOUTE TO CANADA. Ill tained possession of 17 brass pieces, 22 iron, 7 mortars, with balls, bombs, &c. &c. The Canadian ir.ioney is different from that of the United States; but m consequence of the continual in- tercourse, tiie latter passes currently. Nine sous or cop- pers, (which are of various and sometimes curious stamps,) equal six cents. Two sous nearly Id. and 20 cents a shilling. A pleasant road froru St. John's to Montreal, is by Chambly and Longueil, (for which, see Indes.) The River Richelieu sometimes takes the names of St. John's and Sorel, in consequence of its running by those towns. Several mountains are in sight, as Beloeil, Boucherville, &c. The Rapids may be regarded as a specimen, on a small scale, of the numerous rapids in the St. Lawrence, which will hereafter excite the interest, if not the apprehension of the stranger. The bed of the Richelieu has a rapid descent in several places, where it comes immediately under observation, and becomes so shallow as to be pas- sable for the flattest boats only during the floods. In the summer it is generally only a few inches deep, ard the surface broken by numerous stones of all sizes, and here and there by little waterfalls near the shore. At the same time the banks are low and fiat ; the houses of one floor, whitewashed, and built at nearly equal distances, facing the river; and, in short, the general character of a scene on the St. Lawrence, may be imagined from a view here, by making allowance for superior size and fertility. It has been proposed to make a canal to the St. Law- rence ; but it is said that the channel of the St. John's might be improved by stone walls to confine the water over these rapids. The Chambly rapids might be passe'l by a short canal; and the only remaining obstructions except those at the mouth are at St. Theresa and Mille Roches. The inhabitants, out of the towns, have the aspect of f<5reigners, m dress, countenance, manners, customs, and language. Their fashions are antique, and many of therci l?.a-^e not been changed for ages « the men wear the Ca.- 112 RAILROAD TO LAPRAIRIE. nadian jacket, cap, or hat, red sash, and moccasin of rough leather. The women -work in the field, and all of them speak French, generally without knowing a word of any other language. The farms will be observed, laid out in strips of 1 or 200 acres, flat, broad, and 1, 2, or even 3 miles in length ; and the system of farming is ex- tremely bad, as will be discovered at once, by the acres that are consigned to the useless and destructive little Canada thistle. There is no such thing known here as the doctrine of a rotation of crops, and land is recovered tu fertility by lying fallow, except that lately the use of manure has begun to be resorted to in a small degree. The horses are of a small breed, well known in the north- ern states, by the name of the country. They are small and slow, but powerful and hardy. Many of them are driven across the line, and large horses introduced into the towns in return. The value of a common Canadian horse is about $40 ; and of a good one, $60. There is very little to be seen on this road to interest the traveller. The landscape is unvarying ; the inhabit- ants as well as the soil are poor, and there is nothing that deserves even the name of a village. We pass a house now and then, dignified by a tall pole ar mast raised in front of it, which is a singular mark of distinct on con- ceded to officers of militia, and usually adopted by those of the lowest grades. The people have healthy countenances, inclining to rounfl faces and thick lips. Many of them show the up- per front teeth when silent ; and their aspect denotes a want of education, which is the real cause of the back- ward condition of society in Canada. They are all Pa- pists ; and the churches seen here and there upon the road, are devoted to the service ot the Romish church. One of the most singular traits in the domestic ar- rangements of the Canadians, is building the oven not only out of doors, like the Dutch, but directly over the pig Pty. The mountain from which the city of Montreal derived its name, and which rises immediately behind it, may be discovered at a great distance; and the house of Mr. Route to Canada. 113 McTavish may be perceived, like a white spot, a little distance up its side. Some time before reaching the river, you pass an ex- tensive common, lying on the south side of the road, and then the town of Laprairie. This is a large town, from which steam- boats cross to Montreal, 9 miles. The place is built after the Canadian fashion ; and very few of the inhabitants speak English. The streets are narrow, the houses low, and nothing is to be seen worthy of particular notice, ex- cepting a nunnery and the church, both which may seem curious to persons who are not familiar with Popish coun- tries ; though of inferior interest to those of Montreal and Quebec. The nuns possess a large tract of land, nearly in the centre of the town, which is surrounded by a high wall : and they devote some of their time to the care of the sick, and the education of girls. The view of Montreal from the wharf is uninterrupted. The city is distinguished at the distance of 9 miles, by its thick mass of buildings, roofed with sheets of tin-, and overtopped by church spires, shining with th« same metal. Behind it rises a fine mountain, spotted with or- chards; on the right, down the St. Lawrence, is the for- tified island of St. Helen; and on the left, Nuns' Island', and several smaller ones at a distance, through which are seen the sheets of white foam caused by the rapids. The shores are low and perfectly f!at m every direction ; which, with the wide expanse of water, gives an aspect of tiresome monotony and extension to the scene. Uni- formity will be found characteristic of almost the whole voyage to Quebec. The current of the river is extremely rapid, particular- ly near those parts where the surface is broken by rocks ; but the steamboats are supplied with engine? compara- tively powerful, and are able to effect the passage with facility and in safety. An hour is generally spent in go- ing, and from 1^ to 3 in returning. It is impossible, how- ever, for any boat to go through the current without being borne rapidly down in some places ; and there is a part of the river near the middle, where the water is clear, and the rocks are easily seen on the bottom, as the. boats glide 11-J 8T. JOHN S, on above them. In retnrning, the boats sometimes pass between two rocks, near the rapids, that on the east be- ing under water. Here the river is much agitated, and Eomciimes throws the water on decli, but without any danger. A large tinned roof on the left, with a small steeple^ belongs to the convent of Gray Nuns ; further back is the RecoUet Church; then the French Parish Church, near which is seen the Great Cathedra!. The English Episcopal church has a tall pyramidal spire ; and that which rises farther to the right, and near the shore, is the church of Bon-secouis From some plares may be seen the top of Nelson's monument, with several other remark- able objects, particularly the barracks, on the rights behind the remnant of the old city wall. MONTREAL. The landing place is unplessant, and tlie stranger may be struck with the narrowness of the streets, the lowness,, and heavy aspect of the houses, which are of stone or plas- tered to resemble it: but all this is in conformity with the fashion of the country ; and JVIonti^eal contains some fine buildings, and other objects worthy of notice, together v/ith a vicinity which in the warm season of the year is truly agreeable. Those who remain but a short time in this city, may easily pay a hasty visit to the principal objects of cu- riosity ; and are recommended to take a walk through the two principal streets, and to notice the following build- ings and places. At the north end of St. Paul's-street are the barracks* Just above the Masonic Hall, is the French Church of Bon-secours, which, like the other Canadian religious buildings generally, is formed much on the plan of those in France. The roofs are, however, generally covpred with tin. This is near the northern limit of Montreal^ beyond which begins the Quebec suburb. Masonic Hall, on the the eastern side of the street. Theatre, adjoining the Masonic Hall. Market Place and Nelson's Mouument. Then fol- lows a double raw of shops. On the cast side areseve- MOXTllEAL. 115 ral, which show articles of Indian manufacture for sale. These, however, had better be bought at the nunne- ries, if it is intended to visit them. The Hotel Dieu, or Convent of Black Nuns, is a long stone building-, on the west side of St. Paul's-street from John Baptist to St. Joseph's-street. It has three wings: one on St. Joseph's-street being the hospital. One of the doors on St. Paul's-street leads into the public chapel, and another into the nunnery, that is, the few apartments which are accessible to visiters. The nuns make a vow on taking the veil, never to leave the walls. There is a large garden in the rear. This convent, and that of the congregational nuns occupy the whole square extending to Notre Dame-street. This building, and others like it in Canada, are un- worthy of a traveller's attention, except as specimens of institutions which have exerted a powerful and unfriendly influence on all nations who have tolerated them. Found- ed by the superstition which they perpetuate, framed on a model borrowed from the heathenism of Egypt, supported by fanaticism, tolerated by ignorance, govern- ed by a power as distant as Rome, and used by it to foster ignorance, and to sustain its authority, convents have been, and probably always will be, engines for de- grading the mind, corrupting the manners, and enslav- ing the people. The Neio Cathedral is probably the largest church in North America, except Mexico. This edifice is on the Place d^Armes. It was commenced in 1825, and is partly copied from some of the European models of the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. It is of the plainest style that can bear the name of Gothic : an exuberance of ornament being inconsistent with a climate so severe as that of Canada. It is 255 feet long from west to east, and 134 feet •wide. It was designed to have six quadrangular tow- ers, each 200 feet high: three on each flank, and two at each end. The curtain, or space between the front towers, is 73 feet by 119, and has pai-apets. There are five public entrances and three private to the first floor, and four to the gallei'ies. The building can contain 10,000 persons, which number may assemble and dis- 11 116 THE COLLEGE. perse in a few minutes. The eas^tern window over th&- high altar is 32 by 64 feet, and is to be divided by shafts and mullions for stained glass. The ceiling is 80' feet high, groined and partly supported by a double range of grouped columns, intersected by rails. There are seven altars for the nuns. The floor rises gradually from the entrance to the high altar. The house is to be warmed by heated air from stoves under' the floor. The exterior is faced with hewn stone frons the mountain. Gray Nuns' Convent., a large stone building, about 410 feet in length, is in the southeastern part of the city. These nans have a large number of orphans under their charge, and are not forbidden to go out, so that they may be seen in the streets dressed in gray hooded cloaks. The Seminary (La Seminaire) is an antique build- ing, and contains a library of about 6,000 volumes. The College is a large building of stone, three sto- ries high, erected in 1819 out of the funds of the Semi- nary. It has a front of about 150 feet, with wings projecting in front and rear, which make the whole length about 220 feet. It has a spacious yard on the south side, for a play ground, succeeded by a fine gar- den. In order to guard against fire, large iron doors are hung in the passages, in such a manner that by shutting them the whole building may be divided into three parts, each fire proof. It contains about 300 students, who are divided into eight classes, to each of which is devoted a year, with' the exception of the two last, which occupy but six months apiece, so that the whole course of instruction is finished in seven years. Many of the pupils, however, leave the institution before completing the coarse. The Chapel is in the south wing ; and the rest of the- building is divided into recitation rooms, and bed rooms, the former of which are hung with maps and pictures of paints, and the latter supplied with crosses and fonts. The price of instruction is about eighty dollars per year, and some of the pupils have allowances made themj. particularly those designed for the church, M'ho assist is* instruGtioii by day, and study by night. There is a prepar- MONTREAL. 117 ^tory school connected with the colleare. One of the in- structers always oversees the boys in their recreations. Returning to the square, and entering another princi- 'pal street running parallel to St. Paul's, you pass nume- rous respectable and some elegant dwellings, leaving the Parish Church and the new Cathedral on the east. The Wesleyan Chapel, the American Congregational, and the English Episcopal Churches are in this part of the town. The Parade, a handsome piece of ground, with a walk, where the troops are drilled every morning, gene- rally at 10 o'clock. Island of St. Helen, or Granfs Island. This is held by the British government, for a military position -and depot. It is principally covered with trees ; but has a beautiful garden behind the quarters of the officers ; and a fine road winding round from the landing place, on the south end, (where are some remains of old works, and a new battery,) to a rocky eminence over the arsenal, which is opposite the northern quarter of the town. This rock is about eleven feet higher than the most elevated part,< of the city; and the view from it is handsome, with a wild ravine just below. The arsenal and storehouses form three buildings, with a narrow yard between them, about 125 feet in length. The batteries range on the river and town, and are fur- nished with neat barracks, a magazine, &c. The Mountain of Montreal offers an extensive and delightful view, and should by no means be forgotten by those who have an opportunity to undertake the excur- sion. It is better calculated to afford an idea of the country, as well as to delight the eye, than any other point to which an excursion can be made. Yet it is recommended, if the traveller stays long enough, to take a ride or two in differ- ■ent directions, after having visited this favourite spot. There are different ways of reaching tbe summit of the mountain : on foot, by an intricate route from the southern part of the city; on horseback, or in a carriage, to the ridge ; or round the north end to the rear. There is also •a foot path up the north end. The country spread out to view on arri^dng at this com- isaanding height, is a plain of such vast extent as to ap* 118 MONTREAL BIOUNTAIN. pear in many directions quite boundless. In fact, it stretch- es much farther than would be imagined ; for all the way to Quebec, the river's banks present the same appearance. The spectator faces the east. The side of the moun- tain, almost precipitous, is thickly covered with trees, which soon give place below to a smooth descent, declining to the base, chiefly devoted to pasturage, on the eleva- tion of which stands M'Tavish's house. A beautiful display of cultivated fields succeeds on the level, divided by high palings, and scattered with a few houses. Below a moderate descent, which appears like an old bank of the river, gardens and dwellings begin to increase ; and behind a succeeding one, of a similar description are suburbs of the city. East, on the horizon is Boucherville Mountain ; and over it is seen more indistinctly, Beloeil Mountain. The plain country between the Sorel and St. Lawrence is divided into innumerable fields, with scattering houses. In the same direction is seen St. Helen's, or Grant's Island; and in a direction with the south end of it, the steeple of Bon-secour church. North of this are the Que- bec suburbs, beginning near the barracks ; the Waterworks, and Baths. Nearex", are seen St. Louis and St. Lawrence suburbs. S. S. East, on the opposite shore, La Prairie ; and nearly over it, the site of St. John's, which is not distin- guishable. In a range with them, are Nuns' Island, and Nuns' Farm, the latter on this shore. The river is 3^ miles wide. The suburbs on the south side of the city, are St. Antoine, Ricolet. St. Anne's, and St. Joseph's. North. Bout de I'Isle, the extremity of Montreal Island, Pointe aux Trembles, and the village of Boucher- ville ; opposite which is liOngueil, and further down, Va- rennes, with a two stcepled church. N. East, the view is boundless, with a succession of cultivated fields, which in the distance become quite un- distinguishable. The same appearance, it will hereafter be seen, extends along the river's banks quite to Quebec. Road round, the Mountain, The road near the north end of the mountain is ornamented with many beautiful seats, and there are also some extensive manufactories. Behind it is a fine extent of cultivated ground. lo JVorOv^ ■routes in CANADA. 115 Ol?HER Excursions. To Lachine, 9 miles, or 3 leagues. The river road is the pleasantest ; giving a view of the Rapids, Nuns' and Heron Islands, the Indian village of "Caughnawaga opposite, and crossing the Lackine Canal. To Pointe aux Trembles and Bout de VIsle. The southern road to the Mountain, which crosses it at the less elevated part of the ridge, near the middle, leads through St. Joseph's suburbs, and afterward passes a number of fine country seats. The most remarkable are those cf Mir. M'Gillivray, and the late Mr. Gregory, members of the old North West Company, which was converted into the Hudson's Bay Company. It engrossed the Indian trade for a vast distance dp the lakes, and en- riched many individuals. The Priests^ Farm lies west of the city near the base of the mountain ; and is a largo tract ef land, with an old building in the ancient European style, preserving many of the features of feudal days, with its projecting square towers, small windows, pointed roofs, and weather-beaten walls. The barns connected with it are very spacious, and seem capable of containing a large part of the pro- ducts ef the farm. The only wonder seems to be what a few old men can do with such vast stores, as well as with their receipts from various other quarters. The whole island of Montreal is a Seigneurie, in which the monks of Ricolet, as Seigneurs, have the right of a Eax on every farm, on eve^^' purchase and sale of real estate, and many other pri\dleges, vested in them by the king of France on the first settlement of the place. Cir- cumstances have conspired to reduce and destroy many of these privileges, so that the annual income of the priests, from this rich and valuable Seigneurie, though large, is 'very trivial, in comparison with its extent and fertility. Col. Allen, with his detachment for the surprise of Montreal, in 1776, crossed the river from Longueil; but Major Brown, not being able to land above the city as was ir^tended, the former was taken prisoner by Gov. Carlton, after a sharp engagement, loaded with irons, and sent to England. Col. Warner afterwards erected batteries on the shore at Longueil, by which he drove back the go- vernor when he atfiemptcd to land or his way to relieve -St. John's. 11* 1-20 RltEll ST. LaWHEKCS. ROUTE FROM MONTREAL TO QUEBEC, RoAD TO QuEBEfT. Notwithstanding the common prejudices against tra- velling by land in Canada, which are entertained by many persons not acquainted with the country^ it is re- commended to those who may find it convenient, to make arrangements for performing a part of the journey in this manner, either going or returning. The country is indeed a dead level, btit it is entirely re- duced to cultivation, thickly populated, and with good roads. The way lies along the very margin of the St. Lawrence, passing an almost uninterrupted succession of dwellings, and supplied with many comfortable and some good inns. SfKAMBOAT TO Ql/KBEC?. Leaving Montreal in the steamboat, yoii pass under the fort on St. Helen's Island, the steeples and cupolas of the city being seen nearly in the following order beginning at the south end^ Gray Nuns', Ricolet Church, Black Nuns', then the Old Cathedral, Episcopal Churchy Nelson's Mon* ument;, Bon-secour Chnrch. Near the last, on the shore, are the Barracks, Water works, and Baiths; the begin^ ning of the Quebec suburbs, the residences of J^jdge Reed and Mr. Malson, with terraced gardens towards the river, &c. A little below is Malson's Brewery^ and Sir Joha Johnson's residence. The Rapids of St. Mart ai-e between the island and these last mentioned objects, and run with such rapidity that steamboats are sometimes obliged to be drawn tip by cattle. Longweil, juf^theloyf St. Helen's. Longue Fointe, 6 miles (2 leagues) from MontJieaL Vercheres, on the east side. Varennes ha» a church with a double spife. Point aux Trembles, 9 miles, (3 leagues.) Ilere is S nunnery, in which is a school for girls. Boui de V Isle. Here is no- village ,j bal oraly a fon-y. ConfrtCfEur, on the east. Repeniigvy, a prett)' vvHage, tximv D.s:r/,roo/i jv. iCoUTE To QUiiEEC. I2i At this place it is recommended to the traveller % land, to make a deviation from the direct road along the river, if^ he finds it convenient, to see the delightful country between- it and the town of Assomption. There is a beautiful road on each bank, varied with houses aind trees. Return so a& to strike the road near St. Sulpice. SL Sulpice, 24 miles (8- leagues) from MontrfeaL Let Moraye. Berthier. Machiche is a pretty tovi'n, at the mouth of the Kivieffif du Loup. Many French custotns are still preserved by the immixed inhabitants of the St. Lawiience, some of which are agreea-* ble and interesting. There is very little variety to he discovered in the na-' tural surface of the ground, but the journey through this- region presents almust an unva?ying scene of cultivations and fertility. For a great part of the distance, there is s narrow strip of corn or potatoes between the road and the' river's bank, to corre&pond with the fields -which stretch off to such a distance on the other hand ; snd the variety of crops, and the occasional rows and clumps of trees, re-^ move, in a good degree, the natural sameness of the land-' scape. Navigation anu Traete of the St. Lawrence, &c,/ Steamboats are of the utmost importance on this grea^ river, for they contribute extremely to the convenience and expedition of travelling,- and render most valuable assist-' ance to comnierce. There are many steamboats constantly employed between Ai ontreal and Quebec, most of then;^ fitted to accommodate passengers, as well as to carry freight, and all provided with powerful engines. The* principal article of export frum Canada is lumber, a greag deal of which is carried to Quebec in immense rafts, and then shipped for England. These rafts have Usually al great number of sails to hoist in a fair wind, with huts to' shelter the men from the weather, so that they have a very' singular appearance, and at a little distance look like be fleet of sail boats. The population of Lower Canada is- estimated at about 200,000. The French Ca-nadiar>3 ore aiTvi^ble, cheerfuV and gay^r fend theit backwardness in improvements is attl'ibtitilblfe td the system under which they live. They are generally brought up in great ignorance, and they are taught to dis* like and avoid not only the Protestant principles, but Pro* testants themselves. In New-England, as is well known, the law provides for the instruction of every child, without exception i and every ehild is actually instructed. Books and newspapers, however, lose their effect as well as theit value among these peoplet Among those regions where English and Scotch have settled, instruction is gaining ground ; and in Montreal, tlie public schools are rising in importance; but it is to be feared that the Romish priests will long continue to oppose the extension of real know^ iedge, and that while they retain their influence) the cha- racter of the people will rettiain depressed. The " Procedure'''' of Canada is founded on the edict ef Louis 14th, of 1667, and is the basis of the Civil Code. There were no lawyers before the Conquest in 1.759, when they were created 5 and mattial law pre-* vailed from that time till 1774. The trial by .Jury was introduced in 1785 ; and the Constitutional Charter in i7.91. The houses are generally of one story, and are built of wood or stone, according to the nature of the country. Some of thein are formed of squared timbers, and even of round logs ; but the latter are usually employed for the construction of barns onlyj which are often covered with thatch. The houses and barns are frequently compos- ed of several small buildings, erected at different pe-' riods, according to the capacity or necessities of the pro» prieiors. WiLUAM Henry, or Sorel, 45 miles^ or 15 leagues from Montreal '^' This town, though quite small, is one of the principal places between the two capitals. It is on the south side of the St. Lawrence, at the mouth of the Sorel, or Richelieu, in a very sandy situation ; and contains no* thing worthy of notice, except a little old church, a palisadoed fort) and a neat square, at the distance of HOUTE TO QUEBEC. 12S a short walk, surrounded with several pretty white houses, a church, &c. a little in the New-England style. The fences are generally low, and afford the sight of gardens. The Government House stands about three quarters of a mile beyond the town It is a large red building, with barracks near it. The boat turns round on leaving Sorel, and returns lo the St. Lawrence. On the opposite point, General Montgomery erected batteries on taking the place, in 1775, and prepared rafts and floating batteries, which maintained an engagement with the ships in which Governor Carleton attempted to escape to Quebec, and drove him back towards Mon- treal. He afterwards passed them in an open boat at night; but his vessels fell into the hands cf the Ame- ricans. Berthier is on the opposite side of the St. Lawrence, but out of sight, being behind several low islands. Some of the steamboats stop there instead of at Sorel. There is a ferry across. Lake St. Peter. Op entering this large tract of wa- ter, the shores at the opposite end appear like mere lines npon the horizon, and a vessel at the opposite end ap- pears like a mere speck, the length of the lake being 20 miles. Point du Lac, or Woodlands, is seen on the north- ern shore, when nearly across ; but it is situated beyond the lake. A ridge of high land continues on the north, following the course of the river. Opposite Woodlands is Nicolet, 9 miles from Three Rivers. The place is large, and contains an English and a French church, together with a nunnery, and a college, founded by a Romish bishop of Quebec. Thriss Rivers, (Trois Rivieres,] Half Way. This is the largest town between Montreal and Quebec, and is 96 miles from the former, and 84 from the latter. The streets are generally straight, and regularly built, though narrow ; and the houses, although neat, are generally only one or two stories high, with windows in the roofs, and, being principally plasiered, have rather a dark aspect, like those of Montreal. It contains shops of various sorts, and several iuns of a decent appearance. 124 THE RIVER ST. LAWRENCE. The Nunnery is in the east part of the town, and has extensive grounds connected with it. The Parish Church is in the south part of the town. Two large buildings, formerly the Court House and Jail, with the Nunnery, are the principal objects. While the American forces were on the retreat from Quebec, in 1775, General Sullivan sent General Thomp- son down from Sorel to attack this place. He went down the right bank of Lake St. Peter, and landed 9 miles from the town; but being discovered and misled, he found General Frazer drawn up in order of battle, while Gen. Nesbit was sent to cut off his retreat ; and the battle, which immediately commenced, was short and disastrous to the assailants, who lost their commander, and many officers and soldiers, as prisoners, although they had few killed. After several hours we approach Le BiGNEux, a village on the south side of the river, known by its double-spired church. It stands on a steep bank, about 60 feet high, and marks the commencement of the Richelieu rapids. The river here winds between broken banks, and the number of cottages is so great as to make the scene more animating. A few blue, but not lofty mountains, are seen down the river. Rapids of Richelieu. The river, which is about two miles wide, here runs with great velocity, particularly the first three miles ; but the water is deep, and the surface unbroken, except near the shores, which are lined with in- numerable loose round stones and rocks, extremely dan- gerous to vessels when they get among them. These rocks seem placed with much regularity, forming two ranges. Although the navigation of this part of the St. Lawrence requires great skill and caution in other vessels, steamboats pass with security; yet, on account of the force of the current at ebb tide, even they are obliged to vary their hours of leaving Quebec, in such a way as to have the flood through the rapids. Vessels are often seen waiting at the bottom of the rapids for a change of tide, or for a steamboat to tow them up. The rapids extend about 9 miles. St. Axtoine, on the south bank, is ISmiles, (6 leagues) ROUTE IN CANADA. 123 from Quebec. The mountain seen towards the north- east is that of Lorette, and the bank on ihat side makes a beautiful slope to the river, agreeably varied by culti- vated fields, interrupted by occasional patches of wood- land ; on the side of the ridge, about midway from' the water to the top, passes the road. The south shore,^ On the contrary, continues high and abrupt and nearly perpendicular, with innumerable cottages peeping over the brow. PoLNTE Aux Trembles, a village on the north shore. The river is about the same breadth all along here, viz. about two miles, although it appears much narrower ; the depth is about 5 fathoms, and the tide rises 14 or 15 feet. Notwithstanding the thickness of the population on the shores, the country is a wilderness only about four miles back, being comprehended in what is called the King's iluniing Ground, which extends from Three Rivers, 40' or 50 miles below this place. Jacques Cartier, 30 miles from Quebec. This is a village on the north side, situated at the mouth of the river of the same name, which is likewise distinguished by the name of the first explorer of the river St. Law- rence. Here are the remains of the first church in Ca- nada. Cakouge CREEk, on the north side. Here a pretty view opens, for a few minutes, into the interior, on the north shore, showing the Indian village of Lorette, at the distance of three or four miles, with an extent of beau- tiful land, and a range of fine mountains in the rear. Ckaudiere River is a little below, with a rock on the lower side, at its mouth. Looking down the St. Lawrence, part of Point Levi is seen, covered with white buildings one of which is the church. It is opposite Quebec, which remains for a considerable distance invisible. The banks rise to a greater and greater height, and present every variety of surface. Sillery Cove is a mile below, above which was fought the final battle between the English and French in 1759, after the capture of Quebec by General Wolfe, which completed the conquest of Canada. 126 '^itEBEC. Wolfe^s Cove is behind the next point. This id the place where Wolfe landed in the night, and up the preci- pitous bank he climbed with his Itoops, afterwards draw- ing up his cannon. Here Gen. Arnold afterwards took lip his troops, in 1775. There is a remarkable rock pro- jecting- from the bank, at the head of the cove, a little to the right of, which is seen a road running up the hill, at the place where the troops went up, w-hen there was nothing but a foot path. Cape Diamond is, the abrupt bluff in which terminates the high land on the north, and under the opposite side of which Quebec is situated. It is 348 feet high ; and the fortified lines on its brow belong to the city walls, and the citadel-, which is included by them. The telcgi-aph is raised on the Cavaliers' Battery, and the round buildings on the ridge are Martello towers, which serve as advanced works to the fortress. The mountains of St. Anne and Tourmente appear many miles down the river. General Montgomery was killed just at the base of Cape Diamond, in attacking a block house on the shore, in 1775. Quebec. The Lower Town of Quebec begins near this spot, and stretches along at the foot of the rock, while the tipper Town soon begins to open to view above, though the principal part of it is on the top and the opposite side. The Castle oj tSL Louis, or the Governor's House, overhung this precipice, being built on supporters ; and ttiade a conspicuous appearance, interrupting the city Wall, which encloses the Upper Town. It has been burnt. But the current is too swift to allow much time for observation before arriving at the wharf, where the travel- ler will find servants in waiting from the principal public houses in the city: these are all in the Upper Town, the ascent to which is intricate as well as steep and labori- ■■Dus, so that the stranger will want their assistance as guides. The Lower Town is crowded and dirty, and contains no decent public houses. A.fter three or four turns, you begin to ascend Mountain-street, which is very steep and laborious, and leads to a gate in the city wall, which is Very massive, built in the old European style, of solid 'stenc, very thick, with narrow passage woys for carriages QUEBECi I2f ahd footmen, and a guard chamber above, with loopholes for musketeers. On the right, after passing this gate, is a battery of heavy guns. The street which opens a little to the left leads into the midst of the city. A walk to the Esplanade, in the highest part of the city, by the wall, is very delightful at morning or event- ing, as it commands a fine view i but Cape Diamond the finest of all. It is recommended to the stranger to seize the first pleasant days to make excursions to the Falls of Mont^ morency, the village of Lorette, &c. which will be more particularly spoken of hereafter; and it will be found much better, on several accounts, to set out as early in the morning as possible. The walls of Quebec enclose the upper pal't of the hillj and a little of its declivity on the north side ; but the space is so small that the buildings are extremely crowded. The French Parish Church stands at one end of the public square, facing the barracks, with the semmary on one side. The Church contains little that is remarkable^ the whole interior appearing rather ordinary, and the pictures having little to boast of: the principal of them are a Holy Family, an Ascension, Crucifixion, Descent of Tongues, and Last Supper. The College, which stands a little to the right in com- ing out of the church, is a large stone building in which a considerable number of youth are educated by priests. They may be distinguished in the city by wearing the long black gown, sash, and cornered cap, common to such in^ stitutions in Popish countries. The Chapel of the Seminary, which stands a little left from the principal gate, contains the best collection of pictures, it is said, in all Canada : beginning on the right hand near the door, is a picture of the Virgin Mary at* tended by angels, &c, in the first chapel on that side is a picture of the Crucifixion, over the altar ; on the right, the Baptism of the Ethiopian, John's Baptism, St. .John J on the left, a portrait, St. Peter receiving the keys, infant Saviour, Devotees, &c. on the church wall, next is a good picture, then the Ascension, and Interment of the Saviour^ and over the high altar, a Holy Family, and Dove de-^ scending ; what appears to be some priest's dream ; on the n 128 PLACE D'aRMES. left side, is the Descent of Tongues, and an Angel visiting a saint in prison, e:ood; over the altar in the renlaining chapel, is the Baptism in the Wilderness, with a numbei' of poor pictures ; and in the chufch are an Evangelist^ Wise Men presenting Gifts, &c. In two gilt boxes, one on each side of the high altar, are two sculls, with several human bones, placed against red silk, which are regarded with superstitious reverence, as holy and perhaps miraculous relics ; a lamp is kept constantly burning under that on the left hand. The Barrachs are in a large stone building opposite the church, which was formerly the Jesuits' College : it is three and four stories high, forming an angle like an L, each side of which is about 200 feet long. Here are quartered the troops which garrison the city. Here were imprisoned the Americans captured in the attack on the city, in 1775. Convents. There are tvi^o convents in Quebec ; one of them has about 40 Ursulines, who have a large convent and church near the prison, in the west part of the city, and keep a large school for girls. The other convent is lower down, and contains a hospital for diseases of the lighter kinds ; while the most serious and severe are treat- ed at the nunnery near the St. Charles's River, about \^ miles above the town. These institutions, however, are not now open to visiters as they formerly were; at least it is generally impossible to gain access to them. The Arsenal is near the Palace gate, and contains about 100,000 stand of arms, arranged with great regu- larity. The Place d^Armes is a small square on an elevated position, on which stood the Castle of St. Louis, the Governor's residence, which was burnt in 1834. Here is a building containing the Museum of the Society for pro- moting Literature, Science, Arts, and Historical Research in Canada. Here is also the Monument to Generals Wolfe and Montcalm, who fell in the battle on the Heights of Abraham. It is 65 feet high. The street beyond commands a fine view ; and there are several beautiful terraced gardens formed on the steep side of the rock, almost overhanging the buildings in the lower town. QUEBEC. 129 The fortifications of the city on the land side are strong-, and worthy of particular attention. St. Louisas Gate is the highest of the city gates, and the street of the same name conducts to it ; this leads to the famous plains of Abraham. The Esplanade Battery lies between St. Louis and St. John's gates, and contains 12 cannon and 4 mortars, with magazines built where they could not be injured by an enemy's shot. The ground slopes in such a manner as to expose a large extent of country to view : the fine fertile plain beyond St. Charles' River, the beautiful ridge of lands beyond, with the villages of Lorette, Charlebourg- and others; the St. Lawrence on the right, with Point Le- vi, the Isle of Orleans, and the fine ranges of distant moun- tains. The mouth of the Montmorency can easily be dis- cerned, on the left bank of the St. Lawrence, about 9 miles from the city. That is the spot where the falls are to be seen, and the battle ground where Gen. Wolfe made an unsuccessful attack on the French General Montcalm, be- fore the capture of the city. Mounting to the parapet near the gate of St. Louis, the plan of the defences may be in part discerned, even by an unpractised eye ; and by descending and passing through the gate, the strength of the place will be better under- stood. The walls of the city, the bastions, and other works, are from 20 to 30 feet in height, and formed of stone. The path is made to turn several abrupt angles, in order to expose the approach to raking fires. The gate is of very heavy and durable masonry, and the passage through it is a dark arched way, about 55 feet long ; it is closed by two heavy doors, with wickets so placed as not to face each other. Near the Hospital is part of the old French wall, about 50 feet high, which contains gentlemen's gardens. The Citadel, on Cape Diamond, is designed for a place of impregnable strength. It has been gradually progress- ing for a number of years, and is expected to be soon completed. Admission may be usually obtained by appli- cation to the proper officers, and necessary information can be gained at the hotels. The British government intend- ed to devote £5000 per annum on these works ; but as the 130 THE CITADEL. money was sometimes delayed, they were occasionally ex posed to some interruptions. Tliis citadel renders the city defensible against a large force. Most of the works are new, though some parts of the old have been made to serve. They include five or six acres, on the very summit of Cape Diamond, and extend to the verge of the precipice, 1)48 feet above the St. Law- rence. There are four bastions and one demi-bastion, a ravelin, in advance of the western bastion, and other out- works. The walls are about 40 feet high, and built per pendicularly, of fine hewn stone ; the ditch being blasted out of the solid rock, and about 50 feet wide. The Casemates. Entering the gates and passing be- hind the wall, a continued line of large rooms is discovered following the wall, built of substantial brick work, and arched over head with such strength as to be bomb proof. These rooms, which are known by the technical name of Casemates, are about 50 feet long, 20 wide, and 16 or 18 high, each with a door and two small windows, looking in- ward, and pierced at the other side, with five loop holes each, for musketry. These loop holes are on the new plan, narrow inside, and opening with steps faced with iron, to prevent musket shot from glancing in. There are about 40 casemates all towards the land side : the natural defence of the precipice over the water being sufficiently strong to pi'event the attempts of an enemy in that direction. The casemates communicate with each other by folding doors, which may be thrown open the whole length of the bomb-proofs, and will then fur- nish space for the whole garrison, (from 3000 to 5000 men,) to parade at once. The Subterranean Passage leads from a little staircase in the bastion next east of the gate, under the ditch, to a small outwork with two or three casemated rooms. The stairs are narrow and spiral. At the corner next the river and town, is the old Cavaliers' Battery, a very heavy stone build- ing, originally erected for the palace of the French governors of Quebec: below it, at the water's edge. Gen. Mont- gomery was killed. It has dark vaults, the walls are six feet thick, near the ground, and from the Telegraph on the top is one of the finest vievvs that can be imagined: the Witiiid siiifface of the St. Lawrence liesbelow, and stretches ijff far to the right and left ; the whole city of Quebec is crowded together almost beneath you, v/hile Point Levi; \vith its white buildings) is seen opposite, with a long Etretch of lofty shores. Turning the eye in the opposite directionj the beautiful ridge of landj which begins many miles down the river On the northern side, and rises with a gentle swell from the shore, covered with the richest and most varied display of cultivation, offers a most delightful view over an extensive and fertile region^ beautiful in form^ divided into innumerable portions, cultivated by a dense and industrious population^ and scattered with their clus^ tered dwellings. On the left, appears^ among other vil= lages, that of Lorettej with the Montreal road for nine miles, almost lined with houses 5 and on the light that of Beaufort, occupying the ridge of the high ground, while a little beyond it) is the chasm into which the River Mont- morency plunges, with its famous cataract, just before it joins the St. Lawrence \ all the horizon in that direction;; and indeed from the west to the north, and quite to the east, is broken by ranges of fine mountainsj sOme of them near and bold, and in other places^ between theiri, distant blue ridges are disclosed, three, four, or five in succession* Tsononthuan Mountain^ which has two summits and is SOOO feet high in the northwest, is the southern extreme of the granite range reaching from the Labrador coast td Lake Superior. In the south and southwest, where an aperture is left} is a distant and lower range, scattered ■^ith cottagesi It may, perhaps, not be hazarding too ihuch to ssLy, that no scene in Canada, or the United States^ can boast of a conlbination of objects, comparable in va^ riety and magnificence to those here presented to viewi There is a long staircase of many steps, leading from this elevated position down to the Lower Town, by Vi'hich it was originally intended to draw up heavy arti-^ cles. The Plains of Ahraliarn. — This interesting tract ot ground, the field where Gen. Wolfe succeeded, by a bold and decisive blow in capturing the city of Quebec in 1759^ lies at only about the distance of a mile, and should not bd ileglected. Indeed it would be found amply to repay the 15* Io2 tiElGMfS OF AfiRAHAMi trouble, to make a much longer excursion in that directiotl^ ias the road is fine and the country interesting.* Passing out at St. Louis's Gate, you observe a numbef of handsome dwellings and gardens by the road sidej Until you get some distance beyond the towers, when yoU turn into the Race Course on the left side of the toad^ The foundation of a monument to Wolfe and Montcalm was laid in 1827. The spot where Gen. Wolfe fell i^ neat* the corner of the fenced field, off towards the river,. A little east of the place, is the remnant of a breast„work Math several angles, and commanding a fine view. The British line was first formed across the plain, and the bat" tie was fought principally on that ground. The Plains of Abraham afe about a quarter of a mile in breadth, extending a great distance towards the west, ■with a gentle slope on each side, and so smooth as to offef an admirable field for the manoeuvering and display of troops. Wolfe^s Co'Ve is about a mils further west* * After the battle of Montmorency, while the English fleet lay up the river, at one o'clock in the night of September 12th, lt59. Gen. Wolfe quietly transporter! his troops from the fleet into the boats^ and cautiously passed down the river. He intended to l;ind two or three miles above Cape Diainond, and get possession of the Heights of Abraham : but was drifted down so rapidly that he passed the place without discovering it, and then resolved to attempt a land- ing at Wolfe's Cove, just above the city. The shore is bold and the rocks so high and steep, that only a few sentinels were posted along the precipices and the margin. This desperate enterprise however did not discourage the leader or his troops 5 but an houi" before day break they had effected their landing, and commenced the arduous asce,nt by a narrow, broken path, at the top of which was stationed a captain's guard. As fast as the English reached the summit they formed on ihe level plain. At ten o'clock Montcalm arrived from above, and a battle was fought, which decided the fate of Canada. Montcalm stationed 1500 sharp shooters in front, hut the British coolly stood theii* ground till the French were within 40 yard.s, When they opened tlieirfire, and soon afterwards terminated the engagement with their bayonets. The place where the greatest Carnat'e was made^ is near the river's bank, where the English left was clo.-sely en- gaged with the French right. The action lasted two hours, and in it both ciiiefs received their mortal wonnds. Gen. Wolfe wag shot in two or three places, When hardly any signs of life re* mailed, news was brought tliat the day had declared for the Bri-» liah, '* Then," said hoj ** 1 dio content?'* §1egE 0$"' Quebec. In 1775, soon after the commence-' Jnent of the revolutionj the Continental Congress prepared an expedition against Canada It consisted of two divi^ sions 5 one under Gen. Montgomery carne down Lake Champlain and took St. John's, Chambly, Sorel, Three Rivers, and then proceeded down the St. Lawrence to this place. The other; under Gen. Arnold, took the route through the wilderness of Maine for Quebec. Arnold had 10 companies of infantry, besides 3 of rifle" men, and one of artillery, with a few volunteers^ They proceeded up the Kennebeck, but suffered so much frorri fatigue and scarcity that many fell sick, and one division returned. The remainder, however, reached Point Levi on the 9th of No%'ember, and alarmed the city. The batteaux had been removed, and the strong wind detained them from, crossing, after they had been supplied by the Canadians. The English frigate Lizard and several other vessels v/ere also in the river. He at length, how-» ever, effected, a landing a little above Wolfe's Cove, and marching down the shore climbed Up the rocks at that place, and surrounded the city without effect. He then Retired 20 miles to Pointe aux Trembles, and waited for" Gen. Montgomery, who arrived, after great trials, Decj 1st, with about 300 men. The two generals afterwards marched to Quebec, and planting their mortars on the Snow and ice, fired into the town with little effects The small pox broke out, and the cold was severe ; but the town was attacked at four points at once, in a snow storm, without success. Montgomery was killed, one detachment was taken, and Arnold retired three miles and intrenched himself. The Falls of Mohtmop.ency. Hire a coach, a gig; a. caleche, or a saddle horse, and set out, if possible, early in the morning. In a caleche, you will ha.ve the a;dyantage of a guide in your driver. Pass through the Palace gate and a village divided from Quebec only by the wall, cross the bridge over St. Charles' river^ which forms a regular serpentine, and enter the beautiful cultivated plain beyond^ A Convent and Hospital are seen about a mile on the leftj and a handsome succession of fields is observed on both sides, divided by low palings. At the distance of a mile and a half the road passes seyeral country bouses. tS'i STALLS OF MOKTMORliNct. Riding down the coast, at a considerable dlevaflofJ from the river, many fine views arfe presented of the oppo* site banks, the isle of Orleans, the mountains of St Anne and Tourmente down the rirer. The dwellings are small; and the inhabitants poor and numerous. BeauPort is a village principally composed of such buildings, stretching for a great distance along the toad. On approaching the Montmorency, the road crosses an extensive, smooth and gradual ascent, part of which was the field of a bloody slaughter, suffered by a division of Gen. Wolfe's army in 1759, a short time previous to his battle on the Heights of Abraham. The French lines were bounded by the nearer bank, as the remains of theit' intrenchments on the left still testify; and the British came up from the shore of the St. Law-i rence on the right, t o attack two of their nearest batteries before the second of which they were cut to pieces. Dismounting in a little wood and fastening the horses; you may proceed along the precipitous bank of the Mont-' morency, by a foot path, to see the falls frorrl this side, As it is a difficillt way, and the view more fine and unob- structed from the opposite side, it is hardly worth the trou- ble, unless you have plenty of time. You have to clamber rocks, pass down a long ladder, and stand on the verge of an abyss into which the cataract dashes. Water is drawn off here in a wooden race, for the supply of Mt. Patter's sou's great Saw^mills^ which are worthy of being visited.' It is better therefore to folio v/ the foad on foot, to cross* the bridge, and entering the fields on the right, follow down the course of the river- There are several fine points of view, from which the falls appear to great ad-" vantage. On the fine elevated point formed by the junction of the two rivers, and commanding an unobstructed view upon the St. Lawrence for many miles up and down, with several lofty mountains below, the Isle of Orleans oppo- site, Quebec above, and the catara'^t close at hand^ the British here took a strong position in July, 1759 ; and from this place made a bold, but unsuccessful attempt against their enemies on the opposite side. The remains of their intrenchments are plainly visible under our feet< The best view of the cataract is to be enjoyed from the QUEBEC. 135 spur of the I'ock, which projects fi-om the eastern shore ; but the spray, which keeps the surface covered with a coat of green, will drench the clothes in a few minutes. The height of the fall is said to be 240 feet ; and the banks on both sides below forms a precipitous and fright- ful precipice, of rather a curving form, of bare, sharp, slaty rock, whose strata incline from north to south, and the perpendicular veins run nearly N. W. and S. E. At low water the Montmorency may be forded, with some caution, where it was passed by the British troops; but the tide rises fasit and high. Battle of Montmorency. When General Wolfe came to operate against Quebec in June, 1759, lie posted his army on the island of Orleans while the fleet block- aded the port. At the end of that month General Monck- ton was sent over to Point Levi, and established himself there, vyhence he was able to fire upon the city. Above the River Montmorency, the landing was protected by the Marquis de Montcalm. General Wolfe landed his troops at the mouth of the Montmorency during the night of July 31st, and erected a battery on the precipice north- east of the falls, the remains of which are to be seen. The French were intrenched along the opposite bank ; and on the 31st of July, General Wolfe sent his troops to ford the Montmorency below the falls, to storm their works. Some of General Monckton's force from Point Levi in crossing with boats got aground, and difficulty ensued; but the landing was made in the afternoon on the beach to the right of the saw mills. They came, however, too late ; for the thirteen grenadier companies with 200 Americans, who had landed before, refused to wait or to form, as had been intcHded in four columns, but marched tumultuously round the rock, and rushed up hill in a mass towards the French works, at some distance back from the old redoubt on the point, which had been deserted. A warm fire, however, was directed against them, which cut down about 500 men, and they were obliged toretreatto the redoubt, whence they were ordered back to the beach to form. The enterprise was then in- terrupted by a severe storm, and finally abandoned. The Village of Lorette may be taken in the way 136 LAKE CHAMPLAIK. returning fronri Montmorency, if there should be time enough remaining, (which is barely possible,) and the ride along the high ridge leading in that direction, will be found delightful. Lorette is an Indian village, with a church, and the stranger may furnish himself with a* jcca- sins, belts, pipes, &.c. Land Route from Quebec to Montreal. Upper Road. (The pieasanter.) 1st post, Lorette 16 miles, 2d Jacques Carlier 16, 3d Descharnbeaux 16, 4th St. Anne 16, 5th Batiscamp 8, 6ih Champlain 9, Tth Aux Cayes 8, 8th Trois Rivieres 6. Lower Road. 1st post, Cape Rouge 9 miles, 2d St. Augustine 9, 3d Pointe aux Trembles 8, 4th Ecureil 9, 5th Cape Sante 9. (Garneau's inn, called " The Three Sisters,^^ is ex- cellent.) 6th Descharnbeaux, &c. 8. ROUTES FROM QUEBEC. Steamboat. Leaving the dock, you pass under Cape Diamond, nearly at the foot of which General Mont- gomery was killed in 1775. Wolfe^s Cove is about a mile beyond. See page 132. Rapids of Richelieu, page 124. Three Rivers, page 123. Lake St. Peter. William Henry or Sorel, page 122. Montreal, page 114. From Montreal to Lake Champlain, and the United States. Passage from St. John's to Whitehall. Isle aux Noix 10 miles, Rouse's Point 11, Chazy 12, Pittsburgh 15, Port Kent 8, Burlington 10, Charlotte, Essex 15, Port ROUTE FROM CANADA. 137 Clinton 10, Dalliba's Works, Port Henry 9, Chimney Point 12, Ticonderoga 15, Whitehall 25. On leaving Ticonderoga, the lake soon becomes much narrower. The Four Channels. Fourteen miles from White- hall, the lake suddenly contracts itself into four narrow- passages, between tv>/o ranges of mountains, which in some places present perpendicular precipices ; and its bed, at low water, appears almost entirely occupied by a little meadow of the brightest green, through which the chan- nels wind with beautiful turnings. A succession of beautiful little turnings are passed, with ragged precipices, and many little patches of level ground on the margin of the water ; while, on the eastern side, the tow path accompanies the bank. South Bay opens to the souih, and runs down five miles between high mountains. General Dieskau took this route with his army, in goino- towards Fort Edward, in 1755. The Devil's Pulpit is a singular cavity in the face of a bare precipice on the eastern side of the creek. The Elbow is a narrow part of the creek, with two very short turns, through which the passage requires a very exact helm. East Bay strikes oif at the first bend, and makes up five miles, along a romantic country. A sugar loaf hill will be observed at a little distance on the right, which rises above Whitehall, and makes the approach to that place quite picturesque. Whitehall. On the top of a rock over the harbour was formerly a battery, and in the town a block house. Numerous boats and great quantities of lumber are usually seen here, as the Champlain or Northern Canal begins at the bridge, where are two locks, with a sluiceway, and a rocky channel. The heights at this place were occupied by Burgoyne's right wing, while he was preparing to march towards Sa- ratoga ; his centre was formed by General Frazer; the Brunswickers on the left, rested on the river of Castleton; and the Hessians were at the head of East Bay. 138 ilOUTE FROM CANADA. To Albany, by canal packet or stagecoach, 68 m> Fort Anne, 12 ; Fort Edward, 9 ; kei-e a coach passes to Saratoga Springs ; Fort Miller, 8 ; Schuylersville, 6 ; British Lines, 7 ; (see page 78) ; Passing Behmis'a Heights, Stillwater, 8 ; Borough, 3 ; Waterford,* 8^. Hence railroads lead to Ballston and Troy. The road accompanies the course of Wood Creek, which is dammed and used for a canal, to which its nar- rowness and depth give it a strong resemblance. This creek is famous in the history of the operations in this region during the revolutionary and French wars ; and after repeated exertions to clear it of the logs, &c. by which it was obstructed, it bore the troops sent against Canada, &c. which often passed by this route, from the days of Queen Anne. The scenery is agreeable, though rough ; and there is little cultivation off the road. Half a mile north of the village of Fort Anne, Wood Creek makes an elbow to a ledge of rocks, so near that there is but little space for the road between. Here Col. Sterry was overtaken, in the retreat from Ti'conde roga, in 1777, by Burgoyne's troops, and an engagement took place, memorials of which are occasionally found in the soil to this day. A little south, on the brow of the hill, a quarter of a mile from the stagehouse, stood Fort Anne, in the revolution. The old fort of the same name, built many years pi-e-" viously, and known in the French wars, was about half a mile south of the village, on a gentle eminence a little east of the road, where some remains of the old in- trenchments are still to be seen. The remains of Burgoyne's Road begin about two miles south of Fort Anne, at the foot of a hill, and are traced about three fourths of a mile, near the present road to a wood. It was formed of logs, and found ne^ cessarj" to render the country passable with his cannon and baggage wagons. The labour necessary for its f )r- mation, superadded to that of cleai-ing Wood Creek of the obstructions which Gen. Schuyler had thrown into * Saddle Mountain, whose lofty ridge will be seen from almost every point in this vicinity, is 2,800 I'cet higlier th:in the hite of Williams' College. It derives its name from its resemblance to a riding saddle. FORT EBWARD. 13^ it after the retreat of the Americans, was one great cause of the delay of the British army, on this part of the road— a delay which allowed the people time to re- sume their spirits, and the officers to lay plans, obtain resources, and prepare for the sanguinary scenes at Beh- mis's Heights, and the surrender at Saratoga. French Mountain opens to view a little beyond, with a succession of high grounds in the direction of South Bay, Lake George, &c. About half a mile above Fort Edward, is the place where was perpetrated The Murder of Miss McCrea. Miss McCrea lived in the village of Fort Edward. In the revolutionary war, a young man named Jones, to whom she was betrothed, having attached himself to the English cause, and joined their forces in Canada, was invested with a captain's command in Gen. Burgoyne's army. After the retreat of the Americans from the lake, and while the British were approaching, he sent a party of Indians to Fort Edward to bring his intended bride to him, that he might secure her safety. She was very unwilling to proceed with her savage conductors on the road towards Fort Anne ; and had gone only half a mile when the Indians stopped to drink at a spring which still flows by the way side; and while here were met by another party of Indians despatched to hasten them on. Those who came last attempted to take her under their charge ; but the others, being determined not to give her up alive, bound her to a tree that is yet standing near the spring, and shot her dead with their muskets. Locks of her hair were borne to her lover to prove that the Indians had performed what they considered their duty to their employer. This story rang through the country ; and it was re- ported that Gen. Burgoyne encouraged or at least per- mitted the murder. In indignant terms he denied the charge ; and there appears no probability that he had the least knowledge of it. He, however, was justly chargeable with a great offence against humanity, in bringing tribes of savages in his train, whose barbarity he could never be sure of restraining. Fort Edward. This village was built in the neigh" bourhood of a fort raised during the war of 1755, for the 13 140 rORT MILLER. defence of this point of the river. It was first called Fort Lyman, after Gen. Lyman, of whom we have already had occasion to make honourable mention at Lake George. This spot was formei'ly called the First Carrying Place, being the point where, in the expeditions against Canada, the troops, stores, &c. were landed and taken to Wood Creek, a distance of twelve miles, where they were again embarked. Baker^s Falls, at Sandy Hill, are worthy of particu- lar attention, and are' seen to great advantage from some parts of the bank. The whole descent of the river at this place is about 75 feet. Fort Miller. The village still retains the name of a fort erected on the west side of the river, in former times. It was a work of insignificant si2;e, situated on the bank and near ^filler's Falls. The descent of the river here is rapid, and over a broken channel. The falls were formerly con- sidered impassable with safety, until Gen. Putnam per- formed it while stationed at Fort Miller, in the French war. The Great Dam. Above Fort Edward, a large and expensive dam 900 feet long, has been built across the river, and a canal cut along the bank to open a passage for boats^ [For places on any route selected by the traveller, see the Index.] TOUR OF NEW-ENGLAND. To Travellers going Eastward from New- York. It is recommended to the stranger v/ho is travelling eastward to see the country, to determine on some plan for his journey before setting out. Steamboats go from New- York to the following places on the northern shore of Long Island Sound : Greenwich, Norwalk, Stamford, Bridge- port,* Stratford, New-Haven, Connecticut River, (and up that to Hartford,) New-London, (and Norwich,) Newport, (and Providence.) * The Honsalonic Railroad, from Bridgeport, Conn., to meet the Berkshire Railroad on the Massachusetts liue, is already complete TOUR OF NEW-ENGLAND. 141 EAST RIVER. Leaving New-York in any of the East River steamboats^ the traveller has Brooklyn on the right, now the second city for size in the state, elevated, well built, shady and health- ful. The Navy Yard, just beyond. The Railway, for ships, is above, on the v/est side. The Penitentiary, and the Fever Hospital, are a little beyond. The Penitentiary on Blackwell's Island, the Poor House Farm opposite, and the Lunatic Hospital on the north end of it. From Hell Gate, on the distant high ground, west, is seen the Lunatic Asylum ; and a number of handsome to New Milford, 35 miles, and is to befinished-in 1841. It'will be 73 miles from the Sound to Massachusetts. The Berkshire Railroad will connect it with the Great Western Railroad, at West Stock- bridge. Begun 1S37, estimated cost, a million — has an embankment and a tunnel, maximum'grade 40 feet per mile, a minimum curva- ture 1000 feet radius. From Bridgeport to West Stockbridge, 95 miles — to Albany 133. The road to New-Haven passes through Harlem on Manhattan Island, West Chester, East Chester, New-Rochelle, Mamaronec, and Rye, in the State of New-York; and Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, Norwalk, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Stratford, Milford, and Orange in Connecticut In the town of Greenwich, 33 miles from New-York, is a steep hill descending towards the north, down which General Putnam once effected his escape from several British officers and soldiers during the revolutionary war, when returning from a scout. Ha drove his horse hastily down the rocky hill side, a little east of the road, and near the fence, and saved so much distance as to elude his pursuers. Tn the town of Fairfielcf, 53 miles from New-York, a mile or two before reaching the village, is a low, level piece of ground on tho right hand side of the road, which was formerly an almost impene- trable swamp, and, at an early period of our history, was the scene of a bloody slaughter. It was hither that the remains of a powerful and terrible nation of Indians, called Pequods, having fled from their country about New-London and Groton, after the destruction of their fort at Mystic by Capt. Mason, in 1636, were either killed or taken captive. This was their last and total defeat, and extin- guished their name as a nation. Much of the ground has been cleared in modern times ; and some reliques have been found to confirm the traditions of the neighbourhood. This place was burnt by the British in the revolution. Danbury, an inland town, was also burnt, with extensive public stores, and an action was fought in which Gen. Wooster fell. 142 NEW-HAVEN. country houses along the green shore on the left. The surface is broken by several rocks, and by the agitation of the water, particularly at the whirl called the Great Pot, a little north of the point, and the rapid current on the oppo- site shore, known by the name of the Hog's Back. In coming from the north, almost the first view of New-York is here presented, between the western shore and Blackwell's Isl- and, with a shot tower on the right. New-Haven. — This is decidedly one of the most beau- tiful towns in the United States. The soil is not very good, and the situation is low ; the city is laid out in squares, with straight and broad streets, and the elevated ground in the neighbourhood renders the approach very fine from almost every direction. It stands at the head of a spa- cious bay, with a light house on the eastern point, a small battery on the shore, and two Bluffs, called^East and West Rocks, 2 or 3 miles behind the town. A more distant peak is seen between them, which is Mount Carmel. The Long wharf is three quarters of a mile in length. The steamboats stop at the bridge, where Railroad cars for Hartford, and carriages will be found in waiting to take travellers to the centre of the town, which is more than a mile distant. Near the bridge, is the Steamboat Hotel. The streets are regular and pleasant, forming squares, one of which is a green surrounded by rows of elms, with three churches and the State House in the middle, and the College build- ings, occupying the western side, presenting a scene pro- bably not equalled by any town of this size in the United States. The abundance of fine trees, the neatness and beauty of the dwellings, the good society of the place, and the distinguished position it holds as a seat of learning, render New- Haven the resort of a great number of stran- gers during the travelling season, and the temporary resi- dence of not a few. There is a Hopkins Grammar School in the town, and a number of Boarding Schools for young ladies. Yale College. This institution, however, is the prin- cipal object which will attract the attention of the stran- ger. It was founded in 1701, commenced at Killing- worth, then removed to Saybrook, and after a few years permanently fixed in this town. The first building was of fOUR OF NEW-EKGLANDi 14^ y>fOQ6.j and stood near the corner of College and Cbapel- streets. There are now four buildings for students, eacfe containing 32 rooms, a Chapel, with a Philosophical chamber and apparatus, and a Lyceum, with recitation rooms and the library. In the rear are the Trumbull Pic" ture Gallery, the Common's Hall, in a small building with the splendid Mineralogical Cabinet above, which is the finest collectionof the kind in the United States,purchase(i from the late Colonel Gibbs, of New-York. In another building isthe CbemicalLaboratory, where Professor Silli-' man delivers his lectures. The institution eontains above' 500 scholars- Next north of the College is the honse of President Day, and the professors have pleasant residences in ther town. The Medical InstituUon is at the north end of College^ street. The New BaRYiNcr Ground is situated opposite the Medical Institution, and occupies a large extent of lano",. partly planted with poplars, and containing a great num-^ ber of beautiful monuments, of different designs. It is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in this country. The Old Burying Ground was in the middle of til's green, in the rear of the Centre Church, and there are to be seen twa ancieat stone monuments, of a small size^ which are •uppo'sed to marlc the gra7es of two of the re^ gicide judges, Whalley and Dixwell, although there is some doubt on the subject. (See Stiles' Judges.) The Farmington Canal, commencing near the head o-f the wharf in this city, is crossed by the traveller in going up frotn the steamboat, near the market. The basin i.s- large and commodious; and the canal, passing through s part of the city, and bending round along the outskirts,. on the north side, intersects several streets, by which i? is crossed on handsome bridges. With a gradual ascent^ the canal passes somewhat circuitously up the valley which opens towards Mount Carmel, between East and West Rocks ; and one of the stage roads to Hartford, which passes through Cheshire and Farmington, affords many Tiews of it in different places. There are pleasant rides in various' directions frons 13* 144 mew-havew. New-Haven^ the roads being numerous, and the face of the country favourable. The two mountains command extensive views, and though the access is rather fatiguing, the excursion is recommended to those who are fond of Buch enterprises. The .luDCEs' Cave is on the summit of West Rock^ about a mile north of the bluff j and the way to it leads near Beaver Pond and Pine Rock, (on the south side of which is a small cave,) then between Pine and West Rocks. You here turn of!" the road to the left, by a path across a brook; and a guide may usually be obtained at a small house just beyond, who can show a horse path to the summit. The cave is formed by the crevices between seven large rocks, apparently thrown together by some convulsion. It is small, and entirely above ground, with a rude rock, like a column ^ on each hand. That on the right contains this inscription'^^ " Opposition to Tyrants is obedience to God,'* tto remind the visiter that the place once afforded shelter to Goffe and Whalleyi two of the judges of King Charles the First, who escaped to the colonies and secreted them* tselves for some time in this solitary place. They were supplied with food by a family which resided near the foot of the rriOuntain> and a little boy was despatched foi? them every day, who left a basket of provisions on a rock, without knowing what cause he was subserving. The place commands an extensive view upon the coun- try below, with a large tract of Long Island, and the Sound. The Manufactory of Moskets is 2 miles north of New-Ha"en, on the road to Hartford by Meriden, and at the foot o( East Rock. It was established by Mr. Whit* ney, the well-known inventor of the Cotton Jin. The New-Haven and Hartford Railroad^ 40 miles long, begins at the steamboat wharf, avoids the city, crosses Quinnepiack river, and passes through the town* ships of North Hav Wallingford, Meriden, Berlin and "Wethersfield. X>. SJltvoo/i JcMYT tOUR OF NEW-ESGLANB. 145 ft pursues the general course of " the old colonial ¥oad," the route taken in early time? between New-Ha- Ven and Hartford, which were independent colonies. It was originally an Indian trail. It unfortunately avoids most of the villages in its neighbourhood, so that the tra- veller who wishes to see them should take some other Toad, through either Middletown or Farmington. (For those places see Index.) Beyond New-Haven in Long Island Sound lies a clus- ter of islands called the Thimbles, famous in the tradi- tions of the neighbouring Connecticut coast, as the ancient resort of Capt, Kidd, a notabb pirate, whose treasures of solid gold, i^ is still believed by some, are concealed some- where hereabouts. We shall here leave Long Island Sound to proceed up Connecticut River, and only refer the reader to the Index for an account of the coast beyoud, and the following subjects and places : New-London, the Thames, Nor^ wich, the Mohegans, the Pequods, Saccacus's Fort, Stoninglon, Mystic Fort, the Narragansett shore, New- port, Providence, &c. Saybrook, Connecticut. At this place was the first settlement made by Europeans on Connecticut river. It was done at the earnest solicitation of many of the rightful proprietors of the country un its banks, who had been despoiled of their possessions by their formidable enemies, the Pequods. The River Indians, as our old •histories usually denominate the former, twice made ap- plication to the English at Plymouth and at Boston, to obtain settlers from their native soil, offering to give them land enough, and to pay 200 beaver skins annually for the benefit of their society. But the undertaking was ■considered too hazardous, and it was not until the year 1635, when the Dutch at New-York showed a determi- nation to seize upon the country, which they claimed as their own, that a small detachment of men was sent from Boston by water to prepare for opening a trade with the Indians, and to build a fort at the mouth of the river. Their haste was soon justified by events: for immediately after their landing, a Dutch vessel entered, and proceed- ing up to Harijford, landed a bedy of men, who soon esta- 146 CONNECTICUT RIVER. blished themselves in a fort they called Good Hope, on a spot they obtained from Pequod usurpers. The settlement of Saybrook was begun under a grant made to Lord Say and Seal, Lord Brook, and others, by George Fenwick, Esq. who fled to this country with his family- The old fort stood near the present fort hill, upon an eminence which has since been destroyed by the waves; and the ground immediately behind it was after- wards occupied by the fields and habitations of the colo- nists It was expected from the first, that the situation would render the place a great city ; and after the fear of the Indians had subsided, the whole peninsula, which bears the name of Saybrook Point, was laid out with the greatest regularity into fields of an equal size, except sueh parts as were reserved for the erection of public buildings^ Many emigrants were once collected in England, and prepared for a voyage to this place. Some persons of high rank and importance were among them, and it is a well-authenticated fact, that Oliver Cromwell had deter- mined to embark in the enterprise, and was once on the very eve of quitting Englan. The Charter OaJc. In the lower part of the town, m the street which runs east from the south church, is the ancient and respectable seat of the Wyllis family, who were among the early settlers of Hartford, and have made a conspicuous figure in the history of the state, as well as of the town, by supplying the Secretary's office for a long course of time. This place is now owned by Mr. Bulkley, and has undergone considerable changes. The principal object of curiosity here is, however, the fine old oak, which stands on the street in front. It is said to have been a forest tree before the land was cleared', yet it appears as firm and vigorous as ever. In a hole in its trunk was hidden the charter of the colony, when Sir Edmund Andross sent to demand it in 1687 ; and there it remained for some 3'ears. This interesting document is still preserved in the office of the Secretary of the state. The Asylum for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb is about a mile west of the town, on Tower Hill. It was the eai-liest institution of the kind in America. The principal building is large, ornamented with pila.s- ters,^ and surrounded by a garden and pleasant grounds. The house of the superintendent is nearby, and the whole enjoys a fine situation with a commanding prospect and a healthy neighbourhood. The number of scholars is about ISO'. Some of them are supported by a fund belonging to the institution, and others by the states of Massachusetts, New-Hampshire, (fee. Similar institutions exist in New-York, Philadelphia, and Kentucky. The Retreat for the Insane is a little south of the city, and makes a handsome appearance, being a stone building 150 feet long and 50 wide, the wings having three stories, and the main building four. It is capable of containing about fifty patients, and is warmed by fiues» The grounds connected with the institution include about seventeen acres. Washington College is situated west of the main street, in the south part of the town. It is an Episcopal insti" tution, and has two stone buildings, one for the students, 150 feet long, four stories high, with accommodations for 96 pupils ; and a chapel, which has also rooms for recila- KOUTE UF CONNECTICUt RIVER. 151 tion, tlie library, &c. Fourteen acres of land belong to the institution, part of which are devoted to the garden with its greenhouse. There is a fine stone bridge across Little River, and a wooden one over the Connecticut. See also the Statehouse, and Young Men's Institute. [^Montevideo, the seat of Daniel Wadsworth, Esq. en- joys a charming situation on a mountain nine miles west- ward.] Remarks to the Traveller at Hartford^ A railroad leads to New-Haven, and steamboats to Springfield and onward. Stagecoaches run on each side of Connecticut river ; northeast, to Boston ; east, to Providence ; south, to New-Haven and New-York, (besides the steamboats to the latter place;) west, to Litchfield and Poughkeep- sie; and northwest, to Albany. The traveller in New-England is advised to take the route up Connecticut River, which is the most fei-tile, wealthy, and beautiful tract of the country ; and to return by the way of Boston and Providence. This is the route we propose to pursue ; but the traveller can vary from it as he pleases. He will find such information as this little volume is able to afford him by referring to the index. The fertility of the meadows in the Connecticut Val- ley is almost proverbial ; and after v/hat the stranger has seen of its banks at Middletown and Hartford, he will learn with gratification that neither the soil nor the beauty of the cultivation degenerates for several hundred miles northward. The whole country is thickly populated : neat and beautiful villages are met with at intervals of a few miles ; and the general intelligence derived from uni- versal education gives an elevated aspect to society. The accommodations for travellers are generally very comfort- able, and sometimes uncommonly good and elegant ; the scenery is ever new and varying ; many places have traits of interest in their history ; and the communication is easy, from many points of the route, with the principal places on the east and west. Besides all this, the roads are peculiarly fine, for they generally run along the river's bank, which is almost without exception level and pleasant, and formed of a soil well fitted to the purpose. The western side of the river is generally to be prefer- red ; but as there are good roads on both sides, and some 14 152 ROUTE UP CONNECTICUT RITEa, villages and other objects worthy of equal notice on ths? eastern shore, and good ferries or bridges are to be meS with every few miles, it will be agreeable occasionally to cross and re-cross. Those who travel along the course of the Connecticut twice, would do well to go up on one side and return on the other. This is the most direct route to the White Hills or White Mountains of New^ Hampshire. Those who go to Boston will take the Worcester railroad at Springfield. Worcester is one of the finest villages in New-En- gland. The country around it is rich and variegated, and the dwellings have an air of elegance which does great credit to the taste as well as the wealth of its inhabitants. Brick is extensively used in building. The court house^ bank, &c. stand on the principal street; and east of it the county house and the building of the American Histerieal Society,- This is an institution formed for the truly important purpose of preserving every thing relating to the history, traditions, &c. of the country. The State Lunatic Asylum, conducted on the humane system of moral treatment, is highly successful. Number of inmates in the year 1840, 391, of whom 162- were admitted, 155 discharged, 82 recovered, 29 im- proved, 29 harmless, and 15 died. The railroad leads east to Boston, and west to Spring- fiald, meeting that to Norwich. The Blackstone Canal leads to Providence. VVatchusett Hills, 16 miles W. N. W. of Worcester, and 52 W. by N. of Boston, are estimated at nearly 3000 feet above the sea, and ascended by an easy path. The spectator looks down on a suiTounding scene of wooded mountains, below which are ponds and farms, and a view over cultivated and inhabited regions. Route up Connecticut River, Leaving Hartford in the steamboat for Springfield^ [East Hartford, opposite Hartford, has a sandy soil, but the street as well as that of East Windsor, next north of it, is shaded with rows of fine elms. The road crosses Podunk Brook by a small bridge, about four miles from Hartford, on the north bank of which, on the left hand;, was once the fort of the powerful tribe of Podunk Indians^ who had their settlements on this winding stream, anci SOUTE UP CONNECTICUT RIVER. 153 come of their broken implements are occasionally found in she soil.] Windsor was settled as early as 1635. A few months after the building of the fort, (probably a blockhouse,) the Dutch garrison at Hartford made a secret march against it, expecting to take it by surprise ; but on arriving at the place they found reason to give up their enterprise, and returned without firing a gun. East Windsor, on the opposite side of Connecticut river, has a commanding situation, and is the site of a Presbyterian Theological Seminary. The seat of the late Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth stands in Windsor, on the east side of the street, nine miles above Hartford. It is distinguished by columns, and surrounded by trees. He was born in a house opposite. Enfield. A Canal of 6 miles passes the falls. SuFFiELD is a very pleasant town about a mile west of the river, and has a good inn, and a mineral spring in its vicinity, which has been the resort of considerable com- pany. The village street runs along the ridge of a long and beautiful hill, with neat houses and white fences on both sides, and the home lots sloping east and west to- wards the low ground. Some of the houses are lai'ge and elegant. Svffieid Springs. About a mile southwest of the street is a mineral spring of slightly sulphureous qualities. Springfield is a flourishing town, standing at the foot of a high hill, the side of which is ornamented with fine buildings, the residences of some of the wealthier inhabit- ants, and the top occupied by the United States Armory. This establishment occupies a large space of ground, and commands a fine view. The buildings containing the work- shops for manufacturing small arms, the arsenal, barracks, &c. are surrounded by a high wall. The number of work- men required, which is about 260, has a favourable effect on the business and prosperity of the place. About 13000 muskets are made here annually, or 60 a day. The manu- factories on Mill River, a little south of the armory, are various and well worthy of observation. The town is ornamented with many fine elms and other trees ; and there are two very handsome churches. It %yag originally considered within the limits of Connecticut 154 FEMALE SEMINARY. colony, but at length incorporated with Massachusetts. A tribe of Indians Hved for some years on Fort Hill ; but being won over to King Philip's party, in 1675, they as- sumed a hostile air, fired upon some of the inhabitants who were going to their fort, and burnt a part of the town. In 1786, during the rebellion of Shays, he attacked the armory, at the head of a strong party of undisciplined men. General Shepard, who had command at the place, attempted to dissuade them from their attempt, and finally drove them off by firing twice. The first shot, over their heads, dis- persed the raw troops, and the second drove off" the re- mainder, who, being about two hundred revolutionary sol- diers, did not desist until they had lost a few of their men. This was the first check the insurrection received, which was put down without much subsequent trouble. Wilbraham, 7 or 8 miles west from Springfield, con- tains a Wesleyan Academy. West Springfield has a fine street, shaded with large elms and containing some handsome houses. It is 26 miles from Hartford, and about 17 miles from Northamp- ton. There is a fine view from the road on the brow of a hill a little north of the town, near a church, which overlooks the river and an extent of country on each side, with Mounts Tom and Holyoke in front. South Habley Falls. The village and locks are on the east side of the river. The whole fall of the river at South Hadley is 52 feet, but at the lower falls only ^2. There is a canal 2^ miles long on the east side of the river, cut through a slate rock for a considerable distance, and in some places very deep. The dam is 8 feet high. There are five locks near the tavern, and one above. There is a ferry here, which is safe, but the water runs very swiftly. South Hadley. The Mount Holyoke Female Semi- nary, gives a practical domestic education with intellec- tual instruction. For several miles before reaching Mount Tom, the road runs along the bank of the river. The river makes an abrupt turn some miles above, I'unning between Mount Tom on the south and Mount Holyoke on the north ; and when the scene opens again, it discloses a charming and ROUTE UP CONNECTICUT RIVEH. 155 extensive plain, formed of the meadows on the river's bank, and evidently once the site of a large lake, when th6 "water was restrained by the barrier between the mountains. This plain is one of the richest, and by far the most exten- sive and beautiful on the river. Northampton is situated at the western s'de of the plain, a mile from the river, and is a favourite place of re- sort for travellers ; as it is one of the most beautiful of the New-England villages, and is surrounded by a charming country, and lies near to Mount Holyoke, which com- mands a view of the whole. The streets are irregular, hut some of them shady and delightful in summer, being also ornamented with many neat houses. It is a place of considerable business 5 and the soil makes valuable farms. Round, Hill is a beautiful eminence just west of the town. On the eastern declivity of the hill stands the house of the Stoddard family, an ancestor of which vvas a man of great talents and influence in this part of the country. In King-street, towards the northeast fiom that spot, stood the house in which President Edwards, Sen. lived, Presi- dent Edwards, Jiin. and Dr. Dwight were born, and David Brainerd died. On the east side of the main street, just south of the brook, is the house of the late Governor Strong. The Lead Mine. In Southampton, at the distance of S miles from this place, is a lead mine. Mount Holyoke.— The height is said to be 800 feet ; and there is a good cai-riage road the greater part of the way up. ^ View fi-om the top : Southeast. The country is undulating, and the soil generally poor ; yet several villages are discovered at a distance, particularly South Hadley, which lies immediate- ly below. Southwardly is seen Connecticut river, retiring under the shade of Mount Tom, whitened below by the South Hadley Falls ; beyond which is the hill at Spring- field. The river makes several turns, and on the horizon are two very distant peaks, which are supposed to be East and West Rocks at New-Haven, about 70 miles distant. Northeast is seen Monadnoc Mountain, in New-Hamp- shire, 14* 156 riEW ]?uoM Mount HOttoKE, North, you lookup the charming valley of the Connect!* cut ; bordered by distant ranges of hills and mountains, ■varied by a few isolated peaks, covered with the richest coat of vegetation, and scattered with villages and innu» merable farm houses^ The river makes a beautiful serpen- tine course ; from where it first appears at the foot of Su- gar Loaf Mountain, and Mount Toby, until it reaches the village of Hadiey, which lies in full view; and then taking a bold sweep to the west, and flowing 4^ miles, it returns to the end of that village, only a mile distant from where it first meets it. The whole peninsula is rich and fertile, and covered with cultivated fields of wheat, corn, grass, &c. without being disfigured by fences, according to the custom prevalent hereabouts 5 and is the richest sight upon the river, particularly when viewed in connexion with the scene immediately belov/, v/here the river flows on, almost under our feet, and the western shore presents the exten- sive Northampton Meadows, a mile wide. Following the current with the eye, in the West-souih-west, it forms a still more remarkable penin- sula, although one of inferior size : the Hockanum Bend^ being a turn measuring 3g miles in circuit, while the isth- mus was only 46 rods across, or 150 yards. This has been cut through by a flood. In the compass of this view, from the north to the west and south, numerous village spires are seen, with level fields, orchards, and gardens, almost ■without number ; and the -whole scene is bounded with mountainous ridges. Northampton is seen about west northwest, with Round Hill; and tov/ards the right, the top of Saddle Mountain, in the distance. There are also others still further north, particularly Haystack and Bare Mountain. More than 30 church steeples may be counted here by taking advantage of different kinds of weather. In point of history, that part of the Connecticut Valley immediately under the eye, belongs to the third division of settlements, calling Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay the first ; Windsor, Hartford, Wethersfield, &c. the se-* cond. Northampton, Hadlcy, and Hatfield, were settled in 1653, and remained the frontier posts in this direction till after Philip's war, during which they suffered severely from constant alarms, and the loss of mbabit.SBts, ThS' KOTJtB UP CONNECTICUT RITEE, 157 Indians who had sold the lands on which the towns were built, had each a spot assigned them within a short dis- tance of the palisades with which the new settlements were surrounded, and lived in peace and good faith until excited by Philip ; after which all the towns were at dif- ferent times attacked by them, and some of them repeat-' edly. During the French wars, on May 13th, 1704, the Indians fell upon a little settlement at the foot of Mount Tom, and killed 30 persons, more than half of whom were children ; and a tradition states, though without de- signating the precise time, that a captive woman was once brought to the top of the mountain where we stand, and scalped. Hadley was attacked by the Indians while the inhabit- ants were at church, and was near falling into their hands, when a stranger, a venerable old man, made his appearance, and by his active resistance, encouraged them to repel the enemy. It was not known at the tim,e who he was, or whither he went ; but there is now little doubt that he was Goffe, one of King Charles's judges, wha was secreted for a length of time in this town, and of whom we have already had occasion to speak at New- Haven. The remains of his coffin, it is believed, were discovered a few years since, in the cellar wall of a house near the present academy, which was formerly inhabited by one of his friends. Hatfield, one mile further^ on the west side of the river, is much devoted to the wintering of cattle raised on the neighbouring hilly country. The grass is very fine, and the barns are large ; which, with the appear- ance of the houses, give the place an air of substantial agricultural wealth. The cattle are bought, stabled, and fatted. Amherst is situated on elevated ground, 5 miles from Hadley ; and off the river towards the northeast. Amherst College ranks among the most respectable in New-England. The situation occupied by the build- ings is pleasant, commanding a rich, extensive and varied view, partly over the meadows of Connecticut River, with mountains particularly mentioned a few pages back, seen in different directions. The retired situation is- highly favourable to study and good oarder, as its elevatiofl and pure air are conducive to health. The number of students in 1840 was about 250. The president, Dr. Humphries, is also professor of nnental and moral Philo'* sophy and Divinity. There are six other professors, and a teacher of French and Spanieh, a teacher of mathema' tics, and a tutor of Latin and Greek. The Sa©AR Loaf is an isolated hill of a conical form^ rising in front as we proceed. Deerfield lies north of it about 3 miles ; and the way by which we approach it, lies nearly along the old road which led thither through the wilderness, in 1675, when it was deserted by the settlers; and Capt. Lothrop was despatched, with a body of 80 soldiers and wagoners, to bring off the grain. At the foot of this mountain is the small village of Bloody Brook, and near the spot where a bridge crosses the stream, Capt, Lothrop was ambushed by about 800 Indians. The place was then a marshy piece of ground ; and some traces of the road, which was formed of log&, are still to be seen, running through the fields without crossing at the bridge. The convoy halted at this place; and the soldiers were generally engaged in gathering grapes from the vines which ran on the trees, having left their muskets on the ground^ when the Indians fired upon them. Capt. Lo* throp gave orders that the men should disperse, and fire from behind the trees; but they were all cut off except 8 or 10. This massacre was one of the most calamitous which ever occurred in New England, taken into view with the small number of inhabitants at the time : as the company consisted of young- men, from the principal fa- Eiiilies in the eastern towns. That part of the meadow we pass through in approach" ing Deerfield was the scene of several skirmishes with the Indians at different times, as the place v.'qs a fron- tier for many years, although it was twice burned and de- s-srted. Deerfield. In 1704, which was the period of its last destruction, a large body of Indians, led on by a few Frenchmen from Canada, came upon the town before daylight. It was winter, and the snow crust was strong enough to bear them ; they had secreted themselves on a ROUTE UP CONNECTICUT KIVER^ 159 hill northwest from Deerfield, and sent in a scout. The houses were all entered but one, the inhabitants made captives, and all, except a few, taken off to Canada. One of the houses is standing at this day, a little north of the church. A house next this was valiantly defended by seven men; and the dwelling of Mr. Williams, the minister, was taken, and he and his family carried to Canada. Most of the people were ransomed ; but a daughter of Mr. W. became attached to the savage life, married a chief, and left children. Mr. Williams, missionary to the Indians at Green Bay, was one of her descendants- Some marks of the old picquet may be traced in the rear of the house, which is supposed to present the same appearance as in old time, excepting that the kitchen, &c. have since been built, and the front and rear have been covered. There is an academy in this town. East from this place are several spurs projecting from the hill, on one of which was formei-ly a fort, for the pro- tection of the Deerfield Indians against the Mohawks. Greenfield, 3 miles. Here the stagecoach passes on a road from Boston to Albany. The country west is highly picturesque. [Turner's Falls are on Connecticut river, two or three miles east from Greenfield. Philip, having been driven from the seacoast and the neighbourhood of the English settlements, in 1676, by the active operations of Capt. Church, Capt. Moseley, Capt. Wheeler, &c. retired with some of his followers to the Northfield Indians, who held a position on a sandy hill, on the north bank of the river. Here he was attacked in the night by Capt. Tur- ner. The Indians had held a feast that night, as some of their captives afterwards reported, and were generally asleep, so that the attack of the white men gave them a panic, and they fled to their boats, which they launched in such haste, that many forgot their paddles, and were car- ried over the falls. The rest, however, rallied befoi-e their enemies were out of their reach, and being joined by some from the island below the falls, pursued and harassed them about ten miles, to Deerfield. Bones are occasionally dug up near the spot, and a few years ago the remains of 160 bellows' falls. an old musket, a few silver coins, &c. were discovered among the rocks. This was the last and most severe blow Philip received before he returned to his native country in Rhode Island, where he soon after terminated his dangerous life, and the war, which brought so many calamities upon New-England. The Canal. A dam of great height is built at the falls, to supply a canal, which extends two or three miles for boats and rafts. Some mills are also established on the river's bank. The fall is divided by two rude rocks, be- tween which the water rushes in separate cataracts ; and the scenei-y below is wild, and not a little imposing. There is, however, no inn nearer than Greenfield. Vernon. Within the limits of this township, which is the first in Vermont, was once Fort Dummer, one of a chain of forts, built for the protection of the country against the Canadian Indians. The place for some years was known on the river, by the name of Number One, be- ing the first of four townships. Passing through a pretty village, with several mills, after a few miles, we approach Battleborough, south of which, east of the road, is a quarry, which furnishes a large quantity of slate ; where may be seen the mode of quarrying, splitting, shaping, and packing it for transpor- tation. Brattleborough is a very pleasant village, situated on an elevated plain above the river, which, since the draining of the old lake in this place, has made two or three suc- cessive arches north of the town, as it has gradually low- ered its channel to the present level. At the bridge, over a small stream, are several manufactories; and in the village is a large and comfortable stage house, whence coaches go to Boston, as well as west, north, and south. Westminster. This is on a fine, extensive level ; and on the high land, on the opposite side of the river, is Walpole. Connecticut River being the dividing line between the two adjacent states, Walpole is in New- Hampshire. The situation is very commanding, and the summit of the hill, above the village, aifords a view of un- usual extent and beauty. Bellows' Falls. The height of this fall is incon- ROUTE UP CaNNECTICUT RIVER. 161 eiderable, but it is on the whole a striking object; sur^ rounded by rocky banks, and having an abrupt mountain on the eastern side. The place has also been much orna- mented by art : for, besides the village, with its neat white houses and handsome chui'ch, a canal has been dug round the falls, a bridge thrown over them, and the rugged side of the mountain decorated with a handsome country seat. The rocks are of the most firm and solid gray granite, but are much cut by the force of the current. In some places holes have been bored into them perpendicularly, two or three feet in diameter, and twelve or even eighteen feet deep. This is done by the motion given to loose stones by the eddies of the stream, and the gradual en- largement of the bore sometimes breaks off great masses of the rock. These falls were once the favourite resorE of Indians during the fishing season. On the rock just below the bridge, are some remains of their rude attempts at sculpture, which represent the form of human faces ; and from one on the end of the stone, which appears to have suffered less from the attrition of the floods it would seem as if they might once have been more finished spe- cimens of sculpture than they now appear, as that pre- sents considerable prominency and beauty of execution. Charlestown. This is one of the prettiest little vil- lages in New-England : having a wide street, partly shaded with trees, and lined with neat houses. This was called township No. 4. The fort, built for the defence of the place in 1743, stood on the gently rising ground a little south of the church, where the street runs. It was most gallantly defended by Capt. Stevens, in 1747, against a large number of French and Indians : al- though repeatedly called upon to surrender, the garrison persisted in the defence, digging into the ground to shelter themselves from the enemy's fire, and, after several days, succeeded in driving them away. Captain S. received a sword for his bravery. Jarvis^s Farm at Wethersfield Bow, on the west side of the river, is very extensive, and contains a number of large buildings for dwellings, barns, stables, &c. princi- pally of brick. The road beyond affords some romantic scenes. The hills approach the river very nearly, and several views i^b2 aOYALTONi are caught between them, of the mountain behind Wind" sor, which is about 2,000 feet in height, and divided into chree peaks, whence, it is said, it derived the name of Ascutney, which, in the Indian language, means Three Brothers. Windsor is a fine and flourishing town, in a very pic- turesque situation, particularly when viewed from the opposite side of the river ; and contains a good stagehouse, a number of stores, some elegant houses, two or three handsome churches, and the State Prison. Mount Ascutney. A great part of the way up this mountain a road has been cut, and the traveller will be richly rewarded for the labour of the ascent. The Gulf Road. Those who are going westward from this part of the river, are counselled to take the Gulf Road to Burlington, on Lake Champlain, to which a stagecoach runs. Although the route is through the chain of the Green Mountains, the way is remarkably smooth and eas}'', following- the courses of the White and Onion Rivers, v/hich have cut deep channels through the rocks. You have, however, first to go sixteen miles along the western bank of the Connecticut to White River. Here great quantities of lumber are brought down, sawed on the stream, and sent by the Con- Jiecticut in rafts to the country below. Dartmouth Col- lege, at Hanover, is five miles north, and those who are going to the White Mountains, will of course pursue that kroute ; (see p. 164 ;) but the following deviation is made for those who are going to Lake Champlain. The road up the White River lies along the north bank, and passes through several beautiful and flourish- ing villages. This was one of the courses formerly chosen by the Indians of the north in their commerce with those on the borders of that river, before the arrival of Euro- peans ; and, with the exception of a short portage, between the White and Onion Rivers, they brought their furs from Canada, by water. During the Indian and French wars, this route was frequently used for more hostile purposes ; and captives were taken from these settlements so late as the revolutionary war. The scenex'y is interesting and various all along the route. Ro WALTON, a pretty village. This place was burnt, ilotJtB UP CONNECTICUT RIYER. 163 Oct. 16th, 1781, by 300 men, principally Indians, who came down from Canada. They killed two men and took Eiway six prisoners to Montreal. Randolph is considered one of the most beautiful towns in Vermont, and a stagecoach likewise passes that way. Gulf. The entrance of this remarkable passage from the east, is under the brow of an abrupt mountain, where a branch of White River flows along by the road in a gentle current. The Gulf road extends six miles, and the ground is so level that it has been proposed to make it the course of a canal. On the height of land is a pond, from which flows a stream into the valley. Part of it joins the White River, and part the Onion River. MontpelieR is the capital of Vermont, and a very pretty town. It contains the State House, a Court House, a.n Academy, and other public buildings * From Montpelier to Burlington, the road pursues the course of Onion River nearly the whole distance, and aifords a succession of hilly and mountainous scenery, such as is characteristic of the state. On the road from Montpelier are two remarkable Vvaterfalls, in the Onion River. They are so near the * History or the STATE.-^The first discovery of Vermont, was made jn 1609, by Samuel Champlain, who, after establishiDg a colony at Quebec, proceeding up the rivers St. Lawrence and Sorel, explored and gave his own name to the lake which washes the western part of the state. In 1724, the government of Massa- chusetts erected Fort Dummer, in the town of Brattleborough, on Connecticut river. The first settlement in the western part of the state was commenced by the French in 1731, in the town of Addi- son, and at the same time they erected a fort at Crown Point. The government of New-Hampshire began to make grants of townships within the present limits of Vermont in 1749, at which time the settlement of Bennington was commenced, and at the same time a violent controversy ensued between the NeVk'-Hamp- shire grants, and the province of New-York. The first conven- tion of the state mot at Dorset, in 1776, and the first constitution was adopted by a convention assembled at Windsor in July, 1777, but the orsranization of the government did not take place until March, 1778. The difiieultiesbetween Vermont and New-York were amicably settled in 1 790, and the next year she was admitted into the con- federacy of the states. 15 164 DAUTMOUTH COLLEfiK. road that they will be heard in passing-, and seen by tak ing a few steps. Burlington is a large and beautiful town, and en- joys one of the finest situations on Lake Champlain. The ridge of the hill, on the declivity of which it is built/ commands an extensive view upon the lake, with the numerous mountains which border its western shores, and a large expanse of water on the right and left. Im-- mediately below is the bay, bounded by high land: and the elegant dwellings and beautiful gardens of the more wealthy inhabitants) ornament the foreground. The Steamboats stop here on their way to Whitehall and St. John's (the route to Montreal;) and the traveller is referred to pages 107 and 103, 99, and 137 for the objects on the lake in those directions. [^Returning to the Con- necticut river. 1 Hanover. This village, 21 miles above Windsor, is remarkable as the seat of Dartmouth College, an institu* tion which holds a very respectable rank for learning and influence, the number of its pupils, and the ability of its officers. It was founded for the education of Indians, and was named after William, Earl of Dartmouth. It posses- ses a large tract of land, which was long unproductive ; and the college building, which is large and inhabited by the students, has a fine aspect. Several of the houses about the gi-een are very neat, and the ground being elevat- ed, the place is very pleasant. • The Medical Institution is a brick building, a little north from the squai-e. The road between Hanover and Haverhill, 18 miles, presents few objt'cts of much interest; the country not being thickly populated, and no villages intervening, ex- cept one, which has several very neat houses. The Strafford Copperas Works are nine miles north of Norwich. One of the buildings is 267 feet long. The ore is pyrites, taken from a stratum in a hill, overlaid by a crust of a ferruginous earth containing petrified leaves, &c. The ore is broken and thrown into heaps, for about two months, when it gradually undergoes a chemical change, emitting a spontaneous fire and fumes of sulphur. It is then leached in tubs, and the water, after boiling, yields crystals of copperas, of a rhombic form and a beau- HOUTE UP CONNECTICUT RIVER. 165 dftil green colour. The manufactories produce about 10,000 tons annually. Havekhill. There are three villages in this town, but the northern one is where the Boston road comes in, and where there are two good inns. The situation is elevated and overlooks the meadows for some distance. The distant scenery is here very fine, as Moosehillock Mountain and several others are in plain view, and serve as an intro- duction to the White Mountains, which we are ap- proaching. On the opposite side of the river is Piermont, where is a Sulphur Spring of some local celebrity, with a building for baths. The Great Ox-bow is a meadow containing about 500 acres, lying in the town of Piermont on the western bank, and in the form of a crescent. The soil is fine and valu- able ; but from the comparatively small extent of the meadow, it cannot be compared with that of Hadley. From Bath to the White Mountains, there are two roads, one of which turns off through Lisbon, Bethlehem, Breton Woods, Nash and Sawyer's Patent, and Shad- bourn and Hart's Patent. [See Index.'] Such is the wildness of the country, that we can do little more than enumerate the places. The road is new, in many places rocky, and in others rough, on account of the logs which have been laid down to support it, and the remains of the stumps of trees. But it is more di- rect and much less mountainous, than that which passes through Lancaster. It does not however afford that fine view of the Connecticut Valley, nor of the ranges of mountains which there surround it, like a magnificent amphitheatre. Franconia. This is a secluded village among the mountains, where ii'on is manufactured to a considerable extent. It is at the foot of Haystack Mountain, which is about half way between Mount Washington and Moose- hillock — 20 miles from each. The Haystack may be ascended by any traveller dis- posed for arduous enterprises of this description : but it is not recommended in preference to the ascent of Mount Washington, which is rather less difficult. A foot path tarns off from the road about 6 miles from Franconia, 166 NEW-LONDON. which conducts to the summit, 3 miles. The first twa miles are through thick hemlocks, hacmetac, spruce, &c. then I mile stunted trees, and the rest bare rocks. Near the spot where the path begins is a remarkable Ltisus Natures, formed by a rock on the side of a mountain, which bears a resemblance to the human face in profile. The forest shrubbery extends to the margin of the bare rocks much in the proportion of the bust of a man. It is called the " Old Man of the Mountain.'''' The preci- pice is 600 or 1000 feet high, and rises from the side of a pond, which is a source of the Pemigewasset river. The neighbouring region is so mountainous, that more than fifty peaks, it is said, may be counted from the top of the Haystack. Indeed the view fi'om that eminence embraces nothing but mountains, with here and there a cleared spot on the Plymouth road, and numerous marks of slides or avalanches made by the inundation in 1826. Lancaster is a very pleasant town, and the last on the river which merits that name. The surrounding moun- tains form a noble scene, supei'ior to every other of this nature along its course. The Canada line is only 40 miles north, and lies along the Pomicotiunt. The following are the towns : North- umberland, Stratford, Columbia, Colebrook, and, the last stage, Stewartstown. [Having now completed the route up Connecticut River, we return to Long Island Sound. For other routes and places, see Index.] NEW-LONDON, CONNECTICUT. Entering New-London Harbour, (in a New-York steam- boat,) on the left is the Light House. Fort Trumbull occupies a point beyond, and is garri- soned by the United States. It was taken in the revolu- tionary war, as well as the town, and Fort Griswold, which stands on the high hill opposite. Looking up the River Thames, the prospect is handsome, the banks be- ing high and cultivated, and backed by Horton's Hill several miles distant, in the Mohegan country. Steamboats touch here daily for New-York and Nor« wich. At Norwich you take the railroad. See p. 169. ROUTi: i^ROM NEW-tOftK TO BOStOJ?. 167 r The Harbour of New-London is one of the most acf" *iessible, safe and commodious in the United States, lying; hear the Ocean and the Sound, almost surrounded by high land, and having- water enough for ships of war quite up "to the wharves, with a fine sandy bottom near the shores. New-London is the third town in Connecticut for the number of inhabitants. It is situated irregularly, princi" pally at the foot of a hill facing the east, and wears an appearance of decline ; but some of the houses are hand* some, and thel-e ard several fine situations near the top of the hill. There is a road hence to Providence, and another froni Norwich, (13 miles up the Thames,) both equally unin* teresling, and nearly of equal length. The riverj how- ever, affords sortie very pretty scenes, and Norwich is a neat and interesting town. Fort Griswold, opposite New-London, was garrisoned, by a few continental troops in the year 1781, in the revo- lution, when Benedict Arnold, after his treacherous deser* tion of the American cause, appeared off the harbour with a British force on the Gth of September; and landing 800 men on each point of the harbour, marched up and took Fort Trumbull, and burnt the town. Col. Eyre, who com- manded the troops on the eastern shore, proceeded to- wards Fort Griswold, and sending in a flag of truce, de- manded a surrender. But before this time. Col. Ledyard had enfefed the fort, and garrisoned it with 120 men, chiefly militia volun- teers from the neighboui'hooa. The British troops had advanced under cover of a wood, and invested the fort \ but the Americans defended therhselves for some time, beating off their enemies once, and finally surrendered^ •when resistance would have been entirely useless. The enemy had lost 41 officers and men, who were butied near* the spot; with Col. Eyre, the commander, wounded^ and Major Montgomery killed. After the surrender, how* ever, a massacre of the prisoners took place, '»vhich cas-t the deepest disgrace on the expedition : 70 officers and men being the victims, most of v^hom were heads of fami- lies. Many of the wounded were also treated in a most barbarous manner, being placed in a cart, and rolled down the hill just south of the present road to the fort. The 15* 168 STONINGTOK. event has been commemorated by building by subscription a, monument on the spot* Fort Hill is a commanding eminence, about 4 miles east from N. London, and derives its name from aPequod fort, which formerly occupied its summit. The road crosses it near the southern limit of the fort, and a small church stands a quarter of a mile above, within the exten^^ sive space once enclosed by that palisaded w^ork. It was the great fortress of the terrible Pequod nation, which makes a very conspicuous figure in the early history of the eastern colonies. They had fought their way from the interior, and seated themselves in the present limits of Groton, where the few poor remains of their descendants still are found. On the arrival of the English, they had extended their conquests a considerable distance up Con«i necticut river, and the eastern and western Nehantics on the coast were subject to them. In consequence of the mui'defs they had committed, and the attack with which they threatened the infant set* tlements at Hartford, Windsor, and Welhersfield, the inhabitants form.ed an expedition in the spring of 1637, led by Capt. Mason, attacked their other fort on the Mystic, burnt it, and killed about 600 persons : after which the nation fled from their country ; and having suf- fered another terrible slaughter in the swamp at Fairfield, (see that place,) were reduced to slavery, and ceased from that time to be an object of terror. This hill commands an extensive and delightful vieWf being almost entirely clear of obstructions, and being supe* tior in height to the neighbouring hills. A considerable extent of Long Island and the Sound are overlooked from the summit, with various islands, bays, and points on the Connecticut coast. At the time of the burning of Mystic Fort, it was occupied by the chief Sachem, Sassacus, who hastened to the relief of his subjects, but arrived too late to render them any assistance. On his return here, he burnt the weekwams and palisadoes, and immediately fled for refuge to the Mohawks, by whom he was beheaded. Mystic, 71 miles. Stonington. Steamboats go daily to New-York. The Providence and Stonington Railroad, 47 miles, leaves the shore of JiOng Island Sound at the steamboat wharf in ROtJTi: f&O^l NEW-toRfc to EOgtON. IBS Stonington, passes through the town, crosses Paucatud River into Rhode Island, up Charles River Valley to Sher-- man's Fond in South Kingstouj north to East Greenwich^ and across a steam ferry to Providence, to meet the Bos- ton and Providence Railroad* Finished in 1S37 for two Jnillionsj summit 302 feet, maximum grade 33 feet, l4 miles neatly level, minimum radius 1637 feet, in one spot 480. On descending the hill which leads into this village^ Porter's Rock, 30 or 40 feet high, is seen a little off the Joad on the right hand. Undef the shelter of it, it is said^ Capt. Mason encamped with his little army on the night of May 26, 1637, old style, a few hours before his suc= leessful attack on the second Pequod fort, which was on ihe top of a hill about two miles south of this place. HoPKiNToN, 11 miles; West Greenwich, 15; Cen^ TREViLLE, 2 ; Providence, 11. {See Index.) THE RIVER THAMES. Steamboat Route from New-London to Norwich, A little above New-London, there is a singular rock, an the east side, where the explorers of the river are said to have landed, and to have been attacked by the PequodSi The Mohegan country lies above, on the v/est side, with Horton's Hill, on the top of which Uncas had a fort,- something of which still remains. It is a very command^ ing position, and overlooks the surrounding country. Dur» ing the late war, the government ships Macedonian,' United States, and Hotnet, which were in the river, lay moored here for a length of time, and their guns i were J drawn up by oxen to the top of the hill on the east shore^ above the little cove* Tratiing Cote, 1 mile above Kiah's Cove, is a hand"- isome little bay, making up into the Indian country, and derived its name Irom the barter formerly carried on here between the white men and the Mohegans. Uncas,- the Sachem of Mohegan, was believed to be of Pequod descent, but in a state of successful revolt at the time the English became acquainted with him. His chief resi-" dence was near this eovc.- nov? the centre of the Indian 170 KofeWlCH. Reservation ; but the burying- ground of the royal (athiiy was near Norwich Landing, (which is in sight from ihij place.) He had conquered the country as far north as about the present Massachusetts Jine^ but became an early friend of the whites, and rendered them important ser- vices, particularly in war, as well as his successors, the later Mohcgan chiefs. Before this part of the state was settled, Uncas was once so closely besieged by his eiiemies the Pequods, that he suffered extremely from a scarcity of provisions, and was relieved only by the care of a rHan named Lef- fingwell, who was despatched from Connecticut with a boat loaded with provisions. In gratitude, Uncas gave Jiim a large part of the present town of Norwich for this important service* There is a rock still pointed out on the shore, and called Uncas' Chair, where the Sachem is said to have sat and watched the arrival of his friends. On the south side. Trading Cove is bounded by Cooper's Hill ; beyond is Fort Hill, which derived its name from a little place of strength erected in old times by the Indians, as a protection against other nations small lihe themselves,. The poor remains of this tribe reside on the lands secured to them by the state government, and live in all the igno- rance, idleness, and thriftlessness common to Indians in this part of the country : melancholy testimonies of the degradation to which the most active human minds may sink when every customary impulse to exertion has been stifled, and no new incitement extended. Worcester and Norivich Railroad, 58^ miles. Leaves Norwich Landing, passes up the valley of Quinnebaug road, near Jewett's city, and many manufactories, through Wegtfield, Pomfret, Oxford, fee. to Worcester, where it meets the I'ailroads to Boston and to Springfield. Opened in 1840 ; cost 1 million ; maximum grade 20 feet. Norwich has three villages, of which Chelsea Landing ig the principal, and is remarkable for its singular situation, as well as for its appearance of business, which is much favoured by the numerous manufactories in the neighbour- ing country. The Plain is about a mile north, and a very pleasant place. On the way thither is seen the Cove, at the upper end of v.'hich arc the Falls of Yantic, a stream which pouirs ROUTE FROM NEW-YORK TO BOSTON. 171 over a ledge of granite about 40 feet high, and supplies several manufactories with water. The place is highly picturesque. A rock, 70 or P-O feet in height, overhangs the stream, whence a number of Narragansett Indians once precipitated themselves when pursued by the Mohe- gans. The Burying Ground of the Uncases is on the elevated bank north of the Cove, on the grounds of Judge Goddard, There are stones marking the graves of numerous mem- bers of the royal family of the Mohegans, and a few of them bear English inscriptions. The family is now extinct. Uncas, the old friend of the Pilgrims, is buried here. He and his nation were the only steady allies they ever found among the Indians, steady and powerful enough to render them very essential service. He was a man of extraordinary talent, and withal extremely politic ; but he refused to join the Indians against the English, and died a friend of the white men. This plain was the principal summer residence of the Mohegans. The manufacturing village is under the bank and at the mouth of the Yantic. The position is well selected, and the sum expended in buildings and machinery very great. Sachem's Field. At the distance of 1^ miles from Norwich, IS Sachem's Field, a small elevated plain, on which a battle was fought in the year 1643, between about 900 Narragan setts, (who inhabited Rhode Island,) and 500 'or 600 Mohegans. The Sachem of the former, Miantonimo, intending to chastise Uncas for his adherence to the English, secretly advanced into his country with an army; but Uncas was aware of his approach, and met him on this plain, where both parties halted. Uncas resorted to a stratagem. He stepped forward alone, and challenged Miantonimo to decide the quarrel single-handed. This, as he expected, was refused; and while his enemies were not prepared, he gave a signal by falling down, when his men instantly set up a yell, dis- charged their arrows, and rushed forward. The Narra- gansetts fled, and many of them were killed. Uncas cap- tured Miantonimo himself, but the haughty Indian would not ask for quarter nor speak a word. He was taken to 172 NEWPORT. Hartford, and after a trial, was delivered to Uncas for execution. He was brought back to this place, and while marching across the field, was tomahawked on a spot a little east of the road, where a heap of stones for many years marked the place of his burial. Newport, Rhode Island. This place possesses one of the best harbours in the United States. The entrance is guarded by Fort Adams ; and the scenery about it is agreeable. Fort Adams on Brenton's Point embraces an extent of 130 acres. A range of guns lines the shore towards the west, and the casements, &c. are very strong. Newport extends about a mile along the shore, but pre- sents the aspect of decay, as the commerce has been re- moved to Providence. The situation has many advan- tages ; and this, with the cheapness of rent will probably render it the temporary abode of many strangers during the warm season. The houses of the town are thickly clustered about the margin, but make rather a gloomy appearance on account of the want of repair ; the place having experienced a gradual declension caused by the success of Providence, thirty miles further up. The beach behind the town, like the whole circuit of the city on the land side, was defended by a line of troops, batteries, &c. during the possession of it by the English in the revolutionary war; and the opposite high grounds were occupied by the American army, whose head quar- ters were on Taumony Hill, a mile and a half, or there- abouts, from the town: an elevation which affords an extensive view on every side. Gen. Prescott was taken here during the war, by a bold party of men under Col. Barton, who landed secretly from a boat in the night, went to the British head quarters, and conveyed their captive away before the land or naval forces, then in the harbour, could prevent them. The place was blockaded by the British fleet. During the possession of the place by the enemy, the trees were cut down for fuel ; and although the soil is admirably calculated for the growth of fruit trees, and was, before that period, quite covered with the finest or- chards, it is now so divested of trees of every descrip* ilOtJtE FROM NEW- YORK TO BOSTON. 173 tlon, as to appear remarkably naked and monotonous for an American scene. Thq ferlility of the ground, and the excellence of the crops, however, as well as the neatness and precision with which the fields are cultivated, and regularly di^nded by fine stone walls, present a picture of agricultural beauty rarely paralleled in the United States. The island, fourteen miles long, and not three wide, con- tained in 1827 more than 30,000 sheep. Mount Hope, famous as the ancient royal residence of the Narragansett Indians, and particularly as the abode of King Philip, and the scene of his death, is seen from a few miles beyond Newport, towards the northwest. It rises in Warren, on the shore of an arm of the bay. The view of it is soon afterwards cut off by the intervention of Prudence Island, which is about five miles in length, and presents the same fertile soil and gently swelling surface as that of Rhode Island. The inhabitants are few, as are those of Patience and Hope, islands of a much smaller size. Despair is a cluster of rocks on the left, near the island of Hope, the north end of which is twenty miles from Providence. Rhode Island Coal Mine. An extensive mine of An- thracite, or incombustible coal, was opened a few years since near the end of the island, in Portsmouth, about two miles from Bristol Ferry. It was not extensively used, however, and the work was speedily abandoned. Providence is the second city in New-England, both in population, wealth and beauty. It is beautifully as well as advantageously situated at the head of navigation, on the river of the same name. The Boston and Providence Railroad, 41 m. begins at India Wharf in Providence, near the steamboat landing; and, passing through the town, leads through Foxboro', Walpole, Dedham, Roxbury and other towns. Opened in 1835, cost nearly two millions, curvatures gentle, least radius, 5730 feet; highest grade, 37^ feet; summit in Sharon, 256 feet above tide. There is a viaduct of gra- nite in Canton, 700 feet long, and above sixty feet high, over Neponset Valley. There are many embankments and excavations in rock. Taunton Branch railroad from Mansfield leads southeast to Taunton, 11 kn. and New-Bedford 24 m. more. 1?4 Dedhim. The Milbury Branch leaves the Boston and frovidenc© railroad at Grafton for Milbury, 3 m. Brown University, the greatest institution of learn^ ing- in the state, is built on the summit of a high hill, the ascent to which is not very easy, although it is laid out in streets decorated with some of the finest houses in this part of the country ; dispersed among spacious gardens^ and mingling the delights of the country with the splen- dour of a city. Dr. Wayland is the president. The tov/n was settled by Roger Williams, who left thd old colonies in consequence of a disagreement in religious doctrines. He built his house on the shoie, near the pre* sent Episcopal church. Many of the society of Quakers of Friends afterwards joined him, whose descendants form a large share of the population of the state. The Academy is a large institution, near the College^ established by the Friends or Quakers. [Taunton, 32 miles from Boston, next above Digh^ ton. A great quantity of cotton is manufactured here; and there are extensive works in iron. Blackstone Canal. This canal, which reaches to Worcester, Massachusetts, runs along the course of the Blackstone River for several miles. ^ It is 45 miles long< 18 feet wide at the bottom, and 34 feet at the surface. There are 48 locks, all built of stone, which overcome a rise and fall of 450 feet. The size, of the locks is 82 feet in length, and 10 in breadth ; and the cost of the whole work was about $500,000. The water is chiefly derived from the Blackstone river; but there are large ponds at different parts of the route which can be drawn upon at any time. The whole work was completed about 1828. Pawtucket is one of the largest manufacturing places in this part of the country. The banks of the river are varied and somewhat romantic ; while the fall, which is under the bridge, furnishes a most valuable water power. Cotton is principally manufactured here, though there is machinery devoted to other purposes. Dedham, 10 miles from Boston, is a large and beautiful village, with regular and well built streets, and some quite elegant houses* Boston. 17B Blue Hills. This is a pleasant retreat, about? miles from the city of Boston, and much resorted to in the summer season. On the northern side, the view em-= hraces, in a clear day, the Green Mountains in Vermont,, and the White Mountains in New-Hampshire, with a wide extent of eountry between : Nahant, and in general, all Boston Bay, are seen eastwardly, and near at hand. These hills are seen on the right from the road, a few- miles south of Boston. Quincy Railway. This is the first work of the kind which was constructed in the United States. It is three miles long, and leads from the quarries of granite to na-* vigable water, for the transportation of stone to Boston. The quarries will be found worthy of a visit. RoxBURY. On the Neck which leads to Boston, are seen the remains of the intrenchments thrown up by General Washington, in 1776, to shut the British troops tip in the town ; and a little beyond them is the place where General Gage previously drew his line across, to command the communication between it and the coun- try. The country on both sides retains marks of the American forts, redoubts, &c. and Dorchester Heights on the east are crowned with the works thrown up by Wash-^ ington, which commanded Boston and the anchorage } and forced the enemy to evacuate the place. Embarking here in their fleet, they went around to Long Island, and soon after entered New-York. THE CITY OF BOSTON, Hotels. The Tremont House, Exchange, Marlbo-^ rough Hotel, &c. From Boston railroads run in several directions: to Portsmouth, New-Hampshire, 55| miles, to be extended to Portland, Maine, 58 miles further ; to Lowell 36^ miles, and Nashua, New-Hampshire, 15 miles. A branch ta Andover, 7| miles, from Boston; and Exeter, New-Hamp- shire, 46^ from Boston. To Worcester, 44^ miles, and through Brookfield to Springfield, 54 miles more, while Norwich railroad goes from Worcester, 58 1 miles, meet- ing New^York steamboats. To Providence^ 41 miles, 16 lire THE ATHENJEUM. meeting New- York steamboats, and also the Stonington,; Connecticut railroad, 47 miles, which also meets New- York steamboats. (For particulars of these roads see farther on.) Boston contains an uncommon proportion of fine build- ings, particularly private residences. The finest build- ings are of whitish granite, brought from the shores of the Merrimack River, and Quincy. The Market is of granite, and has a centre building, 74^ feet by 55, with wings, extending in all 536 feet, with a fine facade at each end, with granite columns of single pieces, 21 feet high, and weighing each 14 or 15 tons. A row of granite buildings on each side, 4 stories high, for stores, is more than 500 feet. The Common is a fine piece of ground, of about 50 acres, on the southwestern side of the city, and one of its greatest ornaments. The surface is agreeably varied by a few gentle undulations, and it is decorated with rows of handsome dwelling houses on two sides, while on the third, it is bounded by the bay of Charles River, and affords an extensive view in that direction, embracing a tract of cultivated hilly country. Here are Crescent Pond and the great Elm. The State House is the principal object seen in ap- proaching the city, and stands on a considerable eminence at the north side of the common. It has a large dome on the top, affording the most extensive view of J3oston and the surrounding country which is to be found. Chantrey^s Statue of Washington. In this beautiful specimen of the skill of the greatest British Sculptor, Boston possesses a treasure. It was finished and sent to America in 1827, and a new apartment was constructed for its reception, adjoining the Doric Hall in the State House. The total expense of the statue and building amounted to about $16,000. Faneuil Hall is an old building, which vi^as used for public meetings before the revolution, and where the spirit of liberty was early excited and cherished. The Athenceum, at the south end of Pearl-street, is open daily to strangers introduced by members, and con- tains a valuable library of about 35,000 vols, and about BOsToir. 177 14,000 coins and medals, with the Gallery of Fine Arts in the rear, with a collection of statues, painting's, &c. Medi- cal College in Mason-street; Massachusetts Historical Society's Library in Franklin-street ; New-England Mu- seum in Court-street ; Eye and Ear Infirmaiy ; Massachu- setts General Hospital. At Charlestown are the State Prison, conducted on the improved plan, and the U. S. Navy Yard, with ship houses, dry dock, &c. Also, the Insane Hospital. The hills at Dorchester, Roxbury, Brighton, Cambridge, Charlestown, &c. together with the numerous islands which protect the harbour, form an amphitheatre, very regular and beautiful, when seen from the top of the State House ; and the villages which are seen in every direc- tion, almost entirely line the shore. The mingling of land and water in this scene is very fine ; and it is easy, at a glance, to comprehend the plan of the various measures adopted during the revolutionary war, for the defence and capture of the place. Gen. Gage, in 1775, ran a breastwork across Roxbuiy neck, which is very narrow, in order to command the only land communication with the neighbouring country, and then continued those acts of oppression upon the people, which exasperated the colonies so much against him. Contributions were sent in for their relief from all parts of the colonies. On the 17th of June, 1775, while the forces which had repaired to this threatened scene, had their head quarters at Cambridge, a body of men, principally formed of de- tachments from Massachusetts and New-Hampshire regi- ments having fortified themselves on Breed's Hill, (an in- ferior eminence behind Charlestown,) manfully disputed the ground with the British troops, sent over from Boston to occupy it. The loss was great on both sides, particu- larly on that of the assailants, who were driven back in three attacks. The boldness of these raw troops, and the success with which they so long withstood the charges of the regulars, were of the utmost use, bv encouraging the country, and by convincing the English that they were fighting a powerful foe. The battle usually goes by the name of Bunker's Hill ; but should, in strict propriety, be 178 DORCHESTER HEIGHTS. called after Breed's Hill, as the latter is a distinct emi- nence, although, perhaps, a spur from the former. The British landed near a point, just beyond where the navy yard is now seen ; and the American defences consisted of a small earth redoubt on the top of Breed's Hill, (where the great monument is now seen, half finish- ed,) and a double rail fence, stuffed with new hay, ex- tending from it to the water. A British sloop of war lay, during the action, in Mystic River, beyond the navy yard, and kept up a cross fire upon the low neck, which connects the peninsula of Charlestown with the main land. On the 17th of June, 1825, 'the fiftieth anniversary of this battle, the corner stone of the monument was laid in an angle of the old redoubt on Breed's Hill. The base, (a mass of 14,000 tons weight,) is laid 13 feet deep, and has six courses of stone to the surface — the first of which is 50 feet on each side. Above this a pyramidal obelisk, 30 feet square, is to rise tapering, 213 feet 4 inches on the ground, and to be 15 at the top. It will be composed of 80 courses of stone, each 2 feet 8 inches thick. A winding stone staircase in the inside will lead to the summit, whence the view will be fine and highly interesting. The whole is to be built of granite from Gluincy. The largest block in it is said to be of the following dimensions : 11 feet long, 2 broad, 2 feet 8 inches high; with a weight of 10 tons. After the battle of Bunker's hill, the Continental troops were drawn in a more complete line around the town oF Boston ; and numerous intrenchments may still be ti-aced out on most of the hills in the vicinity ; but it was not till Gen. Washington had succeeded in occupying Dorchester Heights, which command the harbour and town from the southeast, that the British forces embarked in their ships, and evacuated the place. Dorchester Heights were occupied on the night of March 4, 1776. Eight hundred men formed the van; then followed carriages, and 1200 pioneers under General Thomas, 300 carts of fascines and gabions, and guns in the rear. Two forts were formed by 10 at night, one to- wards the city, and the other towards Castle Island. Pre- parations were made for an attack by the British, and WAHAICT. 179 for defence by tlie Americans ; but tbe weather prevented the designs of the former, who consisted of 10,000, and they embarked for New-York. The town was pillaged,, and 1500 loyalists removed. It was evacuated an March 17th: ammunition, &c. being left by the British. Bridges. Some of the most striking objects in the neighbourhood of Boston, are the bridges which leadfrord it to various points. There are no less than seven princi" pal ones, beside several branches. The expense atv/hi€b they have been constructed and are kept in repair is very great, and they furnish great facilities for strangers desirous of making excursions to the surrounding country. The milldam bridge is two miles long. Public Schools. There are seven grammar schools, ira which were about 500 pupils. There were 200 boys \n the Latin, and 140 in the High school. The primary schools contained almost 3000 children between 4 and 7 years of age, taught by females, &c. &c. The public ex" pense incurred in instructing nearly 75,000 children, i* $54,000 annually, A monument has been laid over the graves of Dr^ Franklin's parents, in the Granary burying ground. It \B an obelisk 25 feet high, formed of seven blocks of Quincy granite, each weighing about six tons. Vii,LAGES. The vicmky of Boston presents a succes- sion of villages, probably not to be paralleled for beauty in the United Stales. They are generally the residence of a number of the most opulent citizens during the pleasant- seasons, and many of the buildings are fine and expensive^ The grounds are also frequently laid out with great tasie,, and highly cultivated ; so that no stranger, who has leisure,,, should fail to take a circuit through them, for a few miles* There are several manufacturing establishments in this- >icinity, among which Waliham is conspicuous. Har- vard Univer 3ity and Mount Auburn Cemetery, near Charles- town, should be visited. Also, Fresh Pond. Nahant, 14 miles. This is a very pleasant and fa- vourite resort, during the warm months ; being a fine situ-' ation, open to the sea, of easy access by land and water, and furnished with several houses for the accommodation of visiters, particularly a large hotel. A steamboat runs- thither in the summer, and there is a fine road vvliiGh pa&se:^ le* 180 pLYaioUTM. Sround the bay, through the shoe-making' town of tiyriilj klong Lynn beach, and then turns off" to the promontory of* Nahant, which is a point of rough rocks of considerable elevation. You may cross Charlestown bridge^ and visit Bunker's Hill at setting out. The passage in the steamboat affords a fine view of Boston bay, with the city ; Dorchester Heights on the south, Bunker and Breed's Hills on the northwest, and many other interesting objects. Among the islands which form the defence of the harbour, is that which contains Castle Williams, and one or two other fortified ones* Rainsford Island has the Marine Hospital, part of it quitd elevated, but containing only a few acresj and another on Which is the Farm School, an interesting institution for boys. Salt is made in Boston Bay, and windmills are sometimes used to pump the water. The ground near the hotel at Nahant has been laid out feind ornamented with taste. The cupola on the top com* mands a fine water scene ; and during a strong wind from the sea, the waves are high and magnificent, breaking "wildly against the rocks. The Baihs are at a little distance from the hotel, and quite commodious, furnishing one of the chief attraction^ of the place. The Syreri's Grotto is a remarkable cavity in the Jrocks, about a quarter of a mile from the hotel. It has been curiously worn out by the v/aves | and there are several other caverns of a similar character, produced in tho course of ages, by the constant attrition of the water. The Spouting Horn, is a hole in the rocks, on the oppo^ site side, where the water is thrown up in the air at par^ ticulaf times of tide. The rocks are of granite^ porphyry^ epidote, &c. and furnish pebbles of jasper, &c. Pulpit Rock, on the south, is a singular object ; its top is almost inaccessible. The rude shores and the smooth beach caii be best examined at low tide ; but those who are fond of sublime scenes, should omit no opportunity to visit them when the wind is high, particularly in a moonlight night. Plymouth, 36 miles S. S. E. from Boston. — This place is highly interesting on account of its history, being the site of the first settlement made by the New-England Pil- grims in 1620) OH the 22d of December. Amass of granite TrOtR OP SEW-ENGLAND. I'Bi tock is still shown on which those stepped who first landed. It has been dividedj and a part of it remains buried near the shore in its natural location, while the Upper part is removed into the centre of the villag-e. A handsome building was erected here in 1820, in \vhich the New-'England Society hold their annual cele-- brations of that interestiag era in the history of the coun» try. Burying' Hill, which rises near' at hand, is the spot where a small fort was erected by the settlers, and where the graves of several of them are still to be tbund. The banks of the breok south of the hill were the scene of the first conference with Massaseit, a friendly and faithful Indian chief,' from whom the name of the Bay, and subse- 'quently that of the state was derived. Manumet point is a promontory on the south side of the harbour 5 and a small island on the opposite side of it was the spot where the pilgrims first placed their feet on shore in this vicinity, after having previously landed on Cape Cod. The young and feeble colony suffered extreme distresses kere, from the severity of the climate, (against which they were unprepared, as they had sailed for a more southern region,) and the want of provisions. Nothing but the assistance of Massasoit. under the providence of God, pre»- served them from extinction. Monies fr is ROUTE IN MAINE. 213 thirly-five miles, passing through Prospect, Buckport, Orland and Penobscot. Castine was taken during the late war by a fleet, and the British intrenchments are to be seen on the hill above. Eastport is important as the frontier post of the Unit- ed States on the sea coast towards the British possessions. It is on the southeastern part of Moose Island, in Passa- maquoddy Bay, and connected with the main land by a bridge. The spot was almost uninhabited thirty years ago ; but now it contains three places of worship. There are fortifications and a few troops. A line of steamboats is established between this place and Boston, touching at Portland, &c. Lubec is situated near the entrance of the Bay, opposite Campobello. Perry, the village of the Passamaquoddy Indians, lies northward from Eastport On the Schoodic River the land is high, and the scenes striking. Robbinston stands at its mouth ; and Calais twelve miles above, at the head of navigation. The coun- try north and west of this place is said to be very valuable for grazing, being undulating, with a good soil and climate, and at present well wooded, with conveniences for trans- portation by sea. The road from Belfast to Bangor lies along the course of the Penobscot River. Bangor is a very flourishing village, newly risen into importance, in consequence of having taken a good deal of the interior trade from Belfast. It occupies a command- ing position for this object, and is undoubtedly destined to experience a great and rapid increase , proportioned to the extension of settlements in the upper country. The scenery here begins to assume much of that mountain- ous character, which prevails so extensively through a large part of the interior. A very conspicuous and noble eminence is observed at a distance in the north, called Ktardin Mountain, the elevation of which has never, it is believed, been accurately ascertained. It is considered the highest land in the state, and has been compared for altitude with Mount Washington in New-Hampshire. In the year 1825, the land agents visited a tract of 214 PEGIPSCOT FALLS. country inhabited by about two thousand persons, who had been before unknown as belonging to the state, hav- ing never been represented in the legislature, or included in any census. They are partly descendants of refugees, and partly half-pay officers, Irish and Scotch. The vast tract of wilderness intervening between them and the lower country had pi'evented intercourse. Their country is rich and beautiful, on the St. John's River, near the boundary of New Brunswick ; and many of them desired to be received into the jurisdiction of the State Govern- ment. The question has since caused much excite- ment. From Bangor we begin our return to Portland, taking the route through the finest part of the state of Maine. The road to Augusta and Hallowell on the Kennebec, lies through a region rapidly improving under the ma- nagement of an active, industrious, and increasing popu- lation. Augusta is the capital of the state, a considerable town, and very flourishing. It is situated at the falls of the Kennebec, where the water on the descent of the channel is sufficient to set in motion several hundred wheels. At the mouth of this river, at Georgetown, berj'ls have been found, in a ridge of granite country. Some are fifteen inches long and six thick. They are associ- ated with schorl. Pegipscot Falls. Near Lewistown, on the Andros- coggin River, is a remarkable cataract, where the cur- rent breaks through a range of mountains, and pours over a broken ledge of rocks. The scene is wild and striking, and derives an additional interest, from its con- nexion with the history of a tribe of Indians long since extinct. According to a tradition current in the neighbourhood, the upper parts of this stream were formerly the resi- dence of the Rockmego Indians, who inhabited a fine and fertile plain through which the river winds. The situation was remote, and they had never engaged in any hostilities with the whites, but devoted themselves to hunting and fishing. The ground still contains many remains of their weapons, utensils, &c. They were, however, at length persuaded to engage in a hostile in- WASHINGTON, D. C. 215 cui'sion against Brunswick, at that time an exposed frontier settlement; and the whole tribe embarked in their canoes to accomplish the enterprise. The stream flows gently on for a great distance, until it approaches very near to the falls ; and this was the spot appointed for the night encampment Night set in befoi'e their arrival ; and they sent two men forward to make fires upon the banks a little above the cataract. For some unknown reason, the fires were kindled below the falls ; and the Indians, being thus deceived concerning their situation, did not bring up their canoes to the shore in season, and were carried over the rocks, and the tribe all destroyed together. We now close the northern tours, and proceed to WASHINGTON; D. C. Washington, the seat of Government of the United States, is situated between the Potomac River and its eastern branch, about a mile and a half above their junc- tion. It is divided into three distinct parts, which are built about the Navy Yard, the Capitol Hill, and the Pennsylvania Avenue. The Capitol is an immense build" ing with two wings, surrounded by an open piece of ground, terraced in front, and occupying an elevation^ which renders it a conspicuous object for several miles. The original plan of the city was very extensive ; the principal streets meeting from all points of the compass at the Capitol, and bearing the names of the older states of the union. Some of the minor streets are known by the names of the letters of the Alphabet; and tracts of ground were reserved for public squares. As Washing- ton, however, is chiefly dependent on the government for its support, the original scheme has been but faintly realized, and many of the streets have not even been opened. During the sessions of Congress, the place is thronged •with strangers from all parts of the country ; and the ses- sions of the Senate and Representatives, the proceedings of the Supreme Court, the Levees at the President's House^ the parties at the foreign ministers', &c. afford ample op- portunities for amusements of various kinds. At other 19* 216 THE DEPARTMENTS. seasons, however, there is little to interest the tha stranger except the public buildings and the Navy Yard. The Capitol presents specimens of various styles of architecture. On entei'ing the south wing several columns are seen, where carvings of Indian-corn stalks are substi- tuted for flutings and filletings ; while the capitals are made of the ears of corn half stripped, and disposed so as in some degree to resemble the Corinthian or Composite order. The Representatives^ Chamber is a fine semi-circu- lar apartment, with columns of a dark bluish siliceous pudding stone, hard and highly polished. It is lighted from above. The gallery is open during the debates, as well as the Senate Chamber, which is a much smaller apartment. The Library of Congress is in another part of the building ; and the Great Hall contains the four national pictures, painted for the government by Col. Ti'umbuU : the Declaration of Independence, the Surrender at Sara- toga and Yorktown, and Washington resigning his Com- mission ; each 12 feet by 18. A fine view is enjoyed from the top of the Capitol. You look along the Pennsylvania Avenue westward to the President's House, with Georgetown and the Potomac beyond ; the General Post Office, &c. on the right ; the Navy- Yard towards the southeast ; Greenleaf's Point nearly south ; and southwest the bridge over the Poto- mac, with the road to Alexandria and Mount Vernon. The canal begins south of the President's House, and terminates at the East Branch. The Fresidenfs House is a large building of white marble, with Grecian fronts, about a mile west of the Capitol, and near the public offices. It is surrounded by a wall, but without any other defence. The entrani'e hall leads into the drawing room, where the President's lady receives visiters at her levees. Two other apartments are thrown open on those occasions ; all handsomely furnished, and freely accessible, even to strangers. The Patent Office is well worthy of a visit, on account of the numerous curious models which it contains, relating to all branches of the arts. The Treasury, Navy, War, and Land Offices, are all in GEORGETOWN. 217 ttie vicinity of the President's House; as are the resi- dences of the Foreign Ministers. The members of Con- gress, as well as the numerous strangers who resort hither during the sessions, find lodgings in the hotels and board- ing houses in different parts of the city, or in Georgetown. Georgetown is a considerable place, which by its proximity to Washington, seems almost a part of that city. The country around it is variegated, and the situation of the Romish College, a little way west, is picturesque. Still further in the same direction, there is a very pleasant ride along the bank of the Potomac, where Mason's Island is at first seen, near the mouth of the river, and afterwards the Nunnery upon the elevated banks. Whoever would understand convents should travel in Europe. This institution flourishes in consequence of the ignorance of many of our countrymen, with respect to the nature of convents, their over-estimation of certain branches, and their light esteem for the principles and blessings of the Reformation. Accompanying those are the proselyting spririt of the Jesuits, and the secret designs of the popes against the freedom of the United States, so actively seconded by the government of Austria. Some of the advocates of convents have professed to court pubHc attention and investigation for them. It would be well. We should find in them some of the images and pictures which are publicly worshipped in Komish countries. It is pretended that the education they afford, especially to females, is superior to any which American Protestants can give. Let its superiority then be thoroughly known ; and, let laws be passed, opening all schools, without dis tinction, to the thorough inspection of public officers at their pleasure. Let Congress, or any State Legistature or the people of any town where a conventual school exists, set the example ; and it will probably become general. Then if the advantages are so great, let the system be uni- versally adopted, even in our common schools ; and, if Hecessary import from fifty to a hundred thousand fo- reign teachers. Friars, and nuns, black, white and gray, might be obtained from Spain, and Jesuits in any numbers might be found lurking in secret, and under various names in many a corner, since they have been expelled with de- 218 MOUNT VERNOxt. testation from almost every country in the world ejccept the United States. One of the most distinguished and virtuous statesmen of Colombia, on a visit to this country exclaimed with astonishment, when he heard that the edu- cation of any of our youth was committed to Jesuits, " Do you not know that they are the bitterest enemies of human liberty ? They are not tolerated in South America, nor even in Spain." This and the following memoi'able remark should be written on the door of every convent: " If the liberties of the United States are ever overthrown, it will be by Jesuit priests." — Lafayette. Alexandria. This is a large city and port, six miles from Washington, and contains some fine buildings, both public and private. The road which leads to it is good, in the pleasant season, although the country is little inha- bited, and the soil is impoverished by the cultivation of tobacco. This city is in the District of Columbia. Mount Vernon, the estate of the Washington family, is nine iriilea south from Alexandria, and is remarkable as containing the tomb of Gen. Washington. The road is somewhat intricate, and has but few inhabitants ; so that the stranger unless he goes in a steamboat, will need to make careful inquiries. The house stands on an emi- nence, looking down upon the Potomac. The buildings which project from each end, are the offices and habita- tions of the negroes. The key of the Bastile of Paris is h\ing up in the hall ; and a miniature portrait of Washington, from an earthen pitcher, is preserved, which is considered by the ftmily the best hkeness of him ever made. A beautiful lawn, partly shaded by trees, extends from the front of the man- sion to the verge of the precipice, which overhangs the Po- tomac, and affords a delightful view upon the river and a tract of hilly country above and below. This is the place to which Washington retired after he had accomplished the independence of his country, and again when he had presided at the consolidation of the government; voluntarily resigning the stations he had consented to accept, and the power he had exercised only for the good of his country. To an American, this place is interesting, in a degree which no language can either heighten or describe. Whoever appreciates the value oi ROUTE TO VIRGINIA SPRINGS. 219 private and social virtue, will rejoice to find it associated with the traits of a personage so distinguished and influen- tial ; the consistent politician will rejoice toreflect that his pi'inciples of natural freedom were not restricted to any j^ortion of the world, or any part of the human race; while any one, who can duly estimate the extent of the blessings he has conferred on his country, and the influence of his actions on the happiness of the world, v/ill wish that his history may ever be cherished, as a model of sincere and disinterested patriotism. Washington^ s Tomb was until lately in a little grove of cedars a shorr, distance southwai'd from the house, and near the brow of the precipitous shore. It is now at a short distance from that spot, a new family tomb having been erected. The great man, who had rendered to his country the most important military and civil services she ever re- ceived, left his mortal remains to be deposited in this humble cemetery ; and that country has never yet expressed its gratitude by erecting a monument to his memory, though to her he devoted his life, and to her he has be- queathed a character, on which no successful attempt has ever yet been made to discover a shadow or to fix a stain. Virginia Springs. Warm Spring 213 miles, TVhite Sulphur 256 m., &c. These are now annually visited by many persons from the north, as well as from other parts of the country ; and the variety of scenery recommends them to the attention of every traveller of taste, no less than their medicinal properties to the iu valid. From Washington stagecoaches depart daily, passing through Alexandria 9 miles. Fairfax Court-house 15, Centrevllle 8, Bull Run 3, Buckland Mills 11. New- Baltimore 4, Warrenton 6, Lee's Sulphur Spring 6, Jef- ferson 3, Fairfax 13, Cedar Mountain 6, Rapidan 6, Orange Court-house 7,* Gordonsville 8, Monticello 16, Charlottesville 3, t York 19, Waynesboro' 6, Staunton * Montpelier, the seat of President Madison, is 5 miles from this place. The JS'atural Bridge is in Rockbridge county, 12 miles S. \V. from Lexington It is about 200 feet high. t At CharlottJ^sville is the University founded by Thomas JefiFer- .-son, adorned with beautiful marble, colonnades, &.c. His aeat is on a tali 2 miles distant. 220 BALTIMORE. 12, Jennings' North Mountain 17, Cloverdalc 12, Green Valley 11, Warm Springs 13, Hot Springs 5, Jackson River 9, White Sulphur Springs 29, Sweet Sulphur, do. 28, Salt Sulphur, do. 1. (Distance from Washington 385 miles.) Baltimore is the third city, for size, in the United States, and carries on an extensive commerce. The harbour in the Patapsco River, has a narrow en- trance, and is well protected by high ground. On the side opposite the city is an abrupt elevation of consider- able size, where is a fort, and whence a commanding view is enjoyed. FeWs Point is a part of the city, about a mile below, where most of the stores and shipping are found. Many of the streets of Baltimore arc broad, cross at right angles, and are ornamented with fine buildings both public and private. The Washington Monument. This is a large column of marble in a commanding position, at the head of Charles-street, rising to the height of 163 feet. It is 14 feet m diameter at the top, and 20 below, with a base 23 feet in height, and 50 square. It is one of the finest mo- numents in the United States, and the only one worthy the memory of the great man to whom it is erected. The Battle Monument was recently erected, in memory of those who fell in the defence of the city in Septem- ber, 1814. The Public Fountain is a fine spring of water in the western part of the city, surrounded by a public square, laid out in walks and shaded with trees. The environs of Baltimore afford some pleasant rides ; and the communication with different places is easy, by various modes of conveyance. Steamboats go to Nor- folk, in Virginia, but the passage is uninteresting ; and those who wish to see Washington, (38 miles distant,) will go by the railroad. Battle of Baliimore. This battle took place at Long Point, in September, 1814. Nearly 40 sail of British vessels at the mouth of the Patapsco, on the 12th landed between 7000 and 8000 men on Long Point, 14 miles from the city. Sixteen bomb vessels in the mean time ftoUTES TO OHIO. 221 went up the river, and anchored about 2| miles from Fort McHenry. General Strieker took, position at tiie two roads leading to North Point, his right on Bear Creek, and his left on a marsh. The enemy joined in a general battle. After an hour and twenty minutes the 51st regi- ment gave way, and General Strieker retired to his re- serve, whither the enemy did not follow. He lost about 150 killed and wounded in this action, in which the citi- zens of Baltimore distinguished themselves. The British v/as computed at 600 or 700 ; and among them was their commander. Gen. Ross. The bomb vessels which attacked Fort McHenry were unsuccessful, being met with a manly resistance; and the troops re-embarked and relinquished the enterprise, Baltimore had 101,378 inhabitants in 1840. The bar, bour has 18 feet water. Fort McHenry 1^ miles below, at the mouth of Patapsco river, was bombarded by the Bri- tish in 1814. Waslungton Monument is 163 feet, with a colossal statue. Ellicott's Mills 13 miles, is a romantic spot. The rail- road crosses a line viaduct; and there are many stone factories and mills for cotton, woollen, flour, iron, &c. &c. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad^ in use to Harper's Ferry, 81 miles, rims southwest to Patapsco river, at Elk- ridge Landing, up that stream, down Bush Creek, and the Monocacy, up the Potomac to Harper's Ferry. It is partly finished to Wheeling, 280 miles from Baltimore. The summit is 2500 feet above tide, A branch 3^ miles long, leads to Fredericktovvn. The Washington Railroad is a branch of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, leaving it 8 miles from Baltimore, and has a very long and lofty embankment and a fine viaduct, St leads through Bladensburg, and ends in Pennsylvania Avenue, | mile from the Capitol, in Washington. It meets, 18 miles from Baltimore with The Annapolis and Elkridge Railroad, 2Q miles, which leads southeast to Annapolis, OHIO, This new and flourishing state will be visited by tra- VieUers of intelligenoej disposed to witness the aspect of 222 CINCINNATI, a country which has been the theatre of a most rapid kn-^' provement. The following may be recommended as a general tour. First proceed to Wheeling ; down the Ohio river to- Cincinnati ; across the country to Sandusky Bay by the western route in good stage coaches ; thence by steam- boat to Detroit, and if desired onward to the western lakes. — Returning, by steam, land at Cleaveland, and make an excursion on the canal, (which, although about 350 miles long, is not very interesting.) Then take steamboat to Buffalo^ whence the traveller may take what route he prefers. Pittsburgh. This is more like a manufacturing town in England, than any other in the United States. It would surpass our limits to enumerate all the manufac- tories here. The great steamboat, Missouri, built at Pittsburgh, in 1841, is 233 feet by 59 (including guards,) and of 600 ton&. It plies between New-Orleans and St. Louis. The extensive coal mines in this vicinity are 329 feet above the Ohio, and 543 feet above Lake Erie. The appearance of the country along the Ohio at Wheeling, is remarkably beautilul; and it has thence de- rived the name of Belmont. The land is undulating, and rises gradually for a distance back, affording many fine retrospects to a traveller in that direction, over a well cul- tivated region. Considerable quantities of tobacco are now raised here. Cincinnati. The streets cross each other at right an- glas, and those parallel to the Ohio, are numbered 1st, 2d 3d, &c. except the two next the shore. The Miami canal passes through three of the streets. The principal build- ings are the Court-house, Jail, Post-office, Hospital, Col- lege, Medical Colleafe, Mechanics' Institute, Council Chamber, Churches, Theatre, Amphitheatre, &c. Capital employed in manufactures in 1841, 14| nnillions ; pro- duct of mechanical labour 17| millions. There are 130 different branches of manufacture, employing 1000 mas- ter employers, and 10,000 working people. There are a Commercial Hospital, Lunatic Asylum, Medical College, and the Western Museum. Tm-LATyELfniA. 223 ROUTE FROM N. YORK TO PHILADELPHIA. From New-York to Philadelphia, by the Camden and Amboy Railroad 85 miles The boat from the Battery to Amboy, New-Jersey 23 m. railroad, to Hightstown 20, Bordentown 14, Steamboat to Bristol, Pennsylvania 9, Burlington, New-Jersey 1, Philadelphia 18. Do. by Railroad, through Newark, &c. From Bar- clay-street Ferry to Jersey city, New-Jersey, 1 mile, Newark 8, Elizabethtown 6, Rahway 5, New-Brunswick 13j Trenton 26, Bristol 11, Philadelphia 17. THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA. Philadelphia is the second city, for size, in tbc United States ; and is remarkable for the regularity of its streets, which, almost without exception, run at right angles, and are of equal and convenient breadth. It will lie convenient to the stranger to recollect that the streets running north and suuth are named First, Se- cond, Third, &c. beginning on both sides of the city on the banks of the Delaware and Schuylkill, until they meet at the square near ihe centre^ The streets which run east and west, are generally named after trees; the lanes and alleys, after shrubs, &c. The Market. This consists of a succession of build- ings in the middle of Market-street, extending from the fish market on the river's bank to Eighth- street, and from Broad-street to Schuylkill, 5th-street, affording room for a convenient display of articles. The Exchange is on Third and Dock-streets, with the Post-office in the basement, (here is a stand for omni- busses,) Blind Institution in Race-street The Bank of the United States, in Chesnut-slreet, be- tween Fourth and Fifth, is built of white marble in the form of a temple, with two fronts, each ornamented with eight fine Doric columns, of the ancient proportions with- out bases. 20 224 THE ACADSMT OF ARTS. Girard Bank, in Third, facing Doek-sfrcet, is also* of marble, and presents a beautiful row of six Connthian columns. The Bank of Pennsylvania, opposite, has two fronts, on Second and Dock-streets, each with six Ionic columns. The State House, in Chesnut-street, between Fifth and Sixth-streets, is a large brick building, with court rooms, &c. at either end. In the front room, enst of the main entrance, the old Continental Congress held their sessions; and there the Declaration of Independence was signed, July 4th, 1776. The Athenceum is adjoining, open all dny to strangers. The Philosophical 8ociety''s Library and Cabinet, Independence Square is a fine shaded piece of ground behind the State House. City Library, Fifth-street, open to the public from 2, P. M. See Franklin's apparatus, and Cromwell's clock. The University contains a medical department and the Wistar Museum, with a library, garden, &c. The Arcade, in Chesnut-street, is a fine building of stone. The Philadelphia Museum of Mr. Peale in the northern part. It contains a large collection of curiosi- ties of various descriptions. The huge skeleton of a mam- moth is represented entire; for the parts which were defi- cient on one side, have been supplied by imitations of those on the other. Washington Square is on the other side of Sixth- street, with a handsome church on the southern side, with a range of wooden columns. The Pennsylvania Hospital is a large and admira- ble institution, in the next street, where great numbers of sick are attended. Twenty-five cents will secure ad- mission to the building and gardens, and also to the top. West's Celebrated Picture of Christ healing the sick,. is exhibited in a neat little building on the opposite side of the street. The Theatre, in Chesnut-street, between Sixth and Seveath-streetf y has a marble front. The Masonic Hall is a little beyond, and somewhat in the Gothic style, with a small court yard in front. The Academy of Arts, Chesnut-street, between Tenth and Eleventh, contains a collection of statues, busts, &e<. PHILADELPHIA. 225 Ka mai'ble and plaster, ranged in an apartment lighted from the top", and beyond, a gallery of pictures with many specimens of the works of American ardsts. The Orphans^ and the Widows^ Asylums are in the western part of the city. Academy of Natural Sciences, Penn's House, Letitia ■Court, United States Mint, &c. &c. There are two medical institutions in this city, where lectures are delivered to great numbers of students. The Deaf and Dumb Asylum is a valuable institu- tion ; as is xkiQ Friends^ Alms House in Walnut-street, •between Thii-d and Fourth, where poor families are placed in separate houses, among small gardens, and furnished with empl-oyment. Girard College, founded by the late Stephen Girard, is on the Ridge Road, a little out of the city. The main building is of three stories, 169 feet in length, and 111 "vvide, with an elegant portico with marble columns. The banks of the Schuylkill are well formed for the 'display of the large public edifices which will be per- ceived ranged along their eminences for two or three m^les, to the honour of Philadelphia, and the ornament of its environs. Mr. PratVs Garden is about three miles northwest from the centre of the city, and worthy of a visit. The situation is agreeable and commanding, on a little cape or promontory on the Schuylkill ; and from the gravelled walks, the visiter enjovs a view down the river, of the basin, the dam, the Water Works, below which are the State Prison, House of Refuge, Hospital, the two bridges, and on the opposite side a handsome seat called " Wood- lands." The Western Railroad leads through it. The Schuylkill Water Works. There is a large stone building of chaste architecture, containing five large water wheels, which are capable of raising seven millions of gal- lons in twenty-four hoars. They are turned by a current from the dam above. The reservoirs are on the hill above, which is higher than any part of t?ie city, which it supplies. They both contain eleven millions of gallons. Penitentiary. This is a large and singular construc- tion. The prisoners are kept in solitary confinement. The wall is forty feet high, built of granite, and eu- 226 MINERAI.S IN PENNSYLVANIA. closes a square, 650 feet on each side. The ceils are formed in seven long stone galleries, an octagon in the centre. The entrances to the cells are through little yards from the outside, and each has a wicket door in the gal- lery. A centinel in the octagon, by turning on his heel, can look through all the galleries ; and the arched roofs reverbercLte every sound, so that he can hear a very slight noise. The Naval Hospitul is situated about two miles south- west from the centre of the city. The expense is defray- ed by funds contributed by the officers and seamen of the U. S. navy, out of their pay. The building is on an eminence, commands an extensive view, and makes a fine appearance from a distance. The front is 3&6 feet in length, three stories high, and it is large enough to lodg« 300 or 400 persons. The first story is of granite, and the second and third of marble, both of which kinds of stone are found in abundance in the vicinity of Phila- delphia. The Navy Yard, (on the banks of the Delaware.) Here, as in most of the principal navy yards of the U. States, ships of war are built under the shelter of im- mense buildings, which protect the workmen and the timber from exposure to the weather. The line of battle ship Pennsylvania, the" Franklin" and " North Carolina," and the frigates United States and Guerriere were built at this place. The north side of the navy yard is devoted to brick buildings for the residence of officers, ship timber, &c. while at the south end are the workshops. The Marine Barracks are on the western side ; and the area of the yard, which is walled with brick, is about twelve acres. The extensive meadows south of Philadelphia present a beautiful scene of fertility and cultivation. A ride in that direction at morning or evening is recommended. Geology of Pennsylvania. A geological survey of this state has been in progress five years at the direction of the Legislature, by Professor Rogers. Serpentine, asbestos, and many interesting minerals, are found in the southeastern part at Chestnut Hill. Bituminous coal beds exist west of the AUeghanies in many places, (becom- ing more bituminous as you go north,) and anthracit© ROUTES TO THE COAL MINES. 227 ' a,5t; of them. The purest Lehigh coal contains 88^ per cent of carbon, and Schuylkill, 92 ; Bituminous, 87. There are numerous veins of brown oxide and compact carbonate of iron: the latter occurring with both kinds ■t>f coal. Some of the ores yield about 70 per cent of iron. Magnetic oxide is found in the southeastern part of the state. Silicate of zinc, yielding 50,40 of metal, is found in Northumberland county. The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal is intended for sloops of the largest class, and schooners : the locks being 100 by 22 feet, and the canal 60 feet wide at the water line. The principal objects are the harbour on the Dela- ware, the adjoining embankment on St. George's Marsh, ihe Deep Cut, and the Summit Bridge. The Harbour on the Delaware is at Delaware City. It is formed by two piers running into the water: one 500 feet long, and the other 600, with a return pier of 100 feet. The Pennsylva-Nia. Canals. Under this general name is comprehended a great and extensive system of internal improvements, for several years designed, and partly accomplished, by the Legislature of this state. ROUTES TO THE COAL MINES. In consequence of the opening of the vast beds of coal between the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, at a distance of about 80 or 100 miles north of Philadelphia, that re- gion has become an object of great interest. In the tract of country north from Philadelphia, are found inexhaustible quantities of coal, in elevated ridges and mountains of the Alleghany range, which are sup- posed to be connected with those which are known on the western side of the range, although they are of different characteristics. The western coal is easily combustible, and resembles that imported from Liverpool, &c. while the former is hard, very difficult to kindle, and burns with very little flame. It is, however, of great purity, being- of that sort known to geologists by the name of Anthracite, and is now very extensively used for fuel in Philadelphia, New-York, and different narts of the country. The varie- 20* 228 SCHUYLKILL NAVIGATION, ties of this coal come down in a kind of rude square boats, called arks, drawing only 12 or 15 inches of water, but containing about 260 bushels each, which may usually be seen on the shores of the Schuylkill, and at the wharves in the Delaware. It is only a few years since this coal was supposed to be entirely worthless ; and now the demand is enormous. The whole length of the line of navigation, undertaken by the Schuylkill company, is 108 miles ; and the work was considered the greatest ever performed in this country by a company. It commences at the Lancaster Schuylkill bridge, and ends at Mount Carbon ; 62 miles of it are by canals, and 46 by pools in the river. The obstacles which the surface of the country presents to works of such a nature in this state, are unusually great, as may be supposed, when it is remarked, that eight ranges of mountains pass through Pennsylvania from northeast to southwest, and that the height of land is supposed to be 8 or 900 feet in the lowest place, so that the rivers descend very much in their courses. It has been necessary to make more lockages on the Schuylkill line, than on the whole Erie canal in New-York. Beside this, the country is of the tran:*ition formation, with sloping strata, which cause much leaking. Route to the Lehigh Coal Mines at Mauch Chunk. There are three routes from Philadelphia by which ' Mauch Chunk may be reached: 1st. By the way of Beth- lehem. 2d. By the way of Easton through Doylestown- — and 3d. By the way of Bristol ; also through Easton. By either route you reach the village in a day and a half. Canal Route to the Schuylkill Coal Mines at Mount Carbon. Manayunk is a large manufacturing village, furnished ■with water by a canal 3 miles in length, through which the boat will pass. Plymouth Locks. The marble quarries ar« in tbit vi« cinity. ROUTES TO THE COAL MINES. 229 NoRTliSTOWN contains some fine houses, as well as a court house, jail, and two churches, one in the Gothic style, which stands in a conspicuous situation. Reading, 54 miles from Philadelphia, is a place of considerable importance, inhabited by Germans, and con- tains some handsome public buildings. The Union Canal begins 2 miles below Reading, passes up the western shore of the river to the valley of the Tulpehocken; and then follows that valley till within 5 miles of Lebanon, where begins the summit level. In all this distance it rises 311 feet, by numerous locks of 4 and 8 feet lift. The canal is 24 feet \vide at bottom, 4 deep and 36 on the surface. — On this part of the canal is the Tunnel; an excavation bored through a hill for a distance of 729 feet, the face of the hill having been cut away at the entrance 25 feet. This dark and gloomy passage is 18 feet in breadth and 14 feet high. We return to the Schuylkill Navigation. Frrm Reading, the road passes for some distance near the river, and affords an opportunity to see the canals, dams, &c. made to assist the navigation. The road to Hamburgh from Reading, lies through the Great Limestone Valley of Pennsylvania ; which has the Kittatinny chain of mountains on the north, and the Blue Ridge on the south. The surface is beautifully varied by the natural undulations of the surface. Hamburgh is a small village with nearly a hundred houses, with a church situated in a romantic position, at the entrance of the Schuylkill Water Gap. This is a narrow gorge, through which the river runs over a steep and rocky chan- nel for 4 or 5 miles ; I.-aving no room upon its banks, which rise abruptly on each side to the height of ses'eral hundred feet. The road has been cut out along the face of one of these ranges, at a great elevation ; where the surface is in many places of such a declivity, as to require it to be supported by walls of stone. The views which are here 'afforded to the traveller, are roman- tic and varied in a hiffh degree. The Little Schuylkill River, a branch of the principal stream, runs through a valley of the same general descrip- tion ; and here lies the road to Motint Carbon. 230 ROUTES TO THE COAL MINES. The Tunnel. This is a place where a hill has been bored through c575 yards for a canal, about 3 miles from Orwigsburg-h. Mount Carbon, 8 miles, is in sight of several coal mines. The coal country in this region begins in Ltizerne, on the upper part of the Lackawana river, following its course to the Susquehanna, and along that stream, principally on the eastern bank, to 18 miles beyond Wilkesbarre It runs south to the Lehigh river, and thence southwest, through Schuylkill county. It is estimated to extend about 100 miles ; and about the middle of the range is 8 or 9 miles wide, growing narrower towards each end. At Mount Carbon the coal occurs in beds 4 or 5 feet in thickness, generally running east and west; and dipping to the south at 45'-', with a slate rock immediately over it, and strata of sandstone and earth above. The slate, as usual, in the vicinity of coal, pre- sents the impressions of organized substances, at some an- cient period imbedded in its substance : such as the leaves of laurel, fern, &-c. In consequence of the inclination of the coal veins into the earth, the miners have, in some places, sunk shafts to the depth of 150 feet, with lateral excavations, east and west, of various lengths to 300. Two small carriages called Trams, are used in a sloping shaft to bring the coal out, being made to descend by turns ; but in the horizontal one, which has been carried in several hundred feet, they employ wheelbarrows. Some of the veins run perpendicu- larly. The mammoth coal mine of Messrs. Stees and Oliver, near Pinegrove, took fire in March, 1841, and continued to burn. Beyond Newcastle, Pa. is a mine which has been burning several months, and formed several openings or craters on the top of a mountain. Road to the Lehigh Coal Mines at Mauch Chunk. Philadelphia to Rising Sun, 4 miles ; Branchtown, (Child's Tavern,) 4; Shoemakertown, 8 ; Jenkintown, 10; Abington, 12; Willowgrove, 14; Horsham, 16; Graham park, 22; Newville; Doylestown, 26; Danville, 29; Ro- derick's tavern, ; Tohicken bridge ; Easton, 5 ; Mauch Chunk. ROUTES TO THE COAL MINES. 231 New Hofe is in a romantic situation ; and Goat Hill rises opposite to the height of 500 feet, its top affording a fine view. Delaware Water Gap. The scenery at this spot is beautiful. The course of the river appears at a Jittle dis- tance as if arrested by two opposite mountains, between which it flows in a narrow channel, suddenly contracting itself to a furlong's breadth from a broad, smooth, and un- broken sheet, like a lake of considerable extent. Easton is a village of some size, and a central point from which numerous roads diverge, and stage coaches run in various directions. It is situated in a rich valley, enclosed by the South and Blue Mountains. It is about 52 miles from Philadelphia and contains many inhabitants. Ex- cellent slates are made here. Within a compass of a mile and a half are 18 mills. The following is a list of distances from Easton on the different stage routes. New-York, 70 miles ; Schooley's Mountain, 23 ; Morristown, 41 ; New-Briins\\ ick, 45 ; Bethlehem, 12; Mauch Chunk, 34; Nazareth, 7; Dela- ware Wind Gap, 12 ; Water Gap, 20; Stroudsburgh, 27; Wilkesbarre, 52 ; Belvidere, 12 ; Reading, 52 ; Newtown, (Sussex county,) 40. The Delaware and Hudson Cana.l. It commences at Kingston on the Hudson river, and runs over to the Delaware river, through the valley of the Neversink creek, thence up the valley of the Delaware to the Lackawaxen creek, and up that creek to the foot of the railway. This is a continuous canal of 1 17 miles in length. The railway commences at the termination of the canal, and runs over Moosick mountain to the coal mines at Carbondale on the Lackawana creek, 16 1-2 miles, overcoming an elevation of 858 feet. At Easton will be seen the Dam over the Delaware, at the termination of the works for improving the navigation of Lehigh river, from Mauch Chunk to this place. The road to Mauch Chunk leads ihrough Bethlehem, 12 miles. This is a neatly built place in a romantic and delightful situation, along the course of a swift running brook. It is inhabited by Germans, and little English will be heard spoken in the place. There is an old church and 232 MA.UCH CHUNK. nn ncademy for the education of girls, under the manage- ment of the Moravians. The works on the Lehigh river are on a large scale. The river descends 365 feet, and requires 52 locks and 21 dams. The locks are intended for steamboats capable of carrying 150 tons of coal, 100 feet long and 30 wide. The Lehigh Water Gap, 25 miles from Easton and 11 from Lehighton, 6 miles from Mauch Chunk. Here is a bridge. The first objects that attract attention near the village of Mauch Chunk, are the lock in the river, and the chute or inclined plane, at the end of the railway, down which the loaded coal cars slide to the wharf on the river, where they load the boats and arks. The latter carry about 30 tons. The train of cars coming down the railway will often be heard rumbling as the traveller approaches the village. Mauch Chunk, 90 miles from New-York and 70 from Philadelphia, There is a spacious hotel in this young and flourishing village, which has been v/ell kept, and serves as the rendezvous for numerous parties of visiters every season. There are few places where a stranger will find more to gratify him than here. The village is shut in by rude mountains, of such height that the sun is invisible to many of the inhabitants during the short days. The hotel commands a view of some parts of The Railiuay, which leads from near the coal mines to the Lehigh River. This was the second ever constructed in the United States — the Quincy Railway, in Massachu- setts, being the first. It extends a distance of nine miles, along the side of a mountain. The sleepers, on which the railway rests, are of wood. The rails are also of wood, 4 by 6 inches, and covered with an iron plate | of an inch thick. The coal mine lies a little on the opposite side of the mountain; and the coal cars are first di"awn by horses to the beginning of the railway up an acclivity of 5-8ths of a mile. The summit is 982 feet above the river. Pleasure wagons, like dearborns, are occasionally used to carry strangers up and down the railway ; but they often go up in the I'eturning cars. The average I'ise of the way is 18 inches in 100 feet, which is scarcely perceptible to the eye, and permits a single horse to draw up three empty ROUTES TO THE COAL MINES. 233 carsi In coming down, however, by their own gravity, the carriages would, if permitted, move with immense rapidity^ In 1827 they were restricted to a rate not exceeding 8 miles an hour. It is said that they had previously gone 15 and even 20. The road generally passes along a narrow shelf^ which is alarming to a stranger, particularly in de-" scending ; some of the precipices being 500 or 600 feet. The Tunnel is seen in going up, about 400 feet above the road. It is 12 feet high, 20 wide, and about 800 long. It was cut thi'ough the mountain in 1826, to obtain a short passage to a bed of coal supposed to lie on the other side. A shaft was sunk sixty-'four feet from the summit of the hill without finding coal ; five hundred feet beyond this shaft towards the norths a hole has been bored to the depth of one hundred and ten feet; coal was found at eighty feet, and the auger continued in coal to the extremity of the bore. The Company, however, were disappointed ; but they have an inexhaustible supply of this useful article, as their land extends 14 miles back from the river, and along the road ; and 10 or 12 miles are underlaid by beds of anthracite coal. The cars are made of strong oak timbers, and planked up on three sides, with a swinging door in the rear. Some have been constructed, in which stout sheet iron has been substituted for plank. They are six feet four inches long, three feet wide at top, and two feet at bot- tom^ and about three feet in depth, resting on wheels with cast iron rims or fellies two feet in diameter, one inch thick, and about four inches in breadth, with a strong edge or flanch, one inch in thickness, and about two inches wide, which prevents them from slipping off the rails. The cars may be stopped immediately by a long lever^ which brings strong bearers against two of the wheels, and causes great friction. The guide to every brigade of eleven cars holds a rope attached to all the levers. A curious machine, called the Brake, is also used. There is generally a stop to be made in the midst of the course, to wait for other cars passing, and to oil the wheels. Several ingenious experiments have been resorted to in different parts of the railroad, to avoid some inconve» S34 Routes prom philadelphii. niencies which might otherwise be caused by sudden turns, right angles, cross roads, bridges, Sec. The railway is in several parts supported by a stone wall at the side. Cross roads are not intercepted by it, for the rails are inter» rupted so as to correspond with the ruts; at the short turns, one rail is raised in a curve of a few inches to give the car a new direction ; and at a right angle, like those at the mine and at the chute above the Lehigh, revolving platforms are placed which turn the cars round, forty-iive degrees. The cars themselves weigh about 1500 lbs. each, and run on wheels two feet in diametei*. Strangers often make an excursion in them for the novelty of the mode of tra- velling. Several hundreds of such cars are in use* They carry the coal to the Chute above the river, down which they are sent 315 feet. At the end of the railroad is a platform on the bank of the Lehigh river, down which the coal is let over one of the rails on an inclined plane of 750 feet, (200 feet perpendicular height,) to the stone houses, the wharf and the boats. Each loaded car is connected to an empty one, which it draws up, by a rope that passes round a large cylinder or drum. A car goes down in about one minute and twenty seconds. The noise of the cars on the railway is perceptible at a great distance. The Mine, or quarry, opens upon the road by passages cut in the earth. These conduct into an area formed with great regularity, by the removal of coal, which has been dug out in such a manner as to keep the surface on an inclined [»lane, where the carts drive in, load, and then pass out at the other passage. The coal is very hard, pure and black, with a beautiful conchoidal fracture, and perfectly clean in handling. The surface of the ground was covered with a coat of sand two feet thick, interspersed with sandstone ; under that was eight feet of black pulverized coal; and then came the coal itself. Routes from Philadelphia to Baltimore and Pitts- burgh. From Philadelphia to Baltimore, through Frenchtown, 115 miles by steamboat and railroad; steamboat to Fort FROM PHILADELPHIA TO NEW-YORK. 235 Mifflin, Smiles; Chester, 10; Marcus Hook, 4; Christia- na Creek, Delaware, R ; New-Castle, 5 ; Railroad to Frenchtown, Maryland, 16 ; Steamboat to Turkey Point, 13 ; Pool's Island, 22 ; Miller's Island, 8 ; North Point, 8 ; Fort McHenry, 10 ; Baltimore, 3. Do. through Wilmington, 94 miles by railroad. To Wilmington, 28 miles; Elkton, 18; Port Deposit, 11 5 Havre de Grace, 5 ; (Here you cross the Susquehannah near the lowerfalls in a steamboat) ; Bush River Viaduct, 13 ; Gunpowder River Viaduct, (a mile long, a striking scene,) 8 ; Baltimore, 11. From Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, 391 miles. The railroad (from Vine and Broad-streets,) leads through Pratt's Garden, and crosses Schuylkill river above Fair- mount, on a viaduct 1045 feet long, 30 above the water. It passes Buck Tavern, 1 1 miles from Philadelphia, Paoli, 10; Valley Creek, 8; Coatesville, 11; Gap, 11; Mill Creek, 6 ; Lancaster, 12 ; Mounfjoy, 12 ; Middletown, 15 ; Harrisburgh, 9 ; Canal to the Gap of the Blue Ridge, 5; Duncan's Island, 12 ; Newport, 10; Thompsontown, 11; Milttintown, 11; Lewistown, 14; Waynesburgh, 14; Huntingdon, 29; Alexandria, 14; Williamsburgh, 12; HoUidaysburgh, 13. The Portage railroad, 37 miles long; crosses the Alleghany mountains to Johnstown, rising 1398 feet, and descending 1172, by five inclined planes on each side. On the top is the tunnel, 870 feet long, and 20 high. A canal to Laurel Hill, 7 ; (passing a tun- nel of 917 feet under a farm and a well ',) Lockport, 10; Blainsville, 13 ; Saltzburgh, 16 ; Warrentown, 12 ; Leech- burgh, 10; Alleghany Aqueduct, 3; Logan's Ferry, 15; Pittsburgh, 18. From Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, railroad and stage route, 305 miles, about 3^ days ; railroad to Harrisburgh, 105; Chamhersburgh, 51; stagecoaches to McConnels" town, 19; Bedford, 31; Shellsburgh, 9; Stoystown, 19; Laughlintown, 16 ; Greensburgh, 23 ; Pittsburgh, 32. ROUTE FROM PHILADELPHIA TO NEW-YORK. Leaving Philadelphia for New-York, the ship house, in the navy yard, is seen over the little island in the river« Near the upper part of the city are the ship yards ; and 21 §36 BlTtLE oj' thenton. beyond, three glass houses near the water, with white walls and black roofs. Steeples and shot towers ate the principal objects rising above the great mass of houses in the city. The banks of the Delaware are low, and present an utii- formity quite unfriendly to the picturesque. The towns are, however^ interesting in the histoi'y of the revolution, as will be seen a little beyond. Burlington in New-Jersey, 18 miles from Philadel- phia, presents a handsome appearance ; with a row of fine residences facing the river, in front of which is a street with a beautiful sloping bank. Bristol, a little above, and on the opposite side, has also a number of gentlemen's seats ; and handsome flower gardens on the bank, ornamented with fine wil- lows, &c. BoRDENTOWN, 28 miles from Philadelphia, and 7 be- low Trenton, stands on a steep sand bank, through which a road is cut to the water. Just north of the village is the late residence of Joseph Bonaparte, the Coulit de Survil- liers, once King of Spain. Trenton, 33 m. from Philadelphia. This to-rtrn, at the falls of the river, is the capital of the state of New Jer- sey. Trenton is a town of considerable size, with a great number of stores and the aspect of business. The bridge across the Delaware has 5 arches, and is a handsome structure. Lamberton is a village where the coach offices are, and apparently forms a part of Trenton. The State Prison is situated a little south of the town. In Dec. 1776, the English had 4000 men on the east side of the Delaware, in Trenton, Bordentown, Black- horse, and Burlington, with strong detachments at Prince- ton and New-Brunswick, with their magazines, On Christmas night, three divisions of the American troops attempted to cross the Delaware 1 one at Bristol for Burlington ; one a mile below Trenton ; and one nine miles above, under Washington and Greene. This was the largest, but principally militia ; it approached Trenton by two roads, attacking it at 8, A. M. very unexpectedly, and putting the English and German troops (about 1500) to the rout. 500 escaped ; the rest surrendered, being FROM PHILADELPHIA TO NEW-YORK. 237 the regiments ofRalle, Anspacli,aTid Knyphausen. Rails was killed in resisting. The other divisions could not cross on account of the ice, and Washington returned with his captives and six pieces of artillery. This successful stroke greatly encouraged the country, as it was the first victory over those jerman mercenaries. Washington soon after recrossed the river, and posted his army at Trenton. On the 2d of Jan. 1777, Lord Coin- wallis reached Trenton ; and Washington fortified himself on the Assumsick. But he was too weak to hazard an engagement; and the Delaware was filled with ice. Being hardly pressed, Washington had formed the plan of a retreat, expecting to be unable to remove any thing but the soldiers and what they could carry, as the soil was so unfavourable, and the weather so mild and wet, that wagons could not pass. Cornwallis had sent to Princeton for a regiment to join him, that he might attack the Americans immediately. In the night, however, General Greene reported that the weather had suddenly become cold ; and at midnight, Washington was able to begin his march, with all his baggage and artillery. This was done, and all the fires left burning. The British had no intimation of iheir departure until they heard the guns firing at Princeton. Princeton, 10 miles. This village is situated on an elevated ridge of land, which, on several sides, rises with a long and easy slope, and commar\ds a prospect of con- siderable extent. In approaching it from the west, the Theological Aca- demy, which is of stone and 4 stories high, is seen on the right ; and Nassau Hall in the centre of the town, oppo- site the stage house. The college yard is large and shaded with trees ; and the burying ground contains the ashes of the presidents of the institution : Aaron Burr, Jonathan Edwards, Samuel Davis, Samuel Finley, John Witherspoon, and Samuel S. Smith Washington met at Stony Brook, north of the pre- sent road, a little way from Princeton, and defeated the British regiment. He then marched north to the high grounds at Morristown. During the battle of Princeton, it is related that a can- 238 BAY OP NEW-YORK. non shot entered the chapel, and tore away the head from a portrait of George III. New-Brunswick. Here steamboats as well as the rail- road communicate with Nev/-York. The view is pretty from the hill above ; whence the public buildings appear to good advantage, particularly the Theological Seminary, which is under the synod of the Dutch Reformed Church. The banks below'are pic- turesque, but afterwards are low and little varied. In the spring of 1777, Washington advanced from near Morristown to Middlebrook, where he intrenched himself on the heights, in full view of New- Brunswick. The Bri- tish tried various stratagems to decoy him from this com- manding position, and once succeeded ; but discovering their intentions to surround him, he quickly regained it, and they were soon after obliged to give up all hopes of penetrating in this direction, and devoted their attention to co-operating with Gen. Burgoyne, who was coming down towards Albany. Perth Amboy, 13 miles. Here is usually some ship- ping; but the place has little to attract observation. Emzabethtown Point, 15 miles from New-York. The village is partly seen about 2 miles inland Staten Island is large and elevated, with but few in- habitants, and a small cluster of houses. On entering New-York Bay, Fort Lafayette is seen in the Narrows, between Staten and Long Islands, which is the passage to the sea. The city presents a close mass of houses, with Castle Williams on Governor's Island, seen near it on the right ; and Kllis's and Bedlow's Isl- ands on the left with their fortifications. On approach- ing, the prominentobjects are the tall steeples of numerous churches, the dome of the City Hall, and other prominent buildings. The clusters of trees observed on the shore in front of the city, are on the Battery : a place once fortified, but now the principal public square ; and Castle Clinton just west of it has been converted into a place of amuse- ment for summer evenings. VIRGINIA. 239 ROUTE TO THE VIRGINIA SPRINGS. The Virginia Springs. Mineral springs of different kinds are found in almost every county in this state west of the Blue Ridge ; and some of them are much resorted to in late years by invahds and travellers for pleasure from a distance, not a few of whom come from the northern states. The accommodations are various. At some the visiter fares well ; at others, families find it necessary to take servants and some furniture with them, if they wish to be comfortable, as they will find no habitations provided, eK- cept small ones, chiefly log houses, while a common table is set in the hall of a pavilion. The Hot Sjyrings, in Bath county, are considered use- ful in rheumatic cases, and resorted to chiefly in July and August. The water of one is at 96°, and another as high as 112°, Fahrenheit. The Sweet Springs B.ve in Monroe county, and are at times much frequented by a variety of company. The Natiti'al Bridge is one of the greatest natural cu- riosities in the United States, It is so well formed, so safe and so conveniently situated, that it is crossed by a public road. The traveller, however, might easily pass it without observing it ; as it is 60 feet broad, and partly over- grown with trees. To see it a stop must be made, and the traveller must walk to the brow of the pi^ecipice. The finest viev," is from bdlow, and to enjoy it he must descend to the level of Cedar creek, which flows there. The banks are almost perpendicular for an extent of about 80 yards, and almost 200 feet in height, where they are con- tiected by the bridge, which forms a fine arch from side to side, surprisingly regular for a work of nature. The dis- tance between the banks at the water's level is 45 feet, and 90 above. The bridge consists of a solid rock, filling' the upper part of this chasm, and of about the following dimensions *. length 90 feet, breath 60, and thickness 40, Wier^s Cave. This is one of the most beautiful ca- verns in the world, and is well worthy of a visit. It is also in Rockingham county. It is under the charge of a man whose care and attentions may be relied on by strangers. He will fiiraioh specimens of the beautiful spar with 240 vvier's cave. which it abounds, find pack them for transportation. Evefy visiter here and at other mineral localities, should procure specimens, if not an entire suite of specimens, for himself, his friends, or some scientific institution or association. Wier's Cave extends about 800 yards, and is divided into several apartments of diiferent sizes. Torches must be carried the whole distance ; and those who wish to ex- amine it at leisure should take in some refreshments. The guides will illuminate some parts by planting lights in se- veral places. The walls are formed of the most beautiful crystallized carbonate of lime, or calcareous spar. The crystals are of various forms, size and colour, and reflect the iight with a most brilliant sparkling. In some pliices are thin sheets of the same incrustations, which have the ap- pearance of richly flowing drapery ; and from the lofty roof of one of the halls is one which appears as if floating in the air. It has received the name of Elijah's Mantle. Numerous stalactites hang from the roof like icicles ; others form beautiful colonnades, extending to the floor. Many stalagmites stand on the ground, several feet high. In the " Organ Room" are rows of these, which are not only small, hollow, and often transparent, but so slender as to vibrate when touched, and give musical sounds of various pitches, like the notes of an instrument. Other particulars, equally interesting, we have not room to give. Madison's Gate, in the same county, though only 300 feet in extent, is somewhat similar to Wier's Cave; and another in Frederick county, near the North Mountain. The Blowing Cave is situated in the Alleghany Moun» tains, and another in the Cumberland ridge. In other p;irts of the United States are many caves, most of which however lie out of the principal routes of travellers. Of these, the great Kentucky Cavern is the principal, which is probably the largest in the world, being ten miles or more in extent, with halls covering' several acres. l.n the north, caves of considerable inter* est are found on the Swatara river, Pennsylvania, Water- town and Rhinebeck, New-York, besides several in Ver- mont, in Derby, Dorset and Clarendon. Most of these are in limestone regions, and have probably been formed by the washing qf subterranean currents of water. ROUTES FROM NEW-ORLEANS SORTH. 241 Hickmond, the capital of Virginia, is on the eastern side of James River, about 150 miles from its mouth. Fine steamboats go up to the city, but ships stop a short distance below. The falls forbid navigation above, ex- cept to boats. There is a canal for boats round the falls, 32 miles long. The principal streets are broad and straight. The Capitol is a fine building on an eminence on the model of a Grecian temple. Mines of inferior bituminous coal in the vicinity furnish much of the fuel. There are some pleasant rides in the neighbourhood. Norfolk, the principal seaport of Virginia, is situated at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, on a part of that exten- sive level, sandy, pine bearing region, which forms the eastern coast of the United States, from New-Jersey south- ward. There is nothing interesting in the scenery ; and but little to attract a traveller. The United States Navy Yard is opposite. The Dismal Stoamp Canal extends into North Caro- lina to Albemarle sound, 23 miles. Old Point Comfort, on the Chesapeake, is the posi- tion of one of the strongest fortresses in the Union. The situation is low, sandy and solitary, and scarcely discerni- ble from the steamboat in passing. SOUTHERN ROUTES AND DISTANCES. , From New-Orleans to Charleston, by land and water. Mobile 114 miles, Steamboat to St. Joseph's 215, Steam- boat to St. Mark's 85, Railroad to Tallahassee 21, stage- coach to Brunswick, Georgia, 210, Steamboat to Charles' ton 160. Or, from Mobile by stagecoaches to Montgomery, Ala- bama, Columbus, Indian i>prings, Georgia, Greensboro', and by railroad to Charleston. Railroad from Charleston to Augusta 136 miles, 12 hours The country, most of the way is nearly level, and sandy, with few objects of interest. To Woodstock 15 miles, Summersville 7, Branchville 40, Midway 10, Blakes- ville 18, Aiken 30. Here is the summit, 510 feet above tide water, 360 above Augusta. Here are two other railroads from Augusta : one to 242 TROM CHARtEStON TO NE-W-YORK. Athens, Georgia, 114 miles nottheast; One east to Greensborough 100. A railroad there to Knoxville, Ten- nessee 97, is to be made. From Charleston to Savannahj by Steamboats 11 miles, Fort Moultrie 4, Coffin Land 6, Stony Inlet 11, S. Edis- to Tnlet 27, St. Helena Sound 3, Tiuncard's Inlet 21, Hilton Head 4, Bloody Point 18, Savannah 17. By land 118 miles, Ashley River 6, Green's Tavern 8, Hick's, do. 10, Jacksoa Borough 10, Pompon Post-office 3, Thompson's Tavern 11, SaUketcher Church 9, Pocota- ligo 7, Coosawhatchee 6, Beck's Ferry 23, Savannah 25. From Savannah a railroad is partly finished northeast to Macon, 210. From Charleston to New- York by ship, 670 miles. To Cape Fear 120 miles, Cape Look Out 75, Cape Hatteras 78, Capes of Virginia 140, Cape May 120, Bar- iiegat 70, Ntiw-York Bar 45, Sandy Hook 3, Narrows 11, New-York 8 From Charleston to New- York, by land and water. Steamboat to Wilmington, North Caiolina, daily, 14 hours. Railroad to Weldon, through Waynesboro' and Enfield, 10 hours. Railroad to Portsmouth, 77 miles up the Ches- apeake Bay. Steamboat to James River 6, Old Point Comfort 20, New Point Comfort 10, Rappahannock river, 65, St. Mary's Outlet 42, Port Tobacco 38, Mouth of Potomac 15, Mount Vernon 30, Alexandria 9, Washing- ton city 6. Railroad to Baltimore, through Bladens- burgh. Or, from Norfolk to Baltimore by Steamboat 197 milei. Or from Norfolk to Richmond by Steamboat 117, })assing Jamestown 24, the first settlement in Virginia, (1609.) Or, from Weldon, North Carolina, to Washington, through Petersburgh, 204 miles. Railroad to Petersburgh, Virginia 60, Richmond 22, Frcdericksburgh 64, Belle- plaine 11. Steamboat to Washington, as before, 47. REFLECTIONS, &C. 243 Reflections of the Traveller at the termination of his Journey. An intelligent and virtuous traveller cannot fail to have made many useful observations, and experienced many feelings of an interesting nature, which he will wish to lay up in his memory, and recur to in future. In such a person, travelling tends to foster pati'iotism of the best kind. We know the beauty of that inheritance, which we have received from our ancestors, when we have seen it ; and intei'course with our most estimable countrymen leads us to place a proper value on our national institu- tions and national union. On returning to the enjoyments of home and friends, with becoming feelings of gratitude to Him, whose hand has guided and protected us, how natural is the in- quiry, " how may I act for the improvement of society around me ?" If we have learned any lessons of disinter- estedness, let us endeavour to bring them into habitual practice. If we have acquired any knowledge which might be useful to agriculture, arts or sciences in our neighbourhood, let us impart it to those who know how to apply it. Popular lectures, libraries and literary and scientific associations will merit patronage. One of the most important subjects which now occupy the attention of our countrymen, is public education; and in several of the states, especially that of New-York, the traveller may have seen most valuable plans of improve- ment in operation. No man can be too much engrossed in business, or in too obscure a situation, to exert some useful influence in favour of the common schools of his state, county, town, or district. He may excite that in- ,, terest in others which he feels himself, impart to them simi- lar views, assist m procuring better methods of instruc- tion or discipline, found a district library, or in some other way promote the diffusion of the sound knowledge, habits, taste, and sentiments, which the country so much needs, for her happiness and security. APPENDIX. Extract of a letter from the Baroness Reidesel, referred to on page 81. "But severe trials awaited us, and on the 7th of Octo- ber, our misfortunes began. I was at breakfast with my husband, and heard that something was intended. On the same day I expected Generals Burgoyne, Phillips and Frazer to dine with us. I saw a great movement among the troops; my husband told me, it was merely a recon- naissance, which gave me no concern, as it often happened. I walked out of the house and met several Indians in their war dresses, with guns in their hands. When I asked them where they were going, they cried out Wari War! (meaning they were going to battle.) This filled me with apprehension, and I scarcely got home before I heard re- ports of cannon and musketry, which grew louder by de- grees, till at last the noise became excessive. About 4 o'clock in the afternoon, instead of the guests whom I ex- pected, General Frazer was brought on a litter mortally wounded. The table which was already set, was instantly removed, and a bed placed in its stead for the wounded General. I sat trembling in a comer; the noise grew louder and the alarm increased ; the thought that my hus- band might perhaps be brought in, wounded in the same way, was terrible to me, and distressed me exceedingly. General Frazer said to the surgeon, ' tell me if my wound is mortal, do not flatter me.'' The ball had passed through his body, and unhappily fm- the General, he had eaten a very hearty breakfast, by which the stomach was distended, and the ball, as the surgeon said, had passed through it. I heard him often exclaim with a sigh, * Oh fatal ambition! Poor General Burgoyne ! Oh my poor wife !' He was asked if he had any request to make, to which he replied, that £P FEND IX. 245 *" If General Burgoyne would permit it, he should like to be buried at six o'clock in the evening on the top of a mountain, in a redoubt which had been built there.' I did not know which way to turn, all the other rooms were fall of sick. Towards evening I saw my husband coming, then I forgot all my sorrows and thanked God that he was spared to me. He ate in great haste with me and his aid- de-camp, behind the house. We had been told that we had the advantage of the enemy, but the sorrowful faces I beheld told a different tale, and before my husband tvent away, he took me one side, and said every thing was going very bad, that I must keep myself in readiness to leave the place, but not to mention it to any one. I made the pretence that I would move the next morning into my new house, and had every thing packed Up ready. " Lady H. Ackland had a tent not far from our house; in this she slept, and the rest of the day she was in the camp. All of a sudden a man came to tell her that her husband was mortally wounded and taken prisoner ; on hearing this she became very miserable ; we comforted her by telling her, that the wound was only slight, and at the same time advised her to go over to her husband, to do which she would certainly obtain permission, and then she could attend him herself; she was a charming woman and very fond of him. I spent much of the night in comforting her, and then went again to my children whom I had put to bed. I could not go to sleep, as I had General Fi'azer and all the other wounded gentlemen in my room, and I was sadly afraid my children would awake, and by their crying disturb the dying man in his last moments, who often addressed me and apologized '/or the trouble he gavemeJ' About three o'clock in the morning I was told he could not hold out much longer ; I had desired to be informed of the near approach of this sad crisis, and I then wrapped up my children in their clothes, and went with them into the room below. About 8 o'clock in the morning he died. After he was laid out and his corpse wrapped up in a sheet, we came again into the room, and had this sorrowful sight before us the whole day, and to add to this melancholy scene, almost every moment some officer of my acquaintance was brought in wounded. The cannonade commenced agnin ; a retreat was spoken of,. 246 appendix; but not the stnallest motion was made towards it. Abotil 4 o'clock in the afternoon I saw the house which had just been built for me in flames, and the enemy was now not far off. We knew that General Burgoyne would not refuse the last request of General Frazer, though by his acceding to it, an unnecessary delay was occasioned, by which the inconvenience of the armj' was much increased. At 6 o'clock th'*, corpse was brought out, and we saw all the Generals attend it to the mountain; ihe chaplain, Mr, Brundell, performed the funeral service, rendered unusually solemn and awful, from its being accompanied by constant peals from the enemy's artillery. Many cannon balls flew close by me, but I had my eyes directed towards the mountain, where my husband was standing, amidst the fire of the enemy, and of course, I could not think of my own danger. General Gates afterwards said, that if he had known it had been a funeral he would not have per- mitted It to be fired on." Lady Harriet Ackland went to the American camp after the action, to take care of her husband before the surrender, and the Baroness Reidesel afterwards. They were both received with the greatest kindness and deli- cacy, epecially by General Schuyler. Population according to the Census of 1830 and 1840. 1830 1840 Maine, 399,955 501,798 New-Hampshire, 269,328 284,481 Vermont, - 280,652 291,818 Massachusetts, - 610,408 737,784 Rhode Island, 97,199 108,837 Connecticut, 297,665 310,131 New-York, 1,915,608 2,432,835 New-Jersey, 320,823 373,276 Pennsylvania, 1,348,233 1,850,000 Delaware, 76,748 78,120 Maryland, 447,040 467,567 Ohio, 937,903 1,515,703 INDEX. Aibany* 2,3 , 27 Chippewa !«■■■ M 0.-? Alexandria {D. C.) 218 Erie 61 Amherst 157 Groton 167 Andre's Grave 15 Lake George 93 Capture and Exec'n 19 Lexington 185 Andover 186 Montmorency 135 Anthony's Nose, Hud' Pequod 141, 168 son River 17 Plattsburgh 109 vn Erie Canal 35 Quebec 132 Lake George 90 Do. in 1775 133 Antiquities 143, 45, ^% , 73 Queenston 51 Aqueduiit Saratoga 75 , 78 at Little Falls 37 Ticonderoga 96 Rochester 46 Turner's Falt^ 159 Arnold's Treachery 19 White Plains 14 Arsenals Bellows' Falls 160 Troy 28 Black Rock 66 Quebec 126 Bloody Brook 158 Spring^field 153 Pond 90 Ascutney Mountain 162 Bloomfield 70 Auburn 72 Blue Hills 175 Ballston Springs 82 Boston 175 Baltimore 220 Brattleborougli 160 Bangor 213 Bridgeport 140 Bat a via 69 Brock's Monument 51 Bath {Maine) 211 Brookfield 184 {N. H.) 165 Brooklyn (N. Y.) 12 (N. Y.) 13 Buffalo" 66 Battle of Bebmis's Bunker's Hill 177 Heights 75 , 78 Burgoyne's (Gen.) Ex- Bennington 77 pedition 79 Bloody Brook 158 Battle Ground 77 Bridgewater, or Lun - Quarters 81 dy's Lane 57 Burlington ( F/.) 107, 164 Bunker's Hill 177 Caldwell DO 248 INDEX. Canada, GeneralRe' Falls. marks on 60 Au Sable 108 Canals. Baker's 140 Blackstone Canal 174 Bellows 160 Erie 31 Carthage 4& Farmington 143 Catsk'll 21 Ohio 68 Glenn's 89- Welland 57 Cohoes •• 31 Canal Boat, Descrip- Little 36 tion of 28 Miller's 140 Canandaigua 70 Montmorency 133 Cape Diamond 129 Niagara 50 Cartiiag-e 46 Rochester 46 Catskiii 21 South Hadley 154 Mountains 21 Trenton. 39 Caughnawage 34 Turner's 159 Cemeteries (iV. Y.) 11 , 12 FishkiU 20 " Mt. Auburn 179 Flushing 12 Charlestown (Mass.) 177 Franconia 165 (N. H.) 161 Forts. Coal Mines 227 Adams 172 Cincinnati 222 Anne 138 Cleaveland 68 Clinton 16 Cohoes Falls 31 Crown Point 105 Colleges. Edward 139 Amherst 157 George 93 Brown 174 Griswold 167 Hamilton 39 Herkimer 38 Union 32 Lee 14 Washington 150 Miller 140 Yale 142 Montgomery 16 Connecticut River 145 Niagara 63 Dedham 174 Oswego 64 Deerfield 158 Erie 61 Dobb's Ferry 15 Putnam 17 Dorchester Heights 178 Saybrook 145 East Canada Creek 35 Stanwix 40 East Hartford 152 Ticonderoga 99 East River 141 Trumbull 166 Education in N. York 86 Washington 14 Essex (Conn.) 147 William Henry 95 Fairfield 141 Gates' (Gen.) Camp 77 INDEX. 249 Geneseo 69 Geneva 7^ Glenn's Falls 89 Gravesend 13 Greenfield 159 Greenwich 141 Gulf Road 162-3 Haddam 147 Hadley 157 Hampton 205 Hanover 164 Harlem 14 Hartford (Conn.) 149 Hatfield 157 Haverhill (N. H.) 165 Herkimer 38 Highlands 16 History of N. York 11, 32 Vermont 163 Mass. 177, 180 Hudson 23 Hydrostatic Locks 30 Indians. Mohegans 169, 171 Pequods 168 Senecas 69 Tuscaroras 49 Jacques Cartier 125 Johnson (Sir Wm.) 34 Johnstown 34 Junction 31 Kennebunk 207 Kingston 21 Kosciusko's Retreat 18 Lachine 119 Lakes. Cayuga 72 Champlain 99, 137 Erie 60, 67 George 88, 90, 97 Ontario 63 Saratoga 85 Seneca 71 Western 60 Lancaster 166 Laprairie 113 Lebanon Springs 24 Lewiston 49 Lexington 185 Little Falls 36 Lockport 48 Long Branch 13 Lorette 135 Lowell 187 M'Crea's Murder 139 Marblehead 205 Middletown 148 Military Academy — ■ West Point 18 Minerals of New-York 85 Conn. 143 Mohawk river 3i Montpelier 163 Montreal 114 Mount Holyoke 155 Hope 172 Vernon 218 Nahant 179 Newburgh 20 Newburyport 205 New-Haven 142 New-Lebanon Springs 24 New-London 166 Newport 172 Niagara Falls from Ame- rican side 50 Canada side 52 Northampton 155 Ogdensburgh 65 Ohio 221 Oneida 41 Orange Springs 13 Oswego 64 Canal 42 Ox Bow 165 50 INDEX. Palisadoes 13 Pawtucket 174 Pine Orchard 21 Pittsburgh 222 Plains of Abraham 131 Plattsburgh 108 Plymouth 180 Port Kent 108 Portland 207 Portsmouth 206 Poughkeepsie 21 Prisons, (State) Connecticut 149 New-York 76 , 72 Providence 173 Quebec 126 Queenstown 51 Rapids of Niagara 54 Richelieu 124 Rensselaerwyck 28 Ridge Road 48 Rockaway 13 Saco 207 Sackett's Harbour 65 St. John's 110 St. Lawrence 113, 12L Salem 204 Salina 43 Salt Spring 44 Saratoga 83 Saugerties 21 Saybrook 145 Schenectady 32 , 33 Schoharie Creek 34 Schooley's Mountain Springs 13 Shaker Village 26 Sing Sing 16 Sorel Village 122 South Hadiey 154 Springs. , Baiiston 82 Btirning^ 55, 70 New Lebanoo 24 New- York 85 Orange 13 Saratoga 83 Suffield 153 Stillwater 74 Stonington 168 Stony Point 16 Syracuse 42 Table Rock 53 Tappan 15 Tarrytown 16 Thames River 169 Three Rivers 123 Toronto 60 Route to Saratoga 74 Troy 29 Utica 38 Valley of St. Lawrence 60 Verplanck's Point 16 Virginia Springs 219 Walpole (N. H.) 160 Washington 215 Waterford 74 Wehawken 13 Welland Canal 58 Welles 206 West Point 17, 18 Wethersfield(Con.) 149 Whirlpool 52 Whitehall 137 While River 162 WilUam Henry 122 Windsor (Con.) 153 (Ver.) 162 Wlscasset 211 Wolfe's Cove 132 Worcester 152 York (xMaine) 207 For ike Courier ^ Enquirer- The White Mountains.— liQi nae advise our New York travellers to include in their summer trip, a visit to the " Vi/hite Mountains." I have made a hasty journey there, and am anxious olhevs may enjoy the pleasures of the jaunt. "There is no great preparation necessary —it requires but little time to accomplish it. Either route is plea- sant — all different. To those who would shun the hum, dust and cinders of a railroad car, 1 would re- commend the Connecticut river road— starling from Springfield at half-past eight in the morning, and passing through beautiful river villages, over valley ,and mountain, through verdant fields and forests as yet untouched by the white man's axe. Those who ike more of speed, and believe io riding on rails, I Would send to Boston, and start them to Concord, N. H. ; thence, via " Winnipisioga" lake, the ^'Franco- nia J\otck," and the " Old Man in the Mountain''^— not forgetting to call on Ezekial Bowles to guide them to the " Floom" and Ravine, which are well wonh'! the hour and a half it will require. The coaches and horses are good this way ; m fact cither way you are carried along in the right spirit— the spirit §f the mountains— clever and congenial. The drivers are often the proprietors, and all are care- ful, kind and intelligent. From Littleton you are taken charge of by Col. Pi,u£sell, who for 15 or 20 years has been a mountain stage man— having carried tnail and female without an accident for this length cl time. The Colonel is, in my judgment, the right sort. The short season, with increasing travel, has rather got ahead of him in numbers of horses and stages; he ^s tUcrefore obliged to put too many on a seat, and too many on a coach. With all this, however, he drives "up to time," and except ihe idea that you are overloaded, you get along about as comfo) tably ^s you wish. The Colonel lands you at "Fabyan's" or Craw- ford's, both very good houses. (The hotel keepers and drivers on the road are very careful to say no- ihinjj: to influence parties to either) I stayed at *' Fabyan's," which suited »ne. Mr. F. himself is a stirring, pleasant man. His desire is to do all he can to make the sojourner happy, and all around him geem to teel the same anxiety to make one want to go a^ain. If it is trout you like, you will find them With your breakfast, dinner or tea. Any thing that can be had in such a spot is found at Fabyan's, g:nod Bread and butter, tea and cak^ , custard a&d pudding, besides hot milk ^ith ^ood cofi[ee,or good mattresses with dean iheets, a willing, smart and active cham- bermaid : two good and pretty girls to serve the table, besides those of the other sex, all of the same good- natured, well bred sort. Then comes his train of mountain horses, firm on their feet, they ascend and descend. We wondered going up andcomtrig down to see them tread, "fhey seemed to know and feel the entire weight of their responsibility, which I confess with me was just 212 pounds. Sixteen horses, one after the other, in one narrow path, 8 ladies and S gentlemen, with as noble a guide as ever took the lead — sober, prudent, mild and attentive. Do as Fabyan the guide says and you will be safe enough, otherwise you are yourselves responsible The dis- t^tnce from both Fabyan's and Crawford's to the lop of the mountains is nine and a quai-ter miles, by ac- tual survey, certified to by two surveyors under oath and placed in the hotels on the way and at the moun tain. 1 cannot account for a Ei?n which 1 saw in front of Crawford's, which certainly is not right, making it only seven miles;— this may be accounted for bv the " strife between the hotels." After a visit to the mountain and passing a day or week, or two, in sporting, with trout, squirrels, wild pigeon, bear, woodchuck, deer and porcupine, fox, sable, rabbits, mink, wolves, moose, &c. &c., tell Col. Russell to harness up and take you down to the notch, and through to the " Wilie House," and then return, set- tle up with Fabyan, and take one look more at the glorious, uninhabited range of the highest hills we Allegganians have to|look upon, and feasting upon a lew more notes from the bugle echoing along the hills, place yourself in charge of the Col. and he will pass you homeward, the way you did not come, and my word for it, you will be delighted with the scenery and recommend your friends to go at once to the mountains ho I D. ne LIBRARY OF CONGRESS