.^ -^.r THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY 311.3 ^ M337t Y ... ■; RISTORICAl SHMT 4^_ **■ THE MBRARr OF THE UNtVEKSiTY UF ILLINOIS TRAVELS SOUTH AND NORTH AMERICA. \\\ ALEXANDKK MAU.lolill'.ANK^ tiF ilAK.mui HANKS. KITH'iU <•! TUAVKI.S IN NMW ZKALAMi, VI ,SII{\I-IA. &C L (> N D () N: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, AND COMPANY I>. APPLETON AND CO., 200 IJKOADWAY. \R\V YORK. KS. ALEX VALKXK, PBOmB, & JAICB8*! COCBT, SDIVBCVOn. 9n.S ^ n ssrt Co Mm Pillcr. C'sq., OF UPPER PARLIAMENT STREET, LIVERPOOL. My Dear Sir, — The high character for every thing that can adorn human nature, which you have so long maintained amidst the vast mercantile community where your lot has been cast, requires no additional testimonial from me, so I simply hc^ to dedicate to you the following pages, as a small, though sincere, mark of my personal esteem and regard. But, in addition to the great kindness and at- tention which I have all along experienced at your hands, I am under a special debt of gratitude to you for having procured for me, through your 551421 --' a tVc'c ca j)0\V( ri'i il iniluence )in passage, in 1^^50, from Li veri)()()l to l^ostoii ill the United States of I Anic ric a. 1 was thus (Mial hMl, IVoin tl e savin.u' II (»treet(Ml in my other resources, to extend my toui to L(>\ver and Ujiper (.'anada, besides st'ciuii- iiKin of the United States than I lui^ht (Otherwise lia\t done. This act of true, jit'iiuine, and disintt^rested ,; friendshiji, can never l»e «*fVaced fr<»m my recolh'c- tion. \]\ er \ niir> triiK . ALi:X. MAUJOHIHANKS. J^\ij{.\i:i)iK Ilorsi 15atH('.atk. PREFACE. Althouh a Preface be now somewhat unfashionable, yet I am under the necessity of having recourse to it, in con- sequence of the extraordinary changes produced by the gold mania in Australia since I first went to press. Com- mon labourers are making from two to three hundred a-year at these diggings, and whilst most of them are said to do this readily, some few here and there are mak- ing more. Four men, in particular, divided £40,000 sterling amongst them in three months at the Port Phillip diggings. I saw it stated in a letter dated Geelong, June 1852, that nearly every man who had been in the colony for twelve months was in possession of from £200 to £2000. The editor of that excellent newspaper, tiie " Australian and New Zealand Gazette,'' published once a fortnight in London, by Alexander Elder Murray, 15 Old Bailey, says in the Number of 1st May 1852, — *« It is now estimated that the annual yield of Port Phillip will be five millions, which, with the New South Wales esti- mate of three millions, will make eight millions sterling annually." The same Journal of 10th July 1852, gives the follow- ing as the present annual supply of gold throughout the yj PREFACE. world, from which it will be seen that the estimate for the gold of Australia is put down at a still higher figure ;— Europe, exclusive of Russia, £200,0(X) Russia, .... K 000. 000 Asia, exclusive of Russia. 600,000 Africa 100.000 North America. .... 200,(K>0 South America, ... 1.200.000 California, .... 1 .'3,000.000 Australia, . 10,000.000 £30,000,000 What a wonderful thing is the run for gold ! Shep- herds leave their flocks, and sailors their ships. Fifty ships were lately laying at anchor at Port Phillip, without almost a single sailor on hoard of any one of them. It ought to be kept in view, however, that we only hear of those who succeed, whilst little or no notice is taken of the thousands who have been unsuccessful. Taking, however, the whole numbers (100,000) now employed at the Australian diggings, their average earnings may be estimated at nearly £3 sterling each per week. The Governor of Victoria had to groom his own horse, as the groom who left him was looking out for a groom to him- self. The commotion produced in that country is beyond conception. When common labourers return to Sydney, Melbourne, or Geelong for a few days, in order to see how their families are getting on, they generally bring fifty or a hundred pounds in their pockets, and deck up their wives and daughters with silk gowns and gold watches. A cotton ^own is now onlv remembered by them as a PREFACK. vii matter of history. The convicts are flocking over from Van Diemen's Land, and are even more fortunate than the gentlemen diggers. Untrack'd in deserts lies the marble mine, Undug the ore that midst thy rocks shall shine, Unborn the hands, but born they yet shall be, Fair Australasia, to dig up gold to thee. People from England, California, and the neighboiiruig colonies, are pouring so fast into Australia that no accu- rate account of the population could possibly be given, unless a new census were taken every month. This must be kept in view in reference to the statistics on this head, brieflv alhidcd to in tlio following work. Tlio eircum- rance of 200,000 individuals having flocked to the Port Phillip district alone, during the year 1852, sets all sta- tistics, in regard to population, completely at defiance. A new constitution has been given to New Zealand ^ince I went to press. The country is to be divided into six provinces, namely, Auckland, Wellington, Canter- bury, Nelson, Otago, and New Plymouth, each of which is to have a Superintendent and a Provincial Council, for the management of their own aff'airs ; whilst the colony generally, is to be managed by a " General Assembly, ' as it is termed, consisting of the Governor, a Legislative Council, and House of Representatives. The member^ of the Legislative Council are to hold their seats during life, whilst those belonging to the House of Representa- tives are to be elected every five years. The duration of every Provincial Council is to be four years. The Governor is to have a salary of L.2500 a-vear. viii PREFACE. A great fire broke out at Montreal on (Jtli June 1852, which consumed houses and stores to the amount of one miUion of dollars. But the most awful contiagration that ever occurred in that unfortunate city, broke out on 8th July 1852, which consumed 1200 houses, and raged over twenty acres of buildings, destroying property to the ex- tent of two million of dollars, and leaving 13,000 of the in- habitants, chiefly French Canadians, houselesj^ and desti- tute. That quarter of the town called the Quebec sub- urbs, was almost totally destroyed. To my esteemed friend, William Lockhart, Es(j. of Milton-Lockhart, the distinguished Member for the countv of Lanark, I am indebted for the Return presented to the House of Commons, as inserted at page 50 of tho following work. CONTENTS. Ph-... CHAPTER I. N w Zualaud — Recent Settlements of Oiago and Canter l.ury — Australia in general — "NVestern Australia — Tasmania, or Van Dienien's Land — Port Phillip or Victoria — South Australia — Cape of Good Hope, . . . j CHAPTKR II \ ova^e lioMi Australia to South Amt-rica — Tiic Falkland Inlands — Arrival at IJahia — Discoverj of America — Voyages of Columbus — Amerigo Vespucci — Ili-i name given to the Country, 24 CHAPTER III. History of the Empire of Brazil — Disjoined from Portugal — British Church at Rio do Janeiro — Description of Rio — Sunday in Brazil — Pro6igacy of the Priesthood — Description of Bahia, 3»> ( HAPTEU IV. Decay of the Slavo-tra(K> betwixt Africa and Brazil — Lord Palmer- ston's Speech — Report of the Committee of the House of Lords — Remarks by the Rev. J. L. Wilson, an American Missionary — Contrast betwixt American and British Missionaries — Evidence of Jose CliflFe, M.D. — Xegroland or Nigritia — ]\Iode of stowing away the slaves in the slave vessels betwixt Africa and Brazil — Mode of hiring slaves, ..... 49 CONTENTS. CHAPTER V rag( History of the Slave Trade — Importation of Negroes into Virginia — Mohammed Aii's slave hunts — Diflferencc between Christian and Mohammedan Slavery — Abolition of the Slave Trade — Diffe- rence between that and the Abolition of Slavery — Horrible Narrative by the Rev. P. G Hill, . .69 CHAPTER Vr. Misrepresentations and delusions practised upon the people of Great Britain in regard to Slavery — Testimony of Captain Alexander — Of Vincent Paradise — Of a Norwich Artizan — Of M. De Lanaar- tine— Of Caldcleugh— Of Gardner— Of the Rev. Dr Walsh—Of the Quarterly Review — Discjuisilion on the " Licitncs.i of the Slave Trade," by the Rev R. Harris of Liverpool, . 83 CHAPTER VII. The Cadeira or Sedan Chair u«ed in Brazil — Anecdote of a Slave purchasing another Slove — Food of the Slaves — In«urrection of the slaves at Hayti or St Domingo — Massacre of the French — Island of Cuba — Strangulation by the Garotte — Grand Review of Troops at Babia— Gold mines of Brazil — German, Swiss, and Irish Colonies in Brazil — No antipathy to Dissection — Mode of cbas. iising Slaves — Little chance of the Slaves in Brazil being emanci- pated — The Coffee plant — The Pampas or Plains of South Ame- rica—Mode of catching Wild Cattle and Horses with the Lasso, 94 CHAPTER VIII Advantages of emigrating to America — The Menai Bridge — Voyage from Liverpool to Boston in the United States of America — Wonderful extent of emigration from Ireland — The United States more Irish than Ireland — Extent of Emigration from Liverpool — Banks of Newfoundland — Safelv landed at Boston, 114 CHAPTER IX. Sketch of the rise, progress, and final establishment of the Independ- ence of the U^nited States of America, .... 137 CONTENTS. xi Page. CHAPTER X. Description of Boston — Origin of the word Yankee — The Mont- gomery House in Boston — Breakfasts and Dinners in America — French Cookerj — Rapidity at their meals — Jenny Lind at Boston Sum realized by her in America — Sunday in Boston — Anec- duto of Admiral Montague — Monument at Bunker's Hill — No hangmen in America — Murder of Abraham Suydam, Esq , by Peter Robinson— Charge delivered by the Judge to the Jury, , 161 CHAPTER XI. Religious sects — Tho Mormonites — A Mormon sermon — Shakers — Millerites — Extent of Education in the United States — The Bath- gate Academy — Island of Jamaica — Doings of the Night Watch at Boston, . . . ■ • .187 CHAPTER XII. Lowell and its Manufactures — Spinning and Weaving Ladies — Slave-factories — Wonderful trade between Britain and America Railway anecdote — Burlington — Lake Champlain — Arrival at Montreal, ....... 204 CHAPTER XIIL Great Fires at Montreal — Letters of Introduction — Description of Montreal — The Rev. Mr M 'Gill's Prayers — Proper length of Prayers and Sermons — Improvements on the Liturgy of the Church of England in the United States — Police Court at Mon- treal — Population of Montreal — The Rapids of the St Lawrence — Tour among tho French Canadians — Visit to the Eastern Town- ships — Wonderful Adventures of a Dog — Description of Quebec — Extraordinary Scene on the Steamers betwixt Quebec and Montreal, ....... 220 CHAPTER XIV. Voyage on the St Lawrence from Montreal to Kingston in Upper Canada — Description of Kingston — Provincial Penitentiary — Horrible Murder of Mr Kinnear — Lake Ontario — Description of xii CONTEXTS. Fafte. Toronto — Price of Provisions — Mr William Lyon Mackenzie — Letter from him to the Author — Lunatic Asylum at Toronto — Interview with the Earl of Elgin — l)r Durie, K.H — Change in the Climate of Upper Canada — Beauty and fertility of the country — Annexation of Canada to the United States— Mr James Ji. IJrnwn's Work on Canada, 243 CHAPTER XV. Description of the Falls of Niagara — Accidents and JJisasters at the FalU — Extracts from the Tabic Kock Album — Suspension Bridge at the Falls — Sanguinary Battles fought in their vicinity — Description of Buffalo on Lake Erie — The City of Cincinnati — Its wonderful rise and progress — The river Ohio — Route from Buffalo to Detroit — Chicago and Milwaukie — Habit of Swearing in .Vmcrica, ....... 266 CHAPTER XVL Journey truni liuilulo to Albany — Rochester — Genesee Flour — Geneva — Waterloo — Auburn — State Prison there — Syracuse — Rome — Utica and Schenectady — Description of Utica — A Bap- tism in the Riter Mohawk — Saratoga Springs — Scene of General Burgoyne's Exploits and Surrender — Death of General Eraser — Description of American Railways, .... 2b3 CHAPTER XVH. Description of Albany — Sail on the River Hudson — Major AniJre — New York — Its present state and future s^reatness — Omnibu>.e8 at New York — Visit to Schools there— Fatal Riot at the Opera House, New York — Emperor Napoleon's plan for (juelling a Riot The 4th of July — Psalms and Hymns used in certain Churches, composed with reference to the War of Independence, 300 CHAPTER XVIIL Slavery in the United States — Number of Slave Owners — Slave- breeding States — Account of Virginia — Failure of the Liberiau Colony — Population of the United States in ItioO — Governor Hammond's Letter to Thomas Clarkson — Dreadful Depression in the Island of Jamaica — Cause of the Abolition of Slavery in the Free Stales of the Union — Slavery upheld by the Clergy in America — Selling Slaves by Auction, .... 230 CONTENTS CHAPTER Xrx. XIU New Orleans— nioody Victory over the British in its vicinity — The Emperor Napoleon's Account of the Battle of Waterloo— General Jackson's Proclamation — Anecdote of General Washington ami an Indian Chief — Petition from a Red Indian to the Councils of South Carolina— Climate of New Orleans — The Ship of Death Punishment of Slaves — Prince Achille Murat's description of a Slave Plantation — Testimony borne to their humane treatment by Captain Barclay of Ury — Mr Buckingham— Lady E. 8. Wortlcy — Harriet Martineau — Sir Charles Lyell — The British Consuls in America — and Mrs Houstoun, . . . . .34 7 CHAPTER XX. The Fu{,'iiive Slave Bill — Public Meetins at New York — The Abo- litionists in America — Insurrection of Slaves in Virginia in 1831 — Horrible Massacre of the Whites — Capture and Execution of all the Insurgents — Nat. Turner's Confession — Authority of Scrip- ture in favour of th<' legality of the Fugitive Slave Bill — Reasons for not allowing Slaves to bo educated — Extent of Sexual Inter- course on Slave Plantations — The celebrated Scottish Chieftain, the Laird of MacNab, . , . . .370 CHAPTER XXL The late Honorable Henry Clay's Compromise Resolutions on Slavery — Extracts from the Speech which he delivered in Senate on that occasion — The Honorable Daniel Webster's Sentiments on same subject — Enthusiastic reception given to great men in America — The Earl of Carlisle's description of the Congress of the United States — Distinction in regard to Color in the United States— Whether well founded, . . 383 CHAPTER XXII. Description of the various drinks used in America — The system of boarding — Its advantages and disadvantages — Early rising and breakfasting — Comparative absence of Nymphs of the Pave — Lynch law— Value of women in America — Fire Brigades — Uni- form rate of postage — Hostility of the Irish to the coloured and German population — The Constitution of the United Slates — Xiv roNTMXT Erroneous notions rosar.ling Kquality — Titlrs in America — Anfc dote of the late Earl of Selkirk — Views entertained in rei;:»r«l to an equal division of property — Tlie two leading {Mirties in America, the Whigs and Democrats, .... I'.tx, rv»: CIIAPTEIi Will. .System of Divorce in the United ^tates — ^■i8it to Phil.idelpliia — Teueti of the l^uakurs — The (iirard C«)llege — Fire Hrii^ades — Hottilitj to the Coloured Population — The use of Bowie Knives and KevolvinK ristoU — The Earl of Carlisle's Description of Congre«»_IIospitulity of the SlaTe States, . 4J4 CHAPTER X\IV. Professor Johnston';! views in regard to the agriculture of the United States — Captain Barclay's agricultural tour in America — Preference giTcn to the State of Illinois hy Mr Stuart, Mr BuckinKham, and Mr Shirretf — Mr Threshie's remarks on farming in the United States, . . . . . .44 1 CHAPTEK XXV. Taxes in the United States— Efils of direct taxation — Rate of Wages — Dr Houston — Charl- * Wilson, Esq. — The canvass-back duck — Alexander Watson, Esq His valuable receipt for ouring gout — Steamer from New York to Glasgow — Advantages of the Northern passage, ...... 4.')3 CHAPTER XXVI. Population in advance of the supply of food — Appalling scene on board the Caroline from starvation — Anecdote of an Irish convict in the Feejee Islands — Horrible confession of Alexander Pierce, a convict in New South Wales — Statistics of the famine in Ire- land in 1847 — Effect of education in checking surplus population — Proper views to be entertained in regard to the advantages of machinery — Wonderful influence of education in civilising man- kind, . . . . . i'(;4 TRAVELS NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA CHAPTER I. Sew ZcaluiiJ — llecont settlpnients of Otago and Cunterbury — Australia in general — "VVesfern Australia — Tasmania, or Van Diemen's Land— Port Phillii), or Victoria— South Australia — Cape of Good Hope. Having already published my Travels in New Zealand and New South Wales, in two separate volumes, I must refer my readers to these works. .. New Zkaland — The whole settlements in New Zea- land are prosperous, and two new ones have been formed since I left that country, namely, Otago and Canterbury ; the one founded in 1847, chiefly under the auspices of the Free Church of Scotland, and the other in 1850, under those of the Church of England. The latter seems to be rather too much under sectarian surveilhmce. A Canterbury settler writes thus — " For Heaven's sake ! leave bishops and deans, for a time at least, to that Providence which they profess to preach, but in which they do not like to trust, and make roads, bridges, and drains." Otago is situated near the southern end of the middle island, and consists of an oblong tract of land running from north to south, 2 SOUTH AMERICA. about TO miles, with an average width of 12 or 14, and is a district well watered, fertile, and excellently adapted both for husbandry and pasturage. The capital of Otago has been called Dunedin, that being the Celtic name for Edinburgh. It is situated at the summit of a fine land- locked sheet of salt water, called Otago Harbour, or Port Otago, 14 miles from the ocean. Large vessels cannot reach Dunedin, the water being shallow, but anchor at Port Chalmers, 7 miles below it. Dunedin is well situated, being within G or 7 miles of extensive and fertile plains. It must be kept in view, however, that there is but little grass in New Zealand, until the endless ramifications of roots and fibrous substances be removed, which is attended with considerable labour and expense. The roots, how- ever, are very nourishing. The Canterbury settlement is situated about 180 miles to the north of Otago, on the east coast of the middle island, and consists of upwards of 2,000,000 of acres. Its capital is called Lyttleton, founded in Victoria Harbour, formerly Port Cooper. This port is an excellent one, and is situated at the north-west angle of Banks' Peninsula. The thriving French settle- ment of Akaroa, 50 miles from Lyttleton, is also on thi.-* peninsula, which contains 250,000 acres of moinitain land, covered with the kouri pine, some of them 200 feet high. I am still of opinion that the capital of New Zealand should be transferred from Auckland to VrelMngton, at Port Nicholson, as being infinitely more central for that country, taken as a whole. The settlers are well pleased with the new constitution, as they have got biennial par- liaments, and a rate of suflTrage nearly universal. They complain, however, of government or crown nominees. The New Zealand Company resigned its functions to the Crown iu 1850. A uniform rate of postage came into operation throughout the country in 1851, by which letters SOUTH AMERICA. 3 are charged twopence each. Three vessels reached the Canterbury settlement with emigrants in 1850, making the voyage from England in 98 days. The British popu- lation in New Zealand is now 30,000, whilst it has been lately discovered that the whole native population does not exceed GO, 000. The latter have been totally subdued, and are now peaceable and industrious; and a number of the native women are married to British settlers. Their whole habits are becoming like ours, and though they have but few sheep and cattle, yet they are possessed of vast numbers of pigs. Almost all their chiefs are dead. In the month of August 1850 no less than four of the leading northern chiefs died, viz., Ileki, Pomare, Waharoa, and Taki Warn. In the southern province the same fate has awaited Warei)ori, Rauperaha, and Ileko, the son of Te Pahi, who visited England many years ago. Rangi- haiata, who, along with Rauperaha, made himself so notorious at the Wairau massacre in 1843, when 22 of our countrymen were killed, is still alive, but has lost caste, and is regarded by the natives themselves with feelings of aversion. E Puni is now old, and his influence is solely amongst the tribes at Port Nicholson, where I resided. Nature would seem to have decreed, that wher- ever the Anglo-Saxon race plants itself, the native race must expire. They say to us, *' You are a great people — we are a little people ; you know everything — we know nothing ; we like you, and would learn from you, but we die before your breatli." Heki, before his death, sent a present of four head of cattle to the governor, Sir George Grey, as a proof of his love towards him. When dying, he said to a minister who visited him, *' If the Great Cor- rector thus continue to press upon us, you will soon toll your bell, but there will be none to answer it." This touching expression, in the symbolical Maori eloquence, 4 SOUTH AMERICA. was understood to refer to liis gloomy fears, not only of his own death, but of the dying away of the native raee. On his deathbed he charged those around him to *' sit at peace for ever, as war was a game at which all parties lost." Two of his acts deserve to be chronicled. In an attack upon one of his pahs (native villages) our troops being formed in line within musket shot and falHng rapidly, he actually desisted from firing ; — both he and his men — (who could not understand our mode of fighting in ranks), calling out to the troops to go further away, and not stand together, as they did not want to kill them, but only to prevent them from taking the pali. The other instance was, when one of our officers had clumsily backed his men, whilst retreating before Ileki, into a swamp, from which they could not extricate themselves, Hcki ordered his men to cease firing, whilst the British troops scrambled out on the farther side of the swamp unhurt, and were permitted to eflect their further retreat with im- punity, — though, whilst up to the middle in the swamp, everv man's life was at the mercy of the humane chief, and his well-trained and well-armed followers. There are now 300,000 sheep and 30,000 horned cattle in New Zealand, besides horses, goats, and pigs. The sheep and cattle are chiefly in the Wellington and Nelson districts. Beef, pork, and mutton vary a little in the dif- ferent settlements from fourpence to sixpence the pound. A great demand for New Zealand produce, particularly potatoes, had sprung up in California, and some of the settlers in the valley of the Ilutt, at Port Nicholson, and also at Auckland, had realised large profits. One man in 1850 bought some potatoes at Auckland for £5, which he sold in California for £Qd. A vessel that left San Francisco, in California, reached Auckland in twenty-nine days. SOUTH AMERICA. 5 The following is an extiact from a letter addressed by Thomas Moore, who left the village of Kirkstyle, Kinfaun?, Perthshire, in 1849, to Mr John 3I'Intyre, gardener at Seggieden, near Perth, dated Nelson, New Zealand, March 1850. •' Dear John, — "When we go out to walk here we almost lose ourselves among the grapes, peaches, apricots, i^vc, and John, mind these things do not grow in hothouses, but out of doors. " Agnes was married in February to a very nice gentleman who has £3 a-week. She was only twenty-five days on shore when she was married. We would not think a dinner worth sitting down to without a roasted goose. "We never had a storm the whole >vay out. It was nice to bo on the sea ; I wish I was on it again. Oh, John, we are on the other side uf liie world now, for when it is twelve o'clock in the day with us, it is twelve o'clock at night with you. Wc would not come homo allliough our passage was paid." When the road now forming from Nelson to the Wairaii plains is completed, it will be of great advantage to that district, as it will bring these extensive plains within 40 miles of Nelson, instead of 140 as at present. New Zealand must always be a favourable field for British emigrants, from the extraordinary salubrity of its climate. Now that the railway across the isthmus of Panama is completed, we shall soon be able to reach New Zealand by steamers from this country in 49 days, and Australia in 55. Though the route by the Cape of Good Hope may be the best for steam communication with Australia, yet the Panama route must always be the best for New Zea- land, as vessels would all naturally touch there first on their way to Australia. Indeed a company called the Australasian Pacific Mail Packet Company, has been formed to carry this into effect, and the time occupied may be stated pretty nearly as follows : — 6 SOUTH AMERICA. r>»>va. From England to Chagres by the West India Mail Steamers, 18 Crossing the Isthmus of Panama by rail, and detention un- loading and loading, . . . . . 2 Screw Steamer once a month from Panama to New Zealand, touching at the Friendly Islands, . . . 20 New Zealand to Sydney, . . . 6 66 Australia. — With regard to Australia generally, great changes have taken place since I left it. The population of the whole colony now amounts to half a million, of whom nearly 300,000 are in Eastern Australia, commonly called New South Wales, and the rest at Port- Phillip, now called Victoria, South, and West Australia. There arc now 30 millions of sheep iu Australia, producing 70 millions pounds weight of wool aninially. Some stock -holders have 150,000 sheep. One million of sheep, and (;(),0U0 cattle are yearly slaughtered, and boih d down for tlu'ir tallow, &c. Tho imj)orts, principally from Great Britain, amount to live millions sterling, annually ; and the exports, consisting chiefly of wool, tallow, oil, gold, and copper, to six millions. The discovery of gold in 1)S;>0 and 1851, both in the Ba- thurst and Port Phillip districts, GO miles from ^Iclbourne, has excited a great commotion amongst them. A poor but respectable Scotsman, of the name of Hen- derson, found one of the largest lumps of gold, weighing 46 ounces, for which Captain Hindson of Sydney, who was on the spot, gave him a cheque for £282. When the golden prize was first perceived by Henderson, he was struck both speechless and powerless, and fell prostrate on the earth. He would not have been a true Scots- man, if he had not fainted at such a discovery. Gold is the deity to which that religious and enlightened nation seem to offer up all their worship and all their adoration. SOUTH AMERICA. 7 When I crossed the Blue Mountains, and visited Ba- thurst, some years ago, I was not aware that I was then 80 near the gold region, otherwise I might have been induced to remain in that remote part of tlie world ; and like my worthy countryman, might perhaps have been called upon to fall prostrate also. The gold mines of Australia bid fair to rival those of California. Gold, to the amount of 30 millions sterling, has been produced by the latter since first discovered. Some captains of shij)^, who had taken out some females there on a speculation, were obliged to sell them by auction to defray the cost of their passage. The plainest among them was knocked down at £4, 3s., and the highest at £11, 5s. Sydney, where 1 resided for two years, now contains, with the suburbs, ()0,000 inhabitants; 5000 individuals had left Australia for California during the three years preced- ing 1851. The repeal of our navigation laws was hailed as a great boon to the colony. The revival of transportation, even under the name of exiles, or ticket of leave men, who had been sent to Moreton Bay, and Western Austra- lia, was loudly condemned by the whole colonists, with the exception of the outlying stock-holders and squatters, who are at all times in great \wuit of stockmen and shep- herds, and would rather employ a pickpocket, than have their j)ockets picked from want of hands to tend their sheep and cattle. The Anti- transportation Association at Sydney, de- nounce the continuance of transportation to Van Dicmen's Land, as they maintain that indirect transportation sub- jects them to many of the evils of direct transportation to the sister colony. It appears that nearly 5000 convicts from Van Dicmen's Land, whose sentences had expired^ emigrated during the three years preceding 1850, to Aus- tralia, the greater part to Port Phillip. Of the petitions 8 SOUTH AMERICA. presented to the Legislative Council of New South Wales between the 30th of August and 28th of September 1850, those in favour of transportation numbered 625 signatures, while those against it were 3(i,;'381). They became so cla- morous for steam navigation to this country, that a com- mittee of the House of Ci)ininons was ap])()inted in 1851, on eastern steam communication with India, China, and Australia, who reported that the route via the Cape of Good Hope was the most advantageous for the transport of the mails, so far as Australia was concerned ; and the recommendation of the committee has been lately carried into effect by the government. Three plans were in com- petition, viz.. the Panama route ; the Cape route, and the Indian route by K^^typt and the Red Sea. The word Pa- nama, in the Indian lan^nnge, signifies a place abounding with fish. There is still a gicat demand in Australia for female domestics, w ho are getting high w ages, much higher, indeed, than in America. The settlers at the Moreton Bay district are willing to accept of convicts as shepherds, more from necessity than choice. Owing to the unprotected state of the frontier district, stockmen and shepherds are speared by the abo- rigines in great numbers, and free shepherds are conse- quently difficult to be got. The convicts, however, are at once placed on the out-stations, whether they will or not ; and when killed, they are easily replaced. In a letter from one of my brothers (Gilbert), who is in that district, dated Bungaban by Gayndah, 2Gth July 1851, he states, that at his station the shepherds are all Chinese, ^vho are fond of keeping a great many dogs. Both the men and the dogs seem to have good appetites, as three of them consumed for their rations, four sheep in eight days. He mentions, that the \\eek before he wrote, a number of the blacks had made an attack on his out- SOUTH AMERICA. 9 station, and carried off a number of his sheep, and that the shepherd had had two spears thrown at him, one of which went through his trousers, but without hurting him, and the other through his hat. *' We recovered," he adds, " all the sheep but nine, and had two very fatiguing days through a very scrubby part of the country, in pur- suit of the blacks. Six of us, well mounted and armed, formed a party, and one of the six was a native black, be- longing to another tribe, who knew all their haunts, and could, besides, have easily tracked them ; but, unfor- tunately, a heavy shower of rain which fell during the night having obliterated the track, we were unsuccessful in our pursuit." The greater part of the wool in Australia is produced under the squatting system. The price of butcher's meat varies a little in the different settlements at Australia, but may be said generally to run from twopence to fourpence the pound, averaging threepence. For the information of my young historical readers it may be interesting to state the manner in which some of the colonies came into our possession. The Canadas capitulated in 1759 and 17G0, and were ceded by the French Government at the peace of Paris in 17G3. The other American colonies were originally fisheries and set- tlements, established soon after their discovery in 1492. Antigua and Barbadoes, Montserrat, St Nevis, St Kitt's, Tortola, Anguilla, the Bahamas and Bermuda, were set- tlements made during the 17lii century ; Dominica and Grenada were ceded by France in 17G3; Jamaica capitu- lated to the naval forces of Cromwell in 1G55; St Lucia cai)itulated in 1803 ; St Vincent and Tobago were ceded by France in 17G3 ; Trinidad capitulated in 1797 ; British Guiana in 1803; Honduras was obtained by the terms of a treaty made in 1G70; Gibraltar capitulated to Sir G, 10 SOUTH AMERICA. Rooke in August 1704, Malta in 1800, the Cape of Good Hope in 1806, Ceylon in 1795, Mauritius in 1810; St Helena was ceded by Holland in 1673; Hong Kong, by the Chinese treaty, in 1842; and the colonies of Australia and New Zealand were settlements formed between the years 1787 and 1850; New South Wales was made a settlement in 1787; Van Diemen's Land in 1803, Western Australia in 1829; Southern Australia in 1834; New Zealand in 1840; and Victoria or Port Phillip in 1850, having been that year detached from New South Wales, with which it was originally conjoined. Western Australia was colonised in 1829, and at that time was more frequently called the Swan River Set- tlement, from its being formed on that river, ^^hich derived its name from the number of black swans frequenting it. It is about 1200 miles long and 800 broad, and covers an area of one million of square miles or about eight times that of the United Kingdom. It is 11,200 miles from England, and there are now upwards of half a million of sheep depasturing on its extensive plains, though the whole population, including convicts, does not exceed 10,000 souls. The chief towns are Perth, the capital, and Free- mantle. Perth is built on the Swan river about twelve miles from Freemantle, which lies at its mouth, and may be called its i^hipping port, although the bar across the mouth of the river prevents the approach of ships of large burthen. A number of the convicts are settled at Free- mantle and its neighbourhood, and are said on the whole to be well-behaved, havmg almost all of them obtained tickets of leave. Mr Thomas Peel, a cousin of the late Sir Robert Peel, may be called the founder of the colony. Being possessed of a large capital, he obtained from Government, in 1829, SOUTH AMERICA. j [ a grant of land at the Swan river, amounting to a quarter of a million of acres, on condirion of taking out a certain number of emigrants, being at the rate of one acre of land for every one shilling and sixpence of outlay. Peel with a few friends landed there himself in 1829, and the number of settlers during that year numbered 850 at its close; and twenty ships had been employed in conveying them to their destination. Although the emigrants were under a nominal contract to work to him, yet he had no control over them after they landed, to keep them to their engage- ments. Had the expedition, instead of one great master and a number of servants, consisted of small working capitalists, trusting entirely to their own industry, they might probably have succeeded. As it was, however, the working people, losing sight of the moral obligation altogether, deserted their leader almost immediately upon landing — his stock was stolen or died, and his stores and implements actually rotted on the beach, as his servants would not even carry them to a place of shel- ter. The men, in the meantime, after deserting him, went some to Van Diemen's Land, though the greater part squatted in the bush, where they soon came to want and misery, whilst some were destroyed by the natives. In this dilemma they had the impudence to return to their generous master, who had expended his means in bringing them out, and demanded employment and supplies. Peel being a humane man would probably have overlooked their behaviour and complied with their request, but they had put it out of his power to do so, from having allowed his stores to rot on the beach, as formerly mentioned. When they found him thus unable to comply with their demands, some of them actually proposed that he should be hanged, and he with difficulty escaped that cruel fate. Such was the sad termination of an attempt at combined 12 SOUTH AMERICA. labour on a great scale without the power of enforcing obedience. The Swan river is about 4,000 miles from Calcutta ; 2,000 from Sydney by sea; 1200 from Van Diemen's Land; 4,700 from the Cape of Good Hope; and 3,300 from Canton in China. There are now 2,000 convicts there, most of whom, shortly after landing, obtain cither conditional pardons, or tickets of leave. There is not any material difference in these terms, and, except in not being able to return to this country until the period of their banishment has expired, they must be considered as almost free emigrants in Wes- tern, and Northern Australia. After being subjected to a reformatory punishment at home, they are sent either to Bermuda or Gibraltar, and from thence to these pro- vinces. The convicts from Btrmuda, who were denied an asylum at the Cape of Good Hope, were faken there and were well received, labour being in great demand. More- ton Bay in New South Wales, which is occasionally called Northern Australia, gets now also a portion of them. Tasmania, or Van Diemen's Land, is an island situa- ted at the extreme southern part of Australia, from w hich it is separated by Bass's Straits, averaging about 1 00 miles wide. It is about one-half of the size of Ireland, and is 12,2G0 miles from England. It was discovered in 1G42 by Tasman, a Dutch navigator, who called it Van Die- men's Land, in honour of his patron of that name, who was Governor of the Dutch possessions in the East Indies. It was taken possession of in 1803, by a small detachment of military from Sydney, with the view of forming a penal settlement for the doubly-convicted felons of New South Wales; and in 1804 was formally taken possession of by the British Government, under Governor Collins, \\ho SOUTH AMERICA. 13 landed there from England with 400 convicts and a guard of 50 marines, and it has ever since been a penal colony, though transportation to New South Wales ceased in 1840. It is very fertile upon the whole, there being 200,000 acres under crop, chiefly wheat, oats, and pota- toes. It was called at one time the granary of New South Wales. There arc three millions of sheep on the island, and 150,000 horned cattle. Mutton is 3d., and beef 4d. the pound. Its exports and imports are nearly equal, amounting to half a million sterling annually — the imports preponderating. Previous to the year 1830, the bush- rangers, or escaped convicts, had become a terror to the whole free settlers, and, after a desperate struggle, were put down, at least as a body, though single parties are always to be met with. There are not above 30 of the aboriginal inhabitants now left. They were such a horrible race of savages, and even cannibals, murdering and at- tacking without mercy the more distant and defenceless stock-keepers and farmers, that the Government, assisted by the free settlers, organised a plan in 1830 for surround- ing them as the game is surrounded in hunting expedi- tions. Though this did not at first altogether succeed, yet eventually, partly by kindness, partly by compulsion, they were collected together, and with the exception of a few, were removed in 1835 to a small island in Bass's Straits, opposite Port Phillip, called Fliuder's Island, where their numbers have dwindled down to 13 or 14, though at first they were 210. Hobart Town, the capital of the island, contains '20,000 inhabitants, and Launceston, (120 miles from Hobart Town,) 10,000. A screw-steamer plies regularly between Launceston and Melbourne at Port Phillip. It cannot be considered an eligible place for emigrants, as convict labour has rendered other labour cheap, and they are still annoyed by the bush-rangers. 14 SOUTH AMERICA. Property lias become of late years mucli depreciated in value, and vast numbers of the free settlers (15,000) have left the colony altogether, chiefly for Australia, within the last ten years, whilst not a few of the convicts, and ticket-of-leave men have escaped. The following was the census of the population on 1st Marcli 1851 : — Free population . _ - - .03,031 Convict population, - - - 17,099 Making the total population, 70,130 The greater part of the convicts are ticket-of-leave holders, who maintain themselves. Upwards of GO, 000 convicts had arrived in the colony betwixt the years 1817 and 1850. They are becoming very c4amorous in Tasmania that transportation should cease altogether. They state that almost all the crimes committed in the colony are by the convicts, and that while transportation continues emigra- tion is impossible, as free people will not go to a convict colony. The answer which Earl Grey gave to their remon- strances seems to resolve into this, that whatever pun- ishment might be inflicted in this country, the convicts on its termination almost invariably relapse into their old habits ; that therefore some portion of their time of pun- ishment must be i)assed out of the country. That the colony was originally established as a penal settlement, and that the free inhabitants went there with the full knowledge of this fact. His Lordship, however, regrets the necessity he was under of sending any more, and holds out a promise that their number shall be gradually di- minished. On looking carefully over the whole statements, speeches, accusations, &c., that have been thundered forth by the Tasmanians against Earl Grey during the five SOUTH AMERICA. I5 years previous to 1852, in reference to transportation, and notwithstanding that thoy burned him in effigy in August 1851, I am of opinion that they are in a great measure unfounded. At the same time every one must admit that transportation to Van Dicmen's Land should now cease. It may be all very well for the Government, and the people of this country, to maintain that we must get quit of our convicts at all hazards ; but the free inliabitants of our colonies naturally say, " you are not entitled at all events to palm them upon us." All other countries have to employ them as they best can within their own territo- ries. In America they are frequently condemned to im- prisonment for ten and twenty years. That eminent young statesman, the Duke of Argyll,* in a debate in the House of Lords on 9th May 1851, on the Van Diemen's Land convict question, very sensibly remarked — " The arguments of thenublcLarl (Grey) were of a selfish kind, as being founded on the inconvenience we should sustain by keeping convicts in this country. But we could keep those convicts at home if we chose ; and the Government would soon only be able to send con- victs to those colonies who could not resist their arbitrary power. As the colonies rose in power and iutluence, we should be unable to continue the system." The Van Diemen's Land people protested against the introduction of 1,4!)8 female prisoners, who were landed there in eight convict ships in the year 1850. Their presence in the colony had given rise to shocking scenes of immorality, with some of the details of which the local •The word AriiyU is frequently spelt Argyle. I wrote to the noble Duke, requesting his Grace to acquaint me with the way in which he spelt it himself, and in reply ho politely says — "The Arg)ll family have uni- formly signed with the double /." 16 SOUTH AMERICA. papers abound, but tbcy are niucb too gross for insertion here. If I had been accompanied by the noble Earl (Grey) when I visited the penitentiary at Kingbton, in Upper Canada in 1850, I think his Lordship would probably have changed his mind in regard to the expediency of retaining convicts in Great Britain, and adopting the admirable system there employed. Port Piiillit ;— so named after Captain Phillip, the first Governor of New South Wales, was in l8o() disjoined from that province, and formed into a separate colony called Victoria. It covers an area of 02,000,000 of acres, has a coast line of 700 miles, and 120,000 inhabi- tants. It is considered the most fertile part of Aus- tralia, as it includes the district of country formerly called Australia Felix. There are two large towns in it. Melbourne, the capital, situated on the river Yarra Yarra, ^ix miles from its embouchure, and containing 30,000 inhabitants; and Gcelong, 50 miles to the S.W. of Melbourne, which now contains 10,000 inhabitants. Steamers ply daily between Geelong and Melbourne. Melbourne is 000 miles from Sydney by land. The ave- rage length of passage of vessels carrying wool, &c., from Port Phillip to London is 134 days. Out of 50 ves- sels the passage of the shortest was 100 days, and of the longest 170. Female domestics are engaged at Melbourne almost immediately upon landing, at wages varying from L 12 to L.20 per annum. There are 10,000,000 of sheep, and half a million of cattle in the colonv. Sheep bring from Os. to 10s., and cattle from 25s. to 50s a-head. Provisions of all kinds are remarkably cheap. Labourers get 4s a-day ; and carpenters, masons, &c., from Os. to 7s. Shepherds realise from L.30 to L.50 SOUTH AMERICA. . 17 a-year, with rations. The Geelong district suffered from a dreadfid hurricane and conflagration that occurred in 1851, by which property was consumed to the value of L. 100,000. A building allotment was sold at Melbourne in 1851, at the rate of L.20 per foot. South Australia; — which was founded in 1834, lies to the west of Victoria, and is 11,640 miles from England. It covers an area of 20,000,000 of acres ; of which one- third is good for agriculture, one third for pasture, whilst the remaining third is barren. There are nearly 3,000,000 of sheep in the colony. Adelaide, the capital, situate six miles from the port of the same name, contains 20,000 inhabitants. The average passage from England to Adelaide is 101 days; the shortest on record being 89 days, and the longest 121 days. Adelaide is 1,0(55 miles from Sydney by land. The discovery of several copper-mines in 1845 has been of great advantage to it. They are all in the hands of joint-stock companies, but none of them have succeeded well except the Burra Burra Mining Company, which started in September, 1845, with a capital of only L. 12,320 divided into L.5 shares, and these shares are now selling at L.i30. A dividend of from 200 to 400 per cent, on the original shares has been paid for several years. The Burra Burra mines are 100 miles from Adelaide, and give employment to 2,000 individuals. The miners earn from 30s. to 40s. a-week. I saw a specimen of the Burra Burra copper ore in the Great Exhibition at London in 1851. The ore varies in quality, from ore containing 30 per cent, of copper, to much that produces 60 per cent, of that metal. A large quantity of the copper is now sent to Singapore, and the East Indies, more, indeed, than to England. Prior to 1850 a great part of the ore was sent 18 SOUTH AMERICA. to Swansea, in Wales, in order to be smelted. Since then, however, the ^Meater part (of the inferior ores at least) has been smelted on the spot, which has proved of great advantage. The mines, indeed, are the great snp- port of the country. The exports from South Australia amount now to one million sterling, annually, and the imports to about the same. Copper, and copper ore form the chief branches of its exports. The value of these for the year 18.00 amounted in the aggregate to L. 300,000; being L.232,7r2 as the value of the copper, and L. 127,294 the value of the copper ore; and since then their value has been every year increasing- The population of South Australia in 18.01 was as fol- lows : — Total whites - - - . 03,700 Aborigines, 3,730 Total poj)ulation, - 07,430 The males exceed the females by several thousands. Of the whites there were 7,000 Germans, 48 French, 7 Dutchmen, 42 Chinese, 09 Americans, 3 Danes, 19 Swedes, 9 Italians, 22 Hindoos, 1 1 Portuguese, 8 Rus- sians, 21 West Indians, 4 Spaniards, 10 Africans, 40 Malays, 4 Belgians, 1 Maltese, 1 Greek, 1 Norwegian, 1 Mexican, 1 Arabian, and 1 Ionian, making in all 7,293 foreigners. A number of the Germans are employed at cultivating the vine, which seems to thrive well in almost all parts of Australia. The Aborigines, it wiii appear from the above census, have dwindled down to 3,730, and are now completely subdued. They wished at first to extirpate the whites altogether, as interlopers upon their soil. The number of shepherds and settlers killed by them during the first ten years of the settlement of the colony was very great, the whole tribes in that country, with the exception, per- SOUTH AMERICA 19 haps, of those settled at Encounter Bay, eighty miles dis- tant from Adelaide, being very ferocious. The destruc- tion of the passengers and crew of the " Maria," a vessel that was wrecked on the coast between Adelaide and Portland Bay, produced a great sensation m that country. During the awful depression of the colony in 1840 and 1841, when gentlemen were to be seen \\orking on the roads as common labourers, at a shilling a day, a party of them chartered a small vessel to take them and their families to some of the neighbouring colonies. The ves- sel, however, was unfortunately wrecked about 200 miles from Adelaide. The Encounter Bay blacks gave notice to the authorities at Adelaide that there were a number of shawls, rings, &c., at the station of one of the neigh- bouring tribes, and offered to conduct them to the place The commissioner of police, with all his force, was ac- cordingly despatched, and on coming to the spot he made an offer to the tribe to pardon them if they would give up their ringleaders. Having refused to do this, the police fired upon them, killed several, and hanged two on the spot. The shawls and rings when brought to Adelaide were found to have belonged to those who had been wrecked. It would appear that they had given all they had to this tribe on their promising to escort them to Adelaide. They had proceeded so far on their journey when the blacks refused to escort them any further, un- less they stripped naked, and gave them also the clothes on their backs. This the English having refused to do, the blacks set upon them, and murdered every individual, man, woman, and child, including the crew of the vessel, amounting in all to about forty individuals. The English, it would appear, had fought desperately, some of the bodies having been found shockingly mangled. Mr Angas, at vol. i. p. 66 of his work, called " Savage Life," narrates this tragedy in the following words : — •20 SOUTH AMERICA, " Those who escaped the dangers of the reef, after subsisting on root* and shells, toiled along the shore for ninety miles, men. women, and chil- dren, hungry, thirsty, and barefoot, till tlu-y arrived at the Milniendura tribe. Two morcdajs march, they trusted, would bring them to the sea mouth of the Murray, where the Encounter Hay natives had communica- tion with the whalers, and they there looked to an end of their sufferings. But these terminated only in death. The savages stripped them of their few remaining garments, and deliberately murdered them as they came up in stropgliiig parties, knocking out their brains with wirrios, or chasing them with the spear. Many of the bodies were found buried in the sand, and the fingers of some of the ladies had been cut off with shells in order to obtain their rings." Tlie murder of a fine shepherd boy, in particular, only twelve years of a^^e, in the neighbourhood of Port Lincoln, in October 1840, created a great sensation. This boy, whose name was Frank Ilowison, was attacked in his hut when alone, and thoui^di he made a noble defence, yet he was overpowered by the savages, who transfixed him with their barbed spears; and, as they could not be extracted, the poor young sufferer lingered for six days in great agony, when he expired. Indeetl Port Lincoln, from its .s|)lcndid harbour, (though rather devoid of extensive inland pasturage) would have been ere now a favourite settlement, had it not been so remote from Adelaide (300 miles) and the outrages com- mitted by the natives upon the settlers. Li 1842 Mr John Brown and his hut-keeper were both murdered in that district; and almost imnediately afterwards Mr Biddle, with his servant Fastins, and an elderly woman named Tubbs, w ere all barbarously murdered in the same dis- trict. During that same year (1842) 3Ir Button, with four of his men, were murdered on their way from Port Lincoln to Adelaide with cattle; and in 1844 Mr Darke was murdered about 150 miles from Port-Lincoln, when on an exploring expedition. In a newspaper, called the " South Australian," pub- SOUTH AMERICA. 21 lished at Adelaide on 2Gth August 1844, it is stated that thirty of the aborigines had been killed there a few days before, by Mr Henty's shepherds, two of whom were wounded. The Cape of Good Hope forms the extreme southern corner of Africa, and the British settlements there com- prise an area of 118,256 square miles. It was so named in 1495, by one of the kings of Portugal, from the hope which he then entertained of finding a passage to India beyond it. The whole population of Europeans and na- tives may be estimated at 300,000. There are three set- tlements at the Cape, — one at Table Bay, where Cape- Town, the capital, is situated; another at Algoa Bay, founded in 1820, and a third at Port Natal. The first is 6500 miles from England,— the second 6860, and the third about 7400, so that Natal is nearly 1000 miles from Cape- Town. This latter town contains 30,000 inhabit- ants, of whom a great proportion are descendents of the Dutch, to whom it belonged from 1562 to 1806, when we took possession of it. The Dutch farmers at the Cape are a gigantic race, eating chiefly mutton, with very few vegetables, and are called Booiij, or Boers, which is the Dutch for husbandmen. From eating so mnch animal food, they are not so long lived as those who partake more of a vegetable diet. The average passage from England to the Cape is sixty days for sailing vessels, and thirty for steamers propelled on the screw principle. Vast quantities of wool are sent from the Cape to this country. The climate is considered one of the finest in the world, as will appear from the return of the moriulity at the fol- lowing military stations occupied by Great Britain. The deaths annually are taken in every 1000 persons. Sierra Leone, 483; West Indies, 78; Madras, 48; Bermuda, 22 SOUTH AMERICA. 28; Mauritius, 27; Gibraltar, 21 ; Malta and Canada, IC; Cape of Good Hope, 13. The Fingocs and Hotten- tots do all the heavy work at the Cape. The Fingoes, who have always continued faitliful to the British govern- ment, bear towards the Kaffirs, as the enslavers and op- pressors of their race, a hatred whi( h they imbibe with their mothers' milk, and unmitigated by anything approach- ing to mercy. The Hottentots, or original possessors of the soil at the Cape, do not now exceed 30,000, and arc said to be very fond of Cape brandy. None of the settlements, however, at tlie Cape, can be at present recommended as fields for emigration, owing to the constant inroads of that most insatiable, though brave and active set of savages, called the Kaffirs, or Caffres, who are supposed to be the descendents of some Bedouin, or wandering Arabs, who first settled, about the middle of the 17th century, in a district adjoining the Cape, now called Calfraria, and accjuired territory by purchase and concpiest from the neighbouring tribes. Caffraria is 300 miles in length, and 120 in breadth. There are two tribes of Kaflirs in CafTraria, numbering about 35,000 in each. In 1820, they attempted, with a force of 10,0! men, to storm the English barracks at Grahamstown, defended by 400 men, but were defeated with the loss of 1500 men. Another war raged during the years 1846 and 1847. But the most formidable of all was that which broke out to- wards the close of 1850, which was carried on in the most desperate and savage manner, during the whole of 1851 and part of 1852. They are very superstitious; and attach great importance to the sayings and prophecies of false native prophets, or priests, who generally at- tend them in their campaigns. At the commencement of the war of 1850, the native prophet, Umlangeni, who possessed great influence over the chief Sandilli, assured SOUTH AMERICA. 23 him that the English bullets would melt into water, that the English would be transformed into cattle, and the trees would become Kaffirs, and thus the English could be easily and effectually extirpated from the Cape. When Sandilli's men fell dead in the field, he lost faith in the prophet, who cunningly attributed their deaths to the Kaffirs for having fired the first shot, which was contrary to his previous admonitions. Had the trees become Kaf- firs, they would have formed one of the most numerous armies that ever appeared on a field of battle ; and it would certainly have been a curious sight to have seen 5000 English troops transformed into cattle. The Kaffirs would thereby have got a large supply of fresh beef, of which they stood so much in need, though they subsist chiefly, like the Hottentots, on curdled milk, millet and maize. During the month of July 1851, they swept off from one district alone (Somerset), 37,000 sheep, COOO head of cattle, 300 horses, and destroyed 200 farm houses by fire, so that the poor settlers fled in all directions, and some of them left the country altogether. The Kaffirs are in the habit of killing both the women and children of those with whom they are at war, — women, they say, in order to prevent tlicir breeding any more thieves, and children, to prevent them becoming thieves like their pa- rents,— a most effectual way of getting rid of thieves. In February 1852 the Duke of Wellington, when refer - rmg to the Kaflir war, vindicated the conduct of Sir Harry Smith; the only mistake he committed consisting in his not having formed roads, or military communications with the interior, in order that the fastnesses into which the Kaffirs always retreated, and into which our troops could not follow them, might be destroyed. 24 SOUTH AMERICA. CUAPTEU II. VoyaRC from Australia to South America — Tho Falkland Islands — Arrival at Bahia — I)isco\cry of America — Voyages of Columbus — Amerigo Vespucci — His Name giren to the Country. We left Sydney for South America in the harque Ca- therine Jamieson, with ahout forty passengers in all. On coming near to the " Heads," we were visited by the boarding oflicer, and two of his men, who came from , the shore in a boat, manned by four New Zealanders, who seemed to enjoy a glass of grog as much as our sailors. The whole passengers were immediately mustered, in order to sec that there were no convicts on board, nor any flying from justice ; and that all our names had been entered at the custom-house, and water police-office, a necessary regulation, perhaps, in a penal colony. Those who had been prisoners, of w horn we had three Irishmen, whose sentences had exj)ired, and who were returning from banishment, exhibited their certificates of freedom ; and the two men, in the meantime, went poking through the whole ship wuh draw n swords, to try and discover if any had secreted themselves, when a touch of the sharp steel would probably have made them " sing out," as the sailors say. We made at first for the North Cape of New Zealand, but the wind changing, we sailed down the west coast, SOUTH AMERICA. 25 and then round the south cape. The voyage for two months, till we rounded Cape Horn, was exceedingly cold and stormy. The sea was often dashing over us, and we had close-reefed topsails a great part of the time. The snow also occasionally covered the deck, and hail-stones fell as large as marbles. We saw at a distance one of those icebergs so much dreaded by sailors, and upon one of which the President steam-ship is supposed to have struck, when all of course must have perished. They are some- times several miles in circumference, and have all the appearance of floating islands. We passed within one day's sail of the Falkland Islands, so called by an English navigator named Strong, who, in 1689, spent fourteen days there, though they were first discovered by Sir Richard Hawkins, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, in 1594. They were afterwards visited by Commodore Byron in 1765, who took formal posses- sion of them for his majesty George HI. The Spaniards having formerly used the islands as a prison for South American delinquents, disputed the claims of Great Britain, who, however, claimed the sovereignty by virtue of her original discovery ; and the Spanish go- vernment finally conceded our right to them. As they had been almost deserted by us since 1707, the Indepen- dent provinces of the Rio de la Plata took possession of them in 1820; but when their sovereignty came to be disputed by Frederica, they were once more taken pos- session of in December 1832, by Commander Onslow, in name of Great Britain; and Captain Smyth of the Royal Navy was afterwards sent down with a boat's crew to settle on them. During the year 1833 a party of eight Guachos and Indians landed at St. Louis during the ab- sence of most of the settlers at a sealing party, and mur- 2f, SOUTH AMERICA. dercd live gentlemen, two of whom, Messrs Dickson and Brisbane, were Scotch. These Guachos are the country peasants of South America, of Spanish extraction, cele- brated for their horsemanship, and for the use of the bolo and lasso (rope) with which they catch the wild cattle and horses. As there is no timber on any of them, they make their fuel of peats, of which they have an abundant supply. Though they are 80 in number, there are but two of any size, called the eastern and western, divided by Falk- land Sound, about eight miles wide. East Falkland is Ho miles long, by about 40 broad, and is by far the richest of the whole, almost the whole cattle and horses being located upon it, and a settlement called Stanley formed upon it, and it lies in the direct course of vessels home- ward bound from Australia and New Zealand. The winter and summer are about equal in length, and the cold in winter is never below 2(3 degrees, nor the heat in summer above 75, and they raise excellent crops of oats, tlax, and potatoes, though w heat does not grow there. There are 3000 wild horses, and 50,000 head of wild rattle in East Falkland, so that the price of beef is mode- rate. A suggestion has been made that the Falkland Islands should be made a penal settlement for convicts. As screw- steamers seem destined ere long to replace sailing vessels on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, they would be the natural coaling station for the vessels which would then pass through the Straits of Magellan from New Zealand and Australia. We intended at one time to have put in at Rio de Janeiro, the capital of Brazil, but the wind proving unfa- vourable, we directed our course to Bahia, GOO miles far- ther to the north, and consequently that much nearer to SOUTH AMERICA. 27 Great Britain. We arrived there in a hundred days from ^^ydney, an unusually long voyage, as a vessel (the Cum- bcrland) from Sydney also, which had been there a few weeks before, had made the passage in (JO days. Within a few minutes after casting anchor we were all safely landed on the shores of that vast and magnificent country, the empire of Brazil in South America. The fame of being the discoverer of America is due to Christopher Columbus, who was born at Genoa in Italv, in I43(i. After many voyages he repaired to Portugal, the Portuguese service being at that time extremely in- viting to every adventurer ; the great object being to find out a passage by sea to the East Indies. Having failed in his negotiations with the king of Portugal, he next re- paired to Spain, and landing there in 1484, he laid his proposals before Queen Isabella of Spain, one of the purest spirits that ever ruled over the destinies of a nation. After great delay, having got matters at last arranged with the Queen, Columbus, in the oGth year of his age, set sail on the 3d of August 1492, with a small squadron of 3 vessels, manned with 120 sailors and adventurers, and steered directly for the Canary Islands, where he arrived in 10 days. Starting again almost immediately, he sailed for several weeks to the westward, without dis- covering any trace of land, so that the sailors began to mutiny. They taxed their sovereign the Queen with in- considerate credulity in paying such regard to the vain j)romises and rash conjectures of an indigent foreigner as to hazard the lives of so many of her own subjects. They afiirmed that they had fully performed their duty, by ven- turing so far in an unknown and hopeless course, and could incur no blame for refusing to follow any longer a desperate adventurer to certain destruction. They con- tended that it was necessary to think of returning to Spain B 2 '2S SOUTH AMERICA. while their crazy vessels were still in a condition to keep together; and some of them proposed that they should throw their commander into the sea, being persuaded that upon their return to Spain the death of an unsuccessful projector would excite little concern, and be inquired into with no curiosity. Columbus, fully sensible of his perilous situation, pro- mised to his men that he would comply with their request, provided they would accompany him, and obey his com- mands for three days longer; and if during that time land was not discovered, he would then abandon the enter- prise, and direct his course towards Spain. Tlie presages of discovering land were now so nume- rous, that he deemed them infallible. For some days previous, the sounding line had reached the bottom, the Hocks of birds, not only of sea-fowl, but of such land- birds as could not be supposed to fly far from the shore, — had increased ; and at the dawn of day on Friday, the 12th of October 1482, Columbus first beheld the New World, and gave the island the name of San Salvador, — forming one of the Bahama islands. The sailors after singing a hymn of thanksgiving to God, now threw themselves at his feet, imploring him to pardon their ignorance, incredulity, and insolence ; and pronounced the man whom they had so lately reviled and threatened, to be a person inspired by heaven with sagacity and fortitude more than human, in order to ac- complish a design, so far beyond the ideas and conception of all former ages. So soon as the sun arose, all their boats were manned and armed, and they rowed towards the island with war- like music and other martial pomp. As they approached the coast, they saw it covered with crowds of people whom tlie novelty of the spectacle had drawn together, whose SOUTH AMERICA. 29 attitudes and gestures expressed wonder and astonish- ment at the strange objects which presented themselves to their view. Columbus was the first European who set foot in the New World which he had discovered. He landed in a rich dress, and with a naked sword in his hand, and being conspicuous for his height and his com- manding appearance, he excited the admiration of the Indians, who surrounded the Spaniards in vast multitudes, to whom their dress, the whiteness of their skins, their beards, and their arms appeared strange and surprising. The vast machines in which they had traversed the ocean, that seemed to move upon the waters with wings, struck them with such terror, that they began to respect their new guests as a superior order of beings, and con- cluded that they were children of the sun, who had tles- cended to visit the earth. In regard to the subsequent adventures of Columbus, how he afterwards discovered the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola, now called Hayti or St Domingo, (named Hispaniola by Columbus from the resemblance it bore to Spain) where he left a party of 38 of his people ; how he was received on his return by the whole Spanish nation ; how the Queen ordered him to repair to Barcelona, and re- ceived him seated upon a throne, under a magnificent ca- nopy ; how when he approached, her majesty stood up to receive him; how the fame of his voyage spread over Europe, and excited universal attention ; how the countries which he had discovered, w ere considered as a part of India ; how even, after the error which gave rise to this opinion was detected, and the position of the New World ascertained, the name has remained, and the appellation of JVest Indies given by all the people of Europe to the country, and that of Indians to its inhabitants ; how he was soon after appointed to the command of a second expedition of 30 SOUTH AMERICA. a more magnificent description, consisting of no less tlian 17 ships, having on hoard 1500 persons, among whom were many of nohlc famihes, and furnished with all sorts of domestic animals ; how in this expedition he discovered Jamaica, (called hy him Santiago,) and most of the other West India islands ; how in one of the islands on which he landed, the lirst horses which api)eared in the New World were. objects of terror no less than of admiration to the Indians, who having no tame animals themselves, supposed them to be rational creatures, and imagined that the horse and the rider formed but one animal, (a curious animal they must have thought,) with whose speed they were asto.iished, and whose impetuosity and strength they considered irresistible ; how in another, when tho Indians heard a bell, brought from Spain, sounding through the forest, as it rang for mass, and beheld the Spaniards hastening towards the chapel, they thought it talked, and that the white men obeyed it ; these, together with numerous others of his adventures, discoveries, and the misfortunes that attended him towards the close of liis career, are they not to be found recorded at great length in that celebrated work by Washington Irving, en- titled '' The life and voyages of Christopher Columbus." During his second expedition Columbus revisited llispaniola, where he had left the 38 Spaniards, but found that they had been all massacred by the natives, who were very numerous, amounting to two millions. After the departure of their commander, their licentious- ness and rapacity had known no bounds ; and the kind- hearted natives were at length aroused to madness, and destroyed in self-defence the abusive intruders. They had flattered themselves that their visit was but tempo- rary ; and from having at first considered them as children of the sun, they inquired when they intended to return to SOUTH AMERICA. 3I the heavens. When, however, they saw the Spaniards seizing upon their provisions, ravaging their women, and abandoning themselves to the grossest of earthly passions, they thought it was high time to get quit of them, so that the children of the "sun" had to finish theii career of wickedness upon the earth, as the natives saw no pros- pect of their returning to the heavens. During a short absence from Hispaniola, the Spaniards who had arrived there at the second expedition, disobey- ing the commands of Columbus, irritated the natives by new excesses ; who, assembling in vast numbers, to the amount of at least 80,000 men, were preparing to drive from the land those terrible invaders. Columbus having in the meantime, fortunately, returned from his visit to Jamaica, 120 miles distant from Hispaniola, immediately assumed the command. Though the whole force which he could muster against this multitude, did not exceed 200 infantry and thirty horses, yet he had aid of another kind, consisting of twenty blood-hounds, animals scarcely less terrible to the Indians than the horses, and infinitely more fatal. They were fearless and ferocious ; nothing daunted them, nor when they had once seized upon their prey, could any- thing compel them to relinquish their hold. The naked bodies of the Indians offered no defence against their attacks. They sprang on them, dragged them to the earth, and tore them to pieces. Columbus was accom})anied in this expedition by his brother Bartholomew, who had arrived from London, w hose counsel and aid he sought on all occasions, and who had not merely great personal power, and undaunted courage, but also a decidedly military turn of mind. The Indian army was posted on a plain interspersed with clusters of forest trees. Having ascertained the 32 SOUTH AMERICA. great power of the enemy, Bartholomew advised that their little army should be divided into detachments, and should attack the Indians at the same moment from several quarters, and at night. This plan having been adopted, the infantry separating into different bodies, advanced suddenly from various directions, with great din of drums and trumpets, and a destructive discharge of fire-arms from the covert of the trees. The Indians were thrown into complete confusion. An army seemed pressing upon them from every quarter, their fellow warriors to be laid low with thunder and lightning (the sound and the flash proceeding from the fire-arms) from the forests. While driven together and confounded by these attacks, Alonzo de Ojeda charged their main body impetuously with his small troop of cavalry, cutting his way with lance and sabre. The horses bore down the terrified Indians, whilst their riders dealt their blows on all sides unop- posed. The blood-hounds at the same time rushed upon the naked savages, seizing them by the throat, dragging them to the earth, and tearing out their bowels. The Indians unaccustomed to large and fierce quadrupeds of any description, were struck with horror when assailed by these ferocious animals. They thought the horses equally fierce and devouring. The contest was of short duration ; the Indians fled in every direction with yells and bowlings, many were killed, many taken prisoners, and their whole army dispersed ; so that he at length subjected the whole island to the Spanish government. Columbus, however, notwithstanding all his discoveries, was not destined to give his name to the fourth quarter of the habitable globe. " He was doomed in fact to yield a striking example of the reverses to which those are sub- ject, who have once launched from the safe shores of ob- scurity on the fluctuating waves of popular opinion. SOUTH AMERICA. 33 The spirit of enterprise, though but newh awakened in Spain, began soon to operate extensively. All the attempts towards discovery made in that kingdom had hitherto been carried on by Columbus alone, and at the expense of the sovereign. But now private adventurers, allured by the magnificent descriptions he gave of the re- gions which he had visited, as well as by the specimens of their wealth which he produced, offered to fit out squa- drons at their own risk, and go in quest of new countries ; and the Spanish Court, whose scanty revenues were ex- hausted by its wars against the Moors, as well as by the charge of its expeditions to the New World, was extremely willing to devolve the burden of discovery upon its sub- jects. One of the first propositions of this kind was made by Alonzo de Ojeda, a gallant officer who had accompa- nied Columbus in his second voyage, and had signalised himself in the battle formerly mentioned. His rank and character procured him such credit with the merchants of Seville, that they undertook to equip four ships, pro- vided he could obtain the royal license authorising the voyage. This having been granted, Ojeda set sail in May 1499, and ranged along a considerable extent of coast beyond that on which Columbus had touched. Amerigo (or according to some authors Americus) Vespucci, accompanied Ojeda in this voyage. He was born at Florence in Italy on 9th March 1451, of a noble family, and was at one time an enterprising and wealthy merchant there, but disasters in business having reduced his fortune, he left Florence and went to reside at Seville in Spain, and was in that city in 1496. Ojeda, along with Amerigo, after exploring that part of the coast of South America, now called the Republic of Colombia, returned to Spain and landed there on the 1 8th of June 1500. :J4 SOUTH AMERICA. In 1501 Vespucci left Spain and engaged in the ser- vice of Emanuel King of Portugal, and made a voyage during that year from Lisbon to Brazil which had been discovered in 1500, the year previous, by two separate individuals, — Pinzon in the service of Spain, and Cabral in that of Portugal. Both these navigators, unknown to each other or to Vespucci, took possession of Brazil in name of their respective sovereigns. Vespucci also claim- ed Brazil for his master, the King of Portugal, to whom it was allotted, because it extended east of the boundary line by which Portugal and Spain had agreed to divide their discoveries. Vespucci made several voyages to America when in the service of the King of Portugal, and transmitted an account of his adventures to one of his countrymen. Amerigo's account was drawn up not oidy with art, but with some elegance. It contained an amusing his- tory of his voyages, and judicious observations upon the natural productions, the inhabitants, and the customs of tlie countries which he had visited. As it was the first description of any part of the New World that was pub- lished, a performance so well calculated to gratify the ])assion of mankind for what is new and marvellous, cir- culated rapidly, and was read with admiration. The country of which Amerigo was supposed to be the dis- coverer, came gradually to be called by his name, though not invidiously assumed by him. The caprice of man- kind, often as unaccountable as unjust, has perpetuated this error; and by the universal consent of nations, Ame- ' rica was the name bestowed on this new quarter of the globe. The bold pretensions of a fortunate adventurer have robbed the discoverer of the New World of a dis- tinction which belonged to him ; the name of Americus has supplanted that of Columbus ; and mankind may re- SOUTH AMERICA. 35 gret an act of injustice, which having received the sanc- tion of time, it is now too late to redress. It is proper, however, to mention that during several years (from 1492 to J 498) the discoveries of Columbus were confined to the islands of the West Indies ; and it was not until August 1 498, six years after his first voy- age, that he discovered the main land, or rather an island, near the mouth of the Orinoco, a river on the N.E. coast of South America, to which he gave the name of Trini- dad, in English Trinity. This island lies at the entrance of the Gulf of Paria. It is stated by some authors that Amerigo gave his name to the Western Continent by artfully representing himself as its first discoverer, but that is not true. No jealousy on the part of Columbus existed towards Ves- pucci. Indeed they were on the most intimate terms, and after his death the latter received from the King of Spain the appointment of principal pilot, and a suitable salary. His office was to instruct shipmasters, and others engaged in expeditions to the Western World, how to manage their concenis with safety and success. Amerigo died at Seville in Spain on the *22d of May 1512, in the t)2d year of his age. 30 SOUTH AMERICA. CHAPTER III. History of the Empire of I'razil — Disjoined from Portugal — British Churdi at Rio de Janeiro — Description of Kio — Sunday in Brazil — Profligacy of the Priestliood — Description of Bahio. The Empire of Brazil extends over two-fifths of the con- tinent of South America, having an area of three miUion square miles, and is consc(juently nearly as large a^ Europe. The climate is salubrious though hot, and al- most every part of the soil is rich and fertile. Some ol the trees, in particular in the interior, attain the wonder- ful height of 400 feet. It was formerly under the dominion of Portugal, but the removal of John VL of Portugal, and the Portuguese Government in 1808, to Brazil, in order to escape the power of the Emperor Napoleon, who had taken a fancy lor his dominions, formed the commencement of that great South American empire. The Brazilian Government, on the arrival of the King of Portugal, opened their ports to all friendly nations, abolished (nominally at least) the slave trade after the lapse of a certain number of years, and entered into an advantageous treaty of aUiance and commerce with England. In 1821 John VI. returned to Portugal, leaving his son Don, or Dom Pedro to adminis- ter the government as Regent. The Brazilians having discovered that their King, and the Portuguese who fol- SOUTH AMERICA. 37 lowed him to Lisbon, had carried off every farthing that was in the treasury, asserted their independence, formed a constitution, and in 1823 elected their Regent Emperor, under the title of Pedro I. In 1825 Portugal acknow- ledged the independence of Brazil, which was thus lost for ever to that Crown. John VI. died in Portugal in 1826. By the constitu- tion of Brazil, Pedro the Emperor, to whom the Crown of Portugal now belonged, could not leave the new empire, and he resigned Portugal to his young daughter Donna Maria. Her uncle Don Miguel, brother of Pedro, con- tested her right, and was aided by the nobility and the priests. The constitutionalists and patriots were in favour of Maria, who at their request crossed the ocean. But as Miguel was waging a war of extermination against her partisans, she was first taken to London, and then back to Brazil. In the meantime the native Brazilians had demand- ed reforms which were by no means agreeable to the Portu- guese. Pedro wavered between the two parties, and each was displeased with the concessions made to the other. Both the army and the people being against him, on the 8th of April 1831 he abdicated in favour of his infant son Pedro II., a native of Brazil, and then six years of age. A regency having been established, he embarked with his daughter and the rest of his family for Portugal. I^eaving Maria in France, Pedro entered his heredi- tary dominions, and summoned his brother to surrender to the queen his daughter. The cruelties of Miguel had already arrayed against him the liberal party, who now rallied under Pedro. The clergy branded the adherents of Pedro and his daughter as heretics, with whom no faith was to be kept, and thus throughout Portugal the civil war was sharpened by religious persecution. The fleet 3g SOUTH AMERICA. (jf Miguel was, however, at last captured ; Lisbon surren- dered ; and the usurper fled to Spain. The populace rallied, proclaimed Maria, broke open the prisons, and liberated oOOO prisoners. This took place in 1833. Though the queen's right was acknowledged by the high powers of Europe, and many reforms in the internal L'overnmcnt of the country introduced, still her uncle, Miguel, kept up a cruel partisan warfare, when on the 24th of April 1834, a (juadruple alhance was signed be- tween the powers of Portugal, Spain, France, and Great Britain. This treaty guarantied the throne of Portugal to Maria II., and also engaged to expel from Portugal tlie usurper Don Miguel. An adequate force was despatched from England to aid Maria in maintaining her authority, so that Portugal was, in some measure, ruled by that nation. Spain had, by a singular coincidence, its young queen Isabella II., whose claim was upheld by the liberal party, whilst that of her usurper uncle, Don Carlos, was sustained by the royalists and clergy. The cpiadruple alliance also guarantied the claims of Isabella, and engaged to expel Carlos. Maria of Portugal was married in 1834 to a son of Eugene Beauharnois, and in 183(), soon after his death, to the Duke of Saxe Coburg. The present emperor of Brazil came of age in Decem- ber 1842, and in 1843 married a Neapolitan princess. One half of Brazil is in possession of Independent Indians, who are occasionally very troublesome. Insurrections, indeed, are a common occurrence there. In 1823, the garrison in Bahia, consisting of Portuguese soldiers, muti- nied, and kept possession of the town for many months, supported by some white Brazilians, and most of the black population, till wrested from them by the imperial troops, assisted by a few Indians, with great loss on both sides, SOUTH AMERICA. 39 both of life and property, and the troops in the garrison embarked for Portugal. The celebrated Lord Cochrane was of infinite service to the Brazilians on this occasion. The commerce of Brazil is very extensive, especially with this country and the United States. Its whole im- ports may be estimated at nine millions sterling annually, of which about the one-half are from Great Britain, and w^e also receive about one-half of its exports, which amount to about ten millions sterling, and consist of sugar, cotton, hides, coffee, tobacco, rice, leather, dye-woods, India rub- ber, gold, and diamonds. Brazil now produces annually five hundred million pounds weight of coffee. The population of that vast country is only 5, .000,000, made up as follows — Whites, 1,500,000 Free Coloured Races, - - 500,000 Slaves, ----- :5,50O,00O 5,500,000 This does not include the Indian tribes, who are nume- rous, but of whom no accurate census can be obtained. Some of these tribes act in a somewhat singular manner in respect to their marriages, as the men seldom choose a woman who has not been first patronised by somebody else, which they consider an infallible test of her having something pleasing in her. In oiIut countries there are few who do not consider but that they themselves are perfectly competent to judge if there be anything pleasing in the ob- ject of their choice. Cannibalism still prevails among some of the tribes but is gradually diminishing. There are a great many monasteries and nunneries in Brazil ; and though the religion of the state be the Roman Catholic, yet the exercise of all others is permitted, either in domestic worship, or in particular edifices destined for the purpose, without, however, having any exterior ap- 40 SOUTH AMERICA. pearance of a temple. In 1810, Lord Strangford, the British ambassador at Rio, made a treaty with King John VI. of Portugal, who was then in Brazil, and the Brazilian government, wherein it was stipulated that the British should be permitted to build a church at Rio, provided it was erected, not as a j)ublic edifice but as a private house, and did not use bells to assemble the congregation. The original plan of the building had arched windows, and when submitted to the king he objected that these would not resemble a private house. The present plan, with a por- tico and pediment, was then given in and approved of, though deviating infinitely more from the original stij)ula- tion. The Poj)e's nuncio, the Archbishop of Nisibis, hap- pened to be at Rio at the time, and he remonstrated strongly with the king against the permission about to be granted to the British to build a Protestant church at all. The Roman Catholic bishop of Rio, however, was a strenuous advocate for the measure, and his arguments prevailed. He said, " The English have really no reli- gion ; but they are a proud and obstinate people. If vou oppose them, they will persist and make it an aflPair of in- finite importance ; but if you concede to their w ishes, the chapel will be built, and nobody will ever go near it." This happened exactly as he had predicted, for though this chapel is capable of containing GOO persons, there are never, by any chance, more than 40 within its walls. The funerals of all persons of rank take place at night and by torch light, and with great pomp. The capital of Brazil is Rio de Janeiro, of which the population is estimated at 200,000, of whom two-thirds are blacks. It was first discovered in 1531 by M. A. de Souza, who thought it was the mouth of a river, and gave it the name of Rio dc Janeiro, or River of January, from the first day of the month of the new year on which he SOUTH AMERICA. 41 had discovered it. The harbour is reckoned the finest in the world, the entrance to it being a narrow opening in a ledge of rocks half a mile wide. After passing through this strait, the mariner finds himself in a magnificent gulf 100 miles in compass, encircled by lofty mountains, and enclosing a number of islands. Vessels of all dimensions may enter and anchor in perfect security. The city is on the north-east side of the bay ; the streets in one part are narrow, and the whole appearance of the lower city is somewhat mean. It is, however, now greatly improved, by the erection of public and private buildings. The greatest portion of the mercantile inhabitants are Portu- guese and French, who far outnumber the English. There are whole streets occupied by French shopkeepers or their descendants. One of the most striking features of Rio is the immense number of churches with which it is provided. Bahia, or St Salvador, the ancient capital, (founded in 1549,) is situated on the east side of the magnificent bay of All-Saints. The population is estimated at 130,000, of whom the one-half are slaves, the remainder consisting of Mulattoes, Brazilians, Portuguese, free coloured blacks, and a few of all nations, and it is consequently the second city in Brazil. The seat of the vice-royalty was transferred from it to Rio in 1763. From its cen- tral situation the commerce is very extensive. Pernam- buco is the next city in size and importance, and is in- creasing so rapidly that new houses are built wherever space can be found, while the commerce is increasing in proportion. It is perhaps the handsomest city in Brazil, with broad paved streets and fine houses. The popula- tion is about 80,000. We arrived in Brazil, according to our time, upon Sa- turday the 2d of July, but according to Brazilian and 42 SOUTH AMERICA. European time, on Friday the first, so that we had to can- cel a day. Dr Lang takes notice of this circumstance in the sermon which he preaclied in Sydney on the " Di- vine Institution and Perpetual Obligation of the Sabbath," as an insuperable argument against supposing that one day is more holy than another, this being alfected even by geograpliical position. In Brazil I observed very little difference betwixt tlie Sunday and any other day, excepting that the slaves get that day to themselves. The shops were open as usual, as was also the theatre; there was a review of the troops; and all the public buildings were ilhmiiuated at night, it being the continuation of the festival of the j)receding day ; and there was also a grand disj)lay of fireworks. The custom-house, however, and all the public offices were shut, and there was no aj)pearance of inebriety, as the Brazilians are a remarkably sober race of people, though the price of rum is only twcipencc the bottle. In the town of Bahia there are, as formerly stated, ♦J0,000 slaves, who seemed all to be barefoot. They aro j)rohibited from appearing in the streets after 8 o'clock at night without a pass from their masters. There is an upper and a lower town at Bahia, the latter extending along the bay for two miles, whilst the ascent to the former is precipitous in every direction. In going from the lower town to the interior of the country, after ascending the hill, you proceed through the upper town for three miles, passing along the various streets in the most zig-zag manner imaginable. In the low town are the Custom-House, the Exchange, the markets, and the counting-houses of the merchants, &c. And in the upper town are the palace, the theatre, and most of the churches, which are numerous and magnificent. Some of the Koraan Catholic priests are, however, not so exemplary as one SOUTU AMERICA. 43 oould wish, being accused of evincing too great an attach- ment to the other sex, one of the fruits of the ceUbacy of the clergy. I met the Archbishop of Bahia, who is the only Archbishop in the empire, and consequently the pri- mate of Brazil, taking an airing one day in a singular looking carriage drawn by four mules, with two black pos- tilions in livery, and a black boy standing as footman be- hind. Most of the people in the streets knelt down as he passed, thus obeying the scriptural injunction of giving honour to whom honour is due. His Grace had a lady on each side of him, said to have been his sisters, who are of spotless reputation and universally esteemed. Gardner in his travels in Brazil, published in 1846, mentions that during his residence at Crato in Brazil, the vicar or priest there ( Vigario) though an old man between 70 and 80 years of age, was the father of six natural chil- dren, one of whom he educated as a priest. " During my stay there," Mr G. adds, *' he arrived on a visit to his father, bringing with him his mistress, who was his own cousin, and eight children out of ten he had by her, having at the same time five other children by another woman. Besides the Vigario, there were three other priests in the town, all of whom have families by women with whom they live openly, one of them being the wife of another person." A sad memorial of the frailty of the Roman Catholic clergy in Brazil. The priests in France, before the great Revolution of 1789 in that country, were no less corrupt than those of Brazil at the present day, and at that dreadful era were either massacred or fled for safety to other countries. The late celebrated Mr Cobbett, M.P., seems to have thought their fate well merited, as in one of his works he says, — " The priests of France had made vows of chastity, and for the far greater part, of abstinence also, and yet it was 44 SOUTH AMERICA. computed that they were the fathers of more illegitimate children than all the other men in the kingdom ; and con- sumed more wine than a hundred times their number of men in any other rank of life. Ought such a band of men, such a horde of profligates, to have been permitted to exist ? Then, when men were enabled to look back to the injunctions to chastity, humility, mercy, and sobriety, put forth by the apostles and disciples, of which these men pretended to be the successors^ how were their hands to be restrained from inflicting ])unishment on the daring and impious impostors?" With such facts as these before our eyes, it seems to be a very doubtful matter if the celibacy enjoined on the Roman Catholic priesthood ought to be continued. I observe also that Father Gavazzi, the chief chaplain to the Roman army of independence, in a lecture delivered at Edinburgh on 21st August \S5\ says, — *' All popish priests, in imitation of the Pope, belong to the same class. They form a sect which has no name in nature, for since Pope Ilildubrand prohibited marriage to the Papal clergy, those clergy were put beyond the pale of nature, renounced the law imposed by God on all His creatures, and thus became anomalous objects in the world they inhabit. Hence arises the celibate hostility of the Roman priest- hood to society. The priesthood has no country, and cannot therefore appreciate the feelings of a people bent on making themselves an independent and free nation." The Rev. Dr Walsh, chaplain to the British Embassy at Brazil during l}s28 and 1829, in his travels in that country makes (for a clergj'man) a remarkably charitable and liberal allowance for the failings of the Brazilian priesthood. After mentioning that they are in general temperate in their diet, assiduous in attending the sick, and charitable, so far as their limited means will permit, SOUTH AMERICA. 45 he adds, (vol. i. p. 374) " There is one serious charge, however, of which I cannot acquit them; and that is, the too frequent violation of the vows of celibacy. Their attachments, however, are constant, and want only legal sanction to render them even laudable ; for they consider their connexion as binding as if it had taken place. Many of them are excellent fazendeiros, or farmers, and leave behind them a family in the midst of the wilderness to extend the improvements they have commenced ; and this is deemed in the country so important a benefit that the thing is not regarded with the same degree of scandal as it ought, or as it is in other places. The Brazilians are all anxious to have the rule of celibacy, which they say is a mere matter of regulation, and not of doctrine, imme- diately repealed, and the discipline of their church adapted to the state of the country." From this it would appear that the Brazilians think their clergy more usefully employed in peophng the wil- derness than in preaching and praying. ♦• When the harvest is past, and the summer is gone, And sermons and prayers shall be o'er ; When the beams cease to break of the sweet Sabbath morn. And Jesus invites thee no more ; "When the rich gales of mercy no longer shall blow. The gospel no message declare ; — Sinner, how canst thou bear the deep wailings of wo I How suffer the night of despair ? When the holy have gone to the regions of peace, To dwell in the mansions above ; When their harmony wakes, in the fulness of bliss. Their song to the Saviour they love ; Say, oh sinner, that livest at rest and secure, Who fearest no trouble to come, Can thy spirit the swellings of sorrow endure ; Or bear the impenitent' s doom !" 46 SOUTH AMERICA. At Bahia slaves are made to supply the place of horses and carts, almost every thing being carried by them. They have a round pole, fifteen or sixteen feet long, and about six inches in diameter, and to the centre of this they attach with a chain barrels, boxes, or whatever they have to carry — so many going in front and so many in rear, their numbers being regulated by the weight of their load. For a heavy hogshead I have seen twelve strong muscular slaves employed. The pole rests upon their bare shoulders, and in order to mark time they have a singular sort of cry as they i)rocced along the streets, sung in a kind of melancholy cadence, that proceeding from those in front being on a higher key than from those behind. They arc perfectly naked down to the mitldie ; and the perspiration runs in buckets down their fat glossy backs, thus evincing that this is the very salvation of those who live in a warm climate. The women are also naked down to the middle, with the exception of their chemise, and carry their burdens upon their heads, wear- ing a sort of thick round turban, with a cavity in the centre, on which they deposit their loads, which are fre- quently of immense weight. Their heads are generally shaved, or their hair closely cut, in order to allow the perspiration to flow freely. Both they and the men seemed to be the most happy contented race of people imagin- able. The female slaves wear thin gaudy petticoats, chieflv of Glasgow manufacture! They have a military police, who go generally in par- ties of three or four, armed with swords and muskets. I think it w ould be an improvement were they to adopt the Chinese fashion, and carry a whip also, as the police of Pekin, the capital of China, in addition to their swords are furnished with a whip, with which they chastise in a summary manner, and upon the spot, those who make a SOUTH AMERICA. 47^ noise or any disturbance on the streets, not of sufficient (•onsequence to ^va^rant their being taken into custodv. Nobody is allowed to carry bowie knives, or sticks above a certain size. The Enghsh were very unpopular amongst the Bra- zilians when I was there, on account of their interference with the slave trade, as it may be truly said that we almost compelled the government of that country to sign a treaty by which fresh importations were excluded by law. In 1818 we had given Spain the large sum of £400,000 in order to induce her to abandon this traffic, and as a full compensation for the losses consequent on the aboli- tion. It was stipulated in the treaty, that from and after the 30th of May 1820, it should not be lawful for any subjects of the Crown of Spain to purchase slaves, or to carry on the slave trade on the coast of Africa, on any pretext whatever. This treaty, even to the present day, seems to havo been considered by the Spanish govern- ment, no less than by private individuals, as a dead letter. Continued agitation in this country finally secured the purchase of freedom to our West India slaves in 1833, at an expense of twenty millions sterling. Slaves, how- ever, are smuggled into Brazil to a great extent, and the Brazilian government, till of late, winked at it. The treaty, in fact, would have been next to a dead letter, had it not been for the sharp look-out kept up by the British squadron stationed along the coast of that country, who are stimulated by the prize money they obtain, in which the common sailors, as well as the officers, participate. 'I'he Brazihans are rather an indolent and lazy set of people ; and were it not for these industrious slaves there would be but little sugar, tobacco, or coffee, cultivated at all. This accounts for their antipathy to the Enghsh. We saw where the slave market used to be held, but that 48 SOUTH AMERICA. is abolished, and they are now sold privately. Their price has risen considerably of late in Brazil, owing to the increased difficulty of smuggling them. The landlord of the " Hotel de L'Univers," where I resided, told me that he had sold one shortly before for £100, which is about their average price, some selling as high as £120, and others bringing not more than £80. Good cooks always sell the dearest — a good female cook being nearly as valuable as a male. They are not allowed to marry without the consent of their master, but this is seldom objected to, provided he be the owner of the female, as he has a direct interest in their union, tlic children being slaves, and belonging, by law, as in the United States, to the owner of the mother. In the kitchen of the hotel, where I resided, I found five male slaves cooking, and two male slaves acted as chambermaids, makuig the beds, SiC, There is one great advantage in travelling through a slave country, namely, that no demand is made for ser- vants at the different inns. In regard to the extent of the Brazilian and Spanish slave trade with Africa, I may mention that, for the five years ending with 1 839, (35,000 slaves were landed annually in Brazil, and that since 1839 the average has been but 35,000. For fifteen years prior to 1835, the average im- portation into Cuba was 40,000 a-year ; but with the first Equipment Treaty in that year, it fell to 30,000 for the next five years. Since then it has diminished greatly, as will appear from the returns mentioned in the next chapter. SOUTH AMERICA. 49 CHAPTER IV. Decay of the Slave-trade betwixt Africa and Brazil — Lord Palmerston's Speech — Report of the Committee of the House of Lords — Remarks bj the Rev. J. L. Wilson, an American Missionary — Contrast betwixt Ame- rican and British Missionaries — Evidence of Jose Cliffe, ^LD Negro- land or Nigritia — Mode of stowing away the slaves in the slave vessels betwixt Africa and Brazil — Mode of hiring slaves. The slave trade betwixt Africa and Brazil has greatly diminished of late. That eminent statesman Lord Palmor- ston, in the course of his eloquent speech to his consti- tuents at Tiverton, on 24th September 1851, after stating that great strides had been made, during the last twelve months in particular, towards its suppression, proceeds thus — *' There is every prospect, I think I may say, that our long-continued labours and great sacriBces may at length be crowned with glorious sue' cess. We have succeeded in inducing the Government of Brazil, whicli was the great culprit of late, to alter its course, and to go in the way of justice as far as it has been able to do. I do not mean to say that we ought to be so confident of its repentance as to entirely trust to its spontaneous exertions — the thing requires that we should be watchful and active — but the import to Brazil has dwindled down to next to nothing ; and that which is equally important is, that on the coast of Africa legitimate trade is taking the place of slave trade, and that the natives, to do them justice (with the single exception of some of their chiefs, who derive great profiis from it), the people of Africa, when you come to look at it, are as repug- nant to the slave trade as we are — they are the victims of it. (Hear, hear.) C 50 SOUTH AMERICA. They want European commodities — tbov want our ShefTield and Birming- ham and Manchester goods. They have been told hitherto — * If you want them you must pay for them in human flesh and blood ;' andhuman flesh and blood were produced. Now they are told — * Pay us in palm oil, and ground nut, and cotton, and ivory, and gold dust ; and they say — ' "NVo would much rather pay iu these than in flesh and blood— here is our palm oil, our cot- ton, our gold-dust, and give us your goods, and let us have the satisfaction of paying in these things.' " Should it so happen that the Brazilian Government it- self should at length cordially co-operate with us in aho- lisliing the slave trade, it would verify the saying of that eminent statesman Edmund Burke, who declared that the slave trade could only be suppressed in the country where it ended — that was to say the country into wiiich slaves were imported. Lord Palmerston's statement in regard to the diminu- tion of the slave trade l)ctwixt Africa and Ikazil is con- firmed by the following Return presented to the Ilouse of Commons, in March IS.'/I, of tlu» nimiber of slaves em- barked on the coast of Africa, and landed in Cuba and Brazil during the ten years prior to 1852. CUBA, ll BHAZIL. TEAB. MUMBKK. |j YEAB. IIUMBEB. 1842, . . . 3.630 •' 1842, . , . 1 17,435 1843, . . . 8,000 1843, . . 19,095 1 1844. . . . 10,000 1844, . 22,849 1,300 1845, . iy,453 1846, . . . 419 1846, . • pO.324 1847, . . . 1,450 1847, . 66,172 1848, . . . 1,500 1846, . 60,000 1 1849, . . . 1 8,700 1849, . 54,000 ( 1850, . . . : 3,500 1850, . 23,000 1 1 »»^»' • • • 6,000 , 1851, . 3,267 SOUTH AMERICA. 5J Lord Palmerston's remarks are also amply corroborated by the able work of the Rev. J. Leighton Wilson, an American missionary at the Gaboon river, west coast of Africa, published in London in 1851, and entitled " The British Squadron on the Coast of Africa." This gentleman had passed twenty years of his life upon the African coast, and on learning that a committee of the House of Commons had given an opinion in favour of withdrawing the British squadron from the coast of Africa, he drew up this paper in order to show by the unbiassed experience of one apart from English prejudices, what has been the real effect of the policy of England ; and hoped that the honest testi- mony of a foreigner, and especially of a citizen of the United States, to the success of the British squadron, might not be without effect in assisting to disabuse the public mind of this country as to the alleged faihire of our repressive eff'orts, and the impossibility of extinguishing the slave trade. Mr Wilson wrote tiiis paper in April 1850, and refers only to the report of the Committee of the House of Com- mons, and had not heard of its being afterwards rejected by a large majority of the whole House. The Lords' Report was agreed to a few days before the MS. reached England, and the remarkable coincidence of the result of his experience with the conclusions of their Lordships, derived from the evidence before them, is worthy of the gravest consideration. The Select Committee appointed by the House of Lords in 1851 to consider the best means which Great Britain can adopt for the final extinction of the African slave-trade, after a full examination of all the evidence brought before them, expressed the following opinion : — 1. The past efficiency of tho cruising squadron has been greatly under- valued. 2. That its cost has been much exaggerated. 3. That with pro- c 2 .32 SOUTH AMEKICA. per precautions, it is not un unlicallliy service. 4. That to withdraw tlic cruisers in part, and to administer a regulated slave trade (as has been sui;- gested), would be impossible of execution, no material saving of the coit of the present system, and utterly at rariance with every past profesBion of C SOUTH America. be less tlian £2,000,000 sterling, whilst there is every reason to believe that it will treble itself in the next twenty years, if it be only protected until it has struck its roots a little deeper in the soil of Africa. No less than 70 British palm oil ships arrived at Liverpool alone during 1851. Still, however, we do not attach so much importance to this trade, on account of its present value, as we do to what it is capable of becoming, and is likely to become, if the agency which called it into existence be not prema- turely snatched away. There is no reason to doubt that palm oil will, in a few years, become one of the largest branches of commerce in the whole world. It can be produced to an almost unlimited extent, and the demand for it hitherto has always been equal to the amount pro- duced. Palm oil, however, is only one of a great variety of other products of the country, equally as valuable and capable of quite as much augmentation. In connection with such commercial results, present, past, and prospective, we do not see how the importance of the squadron on the coast of Africa can well be exag- gerated. Regarded merely in a selfish point of view, England will be repaid (and that, perhaps, at no distant day) for every dollar she has expended upon this enter- prise, not only in the market she will have created in Africa for her manufactures, but likewise in the immense amount of valuable products that will be brought to her own shores from that country. But if these results acquire importance in connection with commercial enterprise, how nmst they appear when contemplated in the light of hu- manity I We cannot contemplate this sudden and won- derful development of commerce in any other light than as one of those efficient agencies employed by Providence, not only to raise up Africa from the lowest depths of SOUTH AMERICA. 57 savagisra, but to place her on a footing of respectability with the most favoured nations of the earth. And if this be a sober inference from the improvement already taken place, who will grudge the price of her deliverance ? Another object of importance effected by the squadron is the protection it has afforded to the various European and American settlements that have been formed along the coast. Of these, eight are English, seven are French, four belong to the Liberian Republic, two are Dutch, and one belongs to Denmark. Portugal has possession of most of the islands, but has only one settlement on the mainland. Of these settlements Sierra Leone and Liberia are the largest in point of population. The former re- ceives its accessions from the slaves that are recaptured by the British squadron, and contains a population of 00,000. The latter receives its accessions by emigra- tions of free coloured people, and emancipated slaves from the United States, and has a population of COOO. Liberia in 1847 assumed the character of an independent Re- public j whilst Sierra Leone, with a population ten times as great, continues the relationship of a colony to Great Britain. Natives are drawn from a great distance in the interior to these settlements, for the purpose of exchanging the products of the country for the manufactures of Europe ; whilst the traders themselves are employing a considerable number of coasting craft for the purpose of extending their commerce along the coast as well as in the interior. But these settlements, which promise so much for the future welfare of Africa, have always had, and still need, the protection of foreign governments. There are few, if any of them, that could withstand the combinations of hostile natives that would be formed against them, espe- cially when they were instigated and supported by Spanish 58 ^OITII AMLiaCA. and Portuguese slave traders. Foreign residents, till along the coast, are perfectly aware of this ; and there is no- thing that would be more heartily deprecated by them than the premature withdrawal of the squadron. It is not supposed that they will always continue in this de- pendent condition. The time will doubtless come when they will need no such aid. But those who have allowed themselves to be persuaded that they have already acquired sufficient strength to protect themselves, or depend upon them to do anything effective in putting down the slave trade without the co-operation of the squadron, will find out ere long that they have leaned upon a broken reed. All that has been said in relation to the importance of the S(|uadron in developing the connnercial resources of the country, and in promoting the cause of civilization, may be applied with e(jual force to the countenance it has lent to the cause of missions, and it will readily be granted by all those who have reflected serioubly on the subject, that Africa can never be restored to peace and happiness, or enjoy any high degree of internal prosperity, without the aid of Chribtianity. The highest degree of civilization and commercial prosperity, even if they could be attained without her assistance, would be but a doubt- ful boon. Christianity is capable of doing for her what no other agency ever can ; and the missionary societies, both of England and America, have addressed themselves to the task of giving her the gospel, with a degree of energy which promises the most cheering results. So long as the African seas were given up to piracy and the slave trade, and the aborigines kept in constant excitement and warfare, it was almost impossible either to have commenced or continued a missionary station on the coast. And the fact that there was none any- where berween Sierra Leone and the Cape of Good SOUTH AMERICA. 59 Hope previous to the year 1832, shows that it was re- garded as impracticable. Christianity does not invoke the aid of the sword ; but when she can be shielded from the violence of lawless men by the intervention of " the powers that be," or when the providence of God goes before and smooths down the waves of discord and strife, she accepts it as a grateful boon, and discharges her duty with the greater alacrity and cheerfulness. And whilst the missionaries cherish the conviction that their strength and reliance is in the unseen arm, there is, never- theless, no class of men on the coast of Africa who would regret the removal of the squadron with more heartfelt sorrow. In all these varied ways it does seem to us that the British squadron has rendered important service to the cause of humanity. It has put down piracy on the African seas ; has restored peace and trantiuillity to a line of sea-coast of more than 2000 miles ; has called into existence a large and flourishing commerce, and, at the same time, has thrown the shield of its protection over the cause of Christian missions, and all the varied agency that has been employed to promote the cause of humanity and civilisation among the benighted inhabitants of this great continent. If these great objects are not worthy of British philanthropy, we know not where to find those that are. The opinion has long been entertained by many sincere friends of Africa that, so long as the demand for slaves in Brazil is so great, it will be impossible to break up the slave trade by any forcible measures ; whilst more re- cently, but from a different source, we have heard the opinion gravely expressed that the most certain and effec- tual way of breaking it up will be to let the Brazilians have unlimited access to the coast of Africa, and so glut <;0 SOUTH AMERICA. their own markets that slaves will become comparatively valueless. But who can tell how many slaves it will take to glut the market of Brazil ? The half of the population of the continent of Africa would scarcely be suflBcient to sup- ply the demand that would spring up under such circum- stances. Treated as her slaves arc, and as the Brazilians think it their interest to treat them, the time will never come when they will dispense with the necessity of fresh importations from the coast of Africa. But let her be forced to adopt a dift'erent line of policy in relation to the treatment of her slaves, and be made to rely upon the natural increase of those already in the country, and the time is not far distant when we may reasonably expect the Brazilians themselves to be utterly opposed to any further accessions to her slaves from the coast of Africa. There is in the southern parts of the United States a state of feeling, in relation to i?lavery, that we may expect to see in Brazil before the lapse of many years. However strenuous planters in the Southern States are in defend- ing the institutions of slavery, it would be difficult to find an individual among them that would consent to receive a fresh cargo from the coast of Africa. And the thing which awakens more serious apprehensions in their minds about the stability of the institution than anything else is, the unparalleled increase of the slaves among them. This one thing makes it perfectly obvious to every man of re- flection, that it cannot be controlled for any considerable length of time to come ; and the engrossing inquiry now is, what shall we do with our slaves ? Let Brazil take the same care of her slaves, the residt will be the same, and the inquiry will soon follow, not how we shall wring more slaves from the coast of Africa, but how we shall dispose of those we already have ? American missionaries are not so rapacious a set of SOUTH AMERICA. gj men as most of our missionaries. Shortly after I left New Zealand one of the Church of England missionaries set- tled there, gave in a claim to the Government Commis- sioners on Land claims for 40,000 acres. On bein^ in- quired into, it appeared that it was a tract of land for which two of the northern tribes had been quarrelling and lighting for some years. To put a stop to bloodshed he offered to become an arbitrator between them, and after examining into their respective claims, he declared both parties to have such equal rights that it was impossible to come to any decision ; so to prevent further trouble and settle the dispute, he told them that it would be better for all parties that ho should take the disputed territory him- self. The Church of England missionaries in New Zealand gave in claims to land there to the amount of nearly 200,000 acres. The opinion expressed by the Select Committee of the House of Lords, namely, '* that the past efficiency of the cruising squadron has been greatly undervalued," appears to be completely borne out by the fact, that whereas from 1820 to 1840, a period of 20 years, the British squadron had captured only XV.] slave vessels; yet from 1840 to 1850, it captured no less than 744 — thus shewing that in the space of 30 years the number of captures amounted to the almost incredible number of 1077. The opinion which the Committee of the House of Commons had previously given, seems to have arisen in some measure from the evidence laid before them in regard to the increased horrors of the middle passage, since the traflfic became illegal, from the necessity of stowing the unhappy creatures in small vessels, and from the scanty supply of water, in order to escape the legal evidence of equipment. A most remarkable witness cited before them was Mr (J2 SOUTH AMERICA. Jose Cliffe, M.D., a native of the United States, settled in the Brazils, and for some time engaged in the slave trade, who it seems had made large profits by the slave trade, and when he had sutficiently filled his pockets to afford a conscience, he felt such a repugnance to the suf- ferings and destruction of life pertaining to the odious traflSc, that he abandoned it. Notwithstanding the tardi- ness of his morality, the postponement of his humanity to his fortunes, ]Mr Jose Cliti'e is a very shrewd and not an ineloquent witness. What he has seen he describes for- ciblv, and he has witnessed scenes of the most hideous and sickening barbarity, though he pronounces the slave trade the most lucrative one under the sun, yielding from one to three hundred per cent., slaves being generally bought in Africa for 1*5, and sold in Brazil for £15. Of the counteracting exertions of our gallant scjuadron, he says, ** They are doing every thing tliat men can do, with the mistaken vic*\v of attempting an impossibility." In answer to the question whether, when packed *' like her- rint^s in a barrel," they suffer from bruises, he states — ** When they are first put on board they do bruise ; but afterwards they become so emaciated, and are so light, that the bruising is very trifling." In reply to a question put by Mr Gladstone, as to the way of feeding the living cargoes packed closely in layers, lying on shelves, as it were, often only eighteen inches deep, Mr Jose Cliffe naively answered, '* If I were to speak the truth, it would be this : The vessels are so excessively offensive, that serving out the food is perhaps the jzreatcst punishment to which you can put any person on board. There is some half-witted person whom they ♦generally have almost on purpose for it, to pass the food round to them, and he is in such a hurry in doing it, that those who are nearest to one of the hatchways are more SOUTH AMERICA fJ3 likely to get a double portion of food rather thau that he should go round the sides of the vessel, which is so ill ventilated that it produces a sickening effect upon him. He has to get upon a mass of filth, and almost upon a mass of living bodies at the same time, because they roll out, and take up everything that they can." The prison- ers far from the hatchway frequently do not get any por- tion of the rations. The ships upon their arrival are often in so horribly tilthy a state as to be abandoned, left to rot, or to be taken by any who would or could accomplish the cleansing. In some instances convicts are compelled to clean them. Mr Clifle thus describes the state of the prisoners at the end of the voyage : — *' The knee bones appear almost like the head of a person ; from the arm you may slip your linger and tlumib up, the muscular part is gone ; it is a mere bone covered with a bit of skin. A man takes them up in his arms and carries them out of the vessel ; they are not capable of walking. They could not stand, even if they were not so emaciated. The muscles have not the power of supporting them. The eye has lost its specu- lation ; it has an idiotic ap])earance — a leaden appearance It is almost like the eye of a boiled fish." Of course the interest of the slaver is to take all care for the recovery of the poor creatures, but many are too far gone to rally Their sufferings from thirst may be vaguely inferred from the fact that a negro will drink a gallon of water a- day in his natural condition, and when packed so closely that he cannot turn round unless all his fellow-sufferers turn too simultaneously, and with the temperature at 120, their allowance is so small that Mr Clilfe shrinks from specifying it. " It is too horrid almost to say." He has heard that a teacup-full once in three days will support life for thirty days ! 04 SOUTH AMERICA. The Portuguese is the universal language of Brazil, and the slaves have all to acquire that language, as the different tribes of Africa speak so many different lan- guages that they seldom understand each other. Though slaves were imported into Brazil from almost all parts of Africa, yet the greater number came from the Gold Coast, and from a large province in the northern part of Africa called Nogroland, on the river Niger, and hence the term Negro, or the vulgar epithet ** Nigger," is frequently applied to the whole of that race. The dif- ferent tribes there were governed by numerous petty chiefs, who were frequently at war with one another, like the New Zealanders of old ; and it was chiefly those taken prisoners on both sides who were sold for slaves. Dun- can in his Travels in Western Africa, says, (vol i. p. 115,) " The price of slaves (owing to the suppression of the slave trade,) is very high, consequently the kings and chiefs in the interim go annually on a two or three months* slave-hunt, which they call a war. The result of this hunt is, of course, the capture of a number of slaves, who are sold at a high price to the \shite men, which is an encour- agement to the kings in the interior to follow up these annual hunts." Sometimes, however, the nearest of kin sold each other, and parents occasionally sold both them- selves and their children in a time of scarcity in order to escape starvation. Wilde, in his interesting travels, con- firms this statement, as in his description of the slave- market at Grand Cairo in Egypt, he says, — '* We next visited the slave-market, which is here of great extent. Within was a large open court, which contained the better class of slaves, who were all Abyssinian girls, from ten to eighteen years of age, with a yellowish olive complexion, long straight noses, handsome features, tall, light, and elegant figures, and particularly melting black eyes. 3Iost SOUTH AMERICA. g^ of these girls have been either kidnapped by the slave- dealers, or sold by their own friends for a few trinkets." These are generally purchased for the Turkish harems, or for concubines to the shopkeepers or wealthy Arabs, at the rate of about 100 dollars each, and many of them afterwards get married to their masters and become ex- cellent wives. Till of late years the obtaining of slaves in Africa was the cause of tremendous internal wars. The strong as- saulted and captured the weak ; often, in order to obtain young persons, the whole of the remainder of a little na- tion, men, women, and children, were massacred, and the face of the country covered with desolation. The com- pensation for these evils consisted in ardent spirits, tawdry silk dresses, and paltry necklaces of beads. Denham, the African traveller, says that on one occasion 20,000 negroes were killed for 1G,000 carried away as slaves. On the march to the coast, the captured wretches experienced dreadful cruelties, and died in great numbers. M. Men- dcz, the author of a learned treatise on the mortality of negro slaves, states that nearly a half of those captured died before reaching the coast. At Obeid alone, (JOOO human beings were annually dragged into slavery, and that at the cost of 2000 more, who were killed in the capture. The king of Durfur also imported for sale yearly 8000 or 9000 slaves, a fourth of whom usually died during the fatigues of a forced march, being compelled, by the scarcity of provisions, to hurry forward with all speed. In vain the exhausted wretches supplicated for one day's rest ; they had no alternative but to push on, or be left behind a prey to the hungry jackals and hyanias. When the slave-trade was not forbidden, the vessels employed to carry the slaves from Africa to the colonies, (;(J SOUTH AMERICA. not being uudcr any fear of confijication, were built on a principle of capacity, and the ordinary allowance of room was conjparatively liberal. British vessels, of 150 tons and under, were not allowed to carry more than live men to every three tons. Now, from the danger of seizure, slave-vessels are built on a principle of quick sailing, and the space allowed for the slaves is so small that they are forced to lie between the decks almost as closely packed as herrings in barrels, or even in the most favourable cases are stowed away in places not above three feet in height, bitting between each other's legs, and packed so closely "I I I.!.". ' — -T' . .. '■ — . ..-: ,. .„ , ,', ilMJiT ■ ■ ^ ii^—— ■rimr "■ — [^ — I 1 — ahia, as the Brazilians seem to have as great a prejudice to it as the Jews to pork. Mutton, however, is occasionally pur- chased at Rio and Bahia by Europeans, for whose use alone it is killed. SOUTH AMERICA. 69 CHAPTER V. History of the Slave Trade — Importation of Xegrocs into Virginia — Mohammed AH'b slave hunts — DifTerence between Christian and Moham- medan Slavery — Abolition of the Slave Trade — Difference between that and the Abolition of Slavery — Ilorrible Narrative by the Rev. P. G. Hill. Slavery is coeval nearly with the creation, having ex- isted in the days of the Jews, and amongst the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, the three most civilized nations of antiquity. Dr Keith in his " Evidences of Prophecy," says that in these days slaves were far more numerous than freemen, even where liberty prevailed the most. The rich citizen of Rome, at the commencement of the Christian era, possessed slaves of all nations, filling appropriate offices in his establishment ; and out of this j)rumiscuous system of slavery arose the form of slavery with which we in modern times are best acquainted — Negro slavery. Negroland or Nigritia is that part of the interior of Africa stretching from the great desert on the north to Caffreland on the south, and from the Atlantic on the w est to Abyssinia on the east. In fact, the entire interior of this great continent may be called the land of the negroes. The ancients distinguished it from the com- paratively civilized countries lying along the coasts of the 70 SOUTH AMERICA. Mediter:anean and the Red Sea, by calling the latter Libya, and the former Ethiopia. It is upon Ethiopia in an especial manner that the curse of slavery has fallen. At first, as we have already said, it bore but a share of the burden ; Britons and Scythians were the fellow-slaves of the Ethiopian ; but at last all the other nations of the earth seemed to conspire against the Negro race, agree- ing never to enslave each other, but to make the blacks the slaves of all alike. Thus, this one race of human beings has been singled out, whether owing to the acci- dent of colour, or to their peculiar fitness for certain kinds of labour, for infamy and misfortune; and the abolition of the practice of promiscuous slavery in the modern world was purchased by the introduction of a slavery con- fined entirely to negroes. The nations and tribes of negroes in Africa, w ho thus idtimately became the universal prey of Europeans, were themselves equally guilty in subjecting men to perpetual bondage, and being thus in the habit of buying and selling each other, it soon became a custom for the negroes liv- ing on the southern border of the great desert to sell their countrymen to the foreigners with whom they came in con- tact. Although the use of negroes as slaves by the Arabs may be said to have given the first hint of negro slavery to the Europeans, the latter are quite entitled to the credit of having found it out for themselves. The Por- tuguese were the first to set the example of stealing negroes ; they were the first to become acquainted with Africa. Till the fifteenth century, no part of Africa was known except the chain of countries on the coast of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. But before the year 1470, the whole of the Guinea coast had been ex- plored. As early as 1434, Antonio Gonzales, a Portu- SOUTH AMERICA. 71 guese captain, landed on this coast, and carried away with hira some negro boys, whom he sold to one or two Moorish families in the south of Spain, and from that day, it be- came customary for the captains of vessels landing on the Gold Coast, to carry away a few young negroes of both sexes. The labour of these negroes, being found valu- able, they soon came to form a part of the cargo, as well as gold, ivory and gum. The ships no longer went on voyages of discovery, but for profitable cargoes ; and the inhabitants of the negro villages along the coast, delighted with the beads, and knives, and bright cloths which they got in exchange for gold, ivory, and slaves, took care to have these articles ready for any ship that might land. Thus the slave trade, properly so called, began. America was discovered in 1492. The part of this new world \\hich was first colonised by the Spaniards, consisted of those islands called the West Indies. When the Spaniards took possession of these islands, they employed the natives, or Indians, as they were called, to do all the heavy kinds of labour for them, such as carrying burdens, digging for gold, &c. As early as 1503, a few negroes had been carried across the Atlantic ; and it was found that not only could each of these negroes do as much work as four Indians, but that, while the In- dians were fast becoming extinct, the negroes were thriv- ing and propagating wonderfully. The plain inference was, that they sliould import negroes as fast as possible ; and this was accordin^lv done. At first the Spaniards had all America to themselves ; and as it was in America that negro labour was in de- mand, the Spaniards alone possessed large numbers of negroes. But other nations came to have colonies in America, and as negroes were found invaluable in the foundation of a new colony ; other nations came also to 72 SOUTH AMElltCA. patronise the slave trade. The first recognition of the trade by the EngHsh government was in 1562, in the reign of Elizabeth, when an act was passed legalising the part of their cargo. It was in the year lOUi that the first negroes were imported into Virginia ; and even then it was not an English slave-ship which supplied them, but a Dutch one, which chanced to touch on the coast with some negroes on board bound for the Spanish colonies. These negroes the Virginian planters purchased on trial ; and the bargain was found to be so good, that in a short time negroes came to be in great demand in Virginia. Nor were the planters any longer indebted to the chance visits of Dutch ships for a supply of negro labourers ; for the English merchants, vigilant and calculating then as they are now, immediately embarked in the traffic, and in- structed the captains of their vessels visiting the African coast to barter for negroes as well as wax and elephants' teeth. In a similar way the French, the Dutch, and all other nations of any commercial importance, came to be involved in the traffic, so that, before the middle of the seventeenth century the African slave trade was in full vigour; and all Europe was implicated in the buying and selling of negroes. As an improvement on the former method of trading, the plan was adopted very early of planting small settlements of Europeans at intervals along the slave-coast, N\hose busi- ness it should be to negotiate with the negroes, stimulate them to activity in their slave-hunting expeditions, pur- chase the slaves brought in, and warehouse them until the arrival of the ships. These settlements were called slave factories, and were planted all along the western coast, from Cape Verd to the equator, by English, French, Dutch, and Portuguese traders — that of Cape Coast Castle being the principal establishment of the English j SOUTH AMERICA. 73 and each company was in the practice of annually sending a certain number of ships to its respective estabhshraents, freighted with European goods suitable for traffic ; while its factors in Africa had, in the meantime, been collecting slaves, ivory, gum-arabic, and other productions of the country ; so that the vessels on their arrival sufTered no detention, but always found a return cargo ready for them. In 1794, the king of the southern Foulahs, a powerful tribe in Nigritia, was known to have had an army of 10,000 men constantly employed in these slave-hunting expeditions into his neighbours' territories. The slaves they procured made the largest item in his revenue. Wiiile a wholesale deportation of slaves from Central Africa was actively organised and conducted in order to supply the American market. Nubia and some other dis- tricts were equally laid under contribution for slaves by Egyptian and Turkish invaders. The main difference be- tween the two trades was, that while the Europeans gene- rally bought slaves after they had been captured, the less fastidious Turks captured slaves for themselves, and the slave markets of the Levant have long been supplied in this manner. Mohammed Ali, the late ruler of Egypt, brought this system of plundering to a high degree of per- fection ; Nubia being his principal slave-preserve, into which he permitted no intruder with similar objects to his own. Mohammed's slave-hunts were conducted on a grand scale ; the expeditions taking ])lace annually after the rainy season, with as much regularity as the collecting of a tax. So soon as they arrived at the nearest mountains in Nubia, the inhabitants were asked to give the appointed number of slaves as their customary tribute. This was usually done with readiness, being well aware that, by an obstinate refusal, they exposed themselves to far greater 74 SOUTH AMERICA. sufferings. If given without resistance, the inhabitants of that mountain were preserved from the horrors of an attack. But if the sheik did not yield to the demand, an attack was made upon the vilhige. The cavah-y and bearers of lances surrounded the whole mountain, the in- fantry climbed the heights, and the village was at last taken in spite of tlie most desperate resistance, when tlie revenge that followed was horrible. AVhen slaves to the number of i)00 or 600 were ob- tained, they were sent to Lobeid, with an escort of country j)eople, and about fifty soldiers, under the commanil of an officer. In this way, the men carrying the sheba, which is a young tree about 8 feet long hung round their necks to prevent escape, the boys tied togelhei by the wrists, the women and children walking at liberty, and the old and feeble tottering along leaning on their relations, the whole of the captives are driven into Egypt, there to be exposed for sale in the slave-market. Thus negroes and Nubians are distributed over the East, through Persia, Arabia, India, &c. It is to be observed, then, that there have been two distinct slave trades going on w ith Africa — the slave trade on the west coast, for the supply of America and the Euro- pean colonies, which is the one we are best acquainted w ith ; and the slave trade on the north-east, for the supply of Egypt, Turkey, and the East. The one may be called the Christian, the other the Mohammedan slave trade. We have been accustomed to interest ourselves so much in the western or Christian slave trade, that we are apt 10 forget that the other exists. But the fact is, that while the one trade has been legally abolished, the other is carried on as vigorously as ever. A traffic in negroes is at present going on between Negroland and the whole of the East, as w ell as the semi- Asiatic countries of Africa. SOUTU AMERICA. 75 While it is illegal for a European to carry away a negro from the Guinea coast, negroes are bought and sold daily in the public slave-markets of Cairo and Constantinople. The Mohammedans treat their negroes with more kind- ness than the Christians do. In the cast it is customary to hear a poor wretch boast that he is a slave, and not a servant. And there is this difference to be observed be- tween the slavery of the east and the slavery of the west, that whereas in the west the negroes are the only slaves known, it is not so in tlie east. In the east there are slaves of all countries, Asiatics as well as Africans ; as was the case in Greece, Rome, and other countries of the ancient world. To return to the western slave trade, with whose his- tory we are most concerned. About the year 1750 this trade was carried on with extraordinary vigour. All the great nations had factories or negro warehouses on the Guinea coast, and ships of all nations came periodically to carry off their valuable cargoes. It is impossible to arrive at any exact conclusion as to the number of negroes annually carried off by the traders of various nations about this time ; but there is every reason to believe that during the two centuries, from ICoO to 1850, Africa must have been defrauded of a population equal in numbers to that of the British islands, or nearly 30,000,000. And it was not a mere experiment in emigration that these poor negroes were undergoing for the sake of a country over- burdened with population ; they were torn from Africa, not because Africa was tired of them, and desired to spew them forth — instead of that, Africa could have received the whole of Europe, and never felt the difference, its vegetation is so rank, its fertihty so inexhaustible, its streams so full of fish, its forests so stocked with game — but they were torn away to be the drudges of the white u 2 76 SOUTH AMERICA. races, wherever they chose to take them. The prmcipal slave importing places were the West Indian islands, the British colonies in North America, Brazil, and other set- tlements in South America. So much has the demand for slaves been confined to America, that it may be said that, but for the discovery of America, negro slavery would never have existed. Negro slavery was a device struck out in a bold and unconscientious age to meet a great emergency. When Europe, as wo have seen, had discovered the new world with all its riches, and found that the aborigines there were useless as labourers, and were fast disappearing broken-hearted into their graves, pro- voked at so untoward an occurrence, she looked about in no very scrupulous mood, for some other population less delicately framed, whom she might compel to help her through the crisis. Her eye lighted on the brawny figure of the negro, and the \\hole ditliculty vanished. Here nvas the individual that had been specially designed to dig in mines, and work in sugar plantations. What so con- venient as to use the old continent for the ])urposc of sub- jugating the new I Having sketched the origin and progress of the slave trade, and presented an idea of its extent, we have now lo trace the history of its nominal abolition. In England, about the year 1705, the case of a poor negro, whom his master had cast adrift in London, at- tracted the notice of the benevolent Granville Sliarpe. Led by this case to take up the cause of the negroes in general, Mr Sharpe, by persevering in making public all instances of the sale or seizures of negroes in London, drew from the bench in 1772 the famous decision, that '• when a slave puts his foot on English ground he is free." What could be done for the negroes, became now a sub- ject of conversation among educated people. SOUTH AMERICA. -77 In 1783 Bishop Portcoiis made the slave trade the sub- ject of a pubHc sermon ; and in 1 785 Dr Pickard pro- posed the slave trade as the subject of a prize essay at Cambridge. The prize was gained by Thomas Clarkson, who, from that day, devoted his life to the abolition of slavery. We do not suppose that any other prize essay ever did as much. Besides Clarkson, there was another individual, of whose mind the subject took a deep hold. This was William Wilberforce, whose annual motion for the abolition of the slave trade was carried in the House of Comrnons in 1804, but the Lords threw it out. At this time there was such an increase in the number of slaves imported in British ships, owing to the capture of the Dutch colonies, that the nation became indignant, and would have no more delay. Accordingly, in 1805, the importation of slaves into the new colonies was prohibited ; next year the slave trade with foreign countries was also abolished; and in 1807 came the climax. The bill for the total abolition of the British slave trade on and after the 1st of January 1808 received the royal assent on the 25th of March 1807. The slave trade was also abolished by the Congress of the United States on the same day, 1st January 1808. Meanwhile the example and the diplomatic influence of Great Britain were rousing the governments of other countries. Ere long all the foreign powers imitated Great Britain in prohibiting the traffic to their subjects. Two of them went the length of making the traffic piracy, punishable with death, as England had ; namely, North America and Brazil. By a convention between the British and Brazilian governments, signed at Rio de Janeiro on 20 th November 182(3, it v/as agreed that from and after 23d March 1830, the slave trade should cease, and be branded as piracy wherever it was carried on. 78 SOUTH a:^ierica. The Brazilians made a desperate effort to import as many slaves as possible prior to this eventful period. Into Rio alone they imported, during 1828, 43,555, and in 1829 no less than 52,G00. The rest did not go quite so far, but all of them made the traffic illegal, and, with the excep- tion of the United States, have agreed to what is called the mutual right of search ; that is, each agreed to per- mit its ships to be searched at sea by the ships of the others, so as to detect any slaves who may be on board. And at this day a line of British cruisers is stationed along the African coast, to chase and capture slave vessels. It is necessary here to remind our readers, that the abolition of the alave trade, and the abolition of sluven/, are two distinct things. It was not till 1833 that Great Britain abolished slavery in her colonies. Other states, though they have abolished the slave trade, or declared the importation of any more negroes from Africa to be illegal, have not abolished slavery ; that is, emancipated the negro population already formed. In the United States, for instance, to import any more negroes from Africa is piracy by the law ; but at the same time slavery exists in full force in the southern states ; negroes arc bought and sold, and marched in droves from one state into another. It is important, then, to bear in mind that the abolition of the slave trade is a different thing from the abolition of slavery. The British government, in abolish- ing slavery, has in effect laid down the proposition, that no human being has a right to enslave another ; the govern- ment, of the United States, in stopping short at the pro- hibition of the slave trade, has only said, '* We can do with the negroes we have, and we don't need any more." To import negroes from Africa is now, therefore, an illegal act by the law of all civilised nations. Some states still keep up slavery, but all have abolished the slave SOUTH AMERICA. y<) traffic witli Africa. Those nations, accordingly, which do keep up slavery, such as Cuba, Brazil, and the United States, are supposed to breed all the slaves they require within their own territories out of the existing slave popu- lation, and not to receive any ship>loads from Africa. But is such the fact in Cuba or Brazil ? Africa, however, loses far more than America gains, as, for every ten negroes whom Africa parts with, America receives only three ; the other seven die. Tliis enormous wastage may be divided into three portions — the wastage in the journey from the interior of Negroland to the coast, the wastage in the passage across the Atlantic, and the wastage in the process of seasoning after landing. The first is estimated at one-half of the original numl)er brought from the interior, the second at one-fourth of the number shipped, and the tliird at one-fifth of the number landed. In other words, if 400,000 negroes are collected in the interior of Africa, then of these one-half will die before reaching the coast, leaving only 200,000 to be shipped ; of these one-fourth will die on the passage across the Atlantic, leaving only 150,000 to be landed ; and of these one-fifth will die in the process of seasoning, leaving only 120,000 available for labour in America. This is, how- ever, more than twice as large as the wastage which took place under the legal traffic, for whereas now it requires 400,000 Africans to give America 120,000 available negro labourers, it would only have required 250,000 to do so w bile the traffic was legal. While the trade was legal the ships designed for carrying slaves were in a great measure constructed like other vessels ; though, in order to make the cargo as large as possible, the negroes were packed very closely together, and the number which a vessel was allowed to carry was fixed by law. British vessels of 150 ^0 SOUTH AMEracA. tons and under were not to carry more than five slaves to every three tons of measurement. But in order to escape the British cruisers, all slave ships now arc huilt on the principle of fast sailing. The risk of being captured takes away all inducement, from mere selfish motives, to make the cargo moderate ; on the contrary it is an ohject now for the slaver to make use of small vessels, in order to divide his ventures as much as possible, and to make the cargo as large as possible, for then the escape of one cargo out of three will am])ly repay him. Accordingly, the negroes now are packed in the slave ships literally (and this is the com})arison always used) like herrings in a barrel. They have nei- ther standing room, nor sitting room, nor lying room, and as for change of position during the voyage, the thing is impossible. They are cooped up anyhow, s(jueezed into crevices, or jammed up against the curved planks. The height between decks is frequently only 18 inches, so that the only possible posture is on the side. Lastly, it has been proved that, in too many cases, the condition of the negroes at sea is far from being improved when the slaver falls into British hands. In confirmation of this we may refer to the pamphlet published by the Rev. Pascoe Grenfell Hill, entitled " Fifty Days on Board a Slave Vessel, in April and May 1843." The Progresso, a Brazilian slaver, was captured on the 12th of April, on the coast of Madagascar, by the British cruiser Cleopatra, on board of which Mr Hill was chaplain. The slaver was then taken charge of by a British crew, who were to navi- gate her to the Cape of Good Hope. Mr Hill, at his own request, accompanied her, and his pamphlet is a narrative of \\ hat took place during the fifty days which elapsed be- fore their arrival at the Cape. We cannot here quole SOUTH AMERICA. g| the details of the description of the treatment of the ne- groes given by Mr Hill ; but the following account of the horrors of a single night will suffice. Shortly after the Progresso parted company with the Cleopatra, a squall arose, and the negroes, who were breathing fresh air on the deck, and rolling themselves about for glee, and kiss- ing the hands and the clothes of their deliverers, were all sent below. '♦ The night," says Mr Hill, " being intensely hot, 400 wretched beings thus crammed into a hold twelve yards in length, seven in breadth, and only three and a half feet in height, speedily began to make an effort to re-issue to the open air. JJeing thrust back, and striving the more to get out, the after-hatch was forced down on them. Over the other hatchway, in the fore-part of the vessel, a wooden grating was fastened. To this, the sole inlet for the air, the suffocating heat of the hold made them press ; and thus great part of liie space below was rendered useless. They crowded to the grating, and clinging to it for air, completely barred its entrance. They strove to force- their way throutjh apertures in length fourteen inches, and barely six inches in breadth, and in some instances succeeded. The cries, the heat, I may say without exaggeration, • the smoke of their torment.' which ascended, can be compared to nothing earthly. One of the Spaniards gave warning that the consequence would be ♦ many deaths.* Next day tlie prediction of the Spaniard was fearfully verified, as fifty-four crushed and mangled corpses were lifted up from the slave deck, brought to the gang- way, and thrown overboard. Some were emaciated from disease, many bruised and bloody, and some were found strangled, their hands still .^rasii- ing each otlier's throats, in the hopes of procuring room to breathe, and their tongues protruding from their mouths. The bowels of one were crushed out. They had been trampled to death for the most part, the weaker under the feet of the stronger, in the madness and torment of suffocation from crowd and heat. Some, still quivering, were laid on the deck to die ; salt water thrown on them to revive them, and a little fresh water poured into their mouths, Antonio reminded me of his last night's warning. He actively employed himself, with his comrade Sebastian, in attendance on the wretched living beings now released from their confinement below ; dis- tributing to them their morning meal of farinha, and their allowance of water, rather more than half a pint to each, which they grasped with incon- ceivable eagerness, some bending their knees to the deck, to avoid the risk ^2 SOUTH AMKKK A. of losing any of the liquid by unsteady footinR ; their throuts doubtli-fs parched lo the utmost with crying and yelling through the night. Wlien the Progvesso y)arted company witli the Cleopa- tra, there verc 3!)T negroes on hoard, of whom only 222 were landed at the Cape, no fewer than 175 having died. The crew escaped, there being no court empowered to try them at the Cape. Abundantly does the narrative of 31r Hill justify the bold sentence with which he concludes «' While we l)oast the name of Wilberforce, and \\w genius and eloquence which enabled him to arouse so ge- neral a zeal against the slave trade ; that trade, so far from being annihilated, is still carried on under circum- stances of greater atrocity than were known in his time, and the blood of the poor victims calls more loudly on us as the actual, though unintentional aggravators of their miseries." They often found the poor negroes impressed with the strongest terror at their deliverers. The slave dealers persuaded them that the English were cannibals, wlio only took them to eat them. ^Vhen undeceived, their joy and L^r.ititudt' were proportionately great. SOUTH AMERICA. 83 CHAPTER VI. Misroprcsenttttions and delusions practised upon the people of Great Britain in regard to slavery — Testimony of Captain Alexander — of Vin. cent Paradise— Of a Norwich Artizan — OfM. De Lamartine — Of Cald- cleugh— Of Gardner— Of the Uev. Dr Wal-h— Of the Quarterly Review — Disquisition on the ** Licitnion and misrepresentation has been practised upon the people of this country, and particularly upon the female part of it, by certain individuals, "who, possessed of great natural eloquence, have been in the habit of going through the country haranguing the people, and raising a sort of hue and cry against this unfortunate though ancient practice. I have attended meetings in Edinburgh, and have seen a thousand ladies bathed in tears, at some of the scenes of cruelty represented to their view. And really, I could not wonder at it, as these tales of woe were got up and painted in such glowing colours as quite to get the better of their weak nerves. What I object to, how- ever, is their selecting with great care some solitary in- stances of cruelty practised by a few tyrannical masters or overseers, (and among so many we must expect to find some who arc a disgrace to human nature,) and impressing the public with the notion that such is tlie universal treatment to which the whole of that unfortunate race are 84 SOUTH AMERICA. subjected. They lead us to infer that the exception is the rule itself. Now I have no interest whatever in the matter hut the cause of truth, and IJefore tliy sacred altar, heavenly Truth, I kneel in manhood as I knelt in youth ; Thus let me kneel till this dull form decav, And life's last shade be hrighton'd hy tliy ray ; Then shall my soul, now lost in clouds below, Soar without bound, without consuming glow. In the sacred cause of truth, therefore, I proclaim to the world that a more disreputable attempt to impose on the credulity of mankind than this was perhaps never made. I have now been in slave countries myself, I have read and heard all that can possibly be said on the subject ; and have been personally acquainted with some remarkably humane men who were slave owners, and I confidently assert that slaves in general, whatever may have been the case formerly, are now treated with a con- siderable degree of care and humanity. No doubt they are occasionally half-starved, and treated with great cruelty and barbarity, but these are the exceptions and not the rule itself. Slavery in any shape is bad enough, without polluting the fountain head of truth to make it appear w orse.. Captain Alexander in his travels in North and South America, says, — " One would have imagined, from the in- cessant outcry in England about ameliorating the condition of the black population in the colonies, that the negroes are in a very deplorable condition, emaciated, borne down with hard labour, badly fed, badly clothed, and sounds of suffering, and of the driver's whip every where heard. No such thing. The men were well clothed and well fed, — the negresses were decently clad in printed gowns, and there were no sounds but those of merriment." SOUTH AMERICA. 85 But perhaps the most convincing proof of their being well treated, is the testimony of the slaves themselves ; and of this we have a memorable instance in the case of the Grand Fancy Ball which was given by Vincent Para- dise on Christmas Eve, 1830. 3Ir Paradise was a black labourer, who had formerly been a slave on the estate of Mr Gladstone in British Guiana, in South America, and in addition to the other labourers on the estate, he in- vited all the gentlemen and ladies in the country round to his ball, which cost him L.300 sterling ; and did any one ever hear of a white labourer in this country having L 300, or even 300 pence to spend on a fancy ball? Mr Mathieson took the chair at the supper table, and after drinking the Queen, which was received with accla- mation, Mr Paradise rose and returned thanks in her name, and as her representative, and I doubt much if ever her Majesty had a white representative who made a better speech. lie spoke as follows : ** Ladies and gentlemen, in the name of the labourers upon this estate, I will re- turn thanks for the health of her Majesty Queen Victoria. We all feel grateful for the gift of our freedom. I have been head man on Vrecden Hoop Tthe name of the estate,) in slavery time, in prentice time, and since free, and have always seen good men well treated ; and I do not think that good honest labourers, who were willing to work, were ever badly treated ; they might be by some masters, but not many." It is impossible to conceive a more honest, candid confession than this, and that too from a slave who had just been emancipated. But I have it in my power to lay before you an equally strong testimonial from a white artizan of our own country. A public meeting was held in Norwich in October 1841, for the laudable purpose of propagating the gospel in foreign parts, at which the Lord Lieutenant ^Q SOUTH AMEUICA. i)f the county, Lord Wodehouso, presided. This meeting, in addition to a nund)er of the clergy of the Church of England, and a large assembly of fashionable ladies and gentlemen, was attended also by a few of the scjualid and starving artizans of Norwich, who interrupted the meeting by calling out. " more food and less bibles," and other similar exclamations, and on one of them crying out *' hand us 20 millions of money as you did for the slaves," the Rev. Mr Croft asked, " do you grudge the slaves the'r liberty?" "No," answered the chartist, *' but you try to enslave us." *• Upon ihis a man got upon a form and said — I was six years in thi* West Indies, between Si Thomas and Barbadocs, ond saw how the slaves ate and drank, and I do, standing here, say, so help nie God, I would rather be a slave in the plantations than be as I am now. The men that had slaves had an interest in them, as their property, and that they should be able to do their work ; and five Englishmen would do as much in one day as twenty of them— (Mr Croft, " With the whip ") Yes, with the whip. In the morning the whip did crack, certainly, at our belU ring; but after that there was a certain time allowed for them to get to their work ; and if they were after that time, they were not flogged, but the driver merely mn after them with the whip, and they might perhaps occasionally get a cut at them. Then when they were in the field they dug a square hole for four or perhaps six sugar canes ; but they were always singing, and were merry. Now, what is the case with me ? I am a slave to the classes above me. I work hard and cannot get food for myself and children, and I liave no one to own me or to care for me. Every one with whom I deal is en- deavouring to take all he can from me ; they have all an interest in cheating and not in feeding me ; and I therefore lie down on my pillow with an empty stomach. I am, therefore, whipped in the belly, while the black slave was only beaten on his fat back. " Ucwett I know a man who has only had five dinners since last Easter, and you cannot produce a person in that state." The Editor of the Leeds Times, from which journal I have selected this paragraph, after giving a detailed ac- count of this meeting, concludes with the following remark. •• Surh is a scene between the people and their clergy, between the flock and their shearers. Surely this meeting ought to teach the clergy that at SOUTH AMERICA. 37 least there is a great deal of work for them to do at home, before going to ' foreign parts' in search of objects of charity. The people at their very doors are starving ; and is it not mockery, does it not seem like gross hypo- crisy, to overlook these sufferers, for whose behoof they hold all the wealth they possess, and stretch out their aid to the well-fed natives of Otaheite and Madagascar?" You will find a very remarkable circumstance stated by the individual who had resided six years among the slaves, and I can bear my testimony to the same effect, and that is, that they were always singing and very merrv. Now Solomon, the wisest of men, says — " that a merrv heart doeth good like medicine, but a broken spirit drieth tlie bones," — and the bores of the people in this country are becoming pretty well dried. Now did you ever know any one who was constantly singing and merry that was not happy ? and do you think it possible that these slaves could have been happy had they been subjected to the cruel treatment represented by the itinerant j)hilanthro- pists ? Why, my friends, when people are ill-treated in this or in any other country that ever I heard of, it puts all sorts of merriment so completely out of their heads, that were you to pay them a visit, you would more likely find them weejiing and wailing, than singing or dancing. Thev are said, moreover, to have been so well fed that even their backs become fat. Now we all know that the back is not a part of the human frame, to which much of that substance called fat is apt to adhere. But I can atfirm, along with this Norwich artisan, that the backs of almost all the slaves whom I saw in Brazil were not only fat but exceedingly glossy, the very beau ideal of health. Yet it is over these merry, fat-backed people that the ladies of this country weep so bitterly, whilst this free, white, squalid, starving artizan tells you that he actually envies their happy lot, and is no doubt prepared to say, " Weep not for these, ye fair daughters of Britain, for they need 88 SOUTH AMERICA. not your sympathy nor your care ; but let your eyes run down with tears, and your eyelids gush out \vith waters, when you behold us and our children, for we are perish- ing for want of food." From the atrocities committed by Robespierre and others during the French Revolution of 1789, their reign was called the " Reign of Terror," — but we happen to live in a very dilFerent reign, for we live in the " Reign of Folly." We ought also to bear in mind that the word slave in Greek or in Latin is only tiio denomination of a servant ; and that slavery in name is inlinitely w orse than slavery in reality. The Emperor Napoleon has wisely remarked that there was a great deal more in names than people imagined. A man, it is said, who ha< the name of rising early, may lie in bed all day. It will be a glorious day for Great Britain, worthy of being ushered in with the sound of the trum])et and the roaring of the cannon, when her working population are heard once more singing and making merry like these happv slaves ; and their backs w ill in like manner soon become fat also, for the race which they have had with poverty will then be run, the warfare which they have carried on with starvation will then be over. But what I object to above all in those who go about the country haranguing against slavery is, that it with- draws the attention of the public from scenes ten times worse than all the slavery in the world, namely, the dis- tress and misery at home, and that this distress is still appalling, in some quarters at least, may be gathered from the simple fact that the hand-loom weavers through- out the country are at this moment not earning more on an average than five or six shillings a week. The silly and deluded people of this country go forth in crowds, besieging assembly rooms and churches with such a dense SOUTH AMERICA. 89 mass of their numbers, that one can hardly get admittance without being squeezed to death, in order to listen to a few dismal tales of suffering and of woe, represented in beautiful language and with surpassing eloquence ; and upon the few, the solitary victims in this tragic scene, se- lected from a body of millions inhabiting far distant parts of the earth, who can hardly be said to know what dis- tress is, they pour forth all their lamentations and all their tears, and have not so much as one left for the thousands who are perishing at their right hand, and the tens of thousands who are expiring at their left. M. De Lamartine, who made himself so conspicuous during the French Revolution of 1848, in his celebrated work entitled '* A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land," when hearing some slaves singing, makes the following remark. "Song is (he superfluity of happines?, and of an overflowing soul, say what you will. They are slaves, say you — what reck they of that ? Of slavery or liberty, the misery or happiness of conventional ideas ? Does this fact change any thing in regard to their relations with nature, the only ones they study ? Undoubtedly not. Every form of society, free or con- strained, resolves itself into a servitude more or less felt. "NVe are slaves of the various and capricious laws that wo make for ourselves — they of the inscrutable law of force that God made for them. All this, so far as happi- ness or misery is concerned, amounts to the same thing. They who read this after me will perhaps suspect mo of partiality for despotism, or con- tempt for liberty — they will be mistaken." Caldcleugh in his travels in South America, says in reference to this — " The kindness exhibited to the slaves is too well known to be mentioned here. That some slaveholders should alTord an example to the contrary, cannot be wondered at, when the different tempers of man are considered '. but generally nothing can exceed their kindness. "Without wishing it to be inferred that they lead an enviable life, nobody can affirm, on seeing them singing and dancing in the streets, that they are wretched, and con- tinually pining over their unhappy fate. In many cases they appear to do as they please, and completely rule their indolent masters. 90 SOUTH AMEuir.v. " I have before mentioned," continues Cdldclcueh, " that their treatment IB far from severe. It does sometimes happen that a slave falls into the bands of a poor man, and like a horse under similar circumstances in England, must work harder and faro worse, and occasionally instances of severity are recorded, but these are rare. The laws affecting slaves have been much softened down, or grown into desuetude. The owner hu!" the power of giving a certain number of blows, which, if not fhouj^ht adequate to the ofiencc, he goes to the judj?o of the police, states the case, and ob- tains an order on the public flogger for a certain number of stripes, fur which he pays by the hundred, or for more serious offences, impriiionment or working in chains on public works. The Drazilian, however, generally takes the law iuto his own hands, as being moro merciful than sending the ofl'onder to the eonjnion executioner ; and as many of them cannot afford tu lose the time of the slave while undergoing punishment for serious crimes, if moderate cha»ti8ement!(, such as they can themselves inllict, have no effect, they sell them />ara /o/ a tin terra, for such employs as will take them out of the country. The vices of blacks arc peculiar to them in every country, and a great proportion must bo attributed to their condition." Mr Caldcleugli adds that the Drazilian.s iind tlie blacks so much more useful and steady than white servants, that there is Httlc prospect of their giving way to the latter. Though the Brazilians are much in the habit of freeing their slaves, yet to judge by the usual effects of enfran- chisement both there and every w here else, the negroes had better remain in the trammels of slavery. From being turned on the w orld when unfit for it, and unaccustomed to spend a moment in tliouglit, the free blacks too often become improvident, idle, vicious, and disorderly, so that upon the whole their enfranchisement is not only of little benefit to themselves but dangerous to the whites. This is a truth which all who have spent any time in a slave- holding country will readily concede. Such being the case the question naturally arises, what is to be the remedy? Caldcleugh thinks, that if the Brazilians could see their real interest, they would at once put an end to the im- portation of fresh slaves, and trust to greater care and at- tention to those already in the country for a future supply. SOUTH AMERICA. 91 From the climate being fine, the slaves healthy, and the mines not of that description where there is a great waste of life, he thinks that, with proper care, in a short time there would he a sufficiency for all purposes, as no extraordinary demand can instantly take place. The planters, he says, would be no losers by the stoppage of the traffic, for the value of their slaves would be greatly increased, and more solicitude would be expressed for the fate of the children, who are now thought scarcely worth the trouble of raising. Mr C. after recommending a good education for them, concludes his observations on this most impor- tant topic with the following just and sensible remarks. *' The Brazilians should by no means bo permitted to enfranchise their slaves, until it is quite certain that the slave can, by his own exertions and steadiness, maintain himself, and become a responsible member of society. To act in this way would be the height of kindness, but to turn a black into the world absoluti-ly, in many cases, without common sense to direct his steps, so far from bcinf,' a charitable deed, is, on the contrary, one every way worthy of reprehension." Gardner, in his travels in Brazil, published in 1846, says — •• Though my experience in Brazil has been very great, but very few acts of cruelty have come under my observation The master has it in his own power to chastise his slaves at his own discretion, though some prefer sending them to the Calaborica, where, on payment of a small sum, punish- ment is given by the police. Many of the crimes for which only a few lashes are awarded, are of such a nature that in England would bring upon the perpetrator either death or transportation. It is only for very serious crimes that a slave is given up entirely to the public tribunals, as then his services are lost to the owner, either altogether, or at least for a long period." *• Tliere is no Christian country," says a writer in the Quarterly Review, " in which slavery has obtained so many mitigations as Brazil. Besides Sun'lay, the calendar gives the slave 35 holidays in the course of the year; and the law, not less wise than humane, compels the master to manumit him at the price at which he was lirst purchased, or for his present value, if it be greater than prime cost. In general, the slave who has earned enough to purchase his freedom, obtains it with little dKTiculty.' 92 SOUTH AMERICA. The Times newspaper of 3d November 1843 says also, in reference to this — " The negroes of the Portuguese colonics have always enjoyed a degree of protection and kindness to which tho slaves of the Anglo-American race are strangers ; and the free black in those countries is not an object of persecution or jealousy." The Rev. Dr Walsh bears the following testimony (vol. ii. p. 354) to the same effect : — " The Brazilians are naturally a people of a humane and good-natured disposition, and much indisposed to cruelty or severity of any kind. In- deed tho manner in which many of them treat their slaves is a proof of this, as it is really gentle and considerate." A very learned disquisition on the '* Licitness of the slave trade," and shewing its conformity with the princi- ples of natural and revealed religion was ])nl)li.shod by the Rev. R. Harris at Liverpool in 17H8, and will be found in the 2Gth vol. of Pamphlets of the Edinburgh Select Sub- scription Library. The author sets out with a number of data or axioms which he endeavours to prove in the subsequent part of his treatise, PFis tenth axiom is as follows : — " That as no abuses, committed in the prosecution of a lawful pursuit, can ever alter its intrinsic licitness, so no argument built solely on the strength of these abuses will ever evince the intrinsic deformity of the slave trade, any more than that of any other lawful pursuit where abuses are committed, unless the same be proved essentially unjust and illicit." He then proceeds to prove the legality of slavery from various passages of Scripture ; and first quotes the xxi. chapter of Exodus, wherein it is thus written — " If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve, and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. If he came in by himself he shall go out by himself. If his master have given him a wife, and she have borne him sons and daughters, the wife and her rhiMrf-n sh.ill be li- r niastrrs, and he shall go out by himself." This bcinu the command of God himself unto Closes SOUTH AMERICA 93 gives express sanction, the author mantams, to the deahng in human flesh, thus estabUshing for ever the right of pro- perty of man in man. The separation here enjoined be- tween husband and wife, father and childreYi, he considers well deserving the particular attention of every humane advocate for African hberty. But this learned divine maintains that the following plain and explicit vvords, which are written in the 25th chapter of Leviticus, authorise him to assert " that the slave trade has not only the sanction of divine authority in its support, but was also commanded by that authority under the dis- pensation of the Mosaic law." These are the words, *' Both thy bond-men and bond-maids shall be of the heathen that are round about you, of them shall yo buy bond-men and bond-maids. ]\Iore- over, of the children of the strangers that sojourn amongst you, of them shall yo buy ; and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land ; and they shall be your possession ; and ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you to inherit them for a possession ; thoy shall be your bond-men for ever.'* This benevolent divine, in reference to the above pass- age, remarks — " From this most decisive and irrefragable authority of the written word of God, visibly encouraging the prosecution of the slave trade, and declaring, in the most categorical language that words can devise, that a slave is the real, indisputable and lawful property of the purchaser and his heirs for ever, it necessarily follows that the slave trade must be, in its own intrinsic nature, a just and an honest trade, and by no means deserving those harsh epithets and names with which it is so frcciucntly branded and degraded.'' Mr Harris deduces from the whole of his argument six corollaries, of which the last is as follows — *• Since no abuses or mal- practices whatever, though of the greatest mag- nitude, committed in former times in the prosecution of the slave trade, ever induced the Almighty to prohibit or abolish that trade, but only to check, by wholesome and coercive laws, the violence of unnatural masters, and to punish the trangressors with the greatest severity ; there appears no reason whatever why the abuses and mal-practices, said to be perpetrated ill our days in the prosecution of the same trade, evidently subject to the control of the legislature, should be deemed a proper inducement to pro- ceed to the abolition of it." 94 SOUTH AMKIilCA. CHAPTER VII. The Cadeira or Sedan Chair u»ed in Uraiil— Anecdote of a Slave purchas- ing another Slate — Food of tho Slates — Insurrfction of the Slates at Hayti or St Domingo — Ma»»acre of iho French — Island of Cuba — Stran- gulation by the Garotte — (jrand Review of Troops at Bahia — Gold mines of Braiil — German, Swiss and Irish Colonies in Brazil — No antipathy to Dissection — Mode of chastising Slaves — Little chance of the Slaves in Brazil being emancipated — The Coffee plant — The Pampas or Plains of South America — Mode of catching >Vild Cattle and Horses with the From the steepness of the streets of Bahi.i tliev use a curtained chair, with a pole j)laccd along the top of it, which rests upon the shoulders of two slaves, one hefore and the other behind. 'I'he Cadeira, the name given to this sedan chair, is carried obliquely, so that each of the slaves may see his way before him, whilst it allows the person carried to see also, if he chooses to open the cur- tains at the side, as there is no glass about them. This forms the universal mode of travelling through the streets of Bahia. You meet with captains of ships, English and American sailors, fashionable ladies, bishops and fat priests, passengers from emigrant ships, the old and the young, the lame and the blind, all riding about in these cadeiras ; and they are not very extravagant in their charges, as they carried me about a mile one day for ten- pence. From not being raised much more than a foot from SOUTH AMEKICA. q^ tlie ground, even though they were to stumble, you could not fall far. One of our passengers who had got rather hearty, stepped into one of them, and not being able to balance himself properly, tumbled out on the street, to the no small amusement of the slaves who were carrying him, and all those passing at the time. There are supposed to be a thousand of these cadeiras in Bahia; some of tlie higher classes keeping private ones of their own, so that you frequently meet cadeiras carried by two slaves dressed in livery. The cost of a cadeira is about L.20 sterling. The owners of them generally let them out to their slaves at a certain sum per day, allowing them to pocket as much more as they can, and this makes them very active, and occasionally somewhat importunate, as when they see a decent person walking they are apt to ask if he wants a cadeira; but withal they are remarkably civil and obliging. When well treated, as they are in general in Brazil, the slaves become very grateful and attached to their mas- ters. Mr Alexander Wilson, a Scotch gentleman, who had been a merchant there for many years, and whose hospitality I shall never forget, told m • that a friend of his and a countrymen of our own, resident in Bahia, had a slave with him for many years, who said to him one day that he wished to purchase his freedom with the little money which he had saved. His master said that he had no objections, and named the sura he was willing to take, which the slave at once agreed to give. The master, however, stated that when free it would be necessary for him to leave his service, upon which the slave became (juite dejected, saying that he had intended to remain with him as formerly, and that as he could not think of leaving him he must remain a slave, if that were the condition attached to his freedom. Having thus the money he had saved still to invest, he went and bought another sla^e — 91} SOUTH AMERICA. that here was the singular circunistance of one slave being the master of another slave. This is a rare case, though there are numerous instances of slaves, wlien they become free, investing their spare money in the purchase of other slaves. In fact there are nearly as many negroes as >vhites interested in perpetuating the systematic bondage of their own countrymen ; and it is a singular fact, that both in Brazil and the United States of America, negroes who liad been slaves, when tliey come to be slave- owners them- selves, almost invariably treat tbeir slaves worse than the whites. Female owners of slaves are also proverbial in both countries for cruelty to their slaves. 1 observe that the same takes place in Cuba, as Walton in his work on the Spanish colonies says, ** the females are often found more inexorable and severe to the slaves than the men." Though most of the slaves, no doubt, purchase their freedom so soon as they are able, yet there are some who prefer remaining in bondage and investing their money otherwise. They are apt to reason thus : It is better for us, they w ill say, to remain as we are, for in case of sick- ness or old age coining upon us our masters are bound to provide for us. And even though nominally free we would still be slaves in reality, and would have to work as hard as ever in order to obtain a livehhood, and if unable to find employment might be Jeft to starve, whereas, when slaves, our master is obliged to keep us whether he has work for us or not, and provide for us moreover in our old age. Reasoning such as this throws all the logic of Locke, and Bacon, and even of Lord Brougham, w ith all his hor- ror of slavery, into the shade. Comparatively few of the slaves return to their own country after purchasing their freedom, and those vsho do are, it is said, not very happy, as they find every thing so much changed, and almost all their relatives and friends either dead or scattered abroad. SOUTH AMERICA. 97 The chief food of the slaves in Brazil consists of jerked beef, which is meat cut in stripes, and hung up to dry with little or no salt in it, and a species of vegetable called farinha, which is a sort of flour or meal ground from the mandioca. The root from which it is prepared re- sembles a parsnip. Mandioca meal is the great bread- fruit both of Africa and of South America, and for that reason is called farinha. Wlien ground, it resembles coarse oatmeal, and they make it into a sort of porridge, on which I breakfasted one morning, and found it ex- tremely palatable. They frequently eat with their fingers, an instrument in use long before the invention of knives and forks. In this they are not singular, as Lamartinc mentions in his travels in the Holy Land, having paid a visit to the commander-in-chief of a powerful Arabian King, who could raise within his dominions a million of Bedouin Arabs capable of bearing arms, who was in the habit of eating with his fingers, and laughed heartily when he saw Lamartine making use of a fork and spoon, merely remarking " that every nation believed its cus- toms to be the best possible, and each w as therefore con- tent with its condition." Mr Lane in his excellent work on the manners and customs of the modern Egyptians, says in like manner, *' that the Turks have been led to imitate us in our luxuries, several of the more wealthy now using the knife and fork." In regard to the Bedouin Arabs mentioned above, Mr Stephens, the American traveller, states that the chastity of their women is protected by sanguinary laws, the guilty woman having her head cut off by her own re- lations, whilst her paramour, unless caught in the act, is allowed to escape. The Arabs proceed on the ground, that the chastity of a woman is a pearl above all price ; that it is in her own keeping ; and that it is but part of 98 SOUTH AMERICA. the infirmity of man's nature to seek to rob her of it ; a very charitable deduction. The slaves in Brazil have still some abstract notions of freedom, and a conspiracy amongst them for effecting this object was fortunately discovered at Biih'ui many years ago, before their plans had been properly matured. Indeed, though, as I said before, they are in general well treated, yet it is absurd to say that they are reconciled to their fate, and happier in slavery in America, than in freedom in their own country. Shives in general have made but little of their insurrections, with the solitary ex- ception, perhaps, of the revolt at Ilayti or St Domingo. This is the largest of the West India Islands, except Cuba, being 400 miles long, and 180 in its average breadth — and consequently nearly double the size of Jamaica, from which it is distant about 70 miles. Its original name of Ilayti signifies " hit/h land.'' The Span- iards were in possession of it for 120 years, during the first 18 of which they reduced the inhabitants from one million to ()0,000 ; — but in 1795, they gave it up entirely to the French, who in 1722, had acquired right to about the one-half of it. The French seem to have behaved with greater cruelty to their slaves than even the Spaniards, as in the year 1793 they rose up against them, and being joined by the free negroes and mulattoes, 100,000 were soon in arms. The negroes obtained the ascendancy, and the massacre of the French was awful beyond descrij)tion, scarcely a single individual, man, woman or child, having been spared. The troops sent from France by the Emperor Napoleon to quell the insurrection either fell a sacrifice to the climate, or were massacred also, so that they had at last to abandon it altogether after a loss, from first to last, of 40,000 individuals. In 1801, Hayti proclaimed its independence, and in 1803, the French evacuated the SOUTH AMERICA. 99 island. The whole of the sugar plantations and buildings upon the island were consumed by fire during the revolu- tion, and but few of them have been rebuilt. Although St Domingo at one time supplied the whole of France with sugar, they do not at present raise sufficient to sup- ply the island itself. Its exports prior to the revolution amounted to five millions sterling annually, but at present they do not much exceed one million, and that chiefly of coifee, wood, and tobacco. They chiefly grow coff'ee, in- digo, cotton, and tobacco, the growth of coff'ee requiring Sut little capital, and but little labour compared to sugar. The blacks elected as their chief, Christopher, who had been a slave, and in 1811, he was proclaimed King; but in 1820, in consequence of a revolt, and considering things desperate, he shot himself. They then proclaimed a republic, and remained in that state for many years, till their black president Souloque took it into his head, in 1849, to have himself proclaimed Emperor of Ilayti, which he very properly considers a much more dignified and imposing title. They still speak the French and Spanish languages, and those holding official situations are dressed in uniform, all blacks being fond of a gaudy dress. No person with white blood in them is allowed to hold houses or land, or any public situation. They say that if ever they resign their authority to any other nation, it w ill bo to the English, from their gratitude to them for having emancipated their slaves ; and all the English who live there, or w ho land at any of their ports, are treated with great respect. This revolution in Ilayti seems, however, not to have been productive of much good to that country, as the free blacks do comparatively little work. In a work published in London in 1828, by James Franklin, entitled ** Present State of Hayti," the author says — E 2 lOQ SOUTH AMERICA. (^Pago ?.43.) " For my part I have seen nothing in Ilayti to induce me to alter the opinion which I have always entertained, that unless coercion be resorted to, the negro will not labour. The impulse for indulging in sloth and indolence is too irresistible, and as a few hours' labour in each week, suffice to answer all the purposes of the culture required to produce food enough for himself, the rest of his time is then allowed to dwindle away in the most puerilo pleasures and inconsistencies. In some of the districts, when in possession of the French, from the extreme luxuriance of the soil, a planter could obtain from the labour of one man G.OOO pounds of cotton annually ; but under the free labour Rystcm, not more than tiOO can bo ob- tained. It is indisputable therefore that the declaration of freedom to tho slave population of IIa)ti, was tho ruin of the country. They are not slaves, it is true, but they are suffering under greater deprivations than can well bo imagined. AVhilst slaves they had nothing lo apprehend, being clothed, fed, and receiving any medical aid in the time of sickness ; whereas the free labourer in Ilaytl, from innate indolence, and from his state of ignorance, obtains now barely enough for his subsistence. lio care« not for clothing, and ai to aid under sickness he cannot obtain it. lie is thus left to pursue a course that sinks him to a level with the brute creation, and the reasoning faculties of the one are almost inferior to the instinct of the other, and will be so until moral instruction effect a change." The evidence given by Admiral Fleming before the committee of the House of Commons in 1832 is at vari- ance with tho above, as he says that the most happy, the richest, the best fed, and the most comfortable negroes that he saw in the West Indies, were at Ilayti. " From 1 804 downwards," says Mr Baird, " the history of tliis unfortun- ate island has been little or nothing else than the liistory ot rapine, one black rising up to contest the sovereignty with another, and filling the island with scenes of confusion and misery, w hicli go far to prove the theory of those who maintain that the negro race is by natural incapacity un- tittcd for self-government." There is one striking circumstance, however, in regard to Hayti, namely that its population has nearly trebled .'ince the revolution, for whereas, in 1804, it was only 400,000, it is now upwards of a milhon. Although 150,000 SOUTH AMERICA. 1Q| slaves had been imported into it from Africa during the ten years previous to the revoUition, the population not only did not increase, but did not even keep up its num- bers. It takes, in fact, so httle to maintain them, and their bodies now undergo so little fatigue, that they have degenerated into their primitive state, and increase and multiply like so many rabbits. In Cuba, the slaves are so hard wrought, that the average duration of the lives of those imported from Africa, does not exceed 9 years after their arrival in that island. Indeed, my esteemed friend Robert Baird, A.M., of Glasgow, in his admirable work entitled " Impressions of the West Indies and North Ame- rica", states, when visiting Cuba in 1849, that the great mass of the agricultural slaves there are treated in a brutal manner. * It is })roper, however, to add that the Spanish slaves in general have always been the most orderly in the West Indies, and though surrounded with incentives to re- volt, have uniformly adhered to their masters. When General Lopez and his followers landed at Cuba from New Orleans in 1851 they could not get one single slave to join their standard. To make up for the mortality among the slaves in Cuba, I see it stated by Mr Baird that till of late years 30,000 were annually imported from Africa, notwith- standing the treaty made with Spain, and the money we had foolishly given her in order to induce her to abandon the traffic. The garotte^ *' the instrument used in Cuba for the exe- cution of General Lopez in 1851, and in Spain in 1852 *3Ir Baird's Travels wore published in this country in two volumes in the year 1850, at the price of a guinea, but I bought a copy of them in New York, re-printod and handsomely got up in one volume, within 2 months after they appeared here, for a dollar. The copy which I purchased was publish- ed by Lea and Blanchard of Philadelphia ; but Mr Baird tells me that a still cheaper edition of his work has been published in New Orleans. 102 SOUTH AMERICA. for that of the assassin of the Queen of Spain, is the most rapid and humane of all methods of execution, and may be called strangulation by machinery. The victim is placed seated on a bench before the upright piece of wood in which the machinery is fixed to strangle him. His feet are fastened to the legs of the bench on which he is seated, the arms are bound behind, above the elbow, and the neck is fixed in a sort of iron groove or collar, which fits closely about it. When the signal is given, the collar is suddenly tightened by the executioner turning the screw or lever w ith one iiharp jerk, and the moment the tourniquet is twis- ted the head droops immediately, and all is over. Hang- ing, and the guillotine are both barbarous modes of execu- tion compared to the garotte. The slaves in Brazil, in common with the w hole of the African race, have, like the New Zealanders, excellent ap- petites. One of the Maories at New Zealand, lately set up an eating-house at Waikanahi in that country, and had an ordinary on the Saturdays for his countrymen, after the week's work was done, and paid for. He provided a din- ner of pork, potatoes bread, and cottee, for which he de- manded the moderate sum of one shilling a head. At first he gave every one as much as he could eat for this charge, but he soon found, to his cost, that his countrymen were not so easily to be dealt with, for most of them, by way of getting as much as possible for their shilling, made a point of taking nothing whatever the whole day before, so that they came to the scratch as ravenous as wolves. He was under the necessity therefore of changing his system, and now gives them for their shilling two pounds of pork, two pounds of potatoes, and a pint of coffee with sugar. Few savage nations indeed approve of the maxim laid dow n by philosophers of leaving off when hungry, or rising with an appetite. They seem to think it as absurd, as to ask a SOUTH AMERICA. 103 man when shaving to leave off when half shaved ; and main- tain that the claim of the stomach being a just one must be sustained, and that the only rational ground for bring- ing a repast to an nntimely end is when one has finished every thing, and can get nothing more to eat. They have a custom in Brazil of clubbing together a number of festival days, and celebrating the whole on one particular day with additional splendour. One of these occurred on 2d July during my residence there. There was a review of all the troops on that day both cavalry and infantry, including the militia or national guard of the town. The regular Brazilian infantry are dressed in white wool- len cloth afidcaps'of the same, with blue facings; but the national guard have dark blue short coats, with dark green facings, black covered buttons, black epaulettes, w bite cot- ton trowsers, with green feathers in their caps. I never saw a more plain, elegant dress. The men, however, were singular looking beings. Nearly one-fifth of them were jet black negroes, and a number of boys, not more than 14 or 15, were interspersed amongst them, some of them not exceeding four feet and a half in height ; and the operation of shouldering arms seemed nearly to capsize them alto- gether. The Emperor Napoleon was fond of little soldiers, as he found that they withstood the hardships of a cam- paign better than big men, so that these Brazilian war- riors would have been an object of great interest w ith him. In battle, too, they have the advantage of escaping the bullets, unless the muskets of the enemy be aimed at their legs. The cavalry were the most wretched look- ing beings I ever saw, ill-mounted, ill-dressed, and badly accoutred. There are six newspapers published weekly at Bahia, all in the Portuguese language. The streets reminded me much of Paris, being narrow, seldom more than 30 iU4 SOUTH AMERICA. feet, and sloping towards the centre, so as to allow the water to run down. Brazil, as is well known, has been long celebrated for its gold mines, which arc scattorcdovera\ast extent of country, and were discovered in 1 ()!).">. Gold is also found in the beds of most of the rivers that rise among the mountains in the interior. The total produce of the Brazilian gold mines, from \i\95 to 1803, was 192 niillious sterling, but as the produce has diminished since the latter date, by estimating the produce from 1803 to 1853 at one million sterling annually, the whole value of the gold from l(iy.> to 1853, will amount to 242 millions sterling. Diamonds arc .ilso extensively found in the beds of some otthe rivers, and particularly in a river near the gold mines of Serro- frio, of which they turn the course, in order to separate them from the pebbles in its bed. The largest diamond in the uorld, weighing 11 ounces, and valued at tive millions sterling, was sent from Brazil to the Queen of Portugal in the year 1740. There are also topaz mines. The late proprietor of these mines was called the man with two fathers, for two rich proprietors laid claim to him as their son, and evinced their sense of paternity by leaving him each a large fazenda or estate. He is said to be a wise son that knoweth who his father is, but this man was fortunate in having two fathers. Most of the gold mines in Brazil belong to private in- dividuals, and are worked by slaves, who are also em- ployed in extracting gold from the beds of the rivers in the interior. The gold is conveyed chiefly to Rio on horses and mules, under the protection of a strong guard. There were two or three English companies formed betwixt 1824 and 1828 for obtaining gold, which have been tolerably successful. The chief of these, the " Im- perial Brazilian Mining Association," commenced their SOUTH AMERICA. ] O5 operations in 1825 by purchasing from private individuals one or two districts which were known to be rich in gold. Several hundred English, besides Germans and negroes, are employed by the mining companies, and the employment is said to be a healthy one, as some years ago there were two doctors at their principal station, one of whom left because he could got no patients, whilst the other for ;l long time had no patient but himself. There is a proverb there that Brazil is a country where a physician cannot live, and yet he never dies. The women of the country are remarkably prolitic They marry at the early age of 12 or 13, and continue to have children to a late period. Marriages also, take place between persons of very different ages, and the dia- I)arity is not considered singular. Men of HO frequently marry girls of 12, and have a family about them where the wife seems the daughter, and the little ones the grand- children. When both the parties marry young their families increase to an incredible number. As a proof of the salubrity of the climate, the Rev. Dr Walsh mentions havingpaida visit to an old major, who, though past ninety, had a family of young children about him, the eldest oi whom was not ten years old. There are two German, one Swiss, and one Irish colony in Brazil located in different parts of the country. The first German colony was founded in 1818 in the province of Porto Seguro, which in 1^2^ contained GOO persons, and 15 coffee plantations. Another German colony was founded shortly thereafter, in the district of St Pedro de Rio Grande, which is also very flourishing, and in 1828 con- tained a population of GOOO persons. The Swiss colony founded in 1820, and consisting of upwards of a thousand individuals, owing to a variety of causes did not succeed, most of the colonists who survive being now scattered ]qCj south AMERICA. about throughout the country. A great many died in the voyage from Hamburg and Amsterdam. In 1828, after the unfortunate affair at Pxio, the Emperor sent 220 Irish as a colony to a district not far from Bahia, where they still form a thriving community. There is one thing in which the Brazilians shew a great deal more good common sense than my countrymen the Scotch, and this is, that there is no prejudice existing among them against the dissection of dead bodies, and no law to prevent it. That important part of medical edu- cation is accordingly perfectly free and unrestricted. Though it is known to every one that anatomy can only be taught by dissection, and the constant practice of the students, yet not the smallest re])ugnance is ever ex- j)ressed on the subject in Brazil ; nor do poor or destitute persons show the least dislike to enter the hospital, al- though they know that their bodies w ill be subjected to the knife of the anatomist. If the Scotch did not call them- selves a religious and enlightened nation, I believe that no other country in the world could ever possibly find it out. One of their ciiief manufactures is that of Brazil mats for covering floors, &c., instead of carpets, and much used in warm countries. They have also extensive distilleries for making rum out of sugar, and most excellent rum it is. The price at which it is sold, namely twopence the bottle, brings it within the reach of every one. A great deal of cotton is now also produced at Brazil. When masters have occasion to chastise their slaves they make use of a whip composed of ox or cow hides about an inch broad, cut into two parts, and fastened to a w ooden handle. For smaller offences they use the Palma- toria, a wooden instrument resembling a cork driver, and w hich, as the name implies, they apply to the palms of the SOUTH AMERICA. j^^r hands. I bought one of these palmatorias in a shop in Bahia, and brought it home with me. When slaves com- mit any serious crime they are occasionally handed over for punishment to the police, but from having to pay according to the number of lashes given, this has a wonderful effect in making them apply as seldom as possible to that quarter. There is but little chance I think at present of the Brazil- ians emancipating their slaves. Being an indolent race, tliey are well aware that if the cultivation of the coffee, cotton, and tobacco plant, or sugar cane, or working at the gold mines, depended upon them, they would scarcelv have enough even to supply themselves, and they are well aware that slaves when free do but little work, compared to what they are compelled to do when in a state of bond- age. Calddeugh, in his travels, mentions having paid a visit to the owner of one of the gold mines in Brazil, who remarked that the moment a man became free he worked no longer; and that, were the slaves emancipated, the Brazilian mines could no longer be wrought. ^Moreover, it must be kept in view that the Brazilian government has no funds, as we had, to indemnify the planters for the loss of their slaves. Besidt^s, when they look to our slaves who have been emancipated, they discover that they can scarcely be induced to work at all ; so that our emancipa- tion has proved rather a warning than an example to other nations. The greater part of the capital of l>razil is em- barked in these slaves, and were their owners to set them free without receiving any compensation, they would nei- ther have funds for paying them for their labour after they became free, nor for importing other labourers into the country. It is not therefore at all likely, that they will voluntarily relinquish what they consider their property, and consent to become absolute paupers, merely to gratify the abstract lovers of freedom in other lands. lOS SOUTH AMEIUCA. it is now perfectly well ascertained that the natives of no country in tlie world work with so much advantage in tropical climates as those of Africa; so that every encour- agement should be given by our government to the impor- tation into the West Indies, the Mauritius, &c., of free black labourers from that country. This has already been done to some little extent, the emigrants, accordnig to the government regulations, being required to be hired at a current rate of wages on their arrival, and to be in- sured a passage home at the end of five years, if they be desirous of returning; equality in the number of both sexes being imperative. Coffee is very extensively cultivated in Brazil, and in point of quality, holds the third rank in the European market. It thrives best in rdcky ground, having rich de- composed mould in the fissures. Each plant is allowed a space of six or eight feet square to develop itself, and the holes arc made two or three feet deep, in order to secure a constant supply of moisture. Though the cof!ce plant grows to the height of H or [) feet, yet it is generally kept down by pruning, to about 4 feet high, which in- creases the produce, and renders it more convenient for cropping. It begins to yield the third year, but it is not in full bearing till the tifth, and generally ceases to bear at 40 years of age. In roasting coffee, it is apt to be in- jured if it lose more than 20 per cent, of its weight. The Martinique and Bourbon coffee is perhaps superior to the Brazil, but as both of these islands belong to France, most of it goes to that country. Martinique is one of the West Indian Islands, and Bourbon is a small island in the East Indies close to the Mauritius or isle of France, which now belongs to us. The finest coffee of all comes from Mocha, a town of Arabia, containing about 30,000 people, situate in a bay of the Red sea at which our steamers SOUTH AMERICA. IO9 toucli on the voyage from Suez to Bombay. Though a great part of the Mocha coffee comes to this country, yet a still greater finds its way to the East Indies. At Mocha the better classes of females never appear during the day, but visit each other in the evening, and on meet- ing with men, stand close up to the wall in order to allow them to pass, a practice worthy of imitation by the ladies in this country, who, so far from making way for the lords of the creation, expect them to step into the gutter in order that they may have plenty of room to soar past. There is an excellent treatise on the preparation of coffee in Chamber's Journal, No. 44(3. The great defect in its preparation in this country arises from its not being in general sufficiently roasted, this having the effect of materially diminishing its weight, rendering it of course not so jirotitable to the merchant. Coffee loses much of its aroma or flavour after being roasted 30 hours. Before concluding my narrative of Brazil, I think it proper lo give an account of the method of catching wild cattle and horses in South America, and particularly those that rove over the Pampas or plains of Buenos Ayres, which are found in incredil)le numbers, amounting to many millions. At one time they may be said to have been almost common property, belonging to any one who could catch them, as they could not be identified, but their owners now brand them all, in order to distinguish tlie one from the other. Till of late years the cattle were killed chiefly for their horns, hides and tallow, but they now salt part of the carcase. The Pampas extend lijOO miles from north to south as far as Patagonia, — and 300 from east to west, and present one uniform expanse of waving grass, uninterrupted by either wood or eminence, although in some places parched and barren, and perfectly uninhabited, unless by innumerable herds of wild oxen, 1 10 SOUTH AMERICA. horses, ostriches, and other annuals. Over these pampas lies the only route by land from Buenos Ayres to Chili, which journey was formerly performed by large companies, as the j)lains were infested by hordes of roving Indians, who went there to hunt, catch wild horses, and j)lundcr. From the absence of all permanent landmarks, the travellers over these immense plains shaped their course by the compass, and their caravans were in reality moveable houses, solid and defensible. Of late years, regular post- houses have been established along the whole line of road betwixt Santiago (the caj)itai of Chili) and Buenos Ayres a distance of nearly 1400 miles — and a regular com- munication is kept up betwixt the two republics by means of couriers, who perform their journeys with un- connnon speed. The cattle though wild, arc (juite gentle in their disposition, but there are no sheep found on these plains. The metliod of catching these wild cattle is a practice almost peculiar to the South Americans. The in- strument used is called a *' A/.v.sv>>," from the Spanish w ord *' A/rw," which signities slip-knot or noose, and the operation of using it is called ^^ lassohif/.'' — It consists of a ro])e made of untanned hide, ten or twelve yards long, and about as thick as the little finger. One end of it is firmly fixed to the hinder part of the saddle, generally on the right side ; and at the other end is an iron ring about two inches in diameter. The horseman, or ^^ ffuachu," as he is called, about to use the lasso, forms a sort of running noose by passing a portion of it through the ring, and this is taken in the right hand, so as that the ring may be at the opposite part of the circle. The noose is then swung with care over the head, until the extreme part of it, including the ring, acquires a considerable momentum. The instrument thus prepared, is in due time discharged. SOUTH AMERICA. ]| [ and carries off the remainder of the rope, which before hung loosely in coils on the fingers of the left hand. When whirling the noose round the head, by a peculiar turn of the wrist, it is made to assume a circular form ; so that, when delivered from the hand, it preserves itself open till it falls over the object at which it has been aimed. A well trained horse, though at full speed when the lasso is thrown, instantly stops, and turns half round, the bull continuing its course till the whole cord has run out. The liorse meanwhile, knowing by experience what is going to happen, leans over as much as he can in the op- posite direction from the bull, ready to pull as hard as he can, and stands trembling though firm, in momentary ex- pectation of the violent tug which will be given to him bv the bull when brought up by the lasso. The shock is so complete and instantaneous, that the captured animal is frequently dashed to the ground as if he had been shot. They are occasionally ca})tured also with what is called in the language of the guacho, '-las bolas," or ball^ — w hich consist of three thongs or cords of hide, each a yard 1 12 M)L IH A.MLUH A. long, having balls about two inches in diameter, made of hard leather, like the golf balls used in Scotland, attached to the extremities, the three thongs being united by a knot at two feet distance from the balls. This may be called the handle of the instrument, for the " boleador," or he who is going to fling the balls, takes the knot in his right hand, and having given it the necessary velocity by swinging it over his head, throws it at the hind legs of the horse or ox which he wishes to secure, and the balls, spreading in their progress to the utmost distance which the strings or thongs will allow, on reaching the legs generally pass round them, so that the animals are entangled, and thus captured. The South Americans arc taught from their infancy to use the lasso, as even boys three or four years old may be seen lassoing dogs, cats, and poultry ; so that they accjuire by degrees, that matchless skill in lassoing cattle and horses for which they are so celebrated. In Central America the Indians use the lasso also, but instead of fastening it to the overall girth or pommel of the saddle, they tie it to the horse's tail. x\n Indian be- ing asked what would happen if a bull, instead of being checked when noosed, got the best of it, replied, " He go away, lasso, tail, and all." The Indians who use the lasso in Mexico and Califor- nia, are great robbers, and throw the noose not only over cattle and horses, but occasionally over men ; so that if a pedestrian or an equestrian traveller do not keep a sharp look out as he is passing by a bush or thicket, one of these lassos may be thrown out, when the noose falling over his head will be jerked right round his body, and in the twinkling of an eye he will be dragged oft' his horse and away into the bush to be stripped of every thing he has. Robbers, however, in Mexico are very considerate, a^ SOUTH AMERICA. j ]3 they will give you, if you wish it, a certificate of your having been plundered, which protects one from any further molestation. In Mexico, on one occasion, two Roman Catholic priests were lassoed and plundered, but before the rob- bers would let them ^o they insisted on their giving them ** absolution," a re(piest with which the priests at once politely complied. Bryant in his celebrated travels in California, published in London and New York in 1849, says — " I had often enjoyed the advantage of seeing the lasso used by the Cali- fornians, and ever marvelled exceedingly at the dexterity and strength they exhibit in securing tho very largest animal in the herd. "Whatever its power, the lasso overcomes it ; and it is really wonderful to witness the skill with which they adapt their movements, and the action of their horses to those of the ensnared animul ; now bringing it short up, half dead with fatigue, then, after allowing it to breathe again, giving it rope to scamper off to the end of its tether ; driving it sometimes with marvellous swiftness in one direction, then permitting it to follow the bent of its own inclina- tion in another, until the wearied animal becomes a mere plaything in their hands, and is either quietly secured, or as quietly allows itself to be driven into a shod." 1 14 NORTH AMKRICA. Nuirrii A M i:iM c a. ('II APTiai VIII. Advantages of emigrating to America — The Menai Hriclpe — Voyage from I/iTerpool to Boston in the United Stales of America — Wonderful extent of emigration from Ireland — The I'nited States more Irish than Ireland — Extent of Emigration fronj Liverpool — IlankH of Newfoundland — Safi'Iy landed at Boston. Having been often asked " What are the general in- ducements to quit Europe for the purpose of settling in America ? " I have no hesitation in replying, the total absence of anxiety res[)ecting the future success of a family. InGreat Britain, perpetual exertion, incessant, unremitting industry, daily deprivation of the comforts of life, and anxious attention to minute frugality, are almost incum- bent ou a man of moderate fortune, and in the middle class of life ; and the probabilities of ultimate success are certainly against some of the members of a large family, however virtuous or industrious they may be. In Ame- rica it is otherwise, for as every man can find employment, he may reasonably reckon upon a comfortable settlement, according to his situation in life, for every part of a family however numerous. The common comforts and conveni- ences of life are there, from their abundance and cheapness. NORTH AMERICA. II5 SO universally diffused, that no man of moderate desires feels anxious about a family even in the larger towns ; whilst in the country, where the mass of the people dwell, the increase of a family is considered in the light of an in- crease to one's riches. Dr Adam Smith, in his celebrated work called the '* Wealth of Nations," written prior to the American Re- volution, brings the advantages of a family in America, even in his day, to a sort of practical test, by calculating the services of each child there on an average at L.lOO sterling before leaving the parental roof. A large family, instead of being a misfortune or an incumbrance, is in fact considered a positive blessing, and they are turned to im- mense account almost as soon as they can walk. From their earliest infancy they learn to be of assistance to their parents; and thus acquire, both from natural instinct and the force of example, a degree of smartness quite astonish- ing to our less practised senses. Mrs lloustoun mentions having seen a little fellow of ten years old, the son of her host, sent off alone and at night, in a high carriage, witli a pair of horses to drive, and a dillicult commission to exe- cute, some thirty miles off. No one, not even his mother, she says, seemed to think the undertaking a dangerous one, and as to the necessity of any grown up person being sent to take care of the youthful charioteer, they would have laughed at the idea. I myself have been attended in a country inn by a little damsel eleven years of age, who in any other country would have been still in the nursery, but there, where everything and everybody are so precocious, (ripe before the time,) she was head waiter, chambermaid, and, perad- Tenture, housekeeper besides. A youth of 12 in America, is as much of a man as a lad of I(i in Europe. Children, on the contrary, in Great Britain, instead of 1 IG NORTH AMERICA. l)cing worth 100 pounds, as in Ameria, are seldom worth 100 pence, though called by silly, stupid people a blessing. In this country, moreover, the young man, particularly in the middle and higher ranks of life, is unfortunately too apt to have recourse to illicit intrigues, from fear of the expense of a family establi:?hment. Celibacy, indeed, be- comes a part of prudence ; it is openly commended, and as steadily j)ractiscd as the voice of nature will allow: whilbt the married man, though extremely anxious to con- sider every addition to his family in the light of a blessing, lias often great difliculty in discovering wherein the bless- ing con?^ists. Emigrants, therefore, may well exclaim — I>ct ui go forth from our old homea for ever. Why should wc linger ou this crowded way; Think how we've strir'n, vol with vain endeavour, Then let's go forth from hence, fur, far away. Or 111 the simple words of the poetic \\eaver — No space for us — no space for ur Within the crowded town; No want of us — no want of us I'pon the breezy down. A score of hands for e? *ry plough, A throng for ev*ry loom ; Oh, ask rae not, dear wife, to stay. And struggle with the gloom. So from this land of want and wealth The parting let us brave, And say farewell, as hand in hand We trust the friendly waye. For there is bread, if we but work, Beyond the heaving main. Where summer skies are softly blue, And lands are broad and men are few. Although it may appear to many, that, after having sailed round the world, and visited New Zealand, Aus- tralia, and South America, my travelling propensities NORTH AMERICA. II7 might have been sufficiently gratified, and that I might have been prepared to say in the words of the poet — ♦' If solid happiness we prize, "NVithin our breast this jewel lies, And they arc fools who roam : The world has nothing to bestow, From our own selves our joys must flow, And that dear hut our home.'' Yet, as Washington Irving, the celebrated American author, could not rest satisfied until he had left for a time his own country, a country on which the charms of nature had been so prodigally lavished, in order to visit Europe, rich in the accumulated treasures of ages ; and see the gigantic race from which he himself had sprung ; so, in like manner, following in a remote degree the footsteps of that eminent individual, 1 had long formed a desire to visit the United States of America, and contemplate with my own eyes her magnificent scenery ; her mighty lakes ; her mountains and valleys ; her tremendous cataracts ; her boundless plains ; her trackless forests ; and, above all, her majestic rivers, rolling in sublime and solemn silence to the ocean. 1 was anxious also to observe the workinir of democratic institutions in that great republic ; and, above all, to plant my foot, though but for a day, on a laud \\hich was destined, ere long, to contain the most numerous branch of the Anglo-Saxon race, the present state and future prospects of mankind having always ap- peared to me moie important than their past history, inasmuch as we have more to do with things as they arc, than with things as they were. I was thus impelled, as it were, by the force of circumstances, to exclaim — Ere gladly I return once more. Fair Scotia's land ! to thee, My foot must press another shore. Beyond the stormy sea. 118 NORTH AMERICA. " Small bliss is theirs, whom Fate's loo heavy hand. Confines throuj^h life to some small square of land; More wretched they, whom heaven inspires to roam, Yet languish out their lives, and die at home. God gave to man this wide extended round. No climes confine him, and no oceans bound ; But sordid cares our short-liv'd race confine, Some toil at trades, some labour in the mine ; No happier scenes their wand'ring fancies fill, Than one dark valley, or one well-known hill ; To other shores their minds, untaught to stray, Dull and inactive, slumber life away." Having been detained at Liverpool for fourteen days, waiting for the emigrants from Ireland, I devoted one of them to a visit to the celebrated bridges across the Menai Straits, betwixt Wales and the Island of Anglesea. I accordingly embarked on board of the steam-boat that sails daily from thence to the straits ; and after touching at Beaumaris and Bangor, landed in the Island of Angle- sea, close to the Suspension bridge, within five hours, the distance being (JO miles, and the cabin fare four shillings. After walking across the Suspension bridge, 1 proceeded to the Britannia or tubular bridge, constructed for the Holyhead railway, and was politely allowed to walk through the tube. This bridge is exactly one mile above the Suspension bridge, and the scenery, both on the Welsh and the Anglesea sides of the Straits, which are there about half a mile wide, is exceedingly beautiful. It would be foreign however to my purpose, to dwell more in describing works of art of so stupendous a nature as to excite the wonder and admiration of strangers who come to visit them from all parts of the world. I took up my quarters for the night at the George Inn, kept by Miss Koberts, a remarkably nice lady, about half a mile below the Suspension bridge, on the Welsh side of the straits. Her house, though large, is generally so crowded during NORTH AMERICA. Hg the summer season that it is with difficulty one can get a bed. There are several comfortable, though inferior inns on the Anglesea side, at the Menai village, exactly opposite. During my residence at Liverpool the news arrived of the melancholy death of Sir Robert Peel, an event pro- ducing a great sensation, and a deep feeling of regret for his loss, which pervaded all ranks of the community, not only there and throughout the kingdom at large, but also in France, and still more, as I afterwards found, in the United States of America, where he was held in the very highest estimation. Indeed, it may be affirmed, that the Americans take almost as much interest in the affairs of this country as we do ourselves, and that all our public men have Transatlantic fame. On the 1 1th of July 1850, we sailed from Liverpool for Boston, on board of the "Jessica," a splendid ship of 1000 tons burthen, belonging to New Brunswick, com- manded by a Captain Hayes of Nova Scotia, an officer well qualified, from his steadiness, activity, and great ex- perience, for the command of so large a vessel. We had 335 emigrants on board, including women and children, all of whom were Irish, with the exception of three or four English, and about as many Scotch. The Irish who have emigrated for many years past have been almost all Roman Catholics, so that the Protestants of Ireland now constitute nearly one-third of its population. Daniel O' Council used to boast that the Catholics were seven to one. On getting out into the Mersey they were all mustered on deck by the agents at Liverpool, whilst some were employed searching below in every possible quarter to see that none had stowed themselves away without having paid for their passage, a thing of daily occurrence at Liverpool. The search produced four '' Stow-awoijs,'' 120 NORTH AMERICA. as they arc callecl, viz., two men, a woman, and a bo\ , who were handcuffed and sent on shore, with the excep- tion of the woman, who, being young and rather comely, excited the sympathy of the young owner of the vessel and the captain, who gave lier a free passage, on condi- dion of her making herself useful during the voyage. There was only one cabin passenger besides myself, a ]Mr Russell from Wiltshire, a very frank, agreeable young man. We had also Charles 11. Eastman, Esq., from New Brunswick, son of the owner of the vessel, who, though only 17 years of age, seemed to be a youth of great j)r()- mise and wonderful talent. I would take this opportunity of exi)ressing to my young friend the deep obligation which 1 am under to him, as well as to the captain, for their extreme politeness in furnishing me with a free passage (m board of their ship, and for their uniform attention and kindness during the voyage. The tide of emigration that has set iu from Ireland, during the last ten years in particular, is almost incre- dible, and may be said to be truly appalling; it being computed that two millions of its inhabitants have landed during that short space of time on the vast continent of America. Every one knows that poverty and not Popery is the grand evil that affects Ireland, as Roman Catho- lics, who eject their tenants, or who are installed into the lands of others, are apt to be massacred fully as readily as the Protestants. The pig, which an Irishman rears, is almost invariably for the landlord, and he w ould as soon think of eating the landlord himself as of eating the pig. The whole misery, in short, of that country, must be at- tributed to over-population, which produces a constant struggle for the very means of subsistence. The two great evils, however, namely, the subdivision of the land into w hat may be called minute particles, and NORTH AMERICA. 121 surplus population, are now being fast remedied. In some countries the subletting of land is restrained by law as in- consistent with the social w elfare of the community. Thus in Austria no property is allowed to be less than i)6 acres, and in Bavaria and Nassau there are similar provisions. The French Canadians, who crowd both banks of the St Lawrence and the high roads of Canada East, have carried out the partition of lands, as in France, to the ex- treme length to which it will go, and their poverty con- trasts i)ainfully with the plenty that rewards the toil of the backwoodsman, who has a more extended field for his skill and his enterprize. In France the soil is now divided among ten millions of proprietors, whereas in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, there are not above 100,000 landowners. Hard, and apparently cruel, however, as the ejectments in Ireland may appear to be, there can be no doubt tliar they will prove to be for tiie ultimate benefit of that country. A great number of Scotch and English farmers, with ca- pital, have lately settled there. The words of a celebrated poet are, however, not alto- gether inapplicable to this unfortunate state of things — •• Have we not seen, at pleasure's lordlj call, The mniling long frequenteil village fall ? "NVhile, scourg'd b\ fiiuiino from the smiling land The mournful peasant leads his humble band ; And while he sinks, without one arm to save, The country blooms — a garden and a grave. Good Heaven ! what sorrows gloom'd that parting day That call'd them from their native walks away; AVhen the poor exiles, ev'ry pleasure past. Hung round the bowers, and fondly look'd their last, And took a long farewell, and wish'd in vain For seats like these beyond the western main. Ill fares the land, to hast'uing ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates, and men decay ; F 122 NORTH AMERICA. Princes and lortls may flourish, or may fade — A breath can make them, as a breath has made ; But a bold peasantry, their country's pride. When once destroy 'd, can never be supplied." Tl»e *' Times," says, in reference to this, " We see the population of Ireland flowing oft* to the United States in one continuous and inifailing stream, at a rate that, if un- interrupted, will reduce them to a third of their present numhers. It is impossible, however, that so considerable a chanu^e shoidd be attended with luimixed advantage, or that human forethought sliould be able to compass all tlie results." Tile Irish invariably follow their relatives, and hence their route will a.*^ invariably ))e to the United States. Few Irish have relatives in Australia who were not sent out for their country's good, and these have little influence with those at home about to emigrate. In 1841 the population of Ireland was 8,17.">, 124, and before the year 184() had increased to near !), 000,000. In 1851 the population was only f J, .01.'), 794, which number has been still further reduced through subsequent emigra- tion. The United States census of 1850 showed a gross po- pulation of 23,000,000. According to tlie statistical tables presented by William F. Robinson, M.A., in his lecture delivered on the 22d of July 1851, before the delegates of .some American Universities and Colleges assembled at Clinton, in the State of New York, that mixed popula- tion was made up as follows : — Irish born, .... 3,000,000 Irish by blood, .... 4,500,000 French and other Celts, by birth or blood, 3,000.000 German, by birth or blood, . 5,500,000 Anglo-Saxon, by birth or blood, . . 3,600,000 Coloured, free or slave. . . . 3,500,000 23,000,000 NORTH AMERICA. 123 From these figures it appears that in 1850 the total number of Irish, by birth and blood, inhabiting either Ire- land or the United States, was about 14,000,000, of whom about G,oOO,000 were then in Ireland, and the remaining 7,500,000 in the States, where they constituted the most industrious and enterprising portion of an active popula- tion. Before the next American decennial census of 1860, the above 14,000,000 of Irish will have increased to 1(),000,000, of whom (should Irish emigration continue to proceed at a rate exceeding a quarter of a million per an- !ium) it is not improbable that about 12,000,000 may be found in the United States, and not more, perhaps, than 4,000,000 in Ireland, including among the latter number most of the impotent poor, and the least energetic portion of the Irish people. The United States would thus be- come three times as Irish as Ireland. At the " great demonstration," as it was termed, for the county of Tipperary, in support of the Irish Imant league, held on the race course at Cashel, on 16th October 1850, and attended by many thousands of the most influential people in that county, the very Rev. Dr Burke, P.P., Clonmell, in addressing the vast assemblage, said — " The system of emigration having been alluded to, he bojiged to state that on that very night week, 64 cars loaded with emigrants had passed through the town of Clonmell, on their way to Waterford, to embark, for America. There were two large steamers in "Waterford ; but the rush of people was so great that the police were called on to prevent them from rushing in too great numbers into the vessel ; and another vessel was supplied to convey them to Liverpool, for shipment to America. The landlords themselves would feel this, because they would have no persons to act as farmers upon their properties, if the Encumbered Estates Court left them any. If the stream of emigration were not checked, the result would be that all the sound and laborious portion of the population would have transported themselves out of the country, leaving no one remaining 2 F 124 NORTH AMERICA. hut the aged, decrcpid, sick, and lazy inhabitants of their poor-hoasei. (Hear, hear.) When those people >vcnt to Anieriea, they carried with them their enmity to England, and infused that spirit into all hearts about them, thus increasing ill feeling against England to an extent of which people were not aware. America now was contending for the sovereignty of the ocean ; and if any contest arose between her and England, America would find in the expatriated sons of Ireland, her best and bratest men to fisht against the army of En-^land. In a short time, my friends, you and I shall be alike forgotten, but the sufferings of our country during the years of her famine and her distrebs, will lie recorded by some future historian, whilit the reader will turn in horror from its revelation.** (Cireat sensa- tion.) Never were tnicT words spoken, as it is well known by ovory one who has been in America, that the Iii^;h when they land in that counlry, soon become thoroughly Americanized, and, sad to say, speak generall\ of the land of their birth w ith anything l)iit allection. Instead of imputing their misery, as they ought to do, jjartly at least, to their own improvidence in marrying at an early age, before they have made the smallest preparation for a wife and family, they readily allow themselves to be convinced that the hard condition of the poor at home is the w ork of a tyrant aristocracy, enriched by their unre- w arded toil, and imagine that a good catalogue of wrongs excuses their throwing off their attachment to the mother country. They are too apt, by bitterness of speech, to keep their resentment warm against England ; and it is well known in the States that none are so fierce against this country as the natives of the Emerald Isle. With the native-born citizens this feeling prevails now to a very limited extent, and is every day diminishing. With Scotch and English emigrants this feeling prevails to a certain extent, but the Germans are but little behind the Irish in abusing their own country, and the votes of both Irish and German emigrants are almost invariably given NORTH AMERICA. 125 at their elections to those candidates * who profess the greatest degree of inveterate animosity to Europe and its institutions. People may extol the land of their adoption, without abusing that of their birth. Some little allowance ought perhaps to be made for the democracy of the Irish, from their having been for centuries the victims of the op- posite doctrine. The Germans however attend more to farming than to politics ; and though they are more unani- mous in their votes than the Irish, yet they seldom agitate much in the political counsels of the nation. Their influence is chiefly felt by the large masses which they oppose to, or employ in favour of particular measures. They or their descendents constitute by themselves a majority in PennsyU vania, and a highly respectable and wealthy party in many other States. They are remarkably industrious, and pos- sess the finest farms in the United States. The dwelling of a German farmer is generally humble ; but his granary, and stables are of huge dimensions, and exhibit the pro- vident husbandman. The habit of remaining together, and settling whole townships and villages, serves to render their exile less painful, so that they hardly feel that they are strangers in the land of their adoption. Hut as a counterpart to this unfortunate feeling which the Irish carry with them to the land of their adoption, it deserves to be recorded to their everlasting honour, that no antipathy which they may entertain towards their native country, or rather to England, seems to efface their strong attachment to the relatives whom they leave behind, embracing as it does, not only their fathers and mothers, brothers and sis- ters, but extending even to cousins, nephews, and nieces, * Magistrates in the Roman republic, previous to their election, were called Candidati (clothed in white) from the white robes which they wore while soliciting the votes of the people. Ilence the origin of the word " Candi- date." 126 NORTH AMERICA. uncles and aunts, though stcp-niothers unfortunately do not come in for any share of their step-children's great regard and atfection. It is computed that not less than five mil- lions sterling have been remitted, during the last 7 years, by the Irish in the United States and Canada to the assist- ance of their poorer relatives at home, or to pay the expenses of tlieir passage to America, a sum almost incredible. In the year IHjOalone, thesum remitted was XD.jT, 000 sterUng. They are quite unhappy moreover when they lose sight of any of their relatives, and bestow both their time and money in seeking them out by advertising for them. The " Boston Pilot'* seems to be the chief newspaper in the United States in which these advertisements appear, pro- bably from the editor and proprietor of it (Patrick Donahoe) being an Irishman al^o. On counting tlie number of ad- vertisements, under the head of " Information wanted," in one single number of that journal (2Hth September 1850) I found tliat they amounted to 101, belonging to almost every county in Ireland, and filling with the descrip- tion of the people, no less than three columns of that paper. Not a single advertisement, of a similar import, appears from the natives of any other country. » The following will show their general tenor — I N FORM ATION WANTED. COBK. Of Damel IIec.vbtt and liis daughter, natives; of Skibbereen, co. Cork. Daniel left Ireland in May \SA\, and Catherine in May 184fi. Last March they sent home £10 for Catherine's mother and sister, who came to New Orleans as they directed. They are now over two months here and have no means of proceeding farther. They mentioned in their letter thoy would send money to the Bishop of New Orleans to pay their expenses to Peters- burgh, Pike County, Indiana, where they resided. Catherine was married to Patrick Ilegarty, also from co. Cork. Any information of them will be thankfully roceired by his wife and daughter, who are in great distress. Address Mrs Daniel Ilegarty, New Orleans, La. NORTH AMERICA. 12; Of John Connell, (carpenter by trade,) native of Racecourse, co. Cork, who left Ireland about two years ago, and landed in New York ; when last heard from was in Brooklyn. Any information respecting him will be thankfully received by his sister Julia. Address, Daniel O'Donnell, Salem, Ms. MONAGHAN. Of James Keegan, from co. Monaghan; he was in Milwaukee, at Mr Patrick M'Grath's in March last, and sent £15 : 9 : 9 to his wife and child- ren, requesting them to come to him. The money not being sufficient to bring all, his daughter Ann and three others of his children have arrived in this city, and are unable to proceed farther. lie will please write immedi- ately to the Emigrant OflSce, No. 4. I'ongress Square, Boston, care of Edward Hyan, Agent. It will be observed, that at the end of the first of the above advertijiements there are the letters La., and at the end of the second Ms. This is the American plan, (and not a bad plan it is,) for contracting the names of the States by giving merely their first and last letters. Thus La. signifies the State of Louisiana, and Ms. the State of Massachusetts. The steward of the Jessica, Adolph Augustuff, was from Norfolk in Virginia. His father keeps a tavern there, but was once an officer in the French army, and served under the Emperor iSai)oleon for eleven years. Having been wounded at the battle of Leipsic, the Emperor granted him a pension, which, having been withdrawn by the Bourbons after the battle of Waterloo, he left France in disgust, and repaired to Virginia. The steward told me that at the Christmas preceding he had been attacked by a slave at Wilmington, in the state of North Carolina, who was drunk, and drew out a razor with which he inflicted on him one or two wounds, the marks of which are still visible. He succeeded, however, in wresting the razor from his hand, and gave the negro a deep cut with it in the throat, from the effects of which he died within 20 128 NORTH AMERICA. liours. His owner said he would not have lost him for 1200 dollars. Tlie Ca})tain of our ship, from some cause or other, took an umbrage at the steward, which I regretted much, as he was always remarkably civil to me. I forgot to mention that Liverpool is the chief port from which emigrants are embarked, as out of the 300,000 who left the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland during the year 1S40, no less than l;'}:i,90*2, or rather more tlian the one-half, embarked from Liverpool. Dur- ing the year 1850 the emigration from Liverpool was greater than it had ever been during any preceding year, being 174,187 persons, of whom 154,731) were steerage, and the remainder cabin passengers. The number of emigrants during that year exceeded even that of the year of famine. In 1847, the gross number of emigrants from Li\erpool was 1.34,524 ; in 1848, it was 131,121 ; in 1849, 153,902; and in 1850, 174,187. Of the emigrants who sailed during 1850, not less than 1 GO, 109 proceeded to the United States of America, 4831 to Canada, 1104 to Australia, 599 to the Cape, 198 to New Brunswick, 37 to Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, 97 to Newfound- land, and 39 to Prince Edward's Island. Thus it will be seen that the Stales got quite the lion's share. The num- ber of emigrant vessels which sailed from Liverpool dur- ing that year was 508. The number of emigrants from Liverpool in 1851, was 206,000, almost all for the United States. The number of vessels that enter Liverpool yearly is 22,000. I may mention that for many years 80,000 Germans have landed yearly in the United States. Our ship was what is called a "temperance ship," that is, the sailors were allowed no grog, a practice which is now fortunately becoming almost universal with American ships. The English sailors are proverbial for their love NORTH AMERICA. 129 of drink, though now improvhig. About a century ago, the Emperor Akbar in the East Indies, in whose domi- nions the vine grew, forbade the use of wine. Being in need of gunners, he got them from on board of Enghsh vessels trading to his dominions. A cunning tar being ordered to fire at a carpet suspended as a mark, that the Emperor might see his dexterity, purposely missed it. Being told by the Emperor that he was an impostor, he answered, with great pretended humility, that his sight was bad from having been debarred the use of wine, but that if the Emperor ordered him a cup, he would hit a much smaller mark. Having been furnished with a full quart, which he finished at one draught, he then fired again, and hit the mark to the applause of all present. The Emperor ordered it to be recorded, that wine was as necessary to the English as water to fish, and to deprive them of it was to rob them of the greatest comfort of their lives. The steerage passage money was £3, 10s. for adults ; two children, if above 1 and under 14 years of age, being reckoned as one adult ; and infants under 12 months not computed. By the present Passenger's Act it is pro- vided, that in addition to any provisions which they mav have of their own, each adult shall be furnished with a weekly allowance during the voyage of 2J lbs. of biscuit, 1 j)ound of flour, 5 lbs. of oatmeal, 2 pounds of rice, 2 ounces of tea, ^ a pound of sugar, and ^ a pound of mo- lasses, with a daily allowance of three quarts of water. In addition to this the master of every vessel has to pay for each passenger, on landing in America, what is called " head moneij^' which varies somewhat in amount. Although, under the Passengers' Act, ships carrying a certain number of passengers are obliged to have a medical practitioner on board, yet there is a special ex- ception in regard to ships bound for North America, pro- 130 NORTH A3IERICA. vided they have 14 clear superficial feet unoccupied by stores, for each passenger on board. As our ship came under this exemption we carried no surgeon, but had a medicine chest, and the chief mate, (Mr Rogers,) a re- markably nice young man, acted as surgeon. From long practice he had picked up some little knowledge of the art, and I was often struck at the tremendous doses he gave them, sufficient, in my oj)inion, to have turned their inside out ; and was no less amused at the looks of agony and despair which his patients exhibited, when preparing to swallow the copious draughts, which this disciple of Nep- tune administered to them. On my mentioning this one day to him, he said there was nothing like giving them a good " cleariiuf out.** This seemed with him to be the " alpha" and the "omega" of the science of medicine, and a most ell'ectual one it was, as it kept them all in good health during the passage. But to return to the voyage. On leaving the Mersey we soon reached the Island of Anglesea, and skirted along its northern corner, from which we had a tolerably dis- tinct view of Holyhead, distant about two miles, which seemed to be well sheltered from the westerly winds. Shortly thereafter the southern coast of Ireland oj)cned up to our view, and most of the emigrants appeared on deck. 1 watched with some degree of emotion to see if I could catch but one sorrowful look, or discover one parting tear, amid the crowds now^ standing before me, as they took their last view of their native isle and its rocky shores, as these faded and disappeared on the distant horizon ; but alas I I watched in vain. The land of their nativity seemed to have become the land of their abhorrence. Their thoughts were fixed on the country to which they were hastening. They may be said indeed to have sung in their hearts. NOKTJl AMERICA. 13^ " Farewell to the home of my childhood, Farewell to my cottage and vine, I go to the land of the stranger, Where pleasure alone will be mine. When life's fleeting journey is o'er. And earth again mingles with earth, I can rest in the land of the stranger, As well as in that of my birth." We had rough weather for the first ten days, and on the 2 1 St of July had a pretty severe storm, which lasted 24 hours. The Irish, who were all Roman Catholics, now- offered up their prayers to the Virgin ; and one man was observed throwing into the sea a consecrated stone, (probably brought with him from Ireland), in order to quell the storm ; and as it began to abate shortly after- wards, I guess they imputed it to the wonderful efficacy of this little stone. A young man who was so sick from the effects of the storm that he thought himself dying, came to the chief mate, exclaiming — " My sowl ! my sowl ! oh, what will become of my poor sowl ?" The mate said that he coidd not answer for his soul, but that as for his body, it' he died, he would have it thrown ovei-board with- in five minutes. This gentle reproof gave his acute feelings such a violent shock that he recovered immediately. The Irish were chietly from the county of Cork, and the passage money of no less than 130 of them had been paid by their friends in America; which both shews that they were doing well there, and that time and space had not obliterated their attachment to their native country, or, at all events, to those whom they had left behind. They were in general very poor, and some of them in- deed were so much struck down with poverty, that they had not even a bed to lie in, nor a blanket to cover them, but lay down every night on the bare boards. 132 NORTH AMERICA. We had as usual thick fogs when off the banks of New- foundland, an island discovered in 1497 by the commander of a small squadron of ships w hich sailed from Bristol in search of a north -west passage to India, who called it Newfoundland. In 1534 the brave Jaccjues Cartier, with only GO men, sailed from St Malo in France, in two small vessels, and nearly circumnavigated this island, which they found to be about 000 miles in circumference, but with a soil every where unfruitful. Two Knglishmen named Elliot and Thorn, with a body of their dependants, traded there for some years under the protection of Henry VIII.; but having unfortunately determined to remain there during one of the winters, their provisions failed, none of them survived, and tradi- tion says that they ate each other. Many years afterwards Sir Humphry Gilbert took possession of it in the name of Queen Elizabeth ; and in 1G2I Sir George Culvert, afterwards Lord Baltimore, landed there from England, having with liim seeds, grain, and cattle. His settlers were successful, and some of tlieir dcscendents founded, in a commodious harbour, the capital, St Johns. The French, from the beginning of the 1 7th century, had a settlement at Placentia, on the south coast, but at the treaty of Utrecht in 1713, Louis XIV. of France was compelled to give up his claim to the island, which pro- bably he did not care much about, as his subjects retained the right of fishing. It has ever since remained an English colony, and is garrisoned by a few artillery and infantry. The barren soil and ungenial climate defy the skill and industry of the husbandman, as wheat does not grow at all, whilst oats and potatoes are but scanty crops; so that they require supplies of almost every thing but cod-fish NORTH AMERICA. 133 from other countries. There are 9000 cattle and GOOO sheep on the island. The town of St Johns is irregular and dirty, though its trade is large, as they receive in return for the immense quantities of dried cod fish and oil which they export, nearly all the luxuries and necessaries of life, the annual exports and imports averaging nearly £2,000,000 sterling. They get port wine direct from Portugal in exchange for their dried fish. The population of the island is 100,000, one-half of whom are Roman Catholics, principally of Irish descent, or emigrants ; the remainder of English race, and various creeds. Thousands of lean dogs stalk about the streets of St John's, quarrelling w ith each other for the offal of the fish, which lies plentifully scattered in all directions ; and though this be their recreation, their business is to draw go-carts. There are also great numbers of cats, which, on account of the hostile relations existing between them and their canine neighbours, generally reside on the tops of the houses, from which they look down with contempt on their fierce assailants. Few people in this country have any definite idea of the extent of the fisheries on the banks of Newfoundland. Upon this extraordinary bank, enveloped in almost per- petual fog, which divides the Gulf of St Laurence from the wide Atlantic, and extends 600 miles in length, and 200 in breadth, the nations of Europe and America have for centuries been labouring with nets, lines, and every process that can be imagined, whilst not the slightest di- minution of supply has ever been observed. From the arctic shores large fields of ice are annually floated down in the neighbourhood of this island, and on 134 XORTH AMERICA. their surface are conveyed large herds of seals, which are captured for their skins and oil. I observe it stated in the essay on the canals of Canada, written by Thomas C. Keefer, civil engineer, who gained the prize of £50, awarded by the Earl of Elgin, &c., and published at Toronto in 1850 under the title of *' Prize Essay," that the French employ at their fisheries 25,000 men, and 500 large vessels; the Americans 37,000 men, and 2,000 schooners ; whilst the British have 25,000 men, 520 sealing vessels, and 10,082 open boats. The Americans take 1,500,000 cwts. of fish, and the French and British 1,000,000 cwts. each ; in all three and a half millions of cwts., or 175,000 tons of fisli annually, which, at £10 the ton, and adding the value of the seals and oil, amount to at least 2,000,000 sterling. My esteemed friend ^h Armour, of the firm of Andrew II. Armour iis: Co., booksellers, Toronto, and of that of Armour k Kamsay, Montreal, published this valuable essav, and politely presented me with a copy of it. There were ten competing essays given in. We spoke several vessels during the voyage — one from London to Quebec with emigrants — out 23 days — another, the Finfjalton of Glasgow, belonging to Pollock, Gilmour, & Co., bound also for Quebec, out 24 days ; and we also spoke the splendid steam ship belonging to the United States called the JVashiufjtoii, bound from New York for Southampton in England, and Bremen in Germany. On Sunday the 28th of July, one of our sailors, a Maltese, fell overboard, but being an excellent swimmer he kept up, and made for the life-buoy, which was imme- diately thrown out to him, which he reached in ten or twelve minutes, and the boat which was instantly des- patched, picked him up after he had been in the water NORTH AMERICA. I35 about a quarter of an hour. It was fortunate that the weather was calm, as, if we had had a stiff breeze he must have been lost. We were boarded by a pilot when about 12 miles from Boston. The captain invited him to dine with us at the cabin or cuddy table, and being asked whether he would take a glass of porter or of brandy, he replied, " I guess I have not felt altogether smart to-day, so will take the brandy." * The ])ilot told us of the death of General Taylor, the President of the Republic. We came to anchor in the evening near the light-house, and were examined next day, on reaching the quarantine ground, by two medical officers, appointed, one by the State of Massa- chusetts, the other by the city of Boston ; and, after a voyage of 37 days, and traversing a distance of 3,000 miles, landed at Boston, on the shores of that mighty re- public, the United States of America. *• Does there exist, or will there coino An age with wisdom to assume. The rights by heav'n design'd ; The rights which man was born to claim. From "Nature's God, which freely came, To aid and bless mankind. — Uetublics! must the task be your's To frame the code which life secures. And right from man to man — Arc you, in Time's declining age. Found only fit to tread the stage "Whore tyranny began ?" The emigrants, preparatory to landing, appeared dressed in their best apparel, some of them having tossed their * The word unart in America means clever, but the latter word is only applied to good-natured, obliging, and well-meaning people, who are often regarded by them as any thing but smart. 136 NOKTH AMEKICA. tattered garments into the sea, and seemed ail to be happy, delighted at the prospect of exchanging a country in which they had been doomed to want and misery, tor one from which poverty and privation, sorrow and sighing, had for ever fled away. They considered, no doubt, that they had reached at last the j)roniised land, and tliat the memorable words addressed to the Israelites of old, as recorded in Deuteronomy, were no less applicable unto them. •• For tlie Lord tliv God briii^etli thoe into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains, and di'ptlis, that spring out of valleys and hills ; u land of wheat, and barley, and vine*, and fig trees, and pomegranates, a land of oil — olive, and honey. ** A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shall not lack any thing in it ; a land whose «ton«s are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass." NORTU AMERICA. {^-j CHAPTER IX. Sketch of the rise, progress, and final establishment of the Independence of the United States of America. Having already given a brief narrative of the discovery of America, I shall devote a few pages to a rapid sketch of the rise, progress and establishment of the Inde[)en- dence of the United States ; simply premising, that American authors maintain, that previous to the war of Independence they had reached that point at which for- bearance ceased to be a virtue, and were obliged to have recourse to the only reserved right that was left them, namely, that of revolution ; the last right to which op- pressed nations resort. America had not been long discovered before it excited the envy of all the European nations, who, putting aside altogether the claims of the aborigines of that country, adopted by tacit consent, and as a new law of nations, the simple principle, that the countries which each explored should be the absolute property of the discoverers. Amidst the scramble that now took place for new terri- tories. Queen Elizabeth of England was not very far be- hind, as in 1584 she gave, under certain conditions, to Sir Walter Raleigh, *' all such remote, heathen and barbarous lands," as he should discover in North America. Under this roving commission. Sir Walter despatched two vessels, who took possession of a part of the American 138 NORTH AMERICA. coast, to which the Queen on the return of the navigators to England, gave the name of Virginia, as a memorial that the hapj)y discovery had been made under a virgin (iueen ; a name wliich it still retains. Many settlers afterwards went out, who either perished or were destroyed by the natives, but no ])ernianent settlement was effected till the reign of James the First, and with the exception of the comparatively modern charter of Georgia, in 17.'5*2, all the Knglish colonies ob- tained their charters, and their greatest number of Euro- pean settlers, between the years 1G03 and l(i88. Though the English possessions in America were in- ferior in natural riches to those which fell to the lot of other Europeans, yet the security of property and liberty derived from the English constitution, gave them a great ascendancy. Neither ancient nor modern history can pro- duce an example of colonies governed with equal wisdom, or flourishing with c(|ual rapidity. In the short space of 150 years their numbers had increased to three millions, and their commerce to more than a third of that of Great Britain. They also extended their settlements to 1.000 miles on the sea coast, and 300 to the westward. The New England provinces improved faster than others, which were blessed with a superior soil, and milder climate. The population of the State of New York, which in 1756, contained So, '233 whites, had 150,000 by the year 1771, thus nearly doubling its population in 15 years. Pennsylvania at first settled under the auspices of the celebrated Quaker, William Penn, improved so rapidly, that whereas in the year 1704, that province im- ported goods from the mother country, amounting in value only to eleven thousand pounds sterling, by the year 1772, it imported to the extent of £508,000, or nearly fifty for on(^ in little more than half a century. NORTH AMERICA. ] 39 Under these favourable circumstances, the British colonies in the new world had advanced nearly to the magnitude of a nation, while the greater part of Europe was almost wholly ignorant of their progress. One of the first events which drew on the colonies a share of public attention, was the taking of Louisburg, in the island of Cape Breton, from France, while that country was at war with Great Britain. This enterprise was projected by the governor of Massachusetts, and un- dertaken by tlie sole authority of the Legislature of that province. Having raised 5000 men, and been joined by a British marine force of 40 armed vessels from the West Indies, and 12,000 men under the command of General Amherst, their combined operations were carried on with so much judgment, that on the 17th of June 1745, the fortress capitulated. At this time France was in possession of the country on both sides of the mouth of the Mississippi, as well as of Canada, and laid claim also to the country on the Ohio as part of Canada. This being considered an encroach- ment l)y the French on the British colonies, the policy of repressing it was generally approved of both in England and Amerjca ; and it was resolved to take effectual measures for driving them from the Ohio, and also for re- ducing Niagara, and the other posts which they held within the limits claimed by the king of Great Britain. In the prosecution of this war, the advantages which Britain derived from the colonies were immense. No less than 500 privateers which were fitted out of the ports of her American colonies, successfuly cruized on French property. Besides distressing them by privateering, they furnished 25,000 men to co-operate with the British regular forces in North America. The success of their j)rivateers, which not only ravaged the West India Islands, 140 NORTH AMKRFCA. then chiefly belonging to France, but made many captures on the coast of France itself, joined to the co-operation of their land forces, made the colonies great acquisitions to Britain, and formidable adversaries to France, who soon felt that their growing importance, and their continued union with Great Britain, threatened the whole of her American pob^essions. Victory everywhere crowned the British arms ; the French were dispossessed not only of all the British territories on which they liad encroached, but also of Quebec, the capital of their ancient province of Canada. After hostilities had raged nearly eight years, a general peace (called the peace of Paris,) was consti- tuted in 17(J3, by which France ceded Canada to Great Britain. The Spaniards having also taken part in the war, were, at the termination of it, induced to relinquish to the same power both East and West Florida. This peace gave Great Britain possession of an extent of country equal in dimensions to several kingdoms of Europe. The possessions of Canada in the north, and of the t«o Flori- das in the south, joined to her other colonies, made her almost sole mistress of the whole of the North American continent. Till 1764, the colonial regulations seemed to know no other object but the common good of the whole empire. But in that fatal year the sad story of colonial oppression commenced. Great Britain then adopted new regula- tions respecting her colonies, which after disturbing the ancient harmony of the two countries for 8 years, termi- nated finally in the dismemberment of this great empire. At the conclusion of the peace of Paris in 176, and was the first direct step to American independency. Elevated with the advantages they liad gained, from tliat day forward, instead of feeling themselves dependent on Great Britain, they conceived that, in respect to com- merce she was dependent upon them; and while the ])ride of Britons revolted at the thought of their colonies refus- ing subjection to that Parliament which they obeyed, the Americans, w ith equal haughtiness, exclaimed, ** shall the petty island of Great Britain, scarce a speck on the map of the world, control the free citizens of the great conti- nent of America ? " Had Great Britain at this time generously relinquished for ever all claim to the right, or even the exercise of the right of taxation, the union of the two countries might have lasted for ages. But it was otherwise ordained. Though the Stamp Act was repealed, an American reve- nue was still a favourite object with many in Great Bri- tain ; and accordingly, in 1767 the Chancellor of the Ex- che(pier brought into Parliament a bill for granting duties in the British colonies on glass, paper, painter's colours, and tea, which was afterwards enacted into a law . These several duties were afterwards repealed in 1770, with the exception of the duty on tea, which was unfortunately still retained, and though it was but trifling, only threepence NORTH AMERICA. I45 the pound weight, yet the pnnciple which it involved (tax- ation without representation) aroused the hostihty of the colonists as much as the Stamp Act had done. As Bos- ton had taken the lead in opposing the Stamp Act, two regiments of infantry were sent to it from Great Britain in 17(j8, to keep the Bostonians under suhjection. This produced deadly irritation, and constant scuffles betwixt them and the soldiers. Though the colonists had entered into a non-importation agreement against tea, as well as all other commodities from Great Britain, it had neverthe- less found its way into America, though in smaller quan- tities than before. But in 1773, the British East India Company having complained to the British government of the loss they were sustaining by the great accumulation of tea in their warehouses, in consequence of the pertina- cious and successful exclusion of it from the American markets, it was agreed that the British duty of one shilling a pound, shouhl be drawn back on its import into Ame- rica, and one of only threepence imposed. Several ships were accordingly freighted and desj)atched with the com- modity, and proper agents appointed for disposing of il. The Americans now perceiving that the tax was thus likely to be enforced, whether they would or not, determined to take every possible method to prevent the tea from being landed, knowing that it would be impossible to hinder the sale of it if once brought on shore. In the midst of this confusion three ships laden w ith tea arrived at Boston; but so much were the captains alarmed at the disposition which seemed to prevail among the peo- ple, that they offered, providing tliey could obtain proper discharges from the tea consignees, custom-house, and governor, to return to Britain without landing their car- goes. The parties concerned, however, though they durst not order the tea to be landed, refused to irraut the 14G NORTH AMERICA. discharges required. The ships therefore, would have been obHged to remain in the harbour ; but the people, apprehensive that if they remained there the tea would be landed in small quantities, and disposed of in spite of every endeavour to prevent it, resolved to destroy it at once. This was done with equal speed and secrecy. The very evening after the above-mentioned discharges had been refused, a number of people dressed like Mohawk Indians, and in the presence of thousands of spectators, boarded the shij)s, and threw into the sea their whole cargoes, consisting of 342 chests of tea; but retired with- out doing any more damage. When I visited Boston in 1850, I saw the wharf where this celebrated event took place, ^^hich is now called the " T Wharf." No tea was discharged in other places, though the same spirit was every where manifested. At Philadelphia the pilots were enjoined not to conduct the vessels up the river ; and at New York, though the Governor caused some tea to be landed under tlie protection of a man of war, he was ob- liged to deliver it up to the custody of the people, to pre- vent its being sold. Tlie destruction of the tea at Boston, which happened in 1773, was the immediate prelude to the disasters at- tending civil discord. The Parliament of Great Britain met immediately to take into consideration a message from his Majesty acquainting them with the undutiful behavi- our of the city of Boston, as well as of all the colonies, and recommending at the same time most vigorous exer- tions to reduce them to obedience. A bill was accord- ingly brought in for imposing a fine on the town of Bos- ton equal to the value of the tea which had been destroyed, and shutting up its port by armed vessels until the refrac- tory spirit of its inhabitants should be subdued. This bill though strongly opposed was carried, and passed into a law NORTH AMERICA. 147 in the spring of 1774. The cause of Boston was now espoused by the whole colonists, and a general Congress composed of delegates from the whole States, and consist- ing of 51 delegates, assembled at Philadelphia in Septem- ber 1774, who agreed upon and published what they termed '* A Declaration of Rights," which was circulated throughout the whole country. The Americans now began to furnish themselves with arms and ammunition, and to train their militia. Provi- sions were also collected and stored in different places, particularly at Concord, about twenty miles from Boston. The British commander, General Gage, who was quar- tered with his army at Boston, despatched Colonel Smith, with 800 men to destroy the stores at Concord, and wish- ing to accomplish this without bloodshed, they marched from Boston at eleven o'clock at night, on 18th April 1775, in order that they might effect their object by sur- prise. They were attacked, however, by the American militia, both at Lexington and Concord, and having done their business began their retreat towards Boston. The militia, joined by the adjacent inhabitants who had assem- bled in arms, now began to attack them in every direction, from trees, and hedgerows, and they suffered bcverely, par- ticularly in passing through Lexington, where they were fired upon from behind stone walls, which caused great havoc among them. A little after sunset they reached Bunker's Hill, in the vicinity of Boston, worn down with excessive fatigue, having marched that day 40 miles. The regulars had lost that day 65 killed, 180 wounded, and 28 made prisoners. Of the provincials 50 men were killed and 38 wounded and missing. This skirmish, called by historians the battle of Lexington, is rendered celebrated for two reasons: first, from its being the first battle fought for American independence, and second, because it not G 2 im NOKTII AMERICA. only I'urnibhed them with a justifying apology for rait-iug an army, but inspired them with ideas of their own prowess. The British general at Boston having received large re- inforcements from Britain began now to act with more decision, and an eminence overlooking the city of Boston, called Bunker's Hill, situated on a peninsula in the vicinity of the village of Charlestown, now annexed to l>oston, having been taken possession of by the Americans, who had secretly, and in the course of one ni«:ht, thr(uvn up a small breastwork round it. General Gage found it neces- sary to drive them from it. He, accordingly, detached Generals Howe and Piuot with the flower of the army, con- sisting of 3000 men. 'riienumi)er()f the Americans engaged amounted to about 2000, who, cheered on by thousands of the inhabitants of Boston, who assembled as spectators, fought most desperately; and though at last driven from the peninsula, may be said to have gained tlie victory. (.'olonel Putnam, an English officer settled in America, who commanded the Americans, told them not to tire till they could see the whites of the soldiers* eyes, and then to aim at their waistbands. At the battle of the Plains of Abraham at Quebec, in 1759, General Wolfe, in like Tnanner, before he fell, ordered his troops to reserve their tire till the French were within 40 yards. There have been few battles, either in ancient or mo- (i(Mn times, in which, all circumstances considered, there was a greater destruction of men than in this short engage- ment, which only lasted about an hour. The loss of the Briti>h in slain and wounded, as acknowledged by Gene- ral Gage, amounted to 1124, of whom 22G were killed. Nineteen commissioned officers were killed, and seventy more were wounded. The battle of Quebec in 175urgoyne, were ordered to march from (iuehec, in order to ellect a junction with the army of General Clinton, then at New Y'ork. On the 2lstof June 1777, the army encamped on the western side of Lake Champlain, and havinfr been joined by a considerable number of Indians, the campaign was opened with the siege of Ticonderago, which the Americans were soon obliged to evacuate, and taking the road to Skenesborough, a place to the South of J.ake George, they were defeated with the loss of 200 killed, about as many taken prisoners, and above 000 wounded, many of whom perished in the woods for want of assistance. The American army had taken up its head quarters at NORTH AMERICA, ]53 Stillwater, on the Champlain canal, 24 miles north from Albany. General Burgoyne having thrown a bridge of boats over the river Hudson, crossed it about the middle of September 1777, and encamped on thi' hills and plains near Saratoga. He then marched to Stillwater, where a bloody engagement took jdace on the 19th of that month, in which the British, after a most desperate struggle of four hours, and with much inferior numbers, were victo- rious. But though on this occasion they only lost ,3,'3(> in killed and wounded, whilst the Americans had lost nearly 1500, yet they were mnch alarmed at the obstinate resolution shown by the latter ; added to which their allies the Indians now began to desert in great numbers. As the British army had long been labouring under great distress for want of provisions, notwithstanding every exertion to procure them. General Burgoyne in the beginning of October, was obliged to diminish the soldiers' allowance, and to think of a retreat. On the 7th of that month, having determined to move towards the enemy, he sent a body of loOO men to reconnoitre their left wing ; intending if possible to break through it, in order to etiect a retreat. The detachment however, had not proceeded far, when a dreadful attack was made on the left wing of the British army, which was with great ditficulty preserved from being entirely broken bv a rein- forcement brought up by General Fraser, who was killed in the attack. After the troops had with the most des* ])erate efforts regained their camp, it was most furiouslv assaulted by General Arnold the American General ; and though the attack failed on the left, yet the camp of the (ierman reserve was forced on the right ; Colonel Brev- man their Colonel killed, and his countrymen defeated with great slaughter, and the loss of all their artillerv and baggage. 154 XORTII AMERICA. This was by far the heaviest loss tlic British army had sustained since the action at Hunker's Hill. The list of killed and wounded amounted to 1200, exclusive of the Germans ; hut the greatest misfortune was, that the enemy having now an opening on the right and rear of the British forces, threatened the army with entire destruction. General Burgoyne now directed a retreat towards Sara- toga, and though he offered the enemy battle, they were now too well assured of obtaining a complete victory ])v cutting off all supplies from the British, to risk a pitched battle. The career of this brave general was now drawing to a close. The boats which conveyed provisions to his army down the Hudson river were exposed to the incessant fire of the American marksmen, who took many of them. The American army was increasing by the continual arri- val of militia and volunteers from all parts, so that the whole force under the American Commander, General Gates, was computed at IS, 000 men, while the army under General Burgoyne scarcely amounted to (iOOO, who, be- sides their inferiority in numbers, had only provisions suf- ficient to last for three days. In this emergency a coun- cil of war having been called, it was unanimously agreed that there was no resource now left but to treat with the enemy. A negotiation was accordingly opened next day, which terminated in the capitulation of the whole British army, who were sent to Boston to be transported to Eng- land. On this occasion, General Gates, with a degree of feeling that does him honour, ordered his army to keep within their camp whilst the British soldiers went to the place appointed for them to lay down their arms, in order that the latter might not have the additional mortification of being made spectacles of so melancholy an event. The number of those who surrendered in 1777 near Saratoga NORTH AMERICA. I55 amounted to 5750, besides 528 of sick and wounded left in the camp. Seven thousand stand of arms, with cloth- ing for an equal number of men, besides artillery and other stores, constituted the booty on this occasion. We must now take a cursory glance of the transactions in the southern colonies, to which the war in the year 1780 was so effectually transferred, that the operations there became at last decisive. On the 4th of May 1780, the garrison of Charleston, the capital of South Carolina, surrendered to the combined British forces by sea and land. The number of prisoners taken amounted to 5618 men, exclusive of nearly a thousand sailors in arms. Pre- vious to this, France had set about her preparations for the assistance of the Americans, and on the 14th of April 1771) had despatched Count D'Estaingfrom Toulon, with a large squadron, consisting of twelve ships of the line be- sides frigates, which, exclusive of its complement of sailors, had 6000 marines and soldiers on board. They arrived off the coast of Virginia in July following. In the same province of South Carolina, Earl Cornwallis, on lOth August 1780, obtained a signal victory over General Gates. The Briti>h army did not exceed 2000, while the Americans, who had now been joined by the French troops, amounted to GOOO. Of the British troops, the killed and wounded amounted to 2115, whilst the allied army lost above one thousand in killed and wounded, be- sides about an equal number taken prisoners. Shortly after this, means were found to detach Major- General Arnold, who had engaged so ardently in the cause of America, from the interests of the Congress. Major Andre, Adjutant-General to the British army, was the principal agent in this transaction, but was taken prisoner by three American soldiers, to whom he offered consider- able rewards if they would allow him to escape, but with- ].rj(J NORTH AMKUICA. out otiect. General Washington referred his case to the fxamination and decision of a board of general officers, consisting of six Major- Generals and eight Brigadier- Generals, who, after examining him before them, and in- quiring into the whole particulars of the case, reported that Major Andre came on shore from the Vulture sloop of war in the night, on an interview with General Arnold, in a private and secret manner ; that he changed his dress within the American lines; and under a feigned name and in a disguised habit passed the American works ; that he was taken, on the '2:U\ of September I 780, at Tarrytown, he being then on his way for New York ; and that when taken he had in his possession several papers which con- tained intelligence for the enemy. They, therefore, de- termined that he ought to be considered as a spy ; and that, agreeable to the law and usage of nations, he ought to sutler death. Sir Henry Clinton, the British command- ing officer, along with several others, including General Arnokl himself, all wrote pressing letters to General Washington on the occasion, in order to prevent the de- cision of the board of general officers from being put in force. Their applications, however, were ineffectual, and he was hanged at Tappan, 27 miles from New York, near Piermont on the river Hudson, on the 2d of October 1780. He met his fate w ith great firmness ; but appeared some- what hurt that he was not allowed a more military death, for which he had solicited. General Washington himself would have granted his request; but on consulting the board of general officers who signed his condemnation, they deemed it necessary to put that sentence in force which was laid down by the maxims of war; at the same time evincing the sincerest grief that they were forced to comply with, and could not deviate from, the established custom in such cases. He was a gentleman of very amiable NOIITH AMERICA. i Ji qualities and was highly accomplished. His death, there- tore, was regretted even by his enemies, and the severity of his fate was much exclaimed against in Great Britain. It was, however, generally acknowledged by impartial persons, that there was nothing in the execution of this unfortunate officer but what was perfectly consonant to the rules of war. General Arnold afterwards published an address to the people of America, stating that his reason for deserting their cause was the disgust he had conceived ;it the French alliance, and at the refusal of Congress to comply with the last terms offered by Great Britain, which he thought equal to all their expectations and to all their wiiihes. The war wa» now drawing to a close. Notwithstanding the advantages that Lord Cornwallis had obtained over the Americans and the French in Virginia, his situation in that province began to be very critical, chiefly from not having received those reinforcements from Sir Henry Clinton, the British commander-in-chief at New York, which he had expected, and conceived to be necessary for the success of his operations. Sir Henry, however, was prevented from sending these reinforcements to his Lord- ship from his fears re^pecting New York. Li fact Gene- ral Washington had thoroughly outgeneralled General Clinton, by adopting a variety of measures all calculated to impress the latter with the belief that he intended to make a formidable attack on New York, where Clinton had been for some time with a considerable army. Hav- ing succeeded in his manoeuvres, Washington suddenly (juitted his camp at White Plains, crossed the Delaware, and marched towards Virginia. Finding that Lord Corn- wallis had taken possession of a village called Yorktown, ituated on the right bank, and near the mouth of York liver, 70 miles from Richmond, the capital of Virginia, 158 NORTH AMERICA. he immediately adopted the most effectual measures for surrouiuling the British army. A large body of French troops under the command of the Count de llochamheau, assisted in the enterprise. The Americans amounted to 8000 continentals and 5000 militia. General Washing- ton was invested with the authority of commander-in- chief of these combined forces of America and France. On the '29th of September, the investment of Yorktown was complete, and the British army having been (piite blocked lip, Lord C'ornwallis, on the l!>th of October 1781, surrendered himself and his whole army to the com- bined armies of France and America. He made a de- fence suitai)le to the hi-zh character he had ac(piired for courage and military skill ; but was compelled to submit to untoward circumstances and superior numbers. The British prisoners amounted to <)000; but many of them at the time of surrender were incapable of duty. Hostilities now ceased, and on 30th November 1782 the provisional articles of peace between Great Britain and the Ameri- can States, by which the former acknowledged the inde- pendence of the latter, were signed at Paris, and ratified by a definitive treaty dated :U\ September 1783. Thus ended an arduous conflict which had been kept up for eight years, in which Great Britain had expended a hundred millions of money, with a hundred thousand lives, and gained nothing. America endured every cruelty and distress from her enemies ; lost many lives and much trea- sure ; but delivered herself from a foreign dominion, and gained a rank among the nations of the earth. George Washington, the commander-in-chief of the American army, was the eldest son of Augustine Wash- ington, a respectable planter, whose grandfather emigrated from Yorkshire in England in 1657 and settled in Vir- ginia. He was born on 22d February 1732, and died on XORTH AMERICA. ]59 17th December 1799, on his estate of Mount Vernon, near Washington, now the capital of the United States, and named after him. When on his way to New York to be proclaimed the first President of the United States, he had to pass through a triumphal arch which had been erected on the bridge at Trenton, by the direction of the ladies of the place. Three rows of females were posted at the arch in order to welcome his approach. On the first row were ranged a number of young girls dressed in white, with garlands of flowers on their heads, and baskets of flowers on their arms ; in the second row stood the young ladies, and behind them the married ladies of the town. The instant he passed the arch, tliey began to sing the following ode : — Tune — " Scuts wha hue ici' Jf'allace Uetl." Welcome mighty chief, once more, Welcome to this grateful shore : Now no mercenary foe, Aims at thee a blow. Virgins fiiir, and matrons grave, These thy conqu'ring arm did save; Build for thee triunijihal bowers, And strew thy way with flowers. As they sang the last lines they strewed their flowers on the road before their beloved deliverer. It is a curious circumstance that Washington, besides ten others of the Presidents of the United States, were natives of Virginia. Indeed ahnost all the Presidents of the United States have been born and bred in the South, and although they held slaves, have advanced the cause of freedom. Though the United States of America be thus for ever lost to Britain, yet it must be some consolation for the latter to know that she has been the origin of a commonwealth KiO NoKTii ami:ku A. ^n-eater and mure durable than any fornier nionarchy ; and that her languaize and her manners are destined to flourish among a people who will one day become a splendid spec- tacle in the vast eye of the universe. This flattering idea of immortality no other nation upon earth can ever pos- sibly hope to attain. It is important also to reflect, that from her commercial intercourse with independent America, (ireat Britain has derived infinitely more profit than she could have gained, had the growth of the former been stunted by the opera- tion of restrictive laws. NORTH AMERICA. IGl CHAPTER X. Description of Boston -Origin of the word Yankee— The Montgomery House in Boston — Breakfasts and Dinners in America — French (Jookory - Rapidity at their meals — Jenny Lind at Boston — Sum realized by her in America — Sunday in Boston — Anecdote of Admiral .Montague— Monument at Bunker's Hill — No hangmen in America — -Murder of Abraham Suydam, Esq , by Peter Robinson — Charge delivered l)y the Judge to thu Jury. Boston was settled in the year U>33, by a considerable body of emigrants from different parts of England, who were called puritans or non- conformists. Out of respect to the Rev. Mr Cotton, formerly minister of Boston in Lincolnshire, who arrived from England during that year, and was appointed minister of the first church established there, they called the place Boston. The harbour is large enough to contain 500 ships at anchor, though the entrance is very narrow. Boston is the capital not only of the State of Massa- chusetts, but of the si-\ new England provinces, compris- ing the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. The term " Yankee," an epithet applied indiscriminately by the people in Britain, (some from ignorance and others in derision,) to all Americans without distinction, is strictly speaking, a])plicable only to the natives of the above six States. Even when used there, it is apt to give offence, unless when used by themselves, but were a stranger to apply that epithet to a native of the Southern or Western I(j2 NORTH AMERICA. States, he must lay his account with heing knocked down. The natives of these latter states, call the natives of the New England States more frequently Down Easters than Yankees. The epithet of '' Brother Jonathan," when used at all, is applicahle to the whole natives of the United States. The origin of tlie word Yankee is said to he this. The Puritans from England embarked for the wilderness of America, in order that they might enjoy unmolested the inestimable luxury of talking, denied to them at home. No sooner did they land than they all lifted up their voices at once, and for the space of one whole year did keep up such a joyful clamour, as to frighten every bird and beast out of the neighbourhood. The simple aborigines and Indians, for a while contemplated these stranger folks in utter astonishment, but discovering that they wielded harmless, though noisy weapons, ami were a lively, ingenious, good-humoured race of men, they became very friendlv and sociable, and gave them the name of *' Yankees," which, in the language of Maistchsuaeg, a tribe of Indians, signifies " silent men," a waggish ap- pellation, first applied in derision, which they retain unto the present day. I observe it stated however, by my friend, George Combe, Esq. of Edinburgh, the celebrated phrenologist, in his learned work on America, that the word is supposed to be an Indian corruption of the word English, Yang-gleese, Yankees. Mr Combe also says, that the inhabitants of the New England States are proud of the appellation, but of this I have my doubts. I took up my abode during my residence in Boston, at the *' 3Iontgomery House," in Tremont Street, of which 31 r James S. Parke was the manager, and Mr Thomas P. Wilson the proprietor. This hotel which I can strongly recommend, was most superbly furnished, and contained between one and two hundred apartments. The charge NORTH AMERICA. |(j'3 of one dollar and a ha.\f per day,* was exceedingly mode- rate considering the style kept up, and the admirable cookery, which both there and throughout the states is almost entirely in the French style in all the principal hotels ; most of the men cooks in the States being either natives of France, or negroes, who make first-rate French cooks, while the female servants are almost invariably natives of Ireland. We generally dined about a hundred every day, the ladies and the gentlemen with them dining at the same time, and in the same room, but at a different table. The breakfast hour was 7 o'clock, the dinner at a quarter past 2, the tea at half past 0, and the supper from 9 to 12. Very few partook of supper. The gong was sounded at half-past six in the morning to rouse us from our beds ; but those who had occasion to go off by the earlier railway-trains or steamboats, could have had their breakfast at any time they might name, by merely inti- mating this to the book-keeper at the office the night pre- vious. Every thing is done either by the clerk or book- keeper at the office. On entering any hotel, you immedi- ately repair to the office, enquire if you can get apart- ments, and if so the clerk hands you the journal in which you insert your name and j)lace of residence. The pro- prietor of the house is seldom seen by the guests unless specially asked for. On going away, you call at the office and ask the clerk to make out your bill or account, and after you pay him he discharges it. There was a daily bill of fare printed, and a copy placed at every seat. The covers are removed by the waving of the hand or other signals, which vary at different hotels. At the large hotels in the States, the waiters are privately * Throughout this work, the valae of a dollar will ahvavs be held as equivalent to four shillings and twopence sterling. A cent is a half-pennv, and a York shilling, sixpence sterling. 1(J4 XOHTII A.MEIUCA. drilled by the head waiter or landlord, with empty plates, instructed to remove the covers by signal, and distribute themselves among the guests. The number of waiters at the Montgomery House was 15, and the following bill of fare for one of the days I was there, will give an idea of the system pursued. MONTGOMERY HOUSE. Tutsdaif Aug. •-'«>. I»o0. SOrP. I JJOIl.KD. Vermicelli. | Turkey— Oyster Sauce. Chickens and Pork. '''^"' j Leg of Mutton — Caper Sauc( Codfish — Parsley Sauce. . jj^^jj^ KNTHflES. Cutlet dc Vcau, larded — with Vegetables. Sweetbread*, larded — Tomato Sauce. Chicken, glace — with Turnips. -Maccaroiii — with Creum. Fricassee Chicken. Mutton Cutlets— Sauce Piquante. Laoib —CO papilotte. Codllsh — Madeira Sauce. Oranije Fritters, Omelitle — with Ilani. HOAST. Ueef. I Veal. Pork. . I Chickens. i.ainl) — .Mint Sauce — Ducks. VKGKTABLES. Irish Potatoes — Mashed do. — Squash — Turnips — Shell Beans — Green Corn — Beets — Tomatoes. PASTRY, PUDDINGS. &c. .\j>ple Pies — Peach Pies — Whortleberry Pies — Boiled Whortleberry Pudding — Charlotte Russc. DESSERT. Apples — Pears — Peaches — Nuts — Raisins — Water Melous — Cantelopes — G rapes. NORTH AMEKICA. 165 From the above it will be seen that the Americans have, with singular good sense and good taste, discarded to a great extent the common English, or plain roast and boiled cookery, which is that of a half-civilized people, and adopted the scientific and elaborate cuisine of France, which must be always admired and appreciated wherever taste is not mere gross appetite, and wherever the quantity of solid meat consumed is not held to be the test, as amongst us, of the excellence of the entertainment. Tlie only difference indeed betwixt a public dinner in France and in America, (keeping of course the light, claretty, banquet-breathing wines of France out of view,) consists in thi:^, that the French, though using the same knife and fork throughout, merely wij)ing the former occasionally on a piece of bread, have their plates changed at each successive course. In America, on the contrary, this is hut seldom done, and though I should be sorry to call them '• dirty feeders," as Mr Dickens has done, yet I have occa- sionally felt somewhat shocked at seeing the variety of different dishes they crammed into one plate. This evi- dently arises however in some measure from the extreme haste they arc in to bring their repast to an untimelv end, as the waiters are always ready to change the plates of those who desire it. The beds in America are in general very good, and the head is not raised so high as in this country by bolsters and pillows. Indeed, when in bed, we ought not to lie ill a forced or constrained position, but almost horizontal, the head being only a little raised. Nothing is more pre- judicial than to lie in bed half sitting as it were, as the circulation in the belly is thus checked, and the spine too much compressed. By this custom, one of the principal ends of sleep, a free and uninterrupted circulation of the l)iood, is defeated. 1(J5 NORTH AMERICA. It is not generally known that a blanket is a cooler covering than a sheet in summer as it allows the perspi- ration to escape. Sheets no doubt feel colder at first, because they carry off the heat of the body much ([uicker, but when they become as warm as the body, they feel warmer, by confining the perspiration. Breakfasts in America «:enerally con^^ist of tea and coffee, delicious bread of all kinds, hot Indian corn bread, hot buckwheat cakes, eggs, potatoes, beef-steaks, and broiled chickens. The beef-steaks, however, are invari- ably lough, and I often wondered liow they could swallow them, but owing to their violent hurry they are too much ijiven to boltimi their food without suflieient mastication. American butcher's meat of every description, with tho exception always of pork, is decidedly inferior to British; their potatoes too are inferior to ours ; but the broiled chickens, and poultry indeed of every description, are always good. The potato was first brought from America into Ireland in 1565. Turkeys also were first introduced into this country from America. The dinner at these Ordinary's or *' Tables d* Hote," generally lasts about twenty-five minutes, and people get up abruptly just when they feel inclined, and without any cercmonv whatever. When one or two hundred are din- ing together, you may probably see a few retiring before that time has expired, some perhaps in 15 minutes ; yet, as a general rule, and at all the more fashionable hotels, that is about the time usually occupied, and within half au hour from the commencement of dinner you will not find one single individual left in the room, excepting of course the waiters, who are almost all either Irish or free negroes, called coloured people. I remarked, however, that at the inferior hotels, where they charge only a dollar a day, and where of course the company is not so select, they were NORTH AMERICA. ^qj considerably more rapid in their movements ; and Miss Sedgwick in her travels published 30 years ago, states, that at that time it was considered unbusiness-like to spend above ten minutes at dinner. When there are only female American helps in attendance, as sometimes happens in country inns, they are apt to sit down when their services are not required, a very good plan, as they thereby get a rest. When American females go to service, which is now but seldom the case, they are called domestics or helps, the word "servant" being hurtful to their feelings. Ameri- can helps, particularly females, generally expect (in country places at least, though not in towns) to sit at the same table with their ''employers," that being the word generally used, as they do not like the idea of calling them master or mistress. With this slight deference to their acute feelings in regard to independence, they do as much work as servants in this country, rising at five in the morning to milk the cows, clean the house, go to market, and appearing in the evening, when their work is over, arrayed in their best apparel, ready to receive company if any should happen to arrive. American helps would not remain a day w ith a family, were they to enforce, as in Eng- land, the absurd and tyrannical injunction of ** no callers alloived.'* A simple country girl one day at Boston some years ago, obeyed the instructions exactly about putting the dinner upon the table and then summoning the family. As they delayed a few minutes, she set down and helped herself to a fowl, as she said it was a pity to see it getting cold. I did not observe above one in about every fifteen who took any thing but water during dinner, and into this the waiters invariably during the hot weather put one or two pieces of ice ; indeed the consumpt of ice through- out the States is quite extraordinary. There is hardly any talking at an American dinner. They say, very pro- j(j>^ xoKTii ami:kic \. pcrly, that tlu'V meel nut to talk but to eat, and in gene- ral thev are not less tenipcralc in their eating than in their drinking. Indeed, though the Americans have many good points, 1 do not think that their social propensities are of the first order. A grace is never said at public tables, and the Chinese gong is almost in universal use for summoning the inmates to their meals at all the prin- cipal hotels throughout the Union, and also in Canada, Avhili' the secondary hotels use a bell. The ruling maxim throughout the Slates seems to be ** lime is short ;" and all the actions of that wonderful pc()|>le have this senti- ment stamped upon them. Their motto is — ** Suun<) the vUriun, fill the fife, Through all the •(•u»ual world proclaim •>■ One crowded hour of glorious life, I* worth an age without a name." There is one thing, however, in which the Americans shew superior good breeding to the English, namely, they cat what is placed before them without ever allowing themselves to make any remark about it. Indeed they never exhibit the least symptoms of impatience except at meal times. Thev allow themselves to be overturned and their ribs broken by drivers of stages, and sufter them- selves to be drowned or blown up by captains of steam-^ boats, w ithout uttering a complaint or a reproach. ** We are born in haste," says an American writer, '' we finish our education on the run, we marry on the wing, we make a fortune at a stroke, and lose it in the same manner " Professor Johnston, I observe, after alluding to their unsociable qualities, and endeavouring to make some ex- cuse for them from their time being so valuable, and many of them being absent from their families, having no induce* ment to linger over their food, and from usually abstain- ing from wine, having none to remain at table after the NORTH AMERICA. 1(J9 substantials of the meal are over, makes the following remark. " Whether this silence at table and rapidity at meals be a cause of indigestion, or a consequence of disease arising from other causes, it is certain that diseases of the digestive organs, and deaths from such diseases, are much more fre(juent than in Great Britain. More than one- half the population appear to be affected by such diseases in the United States, and only one in every ten in Great Britain." Mrs Iloustoun, an English lady who resided some years in the States and published her tour in 18j0 under the title of " Travels in the West," says, when residing at the Pavilion Hotel in Boston, " I never saw people so little curious about other folk's matters, or so imper- turbably and seriously engrossed with their own in my life. As for the table-dliote dinner {alias ordinary,) it was, without excej)tion, the most gloomy bantpiet it was ever my bad fortune to assist at. Milk in glass jugs was placed by each guest, and the * strong men' having bolted large quantities of the meat tit for them, washed it down with large draughts of the ' food for babes,' and, a.s might be expected, seemed in no way en- livened thereby." 31rs IJoustoun complains of the young ladies being noisy in the ladies' saloon, and sitting and swinging themselves for hours together on rocking-chairs, doing nothing and apparently thinking as little. '* Some of them," she says, ** were very pretty, and delicate-looking, and, moreover, would have been well-dressed, if they could have con- tented themselves with fewer colours. If I could summon up a wish about them, it would be, that they would pitch their voice in a lower key, and, if possible, not speak through their noses. Why is it, that throughout the H 170 NORTH AMERICA. \vhole of this vast continent, the nasal twang should inva- riably prevail ? I have given up trying to account for this peculiarity." Though the nasal twang he exceedingly prevalent in the States, yet it is absurd in Mrs H. to say that it is universal. It ought always to be remembered, however, that American ladies display many estimable qualities as good wives, good mothers, and good members of society ; and there is an imusual proportion of happy marriages, though they marry at too early an age. Their union is in general based upon alTection, and we ought to bear in mind that if men and women marry those whom they do not love, they will love those whom they do not marry. American ladies chiefly follow the French fashions, and w hen decked out in Parisian bonnets are apt to boast that thev unite French grace with English modesty. A new bonnet seems to have a wonderful effect on the female mind. Mrs Iloustoun makes the following remark on the Ame- ricans in general ; — •' I believe that the Americans theniseWes do not dispute the fact, that (as a race) they are considerablj inferior in physical strength to their an- cestors. That the ' Anglo-Saxon" breed has degenerated, as far as outward appearance goes, is undeniable ; but why it is so it i« impossible to say. It is, perhaps, still more difficult to account for the different breeds of English sheep becoming invariably in America wretched animals instead of fine ones. It is, in fact, quite as unusual a sight to meet a really fine-looking man in Xew England as it is to taste a good leg of mutton. The biped prows up long, thin, and weedy, with hollow cheeks, narrow shoulders, small hands and feet, and a good deal of nose — as for the woolly animal, there is no ap- parent reason why it should not retain its peculiar characteristics of ' Lei- cestershire' or • Southdown" to the end of time; but it does not, and though the greatest care and attention are paid them — though the parent stock is imported from England, and not unfrequently their own shepherds also — though turnips are grown for their support in winter, and no expense is spared by the New England farmer to keep up the breed in perfection, nothing succeeds. The experiment has been tried in the barren soil of New NORTH AMERICA. I7I England, in the fertile valleys of Kentucky, and also in the wild mountains of Georgia, and always, I have been told, with the same ill success." Though I am incHiied to think that there may be some truth in these remarks, yet I doubt much if the Ameri- cans themselves admit their inferiority, and guess it would be no easy matter to find one who would confess anything of the sort. There is certainly in general not that plump- ness and rotundity of form among the men and women there which one meets with in this country. No doubt, you see many beautifid faces among the females, particu- larly at Baltimore, yet their sallow' complexion, joined to the premature decay of their teeth, so very prevalent, and arising partly from the pernicious habit of eating so much of preserved fruits, tends, 1 am sorry to say, to throw^ them somewhat into the shade when compared with the women in this country. The fresh, pure glow of the Saxon cheek is seldom seen in American faces. It is also worthy of remark that an old person is rarely to be met with, so that human life is considerably shorter there than here. Old people, indeed, are reckoned rather an encum- brance, particularly among the working classes, and the moment they cannot go a-head, they are considered of no further use. Life at best is but of little value in the United States, and as to death they have no time to think of it. There is one thing, however, for which they de- serve credit, namely, that comparatively few amongst them spend their lives in anticipations, in determining to be vastly happy at some period or other, when they have time. They consider very properly that the present time has one advantage over every other — it is their ow n. Past opportunities are gone, future are not come. We may lay in a stock of pleasures as we would lay in a stock of w ine, but if we defer the tasting of them too long we shall H 2 j-O NORTH AMERICA. find that both are soured by age. True wisdom consists in not being too prodigal when we are young, nor too par- biraonious when we are old, otherwise we shall fall into the common error of those, who, when they had the power to enjoy, had not the prudence to accpiire, and when they had the prudence to acquire, had no longer the power to enjoy. Had Mrs Houstoun's remaYksbecn confined exclusively to the New Kngland States, I believe they would have been tolerably correct, and corroborate those of a very sensible Scotch baker Avhom 1 met one day at Boston, where he had been for iJO years, who remarked to me, that it would take the whole of the six New Kngland States to supply Boston alone with provisions for a year. I laughed at this remark at the time, thinking it absurd ; but after travelling 250 miles through these States, I must say that I found the crops everywhere so poor and scanty, and the sheep and cattle'not only so few in number, but so wretched in appearance, that I began to think that the Scotch baker was, after all, not so very far w rong. Jenny Lind excited, if possible, more enthusiasm at Boston than even at New York, at least if we are to judge by the prices which the tickets brought at auction ; for whereas at New York the highest price for the first ticket was 225 dollars, at Boston the first ticket was knocked down at (100 dollars, or L.125 sterling, a sum whicli would purchase 500 acres of excellent land in the western states of Wisconsin or Illinois. In short, the Americans are a singular race of people, having often more money than wit to guide it, and if anything strike their fancy, or rather their vanitv, they will have it, whatever almost the cost may be. 1 recollect of having given a guinea to hear the Swedish nightingale sing in Edinburgh some years ago, but as 1 onlv received 3s. Gd. worth of enjoyment, I NORTH AMERICA. 173 considered that I lost 17s. Gd. by the transaction. I tra- velled in the railway betwixt Buffalo and Albany with a French gentleman named Sundstron, who now practises at New Orleans as a lawyer, of whom there is but one class in the United States, namely the advocates, who perform the duties of notary, proctor, attorney, &c., and their legal title is counsellor-at-law. He was acquainted with Jenny, but having never heard her sing he left me at Albany, and proceeded to Boston (200 miles by railway) for that purpose. The crowd was so immense that in the scuffle he had his pocket picked of sixty dollars. About fifty others shared the same fate, and this in spite of hand- bills put up everywhere warning people to beware of pick- pockets. Tiie names of all tlie sufferers were published in the Boston newspapers, with the sums which they had respectively lost, but appearing in print was their only consolation, as not a single stiver was recovered. One Englishman lost 45 dollars. When my French friend called upon Jenny the day following, he told her of his loss, at which she laughed heartily. I met him at New York afterwards, when he narrated the above anecdote. Jenny received a thousand dollars per night for the 100 days of her engagement with Barnum, besides a share of the profits, a sum which 250 years ago would have pur- chased the whole State of New York. The whole island of Manhattan, on which New York is built, was purchased 250 years ago for 24 dollars. Having heard the late Madame Catalani sing, I must say that, in my opinion, Jenny must yield the palm to that wonderful woman, but the star of the former had set, before that of the latter arose. Jenny was married at Boston, on 5th February 1852, to Otto Goldschmidt of Hamburgh. Throughout the United States Jenny Lind was called the " Queen of Song," and Barnum, who had engaged 174 NOIITH AMERICA. her, the " King of Humbugs." Among the numerous squibs with which he was daily assailed by the newspaper press in that country, the following appeared in the " New York Herald" of 15th October 1850 :_ IJarnlm! Ahoy! — a Call to tde I'nconvekted. — Again we say, where is Barnuiu i lias any one seen liim of late, putting his hand into his pocket for c-harily's sake, a la Jennv Lino? In the last fifteen years, he has pocketed nearly 250,000 dollars, by exhibiting Joice Ilelh, the Woolly Horse, Tom Thumb, the Fcejee Mermaid, and many other humbugs. Did any one ever hear of his giving any odd ten thousand dollars for the chari- ties of New York ? He is now exhibiting a very angel from heaven - Jenny Lind— who has already given, out of her own earnings, nearly 20,000 dol- lars. "NVhy does he not catch a ray of her light - a spark of her benevolence — and also give a little to the poor, out of the vast proceeds which he boasts of receiving from her concerts ? Come, IJarnuni, how much ? Darnum, though now immensely rich, has never been accused during his life of having given a single fraction to any charitable institution under the sun ; and although it is written *' Charity never faileth," yet it seems to have failed in Barnum's case, whose motto through life hath been — " Charity begins at home." A Boston paper said of him that he had been so thoroughly devoted to humbug for so many years that he could not break away from his good old habits. lie commenced his career of humbug by exhibiting the nurse of General Wabhington, a poor wretch of a negress, whose teeth were extracted, and her face painted in appropriate wrinkles for the purpose. Every one, of course, flocked to see this wonderful black nurse. He cleared 200,000 dollars by Jenny Lind, after paying all expenses, which was more than Jenny herself did. Upwards of half a million of dollars were received for the hundred nights of her engagement with Barnum. After her engagement, however, was ended, she did a little business on her own account, visiting various parts NORTH AMERICA. I75 of the Union and Canada, so that she pocketed 100,000 dollars by her trip across the Atlantic, and that within the short space of a year and a half. On the Sunday evening of the day of our landing, I stepped into a church with a lofty spire, situate at the cor- ner of Trcmont Street, and the beautiful park or " Com- mon," as they call it, of 75 acres which adorns the city. This I afterwards learned was an Unitarian church. It was splendidly fitted up and very large, capable, I should suppose, of holding 2000 persons, and so crowded that the peoj)le were standing in the passages. The num- ber of males and females was about equal, unlike this country, where the females generally predominate. The heat was dreadful, and as every lady in church had a fan in her hands, and as every female in church, without ex- ception, was a lady, it had a curious effect to see a thou- sand fans in constant motion both during the sermon and prayer. The organ and band were in the gallery oppo- site the pulpit or rather platform, and the whole audience rose at the singing, turning their backs to the minister and their faces to the organ. The tune I heard (being some- what late for the earlier part of the service) was the Old Hundredth psalm, and the addition of 2000 human voices to the notes of the organ produced a most sublime and striking effect. They keep the Sunday very strictly in Boston. About 70 years ago the late Admiral Montague, when in Boston walked the streels on Sunday during di- vine service, for which he was taken up by the " saints" and put into the stocks. On the day he meant to sail for England he sent his cards to the " select-men" to dine on board his ship, an invitation which they readily ac- cepted. After dinner he called all hands, and ordered the boatswain to give them a dozen lashes apiece, which cooled their ardour in the cause. The punishment of the 17G NORTH AMERICA. Stocks is the oldest one known, as in the 13th chap- ter of the book of Job, it is written, ** Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks." The " Select-men" were at that time a class of men in Boston employed as overseers to their meeting-houses, who regulated the affairs of the pari.sh, and reported persons for non-attendance at church ; compelling tho.sc walking on the streets, or travellers on a Sunday, to go to some place of wor3hi[). I ascendetl to the top of the State House, which is 2,'iO feet above the level of the sea, and had the most charming view imaginable, both of the city and surrounding country. They charge nothing for admittance, but at the Bunker's Hill monument at Charlestown, about two miles from the heart of the city, they charge a trifle. I, of course, like every one else that visits Boston, went to sec this latter monument, so celebrated throughout the whole of the States, from the circumstances attending its erection. It has been so often described however, that I shall merely mention generally that it is in commemoration of, and stands on the site of the first battle that was fought in the war of independence, on the 17th day of June 1775, when the Bostonians behaved so nobly; that it was completed in 1842; that its form is that of an obelisk, 30 feet scjuare at the base, 16 feet at the top, and 221 feet high ; that it is built of hewn granite, with stones of enormous size ; that the interior is hollow and circular, and is ascended by 294 steps ; and that at the top is an elliptical chamber, eleven feet in diameter, with four small windows, affording a most beautiful view of Boston, its harbour, and the sur- rounding country. The number of people that come to visit this monument daily from all parts of the world is almost incredible. During the short space of half an hour that I spent at the spot, I am certain that I saw a dozen of omnibuses arrive from Boston, some of them drawn by NORTH AMERICA. 177 four horses, and all loaded with people, besides other carriages of every description, and pedestrians innumer- able. There are a great many free negroes at Boston, not less than 2000. They chiefly reside in a district of the city at the back of the State House. Their employment cannot be said to be of a very domestic nature, as they are to be found walking about in every direction. Having been invited by a Scotchman of the name of Anderson, who filled the situation of head- waiter of the private side in the Revere House, to visit that establish- ment, I availed myself of his polite offer. Jenny Lind put up there when she visited Boston in September Ks.">0, and it is not only the largest hotel in that city, but surpassed by few in the United States. It contains 300 rooms, but can make up 400 beds, or as the Americans term it, •' can sleep 400 individuals," besides the accommodation re- (juired for the domestics in the house. There were 47 male waiters, of whom AG were Irish; 12 boys for answering bells, also Irish ; 4 French men cooks, with 12 female Irish assistants; 50 chambermaids, and wash- ing and ironing girls, all Irish, with the exception of an American matron, besides housekeepers, stewards, clerks, porters, &c., forming altogether an establishment of nearly 150 persons, for this single hotel. I paid my respects to the whole members of this wonderful estab- lishment, which may be called an Irish colony, and re- ceived the utmost courtesy from them all. At the Mont- gomery House, Boston, where I resided, the servants, both male and female, were, I believe, in hke manner, all Irish, with the exception of two French men cooks. After being a few months in the United States, the Irish become all so " smart," that one could hardly sup- pose that they were the same miserable beings that you 178 NORTH AMERICA. see stepping ashore, when they first plant their foot on that woiulerfiil country. Though the Americans do not hke the Irish much, yet they are obliged to confess that they could not now do well without them ; and my es- teemed countryman, Charles Wilson, Esq., originally from Lasswade near Edinburgh, who has been at New York for 30 years, and has employed workmen of various nations at his large distillery at Brooklyn, told me that the Irish though lazy at home, become totally changed on coming to America, and turn out the most industrious of any nation he had employed. They discover on landing Ml America, even more perhaps than in their own country, that it' they do not work, neither must they expect to eat. Both in Boston and Baltimore, the greater part of the mechanics are proprietors of the houses in which they re- side. I visited the splendid market called the Faneuil Hall Market, o3(i feet long and 50 wide, and found on incjuiry that the price of beef, which seemed to be very good, was twelve cents the pound for roasting pieces, or sixpence ^^terling, and other meat in proportion. Boiling pieces throughout the States are generally one-half lower than roasting pieces. I asked the price of a pair of chickens and was told 72 cents, which is exactly 3s. sterling. I could have bought the same in the Glasgow market for 2s. The supply of fish was immense, and very cheap. Some of them were of a species unknown in this country, and must, from their size, have weighed nearly as much as man) of the sheep which I saw in New South Wales. The cattle are all slaughtered at Brighton, about five miles from Boston. Meat and every thing else is preserved in ice during summer, almost every family having an ice-cellar, and carts going daily through the streets of Boston selling ice to those who have run out, as thev do in Edinbur£:h NORTH AMERICA. I79 selling coals. The ice is cut into blocks about twenty inches square, by means of a machine invented expressly for the purpose, and called an ice-cutter. A gentleman told me that his ice cost him about £5 sterling per annum. The ice must be quite pure, in order to its being put in lumps into the water for drinking. 1 saw the wharf where the tea was thrown into the sea which they now call the T. wharf, " When a certain gre.it king whose initial is G, Forces stamps upon paper, and folks to drink T ; When these folks burn bis tea, and stampt paper like stubble. You may guess that this king is then coming to trouble." I visited also the college where Dr Webster murdered Dr Parkman on 23d November 1849, and afterwards called at the jail in Leverett Street, where he was con- fined ; and though, of course, no one was allowed to see him, yet the jailer told me I was within a few feet of him, and politely pointed out to me the place where he was to he executed the week following. His trial lasted eleven days, and as the public were all anxious to see him they admitted them in groups of about 100 at a time, allowing them to remain for ten minutes, and then turning them out in order to make way for a fresh group. In this way not less than 30,000 people had an opportunity of seeing the learned professor — one of the numerous advantages and privileges of living in a free country. The execution of Professor Webster took place on Friday the 30th of August 1850, and not only the streets but the very house-tops in the neighbourhood of the jail were crowded with human beings, anxious to witness the conclusion of a tragedy which had excited so much in- terest, not only in America but throughout the civilized world. At 20 minutes past 9 o'clock, the procession moved, J80 NORTH AMERICA. and the prisoner ascended the scaffold with a firm step. Mr Andrews, the jailer, then proceeded to tie his legs with a leather helt, while he sat in a chair over the drop. This done the prisoner rose, and one of tlie Sheriffs ad- justed the rope, and Dr Wehster took his last look of earth. The hlack cap was drawn over his eyes hy Mr Holmes, when the High Sheriff announced tliat he should, in compliance with the laws, proceed to perform his duty. At half-past [) o'clock the rope was loosened, and the wretched man was launched into eternity. The fall was ahout eight feet, and he died without a struggle. After hanging thirty minutes, Drs Stedman, tlie city physician, and Clark, piiysician to the jail, pronounced the prisoner dead. The Sheriff then announced that the requirements of the law had heen enforced, and returned, on behalf of tiie Commonwealth, his thanks to the wit- nesses, and to the executive officers, who had rendered their assistanci? in the discharge of this painful duty. Professor Webster, in his confession, said, that Dr Parkman called him '' scoundrel," and *' liar," and went on heaping upon him the most bitter taunts and opprobrious epithets, and that being excited to the highest degree of passion, he had seized whatever was handiest, which was a stick of wood, and dealt him an instantaneous blow, with all the force that passion could give it. It was on the side of the head, and there was nothing to break the force of the blow. He fell mstantly upon the pavement. There was no second blow. He did not move. Blood flowed from his mouth, which he wiped away, and applied ammonia to his nose, but without effect. He spent ten minutes in attempting to rescuscitate him, but found that he was absolutely dead. I certainly think that our employment of a regular pro- fessional ** hangman" is, on every ground, most repre- NORTH AMERICA. 181 hcnslblc and wrong. The punishment of death is tlie highest award of penal law ; and its infliction ought to be studiously accompanied with every circumstance which could tend to solemnity. The work of carrying into eifect the fatal sentence should be unhesitatingly undertaken by the most honourable executive of legal judgment. The High Sheriff' is the legal executioner ; and lie should not be allowed to delegate to meaner hands his painful duty. This would lend to the demoralising execution spectacles a dignity and impressiveness which they can never have, so long as we encourage the bribing of a callous w retch to undertake hanging as a profession. The fact that ten or twenty guineas are paid to the hangman for each exe- cution, proves that their office is one which people gene- rally are ashamed of, and which every good and indus- trious citizen, even of the humblest class, views with dis- gust and abhorrence. The Americans are right in causing the ordinary functionaries of the jail to pinion the victim, and adjust the fatal apparatus ; and in requiring the Sheriti' himself to touch the spring that shivers the *' golden bowl of life." In the state of 3Iichigan, they at one time aboli>hed capital punishments even for murder, but found it w ould not do, as they began to increase so fast that they w ere glad to restore that good old wholesome salutary punish- ment. They have a curious custom in the United States of ascertaining how long it is before life is extinct in those who are hanged, as will appear from the follow ing account of the execution of two men named Harry Foote, and James ^I'Calfrey, each for a double murder, and on the same gallows, at Newhaven, the capital of the state of Connecticut, on 2d October 1850. Foote was 38 years of age. ]M*Caffrey was a native of Ireland, and about the Ig2 NORTH AMERICA. same age as Foote, but a much more powerful man, and if anything a more desperate character. Foote, according to his own confession, induced his own cousin, a young girl, by the name of Emily Cooper, of only 14 years of age, to accompany him into the woods, under the pretence of picking some grapes, when he in- humanly violated her person, and then took her life by stabbing her in the neck with a knife. The body he left in the woods, and returning to the house of his mother, he beat her to death with a hammer. M'Caffrey murdered a Mrs Ann Smith and her hus- band, two aged persons, who resided on a small farm of their own. Having called on Mr Smith, under a pretence of wishing to purchase the place, they went out together, and when at a little distance from the house, M'Catfrey drew from his pocket a double barrel pistol, and shot the old man in the abdomen ; the ball, however, glanced, and did not inflict a mortal wound, and the murderer then despatched him with a stone. He then returned to the house, and with the other loaded barrel shot the old woman through the body, causing almost instant death. The villain then ransacked the house with a belief of finding considerable money, but to his utter disappointment, a very small amount was obtained. He then fled to New York, and from thence to Canada, where he was subse- quently arrested. The culprits were dressed in long white frocks, tied round the waist. All being in readiness, at eleven o'clock the Sheritf led them to the gallows. The ropes were then adjusted around their necks, and the legs of each strapped together. They then shook hands with each other, and took their last parting on earth. The white caps were drawn over their faces, the Sheriff touched the spring, and down went the drop, a fall of some six feet. NORTH AMERICA. Ig3 instantly suspending them by the neck. M*Caffrey ap- parently died easy. Foote made several convulsive strug- gles, and all was over. Drs Jewett, Hubbard, and Taylor, the medical attend- ants on the occasion, immediately examined the pulses, &c. of the executed men, and ascertained that the last struggle of Foote occurred 7 minutes after the drop fell, that the pulse in the wrist ceased in 8 and a half minutes, and at the heart in 10 minutes. M'CafFrey's pulse beat 1 10 to the minute for four minutes after he fell ; the pulse ceased in six minutes at the wrist, and the heart ceased to beat in nine and a half minutes. Though the Judges in America are elected only for a term of years, do not receive in general above one-third of the salary of the Judges in this country, wear no flow- ing wigs, ermine, or silk gowns, and in short no peculiar dress to distinguish them from others, and in some of the states (the state of New York for instance,) have to re- tire when GO years of age, at the very time they have ac- quired the most experience, and without receiving any pension or retired allowance ; yet, notwithstanding these drawbacks they are in general men of great eminence and of great eloquence. 1 happened accidentally to pick up at a book-stall in New York a work in two volumes, con- taining an account of the most awful murders that have been committed in the country ; with a report of the trials, judges' charges to the jury, and the confessions and execu- tions of the criminals, from the period of the American Revolution to the year 1842. In regard to murders they make a distinction betwixt murder in the tirst and second degree. A verdict of murder in the second degree, means that it has been committed under certain extenuating cir- cumstances, and is never punished with death, like murder in the first degree. I may take notice of the charge to jg4 NORTH AMERICA. the jury in two of the cases there recorded. The first is that of John Tiernan, an Irish hibourer, who murdered Patrick Campbell, a countryman of his own, and a fellow- labourer on the turnpike road near Pittsburg, on 5th De- cember 1817. They slept together, and Tiernan murdered him w ith an axe when he was asleep, in order to obtain some money which he had received that night. His Honor Judge Uobbcrts, in passing sentence of death upon him, said, '* John Tiernan — After a fair and impartial trial you have been convicted of murder in the first degree, a crime at wliich human nature shrinks with horror, and which, in your case, has been attended w ith circumstances of peculiar atrocity. The man whom you murdered was your countryman — with whom you met in a land of strangers. These were circumstances calculated to ex- cite fraternal feelings in the bosom of each. They were cherished in the generous and manly breast of Campbell ; he became your friend and benefactor — he received you under his humble shed, and reposed, as he believed, and had a right to expect, in safety by your side. If we seek for your motives for perpetrating a deed so shocking, we shall find them the most base and sordid. Your object was to grasp the whole of that little pittance which a generous man had daily shared with you," Sec. 1 shall only take notice of one other case which excited at the time a great sensation — namely, the murder of Abraham Suydam by Peter Robinson, on 3d December 1840, at New Bruns- wick, in the State of New Jersey. The trial came on, or was " called up" as they term it, on IGth April 1841, and lasted 8 days. The follo\\ing are a few of the most in- teresting particulars. Kobinson was a carpenter by trade, and Suydam, besides being president of the farmer's and mechanic's bank, was a speculator, and operated exten- sively in building lots in the town of New Brunswick — it NORTH AMERICA. jgg being customary in America to purchase land in large quantities, and retail it in small lots. R. had purchased a lot from him, and erected a house upon it. S. had loaned him 780 dollars, and taken a bond and mortgage on the property. II. insured his house for 1000 dolhirs, and transferred the policy to S. In order to get possession of these j)apers R. resolved to murder S., and decoyed him into his house under the promise that the mortgage should be paid off. S. accordingly took the papers with him, and shortly after entering the house was attacked by R.; but, in the struggle, S., who was a strong, muscular, thick-set man, got the better of him at the onset, and they both fell. R. then seized his mallet, and hit S. on the back of the head with it, which stunned, but did not kill him. He then took from him all his papers. In a short time he came to his senses, and R. had great difficulty in dragging the body down stairs into the front basement, lie then tied and bound his half insensible victim, who begged hard for his life, promised to give all he had taken, and not to punish him. S. groaned so horribly that he could not bear to hear him ; he therefore gagged his mouth, and left him in that condition from the Thursday to the Satur- day in a cold cellar, on the bare ground, in the month of December. Early on Saturday morning Robinson went to the house, dug a grave 3 feet deep before his still living victim, threw him into it alive, and then struck him over the head with the spade, dashed in his skull, and thus killed him. 1 he address of his Honor Chief Justice Ilorn- blower, in passing sentence upon him, is rather too long for insertion here, but the following are the most striking passages in it : — " ^Ir Suydam was a husband and a father as well as yourself; to him life was as dear as it was to you. But unmindful of those ties which bound him to his home, to his wife and his children — unmindful of the rcla- 186 NORTH AMERICA. tions in which he stood as your neighbour, your friend, and benefactor — unmindful of that tribunal to which you hurried your victim, and before which you would have to appear; unmhidful of the vengeance of a just and holy God — forgetting that his eye was upon you then, and would be upon you through eternity, you committed this cold-blooded murder. ** The outraged majesty of the law demands your life, and nothing else will satisfy it. Your blood falling u|)on the ground cannot restore the life of him whom you mur- dered, nor prepare him lor that eternity into which you sent him without a warning. But unlike his sad close of life, some time is allowed you to prepare for the awful change you have shortly to undergo. '* You cannot intend to as^^ume an idle indifference to your fate, to the solemn death that awaits you, or to the scenes of everlasting life you have to pass through. You may indeed affect an indifference to all this; you may de- ceive men, and die as the fool dietli ; but that is the most you can do — you cannot deceive God. Ilis eye is upon you, as it was at that moment when you struck the fatal blow — and as it will be until the moment when the breath ceases to animate your body — and it will follow you to an. other world ; and his wrath will rage against you through the un wasting ages of eternity, if his justice be not satis- fied by the atoning blood of his redeeming Son." NORTH AMERICA. I87 CHAPTER XL Religious sects — The Mormonitcs — A Mormon sermon — Shakers— Miller- ites — Extent of Education in the United States — The Bathgate Academy — Island of Jamaica — Doings of the Night Watch at Boston. There are thirty ditferent religious sects in the United States, including the Mormonites and Owenites. The Owenites are a sect founded by the great philanthropist Robert Owen, formerly of New Lanark, Scotland, who visited America about thirty years ago, and founded the settlement of New Harmony ; but from being founded partly on social principles, it has not altogether succeeded. The "share and share alike" system, as it may be called, though sounding well in theory, does not seem to answer in practice. Mankind re([uire a motive for action ; and those who are diligent do not relish the idea of the idle and lazy coming in for a share of the fruits of their indus- try. Dr Chalmers shrewdly observes, that " when men are not to profit, they will labour little ; and when all are fed from a common granary, few w ill concern themselves how it is filled." A sect called the Mormonites, or " Latter-day- Saints, who practice polygamy, is making considerable progress in America, numerous accessions being made to it from this country. After various struggles and combats, and dreadful persecutions in the states of Ohio, Missouri and 188 NORTH AMERICA. Illinois, their chief, Joseph Smith, hctter known as the ** Prophet Joe," (a person of mean appearance,) and some of his unfortunate "saints," were killed in 1844, after a violent struggle in Illinois. Joe was taken prisoner along with his brother, and wore contined in the jail at Carthage for safety, but the mob overpowered the guard stationed at the prison door, ru^shed into the room where they were, and shot them both dead. The rest then tied, and after traversing the wide ])rairies, the deserts of the far west, and the rocky mountains, they finally in I84(j, i)itched their tents near the Great Salt Lake in Oregon. Here they increase and multiply in the mitlst of a vast cham- paign, running north and south for hundreds of miles, iso- lated by sandy deserts, or the briny lake, separated from the elder states by the Rocky mountains, and from Cali- fornia by the Sierra Novada, and here they are building their Cities of the Plain, in the settlement called by them Deseret, w here 20,000 are now assembled. They already form the nucleus of the new State of Utah, which it is probable may be admitted ere long into the Union, as one of the sovereign States. It seems probable, for several reasons, that the great majority of Mormons have already crossed the Rocky mountains. The })resent head of the *' Church" has urged in the strongest manner the union in Deseret of all the saints ; he has painted the fertility of the country, and the happiness of the community in glowing colours ; and, w ith no little skill and eloquence, he attracts all who have faith in the New Revelation to the city of the Salt Lake, by enthusiastic assurances of the spiritual advantages to be gained by "a Communion of Saints." '* There," he tells them, " the wicked cease to trouble, and the w eary find rest." On the other hand, public opinion in the Union still runs with unabated pre- judice against the 3Iormons ; and their presence in any NORTH AMERICA. 189 number in any State uoukl, it is to be presumed, lead again to the dreadful persecutions they before suffered in Missouri and Illinois. By a late account, I see it stated that they have de- posited in Liverpool, four tons of Californian gold, worth L.400,000 sterling, for the purpose of enabling the des- titute *' Saints" to emigrate ; that the great valley of Deseret is as large as all England, and very fertile ; and that to whatever extent may have been their credulity in acMptiug Joe Smith's " revelations," the superstition of the Mormons does not prevent their being industrious, and skilful work-j)eople, and a very thriving community. Their journey across the Rocky mountains which com- menced in 1845, must be considered the most extraordi- nary migration of modcMii times. Some in their flight were killed by hostile Indians; others perished of cold and hunger in passing the great wilderness. Numbers re- turned to the States, among whom were many substantial farmers, who had lost their all, besides numberless poor wretches from ditlerent j)arts of England, mostly of the farm-labouring class, with their wives and families, who had all been led, as they were told, to a land flowing with milk and honey. My only wonder is, how, from the scarcity of women in America, where so many find difliculty even in gettin"" one wife, that these latter-day saints should be so lucky as to pick up a number. A much better field for their operations would be Edinburgh. By the census of 1851, though in the Old Town of Edinburgh the females exceed the males only by 8 per cent., yet in the New Town there are 150 women for every 100 men. Good heavens I what a field for the Mormonites I By the census of 1851, it appears, that owing to the vast emigration going on of up- wards of 300,000 annually, the population of the three ][)0 NORTH AMERICA. kingdoms is only increasing at the rate of 1000 a-week, instead of 1000 a-day, as it did at one time. Ilis Excellency, Governor Young, had 24 wives in 1852. He drove down the streets of Deseret in March 1852 with 10 of them in a long carriage, 14 of them hav- ing each an infant at her hosom ; and Ileber C. Kimball has about an equal number, among them a mother and her two daughters. Mr Kimball is one of the members of the Tribune Council. One of their preachers called '' Cap'en BrowiK* by reason of his commanding a company of Mormon volun- teers, addressed his congregation in 1848 in the following elo(juent w ords. After turning to an elder named Brother Dow die, this learned divine proceeded thus : — " Brother Dowdle, I feci like holding forth a littla this afternoon, before wo glorify the Lord in the holj dant-e. As there are a many strange gentle- men now present, it's about ri^hl to tell them what our dortrlnc just is, and so I tells *em right off what the Mormont is. They are the chosen of the I^ord ; they are the children of glory, persecuted by the hand of man. They tlies here to the wildorncM, and, among the Jnjhie and the bufller, they lifts up their heads, and cries with a loud voice, Susannah, and hurray for the promised land. Do you believe it ? I know it. *' They want to know whar we're going. Whar the Church foes — thar we goes. Yes, to hell, and pull the devil off his throne, that'« what we'll do. Do you believe it ? 1 know it. •• Tliar's milk and honey in that land as we're going to, and the lost tribes is thar, and will jine us. They say as we'll starve on the road, bekase thar's no game and no water ; but thar's manna up in heaven, and it'll rain on us, and thar's prophets among us can make the water come. Can't they, Brother Dowdle ?" '* Well they can.'' '• And now, what have the Gentiles and the Philistines to say against us Mormons ? They say we're thieves, and steal hogs ; yes, d 'em. They say we has as many wives as we like. So we have — I've 20 — 40 myself, and mean to have as many more as I can get. But it's to pass unfortunate females into heaven that I has 'em — yes, to prevent 'em going to roaring flames and damnation that I does it." NORTH AMERICA. jqj The Mormon ladies must no doubt feel grateful to the gallant captain, their distinguished pastor, for rescuing them from such an awful fate. Though in America they have a law against bigamy, yet I believe there is none against polygamy. The punishment for bigamy, however, is very trifling—merely a month or two's imprisonment. A man who was tried for this offence in one of the States was asked by the Judge how he came on with his two wives? '* Never better, please your honor. When I had only one she used to thrash me, but now that I have got two they thrash one another." There is a sect called *' Shakers ;" so named from a strange and disagreeable mode of dancing, and from thoir violent gesticulations, which occasion at intervals a shud- dering not unlike that of a person in a strong fit of ague. They sprang up in Europe, and part of them went over from England to New York in 1774, and being joined by others settled at Niscayuna, 8 miles to the north-west of Albany. The late Anna Lees, the wife of a poor black- smith w ho was born in England, antecedent to the revolu- tionary war, and fled from persecution there to America, whom they called the " Elect Lady," was the head of the sect. 1 ler followers asserted that she was the woman alluded to in the 1 2th chapter of the Revelation ; — that she spoke 72 tongues, and though these were unintelligible to the living, yet that she conversed with the dead, who perfectly under- stood her language. There are 3064 languages spoken throughout the world, viz.: 587 in Europe; 437 in Asia; 270 in Africa; and 1264 in America. They also alleged that she was the mother of all the elect, so that she must have had a numerous offspring. This " Elect Lady" herself used to assert that she was immortal, that the day of judgment had commenced, and that she and her followers were already set to judge the world. The unfortunate 192 NOllTII AMERICA. circumstance, however, of the followers of Anna having discovered one morning that she had been suddenly and unexpectedly gathered to her fathers, proved the absurd- ity of her pretensions to immortality, so far at least as re- spected her bodily presence amongst them: Many of her followers w ere thereupon led to suspect the veracity of her other doctrines; whilst others totally renounced her en- thusiastic scheme. The Shakers, unlike the Mormons, practice celibacy and community of goods. They have 3000 acres of land in admirable cultivation. Revivals and camp meetings are now but rare in Ame- rica. As after such violent stimulants there is invariably a reaction, or what tlu y call a Hat or dead season, the New England clergy of all sects have of late rather discounte- nanced and consecpienlly discontinued them. A recent traveller mentions having attended in INjO, a camp meet- ing in Virginia which lasted several days, and had been the scene every night of disgraceful fights and riots. Still- born infants had been discovered on the ground ; and every species of immorality liad been carried on. There was one sect in particular, called the Millerites, or followers of one Miller, Nsho had appointed the 23d of October 1844 for the final destruction of the world. 3Iany of his followers would not reap their harvests dur- ing that year, though after the above day had passed, and they found themselves still upon the earth, they saved what they could. Some of the Boston shops during thai year advertised ascension robes for going up to heaven. Sir Charles Lyell in his late work, entitled, " A Second Visit to the United States of America^' mentions that seve- ral houses were pointed out to him between Plymouth and Boston, the owners of which had been reduced to poverty by their creduhty, having sold their all towards building the tabernacle in which they prayed incessantly for six KORTII AMKKICA. I93 xvceks previous to their ascension. As no ascension took place, this tabernacle was afterwards sold and converted into a theatre, vvhich the Americans think a more useful purpose. The United States excel all other nations in the gene- ral education of the people. England herself suffers pain- fully in the comparison, as it is the prevailing opinion amongst us that education should be left to supply and demand. But we have in the United States the autho- rity and example of the freest republic in the world in favour of a very different principle, viz., that whilst reli- gion may be left to support itself without aid from the State, it is not so with education ; as from not feeling the want of knowledge the people may be content to remain in ignorance. In order to guard against this evil, they have made education, or rather the expense attending it, com- pulsory — as they consider universal education necessary to the permanent existence of a free state. They also consider it expedient that the state should train all its subjects to the duties of men and citizens upon a basis of absolute religious equality, so that school committees are enjoined not to purchase or use any school books which are calculated to favour the tenets of any particular sect of Christians. They conceive that a state religion might be acceptable to all men if there were but one religion in the state, but where there are so many, that it would be found altogether incompatible with an universal or har- monious system of ])ublic education. They have accord- ingly delivered themselves from the difficulties w ith which we in this country are beset, by rejecting a state religion altogether, and putting all sects upon one footing. The following is one of the articles in the constitution of the United States : — I |r)4 NORTH AMERICA. *♦ That all nun have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences ; that no man can, of right, be compelled to attend, erect, or support any place of worship, or to maintain any ministry against his consent ; that no human authority can, in any case whatever, control or interfere with the rights of conscience ; and that no preference shall ever be given by law, to any re- ligious establishments or modes of worship." The liistory of the ^vo^ld furnishes the melancholy de- monstration that the disposition of one man to coeree the reh^'ious homage of another, springs from an nnthastened amhition ratlier than a sincere devotion to any religion. Keligious zeal enlists the strongest prejndices of the human mind, and when misdirected, excites the worst passions of our nature under the delusive pretext of doing God service. Nothing so infuriates the heart to deeds of rapine and blood. Nothing is so incessant in its toils, so persevering in its determinations, so appalling in its course, or so dangerous in its consequences. Every religious sect, however meek in its origin, commenced the work of persecution as soon as it acquired political j)owt'r. The Americans have drawn a proper distinction be- tween secular and religious instruction, confining the church to its own duties, and leaving the schools free in the exercise of theirs. They have not fallen into the ridi- culous error of supposing that education is " Godless," when it does not embrace theology. Education has both its secular and its religious elements. As men cannot agree as to the latter, let not the former, on which they are agreed, be prevented from expanding by unnecessarily combining them. In America the children of all denomi- nations meet peaceably together to learn the elements of a good ordinary education, whilst the parents attend to NORTU AMERICA. I95 their religious duties themselves, or entrust them to the church and the Sunday-school. The area of Massachusetts in which Boston is situate, is ahout 8000 square miles, divided into 374 towns or cities, each town and city being a body politic and corpo- rate, required by law to provide one or more scliools for the free admission and free education of all its children. So impressed are the people of the United States with the importance of education that they actually tax them- selves in some cases for an amount of schooling greater than the law requires. One million of dollars are spent in teaching a population of one million of souls, indepen- dently of the sums expended in private instruction, which in Boston arc supposed to equal the amount levied by taxes for the free schools. Each town in public meeting determines its school districts, votes the money, collects and deposits it in the town treasury, and determines the distribution of it, for the wages and board of teachers, and fuel for the schools. The *' Prudential Committee" takes charge of the school fabric and furniture also at the public expense. They then elect inspectors of common schools, who have the general charge and superintendence of all the public schools in the town. Their duties as pre- scribed by law are, to keep a record book of all their own proceedings ; to select and contract with teachers ; to examine them, and certify to their qualifications, 1st, in respect to morals ; 2d, in respect of literature ; 3d, in re- spect of " capacity to govern ;" and, 4th, in respect of " good behaviour," i.e. good manners ; also to visit the schools at least quarterly, and prescribe the books that shall be used in them.* Then the State of Massachu- * The Bible is allowed to be read in all schools, but no books teaching denominational tenets. Parents are expected to teach their children what they believe to be religious truth. I 2 19G NORTH AMERICA. setts has what is termed a " Board of Education," whose duty consists in obtaining information respecting tlie true principles of education, and the best means of promoting it, and diffusing that information among the peoi)le. To this end they have school registers, directions and expla- nations, inquiries and returns, school committee reports, school abstracts, reports of the board of education and its secretary, school libraries and apparatus, State normal schools, teachers' institutes, aids and encouragements to- wards universal education, teachers' associations, county associations of teachers, schools for the Indians, for the deaf and diiml), for the blind, for idiots, for prisoners, and a State reform school " for the instruction, employment, and reformation of juvenile offenders." The above, with slight alterations, may be held as a summary of the system of education that prevails through- out the whole of the United States, so that no one there can complain of ignorance, as the Irishman did when he landed at Boston ; who, when apologi^^ing for it, said that it arose from the want of education, as he had only been at school one afternoon during the w hole course of his life, and that afternoon the schoolmaster happened to be ab- sent. This was a most unfortunate occurrence for one who meant to have finished his whole education at one sederunt. An Irish schoolmaster who used to box the ears of his pupils pretty frequently, said that it was to ac- custom the head to its proper position. I have been thus particular in giving the above details, as from the great interest I have all along taken in the academy at Bathgate in Scotland, my native parish, I considered it my duty to embrace every opportunity dur- ing my twir, of w itnessing the admirable system of educa- tion that prevails in the United States, and enquiring into all its details. XOIITU AMERICA. 197 L. /^^ADEN1Y. The fund for the buihling and endowment of this aca- demy, which, when it came into the hands of the trustees, amounted to £14,500 sterling, was bequeathed by the late John Newlands of Jamaica, who was born and edu- cated at l^athgate, and dying in a distant country, took this method of bearing testimony to the benefit he had derived through life, from the education of his earlier years in his native land. There are at present four teachers, and 500 children constantly in attendance at this academy, who are all taught gratis, with the excep- tion of a few who are not parishioners, or have not ac- quired a legal residence, so as to entitle them to the benefit of a free education. The present rector, Mr Inglis, is a very eminent scholar, teaching both Greek and Latin, French and German, and there being an admirable house in the academy attached to his situation as rector, he has superior accommodation for boarders. jyg NOIITII AMERICA. The present trustees, as the heirs and representatives (.f those named in the will executed in IT'JO, and in the order left hy the testator, are— Alexander Marjorihaiiks of Marjoribanks. Andrew (Jillon, K-xj. of Wullliouse. Sir William Haillie of Pulk-'innut. Bart., and The Minister of th- I»:ui>h of IJalhgate for iho time l>t:ti_'. John Newlands was brt'd a carpenter, which must he I onsidered the most honourable of all the trades, inasmuch as Joseph, the father of our Lord, was a carpenter, and l*eter the Great, the Emperor of Russia, was also bred a carj)enter. Did any one ever hear of a tailor, a shoe- maker, or a weaver becoming an emperor? 1 guess not. He was born on ITth April 1737, and left Bathgate about a century ago, probably in the year 17'>4()r 175r>. The cause of his leaving it, is said to have been a love affair, or, as the French call it, ** un affaire da atur" an offence which, even in its most simple form, the Scotch clergy of those days called a crime, and punished with great seve- rity. Not deeming it expedient to adopt the law of Moses, which enacted that the culprit should be stoned ; and linding no punishment for this crime laid down, either in the Christian law, the Roman law, the law of England, or of Scotland, nor indeed in any code of laws under the sun, they invented a punishment of their own, and a sint^ular sort of punishment it was. They ordained that the offender, whether male or female, should appear in church on three successive Sundays, sit on a particular seat set aside for the purpose, hence called the " repcnt- inir stool," and at the conclusion of the service should be admonished or "rebuked," as it was termed, before the whole congregation, or, in other words, before those of whom perhaps the greater part were equally ijuilty. NORTH AMERICA. I99 Failing their doing so, they were denied what is called in Scotland *' church privileges ;" that is, the clergy would not marry them, nor baptize their children, nor admit them to the communion service. The Scotch clergy, in instituting this punishment, and in their mistaken zeal for the "purity of their church, dis- regarded entirely, as they were apt to do, the example of their Divine Master in the memorable case of this nature that was brought before Ilim, a case, moreover, of a more aggravated description, inasmuch as it was a breach of one of the ten commandments, which is thus recorded in the 8th chapter of the Gospel according to St John : — " .T08US went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he carae aj^ain into the temple, and all the people came unto him : and he sat down, and taught them. And the Scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery : and when they had set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should bo stoned ; but what sayest thou ? Thii they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though ho heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, lie that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one bv one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last : and Jesus was left alone, aud the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, woman, where arc those thine accusers ? hath no man condemned thee ? She said, No man. Lord. Aud Jesus said unto her. Neither do I condemn thee : go, and sin no more." It would appear from this that not a single stone was thrown at that remote era of the world, and it would be curious to see what would happen at the present day if a similar test were applied. Brackenridge makes mention of a singular custom among the red Indians on the river 3Iissouri in the United States, 200 NOliTlI AMERICA. where prizes are publicly exhibited for such of the girls as continued virgins. The old men who resided in the temple proclaimed that Nvhoever was yet a virgin should come forward and touch the bough and take the j)rize. The voung men were, moreover, recjuired to declare against any one who should attempt it, all they knew. The daughter of tlie interpreter, a beautiful girl of lU, came forward, but before she could ascend to touch the bough, a young fellow stepped out, and begged her to remember a certain place. She withdrew, confused and abashed. " There was a pause," Mr B. adds, *' for a con- siderable time. I began to tremble for the maidens of Arikara (a village on the Missouri,) when a girl of 17, one of the most beautiful in the village, walked forward and a^ke(l, * Nshere is the Arikara who can boast of having received favours from me ?' then touched the bough, and carried off the prize.*' Rather than pass through an ordeal, such as 1 have above described, and submit to a punishment so degrad- ing, 80 arbitrary, so absurd, and so unchristian, inasmuch as it was at direct variance with the example of Christ himself, the founder of the Bathgate Academy left his native country. His destiny was Jamaica, which, under the system of slavery then prevailing, was in a more flourishing condition than it is now, and where, from his superior talents, wonderful energy and perseverance, and highlv honourable conduct, he soon raised himself to great eminence, obtained several government contracts, and realised a large fortune ; a portion of which he left as an endowment for the above academy, having never, amidst all his wanderings, lost sight of the place of his nativity. As good sometimes comes out of evil, I think it may be safely said that we are indebted for our Academy to NORTH AMERICA. 201 this adventure in early life on the part of its benevolent founder. John Newlands died in Jamaica in July 1791), in the (J3d year of his age. Some parts of Jamaica are rather unhealthy, but most |)arts of it, though hot, are as healthy as any other country. No less than 700,000 of the un- fortunate aborigines fell victims to the cruelty of the Spaniards within the first fourteen years of its discovery by Columbus in 1494. It is fortunate that he had the Wisdom and the courage to make a will, otherwise the whole of his fortune must have gone to his heir-at-law and executors, to whom he was unknown ; and he left no legitimate issue. Some folks are so weak they can scarce avoiil crying. And think when they're making their will they are dying, 'Ti» surely a serious employment — but itill, Who e'er died the sooner for making his will i The island of Jamaica, on which the founder of the Bathgate Academy resided for upwards of 40 years, is 1(35 miles long, and about 40 in its average breadth, giv- ing an area of four million of acres. Nearly one-half of it is under cultivation, the remainder being mountainous. Its staj)le productions are sugar and coffee, though indigo, cotton, and rice, are cultivated to a small extent. In 1833 when slavery was abolished, the population consisted of 400,000. The commissioners of compensation placed the number of slaves at 311,(i92, the free coloured and black people being estimated at 40,000. The proportion of the general compensation assigned to this colony was £0,101,9*27, which gave an average allowance for the slaves of a little more than £20 sterling. It appears from these statistics, that about one-half of the slave population in the British West Indies belonged to Jamaica ; and that nearly one-third of the whole compensation fund was ap- •JU2 NORTH A.M1:KI(A. proprljited to that island. These facts sliew the great comparative importance of this colony. There are fewer resident proprietors in Jamaica than in any of the other islands. In ]S',V2 an insurrection broke out among the negroes in Jamaica, when martial law was immediately proclaimed, and the bloody work of execution commenced. No less than 200 negroes w ere killed on the field ; and about 500 were executed by the sentence of a court martial. Although Boston be reckoned the most moral city in the whole of the United States, yet the following extract from the Boston -Journal of Tith October I8o0, proves that the Bostonians, with all their pretended sanctity, are not altogether exempt from the vices which ])revail in other cities of the Union — Doixc!? OK Till: Night Watch. -During the ihret- months ending Sep- tember 30. 18.)0, the ni^lit watch of tiiis city, under charge of Captiiiii James Barry, hare taken in charge no less tlian 3,356 persons, for the fol- lowing causes: — Common drunkanls, 1-23, of which number G3 were females; drunkenness, 1480, of which number ^32 were females; lodgers, 728, of whom 213 were females ; found drunk in the streets and conducted lo their homes, 350; fighting, 46 ; firing Indian crackers, 15; noisy and disorderly persons, 20 ; ragabonds, 20, of whom 3 were females ; assault- ing watchmen, 25; assaulting citizens, bl ; assaulting females, 17; night walkers, 73 females ; larceny, til, of whom 4 were females ; house and store breaking, 27 ; abusing their families, 9 ; creating false alarms of fire, 2 ; disturbances in the street, 175; arrested on warrants, 5 ; males in female attire, 2 ; females in male attire, 1 ; attempt to rescue jjrisoners, 7 ; per- sons taken out of (be docks, 8, of whom 2 were females ; taken as wit- nesses, 2 ; robbery from the person, 'J ; wounded persons, to whom physi- cians were called, 11 ; truant children, 9; females taken from houses of ill-fame and restored to their friends, 7 ; fornication, 18; insane, 1 ; sus- picious persons, 22 ; assuming to be a watchman, I ; keeping houses of ill- fame, 2; boys taken from stables, 8 ; children taken to the poor house, 6 ; pulling down shades, I. Durin;; the quarter, the watch found 110 stores open, and properly secured the same. They were called 296 limes to quell disturbances in NORTH AMERICA. 203 houses and bar-rooms : dlscoyered and extinguished three fires without creating alarms; found four stray horses and carriages in the streets and took proper care of the same. They also discovered six dangerous places in the streets, and took measures to have the same put in safe condition ; and in ten instances they have found goods in the streets, which they have taken to the station-house and adopted measures to return the same to their rightful owners. Of the 3335 persons taken in charge by the watch during the quarter, only 532 were committed to jail, and 586 of the whole number were females. Verily here is a goodly quarterly catalogue of crime. Assuming that the remaining three quarters of the year were in the same proportion, we have the melancholy fact that in this the most moral city of the most enlightened republic on the earth, with a population of only 150,000 individuals, there are no less than 13,420 among that number annually given, or as the An.cricans more deli- cately express it, *' taken in charge." If they do these things in a green tree, \\hat shall be done in the dry? Thougli they have once or twice steamed it from Boston to New York in 17 hours, yet the average is 20 hours. 204 NORTH AMClilCA. ('iiai*ti:r XII. Lowell ami its Manufacture* — Sjiiniun:; ami Weavintj Laclween HriUin and Amrrica — Hail way unoc- dotc — nurlinmon — Lake Champlain — Arrival at Montreal. On Icning Boston I procccMlt-d hy railway l respect, as one-third of the children born there are illegitimate. By the last two registers that I have seen (those of 1848 and 1850) I observe that in 1848, out of 30,000 children born in Paris, there were 10,000 illegi- timate, of whom only 1700 were acknowledged by their parents; and that in 1850 there were 19,349 legitimate births, and no less than 10,355 illegitimate. The Swed- ish capital, however, leaves even the French capital far behind. The Swedes, indeed, seem not only to have im- bibed the doctrines of the Brahmins in India, but to have carried them into actual operation. The Brahmins incul- cate the singular doctrine "that it is as sinful not to give life to what has it not, if you have an opportunity, as to take it away from those who already have it." There are now throughout the States upwards of 1200 cotton mills, and about as many woollen manufactories, giving employment and support to a million of people, or NORTH AMERICA. 211 one-third of the manufacturmg population of Great Bri- tain. But the most appalHng thing for the manufacturers of this country to contemplate is, that factories are an- nually increasing in the Western and Southern States, and that, into the latter in particular, the labour of slaves has been successfully introduced. What will the Lowell spinning ladies and their numerous associates in the north- eastern parts of the Union say to this ? These slaves ask no wages, can be supported for a mere trifle, never dream of ^^ strikes^' as in this country, and many people in Ame- rica seem to think that not only the manutacturers of th^ Eastern States, but even those of England herself, will ultimately sink before them. It is more than probable that these slave factories will, for half a century to come, confine themselves to the making of the coarser fabrics, as at Lowell, Lancaster, Manchester, Philadelphia, &c. The protective duty of 2.3 or 30 per cent, which foreign goods have to pay, will, as regards them, fly oft', and the free labour of the free States will then have to compete on equal terms with the slave labour of the slave States. Which, in the long run, it may be asked, is the most likely to sufter by this competition ? The slave States have always hitherto been hostile to the high tarifl's im- posed upon the introduction of foreign goods, and some of them have even gone the length of agitating a separation from the rest of the Union on that account alone, as they naturally contend that the efl'ect of them is to benefit the manufacturers of tiie northern parts of the Union, and to make the southern parts pay so much more than they would otherwise do, if allowed to import from Great Bri- tain or elsewhere their goods free of duty. This new state of things is thus perhaps destined to make a change in their sentiments. For all the finer sorts of cotton fabrics, however, Britain will probably long maintain its superior- 212 NORTH AMEIUCA. ity, and cannot, theretore, be so nmcli alfocted by this new and unforeseen application of slave labour a* the manufactories in the free States. I think it may be contidently asserted that were ever a dissolution of the Union to take place, an event certainly by no means probable, the separation would be produc- tive of more serious evil to the free than to the slave States. The latter are nearly as wealthy as the former, the value of the slaves alone bcin«j: 300 millions sterling, and the vessels of the free States would still have to come to thi-m for their cotton, tobacco, and sugars, whilst, if disjoined, they would have duties to pay, and would thus be in no position to support a competition with the British or other foreign manufactures. The slave States would then naturallv obtain their suj)plics of manufa(!tured goods from the cheapest markets, and would thereby con.-ign to their own |»ockets the '25 j>cr cent, in the shape of cus- toms, which they have now, indirectly no doubt, though no less assuredly, to pay to the Federal Government. By the employment of slave labour they will also escape the ])ernicious etiects of the ** Strikes" that are constantly occurring in this country, and have proved a great social evil, from which the operatives themselves are the great- est sutterers. Strikes for wages have never yet led to any good, for though employers may be induced to listen to reason, they will never be found yielding to coercion. In order to shew the wonderful extent of the commerce at present existing between Great Britain and the United States we shall give a few statistics. The American tonnage entering American ports during the year ending :30th June 1850, was 2,573,000 tons, and the foreign ton- nage, 1,775,000 tons, of which the British tonnage reached the enormous proportion of 1,450,000 tons, or four-fifths oi all the tonnage of the world, entering United States* NORTH a:\ierica. 213 ports. Turning to the trade, the exports from the United States in 1850 amounted to 151 million dollars, and the imports to 178 million dollars. Of those imports there were from the British empire eighty-five million dollars, or about seventeen million sterling, being nearly one-half of the whole imports into the American ports from all ])arts of the world. Of the above exports from America in 1830, the proportion to the British empire amounted to eighty-eight million dollars. These combined exports and imports between Great Britain and the United States gave, in 1850, upwards of thirty-two millions sterling, in 1 85 1 , forty-one millions, and in 1 852 nearly fifty millions ster- ling. In the article of cotton alone, whicli the Americans grow for us, and whicli we manufacture, the total exports of the manufactured article from Great Britain amounted, in 1850, to L.28,252,000, and the total amount of British cotton manufactures for the same year to L.52,000,000, sterling. Of the proportion exported a large quantity finds it way back to the United States, which furnished us with the raw material, so that the trade in this article between Great Britain and the United States may be re- garded as the principal item in the commerce of the two countries. But while those vast results in the mutual increase of the commerce of Great Britain and the United States have flowed from the free-trade policy of 1840, it must be kept in view, that the Americans have not proceeded /;on 770^7^ with Great Britain in the unfettering of commerce. During that year. Great Britain abolished protective duties, but the United States still retain the same in a modi- fied form. In the cotton manufacture, for example, there is still a duty of twenty-five cents the square yard, which our exports must bear ere they can enter into competition with the untaxed American article. But such is the 2U NORTH AMERICA. superiority and skill of our manufacturers, tliat they can produce an article, \\liicli, notwithstanding, the extra cost it hears in inij)ort and export hetsveen the two shores, and lastly, the excess of the duty, still can be sold w ith a pro- fit in the American markets. There is still an average duty of thirty jwrcent. on our manufactures, which presses liard on those which have to encounter the greater com- petition with the American home manufacture. The lion. \{. J. Walker, late Secretary to the United States' Trea- sury, in the speech which he delivered in 1851 at Liver- pool, admits this inequality, and avows that in due time he will be in favour of a farther reduction. But in the mean- time, he gives us a friendly hint that we arc not guiltless of high duties, seeing we levy a tax of Vli)0 per cent, on tobacco. Now this duty may be too high, in as far as it offers such an inordinate premium to the smuggler as seri- ously to curtail its produce. If it could be shewn that a diminished duty, by lessening the chances of the illicit trade and increasing the consumption of the article, would pro- duce a greater revenue from tobacco, then a case for re- duction is completely made out. The British Government only look to tobacco for the sake of revenue, it being a luxury, and, therefore, its taxation inferring a legitimate hardship to none. Mr Walker, therefore, fails in deduc- ing any analogy between the principle of the British to- bacco-tax and that of the American tax on foreign manu- factures, which acts as a protection to the American manu- factures. If we grew tobacco within the British Isles, and made it either free as corn or any other agricultural pro- duce, or subjected it to an Excise still greatly under the Customs on the foreign article, then Mr Walker might re- taliate, and set our tobacco duty against the protective duties of his own country. It is a curious illustration of the operations of commerce NORTH AMERICA. 215 that about a third of the enormous amount above stated is made up of cotton, whicli the Americans sell us raw, and which we re-sell them manufactured. The interest which we thus possess in the course of American events and the struggles of American parties, is plain enough it is a greater material interest, at least directly, than we possess in the afiairs of India, or those of all our colonies. Nor does it much deduct from the value of that interest that tlic States levy heavy duties on most of our articles, while in India and the colonies the Customs are light ; the fact remains that the States take all these goods, and that we are paid just the same for them as we are paid for the goods sold to any duty-free colony. But it is true and important that our dealings with one another might be much larger than they are, did the Americans follow out the policy on which they entered in 1846. There are two reasons for hoping that they will take that course. The change towards Free-trade has been eminently suc- cessful — they have sold more and have bought more, and have doubled the Customs' revenue. And the tone taken by men in the position of Mr Walker shows that there are not^iwanting American statesmen who perceive the right course, and are prepared to urge an advance. There is another reason still why we may hope that the Americans will progress towards Free trade — the example and success of Britain. If the trade between the countries has been greatly increased by the reform of the American tariff in 1840, it has owed as much to the repeal of the British corn and provision laws in the same year. It is not unreasonable to complain that Mr Walker's speech fails to bring out this point. lie not only avoids the fact that Britain has far preceded America in freedom of trade, but points to the amount of our Customs' duties as show- ing that we are lagging behind. This is confounding two '210 NORTH AMERICA. things that differ — duties for revenue, and duties for pro- tection — and the instance which he takes, tobacco, forms as complete an illustration as we could desire of the ditierence between British and Ami'rican Customs' duties. Mr Walker complains, as I said before, that a duty of 1200 ]ter cent, is levied on tobacco, an article of American j)r()- duce. if that duty is so excessive as to render smuggling profitable, then it ought to be reduced ; but it has no con- nection with Free trade. Its object and effects have re- lation purely to revenue. We must tax something, and tobacco, a questionable luxury, seems a fitter subject than windows, or soap, or many other things. We pay it all ourselves, and its only effect on Americans is, that we consume a little less of their tobacco than we otherwise might. If we pay a tax on American tobacco, we pay one also on Briti.-h spirits, and on many other articles of less (jueslionable utility; whilethc* Americans raise almost all their revenue by Customs, without the aid of excise, stamps, or assessed taxes. Out of .O.'J millions of dollars raised in the United States, as the whole of the present annual revenu(; i)er- taining to the Federal Government, not less tha» ;>() millions are raised by customs' or import duties ; the other '.\ millions being raised by land sales, &c. But the American Customs' duties, besides being proportionally much larger than the British, are founded in great part on quite a dift'erent principle. The tax on American tobacco is so purely a tax for revenue, and not for the purpose of burdening American producers in their competition with British, that tobacco is not even allowed to be grown in Britain ; and in a similar way other articles looming largely in our Customs' returns are only imposts equiva- lent to the excise levied on the same article w hen of home production. Take as a contrast the American duties on NORTH AMERICA.. 217 the import of cotton manufactures, which range from 25 to 35 pe?- cent.^ while the home manufactures are free from all contributions to the State. The chief effect of that tax is to place British manufactures at a disadvantage compared w ith the American manufactures ; and that it happens also to produce a revenue is only ascribable to British manufactures being 25 per cent, better or cheaper than American, although the cotton of British manu- factures has had to be taken twice across the Atlantic, while the Americans manufacture at the place of growth. On leaving Lowell, I proceeded to Manchester, (59 miles Iruni Boston), which is beautifully situated on the oast side of the 3Ierrimack, and is fast rivalling Lowell in manufactures, having already a population of 20,000. Concord (7(3 miles from Boston,) the capital of the State of New Hampshire, through which we also passed, is also delightfully situated on both sides of the Merrimack, and contains 10,000 inhabitants. Betwixt Concord and Burlington, a circumstance happened to me which is worth recording. At a fjlace railed the White River Junction, where the railway cars stop, and passengers arc allowed twenty minutes for dinner, I was standing speaking to the engineer of the locomotive engine, not being aware that he was about to start. He rang the bell however, and before 1 had actually time to get into the cars, the train was in motion and otf. Seeing another engine close at hand, and a per- son seemingly with authority ; I stated my case to him, when he immediately said that he would send off an ex- press engine with me, which he thought would overtake the train about 3 miles distant, where they had to wait for two or three minutes to take in wood for the engine. 1 accordii>gly took a seat beside the engineer, accom- panied by this manager, and overtook it exactly at the K 218 NORTU AMERICA. ?pot which he had calculated upon. Upon thanking him for his civility, he replied that I had no occasion to do so, as he guessed the train had started five minutes be- fore its time. Amidst all my travels, I never met with a degree of politeness that can be in the most remote de- gree compared to this. 1 have generally remarked that the officials in America, as well as the store keepers, though less obsequious in their manners, are more obliging than in Britain. We arriveil at Burlington, in the state of Vermont, at 7 in the evening, distant from Boston 240 miles by the route we took. This is a remarkably well laid out town, rising with a gentle slope from lake C'hamj)lain, and con- tains 15,000 inhabitants. Lake Champlain was named after the celebrated French governor, Samuel de Cham- plain, the founder of Quebec, who discovered it in the year 1G09. It is 140 miles long, though in general very narrow, its greatest width, unobstructed by islands, being opposite to Burlington, where it is ten miles wide. The navigation of this lake, although lying w holly in American territory, is secured to us by treaty. The view of this lake from Burlington, looking across to the state of New York, is not unlike that from the beautiful seat of my esteemed friend David Bell Esq. of Craigmore, in the island of Bute, and of Blackball in the county of Lanark, looking across the Frith of Clyde towards Largs and the adjacent district in Ayrshire. Ardencraig, the charming residence of my valued friend John 3Iiller Esq. of Liver- pool, contiguous to that of 3Ir Bell, from being more ele- vated, commands a prospect which it w ould be difficult to find surpassed. We embaikcd at 8 the same evening on board of the steamer, and sailing all night, arrived at G in the morning at St Johns, situated at the head of steam- boat navigation, on the Richelieu River. At St Johns we NORTH AMERICA. 219 took the railway to Laprairie, (15 miles) and from thence crossed the river St Lawrence to Montreal in a steam- boat, a distance of nine miles in an oblique direction, and arrived there at 9 in the morning ; the whole distance from Boston being by this route, 340 miles ; the time occupied 2f) hours ; and the fare for the whole journey 9 dollars. There is another route from Boston to Montreal only .'329 miles in length. 2 K 220 NORTH AMERICA. ClIAPTRPx XIII. Great Firos at Montreal— Letters of Introduciion — Description of Montreal The Uev. Mr M'^iU's Prayers— Proper length of Prajers and Ser- mons— Improvements on the Liturgy of the Church of England in the United States — PoHce Court at Montreal— Population of Montreal — The Rapid* of the St Lawrence - Tour among the French Canadians — Visit H) the Eiistern Townships — Wonderful Adventures of a Dog — Description of Quebec — Extraordinarj Scene on the Steamers betwiit Qurb. c and Montreal. So soon as 1 had breakfasted, I sallied forth to see the i^reat tire which had broken out early that morning, and wiiieh, in the short space of 7 hours, had consumed several streets and upwards of a hundred houses. I found a party of British soldiers keeping order at the fire, which was still burning, though nearly extinguished. Another fire had occurred at Montreal just three or four months before, which had consumed 200 houses. Shortly after my arrival at Montreal, I delivered, among others, a letter of introduction from the late rector of a celebrated academy in Scotland, to his brother Thomas A. Gibson, Esq., M.A., who holds a prominent situation in the High School at Montreal, and whose polite atten- tion and hospitality I shall ever bear in remembrance. As in addition to its being so very complimentary, it is the only testimonial which I ever received ; I consid«T it too valuable a document not to be here recorded. NORTH AMERICA. 221 Bathgate, 3d Juhj 1849. " My Dear Brother, — I have the houour of introducing to you the bearer. Mr Marjoribanks, a leading trustee of our academy, being the only one of them whose estate is situate in the parish. Mr Marjoribanks is an eutbu- »iastic traveller; and having visited the other three quarters of the globe* he has made up his mind to gratify his curiosity to the full, by comparing them with America. Mr M, is the representative of an ancient family, a fact, liowever, on which he does not plume himself His knowledge of the world, both men and things, his kindly disposition, and his unaffected urbanity of manners, are his best recommendations; but when I tell >ou that I have experienced much kindness and attention from himself and family, I trust you will not, on that account, feel the less disposed to pay him any attention in your power. " I had also a letter of introduction to another country- man of my own, G. D. Watson, Esq., of 8. St Sacra- ment Street, Montreal, a remarkably clever man, and one of the most extensive merchants in that city, as well as in New York, where he has also an establishment, and from liim also I received every possible attention. Having mentioned to him that I meant to return to Scotland by tlie City of Glasgow steamer from New York, he told me that he had crossed the Atlantic 25 times, and that the American steamers to Liverpool were better conducted than the English. He approved of the City of Glasgow, as he considered an iron sliip safer than a wooden one. as it was stronger, and could neither take fire nor founder. Being impelled by a screw he considered a great advan- tage, particularly in a heavy sea, whilst the machinery took up only one half of the room, and required only one half of the fuel of a steamer with paddle wheels. The only safe steamers at sea are those made of iron built in com- partments, as they cannot take fire. Had the West In- dian steamer the *' Amazon" been built of iron instead of wood she would have escaped the fatal fire which con- sumed her on 2d January 1852; and whilst the lives oi 222 NORTU AMEKICA. J 15 individuals would thus have been preserved, £200,000 worth of property would have been saved. To my esteemed friends Robert Leckie, Esq. of the house of Buchanan & Co., merchants, Montreal, and to Major Tunstall, I am also under a lasting obligation for their politeness and hospitality. In 1.j3."> Jacques Cartier, an experienced navigator of St 3Ialo in France was despatched by the French govern- ment on a second voyage in search of possessions in the New World witli the view of founding a colony. He had discovered Newfoundland on his first voyage the year be- fore. His lloet consisted of three small ships, the largest being only 120 tons burden. He touched again at New- foundland, and proceeding onwards came to a gulf filled with numerous and beautiful islands, to which he gave the name of St Lawrence, having discovered it on that saint's festival day, 1 0th August 1535. Having been told by the two Indians whom he had taken to France the year previous, and who had now returned with him, that far up the stream to the westward was a large town, the capi- tal of the whole country, he proceeded up the river to which he gave the same name. On arriving at the Indian settlement, called by the natives " Hochelaga,'* he was welcomed by the inhabitants. The village, which con- sisted of about fifty large huts, stood in the midst of great fields of Indian corn. Warburton, in his celebrated work called *' The Conquest of Canada," says, — *' Three miles from Ilochelaga there was a lofty hill well tilled and very fertile; thither Jacques Cartier bent his way, after having examined the town. From the summit he saw the river and the country for 30 leagues around, a scene of singular beauty. To this hill he gave the name of Mont Royal, ill honour of his roval master the King of France, since NORTH AMERICA. 223 extended to the large and fertile island on which it stands, and to the city below. Time has now swept away every trace of Hochelaga ; on its site the modern capital of Canada has arisen ; .50,000 people of European race, and stately buildings of carved stone, replace the simple In- dians and the huts of the ancient town." Tlie meaning of the word Canada in the original or Indian language, is- a " collection of huts." Montreal, in point of beauty of situation, must be con- sidered as almost unrivalled by any other city, either in the Old or New World. It extends for three miles along the magnificent St Lawrence, which is there about three miles wide, and nearly two miles backwards to the base of the beautiful wooded eminence in its vicinity, Mont lloyal, from which it derives its name of 3Iontreal. The view from this mountain, whose summit attains an eleva- tion of (37(3 feet above the level of the river, surpasses al- most anything I have ever seen, and could not fail to have impressed Cartier with admiration. Tiic chief market- house is perhaps the most superb building for such a pur- pose in the world, with a splendid dome in its centre, re- sembling in fact, particularly in its southern elevation to- wards the river, a palace rather than a market. In pass- ing through it, however, one might almost be inclined to call it a market-place without a market, as the limited ^supply of the various articles presents a sad contrast to the magnificent building in which they are exhibited. There is another market at the west end of the town. The Roman Catholic cathedral at Montreal is one of the largest buildings on the continent of North xVmerica, having cost £100,000 sterling in its erection, and being capable of containing 8000 persons. In one of the towers in front, which are 220 feet high, there is the largest bell in America, weighing thirteen tons, and cast in London .224 NOliTH AMERICA. expressly. The tower shakes when it is sounded. A story is told of one of the priests, that, in order to free himself from the great labour of confession in Lent, he gave notice that on ^londay he would confess the liars, on Tuesday the misers, on Wednesday the slanderers, on Thursday the thieves, on Friday the libertines, and on Saturday the frail sisterhood. His scheme succeeded, as no one attended. The English cathedral and the Scotch church, built for my friend the Rev. Dr Mathieson, are also suj>vrb buildings. 1 visited also the Gray Nunnery, or General Hospital of the Gray Sisters, designed as an asylum for orj)haiis, foundlings, and lunatics, as also for infirm and superannuated persons ; and there are at pre- sent two hundred residents within its walls. Over the gateway there is the following inscription : — " Mon pcre et ma mere m'ont abandonnee, mais le Seigneur m'a re- cueilli." This is the French translation of the 10th verse of the *27th Psalm, w hich in our language is in these words, " When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up." The ])roper meaning, however, of the word in the original or Hebrew language is, *'wiU gather me," so that the French word ** recueilli" is per- fectly appropriate. My friend Mr Gibson having a seat, and being an elder in St Paul's church, where the Rev. Mr 31 'Gill officiates, I attended that church during my residence of three w eeks at Montreal. I w as much struck, and particularly pleased, w ith the shortness of his j)rayers at the morning service, as of the three prayers which he gave us, the first was about seven minutes in length, the second five, and the third six, making 18 minutes in all. We had once a mi- nister in the parish of Bathgate in Scotland, to which I belong, w hose first prayer at the morning service was gene- rally 25 minutes in length. This had the effect of driving NORTH AMERICA. 225 some people from the church altogether, and seems to be denounced even in the Scriptures themselves, as in the 23d chapter of St Matthew it is written, •' Woe unto j'ou, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers : therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation." We are entitled to deduce from this, not only that pious and sincere Christians in the days of the apostles made short prayers those who made long ones being denounced as hypocrites, for whom great damnation was in reservation — but that they must have been extempore also, as if written (printing not having been then discovered) they would have been al- ways of the same length. The Scotch, in imitation of the apostles, make use of extempore prayers also. A distinguished friend of mine, the principal heritor in a parish adjoining to Bathgate, stated to me latelv, that the fir^^t prayer of the minister of his parish generally oc- cupied half an hour in its delivery, and that before it was ended a number of the congregation had to sit down. It is a fortunate circumstance that he has a congregation at all.* Though the liturgy of the Church of England, as I said before, be of too great a length, yet the variety that is in it, such as sometimes standing, sometimes sitting, and sometimes kneeling, removes, in some measure, the ob- jection against remaining long in one position, particular! v •* The worthy clergyman of a small parish in the county of Sutherland. where that amiable and patriotic nobleman the Duke of Sutherland holds his extensive dominions, shortly after the Disruption in 1843, performed divine service one day in his church — the whole congregation consisting; of one single solitary individual, and that individual his own servant lass. His congregation had deserted him — his elders had deserted him— his precentor had deserted him — and his bellman had fled. He sang to this girl, he prayed to this girl, he preached to this girl, and, finally, dismissed her with a blessing. 220 NORTH ami:kica. in that most fatiguing of all positions, namely, a standing ])Osition. The learned divine to whom 1 have alluclcd, and tor whom 1 have personally a great respect, seems to have forgotten that the Lord's Prayer, which was given as a model for all succeeding ages, can be repeated in the short space of one minute. Though the Scotch have been long proverbial for their hypocritical love of long sermons and long prayers, yet, fortunately for the cause of true religion, this practice is fast giving place to more sound, rational, and enlightened views. llvpocrisy is said to be the homage which vice pays to virtue. ^Ir Combe seems to think that the practice so frequent in the United Slates of engaging their ministers for only 3, 5, or 7 years, and then turning them adrift if they are not satistied, is not a bad one. *' It appears to me" he says, "that this system of change if generally adop- ted, would be attended with advantages, especially in tlie present condition of clerical instruction. Within less than seven years, most clergymen have exhausted their whole fctock of ideas in preaching and ministering to their people, and although they continue their labours for forty years longer, they do not communicate a new view. By chang- ing pastors, fresh minds would be brought to operate on the Hocks, and a greater degree of energy would pervade the service." The Edinbur-h Review fur Oetober 1840, expresses its wonder that there should be so small a proportion of ser- mons destined to live ; that out of the millions preached annually throughout the kingdom, there should be so very few that are remembered even for three whole days after they are delivered. Mr Combe (vol. 111. p. 125,) in allud- ing to this curious remark, says, '* There is only one answer NORTH AMERICA. ^.^^ that can be given to this statement. As the sermons are preached by the best educated men in the country, and by men of at least average abilities, the subjects of them must be such that they do not stand in a natural relation to the human faculties, and therefore do not interest or edifv their hearers. In no other department of industry would such a waste of labour be permitted." There was a cousin of mine, who lives in Lower Canada, in church along with me one day at Montreal, who seems to have a great aversion to the service of the Church of England, from the printed or set form of prayers which they use. In a letter which I received from him shortly after my return to this country, he says, — *• It is astonishiiif; that no improvetuonts are niaJc upon the oldfangled absurdities of Episcopacy and Popery. I cannot conceive how any person "wilh talents or reason beyond a child of ten years old, could be botheretl Sunday after Sunday, repeating or listening to such a rigmarole. I think if some of tlie wise heads of the day, were to spend some of their time in getting a form of worship fit for men and women instead of little children, that the time would be well bestowed. There is many a person who would like to hear an Episcopalian preacher, but is deterred by the rigmarole of a liturgy, litany, or whatever you like to call it. It is a disgrace to the middle of the 1 9th age. The world it is to be hoped, will soon be too old to be priest-ridden much longer.'' From the above extract it will be seen that though the style of my esteemed relative, from his long residence of 20 years in the backwoods of Canada, may not be quite so elegant as we could have wished, yet that it is sufficiently forcible at all events. I fear, however, that my worthy cousin will have much ditliculty in prevailing upon Episcopalians to give up their liturgy. The chief objection which I have to the liturgy, particularly the morning service, is its extreme length. Were thoy tu curtail it by one-half I might peradventure become an Episcopalian myself, notwithstanding the rigmarole to 228 NORTH AMERICA. which my amiable Canadian friend has somehow or other lormed such an aversion. I think it proper however to mention, that in the United States the service of what we call tlie Church of England has been considerably shortened, altered, and coni named French Canadian farmer, Antoine Paulin, had come to Montreal on a spree. The loss of £20 sterling must have been rather an expensive spree for him, and diminished iiomewhat the profits of his farming operations durin^^ that year. The whole culprits in the above list, it will be seen, were either Irish or French Canadians, who seem to divide pretty equally the criminal catalogue among them- selves. The population of Montreal is at present about 55,000, having increased but slowly during the last five years, w hilst that of Quebec has been progressing rapidly during that time, amounting now to 55, 000 also. Of the population in Montreal nearly the one-half are French Canadians, wlio are all Roman Catholics, whilst the remainder are made up of a few of all nations, but principally Irish. Most of the wealthy merchants are Scotch, and connected more or less with Glasgow, Liverpool, or London houses. My esteemed friend, IL E. Montgoraerie, Esq., of the firm of Montgoraerie & Greenhorne, 118 Fenchurch Street, is the princii)al merchant in London connected with Mon- treal. In 1850 the corporation of 3Iontreal made up its census return, when the number of inhabitants was 48,207, shewing an increase of 3922 in six years. The number of French Canadians was 21,000; of emigrants from the British Isles, the United States, and elsewhere, with their descendants, 20,907 ; of the latter 12,851 were of Canadian 232 NOIiTll AMERICA. birth. Of the emigrant population, 10,007 were Irish, 2(300 English, *2383 Scotch, and (337 American. The total number of houses in the city was 0792, of which no less than 705 were then vacant The French Canadians in general pick up a little English when they come to reside in Montreal or Quebec, though in the provinces very few understand any language but their own. Having but little ambition, they are generally somewhat indolent and content with their lot, though they have many redeem- ing qualities, being for the most part honest, sober, hardy, kind to each other, courteous in their manner, and religious to superstition. There are occasionally collisions between them and the Irish, arising chiefly from the competition that exists betwixt the two races for employment. The Parliament House, formerly St. Ann's market, which in 1849 was burned down by the Scotch, English, and Irish party, in consequence of the passing of that unfortunate measure, the " Indemnity Bill," still remains a ruin. The author of the '' English in America," published in 1851, says in reference to this, '' To give rebels the advantage of a fair struggle in the field, and when they are defeated, to remunerate them for the losses they have sustained, as was recently the case in Canada, exposes the government to the grief or indignation of its friends, and the inexpres- sible ridicule or contempt of its enemies." Lord Elgin, however, was rather unjustly blamed for the part he took in this measure, as in giving his consent to the passing of the Indemnity Bill, he had to obey the instructions of the Home government. Most of the merchants in Montreal suticred greatly in 1847 from speculating in grain; but trade is now rapidly reviving. The Scotch merchants are proverbial for their hospitality to their own countrymen, though they do not seem to have much intercourse with the " habitans,'' as the French Canadians are generally NORTH AMERICA. 233 called. The cab and caleche drivers belong chiefly to the latter race, and all speak a little English. Most of them, and of the French population, reside in a quarter of the town called the Quebec suburbs. At auctions they use both the English and French languages. T attended a sale of horses one day, which proceeded thus: Auctioneer — " What is said for this horse "^ — Fifteen dollars only — sixteen — sixteen — seize-ecus — seize-ecus — seventeen — seventeen — dix-sept — dix-sept — eighteen — only eighteen — dix-huit — dix-huit — all done at eighteen — tons flni — going — going — gone." It will atford strangers an agreeable variety to visit the courts at Montreal during their session, and hear the debates in both languages also. Having been strongly recommended to see the " Rapids" of the St Lawrence, I devoted two days to this purpose. I took the railway to Lachine,* (9 miles), and embarking in the steamer, sailed up the St Lawrence, and through the diftcrent canals, constructed in order to enable vessels to get past the Rapids, and arrived at Prescott at six in the morning, the distance being 1 10 miles from Montreal. Having two or three hours to spare before the stcamor arrived that was to sail down the river, I devoted them to a visit to Ogdensburg, in tlie United States, on the opposite side of the river, which is there about a mile and a half wide. A steam ferry boat is kept constantly plying betwixt the American and British sides. Ogdensburg * .\i Lachine is the residence of Sir George Simpson. Governor of the Hudson's B:iy Company, and of the staff of officers in chart^e of this, the principal post of the company. Hence emanate the instructions, received from head-quarters in Loudon, for the different posts throughout the com- pany's extensive territories. Sir George is well known as the author of a celebrated work entitled •• Journeys round the world." La Chine derives its name from thv* French having soon after they settled in Canada, fitted out an expedition from it to penetrate to China by the west. 234 NOllTII AMERICA. is a large and flourishing place, containing 1^,000 inhabi- tants, and a railway had just been completed from it to Rouse's Point, at the head of Lake Champlain, and by sailing from thence down the Lake, you arrive at l^urling- ton, and there take the rail- road to Boston, thereby forming a continuous line of communication from Boston harbour to the St Lawrence river ; cnaliling ])assengers to pass betwixt the two places in 33 hours. Brescott is celebrated as the place where 408 American sympathizers landed in 1838, with some pieces of cannon, but having been attacked shortly after by a party of English troops, and colonial militia, they took up a position at some little distance from the river, but were defeated ; and while some fled into the woods, the rest took possession of some houses close to the banks of the river, about a mile below the town, where there is a strong stone windmill and a few houses. Having retreated into this windmill, they de- fended themselves with great tenacity, killing 18 of the British, but at last surrendered, and 159 were carried prisoners to Kingston, where their leader Van Shultz, and five more, were hanged as brigands. The windmill and adjoining houses remain in ruins to this day, precisely in the same state as the} were left after the engagement, and being so close uj)on the banks of the St Lawrence, are invariably pointed out, and become objects of great interest with the numerous passengers on the steamers ascending and descending the river. The far famed Rapids of the St Lawrence, which com- mence below Prescott, have been so often described, that I shall content myself with stating that the Cedar rapids struck me as being the finest, though the Lachine rapids betwixt Lachine and Montreal, are the most dangerous, requiring an Indian pilot along with the other assistant.«5 to navigate the steam-boats. At the Cedar rapids, tlie NORTH AMERICA. 235 stream is pent into several narrow channels among wooded islands, and tumbles fiercely along over its rocky bed, so that occasionally and for a short distance, with the stern of the vessel nearly out of the water, we were going at the rate of 30 miles an hour, producing a sensation of grandeur mixed with horror and awe, such as it is impos- sible to describe. In 1759, when General x\mherst pro- ceeded from New York to Quebec, to assist General Wolfe, on entering Canada his advanced guard of 300 men was embarked in boats above the Cedars; the in- tention being to float down, and take up a position on the opposite side of the river. Scarcely had they entered the boisterous waters, when the boats became crowded to- gether, and most of them were dashed to pieces upon the rocks. No less than 88 men and (34 boats, with some artillery and stores, were lost by this terrible disaster. Next day the lifeless bodies of the British soldiers, clothed in their well-known red, floating past the town of IMontreal, gave the first notice of invasion. The excitement when sailing down the Rapids, is en- hanced by a sense of the risk accompanying the vessel as she sweeps with such velocity close past islands and rocks, whilst her straight course in the channel is main- tained by the steady exertions of eight voyageurs at the wheel and rudder. The principal railway in operation at present in Lower Canada, is the St Lawrence and Atlantic Railway. This railway starts from the river at Longueil opposite to Mon- treal, and will have its Atlantic termination at the town of Portland, State of Maine. The distance is 280 miles, of which 130 miles are on the Canadian side and 150 on the American. A considerable portion of that on the Canada side has been already finished and is now in ope- ration. When completed the whole way through to Port- 2:3f; NOKTII AMERICA. land on the Atlantic, it is intended to join another more extensive line leading to Halifax, the first point of land in America at which the English mail steamers touch. This line to Halifax would he 4.30 miles from ^lontreal. There is at present a railway in operation betwixt Port- land and Boston, a distance of 105 miles. A newspaper called " La Minervc," is published in the French language at Montreal, a copy of which my polite cousin transmits to me regularly, and should 1 ever have the pleasure of seeing hira again I have no doubt I^hall find that his knowledge of French has been, as the Ame- ricans say, pretty considerably improved. Having been kindly invited by my esteemed cou&in above alhided to, who had a carriage of his own, to take a short lour among the *' habitans" as far as the eastern town- ships, I gladly availed myself of his oiTer. Wc crossed at the ferry situated at the extreme east end of Montreal to the south side of the river St Lawrence, w huh is there about 3 miles wide, and slept at a beautiful village called Va- rennes, \3 miles from Montreal. Next day we proceeded through a fine level country to Sorel, distant 30 miles from Varennes and 45 from Montreal, where we remained all night. Sorel is a fine old town situated at the mouth of the river of the same name, (called also the river Riche- lieu,) where it debouches into the St Lawrence, and con- veys into that river the waters of Lake Charaplain. Next day we reached Drummondville, one of the eastern town- sbips (40 miles from Sorel) where we dined, and remained till next day, having been most hospitably entertained by 3Ir and Mrs Heriot, formerly of Berwickshire in Scot- land. A dreadful storm of thunder, lightning, and rain, occurred betw ixt Sorel and Drummondville, the whole of w hich we had to encounter, there being no place to which we could flv for shelter till the furv of the storm w as over- NORTH AMERICA. 937 past. The darkness of night overtook us in the midst of it, so that the state of our feeHngs, both of mind and body, may be more easily imagined than described. My friend Mr B. had a favourite dog which he took with him in this expedition. He was hke the Irishman's dog, half hunter and half setter, that is, he "hunted bones when he was hungry, and * set' by the stove when satis- fied. We lost him the second morning of our journey, though he was found again after many days. The ex- ploits of the first day will, I have no doubt, be long re- membered by him, as during that memorable day he was engaged in no less than 30 actions of one kind or another. He had 18 slight skirmishes without any very decided success on either side, though it was generally remarked that our hero took the earliest opportunity that offered of quitting the field, having discovered by long experience " That he that fights and runs nwav, May livt* to fight another da}.*' Our friend having fortunately escaped the other sad alter- native, — *' JJut he wlio is in battle slain. Can never rise to fight again." He fought 7 pitched battles, in most of which he was de- feated ; and saved himself by flight from the combined forces of five successive villages, who, though at war with each other, thought it necessary to turn out against the common enemy. He had evidently retained in his mind a vivid recollection of the lines in Hudibras, — " That when the fight becomes a chase. They win the day who win the race." From Drimimondville, we proceeded next day to Port St Francis, on the river St Lawrence, (37 miles) which \vc reached at 7 in the evening. Here my friend left his 238 XORTII AMERICA. horse and carriage, and after supping, we embarked at 12 o'clock at night on board the steamer that sails daily from Quebec to Montreal, which touches there, and arrived at Montreal at 7 in the morning, the distance from Port St Francis being 84 miles. I may mention that during our short tour in Lower Canada, the luihitnus throughout the wliole journey were exceedingly j)olite, every one tak- ing oil' their hats to us as we passed. Few of them could speak English, but from my superior knowledge of French, I undertook the management of the " Cuishir'' depart- ment, whilst my learned friend fortunately could give directions in French about his horse, though about noth- ing else, so that upon the whole, we got on admirably. As property is generally divided nearly ctjually among the sons in a family, and as they arc very neighbourly, and consider it essential that each should have a portion of his share of the division bordering upon the river or iiigh road, wc saw hundreds of farms a mile or two in length, but only a few yards, or at most a field in width, with the houses at the extremity adjoining the public road. They are much attached to their country, and few of them can be induced to leave ** La belle Canada,** They remained faithful to the British crown during the American revolution. When there are only two sons, the eldest takes two thirds of the land, besides the chateau, mill, &c., and the younger one third. When there are several sons, the elder claims lialf the lands, and the rest have the other half divided among them. Previously to 1844, the wheat crop in Lower Canada was greater than they could consume, so that they ex- ported the surplus, but in that year an insect called the wheat fly or midge, altackod the crops, and ever since has produced such devastation, that they have not sufficient to supply themselves ; and great distress has been the re- i NORTH AMERICA. 239 suit. The potato disease which followed not long after, tended to add to their misfortunes, so that a great propor- tion of the French Canadians have been obliged of late years, to have recourse to the use of oatmeal, an article to which they are by no means very partial. Necessity however has no law. Quebec which lies 350 miles from the Atlantic ocean, may be said to be at present in a very prosperous condi- tion, having entirely recovered from the effects of the two great fires which broke out there in May and June 1845. These fires will be long remembered, as during their pro- gress, 1600 buildings were consumed, and 14,000 people, chiefly the poorer classes, burned out. The value of the property destroyed was estimated at one million sterling, and 37 charred and mutilated corpses were found among the ruins. The houses have- been now all rebuilt of more durable materials than those destroyed, whilst the streets have been widened, and wonderfully improved. To this day, Quebec may be reckoned the coldest and hottest place in the civilized world. Sir Francis Head, in his work called the Emigrant, published in 1847, says that the *' cold of the Canada winter must be felt to be imagined ; and when felt, can no more be described by words than colours to a blind man, or music to a deaf one." Though in a calm, almost any degree of cold is bearable, yet Sir Francis mentions having seen at Quebec the left cheeks of 20 soldiers simultaneously frost-bitten in marching about 100 yards exposed to a strong and bitter cold north->west wind. The sentinels have sometimes to be relieved every quarter of an hour at Quebec. The seat of Government having been transferred to it in 1851, has contributed to its prosperity. Floating rafts of timber of enormous size are frequently seen in summer on the St Lawrence, coming chiefly 240 XORTII AMERICA. from the Ottawa, and many hundred miles in the in- terior, and covering the surface of nearly an acre, bound together by clamps of wood into a solid stage, on which are erected small wooden houses, the dwellings of the raftsmen, from 30 to 50 in number. In the winter, these white pines are felled, the trees topped of their branches and squared, and dragged by horses over the deep snow to the rivers, where upon the ice the rafts are formed. When the thaw in the spring opens up the mountain streams, the btout luml)crers boldly trust themselves on these rafts, directing their course with long oars, and hoisting occasionally square sails, until after a sail of many weeks, and encountering much danger and hardship, they arrive at Quebec. Quebec is not so healthy as Montreal, as one death occurs tliere annually in every 41, whereas at Montreal there is only one in every 51 . Taking the whole of Lower Canada, there is one death in every 53 ; whereas taking the whole of England, there is one in 4(j, which shews that Lower Canada is healthier than England. This explains why the French population increase so rapidly. They not only marry when very young, but continue fruitful till an advanced period of life ; thus exhibiting the beautiful effects of a genial climate upon the female constitution. Many French Canadian mothers have 15 children, and there are two cases mentioned of them having 25 I O w hat a blessing? '* Nous sommes terribles pour les enfants," as a French Canadian remarked. It is owing to this remark- able fecundity that the population of Lower Canada doubles itself every 28 or 30 years, with but comparatively small addition to their numbers by immigration. The average of births there is 1 in every 21, and the deaths 1 in 53; whilst in England the births are 1 in 33, and the deaths I in 46. NORTH AMERICA. 241 The line of railway, projected from Halifax to Quebec, passing through Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, is almost essential to the future possession of Canada, as the emigrant from home, and the produce from the west, would then pass through British waters and over British territories only, without enriching the coffers of a foreign state. The Americans, with their great mercantile acute- ness, are making every effort to direct the trade of Canada into their own channels, and to make us in every way de- pendent on them for our communications. Tiie Draw- back Bill, by which the Customs' Duties on foreign goods are refunded on their passing on into our provinces, has already been attended with great success in obtaining for them a portion of our carrying trade, especially during the winter, when the great highway of the St Lawrence is closed by the ice for five months, viz. from about the 1st of December to the 1st of May. This railway from Quebec to Halifax will be GOO miles long, and sixteen millions of dollars were voted for it by the Canadian Parliament in 1851. The distance from Halifax to Galway, on the west coast of Ireland is 2100 miles, so that supposing a steamer to sail 300 miles a-day, Halifax will be reached in seven days from Galway. The average ])assageof sailing vessels from England to Quebec is six weeks, and from Quebec to England four weeks. The several decks of the magnificent steamer from Quebec, on which we embarked at Port St Francis for Montreal, presented such a motley group of individuals from difterent parts of the world as it would be in vain to search for anywhere else. Here were assembled together, Norwegians, Dutch, Swedes, Danes, Germans, English, Irish, and Scotch Highlanders, with their blue bonnets, talking Gaelic, all hastening from their ancient abodes in Europe to the new, though distant land of promise in the L 242 NORTH AMERICA. far west ; whilst numbers of French Canadians and Roman Catholic priests, in their well-known costumes, inter- spersed with Red Indians, Upper Canadian farmers, United States* citizens, &c., formed altogether a scene such as I never saw before and never expect to meet with again. I heard ten different languages spoken in about as many minutes. Though called Red Indians, their complexion is not red, but somewhat darker than untar- nished copper. A great intercourse betwixt Quebec and 3Iontreal talces place in the steamers that ply daily during the season. Tlie distance betwixt the two places is 180 nules, and they accomplish the voyage in 1 1 hours on de- scending, and 13 in ascending the river, the fare being 3s. I)d. currency in the steerage, and 10s. currency (7s. (id. sterling) in the cabin, where you are furnished with tea and bed gratis. The seat of government was transferred from Toronto to Quebec in 1851. Before leaving this part of my subject, I may mention, that amidst all their drawbacks, farmers in Canada East have a great advantage, in being able to fatten their stock during the abundance of summer ; and by killing them at the first cold weather, they keep frozen, to be disposed of at their pleasure ; so that in all the markets of that pro- vince, during winter, you purchase frozen masses of beef, mutton, deer, fowls, cod, and even milk, which is sold in lumps by the pound. NORTH AMERICA. 243 CHAPTER XIV. Voyage on the St Lawrence from Montreal to Kingston in Upper Canada — Description of Kingston — Provincial Penitentiary — Horrible Murder of Mr Kinnear — Lake Ontario — Description of Toronto — Price of Pro- visions — Mr AVilliam Lvon Mackenzie — Letter from him to tlic Author — Lunatic Asylum at Toronto — Interview with the Earl of Elgin — Dr Durie, K.H Change in the Climate of Upper Canada— Beauty and Fertility of the Country — Annexation of Canada to the United States — Mr James B. Brown's Work on Canada. Having taken leave of my kind friends at Montreal, I proceeded by the steamer up the St Lawrence to King- ston in Upper Canada, distant 180 miles from Montreal. The sail is the grandest one imaginable, and for 25 miles below Kingston the " thousand isles," as they are termed, adorn that majestic river. Between Prescott and King- ston, the county of Glengarry, the residence of many thou- sand Highland families, most of whom still speak Gaelic, lay on our right. In the steamers on the St Lawrence the fare generally includes the expenses of the table for cabin, though not for steerage passengers. On reaching the river Hudson, however, and sailing from Albany to New York, the pas- sage money is exclusive of provisions, so that you have there, as the Americans emphatically term it, " To eat yourself." Kingston contains 15,000 inhabitants, and is beauti- l2 244 NORTH AMERICA. fully situate at the junction of Lake Ontario with the stream running out of it, which is now for the first time called the St Lawrence, and is there 12 miles broad. It rises with a gentle slope from the river to the summit- level of the town, about 50 feet above that of the river. The market-house is a magnificent building, but like that of ."Montreal, it may be called a market-place without a market. By far the finest thing however, to be seen, is the penitentiary, and having been furnished with a letter of introduction from my esteemed friend Mr Ilopkirk, col- lector of the Customs there, to the Warden, I readily pro- cured admittance. Though calleil the provincial peniten- tiary, it is for the whole of Canada. The system pursued in this penitentiary is similar to that of the state prison at Auburn, in the State of New York, and may be called the *' silent, but not the soli- tary system." The prisoners all work at their various occupations in different rooms, without being allowed to speak to one another, and keepers are set over them to enforce silence. A long account of the Auburn prison will be found in Stuart's Travels in America. Mr Mac- (lonell, the warden of the penitentiary, was exceedingly ])o]ite, and gave me a list of the numl)er of prisoners as on iGth September 1850, the day of my visit, which I found to be 30(3 males and 34 females, making 400 in all. The building is on a magnificent scale, and no one who visits Kingston should omit seeing it. They were in the act of building a large addition to it, and the stone-masons and stone-cutters employed were all prisoners. It was a singular thing to walk among so many hundred desperate characters and never hear a word spoken. The area of ground enclosed within the high walls which surround it, amounts to several acres, and a few sentries, not prison- ers, are placed on the walls with loaded guns, so that NORTH AMERICA. 245 escape is impossible. At their meals in the dining-hall they all eat facing one way for supervision sake. About one-third of the prisoners were Irish, who in all countries maintain their proverbial character for exemplary conduct. Some of the prisoners were confined for 3 years ; some for 5 ; some for 10 and 14 ; and a few for life. There were very few Scotch prisoners, though there were a great many natives of the United States. The number of na- tives from the two provinces of Upper and Lower Canada was nearly equal. There were 4 confined for life for nuirder. Grace Marks was in the penitentiary at Kingston, having been condemned to death at Toronto on 4th No- vember 1843, as an accomplice for the murder of Mr Kinnear and Nancy ^Montgomery. Iler sentence, how- ever, had been commuted to imprisonment for life, and she a])pearcd happy and contented. The nuirder of Mr Kinnear and hi& housekeeper excited a great sensation at the time of its occurrence throughout the whole of Canada, and the following are a few of the particulars of that tragic event. Mr Thomas Kinnear was a son of the late Mr Kinnear of Kinloch, a very old family in the county of Fife, in Scotland, near to Cupar-Fife, and passed as a writer to the signet in Edinburgh. Not liking however the pro- fession of the law, he left Edinburgh in 183(), and went to Upper Canada, now called Canada West. Being pos- sessed of a considerable fortune, he bought a farm about 15 miles from Toronto, which was pointed out to me from a distance, when on a visit to Dr Durie, K.H., my es- teemed friend, at Craigluscar. He had frequent occasion to be at Toronto on business, and was much esteemed by all who knew him. Mr Kinnear was not married, but kept a housekeeper (said to have been a very nice young 246 NORTH AMERICA. woman) named Nancy Montgomery, a man-servant uametl James M'Dermott, who looked after his horse, and a female servant of alUwork, named Grace Marks. Both M'Der- mott and Grace Marks were Irish, whilst Nancy Mont- gomery was Scotch. Mr Kinnear was in a weak state of health, and told James Newton (a witness on the trial) that he was dying, and that the reason he did not marry was, hecause the state of his health gave him no prospect of living long. Having had occasion to go to Toronto on the 27th of July 1843 for a couple of days, M'Dermott and 3Iarks formed a conspiracy to murder both the house- keeper and him ; Grace Marks, it is said, having first proposed it, as Nancy had given her up, or dismissed her from the service. On Friday the 28th of July they accor- dingly murdered Nancy Montgomery b) strangulation, and put her body into a barrel in the cellar. When Mr Kinne.ir arrived at home the following day, he naturally inquired for Nancy, when they said she had gone to call on a neighbour, lie then sat down on the sofa in the parlour, and took up one of the numbers of Alison's His- tory of Europe, reprinted at New York. M'Dermott having asked him to go to the harness-room to look at a saddle that had been damaged, Mr Kinnear got up with the book in his hand in order to do so, when just as he was at the end of the passage leading into the kitchen, which communicated with the harness-room, M'Dermott shot him dead, he exclaiming, as he fell, and pressing the book to the wound, " Oh, I'm shot I" M'Dermott was executed at Toronto on 21st November 1843. Mr Kinnear was reputed wealthy, and his murderers had cal- culated on getting money on his person ; but he had deposited his money at Toronto, so that they were dis- appointed. This circumstance, indeed, viz., the want of money, led to their apprehension in a very remarkable NORTH AMERICA. 247 manner, after they had landed at Lewiston, in the United States, whither they had fled. A spirited young man, Mr Capreol, chartered a steara-boat at Toronto at mid- night, and pursued them to Lewiston. Mr Kinnear's agent at Toronto shewed me an affectionate letter from his mother in Scotland, addressed to her unfortunate son, which arrived after he was murdered. A boy of twelve years of age was also pointed out to me in the penitentiary, to which he was condemned for lite, for having murdered, about a year before, when only eleven years of age, a young girl about the same age. This girl and the boy both lived in one house, but the girl, who was an orphan, being a great favourite with the family, excited the jealousy of this young murderer, when he attacked her with a hoe in the field, where they were working to- gether, and murdered her. There was nothing ferocious- like in his appearance. In x\mcrica they begin to work at an early age. Kingston was the head-quarters of the British army and navy during the last American war, and is celebrated, among other things, as being the place to which the British government sent a quantity of water-casks to the fleet during that campaign, thinking that Lake Ontario was a salt-water lake. " Go, my son," said the philosopher, " and see with how little wisdom the world is governed." Immediately on leaving Kingston for Toronto you enter Lake Ontario. The mean or medium length and breadth of the five principal, or largest of the American lakes, i^ as follows : — Mean Lonctli. Mean Brcailth. Superior, 400 miles. 80 miles. Michigan, . 220 „ 70 ,, Huron, . 240 „ 80 „ Erie, . . 240 „ 40 ,, Ontario, . 180 „ 35 ,. 248 NORTH AMERICA. The boundary line runs through the middle of these lakes. The mean depth of Lake Superior, the largest fresh-water lake in the world, being 1500 miles in circum- ference, is 900 feet; of Michigan and Huron, 1000; of Eric, 84 ; and of Ontario, .000. Whilst Lake Superior has an elevation of ij[)[) feet al)ove tide water of the Atlan- tic Ocean, Ontario has only 232. These lakes, from their dej)th, are almost never frozen, though often visited by dreadful storms, Nsheu the waves rise as high as those on the Atlantic. Toronto, the capital of Upper Canada, distant from Kingston 177 miles, was founded in 171)3 by Governor Simcoe, who named it Little York. There were only two Indian families in it at that time, who were surroiuuled by myriads of wild fowl. In 1813 the Americans destroyed almost the whole of it with lire ; but after the peace it was rebuilt, and the name changed to *' Toronto," the original or Indian word, which signifies the place of meeting or of council ; as in former times the Indian tribes on the shores of Lake Ontario assembled there to make peace or war. Toronto is situated in the county of York, better known as the Home District. I resided during my residence in Toronto at the North American Hotel, which I can strongly recommend as be- iu" remarkablv reasonable, and the landlord, Mr Hor- wood, uncommonly civil. Toronto, (starting from the Lunatic asylum) extends upwards of three miles along the banks of Lake Ontario, on a dead level plain, elevated 20 or 30 feet above the level of the lake. It is remarkably well laid out, having broad streets, and handsome houses, and is in a most flourishing condition, new houses being raised up in every direction. The population, which in 1826 was only 2000, is at present not less than 50,000, of whom a great pro- NORTH AMERICA. •249 portion of the wealthier merchants and shopkeepers are Scotch. Tlie trottoirs or side walks, like those of Mon- treal, are formed of wood. The spires of some of the churches are magnificent, too much so indeed for the churches themselves. A splendid new market-place had just heen finished, and unlike to Kingston and Montreal, it has an admirably supplied market, as well as a market- house, and from the following list of prices, as on 19th September 1850, it will be seen that every thing is ex- ceedingly reasonable. TORONTO MARKET. Flour, per barrel, 19G lbs., Wheat, per bushel, GO lbs., Barley, per bushel, 48 lbs., Oats, per bushel, 34 lbs., Oatmeal, per bbl., 19G lbs.. Potatoes, per bushel, Ikef, per lb., Veal, piT lb., I'ork, per lb., -Mutton, per lb., . JVesh Butler, per lb., Kggs, per dozen, . Turkeys, each. Geese, each. Ducks, per pair, Fowls, per pair, . Ilay, per ton. From the above prices being all s. d. s. d. 13 9 to 21 3 3 to 4 2 4 to 2 s I 2 to 1 5 17 b to 20 1 3 to 2 G O 1 to 4 2 to 4 2i to 3j 2 to H "'l to 9 6 to 7 1 10 to 3 9 1 3 lo 1 8 1 5 to 2 10 to 1 8 33 to 50 in Halifax currency, to be deducted to re- 25 per cent., or one-fourth part falls duce them to sterling money. Thus, in the above list, it will be seen that the highest price for the bushel of wheat is 4s., which is exactly 3s. sterling, or 24s. the quarter. Though the above were the prices in September 1850, yet they are nearly the same at the present day. The Toronto market regulates in some measure the price 250 NORTH AMERICA. of provisions throughout tlie whole of Upper Canada, or Canada West. The average price of *' fall" wheat, (somewhat higher than spring wheat) in Toronto, for the last 10 years, is 3s. (Jd. sterling per bushel. Fire wood is one of the dearest articles at Toronto as well as at Quel ec and Montreal, higher in fact than coals in this country, w itli the prospect of increasing, as every year the stock is diminishing. The principal streets of Toronto, like those of Montreal, have the foot pavement constructed of wood instead of stone. I had. not l)e(Mi many days in Toronto before 1 was in- tro(kiced to that celebrated individual, William Lyon Mackenzie, Esq., formerly the editor of a republican newspaper at Toronto, and the first mayor of that city. From his anxiety to n-nder the legii-lative council elective by the people, he laid aside the pen and seized the sword ; and in 1837 became the principal ring-leader in what has been called the *' Canadian Rebellion." On 4th Decem- ber 1837 he assembled 500 men at a place called Mont- gomerie's Tavern, four miles from Toronto, which I pass- ed in company with Mr Walter M'Kenzie when proceed- ing with him to partake of his hospitality at his residence five miles up Yonge Street. Sir Francis Head, the lieutenant-governor of the province, with 3000 militia, marched from Toronto on 7th December, attacked the patriots, as they called themselves, or rebels, as they were named by the British, and put them to flight with the loss of a few men, whilst not one man fell on the side of the loyalists. The patriots had taken their stand on an ele- vated position near the tavern. In the meantime the ex-editor had escaped in disguise to Buffalo, in the United States, where he collected a force of what were termed '* sympathising Americans," who took possession of Navy Island, a little above the Falls of NORTH AMERICA. 251 Niagara, and committed many excesses on the Canadian side. Amongst their other depredations, a pillar raised at Queenston by the Canadian Parliament, to the memory ot the brave Sir Isaac Brook, slain at the head of an English force at the bloody battle of Queenston in 1812, during the last American war, was blown up with gunpowder and much injured, by a man of the name of Lett, who was afterwards imprisoned in Auburn state prison for a rob- bery he had committed. On the 28th of December 1837, the small steamer Caroline, employed in carrying arms and supplies to Navy Island, (an island containing 304 acres belonging to Canada) was boarded by some loyal- ists, led by Captain Drew of the British royal navy, while moored to a fort on the American shore, and carried after a slight skirmish. She was then set on fire and sulfcrcd to drift over the great falls. Tbe sympathisers were com- j)elled, by a superior force, to evacuate Navy Island in January 1838. Mr M'Kenzie was outlawed, and lived in the United States for nine or ten years, but an act of indemnity hav- ing been passed, he returned to Toronto shortly before I saw him. In personal appearance he is somewhat dimi- nutive, with nothing indicative of great talent ; but he is remarkably laborious and persevering, and has a wonder- ful facility in writing. So far however as I could judge, his ardent love of republican institutions had been pretty considerably cooled by his long residence among the free citizens of the great republic. This corroborates the re- mark made by Mr Combe, who says, " A democracy is a rough instrument of rule in the present state of education and manners in the United States, and I have not yet met with a British radical, who has had the benefit of five years experience of it, who has not renounced his creed, and ceased to admire universal suffrage." 252 XOIlTll AMKIUCA. An excellent account of the rebellion in which Mr 31. played so conspicuous a part, v\ill be found in the first volume of ** Hochelaga ; or England in the New AVorld ;" edited by the late Eliot Warburton, who was unfortunately drowned on board of the West Indian steamer, the Amazon, when that vessel took fire off the coast of France on 2tl January 1H;32. This work was published in London by Henry Colburn, in 184(:, and reprinted in America, but on enipiiring for it in 1850, when at New York, I found that the whole impression had bi'en 0, by Mr Wheeler, member for Franklin county, (a county in tlie State of New York, bordering on Canada,) which was ordered to " lie on the table ;" whore 1 trust it may lie for a cen- tury. ** Whereas it was provide.! that Canada, acceding to this (.'onlVieration, and joining the measures of the United States, »hall be admitted into ami entitled to all the advantages of this Union. •' And whereas, recent occurrences in the Provinces of Canada indicate a strong and growing desire on the pari of the people thereof to avail them- selves of the advantages of the foregoing ofTtr, and to apply for admission among the sovereign States of this UnioD ; therefore, •* Resolved^ (if the Senate concur) that the annexation of Canada, and the other provinces of Great Britain in North America, effected by nego- tiating with tlie British (iovornment, and with the voluntary consent of the people of saiil provinces, upon cijuilable and honorable terms, is an oljcct of incalculable importance to the people of the United States. It would re-unite into one family, and make citizens of a brave, industrious, and intelligent people, who are now our brethren in interest and language. It would save this country the expense of maintaining a line of custom-houses and fortifications 3500 miles in extent, and give to the whole continent the blessing of free and unmolested trade." It would no doubt put an end to the smuggling carried on from Canada to the Unite 1 States, which, notwith- standing all the exertions of the officers of the great Re- public, is computed to amount to at least one million of dollars annually. This, from the saving to the revenue of the States, enabling them to dispense with the services of the large body of custom-house officers they are obliged to employ, seems evidently to have been the chief reason which influenced this patriotic member in tabling the above resolution. A very agreeable view of the comforts possessed by many of the colonists, is afforded by the number of GOOO carriages kept in Upper Canada for pleasure, in addition NORTH AMERICA. 2G5 to a much larger number used for farming purposes, which are not Uable to assessment. The only taxes imposed are exceedingly light rates, levied on certain descriptions of property by the people themselves for municipal and local purposes, and also expended by them for purposes within their respective localities. The general government is chiefly supported by very moderate customs' duties. In bringing my short tour through Canada to a close, I have purposely, for the sake of brevity, left unnoticed a variety of statistical details, such as the ditFerent religious sects, costs of travelUng, rate of wages, agricultural pro- ductions, railways commenced and projected, canals, pro- gress of the different settlements, varieties of soil, mari- time advancement, price of land, public revenue, taxes, and the means provided for educational and religious pur- j)oses. These, however, are all amply supplied in the admirable work (containing 468 pages) of my esteemed friend Mr James B. Brown, an eight years' resident in Canada, designated " Views of Canada and the Colonists," and published in 1851 by Adam and Charles Black of Edinburgh, and Longman and Co. of London, at the low price of 4s. (id. This work is well worthy of attentive perusal, and ought to be found in every library. M 2C)C} NORTH AMERICA. (^TTAPTKR XV. Description of the falU of Niagara— Accitients and Disasters at the Falls — Extracts from the Table Rock Album — Suspension Hridge at tlie Tails — Sanguinary Battles fouphl in their vicinity — Description of Buffalo on Lake Erie The City of Cincinnati — Its wonderful rise and progress — The river Ohio — Route from Buffalo to Detroit — Chicago and Milwaukie — Habit of Swearing in America. On leaving Toronto I proceeded in the steamer across Lake Ontario to Lewiston in the United States, situated seven miles from the mouth of the River Niagara; the distance from Toronto to Lewiston being 43 miles. Ex- actlv opposite to Lewiston is Queenston on the Canadian side, and on the heights above the town is the spot where the celebrated battle of Queenston was fought in 1812. Tlie monument erected to Sir Isaac Brock, who fell on the field of battle, though much shattered, is admirably seen from the American side. At Lewiston I took the railway to the Niagara Falls village, in the state of New York, on the American side, a distance of 7 miles ; the whole distance from Toronto to the falls being 50 miles. I slept all night at this village, w ithin a few hundred yards of the Falls, but cannot say that the noise of the mighty waters disturbed my sleep, though frequently heard at the distance of ten miles. Next day I stood before the Falls of Niagara, beyond comparison the greatest natural won- NORTH AMERICA. 267 der on the globe, which have commanded the admiration of the civihzed world since their existence became known. " Great spirit of the waters ! I have come From forth mine own indomitable home, Far o'er the billows of the eternal sea, To breathe my heart's deep homage unto thee, And gaze on glories that might wake to prayer All but the hopeless victim of despair. Years will roll on as they have rolled, and thou Wilt speak in thunder as thou speakest now; And when the name that I inscribe to-day Upon thine altar shall have passed away. Thou wilt be sung, and other hands than mine Shall wreath a worthier chaplet for thy shrine," Niagara River, upon which the Falls are situated, re- ceives the water of all the upper lakes, Erie, St. Clair, Huron, Michigan, Superior, and a number of smaller ones. The most distant source of the Niagara is probably the river St. Louis, which rises 1250 miles north-west of the Falls, and 150 miles west of Lake Superior; it is 1200 feet above the level of the ocean, and falls 551 feet before it reaches the lake. Lake Superior is 450 miles long by 100 wide, and 900 feet deep ; it is discharged into Lake Huron by the Strait St. Mary, CO miles in length, making a descent of 45 feet. This lake receives the waters of about forty rivers. Lake Michigan is 300 miles by 50, and about 900 feet deep, and empties into Huron, through the Straits of Mackinac, 40 miles in length. Lake Huron is 218 miles by 180, and 900 feet deep, and is discharged into Lake Erie, through the rivers St. Clair and Detroit, 90 miles, making a descent of 31 feet. Lake Erie is 290 miles by ()3, and 1 20 feet deep, and 5G4 above the level of the sea. It empties itself through Niagara river, 35 miles in length, into Lake Ontario, making a descent of 334 feet, viz., M 2 2()8 NORTH AMERICA from the lake to Schlosser, 12 feet; thence down the rapids, 52 feet ; the perpendicular falls, 164 feet ; from the falls to Lewiston, 104 feet; and thence to Lake Ontario, 2 feet. Lake Ontario is 180 miles long by 50, and oOO feet deep, and discharges itself through the river St. Lawrence into the Atlantic Ocean, 710 miles distant. The four inland seas above the Falls — as the great lakes may properly be called — with the hundreds of rivers, great ami small, that flow into them, cover a surface of 150,000 s(|uare miles, and contain nearly half the fresh water on the surface of the globe. From these sources of the Nia- :jara, some idea may be formed of the immense quantity of water that is constantly pouring over the Falls. Niagara River, as it flows from Lake Erie, is about three-fourths of a mile in width, and from twenty to forty feet deep ; for three miles it has a rapid current, and then it becomes calm and smooth till within one mile of the falls. Five miles from Lake Erie the river begins to expand, till it becomes more than eight miles in width, measured across Grand Island, and embraces, before it reaches the Falls, about forty islands. Of these the largest are Grand and Navv. Navy Island, belonging to Canada, contains 304 acres of good land, and terminates near Chippewa point. This island has acquired some notoriety in conse- quence of being the resort, during the winter of 18.37-8, of a large body of men, headed by William L. Mackenzie, whose object was a revolution in the government of L^pper Canada. Below the termination of Grand and Navy Islands, the river is compressed to the width of two and a half miles; and pressing forward with accelerated motion, it commences about three-fourths of a mile above the Falls a rapid descent, making within that distance a succession of chi/tcSf amounting to fifty-two feet on the American side, and fiftv-seven on the other. NORTH AMERICA. 269 The river at the Falls is a little over three-fourths of a mile in width, but below it is immediately compressed into a narrow channel of less than one-fourth of a mile in width ; its depth, as ascertained by sounding, being 250 feet. The best view of the Falls is from Table Rock, on the Canadian side, where you not only see both the Falls to great advantage, but have a splendid view of the rapids above them, dashing down with frightful velocity. The number of people, from all parts of the world, who now come to visit the Falls, is computed at 100,000 an- nually. The hotels on both sides, though overflowing with visitors in the summer and fall months, are most of them shut up during the winter and spring months. The " Maid of the Mist" had ceased to ply the day before I arrived. Though the American Fall be 164 feet high, whilst the Canadian is 158, yet the latter is twice as broad, and dis- charges four times more water than the former. 1 ob- serve that Montgomery Martin, in the new edition of his celebrated and voluminous work on the British Colonies, computes the quantity of water constantly passing over these Falls at one hundred million tons per hour. In 1843, a Canadian of the village of Chippewa, in dragging sand from the river three miles above the Falls, having lost his balance, was carried down the stream, and precipitated over them. A large canal boat which had come down lake Erie in 1850, and the boatmen of which had saved themselves by getting out at Buffalo, was suspended (juite entire on the very brink above the centre of the Horse- shoe Fall when I visited them in September 1850, and presented a singular appearance. There was a cargo still in it worth two thousand pounds, but nobody could venture on board. This boat was precipitated into the boiling cauldron below three months afterwards, a small part of the rock where it stuck having given way. 270 NORTH AMERICA. Amidst the numerous accidents that have occurred at the Falls, the following are some of the most striking : — In the year 1820, two men, in a state of intoxication, fell asleep in their scow which was fastened in the mouth of Chippewa Creek ; w hile there, it broke away, and they awoke finding themselves beyond the reach of hope, dash- ing over tlie rapids. In the year 1822, two others, engaged in removing some furniture from Grand Island, were by some care- lessness drawn into the rapids, and hurried over the cata- ract. In 1825, two men, in attempting to smuggle some whisky across to Chippewa, were hurried into the rapids and shared a similar fate. In September 1827, notice having been given in the newspapers that the Michigan, a large vessel that had run on Lake Erie, would be sent over the Falls, thirty thousand people, it was supposed, assembled to witness the novel spectacle. On board of this vessel were put two bears, a buffalo, two racoons, a dog, and a goose ; the bears leaped off in the midst of the rapids, and mira- culously almost, finally reached the shore in safety. The others went over and perished. The Michigan, before she reached the Falls, having been considerably broken in the rapids, sunk to a level with the surface, and went over near the centre of the Horse-shoe Fall. In 1844, Miss Martha Rugg of Lancaster, Pa., while on a visit to the Falls, in attempting to pluck a flower near the edge of the precipice, on the Canada side, near Barnett's museum, lost her balance and was precipitated nearly 100 feet down the precipice on the rocks below. She was alive when taken up, but died in about two hours after the accident. She was sensible to the last, and frequently exclaimed, " what will my poor mother say ?*' I NORTH AMERICA. 271 But perhaps the most appaUing tragedy upon record is that which occurred in 1849, when a party of pleasure, composed chiefly of the members of two families about to be more closely united by intermarriage, had visited the Falls from the New York side, and were enjoying the superb view of them from Goat Island. One of the party, a little girl about twelve years old, with the giddiness natural to youth, had gone too near the rapids, and had been frequently called back. On her repeating it, a young gentleman, the afiianccd of the child's sister, fol- lowed her to bring her back, and having caught her by the dress, playfully attempted to frighten her by holding her forward towards the water, as if he would drop her into the river. Fearful to narrate, the part of the dress by which he held her having given way in his grasp, the child fell into the hurrying, eddying, tossing waters. In the vain hope of saving her, or maddened to desperation by the scene, the youth sprang after her, and both were instantly launched into eternity, by being thrown with great force into the boiling cauldron below. The spot where this happened was pointed out to me by the ferry- man who rowed me across the river below the Falls. I visited the museum kept by Mr Barnett close to Table Rock, on the Canada side, where 1 saw two living and very savage buffaloes, from the Rocky Mountains, and purchased from him a curious work called the " Table Rock Album," of 108 pages, consisting of compositions in prose and verse, by persons who had visited the Falls (luring the last twenty years. The following will shew the nature of these ebullitions : — •* I carae from Wall Street, To see this water sheet ; Having seen this water sheet, I relurn to Wall Street." 272 NORTH AMERICA. " To view Niagara Falls one day, A parson and a tailor took their way ; The parson cried, whilst wrapt in wonder. And list'ning to the cataract's thunder, Lord ! how the works amaze our eyes, And fill our hearts with vast surprise ; The tailor merely made this note, Lord ! what a place to sponge a coat ! !" •• Adieu Niagara ! I'm off for New York, To measure out sugar, molasses, and pork." " Great ia the mystery of Niagara's waters ; But more mysterious still are some men's daughters. " fioast not thyself, though God hath set His seal of glory on thee now ; For He shall veil thy glory yet, And take the rainbow from thy brow. •• Though thou may'st sing a requiem o'er The grave of millions yet unborn ; Thy sun of glory too shall set — The universe for thoe shall mourn." " Once on a time, with nought to do at home» My wife and I deterniin'd we would roam ; But to agree upon the route Admitted much domestic doubt. If J said east, she said 'twos best. She thought, to travel to the west ; So after many arguments and brawls. She brought me, nolens, volent, to the Falls." •• Fall on, Fall on, ye mighty Falls — I'm going now to make my calls. "When I come back I hope I will Just find you falling, falling still." " 1 stare with wonder, and alas ! How bad a body feels, To think how difficult this pas* For emigrating eels I" " Here fools from all lands take of gaaing their fill In wonder that water will run down a hill." NORTH AMERICA. 273 But next to that wonder of nature, the Niagara Falls, may be placed that wonder of art, the Suspension bridge, which has been thrown across the river about a mile be- low them. This bridge, which was erected in 1848 for the transit of carriages, horses, and pedestrians, though not above ten feet in width is perhaps the most sublime work of art in the world. It makes the head dizzy to look at it, and yet it is traversed with as nmch security as any other bridge of the same width. While the work- men were engaged in hanging the planks over the fearful chasm, it looked like a work of peril, but it was prose- cuted with entire safety. Not an accident happened since the first cord was carried across the river at the tail of a kite. It is impossible to give the reader a clear idea of the grandeur of the work, though the drawing at the frontispiece is a most accurate representation of it. Ima- gine a bridge 650 feet in length, hung in the air at the height of 230 feet, over a vast body of water 250 feet deep, ru^l^iug through a narrow gorge at the rate of thirty miles an hour. If you are below, it looks like a strip of paper suspended by a cobweb — being made of wires. When the wind is strong, the frail gossamer looking structure sways to autl fro as if ready to start from its fastenings, and it shakes from extremity to centre under the tread of the pedestrian. But there is no danger. Men pass over it with perfect safety, while the head of the timid looker-on swims with apprehension. The first person who passed over it was Mr Ellett the builder. His courageous wife soon followed him, and for two days, hundreds, attracted by the novelty of the thing, took the fearful journey. It is worth a trip to the Falls to see this great work, although numbers of people have not the nerve to cross upon it. For, strange as it may seem, there are those who had no hesitation in sliding over the awful chasm in a basket. ♦274 NORTU AMERICA. upon a single wire cable, who cannot be induced to walk over the bridge. And this aerial excursion is thrillingly exciting. A seal on a locomotive, travelling at the rate of sixty miles an hour, is nothing to it. When you find yourself suspended in the air, with the roaring, rush- ing, boiling Niagara 230 feet below you, if your heart don't flutter, you will have nerve enough to swing over Vesuvius ! When I arrivcil at this bridge I stood for some time in amazement, looking at numbers of people in gigs, on hoise- back, and on foot, crossing it. Having at last mustered all the courage of which I was possessed, I paid the toll or pontage for crossing it, which was 2;> cents; hut after having proceeded along it for a few yards, my courage failed, my head began to swoon, and I had to turn back. From this bridge you have a beautiful vii'w of the Fall on the American side, though you only see a part of the Horse-shoe Fall. No horse nor (carriage is allowed to cross the suspension bridge at a faster pace than a walk, under a severe penalty. One mile north from the Falls, near a road called Lundy's Lane, or Bridgewatcr, there was fought, on 25th July 1814, during the last American war, the celebrated battle of Lundy's Lane, which is considered one of the most sanguinary actions ever fought in America, the Americans having lost in killed and wounded, 854 men, and the British 878. The numbers engaged on both sides were 7000; the Americans numbering 4000, and the British 3000. The action commenced at six in the after- noon, and continued till eleven in the evening, a period of five hours, two of which vere in the dark, producing a scene of awful confusion and carnage. The battle of Fort Erie, twenty miles above the Falls on the Canadian side, fought much about the same tune, was also very sanguin- NORTH AMERICA. 275 ary. The battle of Chippewa, 2 miles above the Falls, fought on 5th July 1814, twenty days before that of Lundy's Lane, was also a most bloody affair. The Mar- quis of Tweeddale was severely wounded at this battle. The battle of Queenston, 7 miles below the Falls, in which Sir Isaac Brock was killed, was fought in October 1812. On leaving Niagara, I proceeded to Buffalo, 22 miles by railway, from the cars on which you have a beautiful view of the river Niagara the whole way. Buffalo is finely situated on the outlet of Lake Erie, at the head of Niagara river, and will soon be a magnificent place, as from its situation it commands the whole trade of the four great Western Lakes; Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie. It has had a most extraordinary rise, having been only laid out in 1801. In December 181.1, every building in it save two, was burned by a party of British, assisted by a few Indians. I happened to call accidentally on a gentleman wlio occupies one of the two houses in Main Street, that was saved, having brought a letter of intro- duction to him from Montreal. In the year 1825, the population was only 2,412; whereas, at the present moment, it is estimated at 80,000, several thousands of whom are Germans. The German correspondence is so extensive, that a separate hureau is established at the post-otiice for German letters. The people of Buffalo, and in many other parts, generally call them Dutch, an appellation bestowed in common upon the Germans, and the emigrants from Holland, though of the latter there are comparatively few. The principal street, called 3Iain Street, is one of the finest in the world, being three miles long, and 120 feet broad ; 40 feet broader than Broadway, New York. This street rises with a gentle acclivity from Buffalo Creek, and at its summit height, 60 or 70 feet above 276 NORTH AMERICA. the level of Lake Erie, you have a magnificent view of that beautiful Lake, and the Canadian shore on the opposite side of the river Niagara, whicli presents the appearance of a dense mass of forest, as far as the eye can reach. You can now go from Buttalo to Cincinuati ui oO hours. You take the ste;un-hoat to Sandusky, 250 miles, touching at Cleveland on Lake Erie, a flourishing town, containing 25,000 inhabitants; and at Sandusky there is now a railroad to Cincinnati (*Jls miles i, the fare for the whole distance being ten dollars iu the cabin and railway, and four dollars and a half in the steerage. 'I'he cabin fare includes provisions. I went on board one oi the Lake Erie steamers at Buffalo (the Mayflower) and found it magnificent beyonil description. The cit\ of Cincinnati deserves to be specially noticed. It was named after L. Q. Cincinnatus, a celebrated Ro- man who flourished 450 years before the birth of Christ. Having been informed, as he ploughed his land, that the senate had chosen him dictator, he left his fields and oxen with regret, and after leading the Romans to victory, returned in 10 days to his rural occupations. In his 80th year he w as again summoned against Pra^nesti as dictator, and after a short and successful campaign, he resigned the absolute power he had enjoyed only 21 days, disre- garding the rewards offered him by the senate. Cincinnati has outstripped every other city in the Union in the rapidity of its growth, inasmuch as in 179(3 it was only a small village with a dozen of wooden huts. Its population in 1800 was only 750, and in 1810 only 2540; whereas at present it amounts to 200,000, of whom above 50,000 are Germans. It now ranks equal with New Orleans and Baltimore, which have each about 200,000 inhabitants also. Baltimore is the greatest flour market NORTH AMEIUCA 977 in the world. The " Burnet House" at Cincmnati is the largest hotel in the United States, having six or seven hundred apartments, and can make up a thousand beds. It was opened in 1850. Vast numbers of pigs roam about its handsome streets, and as they belong to no one in par- ticular, any citizen is at liberty to take them up, fatten, and kill them. When they increase too fast the town council interferes, and sells off some of them. It is^ a favourite amusement of the boys to ride upon the pigs ; and two or three years ago there was a sagacious old hog that was in the habit of lying down whenever a boy came in sight, as he professed himself not over-fond of eques- trian exercise. The use of the bowie-knife and revolving pistols is now unfortunately very prevalent iu Cincinnati, scarcely a night passing without some rencounters, many of them fatal ones. Indeed for some years past it has outstripped even New Orleans in this respect. The markets are all open at 5 in the morning, and at that early hour are crowded. There are 3 principal markets, which arc there held every day, and the number of country waggons which daily bring iu the supplies, some of them from a distance of a hundred miles, if placed in a row, would ext4H miles. An Irish labourer, shortly after his arrival at Cincinnati, wrote home to his friends in Ireland, and shewed his master the letter. *' Hut, Pat," said his master, why do you say that you have meat three times a- week, when you have it three times a-day ?" " It is," replied Pat, *' because they would not believe nie if I told them so." The "packing business," as it is called in the State of Ohio, has been gradually concentrating itself in Cincin- nati, where a million of hogs are now annually sold, killed, and packed, being about a fourth of those in that State. In the whole United States, the entire hog stock is estimated at 50 millions, of which one fifth part, or 10 milhons are in the States of Ohio, Kentucky, and In- diana. The hogs are allowed to run in the woods, and feed on the acorns, &c., till five or six weeks before killing- time (the middle of November), when they are turned into the Indian corn-fields to fatten and harden their flesh, and the longer they are in the corn-fields the better is the pork. When killed they are generally from a year to 18 months old, and sell from two to three dollars each ; those weighing 1 75 lbs. bringing the former, and those weighing 250, the latter sum. The blood is collected in tanks, and, along with the other ofFal, disposed of for certain manu- factories. The carcase is cured into barrelled pork, or NORTH AMERICA. 279 into bacon and hams. Of the lard, the finest is exported, mostly to the Havannah, where it is used instead of but- ter. Cincinnati is also the great centre of the whisky manu- facture, as fifteen millions of gallons of it are either made in the distilleries there, or brought into it from more or less distant distilleries, most of which is shipped down the Mississippi. All this whisky is manufactured from Indian corn, and even for the mashing, barley is not necessary, as sprouted Indian corn makes a malt as serviceable to the distiller as that from barley. Whisky sells at 3d. the bottle. Finally, this wonderful town of Cincinnati may be said to be the centre of the wine growing district of America, as the State of Ohio, in which it is situate, seems well adapted, from soil and climate, for vineyards, where the Catawba grape thrives admirably, producing a species of dry hock of excellent flavour, and champagne of the first quality. Mr Longworth of Cincinnati, the celebrated grape- grower, has oO or GO acres in vineyard, under the care of Germans and Sw iss ; and as the large German popula- tion on the Ohio are every year planting new vineyards, he states his belief that this river will soon be as cele- brated for its w iue as the Rhine. The vineyard of a neigh- bour of his yielded from the Catawba grape 900 gallons an acre, and the wine meets a ready sale among the Ger- man population, at prices varying from three to five shil- lings sterling a gallon. Mr Longworth, however, says, "that if we want large crops we must go to the fertile lands of North Carolina, where, from their famous Scuppernong, they make 2000 gallons per acre, each gallon being worth a dollar." This is truly miraculous. 280 NORTH AMERICA. The river Ohio, on which Cincinnati is situated, is exactly 1000 miles from the bridge at Pittsburg to its junction with the Mississippi, though not al)ove (JOO in a direct line. It rises during the spring months from 30 to 60 feet. The French, when they first discovered it, called it " La Belie Uivirre," which, like the Indian name " Ohio," means the beautiful river. Its general or average breadth is little more than half a-mile. In some places it is only 500 yards wide, but its breadth at noplace exceeds 1200 yards, and at its junction with the Mississippi neither river is more than 1000 yards wide. It commences at Pittsburg, where the two rivers, the .Alleghany and Monongahela, join together, and by their union form the Ohio. The annual inundations generally commence in March, and subside in Ma) . Coal from Pittsburg is generally sold at Cincinnati for about sixpence sterling the bushel of 80 lbs. The word " ^lississippi" is said to denote the whole river, or the river formed by the union of many ; and its original Indian name, " Mes-chu'ce-be,* signifies the " Father of Waters." But the great route now is from Buflalo to Detroit, in the State of Michigan (containing 30,000 inhabitants) and from thence to Chicago, in the State of Illinois, and Mil- waukie, in the State of Wisconsin. You get by steamer from Butialo to Detroit (285 miles) in 17 hours without landing, and from Detroit you are carried along the Michi- gan Central Railroad to New Buffalo in 1 1 hours, a dis- tance of 218 miles, and at New Buffalo a steamer takes you across Lake Michigan to Chicago in 4 hours, reach- ing Chicago in 34 hours from Buffalo, and Milwaukie (90 miles from Chicago) in 44 hours. The distance from Buffalo to Chicago by this route is 518 miles. The population of Chicago is now 45,000, NORTH AMERICA. 281 and of Milwaukie 35,000, and both towns are in the most tlonrisliing condition. Six daily newspapers are now published at Milwaukie, — two of them in German ; and as a proof of its wonderful progress, 1 may mention that in the year 1834 Solomon Juneau was the only white inhabitant. In 1850, out of a cargo of 150 Norwegian emigrants embarked at Buffalo for Milwaukie, 54 died on the passage and were thrown overboard. They were victims of ship-fever, contracted during a voyage of 3 months from Europe. The Chicago Tribune gives the following — New Recipe for making Bueau. Take three pounds of flour, mix with three tea-spoonsful of soda, pass- ing the whole through a sieve, in order that the soda may be well mixed with the tlour, add one quart of water and a tahie-spoonful of muriatic acid in the liquid form, pour the mixture in the flour, and mix the whole just enough to get the ingredients fairly incorporated together. "Wet the hand in cold water and mould into shape, and clap it at once into the oven. During the cooking of any meal, with five minutes labor, you can hare excellent bread. The soda and acids constitute the elements of common salt, and they not only raise the bread by combination, but salt it to the bargain. Try the experiment, ladies. Those however who prefer going by steamboats the whole route, can proceed by way of Lakes Erie, St Clair, Huron, and Michigan ; the whole distance from Buffalo to Chicago by this route being 105G miles. Many people in summer go by the lakes, as they only take four days to perform the whole distance from Buffalo to Chicago, and charge only eight dollars as the cabin fare, including three admirable meals every day, which is about the tame as you would pay if living in an hotel, being thus actually carried upwards of a thousand miles for nothing. Oh what a country ! One day during my residence at Buffalo I stepped into a tobacconist's shop in order to smoke a cigar, and remained 282 NORTH AMERICA. about half-an-hour. A German who spoke tolerably good English, happened to be conversing at the time, or rather disputing with the shopkeeper about the settlement of an account. The volley of oaths which the latter j)oured forth during this altercation surpassed any thing I had ever heard before. I am sorry to say that this practice is too common among the citizens of the great Republic. They seem to forget that it is no mark of a gentleman to swear. The must worthless and vile — the refuse of man- kind—the drunkard and the prostitute — swear as well as the best dressed and educated gentleman. No particular endowments are retjuisite to give a linish to the art of cursing. The basest and meanest of mankind swear with as much tact and skill as the most refined ; and he that wishes to degrade himself to the very lowest level of pol- lution ;and shame should learn to be a common swearer. Any man has talents enough to learn to curse God, and imprecate perdition on themselves and their fellow-men. Profane swearing never did any man any good. No man is the richer, or wiser, or happier for it. It helps no one's education or manners. It commends no one to any society. It is disgusting to the refined, abominable to the good, insulting to those with whom we associate, de- grading to the mind, unprofitable, needless, and injurious to society ; and, wantonly to profane His name, to call His vengeance down, to curse Him, and to invoke His vengeance, is, perhaps, of all offences the most awful in the sight of God. How can a common swearer join in the song to the Great Creator of the universe. Sun, moon, and stars convey thy praise Round the whole earth, and never stand]; So when thy truth began its race. It touch'd and gianc'd on er'rv land. NORTH AMERICA. 283 CHAPTER XVI. Journey from Buffalo to Albany — Rochester — Genesee Flour — Geneva — Waterloo — Auburn — State Prison there — Syracuse — Rome — Utica and Schenectady — Description of Utica — A Baptism in the River Mohawk — Saratoga Springs — Scene of General Burgoyne's Exploits and Sur- render — Death of General Fraser — Description of American Railways. On leaving Buffalo I proceeded to Albany, a distance of 32(J miles by the railway. I went in what are called the '* Emigrant Cars," which go once a day, and are chiefly intended for emigrants, as the fare is only about the one-half of the other trains, or five dollars the whole way to Albany. An express train runs once a-day from Buffalo to Albany in 13 hours. On our route we passed through the towns of Rochester, Geneva, Waterloo, Auburn, Syracuse, Rome, Utica, and Schenectady. Rochester, situated 74 miles from Buffalo, and 7 miles south from Lake Ontario, is a thriving place, containing 50,000 inhabitants, though in 1812 it consisted of but one single log hut. It owes its rapid growth to the vast water- power created by the three falls in Genesee river, which nuis through it, and amount to 268 feet w ithin the bounds of the city, besides rapids. On these rapids and falls there are about thirty of the largest flouring-mills in the world, grinding 15,000 bushels of wheat daily ; and hence the price of Genesee flour and wheat is now invariably 284 NORTH AMERICA. quoted in all the markets of the United States, as well as in this country. There are also cotton and paper-mills, and carpet manufactories. Tile county of Genesee in which Rochester is situate, is by far the most fertile county in the State of New York. I did not stop to examhie the large state prison, contain- ing lOUO prisoners, when passing through Auburn, (1;52 miles from Buffalo, ) having seen the same system in ope- ration at Kingston in Upper Canada, as formerly men- tioned. A detailed account of this prison, occupying no less than twenty pages in print, has been given by my lamented friend, the late James Stuart, Esq., in his cele- brated travels in North America. 1 shall merely remark en passant, that the system pursued may be called the *' silent system ;" the essence of this system consisting in solitary confinement in separate cells when not at work, also at night and on Sundays, and in constant but abso- lutely silent labour, in company, in large well-ventilated work-shops, and under strict superintendence. It is dis- tinguished from that of Philadelphia by the additional rigour of solitary labour which is adopted in the latter. The work performed by the prisoners almost pays the whole expense of the prisons in America, owing to the higher price of labour, and the higher price for the goods than can be obtained in Europe. In the penitentiary at Philadelphia the prisoners live and work in solitary con- finement, are unseen by each other, and unknown, except by their numbers, even to the keepers. Exclusive solitary confinement without labor* was abolished at Auburn in 1823, as it produced insanity, and none had been found so stubborn as to hold out against this awful punishment. When La Fayette revisited the I have occasionally throughout this work adopted the American plan of spelling, throwing the letter ** h" out of such words as labor, honor, favor, color, &c. NORTH AMFRrCA. ^g5 United States in 1825, and heard of the experiment of exohisive soUtary confinement without labor, he said it was just a revival of the practice in the Bastile in Paris, (which was demolished in 1789 at the period of their great Revolution,) which had so dreadful an effect on the poor prisoners. " I repaired," he said, " to the scene on the second day of the demolition, and founrl that all the })risoners had been deranged by their solitary confinement, except one. He had been a prisoner 25 years, and was led forth during the height of the tumultuous riot of the people whilst engaged in tearing down the building. He looked around with amazement, for he had seen nobody for that space of time; and before ni<2ht he was so much affected, that he became a confirmed maniac, from which situation he never recovered." The labor of the prison- ers at Auburn pays the whole expenses of that extensive establishment. Syracuse, through which we also passed, (178 miles from Buffalo) contains 10,000 inhabitants, and is celebrated for the manufacture of salt. We reached Utica (231 miles from Buffalo) at 4 next morning, but as it happened to be Sunday, we had to remain there till the following morning, as the cars on that railway do not run on Sundays. This was no great disappointment to me, as (to use the American phrase,) ** I guess I felt pretty considerably tired." A great many Germans are to be found in the valley of the Mohawk. Utica is beautifully situate on the south or right bank of the Mohawk river. We often read of the right and left banks of rivers, and many people are puzzled to find out which is the right and which the left bank. But my readers will have no difficulty in future in ascertaining this, when I inform them that by turning your back to the source of any river and looking down the stream, the right hand side is invariably the right bank, and the left 28(i NORTH AMERICA. hand side the left bank. The same plan is to be observed in ascertaining the " starboard" and " larboard" of a ship. By standing with your l)ack to the poop, or stern of a vessel, the starboard is the right hand side of the ship, and tlie larboard the left. Utica contains 20,000 inhabitants, and is really a fine town, or " city," as the Americans call most of their towns. The streets are wide and remarkably well laid out ; whilst the valley of the Mohawk, in which it is situated, has long been cele- brated for its beauty. The lunatic asylum, built by the State of New York, has a very imposing appearance. I attended divine service at the Methodist church, and found the males occupying the pews on the one side of the church, and the females the other, a custom I was not aware of until I found myself seated among the females, who seemed to be much flattered by my appearance amongst them. The singing was accompanied with in- strumental music, hautboys and bassoons, the band as usual occupying part of the centre gallery. Most of the churches in the United States of all denominations have either organs or bands of instrumental music. When that beautiful instrument, the organ, was first played at a Presbyterian church in Glasgow about sixty years ago, some of the congregation were so shocked that they be- came actually deranged. The people in America are not so sensitive on this point as that most religious and most enlightened nation, the Scotch, and have not as yet be- come deranged on hearing an organ played. The whole service in the Methodist church at Utica only occupied one hour and a quarter, an example of brevity worthy of imitation by Christian ministers of all sects, of all coun- tries, and in all ages. The Methodists and Presbyterians in America kneel at prayer, and stand while singing. When taking a walk after service along the banks of NORTH AMERICA. 287 the Mohawk, I saw about twenty people assembled close upon the river, and upon enquiring at a by-stander the cause of the meeting, he told me that it was a baptism of one of the Anabaptists about to be performed. Never having seen a ceremony of the sort, I availed myself of the opportunity that had thus unexpectedly occurred. The clergyman, after praying, walked deliberately into the river, and on coming to the middle of it, where the water was about four feet deep, he turned back. On reaching the shore he addressed a few^ words to the person about to be baptized, who turned out to be a beautiful young married lady, splendidly dressed in blick s'dks. Her female friends having taken off her bonnet and shawl, the minister took her by the hand, and led her forth into the waters. On arriving at the spot where he had turned back, having ascertained, I presume, that the river there was of a proper depth, he put his right hand round her neck, and dashed her with all his force completely over the head. On coming out of the stream, trembling with cold, she was hurried by her friends into a carriage which was awaiting her close by, and driven off at a rapid rate, in order, no doubt, to have dry clothes put on her with as httle delay as possible. From having been so much taken up looking at the lady, I did not see what became of her partner in the w aters, but guess that he must have been glad to sound a retreat also. I heard afterwards that they were Welsh, a great number of emigrants from Wales having settled in the county of Oneida, State of New York, in which Utica is situated, and many of them being Anabaptists. On leaving Utica early next morning, we proceeded to Albany, 95 miles distant, by the lovely valley of the Mohawk, where a great quantity of broom-corn is raised. Mrs Trollope says of this valley, " Who is it that says ^Af^ NORTH AMERICA, America is not picturesque? I forget; but surely he never travelled from Utica to Albany through this match- less valley of the Mohawk." Though the Americans are inclined to abuse Mrs Trollope for her work, entitled '* Domestic Manners of the Americans^'' yet they have the candour to confess that the great reform which has taken place in their manners and customs during the last twenty years, is mainly to be attributed to the influence of that celebrated work, which produced a great sensation, when it appeareil, throughout the length and breadth of the Union, and was universally read. In a theatre at New York, a gentleman in one of the boxes who had placed himself in a peculiarly uncouth attitude, was saluted by the audience with cries of *' Trollope! Trollope !" On the route we j)assed through Schenectady, a j)retty large town, 17 miles from Albany, from which there is a rail- way to Saratoga springs, *22 miles from Schenectady. 'I'his is the most popular watering-place in the United States. The main street is enormoualy wide, and shaded by trees. Though the town itself does not contain above 5000 inhabitants, yet during the three summer months of July, August, and September, the numerous hotels and boarding-houses are filled with a fluctuating population of eight or ten thousand visitors, four or five thousand gene- rally arriving and departing in a week. Some of the hotels, such as the United States' Hotel, and Congress Hall, are on a scale of great magnificence ; Congress Hall being 200 feet long, with two immense wings. Some idea may be formed of the extent and magnitude of the United States' Hotel at Saratoga, kept by the Messrs Marvin, from the following list of provisions consumed daily in August 1850. There were then 700 guests at the house, to which may be added 100 children, and 300 servants, making 1100 persons to feed daily. Thev con- NORTH AMERICA. 289 sumed, besides many other articles, the following each day :— 500 lbs. beef, 500 lbs. mutton, 500 chickens, 150 ducks and turkeys, 2,500 eggs, 600 lbs. butter, 1,500 rolls for breakfast, and 4 barrels of flour. Most of the hotels at Saratoga are shut up during eight months in the year. The late ex-king of Spain, Joseph Bonaparte, frequented the United States' Hotel when he visited Saratoga, which he did annually ; and though at first he kept somewhat aloof, yet he afterwards associated at the public table as an American citizen. The use of the water is chiefly recommended in bilious, dyspeptic, and calculous complaints, for diseases of the skin, and for chronic rheumatism ; but the great bulk of the people who resort to these celebrated springs, come for amusement, and for the preservation, rather than the recovery of their health. The lield of General Burgoyne's chief battles, and of his surrender, lies about two miles west from the Hud- son, in the vicinity of Saratoga. On leaving Canada Burgoyne's army was 10,000 strong, well equipped, and with a formidable train of artillery. Before the British army reached Saratoga, General Gates, an Englishman, who had adopted America as his country, had superseded Generals Schuyler and St Clair, and commanded the American army, now considerably more numerous than the British, and daily increasing. The armies were for some days posted near each other, not far from the river Hudson ; the light troops in ad- vance of the artillery, by the river side, and the rest of the army on the heights. At length general engage- ments took place at Stillwater, on 19th September, and near Saratoga on 7th October 1777. The first action was not decisive ; but the second battle terminated un- favourably for the British, the German reserve having N 290 XORTH AMERICA given way after a fierce and desperate struggle of 50 minutes. Burgoyne was obliged to retreat after this last action, but finding that part of the American army Iwid taken up a position in his rear, which cut him otf from the supply of all provisions for his army, of which he stood greatly in need, he, on 17th October 1777, surrendered to the American forces by capitulation, or convention, as it was afterwards called. In this convention it was stipu- lated that the British troops should return to Biitain, and should not serve again in the American war; and also that the arms and artillery of the British arn)y should be delivered up. General Gates showed great delicacy in directing that the American soldiery should not witness the humiliating spectacle of the piling of their arms by the British army. The following is an extract from an address to General Burgoyne, written by an American, and published at Philadelphia in 1788. •• Foe to the right* of man, proud Burgoyne, »aj Had conquest crown'd you on thai mighty day, When you to Gates wilh sorrow, rage, and shame, Ilesign'd your contiuesta, honors, arms, and fame, ^Vhen at his feet Hritannia's wreaths you threw, And the sun sickeu'd at a sight so new ; Had you been victor — what a waste of woe ! What souls had Taiiish'd to where souls do go ! What (lire distress had mark'd your fatal way, What deaths on deaths disgrac'd that dismal da) I Circumstantial details of these battles were published by General Burgoyne ; by General Wilkinson of the American army ; and by the Baroness de Reidesel, the wife of Baron Reidesel, who commanded the German troops in British pay. In the first engagement on 19th September, a very dis- proportionate number of British oflBcers fell, as the Ame- NORTH AMERICA. 201 rican soldiers, who were placed on the boughs of the trees in the rear and flanks, took every opportunity of destroy- ing them by single shots. General Burgoyne, in his nar- rative of this battle, states *' that few actions have been characterised by more obstinacy, in attack or defence, the British bayonet being repeatedly tried ineffectually ; and that there was scarcely ever an interval of a minute in the smoke, when some British officer was not shot." Of the battle of 7th October he observes — " If there be any persons who continue to doubt that the Americans possess the quality and faculty of fighting, they are of a prejudice that it would be very absurd longer to contend with." General Fraser, a Scotchman, who fell at this battle, w as one of our most celebrated generals. He w as all activity, courage, and vigilance, animating the troops by his example, and was very conspicuous, being mounted on an iron-grey horse. General Morgan, with a corps of American riflemen, was opposed to Fraser's division of tlie army. In the midbt of the battle, Morgan, obser\ing Fraser's great exertions, took a few of his best riflemen aside — men in whose fatal precision of aim he could trust — and pointing out Fraser, told them who he was, adding, " I admire and respect him, but it is necessary that he should die. Take your station in the wood, and do your duty." Within a few moments the gallant Fraser fell. " He saw," he said, " the rifleman who shot him posted on a tree." The spot where he was wounded is in a meadow, close to a blacksmith's shop, on a bit of elevated ground. Baroness Reidesel, who occupied the house to which General Fraser, after receiving his mortal w ound, was carried, gives the following singularly interesting recital of that event. *• Severe trials awaited us, and on the 7th of October our misfortunes began. I was at breakfast with my husband, and heard that something was N 2 292 NORTH AMERICA. intended. On the same day, I expected the Generals Burgoyne, Phillips, and Frascr, to dine with us. I saw a great movement among tlie troops. My husband told mc it was a mere ' reconnaissance,' which gave me no con- cern, 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, ' War, war,' meaning that they were going to battle. This filled me with apprehensions, and I had scarcely got home before I heard reports of cannon and musketry, which grew louder by degrees, till at last the noise became excessive. About four o'clock in the afternoon, instead of the guests whom I expected, (Icneral Frascr was brought on a litter mortally wounded. The table, which was already set, wa^j instantly rcmovo«l. and a bed placed in its stead for the wounded (ieneral, who, during the night, often addressed me, and a|>olo- gised for the trouble he gave me. About three o'clock in the morning I was told he could not hold out much longer, and at eight o'clock in the morning ho died.'* Whilst his funeral procession was winding slowly up the hill, witliin view of both armies, it was exposed to an in- cessant cannonade from the Americans, who observed a collection of people without knowing the cause of it, so that the procession was covered with dust which the shot threw up. It was afterwards ascertained from General Winslow, who commanded the gun that was fired on this occasion, that as soon as they discovered that it was a funeral procession, they ceased firing shot, and com- menced tiring minute guns as a mark of respect for so dis- tinguished an enemy. Major Ackland who commanded the grenadiers, was also severely wounded in this action, and was taken to the American camp. His amiable w ife. Lady Harriet Ackland, who had accompanied him during the campaign, having expressed a strong desire to attend him, General Bur- goyne furnished her with a letter to General Gates, who treated both her and her husband with the greatest pos- sible attention. He soon recovered under Lady Harriet's care, but many years afterwards he lost his life in a duel NORTH AMERICA. 293 which he fought with an officer in England, who had called the Americans cowards. Ackland espoused their cause, and vindicated it fatally for himself. At the surrender, General Burgoyne having wished to be introduced to General Gates, proceeded to head- quarters on horseback, accompanied by his whole staff. General Gates, advised of his approach, met him at the head of his camp ; Burgoyne in a rich royal uniform, and Gates in a plain blue frock. When they approached nearly within sword's length, they reined up, and halted ; and General Burgoyne, raising his hat most gracefully, said, *' the fortune of war. General Gates, has made me your prisoner." To which the conqueror, returning a courtly salute, promptly replied, *' I shall always be ready to bear testimony, that it has not been through any fault of your Excellency." Among the paintings that adorn the vast circular hall of the capitol at Washington, are to be found — The declaration of Independence — the surrender of Burgoyne to Gates — and the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorkto\\n. Talking of paintings, I may mention tliat I never saw so few in any country as in America, and these moreover of a very inferior description. We cannot expect, to be sure, to find the same attention paid to the fine arts in a new country as in an old. There are some who make a liveli- hood by purchasing pictures, and going about the country exhibiting them. These are frequently copies of cele- brated originals, and the exhibitor goes about the room describing the subject of them. A story is told of one of these exhibitors, who had among his collection " Daniel in the den of lions," the original of which is in Hamilton Palace in Scotland, who thus described it to his admiring audience in one of the towns of the far west ; " You '294 NORTH AMERICA. see," said he, " when you look at that fellow in the red cloak, which is Daniel, that he don't care a brass farthin' for the lion, and by lookin' clust, you'll perceive that the lion don't care a tinker's cuss for him." A German who was exhibiting some wild beasts, when describing an African leopard, which he said measured 7 feet, from the end of his tail to the tip of his snout, and only 6 feet from the tip of his snout to the end of his tail, added that it had 4047 spots on his body, not two of which Nsere alike. On wliich an old lady exclaimed, " can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots ? ** Showman,'^ " Of course, Marm, ven he tired standing on von spot, he go to anoder." A Kentuckian when describing America, said, *' that it was bounded on the east by the rising sun, on the west by the setting ditto, on the north l)y the aurora burealis, and on the the south by a d d sight further than you'd like to go." The line of raihsay from ButFalu to Albany (32^) miles) bein«^ the longest in one coniiuued line that I traversed in the United States, 1 may make a passing remark on American railways in giMieral. They have been princi- pally made by Irish navigators, or as they are called both here and in America, " navvies," nn ho in general, behaved tolerably well, as the Americans kept them in much better order than we do in this country. When constructing the railway across the Alleghany mountains, some years ago, maddened with high wages, and cheap whisky, they determined one day to have a bit of a spree, and sallied forth in vast numbers, seizing upon every weapon they could lay their hands on, in order to make an indiscrimi- nate slaughter on every well-disposed person they might happen to meet. Strong and decided measures were of course immediately taken to put them down, and w ith the assistance of a strong body of the militia, 18 of the ring- NORTH AMERICA. 295 leaders were secured, and condemned to solitary confine- ment for life. In this country they would probably have been imprisoned only for sixty days. After the riot was quelled, more than a thousand barrels of whisky (the pri- mary cause of all the mischief,) were sent floating down the hill-side to the great grief of the recreant Paddies. When the national system of railroads throughout the States is (.•omj)leted, they will form a stupendous monu- ment of the labors of the Irish emigrants. They are in general but single lines of railway, and are made in the most rude and simple plan imaginable. They would be reckoned in this country unfinished, and therefore dange- rous, being neither fenced in, nor banked in from the fields on each side, and running straight across lanes, streets and roads, without any other notice to those who may happen to be walking or riding, or driving on them, than the follow- ing intimation, painted every where on boards elevated on high poles : — " Wheu the bell rings, look out lor the engine." The maxim on whicli the Americans act is, *' take care of yourself;" and a wise maxim it is. They have a sort of an iron })loughshare attached to the engines in front, called a ** pilot," which prepares as it were the way before them, lifting up bullocks, swine, sheep, or what- ever other obstruction may be in the way, and throwing them gently, and to their astonishment, into the adjacent fields, or occasionally cutting them to pieces. A bullock that was taking a comfortable nap on the line of rail be- twixt Butfalo and Rochester, had his slumbers sadly in- terrupted by being cut to pieces, the night before we passed. In fact, 1 wonder that accidents do not more frequently happen. Betwixt Buffalo and Albany, we not only crossed on the level twenty or thirty different streets, besides roads innumerable, but travelled on some of them for a raije, the line of railway running right 290 NORTH AMERICA. through their centre. Even at Rochester, a town con- taining 50,000 people, the railway passes right down through the main street, the bell ringing the whole time to warn people of their danger. In towns, however, such as Philadelphia or New York there is this difference, that the railway cars, which in some respects resemble large omnibuses, are drawn on the rails laid down in the streets, by horses or mules, which, when they come to the sub- urbs, are taken out, and the locomotive engine substi- tuted in their place. I recollect, at Philadelphia, of see- ing no less than 7 mules in a line, drawing the cars through the very heart of that city. The cars, as I said before, are like large omnibuses, holding about flO people in each, there being a passage down the middle for people to walk iij) and down, and two seats on each side of this passage, the passengers all sitting back to back, and with their faces to the engine, so that you might actually suppose that you were comfortably seated in a small church upon wheels. The cars communicate with each other, and the man who takes the tickets is constantly walking up and down, (the height of the carriages being 7 feet,) giving tickets to one, taking them from another, and exchang- ing them with a third. This part of the American rail- way system I consider admirable, and worthy of being adopted in this country. There is one thing, however, which ought not to be forgotten, namely, that from their cheap construction, avoiding tunnels and cuttings, American railways have cost at an average not above £5000 sterling a-mile, whilst ours have cost £35,000. By postponing also till an after period the erection of magnificent railway stations (called by them depots), the knocking down of substantial houses, and by dispensing w ith the innumerable bridges which we have in this countrv, the Americans have been enabled to NORTH AMERICA. 997 construct 15,000 miles of railways at the cost of little more than as many hundreds in this country ; and have thus within a few years, obtained the advantages of rail- way travelling throughout the length and breadth of the Union, which, under a more expensive system, would probably have been deferred for half a century. They have generally but one class of cars, so that all pay alike. This may do all very well under a republican form of government where they all are, or pretend to be, on a footing of equality, but it would not answer so well here. The chief eifect of this system appears to be, that it makes the rich pay less and the poor more than they ought to do. It is thus an advantage to the one and a disadvantage to the other. The average charge per mile throughout the States may be stated at three halfpence, which is a halfpenny per mile more than the Parliamentary trains in this country, whilst it is a halfpenny per mile less than the average rate of our first class carriages. They use the word ** cars" in America instead of carriages, and " depots" instead of stations. In some respects the arrangements and management of American railways are superior to our own. The carriages are from fifty to sixty feet long, resting at each end on a low four-wheeled truck, which, turning on a pivot, admits of sharp curves being passed without danger of *' derailment," — that is, running off the rails. The seats are placed across, on either side of a clear central space ; and as the doors are at the end, a passage-way is thus obtained throughout the whole length of a train — an iron footplate serving to bridge over the space between the carriages. There is a positive advantage in this arrangement; the guard may be readily communicated with at any time in case of danger, and passengers, in- stead of sitting as though packed into a tea-chest, may 298 NORTH AMERICA. pass from carriage to carriage, according a» they may wish to change their scats, to look for a fricnil, or discover a conversable companion. A compartment at one end of each carriage is reserved exclusively for the use of women, and is fitted up with washing apparatus and other conveniences. In cold weather the whole vehicle is kept warm by a stove, and lighted always at night by a lamp at each end. The seats are stuffed, and have padded backs, in all carriages alike, there being in most of their railways no distinction of first, second, or third class. The principle in America is to afford the same accommo- dation to all at the lowest profitable scale of charges ; and it has been found that the dividends are greatest on the lines where the fares are lowest. Such arrangements might not be generally acceptable in England ; but the experiment would be worth trying, whether light, roomy carriages, of only one class, with stuffed seats and mode- rate fares, would find favour on the one hand, and bring profit on the other. Besides the advantages here indicated, the American carriages are but half the weight of those made in this country ; consequently the 60 or 70 passengers which each will accommodate, are conve}ed with economy of locomotive power, and almost the minimum of *dead weight.' It is a common occurrence in England to see a train weighing twenty tons set in motion for the transport of one ton of passengers. For the engines they almost invariably burn wood, in lieu of coke or coal. The arrangements in America respecting luggage de- serve also to be noticed. The guard receives your trunks, bags, or boxes, attaches to each a numbered zinc label, and for each one gives you a duplicate, and locks the whole in a special compartment. At the journey's end, you choose among the porters of the respec- NORTH AMERICA. 299 live hotels waiting on the platform, hand your zinc labels to one of them, and walk or ride away, with the comfort- able assurance that all your luggage will safely follow. Complaints about lost luggage are consequently rare. It may be said that the throng of passengers, and press of business are so much greater in England than America, as to preclude similar arrangements. Here thousands travel short distances ; there hundreds travel long dis- tances. Here from ten to twenty trains a day from a station scarcely satisfy the demand ; there four daily trains suffice for the whole traffic. The American plan however, with some modifications, might be easily introduced here, and would, I am inclined to think, soon become popular. 3U0 NOKTII AMERICA. CHAPTER XVII. Description of Albany — Sail on the river Hudson — Major Andre — New York — Its present state and future greatness — Omnibuses at New York — Visit to Schools there — Fatal Riot at the Opera House, New York — Emperor Napoleon's plan for (|uelling a Riot — The 4th of July — Psalms and Hymnf) used in certain Churches, composed with reference to the War of Independence. Albany, the political capital of the State of New York, at whicli I had now arrived, is hoaulifully situated on the west, or right bank of the river Hudson, 145 miles above the city of New York. It has had a rapid rise, the popu- lation in the year 1800 being only 4000, whereas now it is 50,000. It was founded in 1(J12 by people from Hol- land; but on the capture of New York, and the surrender of the other Dutch possessions to the English in l(ifj4, it received its present name in honor of James, Duke of York and Albany, (to whom it had been given by his brother Charles II.) who afterwards became James II. The capitol, in which are the legislative halls, situated at the head of State Street, 130 feet above the river, is a splendid building, and from the observatory at the top of it, to which I ascended, there is a commanding view of the city, the river, and surrounding country. You have also a fine, though distant view of the thriving city of NORTH AMERICA. 3OI Troy, seven miles from Albany, farther up, and on the left bank of the river, which now contains 30,000 inhabi- tants. The river Hudson was named after Henry Hudson, an English mariner of some celebrity, who, during the years 1G07 and 1608, when in the employ of a company of London merchants, made two voyages to the northern coasts of America, with the hope of finding a passage through those icy seas to the genial climes of Southern Asia. His employers being disheartened by his failure, he next entered the service of the Dutch East India Com- pany, and in April 1609 sailed on his third voyage. After examining the waters of Delaware Bay, and following the eastern coast of New Jersey, he anchored his vessel on 13th September 1609 within Sandy Hook, alow sandy island 17 miles south from New York. After a week's delay he passed through the Narrows, nine miles below New York, which are scarcely a mile wide, and form the entrance to New York harbour, between Long Island on the east, and Staton Island on the west. Dur- ing ten days he continued to ascend the noble river that bears his name ; nor was it until his vessel had passed beyond the present city of Hudson (1 16 miles north from New York,) that he appears to have relinquished all hopes of being able to reach the Pacific by this inland j)assage. He returned to Europe and landed in England on 17th November 1609, but the King (James I.) jealous of the advantages which the Dutch might derive from the discovery, forbade his return to Holland. The Hudson on which I was now about to embark for New York, is one of the most beautiful rivers in the world, yielding the palm perhaps only to the Rhine and the Ohio, whilst the multitude of vessels with their white sails constantly sailing up and down her noble stream, 30*2 XORTU AMERICA. impart a greater degree of liveliness to the scene than her rivals can boast of. The steamer *^ New World'' in which we sailed down tlie Hudson, was 376 feet long, 41 in width, 80 feet over all, with engines of 1500 horse power, and cost fifty thousand pounds sterling. Having three decks it must be capable of accommodating 2000 jieople, and may not in- appropriately be called a floating village. The helmsman, or rather steersman, occupies a small glass house on the upper deck, near the head or bow s of the vessel, the wheel being connected with the rudder by chains working the whole length of the deck. The fare of two dollars in the cabin does not include provisions, but there was an admir- able restaurateur on board, where, if so disposed, you may (as the Americans say) "eat yourself." Ou leaving Albany we soon arrived at the city of Hudson on the east bank of the river, containing 10,000 inhabitants and situate 29 miles from Albany. On reach- ing Sing- Sing, also on the east bank, 33 miles from New York, we had a fine view of the celebrated State Prison erected there, 500 feet in length, and occupying 130 acres of ground. It derives its name from the Indian terms ossin siny^ (stony ground) a most apposite name. The Croton river enters the Hudson two miles above Sing- Sing, but I shall have occasion afterwards to make more particular mention of this river, in reference to its supply of water for New York. Six miles below Sing- Sing and on the same side of the river, is Tarrytown (27 miles from New York) celebrated as the place where the unfortunate Major Andre, Adjutant-General of theBritish army at New Y'ork, was captured. He had undertaken to have a personal interview with the traitor General Arnold, within the American lines, in order to make arrangements for the surrender to the British of the im- NORTH AMERICA. 303 portant post of West Point, which Arnold commanded. We had about two hours before passed West Point, 52 miles from New York which is now the seat of the national military academy. On his return from the meeting, Andre was arrested by three American militia men, (since called the cow-boys) who were patrolling between the outposts of the armies. He made them several offers which were rejected, and at last oifered them a draft on Sir Henry Clinton, the British Com- mander-in-chief at New York, for ten thousand guineas if they would let him go, he to remain a hostage with two of the party, until one of them could ride to the British (juarters and return with the money; but tliis offer was also rejected. Nearly opposite to Tarry- town, on the right bank of the river, is Pierraont, and 3 miles to the west of it lies the village of Tappan, celebrated as having been the hoad-(|uarters of Washing- ton during the Revolution, and the place where the ami- able, though unfortunate, Major Andre was executed. He was conducted there after his arrest at Tarrytown, and brought for trial before a board of 14 general officers, among whom was the celebrated young French General, La Fayette, * who found that he ought to be considered as a spy, and to suffer death. The sentence was put in execution on 2d October 1780. It became known, long after Andre's death, that General Washington had been most anxious to save him ; and with this laudable and humane object in view, had tried two or three plans, but all of these having unfortunately failed, he had no alter- native left but to sign the warrant for his execution, * When La Fayette in 1825 revisited the United States, 46 years after- wards, his journey was one continued scene of triumph, throwing all the othor triumphs, either of ancient or modern times, completely into the «hada. 304 NORTH AMERICA. which he reluctantly did, with tears in his eyes, the feel- ing against the British heing then very strong, as pre- vious to this period, various American officers had been put to death by the British, from having been found within British lines. Among others. Captain Hale from Con- necticut, who, in 177G, four years previous, had volun- teered to bring to General Washington information regard- ing the British army on Long Island. Having entered the British lines in disguise as a spy, and obtained the re(juisite information, he was apj)reheniled on his attempt to return, carried before the British General, (Sir Wil- liam Howe,) and by his orders was executed next morn- ing. After passing the palisades, a remarkable range of precipices rising to the height of 500 feet, and extending from Tappan, 20 miles on the west side of the river, nearly as far dow n as New York, we arrived about 5 in the after- noon at that wonderful city, having taken ten hours to come from Albany. The farmers on the right bank of tlie Hudson were at one time chiefly Dutch, and their descendents, while those on the left bank were mostly of German origin ; but the ])ure Dutch families are rapidly becoming extinct. My description of New York will be i)ut brief; its leading features being so well known, and having been so often described by other and more talented authors. Suffice it to say, generally, that it ranks now as the third commercial city in the world, being surpassed only by Liverpool and London in the extent of it commerce. It possesses unrivalled facilities for trade and commerce, having a splendid and beautiful harbour, perfectly safe and easy of access, extending 8 miles S. of the city to the " Narrows," (an entrance about three-quarters of a mile wide,) and 25 miles in circumference. Manhattan Island, on which it is built, is 13 miles in length, averaging nearly NORTH AMERICA. 3O5 2 in width, and contains 14,000 acres of land. It is bounded on the south by the harbour ; on the east by the East and Harlem rivers, the former separating it from Long Island Sound ; on the west by Hudson river, called generally the North river, which separates it from New Jersey ; and on the north by Harlem river. It has thus an extent of 2() miles of deep and secure water frontage, which is fast being taken up, already extending 8 miles round the city, and will ere a century have elapsed, when ten million of human beings will be seen hurrying along its crowded streets, present to the astonished eyes of the nations then standing u])on the earth, a spectacle such as it is hardly possible for the human mind even to con- ceive, throwing, most assuredly, every other city in the habitable globe, infaUibly, immeasureably, and irretriev- ably into the shade. In order to shew that this is not an imaginary picture of its probable future greatness, take the population of New York proper, that is on Manhattan Island, at 750,000 in 1855, then in 1880 we shall have 1,500,000, in 1905 3,000 000, in 1930, 0,000,000, and in 1955 no less than twelve millions. Assuming in like manner, that the population of the United States doubles itself every 25 years, and taking it at 30,000,000 in 1855, then in 1880, we have 00,000,000 ; in 1905, 120,000,000; in 1930, 240,000,000; and in 1955, no less than 480,000,000 ; about the one-half of the whole inhabitants at present in the world. Professor Newman calculates, that if the existing population of the world were to encrease for twelve centuries as fast as they do in the United States, there would be no room left in the solid earth, for men, women and children to stand upon, allowing only a square foot for each. I am happy to think that I shall have left the earth before that time. 306 NORTH AMERICA. New York has had a most extraordinary rise. In the year 1677, it contained only 2000 inhabitants, in 1790, only :?3,000, and in 1«00, 75,000, whereas by the census of \HA5y its population had increased to 371,'i2H, and by that of 1850, to no less than 522,766; having thus dur- ing these five years alone, added 150,000 to its numbers. In 1855, it will no doubt contain 750,000, and that ex- clusive of Brooklyn, and Williamsburg, which though divided from it by the East river, (half a-inile w ide), may be called its appendages or suburbs, the former containing at present 120,000, and the latter 40,000. The popula- tion of the whole, therefore, will amount in 1855, to one million. Of this vast multitude, there is no city in the \\ orld composed of so many different nations. You have here 20,000 free negroes, or as they are called people of color; 50,000 Germans and Dutch; 100.000 Irish, be- sides French, Danes, Swiss, Welsh, Knglish, Scotch, Italians, Turks, Chinese, Swedes, Russians, Norwe- gians, Poles, Hungarians, Spaniards, Sicilians, Africans, and, in short, a few of all the nations upon the earth ; though you see neither priests, beggars, soldiers, nor drunken men. There are supposed to be 50,000 people who arrive at and depart from New York every day. Though this beautiful city occupies but a part of Man- hattan Island, yet the ambitious design is, that it should eventually fill up the whole ; and it is obviously destined to bear out the anticipation of the founders. Already Broadway, its principal street, is 5 miles long, and will, when completed, be 13 miles in length. It has two de- fects however, which it is impossible now to remedy. It is badly engineered, and not sufficiently wide, being only 80 feet, whereas it ought to have been at least 100. The crowd of omnibuses constantly passing along Broadway, particularly the south end of it, is astonishing, amounting NORTH AMERICA. 3()7 to no less than 500, so that you have often have to wait ten minutes before you are able to cross the street. They have no conductor attached to them. The driver has the entire charge of the machine ; he drives, opens and shuts, or " fixes"* the door, takes the money ; exhorts the pas- sengers to be " smart," all by himself; yet he never quits the box. He keeps command of the door, by having beside him the end of a leather strap, which is fastened to the door, and passes along the roof through a number of rings, to a catch by his side. When he wishes to open the door, he slackens, when he desires to shut it, he tightens the strap, and thus no one can give him leg-bail, and be off without paying their fare. The money is paid to him, and directions to stop given, through a hole in the roof just behind the seat; and it is marvellous with what celerity and sang f raid he takes your money, and perhaps give you change with one hand, while driving his team with the other through a crowded street. Ahhough there are 3000 omnibuses in London, yet the great difference betwixt London and New York is the comparative absence in the latter of private carriages, and cabs, or hackney coaches. This arises from the circum- stance of the different hotels of New York having all j)rivate coaches of tlieir own to drive travellers to or from railways and steam- boats, which render the use of other carriages, to a certain extent, unnecessary. People of all classes, however, make use of the omnibuses, and the numbers of them are consequently so great, and they are driven with such rapidity, that Mike Walsh, descanting • The word **fix" is used in America in the sense of the French word '■* arranger." To fix the hair, the table, the fire, and the door, means to dress the hair, to lay the table, to make up the lire, and to shut the door. When a person tells you that he has got his son comfortably " fixed," he means to intimate that he has procured for him a good situation, 30g NORTH AMERICA. upon the superiority of the people of New York city over those of the other parts of the State, says that it requires more intelligence to get out of the way of omnihuses in the city of New York, than it does to be a justice of the peace in the country. Had Broadway been as wide and as straight as Oxford Street, London, it would have been, from its great length, incomparably the finest street in the world ; whereas, by this great blunder, it must yield the i)alm to its great rival street in the metropolis of the r.iiti>h Islrs, ;ind still more to the Boulevards of Paris. New York has been visited by some auful conflagra- tions. In 1835 a tire burned over 52 acres of the richest part of it, destroying property to the amount of eighteen million of dollars; and in 1845 another fire destroyed houses and stores to the value of six million of dollars. The j)igs that used formerly to roam about the streets have almost disappeared, though the rats seem to be numerous. A mathematician calculates that one pair of rats, with their progeny, will in 3 years produce G4G,808 rats, which would consume daily as much food as 64,G80 men, leaving G rats to starve. Tiie Rev. Dr Hawes of Hartford, State of Connecticut, in a sermon which he preached on 27th October 1839, said, that there was only one young man in twelve, who began business in New York, who succeeded and became rich ; the rest passed through speculation and various fortunes to bankruptcy and ultimate ruin. The Scrip- ture proclaims, that " He that hastetli to be rich hath an evil eve, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him."* The whole taxes payable by houses in New York may be computed, as nearly as possible, at 10 per cent, on the rental. " NORTH AMERICA 3()g It is a very healthy place, as a Mrs Elizabeth Fitz- patrick died at Brooklyn on 1st April 1852, at the won- derful age of 145. She was a native of Scotland, and had led to the altar no less than 8 husbands, 4 in Scot- land and 4 in America. She left 30 children. New York is the principal port of debarkation for the numerous emigrants from Europe, who now land annually in the United States. In the year 1848 there were 189,176, and in 1849 no less than 220,603. Of these these there were from Ireland, ..... 112,591 England and Wales, . . . 30,103 Scotland, ..... 8,840 Germany, ..... 65,705 Holland, Norway, and Sweden, . 6,754 France, ..... 2,683 In the year 1 850 — 2 1 2,796 landed there,of whom 144,677 were natives of the United Kingdom, namely, 116,552 Irish, and 28,135 English and Scotch, and every year since that the numbers have been increasing. Being desirous of visiting some of the schools, 1 was favoured with the following letter of introduction from my polite friends, Harper and Brothers, the greatest pub- lisliers in the world, (principally reprints of the most celebrated English works) to Joseph M'Keen, Esq., county-superintendent of common schools of the city and county of New York. One of the Harpers was formerly mayor of New York : — No. 82 Cliff Street, October 10, 1850. Dear Sir — We take the liberty of introducing to you Mr Marjoribanks, author of several interesting books of travels, who wishes to examine some of our public schools. We are, dear Sir, yours respectfully, Habpeb & Brothers. Joseph M'Keen, Esq. 310 NORTH AMERICA. I accompanied Mr M'Kcen, who was cxcec(liTieized upon this opportunity of exhibiting their antipathy to the mother country, by an unworthy attempt to wreak their vengeance on a solitary and inoffensive native of the British Isles. It is gratifying to record, that almost the whole i)ress of the United States, to their honor be it spoken, were loud in condemning the attack thus made upon a stranger, who had come peaceably to visit their hosj)itable shores. The riot, though beginning from an apparently trivial cause, lasted for six hours, and the difficulty of suppressing it, exhibits in a striking manner, the danger of mobocracy in a republic, a.s it recjuired the united exertions of a division of the State militia, a batal- lion of the national guards, a regiment of cavalry, and two the city hiill, crossinR valleys and rivers. The reservoir created by the 'dam, is five miles in length, covers a surface of 400 acres, and contains 500,000,000 gallons of water. There is now no city in the world better supplied with pure .ind wholesome water than New York ; and the supply would be abundant if the population were five times its present number. O 314 NORTH AMERICA. j)ieceb ot artillery, to restore order. The riot indeed wa;? not (juelled until 28 persons were killed, several of whom were females, and ahove 30 wounded. It is stated that the person who commanded the troops on this occasion, (the City Marshal, I believe;, from the most humane motives no doubt, unfortunately committed the great mis- take of ordering the military to fire blank cartridge only, at first. It would have been a fortunate circumstance, if that individual had previously made himself acquainted with the sentiments which the Kmperor Napoleon enter- rained on this subject, as thus recorded in that celebrated work, entitled ** Napoleon in Exile, or a Voice from St •Helena," written by O'Meara his late surgeon. " I then askod how many men be supposed had lost their lives in the business of the 13lh VendJmiairc ? He replied, * Very few, considering the circumstances. Of the people, there were about serenty or eighty killed, and between three and four hundred wounded ; of the conventionalista, aboat thirty killed, and two hundred and'fifty wounded. The reason of there heini? so few killed, wa», that after the first two discharges, I made the troops load with powder only, which had the effect of frightening the Parisians, and answered as well as killing them would have done. I made Iho troops at first fire ball, because to a rabble who are ignorant of the eiToct of fire-arms, it is the worst possible policy to fire powder only in the bci^inning. For the populace after the first discharge, hearing a great noise, are a little frightened, but looking around them, and seeing nobody killed or wounded, pluck up their spirits, begin iramediatelv to despise you, become doubly outrageous, and rush on without fear; and it is necessary to kill ten times the number that it would have been, had ball been used at first. For, with a rabble, every thing depends upon the first impression made upon them. If they receive a discharge of fire arms, and perceive the killed and wounded falling amongst them, a panic seizes them, they take to their heels instantly, and vanish in a moment. Therefore, when it is necessary to fire at all, it ought to be done with ball at first. It is a mistaken instance of humanity to use powder only at that moment, an;l in- stead of saving tho lives of men, ultimately causes an unncrrssrirv waste of human blood.'" There is one thing, however, which ought to be borne NORTH AMERICA. 3I5 in mind, namely, that in none of the riots which have taken place in the United States have the people mani- fested the least disposition for plunder. They have some- times destroyed the private property of individuals, and come in hostile collision with one another, but in no in- stance have they shown the least design to enrich them- selves. There are too many people in America interested in the preservation of order, from having more or less property to defend against any encroachment upon it. To one rioter there are one hundred admirers of order, and a hundred more ready to preserve it, with all the power in their hands. Though we may occasionally hear of Lynch law, or no law at all, yet we may rest assured that a criminal in America is looked upon as the enemy of the human race, and the whole of mankind are against him. To show the strong feeling that still exists against this country, a mob (mostly Irish) gathered round the Irving House, New York, on 10th December 1851, from the dome of which the English flag, along with those of the United States, Hungary, and Turkey, was flying in honor of Kossuth, who was stopping there, and threatened, that if not instantly pulled down, they would do it them- selves. It was pulled down accordingly by the landlord. I called one Sunday at the Astor House, where my esteemed friend Alexander Stuart, Esq., of Edinburgh, resided, (and where they make up 500 beds,) and accom- panied him to church. After walking about a mile along Broadway, we struck down towards the East river, and landed in one of the Reformed Dutch Churches, where we were politely accommodated with seats, and where the service seemed to be conducted in every respect like that of the Church of Scotland. I found in the seat a stereo- type edition of the Psalms and Hymns used by that church ; and the clergyman, Dr M'Elroy, whom I had o 2 jj,j NORTH AMERICA. occasion to see next day, politely presented me \\itli a copy. The following are two of the verses in one of the hymns we sang — And !■ it true, that many fly The sound that bids my soul rejoice ? And rather choose in sin to die, Than turn an ear to mercy '» Toice. Alas for those ! — the day is near, Mhen mercy vrill be heard no more ; Then will they ask in vain to hear The voice they would not hear before. In looking over this large collection, consisting of 500 pages, I was somewhat surprised to find that some of the Psalms, instead of being those of David converted into metre, were of their own composition, and that these were chieHy devoted to celebrating their exploits in the war of nidependence. One would have thought that their annual great demonstration on the 4th of July would have been sullicient for the purpose. But is it necessary that that day should be celebrated in the manner it is ? Now that nearly a century has passed away is it indispensable to the pleasures even of that day, to revive feelings in the children, which, if found in the parents, are to be excused only by the extremities to which they were pressed ? Is it generous, now that they have achieved the victory, not to forcive the adversary ? Is it manly, now that they have nothing to fear from Britain, to indulge in expressions of hate and vindictiveness ? No. The safety and prosperity of America does not require the exercise of the degrad- ing and ignoble feeling of jealousy of the land from \^hich she sprang. She should scorn the patriotism which cherishes the love of one's own country by the hatred of another. This is to forego her vocation. And since the destiny of the republican model of government is justly NORTH AMERICA 317 considered as deeply, nay perhaps as finally staked on the experiment intrusted to her people, America should feel that her destinies are thus high and peculiar ; and should she accomplish her important mission by wielding more noble weapons, she would be entitled to reap a degree of glory such as Greece, with all her platonic imaginings never sought ; and such as Rome, with all her real triumphs, never found. The psalms to which I have just alluded must have the effect, even more, perhaps, than their political demon- strations, of keeping alive in their minds that feeling of enmity against their former oppressors, as they call the British, which might now, with safety, be allowed to sub- side ; besides administering to their national vanity, already sufficiently great, in thus constantly reminding them ot :he achievements of their ancestors, which, however, glo- rious they may have been, ought now to be consigned to the pages of history rather than to those of a hymn book. 1 shall give three extracts from this collection. The first is from a pialm styled " The Conqueror's Song." • To thine Almighty arm we owe The triumphs of the day ; Thy terrors, Lord, confound the foe, And melt his strengtii away. Tis by thine aid our troops prevail. And break united pow'rs: Or burn their boasted tieets, or scale The proudest of their tow'rs. How have we chas'd them through the field, And trod them to the ground, While thy salvation was oar shield, And they no shelter fouudi" The two following verses are liom the 18th Psalm, 318 NORTH AMERICA. and (Icnominatod '* Thanksgiving ; applied to the Ame- rican revolution." •* When fir'd to rage, aijainst our nation rose Chiefs of proud name, and bands of liaughty foes ; He train'd our hosts to finht, with arms array 'd. With health Jnvigor*d, and with bounty fed: Gave U4 his chosen chief our sons to guide ; Heard crVy pray'r, and er'ry want supplied. He gttve their armies captive to our hands, Or sent them frustrate to their native lands : Hurst th<' dark snare, di«clo»*d the roiry pit. And led to broad, safe grounds, our sliding feet ; Bounteous for us, extondt-d regions won. The fairest empire spread boDoath the sun." The last is from the 2 1st Psalm. " In thee, groat God, with songs of praise. Our favour'd realms rejoice ; And, blest with thy s&lTaiion, raise To heaTen their cheerful Toice. Thy sure defence, from foes around, • Hath spread our rising name ; And all our feeble efforts crown'd With freedom and with fame. Id deep distress our injur'd land Implor'd thy power to saTc ; For peace we pray'd, thy bounteous hand Tlie timely blessing gate. Thv mighty arm, eternal pow'r, Oppos'd their deadly aim ; In mercy swept them from our shore. And spread their sails with shame. When sinners fall, the righteous stand, Preserv'd from ev'ry snare ; They shall possess the promis'd land. And dwell for ever there." NORTH AMERICA. 319 They have a splendid French church at New York, where the service is regularly performed by the minister in the French language. The greater part of the audience attend for the sole purpose of studying the idiom of a fashionable tongue. 320 NORTU AMERICA. CllAP'i'i'ii Will. Slavery in tlio United Slates — Number of Slaro-ownera — Slave-breeding States — Account of Virginia — Failure of the Libcrian Colony — Population of the United State* in 1830 — Governor Hanimond's Letter to Thomas ClarKson — Dreadful Depression in the Island of Jamaica — Cause of tliu Abolition of Slavery in the Free Slates of the I'nion — Slavery uplitld by the Clergy in America — Selling Slaves by Auction. Having discussed the subject of slavery when treating of the Empire of Brazil, it now only remains that I should iiive some little account of it as it exists at present in the United Stales. It may he proper, however, to mention a fact, of which few are auare, that tliere are not above 300,000 individuals who hold sla\es in the United States, so tluit the property vested in three and a half millions of human beings is all held by that comparatively small body of slave-owners. And now that the importation of fresh slaves from Africa has been prohibited, the chief part of the trade carried on at present, consists in the rearing of slaves in one province, and selling them in another. The former mav be called the slave-breeding States ; the latter tlie slave-using States. Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and part of Ken- tucky, are the chief provinces employed in rearing slaves for exportation to New Orleans, Alabama, and the valley NORTH AMERICA. 321 of the Mississippi, where, from the great demand, a stout young male slave will bring from £150 to £200 sterling. The trade is carried on in the larger towns of Virginia and Maryland by regular dealers, who purchase the young slaves from those who have either reared them or col- lected them like sheep from some other (juarter, selling them of course again with a profit ; and the nature of the trade may be understood from the following advertise- ments of the Baltimore and Virginian merchants : — " Cash for Negroes. — The subscriber being desirous of making another shipment to New Orleans, will give a good market price for fifty negroes from ten to thirty years old. — Henry Davis.'' *• The subscriber wishes to purchase 100 slaves of both sexes, from the age of ten to thirty, for which he is disposed to give much higher prices ihan have heretofore been given. He will call on those living in the adja- cent counties to see any property Axsley Davis." A Cauu. " A. Woolfolk wishes to inform the owners of negroes in Maryland, Vir- ginia, and North Carolina, tliat he is not dead, as has been artfully repre- sented by his opponents, but that he still lives to give them Cash and the highest prices for their negroes. Persons having negroes to dispose of will please give him a chance, by addressing him at Baltimore, when imme- diate attention will bo paid to their wishes." " Notice. — This is to inform the public generally, that I yet continue in the slave-trade, at Richmond, Virginia, and will at all times buy and give a fair market price for young negroes. Persons in this State, Maryland, or North Carolina, Avishing to sell lots of negroes, are particularly requested to forward their wishes to me at this place. Persons wishing to purchase lots of negroes are requested to give me a call, as I keep constantly on hand at this place a great many on sale, and will sell at all times at a small advance on cost to suit purchasers. I have comfortable rooms, with a jail attached, for the reception of the negroes ; and persons coming to this place to sell slaves, can be accommodated, and the reception of the company of gentle- •sen dealing in slaves will conveniently and attentively be received. — Lewis A. COLLIEU." The more extensive slave-dealers have all a large depot which they call a jail, into which they put their slaves, 322 NORTH AMERICA. and it resembles a prison in every respect, being provided with chains, handcuffs, and other means of preventing escape. Purchasers inspect them in these jails, select those that will suit them, and then make the best bargain they can. Though slave-traders are a class of men much abused in England, yet, as slaves are property, and must, like all other proi)erty, frequently change owners, it necessarily follows that slave-dealers are but the merchants, by whose intervention the article changes hands, and are conse- quently no more deserving of our censure than the drover who takes the hogs and horses of Tennessee to a market in the Atlantic States. In 1829, it was estimated that the annual revenue to Vir'^inia from the export of human flesh, was one million and a half of dollars, and in 1H32 it had arrived at so high a pitch, that T. J. Randolph declared in the legislature of the State, that Virginia had been converted into '* one t'rand menagerie, where men were reared for market, like oxen for the shambles." Slave-rearing, in fact, brings now more money into Virginia than all its cotton or tobacco. It generally takes all their labour to clothe and support them, so that the chief profits of the owners are derived from the sale of the young ones. In the year 1013, Mr John Rolf, an Eng- lishman, settled in Virginia, married Pocahontas, the daughter of Powhatan, a celebrated Indian chief. Three years afterwards he took her to England on a visit, where she was treated with great respect, but died the following year at Gravesend, in the '22d year of her age, just as she was about to embark for America. She left a son, who having received his education in England, went over to Virginia, where he lived and died in affluence and honour, leaving behind him an only daughter, whose descendents NORTH AMERICA. 323 are among the most respectable families at present in Virginia. The brother-in-law of Pocahontas accompanied her to England, and was directed by Powhatan to bring him an exact account of the numbers and strength of the Eng- lish. For this purpose he provided himself with a bundle of sticks, intending to cut a notch in them for every person he should meet with. On landing at Plymouth he became appalled at the magnitude of his task, but not- withstanding, he notched indefatigably till he entered Piccadilly in London, when he instantly threw away his bundle. On his return to America, being asked by Pow- hatan how many people there were, he replied, " Count the stars in the sky, the leaves on the trees, and the sands on the sea-shore ; for such is the number of the people of England." The whole Indians now in America do not exceed 300,000 individuals. In the year 1610, the cultivation of tobacco was first introduced into Virginia, and sells there at sixpence the pound. The plant grows to the height of about 5 feet. In 1G19 the first convicts, amounting to 100, and called " dissolute persons," were transported from England to Virginia, and were, at that period, very acceptable to the colonists. During that year also, the first cargo of ne- groes, consisting of 20, was imported from Africa into Virginia, in a Dutch vessel, of whom the Virginians made slaves. The year 1(322 was remarkable for a massacre of the colonists of Virginia by the Indians, which was executed" witii the utmost subtlety, and without any regard to age or sex. A well concerted attack on all the settlements, destroyed, in one hour, and almost at the same instant, 347 persons, men, women, and children, who were de- fenceless, and incapable of making any resistance. The 324 NORTH AMERICA. miseries of famine were soon superadded to the horrors of massacre; so that in IG24, out of 80 plantations which were filhng a-pace, only 8 remained, and of the 0000 emigrants who had arrived from England, no more than ISOO survived tliose manifold disasters. In 1712 a similar massacre was perpetrated hy the In- dians in the State of Carolina, where a number of Pala- tines from Germany, who had been reduced to indigence hy a calamitous war, took up their residence. The Tus- corora tribe of Indians formed a conspiracy with profound secrecy during that year, to murder and expel this infant colony. Having surrounded their principal town with a breastwork to secure their families, they mustered in it to the number of 1200, and sent out small parties to the dif- ferent settlements under the mask of friendship. On the night agreed upon for the attack, they entered the houses of the planters, demanding provisions, and pretending to be otfended, fell to murdering men, women, and children without mercy or distinction ; 137 settlers, among whom were almost all the poor Germans who had lately arrived, having been slaughtered the first ni2,6G1 90,355 Virginia, 940,000 460,000 North Carolin;i. 480,000 260,000 South Carolina, 280.000 350,000 Georgia, 553,000 365.000 Florida, 40,000 22,00(1 Alabama, 1-40,000 330,000 Mississippi, 300,000 320,000 Loui:00, whilst the Americans had only 7 killed, and G wounded. Most of the English troops were veterans who had just been in the Peninsular war under Wellington, and it is said that the watch-word of the day was " beauty and bootij^'' two words admirably calculated to rouse the passions, and captivate the hearts of British soldiers. They were excited not only by the hope of plunder when they reached the city, but because the dark-eyed beauties of Spain, whom they had latelv left, were represented as not more attractive than the far-famed beauties of New Orleans. General Jackson in addressing his troops shortly after the battle, called them " the saviours of their country, who had triumphed over the invincibles of Wellington, and conquered the con- querors of Europe." The Emperor Napoleon used to call the Russians bar- barians, to whom every country was better than the one which gave them birth. " When, " he added," the Cossacks entered France, it was indifferent to them what women they violated, old or young were alike 3.50 NORTU AMERICA. to them, as any were preferable to those they liad left behind." When the Duke of Wellington was asked by George IV., then Prince Regent, what his opinion was of the Emperor Napoleon's mode of fighting the battle of Waterloo, his answer was, ** that he fought his battle with the most consummate skill, j)erseverance, and bravery ; and if there could, by any possibility have been a fault, with, perhaj)s a little too much precipitation." That the Emperor Napoleon had not such a high re- spect for the Duke, as the Duke had for him, will ap- i)ear from the following extract from O'Meara's work, en- titled *' Napoleon in Exile, or a Voice from St Helena." Napoleon conversod a great deal about the bailie of Waterloo. Tlic plan of the battle, said he, will not, in the eyes of the hi»tonan, reflect much credit on Lord Wellington as a general. In the first place, he ought not to have given battle with the armies divided ; indeed, I could scarcely believe that he would have given me battle, because if he had retreated to Antwerp, as he ought to have done, I must have been overwhelmed by the armies of three or four hundred thousand men that were coming against me. Bv givin'' me battle there was a chance for me. The English and Prussian armies should have been united before the 15th, as he must have known that I intended to attack him. MoreoTcr, it was folly in him to give me battle where, if defeated, all must have been lost, for he could not retreat, as there was a forest in his rear, and only one road to gain it. To effect a retreat well, it is necessary to have several roads by which an army can retire in large bodies, and with celerity, and also be able to defend them- selves if attacked. It would have required twelve hours, without being molested, to enable Wellington's army to have got into the forest. The confusion of a beaten army attempting to retreat by one road, would have been such as to cause its total destruction when attacked. lie also com- mitted a great fault, which might have proved the destruction of all bis army, without its erer having commenced the campaign, or being drawn out in battle ; he allowed himself to be surprised. On the 15lh I was at Charleroi, and had beaten the Prussians without his knowing any thing about it. I h&O gained forty-eight hours of manixuvres upon him, which was a great object ; and if some of my generals had showed that vigour and genius which they had displayed in other times, I should have taken bis NORTH AMERICA. 35 1 array in cantonments, without ever fighting a battle. But they were dis- couraged, and fancied that they saw an army of a hundred thousand men every where opposed to them. I had not time enough myself to attend to tlie minutiae of the army. I counted upon surprising and cutting them up in detail. I knew of Bulow's arrival at eleven o'clock, but I did not re- gard it. I had still eighty chances out of a handred in my favour Not- withstanding the superiority of force against me, I was convinced that I should obtain the victory. I had about seventy thousand men, of whom fifteen thousand were cavalry. I had also two hundred and fifty pieces of cannon, and Bulow had thirty thousand, making a hundred and twenty thousand. Of all those troops, however, I only reckoned the English as being able to cope with my own ; the others I thought little of. 1 believe that of English there were from thirty-five to forty thousand. These I esteemed to be as brave and as good as my own troops ; the English army Mas well known latterly on the continent, and besides, your nation possesses cour- age and energy. As to the Prussians, Belgians, and others, half the number of my troops were sufficient to beat them. I only left thirty-four thousand men to take care of the Prussians, The chief causes of the loss of that battle were, first of all, Grouchy's great tardiness and neglect in executing is orders ; next, the grenadiers a cheiul and the cavalry under General Guyot, which I had in reserve, and which were never to leave me, engaged without orders and without my knowledge ; so that after the last charge, when the troops were beaten, and the English cavalry advanced, I had not a single corps of cavalry in reserve to resist them, instead of one which I esteemed to be equal to double their own number. In consequence of this the English attack succeeded, and all was lost. There was no means of rallying. The youngest general would not have committed the fault of leaving an army entirely without reserve, which however occurred here, whether in consequence of treason, or not, I cannot say. These were the two principal causes of the loss of the battle of Waterloo. "Wellington owes his victory more to the firmness and bravery of his troops, and to the arrival of the Prussians in the evening, than to his own conduct as a general. He is, however, I believe, a roan of great firmness, and the glory of such a victory is a great thing. General Jackson was afterwards made President of the United States, and died on the 8th of June 1845, in the 79th year of his age. He was descended from a Scotch family, who emigrated to the north of Ireland at a very remote period. His father, Andrew Jackson, after whom 352 NORTH AMERICA. he was named, having suffered much from the oppres- sion exercised at tliat time l>y the nobility of Ireland over the laboring poor, resolved to emigrate with his wife and family to America. He landed in 1T()5, at Charleston, in South Carolina, and afterwards pur- chased a tract of land, 4;"> miles above Camden, and near the boundary line of North Carolina, where he settled with his family. His son Andrew was born on the 1.0th day of March 1707, about two years subsecjuent to the arrival of his parents in that country. His first military exploits were among the Creeks, and other Indian tribes in the southern parts of the Union, chiefly in the States of Tennessee and Florida, who were very numerous and remarkably savage, murdering every one, sparing neither age nor sex. It is the custom among all savages when they begin a battle, to endeavour to in- spire the enemy with terror, by means of grim visages and hideous yells — and these have often produced a panic even amongst the bravest of men. At the horrible massacre at Wairoa, New Zealand, in the year 184:5, vlien 22 of the l>riti>h wtre killed by the New Zealanders, the hideous yells which the savages set up at the commence- ment of the contest, was the chief cause of so many of our countrymen taking flight ; thus leaving their comrades to the mercy of the savages, who first tomahawked all the wounded, and then massacred the nine who had sur- rendered, in the same way. They said that it was their custom, after a fight, to kill the chief men of their enemies. Had our countrymen been aware of this singular custom, they would probably have fought a little longer, as it would have been better to have fallen in battle, than been brained one after another by Rangihaiata's tomahawk. General Jackson, knowing the powerful eff'ects of these yells, issued the following proclamation in the year 1813, NORTH AMERICA. 353 before one of his celebrated victories over the Creeks, and other hostile Indians, where out of 1080 they lost GOO killed, whilst his loss was only 15 killed and 80 wounded. Great reliance will be placed by the enemy on the consternation they may be able to spread throuyh our ranks by the hideous yells with which they commence their battles ; but brave men will laugh at such efforts to alarm them. It is not by bellowings and screams that the wounds of death are inflicted. You will leach these noisy assailants how weak are their weapons of warfare, by oi)i)osing them with the bayonet. What Indian ever with- stood its charge ? "What army of any nation ever withstood it long ? A Sunday-school teacher once asked a child, '' Who killed Abel," *• General Jackson." Another inquired of a scholar, *' In what state were mankind left after the fall ?" " In the State of Vermont." The British have often suffered dreadfully from the Indians in America. In 175.3, when General Braddock, who was sent with an army from England to expel the French from the Central States of America, was pro- ceeding through Virginia with a part of his army, con- sisting of 1200 men, to attack Fort du Quesne. where Pittsburg in Pennsylvania now stands, he was attacked when not far from the fort, in a narrow valley with high rocks on both sides, by the Indians, in alliance with the French, who had secreted themselves behind trees, rocks, and thickets, from which, unperceived, they shot down our men like so many squirrels. The British soldiers were thrown into a panic by the wild and hideous yells proceeding from the rocky sides of the valley, and at the same instant hundreds of muskets flashed from the hiding places of the enemy. They did not come out in regular platoons to be fired at, as Braddock foolishly ex- pected, but remained in their covers, shooting down the British soldiers like a herd of deer. One by one they 354 NORTH AMERICA. were shot down, and Braddock himself at length fell. The British soldiers then fled in dismay. Washington, though then only 23 years of age, with his Virginia troops sheltered the flying army from the French and Indians who pursued them ; and but for him the whole of the British troops would have been massacred ; as it was, (500 of them perished in this inglorious manner. Braddock was warned of his danger, but though brave, he was a rash and head-strong man, and had he not fallen himself, would in all probability have been brought before a court-martiaL Some of the Indian tribes joined the French and others the British party on this occasion. Many of their cus- toms are peculiar. They consider it the greatest mark of hospitality they can shew to a guest to offer him their wives, sisters, or servants, according to the estimation in which they hold him. About 30 years after the fatal expe- dition with the British army under General Braddock, General Washington invited an old Indian chief, who formed part of the detachment which he had saved, to dine with him at Mount Vernon. After the repast, the chief intimated signs of disappointment. When Wash- ington inquired by the interpreter the cause of his chagrin, the savage stood erect and told his host that many years ago when he was in the Indian castle, he, the chief, had offered him the embraces of his squaw, (wife) and that he was surprised that the General had not returned his civi- lity by a similar offer of Mrs Washington. The General got the savage at last appeased, by answering that it was not from any disrespect towards him, but that it was not the custom of his country. Mrs Washington express- ed great gratitude for this deliverance, as she had the candor to confess that she preferred the embraces of her own General to those of an Indian chief. In 1829 a party of Indians at Alexandria, in the State XORTII AMERICA. :^^^ of Louisiana, having indulged in a drunken frolic, one of them was slain by another in the street. In cases of murder, the law among the Indians places the fate of the criminal at the disposal of the nearest relative of the de- ceased, and an attempt to escape is never heard of. On the day following, the offending Indian exhibited himself in various parts of the town, and conversed composedly respecting his execution, with the utmost indifference to his fate. He afterwards went to the place fixed upon for the scene of slaughter, a large body of the citizens of Alexandria being present. Death was to have been in- flicted by shooting, but after many endeavours, no gun could be procured, and the victim, impatient of delay, threatened, if he was not immediately punished, to leave the ground. Upon this, the brother of the deceased ad- vanced upon him with a spade, prostrated him, and split his skull with the blow. Whenever the Indians scalp, they seize the head of the disabled or dead enemy, and placing one of their feet on the neck, twist their left hand in the hair, by which means they extend the skin that covers the top of the head, and with the other hand draw from their breast their scalping knife, which is always kept in good order for this cruel j)urpose, and with a few dexterous strokes, take off the part that is termed the scalp. In 1757, when Colonel Munroe was obliged to sur- render Fort William- Henry, on lake George, to the French General Montcalm, who appeared before it with an army of 10,000 French and Indians; Montcalm, at the capitulation promised to protect the garrison, consisting of 3000 English troops, from the savages, but this he either did not, or could not do. They first fell upon the sick, whom they killed and plundered. Then they surrounded the dis- armed Endish soldiers who had no means of defence. 356 NORTH AMERICA. There were several thousands of the savages, and they now filled the air with their horrid yells. They struck down the Englisli with their tomahawks, and tore the reeking scalps from their heads. Not less than a thousand of the British soldiers were thus slaughtered, or carried captives into the wilderness. General Montcalm after- wards fell along with General Wolfe, at the celebrated battle of Abraham Plains, at Quebec. Some of the Indian tribes joined the Americans during the revolutionary war. About half a century after the war was ended, an aged member of one of these tribes sent the following petition to the councils of South Caro- lina, which is couched in the sinipli' and hrautifiilly figura- tive language of savage life : — 1 am one of the lingering embers of an almost extinguished race ; our graves will soon be our hal)itation8. I am one of the few stalks that still remain in the field when the tempest of the revolution is past. I fought against the British for your sake. 1 ho British hare di-appeared, and you are free. Yet from me the British look nothing ; nor have i gained any thing by their defeat. I pursue the deer for my subsistence ; the deer are disappearing, and I must starve. God ordained me for the forest, and my habitation is the shade ; but the strength of my arm decays, and my feet fail in the chace. The hand which fought for your liberty is now open for your relief. In my youth I bled in battle, that you niif^ht be independent. I.,et not my heart in my old age bleed for the want of your commiseration. The population of New Orleans which in 1810, was only 25,000, is now 200,000. The African race consti- tute about one-half of the population, but of these not above one-sixth are free blacks; not less than two- fifths of the whole population of New Orleans being still held in bondage. The business season lasts from Nov- ember till July, after which one-fourth of the population, or in other words, one half of the white population (esti- mated at 100,000), disperse themselves through the north NORTH AMERICA. 357 and west for health and pleasure. Indeed, few enjoy good health, without the northern reviving excursion. Of the resident white population, a great part are Creoles, that is, persons of European descent, born in America. Thus there are in New Orleans, French Creoles, Spanish Creoles, &c. The Creole women are of a brunette complexion, have large black eyes, full of languor and expression ; jet-black glossy hair ; fine lips and teeth ; and countenances beam- ing with amiability and tenderness. French and Spanish are the languages chiefly spoken among them, though they all understand English. Quadroons are so called from being of the class of coloured females, with the smallest mixture of African blood ; as they are supposed to be four removes from the pure African. The (piadroon girls of New Orleans are brought up by their mothers, to be what they have been, the mistresses of white gentlemen. A mulatto is of mixed European and African blood, and is the first remove formed by a white father and black mother, and called mulattoes. The next remove called brown or yellow, as either shade predominates, is the otfspring of a white father and mulatto mother. The third remove are called meztisoes, and the fourth, or the quadroons, furnish some of the most beautiful women that can be seen. There is no danger from fever for a stranger remaining in New Orleans, until the middle of July. The Creoles remain all the year round, and the Americans who are acclimated by one or two summers, stay without danger ; whilst the medical men, the clergy, the public officers of government, and the great bulk of the inhabitants are stationary throughout the year. New Orleans is indeed much healthier than is generally 358 NORTH AMERICA. supposed, as the annual mortality is only 8000, in a popu- lation of 200,000, or four per cent. And \\hil&t in Boston there is only one pcr.son in (J 1, 372, who attains 100 years of age, and in New York one in 1,570, in New Orleans there is one in 997. It is calculated that about 1000 strangers die every year in New Orleans, in passing through the acclimating process. It is rather an expensive place to live in, and is now, from the greater attention j)aid to sewerage and cleanliness, much more healthy than it was. Indeed at one time it was called the *' wet grave." In a charity sermon ])rea(hed some years ago by the Kev. 3Ir Claj)p, he said, *' That he had resided twenty years in New Orleans, and during that time had witnessed eleven epidemic yellow fever years, and two cholera — each epi- demic carrying away to a sudden grave, never less than three thousand beings, and often five thousand. Within that twenty years, one hundred thousand human beings had found a grave in New Orleans, and of that immense host, twenty-five thousand were young men between the ages of eighteen and twenty years, each one the repre- sentative of a distant family, with whose fate that family was connected, rising when he rose, and with his fall sinking hopelessly and for ever." Time, like an ever rolling stream, Dears all its sons away ; They fly, forgotten, as a dream Dies at the op'ning day. During some years they have little or no fever, but in others the ship of death may be said to cast anchor for a time on the banks of their noble stream ; and I cannot do better than insert here the following beautiful ode addressed to that ship which appeared not long ago in a NORTH AMERICA. 3^0 New Orleans newspaper, which was poHtely handed to me by my friend Mr Giles. THE SHIP OF DEATH. By the shore of time now lying, On the inky flood beneath, Patiently, thou soul undying, "Waits for thee— the ship of death. He who on that vessel starteth. Sailing from the sons of men, To the friends from whom he parteth. Never more returns again. From her mast no flag is flying, To denote from whence she came, She is known unto the dying, Azeal is her captain's name. Not a word was ever spoken On that dark unfathomcd sea, Silence there is, so unbroken, She herself seems not to be. Silent thus in darkness lonely, "^ Doth the soul put forth alone, "Whilst the wings of angels only ^^'aft her to a land unknown. Though the treatment of the slaves in the United Statea be for the most part considerate and humane, yet they are of course unable to dispense with the whip. The planters, l)y j)roviding them with all the necessaries of life, have left them few or no natural wants, and consequently no natural incentive to labor ; and therefore, the whip must be employed to stimulate the few who are idle and re- fractory, though most of them get through their daily task without any application of this unfortunate though indispensable instrument. In this country I hire a man to work for me, he neglects 300 NORTH AMERICA. his work, and I discharge him ; but I cannot so act with my negroes, and am consequently compelled to have re- course to punishment. On the larger plantations, when some hundreds of them are collected together, a disci- pline and police regulations more or less severe, are abso- lutely necessary, without which all would soon l)e des- troyed or stolen. The Americans in the slave states are apt to say " Labor is as compulsory in Europe as here ; but in Europe they who refuse to work, have the alterna- tive of starvation ; here the slave who is idle, has the alternative of corporal punishment ; for, whether he works or not, he must always be fed and clothed." Mr Taylor, who had been long in Jamaica, was examined at great length before theconunlttee of the House of Lords, on this point in 1832, and his evidence goes to shew, that in the state of society at that time in Jamaica, cruelty was an essential ingredient in order to produce an adecjuate return of work, and that, " to carry on the system profit- ably, \\e mu-t, in truth, throw humanity and religion away." He makes mention of several estates where they had abolished the whip, but the planters all told him that the slaves would not work diligently; whilst on the ad- joining estates, where the whip was in operation, the work went on prosperously. He is then asked, " do you consider it possible, whilst slavery exists, to obtain a suffi- ciency of labor, by a principle of humane treatment, to the exclusion of all coercion ?" Answer, " No ; I do not think it could be. From receiving no remuneration, and having no rational stimulus to labor, they are only compelled to do so by coercive measures. The indolent way in which they perform their work in the field, I ascribe to the knowledge they have, that they must be fed, and clothed, and housed, whether they work or not. The whip then becomes the only motive to exertion, and I NORTH AMERICA. 361. if that is not kept in operation, they cease to labor." In the British colony of Demerara, where the number of slaves in the year 1831, (prior to emancipation), was 58,404, the number of lashes inflicted during that year amounted to 199,507. Almost all the witnesses examined seemed, however, to be of opinion, that if they were emancipated, and thrown upon their own resources, they would labor with sufficient dihgence, but the event has proved that in a great measure at least, they have been mistaken. That the punishment, however, of the whip, is occasion- ally rather unmercifully applied to the predial, or planta- tion, though seldom to the domestic slaves in the United States, will appear from the following specimens of the advertisements of runaway and captured slaves, which fill the columns of the slave state newspapers : — •' Ten dollars reward,'' says Mr Robert Nicoll of ZMobile, Alabama, "for my woman Siby, very much scarred about the neck and ears by whipping." '' Committed to jail," says Mr John H. Hand, a jailer in Louisiana, " a negro boy named John, about seventeen jears old; his back badly scarred with the whip, his upper lip and chin severely bruised." " Ran away from the plantation of James Surgctte, the following negroes : — Randal, has one ear cropped ; Bob, has lost an eye ; Kentucky Tom, has one jaw broken." " Ran away," says Mr Walter English of Alabama, " my slave Lewis ; l)e has lost a piece of one car, and a part of one of his tingers ; a part of one of his toes is also lost." '• Ran away," says Mr Samuel Rawlins of Georgia, " a negro man and his wife, named Nat and Priscilla ; he has a small scar on his left cheek, two stiff fingers on his right hand, with a running sore on them; his wife has a scar on her left arm, and one upper tooth out." " Ran away," says Mr J. Bishop of South Carolina, "a negro named Arthur ; has a considerable scar across his breast and each arm, made by a knife ; loves much to talk of the goodness of God." The late Prince Achille Murat was the eldest son of Q ^3(J2 NOKTII AMERICA. the bravo though unfortunate kuig of Naples, who was shot on 13th October 1815. Having been obliged to fly for safety after his father's execution, he landed at Liver- pool in the disguise of a sailor boy, having worked his passage before the mast After a short residence in Belgium, he proceeded ultimately to the United States of America, where he lived for ten years in the Southern States, and left a work on that country, which was trans- lated from the French, and published in 1841), at New York, where 1 fortunately ])r()cured a copy. It is dedi- cated by the translator to his present Majesty Leopold, King of the Belgians, ah the king was nmch attached to the Trince, from his having served for a short time in the llelgian army, prior to his going to America. The following is the simple and concise description which the I'rince gives of a j)lautatiou in the southern .slave states of the Union. ♦• A well regulated plantation is trulv a most interesting spectacle ; all prospers and is goTcrned in the most perfect order. Each negro has house, and the houses are generally built in regular lines ; he has his own poultrv and pigs; cultivates his TcgctaNK-s, and sells them in the maikel. At sun-rise the sound of the horn calls him to labor, while each has his al- lotted task in proportion to his physical htrenglh. In general the task is linished between 3 and 4 o'clock in the afternoon, allowing him ample time for dinner about noon. The task over, no further service is required of him ; he either cnltivates his garden, hires himself out to his master for extra labor, or lakes a elroll to visit his wife or mistress on some adjoining plantation. On Sundays he attires himself in his holiday suit, and goes to receive bis weekly allowances, and employs the remainder of the day as it m.iv please him. The duty of the manager is to give each his morning task, and in the evening to see that it is properly done ; while the proprietor mounts his horse, makes a tour in the plantations, and gives the necessary orders. All these are performed with the regularity of regimental duty ; and I have myself seen six months pass without one word of censure being called for. Sometimes however, it happens, there occur disputes and thefts requiring punishment. 'I hose residing in the Great Hovi,e. as the propriMor's or manager "k NORTH AMERICA 3G3 it-Midcnce is called, are treated in the same manner as the domestic servants in Europe ; generally they are born and bred up in the family, of which they consider themselves a part, and to which they become much attached, and are very faithful. The mistress pays the strictest attention to the morals of the little ncgrcsse?, particularly if they are brought up with her daughters ; and if they misconduct themselves, the punishment of which they have the greatest dread is to threaten to sell them. True it is, there exists no law whereby the slave is protected from the ill treatment of the master. But there exists public opinion, which is more powerful than all the laws ; and the man who allows himself to be carried away by his passions, would, in the language of English writers on this subject, for ever forfeit the character of a, gentleman. Does this picture, which is in every respect true, bear, I would ask, any resemblance to the absurd and exaggerated statements of the missionaries? It is easy to select a particular case, to generalize upon it. and follow it up by declamation." The Prince then proceeds to state that task-work, which prevails whenever it can be practically put in opera- tion, over almost all the south, is not much practised in some of the States, such as Maryland and Virginia, and mentions a few of the evils which are apt to result from an opposite system. There may, however, be a difficulty in slave-breeding States, such as Virginia and Maryland, w hich renders it necessary to follow a different course. It would be an endless task to give extracts from all the authors who bear testimony to the slaves being in general well treated. Captain Barclay of Ury, no less celebrated for his knowledge of farming, than for his well- known pedestrian feat, in his " Agricultural Tour through the United States, " says, in reference to this, — " The slaves in America are well clothed, well fed, and kindly treated, and to all appearance contented and happy. Indeed I should say their condition physically is one of great comfort and enjoyment, in comparison with our manufacturing population ; by thousands of whom I cannot doubt il would, in relation to the necessaries of life, be looked upon with envy." Mr Buckingham in his work on the Slave States of America, says, (vol. II. p. 431.) Q 2 ;yj4 NORTH AMERICA. '♦There never was a period in the hiatory of America, wlien tlie uegroo* were treated with so much of kindness and consideration as at present. ( 1841.) Floggings which were once so frequent, are now certainly very rare ; and neither subordinate punishments, harsh language, or heavy labour, aro inflicted on the slares to half the extent they were formerly." Lady Kmmcline Stuart Wortloy, a (lau«:lit(.'r of the Duke of Rutland, who publi^hod in 18/51 Irt travels in America in 3 volumes, says, — " If you had the power to liberate all the slaves in the United States, you would find that not a twentieth part of them would accept their freedom from your hands." She mentions having seen in 1850, at the plantation (near Natchez), of the late General Taylor, President of the United States, a slave who was above 100 years old; and talks in perfect raptures of the kindness with which hi.>^ slaves were treated. Lady l^mnieline is, however, I fear, rather too sanguine, as the love of liberty is so strongly implanted in us by nature, that few slaves would probal)ly soon be found in America, if emancipation were left to their own choice. Good treatment may doubtless reconcile them to their fate, and yet fail in eradicating from their minds the innate love of freedom. The hope of freedom, it may be confidently asserted, is cherished fondly by every slave; and were the cup of hope to be flashed from his lips — were he to see that slavery without mitigation and without end w as to be his portion through life, — in that moment when hope should be extinguished in his breast, rage and despair would arm him with a strength which would lay waste the fairest portions of the country, and terminate its devastations only when the last throb should cease to heave in his despairing heart. Lady Emmclinc w ill be delighted to learn that her w ork s so highly prized by the citizens of the United States, that my esteemed friends, Harper and Brothers of New NORTH AMERICA. 3(^5 York, have been induced to publish a new edition of her work compressed into one volume of 463 pages, which they sell for little more than the same number of pence for which her Ladyship politely demands shillings from honest John Bull. The origin of the appellation, John Bull, is this. Dr John Bull was in his day a celebrated professor of music. A French musician showed John a song he had composed in 40 parts, and defied all the world to add another part to the composition. But upon the Englishman's adding 40 parts more to it in three hours, the Frenchman swore that he must be either the devil or John Bull. Hence the words *' John Bull" have been appHed to the English. Harriet Martineau, who now keeps a boarding-school in Liverpool, in her celebrated work entitled '* Society in America," says, ** nothing struck me more than the patience of slave-owners with their slaves. In this virtue they probably surpass the whole Christian world. It is found that such a degree of this virtue can be obtained only by long habit, as persons from New England, France, or England becoming slave-holders are found to be the most severe masters and mistresses, however good their tempers may always have appeared previously." It is a curious fact that there are more instances of harsh treatment towards their slaves by those in the pro- fession of holy orders than in any other except among the blacks themselves. Female slave-owners also are pro- verbial for cruelty. Madame Lalaurie was mobbed about 20 years ago at New Orleans on account of her fiendish cruelty to her slaves. Sir Charles Lyell says in his Travels in the United States, — " Arriving often at a late hour at our quarters in the evening, we heard the negroes singing loudly and joyously in chorus after their day's work was over. All 3GG NORTH AMERrCA. the slaves have some animal food daily. After the ac- founts I had read of the sufferings of slaves, I was agree- ably surprised to find them in general so remarkably cheerful and light-hearted ; usually boasting of their mas- ter's wealth and their own peculiar merits. At an inn in Virginia, a female slave asked us to guess for how many -iollars a-year she was let out by her owner. We named a small sum, but she told us exultingly that we were much under the mark, for the landlord paid 50 dollars a-year fur her hire. A good-humoured butler, at another inn in the same State, took care to tell me that his owner got 150 dollars a-year for him. The coloured stewardess of a steam-ship was at great pains to tell us her value, and how she came by the name of Queen Victoria." The whole of the British consular agents residing in the slave States of the United States of America, in reply to certain questions in a circular forwarded to them by the Earl of Aberdeen on 30th May 1843, concur in stat- ing that in all cases slaves are well fed, and almost inva- riably well treated — that there is no party in the States favourable to immediate or sudden abolition of slavery, although it is an evil greatly deplored by all parties, and that could emancipation be accomplished gradually, with perfect safety to the w bite population, and moderate com- pensation to the proprietors, it would be hailed with joy by all parties. They also all agree in stating that free persons of colour, being generally dissipated, do not en- joy as good health, nor live so long as slaves ; and being in general improvident, are often dependent in old age upon charity for their support. Shirreff, in his Tour through the United States, says, — '' No instance of cruelty or hardship towards the black population came under my notice, and all of them appeared to be well clothed and fed," NORTH AMERICA. 3(j7 Mrs Houstoun, who resided some years in the United States, and lately published her travels there, says, — " From all that I have yet seer, of the negro race, both free and in slavery, I confess 1 feel infinitely more compassion for them in the former state than in the latter. The black slave lives in the enjoyment of many positive advantages, which are denied to the negro race in the free .States. He is cared for in sickness, treated with less apparent contempt — and any one who has seen and watched the degraded state to which idleness, among other causes, has reduced the free negro, must be at once convinced of the great moral advantage which the habit and necessity of employment gives to the workiny black over the free nogro. I am now satisfied that, on the Mississippi at least, the slaves are almost invariably treated with kindness, and that severity is very rarely practised towards them. When the contrary is the case, it is the exception to the general rule, and is almost invariably the fault of the overseers, and only occurs in the absence of the proprietors. It will surprise no one possessed of the slightest knowledge of human nature, to hear that the blacks them- selves are by far the most cruel and exacting slave-masters. At a very short distance from Mr M 's, and on the other side of the river, is a large plantation owned by a black man. who was formerly himself a slave. and who now treats one hundred of his kind with a tyranny and want of feeling which is proverbial in the rn'ighbourhood. On Saturdays and Sundays the negroes are allowed to work for them- selves in their own gardens, or to lie all day long idly upon the grass, if too indolent to exert themselves. Some have pursued the more industrious course, the consequence of which is that they have always poultry and eggs in abundance, and not unfrcquently pigs to sell. Their produce is generally bought by their masters. And here, injustice to the Americans, I must state a fact which admits of no dispute — namely, that in every respect the condition of the negro race in the United States is superior to that in which they are found in (.'uba, and also to that of the free blacks in the West Indies. I am aware that in England the opinion is very prevalent that slavery i-« injurious to the interests of the United States, and that its existence will probably lead at some future time to a dissolution of the Union. This opi- nion was at one time my own ; but, since living in the country, I have taken (luite another view of the case, and am convinced that slavery (unfortHnately, 1 rau*t add) is not only the main source of the wealth of America, but that the advantages derived from it render the northern States and those of the south 8o dependent on each other^ that a separation would be the ruin of 3G8 NORTH AMERICA. both. The Talue of the annual produce raised by slave-labour may, at the very least, be estimated at thirty raillions sterling, and the industry and enterprise of the north, whether they be engaged in manufactures, ship- pine, or commerce, must always find their most profitable market in the south. Does not this tend to prove that the emancipation of the slaves would bo a severe and deadly blow to the general welfare and prosperity of the Union ? All my conclusions are, of course, drawu from the suppo- sition, or rather the conviction, that without slave-labour the south would not produce cotton, sugar, rice, or tobacco, for it is a fact generally ad- mitted (and, indeed, proved by experience), that the blacks, unless com- pelled to do so. will never work in a country where the liberal liand of nature, by supplying all their wants for a minimum of labour, would seem to offer a plea for, as well as a premium to indolence. Even though among the masses a few should bo found willing to work, the price of their labour would bo of course so exorbitant, that it would render the culture of the ground totally unroinunerntive ; and that this would infallibly be the case is, I think, sufficiently proved by the present state of our possessions in the West Indies, where, though the necessaries of life are not half so abundant as in the United States, it has been found impossible to induce the blacks to labour ; so that the proapcrity of our colonics is at an end, and the con- dition of the blacks is certainly not improved by that which has cost the people of England so much public money, and caused in private life so much severe distress.'' Mrs H. then goes on to state that she considers the domestic slaves as the least unhappy menials in the world, and very far from heing so severely worked as most of the servants in free countries, and that the accounts of the atrocities committed in the plantations are greatly exag- gerated. It must not he forgotten that amongst those who would sutler most severely from the emancipation of the slaves, were such a measure to he carried into effect, w ould he those of our fellow-countrymen, amounting to three mil- lions, who are engaged in the manufacture and sale of cotton goods. It is now an acknowledged fact, that the necessary supply of the raw material, of the quality re- quired, can only he produced in the United States, and hy slave labour. This supply Great Biitain remunerates NORTH AMERICA. 369 by the annual payment of twenty milliony sterling, as the value of the raw cotton imported, and we may, therefore, imagine how few persons there are througliout her Majesty's dominions, who do not indirectly encourage slavery by wearing about them the produce of negro toil. The institution of slavery is, in fact, infinitely more essen- tial to Great Britain than to the United States. NORTH AMERICA. CllAPTLK X\. The Fugitive Slave Bill — Public Mtetiiig at New VorU— ilie AlK,lJlionibt> ill Americn — Insurreition of Slaves in Virginiu in 1831 — Horrible mas- sacre of the While). — Capture and Execution of all the IiisurKcnts — Xat. Turner's Confession — Authority of Scripture in favour of the legal- ity <>f the Fugitive Slave Bill — Reasons for not allowing Slaves to be educated Extent of Sexual intercourse on Slave I'lantulions— The celebrated Scottish Chieftain, the Laird of MacNab. The Fuf^itive Slave Bill for facilitating the re-capture of slaves, which came into operation in 1 850, excited some little commotion throughout the Union. A j)ublic meeting was called at "New York in October 1850, during my resi- dence there, in support of this bill, which was attended by 8000 people, having been held in Castle Garden, at the Battery, where Jenny Lind first performed. This meeting was attended by all the most influential people in New York, who were unanimous in supporting this bill. The speeches delivered were of the most eloquent descrip- tion, and filled several pages of their journals. The chairman, George Wood, Esq., expatiated on the folly of immediate emancipation without reference to the consequences ; and though he admitted that slavery was an evil, yet he considered it one from which they could not escape without encountering others infinitely more appalling. That the slave States must be left to deal with this institution as they thought proper ; that it was a NORTH AMERICA. 3^1 legacy left them by the mother country, which, however, in the course of time and progress of society, may be abolished. Mr Wood, and indeed all the subsequent speakers, referred particularly to the signal failure of emancipation in the British West Indian Colonies, which he said had blighted their prosperity and destroyed them ; and thus concludes : — " Are we to subject the Southern States to such consequences as they apprehend, and as we have reason to believe would ensue, if we undertook to carry into effect such an absurd doctrine ?" (Cries of no ! no ! no ! from all parts of the house.) James W. Gerard, Esq., who next addressed the mul- titude, when alluding to slavery, said, " It was entailed on us by our British ancestors. It is their misfortune and not a crime that it exists in the Southern States ; an evil of which they would willingly rid themselves, could they do so without ruin to themselves and their country." (Vociferous cheering.) This bill was by most people in this country supposed to have been the enacting of a new law in regard to fugi- tive slaves, whereas it was more properly the revival of an old law, or the law of 1793, which had fallen, in some measure, into desuetude. Indeed the expense and trouble attending the recapture of slaves under the old law, was such as to render it, in some measure, inoperative, so that slaves, when they succeeded in reaching the free States, may have been said to have escaped with impunity, nearly as much so as if they had taken refuge in the British dominions in Canada. The 2d section of the 4th article of the constitution of the year 1793, runs thus : " Xo person held to service or labor in one State, under the laws there- of, escaping into another, shall, in conseciuence of any law or regulation ;i-2 NORTH AMERICA. Ihereiu, he aischarged from such service or labor ; but shall be delivered up, on claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due." By '^person held to service" is here ineaiU a slave ; and the provision is intended to enable the masters of slaves to recover them if they escape into other States. The framers of tlic American constitution seem to have studiously avoided the use of the word ** slave" though they took special care that the property and political power annexed to its possession should be secured. They retained the thiufj while they discarded the term, as if they were ashamed of proclaiming their inconsistency to the world. This was a truly pitiful and unworthy subterfuge for an enlightened nation. Even the great Henry Clay, I observe, in the 7th of his compromise resolutions, sub- mitted to Senate on 20th January 1850, uses these words, " that more effectual provision ought to be made by law for the restitution and delivery of persons bound to ser- vice or labor in any State, who may escape," &c. The emancipists, however, in America, supported as they w ere, and as may naturally be supposed, by the whole of the free-colored population, who are a numerous body, amounting to half-a-million, availed themselves of this opportunity of creating a sensation throughout the States, in favour of their apparently laudable, though it may be mistaken, efforts in the cause of humanity. And when I mention that the abolitionists now testify against com- pensation as a sin, and even denounce gradual abolition as a sin, the w ord " mistaken" must surely be considered a mild epithet when ai)plied to such absurd, unjust, and danger- ous doctrines ; not to mention the injury which sudden emancipation would entail on the slaves themselves. The conduct of the abolitionists in the north has, in fact, had no other effect hitherto but exasperating the slave-owners NORTH AMERICA. 373 of the south, and thereby perpetuating the continuance of slavery, if possible, to a still more indefinite period. The cry of the abolitionists, both in this country and America, who, be it always remembered, have nothing earthly to loose, is, *' give them up, give them up with- out money and without price, we cannot wait, slavery is sinful, therefore we can have no delay ; and being sinful, deserves no compensation." Were this silly and idiotical cry responded to by the more sensible and rational por- tion of the citizens of the United States, they would ex- tinguish in one moment, and by, as it were, a blast from their nostrils, property to the value of 1500 millions of dollars, upwards of three hundred millions sterling, which had been accumulating for ages. The British nation never dreamt of so glaring an act of injustice as this, in regard to her slave-owners. The value of the slaves in the British dominions, in the year 1832, was computed at upwards of 40 millions sterling, so that by awarding them 20 millions, we made some approximation, at all events, to justice. Would the citizens of the great republic, think you, submit to have themselves taxed, in order to raise a hundred and fifty miUions sterling, or half their value, in order to pay for the emancipation of their slaves ? I expect not. Luckily the slave-owners in the United States have nothing to fear on this head, as it is wisely provided by the constitution of that country, that private property shall not be taken for the public service, with- out full compensation. There is only one thing on which I am inclined to differ from all the speakers at the great meeting at New York, and that is the apprehension which they entertain that the lives and property of the planters might be endan- gered by emancipation. It has been generally thought that the abolition of slavery must of necessity endanger the 1574 NORTH AMERICA. safety of a community, because it sets loose a class of people who are supposed to be incensed by aggravated wrongs, and, at the same time, to be without the restraints of moral principle. What, it is asked, will prevent such a people from sating there revenge on the blood and plunder of their former oppressors ? The experiment, however, in the West Indies, has proved to demon- stration that this opinion is an erroneous one, and that emancipation, instead of promoting a spirit of insurrec- tion, is the surest means of eradicating it. Even in llayti or 8t Domingo the effect of the abolition of slavery was to soothe the minds of the slaves, and the destruction of life and property wai* occasioned by an attempt of the French, under Le Clerc, several years afterwards, to re- establish it. The free negroes now in the West Indies manifest, as 1 said before, the most peaceful tendencies, and feel grateful for the new privileges into which they have been admitted. Besides, we must bear in mind that the slaves in the United States are not only better treated than they were in the West Indies, but that, excepting in two of the States, viz. South Carolina and Mississippi, as will be seen on referring to the population returns, the free popu- lation outnumber the slave. In the West Indies, on the contrary, the slaves preponderated in the proportion of nearly fifty to one. Indeed, there has been only one insurrection among the slaves in the United States, namely that which broke out on 2 1st August 1831 in the county of Southampton and State of Virginia. This was organized and headed by a fanatic slave of the name of Nat Turner, who considered himself impelled by the be- lief that he was divinely called to be the deliverer of his oppressed countrymen. Nothing is more dangerous than a religious enthusiast. Having enlisted his fellow-slaves NORTH AMERICA. 3-5 in the cause, they first burst mto their master's house and murdered every one of the white inmates. They then rushed on to the next plantation, compelling by threats of death all the slaves to join them who would not do it voluntarily. Thus armed with guns, knives, and axes, some on horseback, and others on foot, adding strength to strength, and intoxicated with liquor, they devoted the whole of that day to the work of carnage, sparing neither age nor sex, so that not a white individual was spared to carry the tidings. At last, when the morn- ing began to dawn, the shrieks of those who fell under the sword and the axe of the negroes were heard at a dis- tance, and thus the alarm was soon spread from planta- tion to plantation, carrying inconceivable terror into every heart, but not before 5S individuals had been most cruelly butchered, and their bodies most awfully mangled. Late in the afternoon of the second day, they were attacked by a small party of 18 whites, well armed and mounted ; and though at first driven back by the slaves, yet, just as they were on the eve of being overpowered, a reinforcement arrived, which turned the tide of victory and dispersed the slaves, who, exhausted by the horrible labours of the day, retired to the woods and marshes to pass the night. Early next morning they commenced of new, their work of slaughter, but were repulsed by the slaves of the first plantation which they attacked — that of Dr Blunt, an elderly gentleman — who nobly rallied round their kind and indulgent master, and fearlessly hazarded their own lives in his defence, and fought most desperately. By this time the whites were collected in sufficient numbers to prevent their further progress. The insurgents were thereupon scattered over the country in small parties ; many were shot or taken prisoners, and their leader, Nat Turner, with the whole of his followers, were ultimately captured and 37G NORTH AMEllICA. executed. Tlic most extraordinary circumstance con- nected with this celebrated insurrection was, that most of the insurgent slaves belonged to kind and indulgent masters, and consequently no one ielt secure. Nat Turner made a lengthened confession on 1st Nov- ember 1831, prior to his execution, whicli was printed and published, and as a copy of it is now before me, I shall give one or two extracts from this horrible narrative. •• Since the commencement of 1830, ho lays, I had been lifing with Mr Joseph Travis, who wan to me a kind master. On Saturday the 20th of AugUBt 1831, it was agreed bt-twecn Henry. Hark, Sam, Nel«on, Will, Jack Austin, and mjsclf, to haTo a dinner prfjjared in the woods the next day (Sunday,) and there concert the plan to be adopted. It was there resolved upon that we Bhould commence at home (Mr Travis's) on that night, and murder them whilst sleeping. HaTing got a ladder and hoisted a window, we got in secretly. It was then observed that I mu^t spill the first blood. On which, armed with a hatchet, and accompanied by Will, I entered my master's chamber; but it being dark I could not give him a death blow, the halchet glanced from hia head ; ho sprang from the bed and called his wife — it was his last word ; Will laid him dead with the blow of his axe, and Mrs Travis shared the same fate as she lay in bed. The murder of this family, 3 in number, was the work of a minute, not ono of them awoke. We then proceeded to Mr Francis's about Ct)U yards distant, who, on Sara and Will knocking and saying they had a letter for him, got up and came to the door, when they seized him, and dispatched him by repeated blows on the head. We started from there to Mrs Reese's, and finding the door unlocked, dis- patched her and her son while sleeping. From this wo went to Mrs Turner's, a mile distant, which we reached about sunrise on Monday morning. AVe broke open the door, and Will immediately killed Mrs Turner with one blow of his axe. I struck Mrs Newsome, who was with her, several blows OTor the head with my sword and dispatched her. By this time my company amounted to 15, and 9 men mounted. "We next started for Mr Richard Whitehead, whom we found standing in the cotton patch, and dispatched him. Will then pulled Mrs Whitehead out of the house, and at the step he nearly soTored her head from her body with his broad axe. Miss Margaret her daughter tied, but was overtaken, and after repeated blows with a sword, I killed her by a blow on the head with a fence rail. We then went to Mr Bryants, Mr Nathaniel Francis, Mr Doyles, Mr Peter Edwards, and Mr John T. Barrow, and murdered them and their families. At Captain Newit NORTH AMERICA. 377 Harrisa's, uiy men amounted to 40, some of whom were in the yard loading their guns, others drinking. We then proceeded to Mr Waller's (a school- master) and after murdering Mrs Waller , and ten of the children that attended his school, we started for Mr Williams's, hating killed him and two lilllo hoys that were there. Mrs Williams's fled, but was pursued, taken, and shot. I then started for Mr Jacob Williams, where the family were murdered. Here we found a young man named Drury, who had come on business with Mr Williams, he was pursued, overtaken, and shot. Mrs Vaughan was the next place we viated, and after murdering the family here, I determined on starting for Jerusalem. Our number amounted now to 50 or 60, all mounted, and armed with guns, axes, swords and clubs." He then details the circumstances of the attacks made upon them; their defeat at Dr Blunt's by the slaves on the plantations, and his own capture, after having taken refuge for six weeks in a cave, to which he had fled as a hiding place. A dog attracted by the smell of the meat in his cave when he was out, was the means of his being ultimately discovered. The escape of a little girl who went to school at Mr Wallers excited general sympathy. As their teacher had not arrived, she was playing in the yard along with the other children, and seeing the negroes approach she ran up the chimney, and remained there un- noticed during the massacre of the eleven that were killed at this place. Mrs Nathaniel Francis, while concealed in a closet heard their blows, and the shrieks of the victims, and though they entered the closet, they went out without discovering her. Miss Whitehead also was saved in a most miraculous manner, whilst they were murdering her sister in the same room. Not one that was known to have been concerned in this massacre escaped. This insurrection may be said to justify the remark made by De Tocqueville, that no other account has ever been opened between the white and the black races, except that where the white race was superior, they kept the black in subjection ; but where the blacks prevailed they rose and murdered the whites. 378 NORTH AMERICA. The chief ditference between the fugitive act of 18.30 and that of IT!I.'3 is, that the former allows a warrant to be issued by a judge, and the arrest to be made by a public officer, and imposes more stringent penalties on those who interfere, by violence, to prevent the execution of legal process. So long indeed as the institution of slavery is kept up in the United States, 1 do not see how this or a similar law can well be dispensed witli ; the very essence of slavery being property, and constituting the right of man to holil j)roperty in man. Every person who has any pretensions to connnon sense must see that it is one (pies- tion whether a man has a natural right to hold property in slaves, and quite another whether a government can properly take away a right \shich it has conferred, with- out becoming responsible for the conse(|uent losses. Having property in anything implies possession of it, or the power of enforcing or restoring that possession, if by any means deprived of it. If a person owned a bullock, which had strayed into another man's field, and were a law passed that he had thereby lost all right to this bullock, and could not reclaim it, in what light would a law of that sort be looked upon? So it is with slaves. The very essence, as I said before, of all slavery, being, that slaves are property, it follows as a natural consequence, that laws must be enacted for the recovery of that pro- perty, if lost or stolen ; and slaves when they escape, may be said to all intents and purposes, to be stolen, only that instead of being stolen by others, they are stolen by them- selves, in short, if slaves when they escape could not be re-captured, it is obvious that slavery itself, though the name were retained, would soon virtually come to an end. At the great meeting of the British and Foreign Anti- NORTH AMERICA. 379 Slavery Society, held in Exeter Hall, London, on the 2 1st July 1851, the Rev. W. Owen, one of the speakers, said, "that under the law of the Old Testament the education of the slave was provided for ; and far from there being anything like the fugitive slave law of America in existence, the Book of Deuteronomy ordered that the runaway ser- vant was not to be returned to his master." On referring to the 23d Chapter of that Book, I find these words, *' Thou shalt not deliver unto his master, the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee. He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose." This certainly enjoins that if a servant or slave tlee for refuge to any one, that he is not to be given up to his master ; and I am not aware that there is any law in the United States compelling a person under a penalty to do so. But if the owner of a fugitive slave discover the place of his retreat, it becomes then a totally different question whether he ought by law to be entitled to reclaim him. So far as I can understand the above passage in Deuteronomy, no injunction seems to have been laid down on this point, so that people must just interpret the passage and draw from it such inferences as they think proper. In looking to the most able commentary on the Bible that has been written, that of the Rev. Matthew Henry, I find the following to be his interpretation of the passage in Deuteronomy : — '* The land of Israel is here made a sanctuary, or city of refuge, for ser- vants that were wronged and abused by their masters, and fled thither for shelter among the neighbouring countries. We cannot suppose that they were hereby obliged to give entertainment to all the unprincipled men that ran from service ; Israel needed not (as Rome at first didj, to be thus peopled. But they must not deliver up the trembling servant to his en- raged master, till upon trial it appeared that the servant had wronged his master, and was justly liable to punishment. It is an honourable thing to 380 NORTH AMERICA. shelter and protect the weak, provided they bo not wicked; (Jodullowfl hi.* people to patronise the oppressed. The angel bid Ilagar return to her mistress; and St Paul sent Oncsimus back to his master rhileraon, because they had neither of them any cause to go awav, nor were either of them ex- posed to any danger in returning. But the servant here is supposed to escape, that is, to run for his life, to the people of Israel, of whom he had heard that they were a merciful people, to save himself from the fury of a tyrant ; and in that case to deliver him up, is to throw a lamb in the mouth uf a lion." A more tiecisive death-blow to the Rev. W. Owcn'b argument, and a more complete justification of the Fugi- tive Slave Bill, than this commentary affords, I think it would be ditJiLult to imagine. The apostle Paul sent the slave Onesimus back to his master Philemon, because he had no sutlicient reason for leaving him. And what does the Fugitive Slave Bill require but this ? The command given in Deuteronomy, it is self-evident, has reference only to those who escape for their lives. But have any of the slaves in the United States to run for their lives ? Why ? On the contrary, it is well known to every one who has been in that country, that there are more who fiy from kind masters, than from those who are the re- verse ? This is certainly a singular and somewhat un- accountable fact. The slaves, too, at the massacre in Virginia in 1831, as I mentioned before, belonged nearly all to the most humane and kindest of masters. Mr Owen also states, that under the law of the Old Testament, the education of the slave was provided for. Now I cannot discover any passage to this effect, and our reverend friend has omitted to state where it is to be found. But we must bear in mind that American slave- owners have been under the painful necessity of getting severe laws passed in their several States, against the edu- cation, and even to a certain extent, the religious instruc- tion of their slaves, under the impression, (an erroneous NORTH AMERICA. 3gl one as some think), that these are incompatible with slavery. Ignorance seems unfortunately to be considered essential to slavery — a necessarily component part of the system. All the witnesses examined before the House of Lords in 1 832, in regard to slavery in the West Indies, bear testi- mony to this effect. The Rev. J. Barry, who had been 27 years in Jamaica, is thus interrogated : — •• You have stated that the overseers, and managers of estates, are gene- rally opposed to the religious instruction of their slaves; do you conceive the magistrates are also opposed to that system of instruction ?"' *' I believe they are ; but your Lordships will remember that the magis- trates are generally planters ; being slave-owners, and that accounts for the fact. The view entertained of the influence of religious instruction, is that it is incompatible with the existence of slavery ; and that is one of the chief reasons why the planters oppose religion so strongly.'* The evidence given by the Rev. Mr Cooper, who had also been in Jamaica, is to the same effect. He is asked, '• Do you not consider that educating the slaves and bringing them up to the knowledge of religion, is an improvement in their condition ?" *' The education of the slaves, as men, will undoubtedly improve their condition, but thereby wholly unfit them for the sad state in which they are placed. I consider that no power upon earth could keep them in obedi- ence, unless they were kept in the most degraded ignorance. Anything; that tends to elevate them, tends to unfit them for their condition. If they were taught the Christian religion, the necessary consequence would follow, that they would find out that they were men, and as such would ask why they were to be treated as mere animals, goods and chattels." A case happened however about twenty years ago in South Carolina, that rather refutes the doctrine of Mr Cooper. A new overseer of a pious turn of mind, was employed by a planter to take charge of an extensive plantation. The first morning after entering upon the discharge of his new duties, he called the slaves around him ; addressed them affectionately, and while they all knelt with him, he offered up fervent prayers in their be- half. As he continued this practice from day to day, the 382 NORTn AMERICA. slaves at last became convinced that he really cared tor them, and became not only strongly attached to hhn, but highly distingui.shed for good order, obedience and in- dustry. The consequence was, that in a short time, the plantation was better cultivated than it had ever been, and became remarkably profitable to the owner. Inquiries were soon made by neighbouring proprietors, into the cause of this change, and a conviction was produced in the minds of most of them, that religion was of great im- portance to the successful management of slaves ; and though at one time prohibiting them from being taught, many of them became desirous that they should receive religious instruction. Another speaker at the meeting in London above alluded to, the Rev. \V. Brock, stated, •• That in the slave states of the Iniled Sutca of America, there was no such thing as a legal marriage amongst slaves, and that the ' increase' of the females, was the consequence of the most disgusting concubinage, of the common intercourse between the female slaves aiid their masters, their master's guests, their master's tons, their overseers, and others." This I fear, is a true though somewhat exaggerated statement ; and hence it too often happens, that men find themselves surrounded in that country, by a family of children, which their own feelings will not allow them to disown, nor the sentiments of the community to acknow- ledge. Marriages among slaves are necessarily but physical in their motiveS; as they are uncertain in their duration. Mr Stuart, in his Travels in North America, says — " Marriage among the slaves is generally allowed ; but where a young man has a fine family, the planter very often, with a view to the increase of his stock, forces him to have many wives ; and in the same way married females are often obliged to receive more husbands than NORTH AMERICA. 383 one, as the planter may order." Harriet Martineau says in like manner — " Every man who resides on his planta- tion may have his harem, and has every inducement of custom and of pecuniary gain to tempt him to the com- mon practice. There is no occasion to explain the manage- ment of female slaves on estates where the object is to rear as many as possible, like stock for the southern mar- ket ; nor to point out the boundless licentiousness caused by the practice ; a practice which wrung from the wife of a planter, in the bitterness of her heart, the declaration that a planter's wife was only the chief slave of the harem." This state of immorality prevailed in our own colonies in the West Indies, prior to emar.cipation, to perhaps even a greater extent than in the United States. Mt Barry, to whose evidence I have before alluded, is asked by the committee of the House of Lords, — *' Can you name any planter, attorney, book-keeper, overseer, driver, or other person in authority, or any one of your own acquaintances, who does not keep a coloured mistress?" *' I cannot." The thing in fact seems to have been universal. In the slave States the planters are frequently waited upon at table by their own children, and when in want of money, have occasionally to send them to the public mar- ket to be sold as slaves. The celebrated Scottish chief- tain the Laird of Mac Nab, who died in 18l(i, in the 82d year of his age, would have done well as a planter in the southern States of the Union. He had nearly a hundred natural children, and used to brag that he was the only man in his Majesty's dominions who could raise a troop of grenadiers from his own person. But this troop kept him in comparative poverty all his life, as it took £500 a-year to maintain them. If, however, the gallant laird had emi- crated in earlv Ufe to the slave States of America, and 3^4 NORTH AMERICA. from being so ardent an admirer of female charms, had found himself surrounded in his latter days by a troop like this, he could have pocketed 50,000 dollars, by convert- iniT his trrenadiers into cash. This would have relieved the poor laird from allhisditliculties,and thus have soothed, so far at least as regarded his temporal affairs, the closing years of his pilgrimage upon the earth. NORTH AMERICA. 335 CHAPTER XXI. The late Honorable Henry Clay's Compromise Resolutions on Slavery — Extract from the Speech which he delivered in Senate on that occasion — The Honorable Daniel Webster's Sentiments on same subject — Enthusias- tic reception given to great men in America — The Earl of Carlisle's De- scriptioD of the Congress of the United States — Distinction in regard to Color in the United States — Whether well founded. The late Honourable Henry Clay, member in Senate for the State of Kentucky, and one of the greatest orators and statesmen of the age in which he lived, delivered in Senate, on 5th and (3th February 1850, an admirable speech partly in reference to this bill and the other " Com- promise Resolutions,'^ as they were termed, which he had brought forward on the subject of slavery. One of these enacted, that California should be admitted into the Union, without the imposition by Congress of any restric- tion, either as to the introduction or exclusion of slavery within her boundaries, this being left to CaHfornia herself to decide, and she has decided in favour of exclusion. He maintains that Congress, the general government, has no power under the constitution of the United States to touch slavery within any of the States, and that, were it to do so " then," he adds, " Mr President, my voice would be for war; then would be made a case which would justify in the sight of God, and in the presence of the nations of 388 NORTH AMERICA. for objection to doing it now, when the District is limited to the portion t1u3 side of the Potomac, and when the motive or reason for concentrating slaves here in a depot, for the purpose of transportation to distant foreign markets, is lessened with the diminution of the District, by the retrocession of that portion to Virginia.'' On coming to tlie (jth Resolution, prohibiting, within the District of Colinnhia in uiiieh Washington tlie capital is situate, ilie trade in slaves brought into it from other States to be sold therein, or transported to other mar- kets, Mr Clay says — " Whv should slave-traders, who bujr their blaves in Maryland or Vir- ginia, come here with their slaves, in order to transport them to New Or- Itans or other fcoulhern markets ? Why not transport them from the States in which they are purchased? Why are the feelings of citizens here out- raged by the scenes exhibited, and the corteges which pass along our avenues, of nianacled human beings, not collected iil all in («ur own neighbourhood, but brought from distant parts of neighbouring States ? Why should they be outraged ? And who is there, that has a heart, that does not contem- plate a spectacle of that kind with horror and indignation? Why should they be outraged by a scene so inexcusable and detestable as this- ?" The 7th resolution (on which was founded the cele- brated Fugitive Slave Bill) runs thus, — " Resolved, That more effectual provision ought to be made by law, according to the requirements of the constitution, for the restitution and delivery of persons bound to service or labor in any State, \\ho may escape into any other State or territory of the Union." In commenting upon this resolution, Mr Clay, after adverting to the Act of 1793, (formerly quoted) as being still in force, proceeds thus — " I think, then, Mr President, that with regard to the true interpretation of this provision of the constitution, there can be no doubt. It imposes an obligation upon all the States, free or slaveholding ; it imposes an obliga- tion upon all officers of the government, state, or federal; and I will add, upon all the j>eople of the United States, under particular circumstances, to assist in the surrender and recovery of a fugitive slave from his master. Mr President, I do think that that whole class of legislation, beginning in the northern States and extending to some of the western States, by NORTH AMERICA. 3^9 which obstructions and impediments hive been thrown in the wav of the recovery of fugitive slaves, is unconstitutional, and has originated ia a spirit which I trust will correct itself when those States come calmly to con- sidcr the nature and extent of their federal obligations. Of all the States in this Union, unless it be Virginia, the State of which I am a resident, sulTcrs most by the escape of their slaves to adjoining States. I have very little doubt, indeed, that the extent of loss to the Siate of Kentucky, in consequence of the escape of her slaves is greater, at least in proportion to the total number of slaves which are held within that com- monwealth, even than in Virginia. I know full well, and so does the honorable senator from Ohio know, that it is at the utmost hazard, and in- security to life itself, that a Kentuckian can cross the river and go into the interior to take back his fugitive slave to the place from whence he fled. Recently an example occurred even in the city of Cincinnati, in respect to one of our most respectable citizens. Not having visited Ohio at all, but Covington, on the opposite side of the river, a little slave of his esciped over to Cincinnati. lie pursued it ; he found it in the house in which it was concealed ; he took it out, and it was rescued by the violence and force of a negro mob from his possession — the police of the city standing by, and either unwilling or unable to afford the assistance which was requisite to enable him to recover his property, Upon this subject I do think that we have just and serious cause of com- plaint against the free States. I think they fail in fulfilling a great obliga- tion, and the failure is precisely upon one of those subjects which in its nature is the most irritating and inflaming to those who live in the slave States. And allow me to say upon the subject, though it is perhaps going farther into detail than is necessary, th;it of all the exercise of power of those who attempt to seduce from their owners their slaves, there is no instance in which it is exercised so injuriously to the objects of their charity and benevolence as in the case of the seduction of family slaves from the service of their owner. The slaves in a family are treated with all the kindness that the children of the family receive. Everything which they want for their comfjrt is given them with the most liberal indulgence ; and, Sir, I have known more instances than one where, by this practice of the seduc- tion of family servants from their owners, they have been rendered wretched and unhappy in the free States ; and in my own family, a slave who had been seduced away, addressed her mistress, and begged and implored of her the means of getting back from the state of freedom to which she had been seduced, to the state of slavery in which she was so much more happy ; and in the case to which I have referred the means were afforded her, and she returned to the State of Kentucky to her mistress." :i()0 NOUTH AMERICA. Mr Clay concludes his speech by alluding to the dire- ful cU'ects of a dissolution of the Union, in these striking words — •' And, sir, I must take occasion here to say lliat, in my opinion, iliorc is no right on the part of any one or more of the States to secede from the I'nion. War and dissolution of the Union are identical and inevitable, in my opinion. There can bo a dissolution of tlie Union only by consent or by war. Consent no one can anticipate, from any existing state of things, is likely to bo given, and war is the only alternative by which a dissolution could be accomplished. If content were given — if it were possible that we were to bo separated by one great line — in less than sixty days after such consent was given war would break out between the slaveholding and non- slavcholding portions of this Union— between the two independent parts into which it would be erected in virtue of the act of separation. In less than sixty days, I believe, our slaves from Kentucky, flocking over in num- bers to the other side of the river, would be pursued by their owners. Our hut and ardent spirits would bo restrained by no sense of the right which appertains to the independence of the other side of the river, should that be the line of separation. They would pursue their slavei into the adja- cent free States ; they would be repelled, and the consequence would be that, in less than sixty days, war would be blazing in every part of this now happy and peaceful land. Mr President, 1 have said, what I solemnly believe, that dissolution of the Union and war are identical and inevitable; that they are convertibif terms ; and such a war as it would be, following a dissolution of the Union ! Sir, we may search the pages of history, and none so ferocious, so bloody, so implacable, so exterminating — not even the wars of Greece, including those of the Commoners of England and the revolutions of France — none, none of them all would rage with such violence, or be characterised with such bloodshed and enormities as would the war which niu'^t succeed, if that event ever haj^pens, the dissolution of the Union. And what would be its termination ? Standing armies and navies, to an extent stretching the revenues of each portion of the dissevered members, would take place. An exterminating war would follow — not, sir, a war of two or three years' duration, but a war of interminable duration — and exterminating wars would ensue, until, after the struggles and exhaustion of both parties, some Philip or Alexander, some Ceesar or Napoleon, would arise and cut the Gordian knot, and solve the problem of the capaM:ity of man for self-govern, ment, and crush the liberties of both the severed portions of this common empire. Can you doubt it ? NORTH AMERICA. 391 Look at all history — consult her pages, ancient or modern — look at human nature ; look at the contest in which you would be engaged in the supposi- tion of war following upon the dissolution of the Union, such as I have suggested; and I ask you if it is possible for you to doubt that the final dis- position of the whole would be some despot treading down the liberties of the people — the final result would be the extinction of this last and glorious light, which is leading all mankind, who are gazing upon it, in the hope and anxious expectation, that the liberty which prevails here will sooner or later be diffused throughout the whole of the civilised world. Sir, can you lightly contemplate these consequences ? Can you yield yourself to the tyranny of passion, amid dangers which I have depicted in colors far too tame, of what the result would be if that direful event to which I have referred should ever occur ? Sir, I implore gentlemen, I adjure them, whether from the south or the north, by all that they hold dear in this world — by all their love of liberty— by all their veneration for their ancestors— by all their re- gard for posterity — by all their gratitude to Him who has bestowed on them such unnumbered and countless blessings — by all the duties which they owe to mankind and by all the duties which they owe to themselves, to pause, solemnly, to pause at the edge of the precipice, before the fearful and dangerous leap is taken into the yawning abyss below, from which none who ever take it shall return in safety. Finally, Mr President, and in conclusion, 1 implore, as the best blessing wliich Heaven can bestow upon me, upon earth, that if the direful event of the dissolution of this Union is to happen, I shall not survive to behold the sad and heart-rending spectacle. Mr Clay's 8 Resolutions wtM*e all carried, and this was his last great effort, and may be called the closing scene in the drama of his political career, as he retired from public lite in December 1851, and died on 2a. describes his departure from the island, and arrival at Xew Orleans.] "The good I have to say of Xew Orleans must be chiefly confined to the St Charles Hotel, which is the most splendid of its kind that I saw, even in the United States. When it is at its full complement, 560 dine there every day 350 of whom sleep in the house : there are 160 servants, 7 French cooks; all the waiters whites — Irish, English, French, German, American. The verv intelligent proprietor of the Hotel told me he thought the Irish made the best; he has them all together every day at noon, when they go through a regular drill, and rehearse the service of a dinner. I went from Xew Orleans to Louisville on board the Henry Clay steamer, 1 jOO miles, wiiich lasted six days. The first 1 lOO miles were on the Mississippi." [After a voyage of 400 miles up the Ohio his Lordship describes a visit that he paid to Mr Clay, at his residence in Kentucky.] " The qualities which rivet the Senate and captivate his adherents, seemed to me both heightened and soft- ened by his frank, simple intercourse. He likes showing some English cattle. His countrymen seem to be in the habit of calling upon him witii- out any kind of previous introduction. Slavery, generally mild in the pas- toral State of Kentucky, was certainly seen here in its least repulsive guise. 304 NOitTii ami:kica. Mr Clan's own negro servant, Charles, was much ilevotcd to him ; he took him with him on a tour into Canada, and wht-n some Abolitionists there wanted him to leave his master, *' Not if vou were to give me both your provinces," was the reply. 1 again turned my face to the west, and pa-sed Cincinnati, which, together with all tliat 1 saw of the State of Ohio, seemed to me the part of the Union where, if obliged to make the choice, I should like best to fix my abode. It has a great share of all the civilisation and appliances of the old settled States of the East, with the richer soil, the softer climate, the fresher sj)ring of life, which distinguished the West Indies. Of .Mr Webster, his Lordship remarks : — Another great man, Daniel Webster, I could not hear in either House of C'ongress, because he then tilled, as he does now, the high oflice of Secretary of State ; but it is (|uite enough to beam on his jutting dark brow, and cavernous eyes, and massive forehead, to be assured that they nre the abode of as much, if not more intellect than any head perhaps you ever remarked." Mr WebbttT has a swarthy, ahiiost South-Spauish complexion. The following is a true though somewhat curious anocdote in his history. Many years ago a client from the barren island of Nantucket, (40 miles from the New England shore, at the North entrance into Long island Sound,) asked him to go to that island to plead a cause for him. Mr W. after mentioning the distance, the loss of time, and the interruption to his other practice, said that he could not go unless he received a fee of a thousand dollars. The client objected to paving so large a sum for pleading one cause ; but Mr \V. replied that remaining there probably during the whole circuit, amount- ed to as great a sacrifice on his part, as if he pleaded in every cause on the roll. " Well then " said his client *' come, and I will pay you the thousand dollars ; but you shall be at my disposal for the whole sittings, and I .«rhall let you out, if I can." Mr Webster went, and was sub-let by his client, who drew the fees to relieve his own loss. The client received eleven hundred dollars, had his cause pleaded for nothing, besides pocketing a hundred dollars bv the transaction. NORTH AMERICA. 395 People in this country are, in general, somewhat sur- prised at the distinction in regard to colour still kept up in America, and think it strange that even in the northern States of the Union, where slavery has been abolished, the black should not enjoy the same privileges as the white man. The Americans feel, for example, an insurmount- able objection to sit down at the same table with a well- dressed, well-informed, and well-educated man of color; and refuse to work with them in the same shops, or admit them into the same seats at the theatre, the same omni- buses, the same pews at church, and even the same schools. Foreigners are also apt to ask why a white lady should not walk down the streets arm in arm with a black gen- tleman of education ? or why a black clergyman should not preach to a white congregation ? I myself had no prejudices of any kind against people of color, and am de- cidedly of opinion that the Americans in general treat them with too much contempt. I was certainly struck, however, as I said before, with the inferiority which I thought I discovered, of the black children to the white in point of intellect and smartness. With this impression on my mind, I accidentally fell in w ith a very clever work, published in London in 1851, entitled, " Across the At- lantic," the author of which seems also to have had his attention called to this subject, and at page 214, makes the following remark : — " The cause of the low estimation in which the black are held by the white population of the free States, is to be sought for no further than in the plain and simple fact, that the negro is an inferior race, whose differ- ence of colour forms their least striking distinction from the rest of man- kind. There are physical peculiarities connected with this race, which it would be impossible to enter upon, but which sufticiently explain the broad line of demarcation, every where established between them and the whites. The Englishman of the West Indies shares in the prejudices of the Ame- rican ; I have known a very excellent and accomplished lady, who had a 304 NOKTII AMHKICA. Mr Clavs own neijro servant, Charles, was iniich devoted to him ; he tool; him with him on a tour into Canada, and when some Abolitionists there wanted him to leave his master, "Not if vou were to give mc both your provinces," was the reply. 1 again turned niv face to the west, and pa-sed Cincinnati, which, logether with all that I saw of the State of Ohio, seemed to me the part of the Union where, if obliged to make the choice, I should like best to fix my abode. It has a great share of all tiic civilisation and appliances of the old settled States of the East, with the richer soil, the softer climate, the fresher 8|)ring of life, which distinguished the West Indies. Of Mr Webster, his Lordship remarks : — Another great man, Daniel Webster, I could not hear in either House of C'ongrcss, because he then tilled, as he does now, the high oflice of Secretary of State ; but it is (juite cnuu(;h to beam on his jutting dark brow, and cavernous eyes, and massive forehead, to be assured that ihey nre the abode of as niucli, if not more intellect than any head perhaps you ever remarked." Mr Webster lias a swarthy, almust South-Spauisli t(»inj)loxion. The following is a true though somewhat furious auoedote in his history. Many years ago a client from the barren island of Nantucket, (40 miles from the New England shore, at tlie North entrance into Long Island Sound,) asked him to go to that island to plead a lause for him. Mr W. after mentioning the distance, the loss of time, and the interruption to his other practice, said that he could not go unless he received a fee of a thousand dollars. The client objected to paying so large a sum for pleading one cause ; but Mr W. replied that remaining there probably during the whole circuit, amount- ed to as great a sacrifice on his part, as if he pleaded in every cause on the roll. " Well then " said his client *'come, and I will pay you the thousand dollars ; but you shall be at my disposal for the whole sittings, and I shall let you out, if I can." Mr Webster went, and was sub-let by his client, who drew the fees to relieve his own loss. The client received eleven hundred dollars, had his cause pleaded for nothing, besides pocketing a hundred dollars bv the transaction. NORTH AMERICA. 395 People in this country arc, in general, somewhat sur- prised at the distinction in regard to colour still kept up in America, and think it strange that even in the northern States of the Union, where slavery has been abolished, the black should not enjoy the same privileges as the white man. The Americans feel, for example, an insurmount- able objection to sit down at the same table with a well- dressed, well-informed, and well-educated man of color ; and refuse to work with them in the same shops, or admit them into the same seats at the theatre, the same omni- buses, the same pews at church, and even the same schools. Foreigners are also apt to ask why a white lady should not walk down the streets arm in arm with a black gen- tleman of education ? or w hy a black clergyman should not preach to a white congregation ? I myself had no prejudices of any kind against people of color, and am de- cidedly of opinion that the Americans in general treat them with too much contempt. I was certainly struck, however, as I said before, with the inferiority which I thought I discovered, of the black children to the white in point of intellect and smartness. With this impression on my mind, I accidentally fell in with a very clever work, published in London in 1851, entitled, *' Across the At- lantic," the author of which seems also to have had his attention called to this subject, and at page 214, makes the following remark : — " The cause of the low estimation in wljicli liie black are held by the white population of the free States, is to be sought for no further than in the plain and simple fact, that the negro is an inferior race, whose differ- ence of colour forms their least striking distinction from the rest of man- kind. There are physical peculiarities connected with this race, which i: would be impossible to enter upon, but which sufficiently explain the l)road line of demarcation, every where established between them and the whites. The Englishman of the West Indies shares in the prejudices of the Ame- rican ; I have known a very excellent and accomplished lady, who ha-! ;i 3[)(3 NOKTH AMERICA. slight tince of African blood, to be refused admission into society by tlio English women of Calcutta. Let but two millions of negroes emigrate ti) old England, and, in less than a quarter of a century, the feeling there will be the same as it is now in new England. The best men will share in it. I need hardly call attention to the fact, that the clergy of the Established Church were the most eager and enthusiastic upholders of slarery in the West Indies. They clung to it when every one else had abandoned it ; and, fur once, (considering the present state of those islands,) appear, by so doing, to have advocated a wise and humane course." The above seems to be a concise, practical, and, per- haps, tolerably correct solution of this difficult problem ; and both the physical and moral conformation of the nc'xro race are so different from those of the whites, as to produce, seemingly, a sort of natural instinctive dislike between the two races. I think it proper, however, to mention, that many emi- nent authors, (and among others, Joseph Sturge, the cele- brated quaker, in his travels in America,) maintain that j)eople of colour are not inferior to the whites in intellect, ])rovided they have the same opportunity afforded them for enterprise and improvement ; and Colonel Cunning- haine, in hit> " Glimpse of the Great Western Republic," shrewdly remarks — " The Americans uf the suuthi>m States are very anxious that all strangers should come to an unfavourable conclusion respecting the mental capabi- lities of the black men, invariably stating that the race are susceptible of no improvement, however much attention is lavished upon the cultivation of their minds. But that this cannot really be their own impression, is too clearly demonstrated by the necessity which these citizens have advocated uf passing laws in the senate against all instruction being granted to this race. If, in their opinion, no harm could arise to their own interest from increased knowledge in the slave, or if he were utterly incapable of re- ceiving useful impressions, why adopt such rigorous measures to preclude him from eating of that fruit, which they acknowledge, by their universal s)ktem of education, to be so invaluable to themselves." NORTH AMERICA. 397 CHAPTER XXII. Description of the various drinks used in America— The sjBteni of boarding — Its advantages and disadvantages— Early rising and breakfasting — Comparative absence of Nymphs of the Pave— Lynch law— Value of women in America — Fire brigades — Uniform rate of postage — Hostility of the Irish to the coloured and German population — The Constitution of the United States — Erroneous notions regarding Equality— Titles in America — Anecdote of the late Earl of Selkirk — Views entertained in regard to an equal division of property— The two leading parties in America, the Whigg and Douiocrats. ^ If the French have been long proverbial for their science in the discovery of cooking, the Americans are no less celebrated for their discoveries in the science of drinks, and their skill in mixing them. In addition to the various wines, malt liquor, and spirituous liquors, which we use in this country, the latter of which are so much cheaper there than with us, from the duty upon them being but trifling, they use a variety of compounds, all of which, I must say, are extremely palatable. Sherry-cobbler is a favourite drink, and is made up as follows : — pound a small quantity of ice quite fine, by wrapping it in a coarse woollen cloth, and beating it with a rolling pin ; half fill a large tumbler with this pounded ice ; add a tea- spoonful and half of pounded sugar, two or three pieces of lemon peel, pared very thin, and a wine glass and half of sherry ; throw in half a dozen strawberries ; fill up 3f)S NOKTU AMERICA. with pounded ice; mix, by pouring rapidly from one tum- !)ler to another several times ; drink through a straw or glass tube. Mint-julep is also much relished, and the following is a good receipt for making it : — ice and sugar as above ; a wine glass of best brandy ; half a wine glass of superior old rum ; two or three unbruised sprigs of fresh mint put against the side of the tumbler ; fill up with pounded ice until it forms a cone; crown it with a large strawberry ; mix and drink it as sherry-cobbler. Brandy-smash is njade with brandy, mint, and ice. Hrandy cocktail is composed of brandy, sugar, stoughton, or other bitters, and lemon ])eel. Brandy skin consists of brandy, sugar, and lemon skins. They make different kinds of punch, as in this country, with sugar and lemon, and call them '• punches." Milk punch they use cold. It is composed of ice, milk, brandy or rimi, sugar, and nutmeg. Toddy they call sling; thus they have gin-sling and whisky- sling. They have a composition which they call sange- rees, made from different kinds of wine and spirits, with the addition of water, sugar, &c., and poured from one glass to another, very scientifically, so as to mix the arti- cles properly together. Lastly, they have egg-nog, made from eggs, milk, rum or brandy, and sugar; besides a variety of other drinks, too numerous to mention. The j)orter made at Philadelphia is celebrated throughout the Union ; and is but little inferior, in my opinion, to London porter. Albany is celebrated for its ale, which is almost equal to the far-famed Edinburgh ale, though not so heavy nor so sweet. There is one singular custom that prevails in America, that when you call for a glass of spirits or wine, the bar- keeper hands you a tumbler (wine-glasses not being used) into which you pour as much as you guess to be a glass. NORTH AMERICA. 399 There is no restriction as to the quantity, and the same price is paid whether you take little or much. Some, accordingly, take double what others do, which shews that the idea of quantity differs with different individuals. Six cents, or threepence sterling, is the usual charge for a glass of anything, though at the fashionable hotels they charge sixpence, or a York shilHng. The system of boarding, so prevalent not only in the States, but in Canada, has its advantages and disadvan- tages. The former consist mainly in its economy and variety, enabling the landlord to give magnificent repasts at a moderate price. Where the board is a dollar and a quarter, or a dollar and a half per day, one has every luxury in the way both of eating and accommodation that any reasonable person can desire ; whilst at those hotels where two dollars a-day are charged, the public rooms are truly magnificent, and at dinner you have a choice of 15 or 20 different dishes, all admirably cooked, and chiefly, as I said before, after the French mode. To live in the same style in London would cost nearly double. It is, perhaps, not generally known that butchers' meat loses one-fourth of its weight by boiling, and one-third by roast- ing. I would not, however, recommend any one to go to hotels where they charge only one dollar a-day, as both the accommodation and cookery are necessarily of an in- ferior description. Drink is always a separate charge at the hotels ; but such a thing as "drinking for the good of the house," a phrase you frequently hear in Scotland, is perfectly unknown, and would be reckoned extremely barbarous by that civilized nation, who never drink upon any occasion whatever, but when they feel inclined. Though the Americans cannot be called exactly a sober people, many of them drinking from morning till night, yet the quantity made use of at each time being very small, 400 NORTH AMEinCA. and taken at the bar standing, as is the custom in that country, has the happy effect of not producing that intoxi- cation which is unfortunately so prevalent in this country, arising partly, no doubt, from the long sederunts at one time in which we are apt to indulge. A drunk person is therefore an object rarely to be seen in the United States; and within the last twenty years 3000 distilleries are said to have been suppressed. The general practice in America, as I said before, is for the inhabitants of hotels and boarding-houses to fre- (juent the tuhle d hote, and that, too, for every meal. So great is their fanoy for pul)lic life, that you often find whole families N\ho have been brought up, or ** ra/.*t'(/," as they term it, at hotels. A newly married couple, and pos- sessing moderate means, instead of becoming housekeep- ers, and enjoying the quiet retirement of social life, will take up their abode at some hotel or boarding-house, and remain there for years, till their family increase, without any place worthy the name of, or bearing the most faint resemblance to home. There is one other characteristic of American hotels that deserves to be specially mentioned, namely, that people are freed from the incessant demands of servants, as they are sufficiently paid to render them above solicit- ing the paltry and annoying perquisites usually pertaining to their office in the Old World. The disadvantages attending the American boarding system are chiefly, that you must live, as it were, in public, and have your appetite always ready by a particular hour. This does not apply so much to the breakfast as the dinner hour. At most of the principal hotels in the larger towns throughout the Union, there is generally some latitude given for breakfast, of one, two, or even three hours, occa- sionally from six till eight, or from seven till ten, as at the NORTH AMERICA. 401 Astor House, New York. But the dinner hour through- out the Union, though varying in different hotels, say from one till three o'clock, is invariably kept with the greatest precision, so that, if you do not appear at the hour fixed, you can get no dinner at all, but must wait till the next meal appears. When they only charge a dollar a-day you get only three meals a-day — tea, with plenty of meat, being called supper. There are some people from this country who go to America, who do not seem to relish much this system of boarding, and are rather abusive of the Americans for a custom, where, upon the whole, I think the advantages predominate. 1 observe, among others, that the author of the work entitled *' Across the Atlantic," makes the following very satirical remarks on this subject : — •' Strange as this taste must appear, I do not know whether I would not rather oat my dinner even in this gloomy and funereal manner than after the fashion in which I am forced to eat it at an American hotel. In the first place, I am compelled to sit down with sixtv or seventy people, who are more properly gorging down food than eating, in the midst of a strug- gling for dishes, a clattering of dish-covers, a rushing to and fro of negro or Irish waiters — in short, in the midst of everything that can communi- cate a sense of hurry and discomfort to the meal. In the second place, I am compelled to do all this in the middle of the day, at a period when man- kind should be breakfasting, and go about my afternoon business with an aching head and a sense of indigestion. In the third place, I am scarcely al- lowed a moment's respite after the cloth has been cleared away. Every one rises from the table ; I alone keep the attendants waiting, This is an unpleasant position for any man. The English idea ef " after dinner sit a while" does not enter into the heaJ of an American, Instead of a light luncheon in the middle of the day, and a comfortable dinner taken leisurely at its close, when the cares of business are over, he gorges himself at one, two, or three o'clock, hurries to the bar, where he drinks mint-julep and other deleterious compounds, standing up — lights a strong cigar, and dashes breathlesss, through the hot streets, expelling the saliva necessary for diges- tion, and finally sits down, bursting with tough mutton and hot pork and beans, to write in a close counting-house, with two more enormous meals iu 402 NORTH AMERICA. view, narnelv, tea and supper, at the close of the dav. No wonder that nine out of ten persons w horn you meet, look miserable, sallow, and dyspeptic." All European authors seem to be struck with their rapidity at meals. Mr Weston says that they eat, or rather gorge themselves, as if they were a retreating army, making a haj^ty meal uhile the enemy were in hot pur- suit. 3Ir Shirret!', late of Mungoswells, the celebrated East Lothian farmer, says, when dining at the Columbian Hotel at Albany, in 1833,—'* Our dinner party consisted of ." This law, though sometimes abused, has proved not a had sort of law upon tlie whole for a new country, and has l)een often successfully executed on gamblers and disorder- ly persons. In reference to the comparaii\e absence of the frail sisterhood in America, it no doubt arises partly from the scarcity of women in that country, so that the demand for them is great, and they are consequently under no neces- sity, as too fretjuently happens in this country, of having recourse to that unfortunate mode of life in order to obtain a livelihood. During the last century, the tide of emigra- tion from Europe has consisted much more of the male than the female sex. During the three years preced- ing 1850, the immigration into the United States was 4.')4,320 males, and only 312,IG4 females. Thus in three years alone, an excess of no less than 142,000 males enter- ed the States from Europe, bringing in as many extra com- petitors for the hands of the native-born American females who are intended only to supply wives to the native-born American men. Then, as the emigrants spread themselves NORTH AMERICA. 4O7 over the land, the unmarried females among them, are al- most all picked up before they have proceeded far from the coast, and the value at wliich they are estimated by the men, and still more by themselves, increases, till in the far west they attain a famine price, and there we have the paradise of women. A similar state of things existed at one time in our Australian colonies, but the demand for females is not so great there as it once was, the proportion of the sexes being now more equal. The same course has operated in an opposite slds. Uoboken. In the afternoon, while the (jermans were partaking uf a pic-nic on the grass, a disturbance took place between them and some young men of Uoboken and New York, who seized their saasages and drank their beer. A general disturbunco then look place. Knives and other instruments were used. The assailants were reinforced by a large number of Irish ' navies,' and quiet was not restored till scTcral persons lost their Htcs ; manj were badly wounded, and GO of the rioters lodged in jail. The investigation before the Coroner's jury revealed some strange doings on the part of the public authorities of that place. There appears to be no doubt but that one of the justices authorised a large number of the rowdies to act as special con- stables, and that they used that authority in maltreating and arresting the innocent portion of the Germans indiscriminately.'* To describe the character of the Americans at any length, would be foreign to my purpose. Leigh Hunt designates them as " Englishmen, with the poetry and romance taken out of them ;" and the author of " Hoche- laga " says of them — XORTII AMElirCA. 411 " I was astonished at the geueral prosperity of the Americans, their in- dustry and skill, the vast resources of the country, and their advance in all the useful arts of life. In most, if not all of these, they stand first among the nations of the earth. I will not say they inspired me with aflTcction or admiration, but they did inspire nie with wonder. Their institutions a|)- pear excellently well adapted to their situation and character at present, in many essential respects ; but I consider them to be inapplicable to other countries, or even to the probable future condition of their own. They possess many ^'reat virtues, but not generally those which attract. Their well directed reason may be far better than mere generous impulse , but it does not touch the heart. Whatever esteem the traveller may en- tertain, he will scarcely bear away with him much warmth of feeling to- wards them as a people." The American author of an admirable work, published in 1851, called " The English in America," takes up the matter in the same hght, and proves, 1 think, satisfac- torily, that republicanism in America was not the result of the Revolution, but that it virtually existed there from its first settlement, and that no other practicable alterna- tive was presented to her. Though he maintains that royalty could not be accUmated in the United States, as being contrary to the genius of the people, and their habits, institutions, and feelings, yet he shows the fatal error, or rather the absurdity of the doctrines of those restless politicians, who imagine that a republican form of government is suitable to the inhabitants of every country in the world, merely from the success that has attended the great American experiment. He states that a government must be suited not only to the population, but to the country for which it is designed, and that the same form of government is not suited to nations in dif- ferent degrees of civilization, or to the same nation at the same period. He shows clearly that self-government has signally failed in all the republics of South America, though the constitution and example of the United States s 2 412 NORTH AM Fine A. Iwul Ix'cn foUowcil as closely as possible. In alluding to France, he ue-es the following striking words: — " Deniocracy has at present a fovorish and delirious existence in France. It was not tlio tltiiheratc voice of the nation, but the result of an insurrec- tion. It oflered a temporary shelter, amid the storms of civil commotion, and was adopted as a harbour of refuge. How long will its neutral cha- raitiT be respected by the irreconcilcable parlies that distract that un- happy nation ?" He maintains that the present form of mixed govern- ment is the only one at all suitable to England; as, if the monarchical principle were stronger, it would be incon- sistent with liberty ; and if the democratic elements were enlarged, it would become too powerful for harmonious action, and endanger tlie whole machinery. He then adds — " Much as we may iipi-iaml tiic- wisduin ami skill nl' lli<- ^reat American statesmen who devised the checks in their constitution, and much as wo may admire its adaptation to the people and circumstances under which they wore placed, no impartial politician or sound statesman, whatever may 1)0 his country, but niuht a»lmit that it is infinitely inferior to that of Knjjland." It seems, indeed, to be generally admitted, that Great Britain is in possession of a constitution under which the safety of person and property, and the liberty of speech and action, have been more fully enjoyed than in any other nation under heaven, not even excepting the United iStates of America. My readers w ill bear in mind that the above was written by its distinguished author prior to the bold and success- ful step that was taken on 2d December 1851, by Prince Louis Napoleon, of dissolving, by a " coup dttat,'' the National Assembly — establishing universal suffrage — pro- claiming himself President of France for ten years — abo- lishing ttie three absurd w ords, " hberty, equality, and fra- NORTH AMERICA. 413 ternity" — cutting down the leafless " trees of liberty" planted at the revolution of 1848, under whose withering shades true liberty never flourished since the world began, having been always watered by the tears of misery ; and converting the whole mass of jarring and conflicting ele- ments into one grand, firm, and (it is to be hoped) stable government, the only thing, peradventure, calculated to save that fine country from the endless and bloody revo- lutions with w hich, during the last G5 years, she has been so unfortunately and so unmercifully assailed. In regard to universal suff'rage, as practised in the United States of America, Buckingham says, " Univer- sal suff'rage does not lead in America, any more than it would do elsewhere, to the selection of representatives from any other class than that which the voters believe to be a much higher one than the average of their own." And in reference to revolutions, a sensible old French lady said, " that she did not care what revolutions hap- pened, as long as she had her roast chicken, and her little game at cards." And in using the word " revolution^'' I see that the late Mr Hamilton, in his talented work, entitled, " Men and Manners in America," predicts that America herself is probably destined, at some future period, to pass through that fatal and appalling ordeal. The following are his words ; — " At present the United States are perhaps more safe from revolutionary contention than any country in the world. But this safety consists in one circumstance alone. The great majority of the people are possessed of pro~ perty : have what is culled a stake in the hed^'c ; and are, therefore, by interest, opposed to all measures that may tend to its insecurity. It is for such a condition of society that the present constitution was framed ; and could this great bulwark of prudent government be rendered as permanent as it is effective, there could be no assignable limit to the prosperity of a people so favoured. But truth is undeniable, that as population increases, 414 NORTH AMERICA. another state of things must necessarily ariso, and one, unfortunutely, nevpr lirearot of in the philogophy of American legislators. The majority of the peopli' will then consist of men without property of anj kind, suhject t(i the immediate pressure of want, and then will be decided the great sirugelo hotweon property and numbers; on llie one side hun{;er, rapacity, and phy- sical power ; reason, justice, and helplessness on the other. The weapons of this fearful contest are alrt-ady forged ; the tiands will 8of)n he horn that arc to wield ihenj. At all cTcnts, let no man appeal to the htahility of the American gov»-rnment as hcing established by experience, till this trial has been overpaat." Eighty years, though seemingly a long period, are evidently insufficient to test the permanence, or, if I may so speak, the vitality of a constitution, the immediate ad- vantages of which are so strongly felt, whilst the evils are hilt latent, and comparatively remote. The ignorant and vulgar in France, as well as in America, in their ahsurd cries ahout equality, confound an ecjuality of rights \\\\\\ an etpiality of station. Every man has an etpial right to he protected hy the laws, in the sphere in whicli he moves, hut every man has not an etpial right to move in the same sphere, because every man is not etjually (pialified. There has been no such thing in fact as eipiality since the creation, nor can there possibly be any till time has ceased. So soon as mankind l)egan to consort together, they began to separate into ranks and conditions. He who v^as the bravest, was made leader or king ; he who was the most clever, or the most prudent, became the most wealthy ; and he who in- dulged in idleness, or dissipation, or was without ability, became the poorest. Hence the origin of ranks ; and though honorary titles may abstractly be absurd, and even contemptible, yet this love of title seems to have pervaded society in all countries, and in all ages. Even the citizens of the United States who pretend to despise titles, have their esquires, as amongst us, and designate NORTH AMERICA. 415 their legislators by the title of " Honorable," and their President by that of *' His Excellency." Indeed their pretended love of equality, as they absurdly term it, leads them into many ludicrous inconsistences, of which the following is a memorable instance: — The late Earl of Selkirk when travelling in 1837, in the United States, having stopped for a few days at Fredericksburg, in Virginia, was invited by the magis- trates there to a public dinner. Before the hour of dinner there was a discussion amongst them, how they were to address hnn, when it was resolved that they should style him Mr Selkirk; and accordingly his Lord- ship was so addressed during dinner. Had he really been only Mr Selkirk, do you suppose that the worthy citizens would have entertained him in this public man- ner ? Why, they would as soon have thought of inviting I beggar to a public (Huner. And if their President were to visit Great Britain, and the people here were to refuse to address him by the title of " His Excellency," would not the whole of the citizens of the Great Republic, be up in arms at such an insult offered to their chief magistrate ? And yet forsooth, they deprived the poor Earl of Selkirk of his title, during the five hours he was taking a bottle of champagne with them. I believe, how- ever, that his Lordship would attach much less importance to it than they did. The novelty of being stripped of his rank for a short time, must no doubt have amused him. Selkirk is a celebrated name. A Scotch sailor of the name of Alexander Selkirk, a native of Largo in the county of Fife, was left in the year 1704 upon a small un- inhabited island, 10 miles long, and 6 broad, called Juan Fernandez, 400 miles from the coast of Chili, and there he remained four years and a half. He had no other companions than cats and goats. He built himself a 41(i NORTH AMERICA. house, read his Bible, aiul sometimes danced with tht? kids and kittens in front of his dwelling. His chief enjoy- ment consisted in supplying his bodily wants, and to such a pitch had his ideas of happiness raised themselves, that he forgot his country, his language, his name, and even the articulation of words. He had lost in fact all thought of the past, or anxiety for the future. At length he was taken off and carried to England. His adventures gave rise to the interesting story of Ilobinson Crusoe. The citizens of the United States in conferring the titles formerlv alluded to as a mark oi distinction amon*' themselves, exhibit to the rest of the civilizxMl world, in a striking degree, the same vanity and weakness which affect the subjects of ancient monarchies. All Americans when tliey arrive in this country are fond of being intro- duced at court, and proud of being patronised by our nobility. Some of them boasting of a visit to the Queen, and her familiarity witli them, said that her 3Iajesty would lidve asked them to dinner had it not been washing day. It would seem indeed as if there were a yearning after these follies among mankind. Be it so or not, it is an idiosyncrasy, which from time immemorial, has been seized liold of by rulers, for the purpose of stimulating men to deeds beneficial to their country. The prospect of being entitled to write Sir before their names, or of being called a Lord, or an Earl, or a Duke, induces numbers of indi- viduals to do great and good actions, which they would not do for a mere pecuniary reward. As these titles are ordained to descend to their children, they have a double stimulant to action. Genius not being hereditary, these titles may, and certainly do fall into the possession of per- sons of no ability or worth ; nevertheless, the stimulus to acquire titles and rank such as they have, continues to ope- rate beneficially, as it is thought, upon the nation ; and NORTH AMERICA. 417 they themselves feel, or it is presumed they feel, bound to sustain a certain honourable character consistent with their rank. In time, as I have said, a contrary taste may prevail, by which all will scorn to be called by any desig- nation but their plain Christian name and surname ; but we have here nothing to do with what mnij be: our business is with what is. The principles of human nature apply in a similar man- ner in solving the mystery, why there are men eiijoving riches which they never wrought for, and may be unde- serving of. They enjoy their possessions by right of inheritance — an arrangement of the highest value in a well regulated society. If there were no right of inheritance, all that a person would contend for, would be merely that which was calculated to support him during life : thus in- dustry would lose its chief spur, idleness would ensue, and national deterioration would be the consequence. No rational mind will maintain that when a father of a family, or any one who has no family, has acquireil propertv, and dies, that it shall belong of right to any or to all who can get possession, by fraud, force, or any otlier means Right by inheritance is therefore a proper thing, and must be maintained at all hazards, even although it often en- riches fools. It is a right which need not be grudged, for it is seldom that those who never wrought for riches know how to guide them with prudence, and they soon enough reduce themselves to the level of those having onlv a moderate competence. It has been contended by some persons that thtre should be a periodical division of land and property, and that every member of the community shall have an equal share. This is a very ridiculous doctrine. It it were understood that at certain periods all kinds of property would be divided, no one would exert himself to store up 418 NOIITII AMERICA. the friiits (if liis iiulustry ; and the country would become little better than a desert. Besides, supposing a division were actually to take place, and that all were to be made equal, it is easy to see that inequality would immediately ensue, and then there would be a necessity for a new division. Such an arrangement would amount to this, that the idle were to be supported by tlie indu>tiious, w hicb involves a principle so monstrous that it could never be carried into effect. This doctrine, too, independent of its absurdity, is also at direct variance with the divine command, which enjoins that man must earn his bread by the sweat of his brow ; and that if we do not work, neither shall we eat. Industry, indeed, is everywhere strongly inculcated throughout the sacred writings. " Man," it is said, *' goeth forth to his work and unto his labour till the evening." '* The diligent hand maketh rich, but the sluggard shall \Nant in time of liarvest." Indeed the chief thing I admire in the character ot Prince Louis Napoleon, (though some of his acts no one can justify.) is bis determined hostility to the doctrines and principles of socialism, which go to subvert all laws, both human and divine. His whole exertions (with one single and signal exception) seem directed to the protection of property and of industry, without which every govern- ment must soon fall to pieces. What man in his senses would toil and struggle, if some idle, profligate, worth- less wretch, could step in and insist on sharing with him the fruits of his labour ? The principle on w hich all accumulation or capital depends, is security of pro- perty. In the middle ages the people burnt the ricks of the provident man, by way of lessening the evils of scarcity. The consc(iuence was, that no person thought of accumu- NORTH AMERICA. 4i!> lating at all, and the price of wheat often rose just before the harvest from 5s. a quarter to £5. Countries where capital is insecure soon become un- productive, so that land is not cultivated in proportion to its fertility, hut to its freedom or security. No man will work willingly when he is to be dcpri\('(l of the power of disposing at his own will of the fruits of his labour ; and no man will work skilfully when the same scanty pittance is doled ont to all, whatever be the diller- ence in their talents and knowledge. England did not begin to accumulate largely till industry was free, and property secure. Could wealth be one day divided amongst mankind into the most equal proportions, it would be again broken up before 4^ hours, as within that sliort time the j)rovi(lent and diligent would have outstripped the thoughtle.'«s, the dissipated, and the indolent, so that to keep the doctrine of equality in existence, you would require to proclaim a new division of property every market day. During the French revolution of 1789, Marat's receipt for preventing a scarcity of bread, was to break open the provision shops, and hang their owners at the doors. Robespierre, under the name of liberty, ruled France with a sceptre of iron ; and Madame Roland, when glancing at the gigantic statue of Liberty which had been erected near the guillotine on which she was to suffer, exclaimed, " O Liberty ! — how many crimes are com- mitted in thy name I" The French, at that epoch, may have been said to have sown the wind, and reaped the whirl- wind. They carried their love of equality to such a pitch, that the spires of churches were in some cases levelled, l)ecause they violated the rej)ublican principle of equality, by rising above other edifices. Of the American constitution I shall say but little, — 420 NORTH AMERICA, merely referring those who are curious in such matters to the work of the celebrated French author, M. de Tucqueville, entitled, *' Democracy in America," a work which has been translated into almost all tlir languages of Europe. By the Articles ot Confederation anti Peipetual Union between tiie States, signed on 4th July 1770, in which they took the title of " The United States of America," they a«:reed that each state sliould retain its sovereignty, treedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, not expressly delegated to Congress by the confederation. For the more convenient management of the general interests of the United States, it was declared that delegates should be appointed to meet in Congress. 'I'he Union is thus in some respects one nation, and in others 31. An inhabitant of the State of New York, for instance, so far as questions of peace and war, foreign intercourse, &c., are concerned, belongs to the Union. His chief magistrate is a president, his capital is Wash- ington, and >o far as these are concerned, he owes Iiis supreme allegiance to the government holding jurisdiction over them, which is generally called the Federal Govern- ment. But in respect to the administration of justice, responsibility for crime, tenure of property, ^^c, he be- longs to the State of New York ; his chief magistrate is a governor, and his capital is Albany. Each government is, within its ow n jurisdiction, entirely independent of tlie other, and every citizen owes his supreme allegiance to both, so far as their respective jurisdictions may extend. The United States Congress cannot interfere with the laws of the individual states, any more than she can with the laws of other nations of the earth with whom she is on terms of amity. The Federal Government has no more power, for instance, to abolish slavery in any of the states, NORTH AMERICA. 421 than she would have had to abolish slavery in the British West Indian Colonies. In Europe, the difficulty is to avoid supposing the state governments to be subordinate, whereas they are co-ordinate departments of one simple and integral whole. Each State government legislates and administers in all affairs which concern its own citi- zens. To the Federal Government are consigned all mat- ters which concern citizens, as foreigners from other states, or as fellow-citizens with all in certain specified relations. The President's salary, or as it is there called, " com- pensation," was fixed at 25,000 dollars, and that of the Vice-President at 5000 dollars ; and it is a remarkable circumstance that these have never been altered. The President holds his situation four years, and the Congress meet annually on a stated tlay, the first ^londay of De- cember. Members of Congress have 8 dollars a day duruig the silting of Congress, and the like sum as *' mile- age " money for every 20 miles they have to travel to or from Washington. Some of the members from the West arc of a gigantic stature. With iesi)eut to the stability of the American Com- monwealth, there is great probability that its duration will be longer than any empire that has hitherto existed ; for it is a truth universally admitted, that whilst the ad- vantages which ever attended any of the monarchies of the old world all centre in the new, there are many others which they never enjoyed. Seldom any disputes occur at their elections, the quiet ballot-box being a grand preventative of popular commo- tion. The ballot sometimes produces curious results. A candidate for an office that was to be elected by ballot having received the assurance of support from almost all 422 NORTH AMERK A. the electors, was astonished on tho day of election, to find that not a single ball had ht'cn ))Ul In for hini. A repuhlic is a government in whith the people have estahlishcd a constitution, and in which they choose some of their fellow-citizens to make and administer laws. Each of the States is therefore a rej)uhlic. The government of the United States is formed uj)on a union or confedera- tion of the several States, and is, therefore, called a *' Federal Hepuhlic." The distinction between a democracy and a republic is, that in the former, the people act themselves directly in the business of government ; whereas in the latter, the people choose men to represent them and act for them. While the constitution takes away from the individual States, and gives to the Federal Government certain powers, as for instance, the power to make treaties; to carry on war against foreign nations ; to have a standing army and navy ; to establish post-offices, customs, &c., and, in general, to preside over those interests which affect the whole country as a nation ; it leaves the diff*erent States still, as independent republics, to carry on their several internal governments, to manage all their affairs as they may think proper ; and leaves them, in short, in posses- sion of all the powers that are not thus expressly given away. There are two parties in America, the whigs, and the democrats, who are occasionally styled the locofocos, a nickname given to them by the whigs. The whigs cor- respond to the old tory or conservative party in Great Britain, and are occasionally called " federalists," by the democrats, as a term of reproach. The democrats are the go-a-head party, synonymous with the radical party in this country. The aim of the federal party is to strengthen the central authority ; whilst the aim of the democratic NORTH AMERICA. 493 party is to increase the power of the citizens in their local courts, and in the separate State legislatures. The word " TVvry," was a name originally given to the w ild Irish robbers, who favoured the massacre of the Irish Protest- ants in 1G41 ; and it was afterwards applied to all enor- mous iiigh-tUers of the Church. The term " /r/^^V/," was a ludicrous name first allotted to the country-field devo- tion-meeting, whose ordinary drink was whig, or whey of coagulated sour milk. It was afterwards applied to those who were against the Court interest, in the reigns of Charles II. and James II., and for the Court, in the reigns of King William, and King George. The members of Senate hold their seats for six years, one-third of its whole number ((J2) being renewed every second year. The late Alexander Mackay, in his admir- able uork on America, called the *' Western World," says, ** America has been saved from many a precipice by her double chamber." The Senate holds the same rank in the legislature of the State that the House of Lords does in England, and performs essentially the same functions. 424 NOKTII ami: RICA CHAPTER XXIII. Svslem of Dirorco in tho United State* — Visit to Philadelphia— Tenet* of the QuukiTs — The (iirard CollpRe— Fire Hri^ailen — Hostility to the Coloured ropulation— The u»e of Howie knives aiid Uevolring Pistol* -~The Earl of Carliale's description of Coogresa — Iloipitalitjr of the Slare Stutet. There are often curious advertisemeiitsi in the New Vurk papers, and the following is one of them, which appeared in 1850:— I'd Umiati'v Wives aj IIi'suamdb. Tlic undersigned having had great experience in dirorce cases, herebj lenders his services to those who wish to be released from the bonds (if roatrimonv, and become again olijjible for marriage. Confidential com- niunicationii, post paid, promptlv attended to. Martin Van Ilovenbcrgli, successor to James .McGav. Office 14 Chamber Street, Counsellor-at-law, &c. Kcsidence. 334 Uroomc Street. The subject of divorce, mentioned in the above adver- tisement, leads me to remark that they are more easily j)ro(ured in the States than with us. The causes for which — besides infidelity — they can be obtained, vary in every different State, the chief reasons being drunken- ness, desertion, in some States for two years, in others, three years, and in some five years. In the State of Ohio, desertion by either of the parties, for three years, is a ground of divorce. Cruelty and gross neglect, are causes NORTH AMEIIICA. 425 in most of the States, as is also imprisonment for a crime. In New Hampshire, the circumstance of being *'not heard of for 3 years," and in Connecticut, " for 7 years," forms also a ground of divorce. In most of the States drunken- ness is one of the causes, but they vary much, as in some of them thev merely assign drunkenness, and others habitual drunkenness ; in Arkansas, drunkenness one year ; in Missouri, *' habitual drunkenness two years :" and in the State of Maine, " drunkenness for three years." Having resolved to visit Philadelphia, I started for that city, 90 miles from New York, by a steamer, throu^di Stateu Island Sound to South Amboy, a distance of 28 miles, whence you proceed by railway to Camden, «il miles, and crossing the Delaware, one mile wide, by steam- boat, you at once find yourself in Philadelphia. I returned to New York by a different route, 88 miles in length, taking the steam-boat from the foot of AValnut Street to Tacony, and thence by railway, via Trenton, celebrated tor the battle that was fought there, Newark, and arriv- ing at Jersey city, crossed the ferry, (a mile broad), from thence to New York. The State of New Jersey, through which this railroad passes, is celebrated for its peaches, of which one million baskets are annually sent from it to New York and Philadelphia. Orchards of 10,000 peach trees are not uncommon. I arrived at Philadelphia on 15th October 1850, the same day with Jenny Lind, though, I am sorry to say, my arrival did not create quite such a sensation as that of the Sweedish nightingale. I endeavoured next day to get into the Chesnut Street Theatre, in the forenoon, in order to see the tickets sold by auction, but the crowd was so overwhelming that I was glad to get out again. The first ticket was sold at 025 dollars, and the second at 12 dol- 42(j \OUTn AMERICA. lars. The two purchasers would probahly be seated to- gether at the performance, but fools and^heir money are soon parted. The person who bought the first ticket was slightly hissed on its being knocked down to him, from the circumstance of his having given so much for it. The circumstance of being the purchaser of the first ticket seemed to excite their national vanity in a wonderful degree. The Quakers in America, who, like all other Quaker?^, detest singing men and singing women, were much annoy- ed at the appearance of Jenny amongst them, and, at a meeting of ** Friends," a lady of that denomination rose and said — *' There has lately come over to this country a woman who sings, aiul a great many people go after her. Her name is Jane Lynde. If this singing woman should come into our neighbourhood, I hope none of our young folks will be drawn away to hear her." The doctrines or tenets of the Quakers are very simple. They meet together, not formally to preach and pray at appointed times and places, but to wait in silence till something arise in any one of their minds that savours of a divine spring. They refuse to pull off their hats, or practise any of the established forms of courtesy, hold- ing that the Christian religion requires of its votaries that they should be no resj)ecters of persons. They enter- tain the belief that all war and fighting is wrong, and that even if attacked we should offer no resistance. They deny the payment of tithes, disclaim the sanction of an oath, and marry in a form of their own. They pronounce of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's supper, that thev were of temporary obligation, and are now become obsolete. They wear a garb of peculiar plainness, and are the determined enemies of the institution of priest- hood. XORTU AMERICA. 427 The State of Pen'sylvaina was founded by William Penn, the celebrated Quaker, who was born in London in 1G44. Having obtained from the government a grant of land in America, lying to the north of Maryland, and bounded on the east by the Delaware river, he proposed that it should be called Sylvania, (from the latin word sijlva a wood), as one which the woody nature of the country rendered suitable. Ultimately this name was adopted, with the prefix of the word Penn, in honour of his father. Vice-admiral Sir William Penn, for whom both the King and the Duke of York had a great regard. Penn was anxious to have this prefix struck out, as ap- jjarently too assuming, and made application for that pur- pose, but the King insisted that the name Pennsylvania should remain, as accordingly it did. In 1G82, Penn set sail from Deal in England, in a ship I 300 tons burthen, with 100 emigrants, mostly Quakers, and after a voyage of about six weeks, anchored in the Delaware. Within a few months after his arrival, 23 ships, loaded with emigrants from England, Wales, and Ireland, sailed uj) that river and anchoretl off the site of the new town, to which he gave the name of Philadelphia, in token of the principle of " brotherly love," (that being the meaning of the Greek words) on which it was found- ed ; brotherly love among English, Swedes, Dutch, Indians, and men of all languages and nations. Phila- delphia continued to be the seat of the Federal Government till the year 1800, when it was transferred to Washington, in the district of Columbia, which is now the capital of the United States. Philadelphia, now the second city of the Union, hav- ing a population of 400,000, extends for 5 miles along the banks of the Delaware, and on the right or western bank of that ri\er, which is there about a mile wide, and 42K NORTH AMEKICA 120 miles from the Atlantic Oeean, by the course of the hay and river. It was foumled in 1(J82, and chiimed by 3 Swedes, whose titU» was j)iirchased by Penn in IG83. In laying out the town, he named the streets runnin»j[ east and west from the trees fomid in the place, namely, vine, mulberry, chesnut, walnut, spruce, pine, and cedar streets ; and those running north and south, or parallel to the river, from their numeral order, as, front street, 1st, 2d, 3d, and so on, until vou come to Hroad street, which is about mid- way between the Delaware, and Schuylkill KImms, and is 120 feet wide. Market street is 100, and most of the others ."^O ft'ct wide. The j)rincipal market, built in the centre of Market street, is almost unecjualied in the world, being nearly a mile in length, and filled with provisions of all kinds in such abundance, as to fill one's mind w ith j)crfect amazement. The price of butcher's meat varies from 4 to 12 cents the pound, averaging 8 cents, or four pence sterlin*:, about a penny less than the a\erage of New York and Boston, and about a penny more than thr average of Cincinnati. In 1793 a malignant fever broke out, which in four months carried otf 4031 of the inhabitants, who amounted at that time to 35,000. Whilst this fever lasted, all who could, fled from the city ; and the smoke of tobacco being regarded as a preventative, women and children had segars constantly in their mouths. The churches, coffee-houses, and public offices, were mostly closed; three out of the four daily papers were dropped ; whilst those who ventured abroad had sponges or handkerchiefs impregnated with camphor or vinegar at their noses. The corpses of tin most respectable people were carried to the grave on the shafts of a chair, the horse being driven by a negro, and unattended by any one else. Many walked in the middl- NORTH AMERICA. 429 of the streets to avoid being infected in passing by houses wherein people had died ; the old custom of shaking hands fell into disuse; actinaintances and friends avoided each other in the streets, and whole families perished in their houses without any assistance. The disease, from its contagious nature, proved parti- cularly fatal to physicians and to the clergy, w hilst of the profligate and corpulent, few are said to have recovered. Most of the French, however, settled there, as well as the coloured population, escaped its ravages in a remarkable n)anner. How ever virulent may be the precursory signs of death, the act itself is in all cases unattended by pain. Sobs, tears, groans, and convulsions of the body are not neces- irily indicative of existing pain, as these occur in apoplexy, i j)ilepsy, and convulsive fits, from which the person reco- vers w ith hardly any recollection of sutJering. I visited the celebrated Girard College, situated on a l)eautiful eminence, about two miles from the heart of the city, which may be considered the handsomest building on the American continent. The centre buildhig, w Inch pecu- liarly constitutes the College, is built entirely of white marble, and is surrounded by 34 white marble pillars. The cost of tlie whole has been about two millions of dol- lars. It was commenced in IS33, and finished in 1847. The founder endowed it for the education and maintenance of 300 poor white male orphans belonging to Philadelphia. I ascended to the roof of the building, from which you have a magnificent view of the city and surrounding ( ountry. Stephen Girard, the founder of this institution, was horn at Bordeaux in France, and died at Philadelphia in 1^31, at the advanced age of 95. On leaving France in early life, he proceeded to the West Indies, and from 430 XOKTII AMEKICA. theiico to New York, where he arrived in 1775, in the capacity of mate to a trading vessel. In 1799 he settled in Philadelphia, where at first he took up a sort of ** Old Curiosity Shop," dealing in old iron and rigging. By degrees he accjuired so much wealth, being very penurious, that he commenced the banking business, and was so suc- cessful, that at the time of his death he had realized a for- tune of twelve njillious of dollars, or two millions and a half sterling, being the richest man, with the exception of the late John Jacob Astor of New York, the rich Ger- man fur-dealer, that has died in America. The present William B. Aster, his heir, pays annually into the city treasury of New York the sum of 24 thousand dollars for taxes, and the assessed value of his property in that city alone is 2,000,300 dollars. The celebrated Astor House at New York belongs to him. Girard in his will made the tuitiuu ol the French and Spanish languages imperative, but did not recommend the Greek .nnd Latin. He enjoined that clergymen of every denominatioti should not only be excluded from holding anv otlice in the institution, but should be prohibited from even passing through the very gates that led to it. He seems to have entertained an unfortunate antipathy to the whole of that fraternity, and in framing the above injunc- tion, had probably in view the celebrated saying of the Emperor Napoleon, ** that priests in all ages had mspired fanaticism without being fanatics themselves." By this restriction he states that he intended to cast no reflection upon any sect or j)ersons whatever, but adds, " as there is such a multitude of sects, and such a diversity of opi- nion amongst them, I desire to keep the tender minds of the orphans free from the excitement which clashing doc- trines and sectarian controversy are so apt to produce." The following are the words of the will in regard to this NORTH AMERICA. 401 injunction : — '* Secondly, I enjoin and require that no ecclesiastic, missionary, or minister, of any sect whatso- ever, shall ever holder exercise any station or duty in the said college, nor shall any parson ever be admitted for any purpose, or as a visitor, within the premises appro- priated to the said college." This " Quaker City," as it is sometimes called, thougii long celebrated for the tranquillity and order that pre- vailed in it, has now become perhaps the most disorderly city on the continent of America — riots, fires, stabbings, robberies, and murders occurring almost every night. This arises mainly from the number of idle and disreput- able characters who have flocked to it of late years, from all parts of the Union, who are termed "rowdies," which is synonymous with " blackguards" in this country. A New York paper says of it in October 1850 : — '* Heaven defend us, or any other city, from the horrible state of things which exists in the ' city of brotlierly love.'" We copy the following from the Pennsylvanian : — " When are we lo rise in the morning without finding some citizen probably some dear friend -has been murdered in cohi blood by the mid- night assassin ? Tho character of our whole people is afTeeted by these iwful atrociticB, and the business interest of Philadelphia cannot fail to be impaired, unless something is done to arrest this dreadful scourge, Venice in her darkest days — Spain with her Inquisition- oven France under the reign of Terror— was hardly more disgraced than is Philadelphia, when the :i:;e in which we live is considered," The grand jury of Philadelphia published in August 1850 a report in reference to its lawless state, and enume- rating the causes to which it was to be attributed. The present deplorable state of morals, order, and personal security in Philadelphia, is owing, in the opinion of the Grand Jury, mainly to the factious and discordant state of the fire department. After speaking of the riot- 432 NORTH AMERICA. ous encounters so common between the ditferent and hos- tile companies, the Grand Jury directly charge that half of the fires, occurring within the city, are caused by in- cendiaries, connected either directly or indirectly with the fire department. They therefore indict the fire department as at present constituted, as a nuisance, recommend that the appropriations, now made to it by the city and Districts, be withdrawn, and that a new system of fire operations be organized and placed under the control of the civil and police j)ower. The Grand Jury also trace the disorders of Philadelphia ro the immense number of low drinking houses, ulu're the landlords make a business of screening and harbouring felons and rioters; to the gene- ral habit of carrying fire-arms and other deadly weapons; and to the want of a well-regulated legal apj)rentice sys- tem, bintiing boys, as of old, undrr the full control of their employers to learn a trade, until they are of age, instead of their being, as now, bound or hired j)Ut only for a week or year for money, and subject during their leisure hours to the control of no one. The number of fires that occur almost daily at Phila- delphia, as well as New York, is truly astonishing. 1 saw the remains of one which had broken out there in 1849, the year previous to my visit, and had consumed no less than 350 houses, most of which had been rebuilt. The fire department in New York and Philadelphia is a most wonderful thing. As the point of honor is to be first at a fire, the director of the first engine that arrives, becomes director-general for the evening, lie is, as it were, the commander-in-chief of an allied army during a battle. The company attached to each engine amounts to from 20 to 100 men, and it starts from the station-house as soon as three or four have arrived to direct its move- ments. The people in the streets assist in dragging it witli NOKTIl AMERICA. 433 ropes, as no horses are employed. The competition to he first is so ardent, that amhitious young men sleep as if a part of the brain were left awake to watch for the word *' tire," or the sound of the State-house alarm-bell. They will sometimes, put on their boots and great-coats, carry their clothes in their hands, and dress at the lire. In rushing along the streets, sometimes blowing horns, and ringing the large bells attached to the engines all the time, they often run down and severely injure passengers who are in their way ; or if one of themselves fall, the rest drag on the engine, regardless of his fate, and occa- sionally break his legs or arms with the wheels. When two engines arrive at a tire at the Fame time, the com- panies frequently tight for the first place, and tlien a des- perate and bloody battle will rage for a considerable time, while the flames are making an unchecked progress. They are often called out on very trivial alarms, and being once abroad at midnight hours, they adjourn to taverns, and pass the night in nocturnal recreations. Troops of boys also attach themselves as volunteers to the engines, and thus too frequently acquire idle and dissolute hal)its. On inquiring one day of a bystander, if all this hubbub were necessary, he politely replied, " I guess the youth here require excitement." The grand jury, however, do not advert to one cause of the riots, namely, the hostility that exists between tlie Irish and the free people of colour. The latter are a class as interesting to the foreigner, as the more numerous Germans. Some years ago, the more humble and laborious out door employments fell almost exclusively to tlieir sliare. They were the porters, dravmen, and car- men of the city, and discharged and loaded the shipping. But riots against them, which began in New York, were succeeded by others in Philadelphia, so far back as 1834; T 43 t NORTH AMERICA. and the silent endurance of petty sufferings has been their lot almost ever since. The Irish emigrants are their chief competitors for the humble unskilled employments which they were accustomed to follow ; and the pressure against them has become such, that in the face of continued Irish and German immigration, they have been scarcely able to hold their own, and great numbers have been driven into other States. Hut they cannot get admission into the adjoining slavi' States of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and the Caro- linas, as these, and indeed all the slave States have laws for the regulation of emanci|)ation, which, in general, is only permitted on condition that the emancipated slaves (juit the State with the least possible delay, their presence being considered dangerous among those still held in bondage. Their refuge has been in the north-west, where the world is new, and labour of all kinds in demand. To Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, their migrations have conse- (|uently been chietly directed, and those three States now contain 50,000 of them ; and in this direction an outlet for the stream will probably be found for many years to come. From circumstances to which it is not necessary to advert, a proportion of the children born in slavery are less or more removed from the African type. Mulattoes are numerous ; and individuals nearly white, though still reckoned as slaves, are not uncommon. The principle is, that the progeny must in every instance follow the condition of the mother : should she be a slave, so must her child be a slave, notwithstanding the father was a free white man, as the law knows no period when the child of a slave shall be born free, however far removed from the African. The ignominy attaching to the condition of slavery ap- NORTH AMERICA. 435 pears to extend to all persons who have the misfortune to he descended, even in a remote degree, from negro an- cestors. The least tinge of negro blood in the complexion of a man or woman separates them from all the sympathies and courtesies of society, and condemns them to pass their lives amid jeers and insults. Throughout the whole of the United States, slave-holding and free, this extra- ordinary and most sinful prejudice seems to manifest itself. Hundreds of anecdotes might be given of negroi ? and mulattoes turned out of stage-coaches, refused admis- sion to the cabins of steamers even for double fare, turned back from the doors of places of amusement, unless when attending whites in the capacity of footmen, driven out of their seats in places of worship, denied burial in church- yards in which white men wished exclusively to rot, and so forth. Nowhere is the prejudice against race stronger than in Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. Unita- rians were at one time persecuted in America because they would not change their creed ; whilst the negro is persecuted because he cannot change his complexion. After all the enquiries and personal observations I could make among all classes, and in every spot I visited, I could find nothing that artbrded the slightest justification of the odium and contempt thrown upon those unfortunate people. One would have been led to expect that the Irish of all others, who have quitted their native country ro escape persecution, would have felt some sympathy for its victims in the land of their adoption. But to the shame of that nation, the reverse is the case. Nearly all of them who have resided there any length of time are more bitter and severe against the blacks than the native whites them- selves. They are jealous of them from their well-known disposition to work for almost any price. It is certainly a singular circumstance that whites were at one time im- t2 }3r, NORTH AMERICA. ported into the West Indies, because the blacks asked too much for their labour, whilst the latter are almost driven out of Pennsylvania and New York because they ask too little. Tilt' horrible treatment to whith the free coloured race in America is subjected, has been undoubtedly the cause of their doing many things, which, though no doubt wrong, ought to have excited the sympathy fully more than the condemnation of their fellow-countrymen, \\l)(» have escaped the misfortune of a black skin. At present a number of petty offices and small traffics arc resigned to tlie industry of the free negroes, because the general ])r()sperity is such, that the Americans find sufficient room for enterprise in other departments. Hut in proportion as the coimtry becomes more and more settled, and as competition among the whites increases, these petty channels of industry will probably be resorted to by the whites themselves, and the negroes driven to a still lower employment. At present they may be barbers and hair-dressers, clean boots, and sell old clothes ; but the time may come when they will not be able to make a living by such means, and then they will be obliged to resort to something still more humble. In this manner the whites will cha»e and harass them from post to post, until misery will complete their destruction. Their fate has no ])arallel in history. Slavery has introduced them to life, liberty must accomplish their ruin. Though Philadelphia be the principal city in Pennsyl- vania, yet the political capital is a small town called Harrisburg, situnte 10f> miles from it, and containing 10,000 inhabitants. When the celebrated French general, the Marquis do la Fayette, visited the United States in 1825, nearly 50 years after his former visit, when he assisted the Ameri- cans in their war of independence, he expressed his sur- XORTH AMERICA. 437 prise at the strength of the prejudice that had grown up (luring that time against coloured persons. He remem- bered, he said, how, when he was in America on a former occasion, that the black soldiers used to mess with the whites during their campaigns. I resided during my residence at Philadelphia at the Indian Queen Hotel, No. I.") South Fourth Street. One day the polite landlord, Mr Hopkins, invited me to inspect three celebrated parts of his establishment, namely, the original market house built by William Penn, the printing office where Benjamin Franklin wrought, and the room where Jefferson drew up the celebrated Declaration of Iude[)endence, all of which were on the premises occupied l)y him. The market house is now partly occupied by him as an outhouse, and adjoining it is Franklin's printing otlice, though he was born at Boston in 1T0(). Mr Hop- kins seems to have converted it into a place for cleaning shoes. The room where Jefferson prepared the Declara- tion was on the first story in front, above the bar. It was afterwards adopted by the delegates, and signed by them on 4th July 177(1, in a room in the State House in Chesnut Street, which, like all strangers, I also visited as one of the '' //w;w" of Philadelphia. This celebrated Declaration was ado})ted by Congress, and publicly proclaimed from the steps in front of the Senate House on the same day. Congress met at Philadelphia till the year 1800, when they removed to Washington. Philadelphia may be said to be the first town south uf New York, where the bowie-knife and revolving pistols come into frecjuent use ; for though the former be a for- bidden instrument, they don't seem to mind that much. I stepped into a cutler's shop in the arcade there, one day, uid saw two different kinds of them, one a large clasp vuife, the blade of which when opened, is caught l>y a 438 NORTH AMERICA. spring which prevents its shutting again until you touch the spring. The other resembled a small straight poniard or dagger, and is carried in a sheath under the waistcoat on the left side, and can be drawn in an instant. The Emperor Napoleon took the most effectual j)lan of put- ting a stop to the use of the bowie-knife in Italy, by hanging all those who used it. The revolving pistols have generally six barrels, and as they revolve or turn round, the person using them has thus six chances to one in his favour, which is reckoned a great advantage in the southern States of America. The lx)wie-knife may be said to be in almost universal use in the Southern States. A member of the assembly of Arkansas, in the heat of debate, drew out one of those instruments, and stabbed another to the heart, who instantly died. A gentleman w horn I met at New York, told me that he was present one day at a jury trial in a town in the State of Missis- sippi, when a dispute arose betwixt the two opposing lawyers, who both drew their bowie-knives, which so frightened the presiding judge that he lept out at the window. In America, barristers, solicitors, and attorneys form but one profession, and they are called counsellors- at-law. It may be considered the best of all the profes- sions in that country, as the same theoretical equality N\hich makes a man think his own opinion as good as his neighbour's, naturally promotes litigation. The Earl of Carlisle says in reference to their personal altercations, — *■* There maj be less habitual and actual noise in Congress than in oar own Parliament, but the time of the House of Representatives, not without cost to the constituent bodv which pays for their services, is continuously taken up, when not engrossed by a speech of some days' duration, witii wrangles upon points of order and angry recriminations ; the language used in debate ha^ occasionally sounded the lowest depths of coarse and virulent acrimony, as the floor of the legislative hall has actually been the scene of >iolent personal rencounters The manner* rf the harelv civili-ed West. NORTH AMERICA. 439 where it has been known that counsel challenge judges on the bench, and members of the Legislature fire off rifles at the Speaker as he sits in the chair, would appear to be gradually invading the very inner shrine of the constitution." The payment alluded to by his Lordship in the above, consists of an allowance of 8 dollars a-day, for every day the Congress sits, to members of both Houses of Congress, with an allowance of 8 dollars (called mileage) for every 20 miles that the member has to travel to and from Washington. Notwithstanding, however, their unfortunate use of the bowie-knife, so prevalent in all the southern States, there is a frankness of character, warmth of heart, and hospita- lity in these States, particularly the slave States, to which the northern States are comparative strangers. All travellers indeed, without exception, speak with rap- tures and with gratitude of the hospitality of the southern planters. Mrs Houstoun among others says, (Vol. ii. p. 153,) " I believe that people in England have very little idea of the riches and hospitality of some of the southern planters. We are acquainted with some who have as many as 2000 vassals, in the shape of negroes, and their enormous fortunes are spent, not only in dissipation and hospitality, but also in ameliorating the condition of those who are thus dependent upon them." The Earl of Carlisle says also in reference to this, — " I made a rapid journey, by steamboat and railroad, through the States of Virginia and North Carolina ; the country wore a universal impress of exhaustion, desertion, slavery. I spent a fortnight at Charleston, the capital of South Carolina. This town and State may be looked upon as the head-quarters of the slave-holding interest. I am bound to say that I spent my time there very pleasantly ; there was much gaiety, and unbounded hospitality. I have made no disguise of what my opinions upon slavery were, are, and ever must be ; but it would be uncandid to deny that the planter in the southern States has much more in his manner and mode of in- 440 NOKTIl AMERICA. torcoursc that resenibles the English country qcntleman than any other clas> of his countrymen; he is mort- ca-.y, coin|inni(.nul)lc', foiul of countrv lif.' and out of door pursuits." In the southern States llie planters have generally apaitments solely fitted up for the reception of strangers; and there is no traveller of respectable appearance, but will be offered the use of a good room, an excellent larder, and a well stocked cellar of wine, in the estate of a planter, whether the owner be at home or abroad. Presi- dent Jefferson told Captain Hall, that in iiis father's time it was no uncommon thing for gentlemen to post their ser- vants on the main road, for the purpose of amicably way- laying, and bringing to their liouses, any travellers who might chance to pass. It was also the custom at one time in Virginia, among those who resided near the high- ways, to make a large fire in the hall after supper, and to set out a table with refreshments for such travellers as might have occasion to pa.ss during the night ; and when the families assembled in the morning they seldom found that their tables had been unvisited. Were sucli a plan to be tried in this country, they would soon find such a multitude of people assembled, as would consume not only every thing that was on the table, but every thing that was in the house. I NOUrH A.MERICA. 44! CHAPTER XXIV. Proffssor Jnlwistoti's views in regard to tlie agriculture of the l"nited Slates — Captain Barclay's agricultural tour in America — Preference given to the Slate of Illinois by Mr Stuart, Mr IJuekingham and Mr Shirrcff—Mr Ihreshie'a reniarki on farnjing in tho United States. Not being a great farmer myself, 1 shall not take up the time of my readers by any lengthened details on that sul)- ject, but would refer them to the valuable work in two volumes (publishetl in 18.; I) designated *' Notes on North America" by Professor Johnston of Durham, the cele- brated agriculturist. Mr J. thinks it profitable under the present system of farming in America, to farm only as much as can be cultivated with the members of a mans own family, as with hired labourers it will scarcely pay. With tile cradle scythe universally in use, by which the wheat is laiil ready for being put in sheaves by means of " cradles" attached to the blade and handle of the scythe, a man can cut 5 acres a day ; and with some of their reap- ing-machines 20 or 30. He is of opinion that though the ({uantity of wheat and flour exported from the new north- western States, such as Michigan, Wisconsin, &c., may con- tinue to increase for a certain number of year<, yet that it will gradually in the course of time begin to diminish, and will finally in a great measure cease. The quantity of wheat raised in Great Britain is greater than that of the whole of the United States put together. A farmer going 442 NOKTll AMERICA. from this country to America, must reverse his experience here, and spend land to save labour, instead of labour to save land, otherwise he soon becomes poor. The average produce of wheat throughout the United States is only 15 bushels per acre, whilst in England it ib 30. Tliere are 300 millions of bushels of wheat raised annually in the United States, and 700 millions of Indian eorn, making a thousand millions in all. The effect upon the state of the soil by constant crop- ping without manure, is to bring it by degrees into a state of more or less complete exhaustion. Whatever be its (juality or natural fertility, this is the final and inevitable result. In land which is very rich, the effect is produced more slowly — so slow , that those who hold land which for iifty years has yielded crops of corn without the addition of manure, will scarcely believe in the possiijility of its ceasing at last to give its w onted returns. But old experi- cnce and modern science alike demonstrate that the ricb- est soils, bv constant cropping, without the addition of manuring substances to replace what the crops carry off, must ultimately arrive at a state of comparative barrenness. In confirmation of this, he states that the wheat-export- ing regions of North America have been gradually shifting their locality, and retiring inland and towards the west. The flats of the Lower St La^^rence were the granary of America in the times of French dominion ; western New- York succeeded these ; next came Canada west ; and now the chief surplus exists, and the main supplies for the mar- kets of Europe are drawn from the newer regions beyond the lakes. These in their turn, as the first virgin fresh- ness passes away, w ill cease to be productive of abundant wheat, and eastern America must then look for its sup- plies of this grain, either to a better culture of its own ex- hausted soil, or to regions still nearer the setting sun. NORTH AMERICA. 443 This has already been the case in the longer settled portions of the North American continent ; and the same consummation is preparing for the more newly settled parts, unless a change of system takes place. The new wheat-exporting — so called — granary districts and States, will by-and-by gradually lessen in number and extent, and probably lose altogether the ability to export, unless when unusual harvests occur. And if the population of North America continue to advance at its present rapid rate — especially in the older States of the Union — if large min- ing and manufacturing populations spring up, the ability to export wheat to Europe will lessen still more rapidly. This diminution may be delayed for a time, by the rapid sjottling of new western States, which, from their virgin soils, will draw easy returns of grain ; but every step west- ward adds to the cost of transporting produce to the Atlantic border, while it brings it nearer to that far west- ern California, which, as some predict, will in a few years atford an ample market for all the corn and cattle which the Western States can send it. Mr J, then adds. " In their relation to English market'?, therefore, and the prospects and profits of the British farmer, my persuasion is, that year by year our Trans- atlantic cousins will become less and less able, except in extraordinary sea- sons, to send large supplies of wheat to our island ports; and that, when the virgin freshness shall have been rubbed olY their new lands, they will be unable, with their present knowledge and methods, to send wheat to the British market so cheap as the more skilful farmers of Great Britain and Ireland can do. •' If any one less familiar with practical agriculture doubts that such must bo the final effect of the exhausting system now followed on alt the lands of North America, I need only inform him that the celebrated Lothian fjxmers, in the immediate neighbourhood of Edinburgh, who carry all their crops off the land as the North American farmers now do, return, on an average, ten tons of well-rottod manure every year to every acre, vhile t!.e American farmers return nothing. "The Edinburgh farmer sells all olT — turnips, potatoes, straw, grain, ■444 N'OHTII AMHRICA. and bay ; but he manures hig turnips with thirty, ami his potatoes with forty loads of manure, in a rotation consisting of potatoes, wheat, turnips^ barley, hay and oats. If the Edinburgh farmer finds this quantity necessary to keep his land in condition, that of the American farmer must •■o out of condition ; and when this exhaustion haa come, a more costly system of generous husbandry must be introduced, if the crops are to be kept up ; an*L'ow — A«lvaMtaL'f- calling the recollection of the vexation which the payment had occasioned ; so that one million drawn directly from the pockets of the people is frequently felt as a greater grievance than three millions obtained by a more circui- tous and less oppressive method. Most people grudge paying taxes, and either do not know, or at all events seem to forget, that they receive any equivalent in exchange for them. But that is absurd, as in reality this is as much an exchange as any other. We receive, as an equivalent, protection from Govern- ment to our persons and property from violence and fraud. For this purpose it provides ships of war, and bodies of soldiers, to guard against foreign enemies ; and also watch- men, constables, and other officers, to aj)prehend crimi- nals ; judges and courts of justice for trials; and prisons for confining offenders ; and, in short, every thing that is necessary for the peace and security of the people, h 4'}C) NORTH AMERICA. would cost much more than we pay in taxes, were there no government in a country, to protect ourselves from being robbed and plundered ; and this we would undoubt- edly have to do ; so that even the worst government that ever was, is infinitely better than no government at all. Taxes are the price people j)ay tor being governed and protected. In some eastern countries, such as Arabia, when a husbandman goes to sow his fields, he takes with liim a companion with a sword or spear to protect him from being robbed of his seed-corn. This makes the cul- tivation of the ground very costly, because the work which might be done by one man requires two ; and both must have a share of the crop, >\hich would otherwise be- Ipng to one. In regard to the rate of wages, it may be stated gene- rally that stone-masons, stone-cutters, bricklayers, car- penters, blacksmiths, engineers, shoemakers, and tailors, earn about a dollar and a half a-day in all the healthier ])arts of the Union, while in New Orleans they earn nearly double. Surer employ and higher wages are given in the ^outhern States, but hard labour is trying to the health. In the west, wages are good and living cheap, but the oc- cupation is not so steady. In some of the towns, such as Baltimore and Boston, the mechanics are in general the proprietors of the houses in which they reside. In Bal- timore these houses are built of brick, 15 feet in front, and three stories high, and are all self-contained. In Boston it is said that there is not above one mechanic in 1.5 who is not proprietor of the house he lives in. In the Atlantic towns wages may not be so high as in the west, but there is greater certainty of continued employment, owing to the comparative abundance of capital, and the more capital there is in a country, the better for the la- bourers, for the poorer the master is, the fewer labour- NORTH AMERICA. 457 rri he can atFord to employ. Accordingly, in countries that are ill provided with capital, though the inhabitants are few in number, and all of them are forced to labour for the necessaries of life, yet they are worse fed, clothed, and lodged than even the poorest are in a richer country, even though the latter be more thickly peopled, and though many of its inhabitants are not obliged to labour with their hands at all. And in reference to the rate of wages, called in America ' compensation" or '* equivalent," it deserves to be re- membered that a high remuneration is necessary to the workman in the States, as, unless he can make one-third more, he is actually no better off than he is here. The price of provisions of all kinds is now much the same in both countries, with the exception of tea and coffee ; but house rents in all the large towns of the northern parts of the Union are nearly three times higher than they are liere. Fuel also is considerably dearer, and in regard to every thing that obtains its value from industry, he must bear in mind, that as the high remuneration of labor wa.>- the chief inducement that led him to emigrate, so in like manner he must be prepared to pay highly every one that works for him. In the cities, in particular, of the States, ill people who work hard are well paid, and they must naturally and necessarily lay their account, that as all others are desirous in like manner of participating in the general advantage, every one must be paid proportionally high who administers in any shape whatever to their wants. Sobriety, however, is indispensable, as a drunkard is despised infinitely more there than here. An Ameri- can, though not altogether abstemious, is in general mode- rate ; and looks down upon the sot who is always from hand to mouth, and cannot preserve his week's pay. No mechanic in America spends in one or two days the whole u 458 NORTH AMERICA. earnings of the week, as is loo frequently the case in Great Britain. I would certainly have had much pleasure in prolong- ing my stay in the United States, had not circumstances of a private nature called me back to the " Old country." The kindness and attention which 1 invariably met with both there and in Canada caused me to leave these coun- tries with profound regret, and with ardent wishes for their continued prosperity. 1 think it proper, however, to record in particular the great obligations I am under to P. Houston, M.D., No, 2 Park Place, New York, one of the most eminent den- tists in New York. The many happy days 1 spent with him and his amiable lady at their farm at Staten Island will ])c long remembered by me. Mrs II. is a daughter of my esteemed friend Mr Threshic, now of the Island of Jersey. I agree with Mr Stuart in thinking that perhaps the finest view you have of New York and its noble har- bor is from Staten Island. This island is 5 miles distant from New York. To Charles Wilson, Esq. of Brooklyn, Long Island, opposite New York, I am also under a special debt of gratitude for his singular kindness and hospitality. Mr Wilson having heard me express a wish to taste the can- vass-back duck before leaving America, had actually the politeness to send down express to Philadelphia to procure a brace for me, as they were but newly come in season, and from being found chiefly on the rivers Potomac and Susquehanna, are to be had at Philadelphia a day or two before they come to New York. The canvass-back duck is undoubtedly the greatest delicacy in the United States. I saw some for sale the day before I left New York, and on inquiring the price, the Tendor told me they were 3 doUni \-< the brace. Mr Stuart, from so often mentioning NORTH AMERICA. 459 them in his work, seems to have considered them a won- derful treat. Mr Wilson was originally from Lasswade, near Edinburgh, and has been settled in America for 30 years. He has one of the largest distilleries in the United States, and has accommodation on his premises for several hundred milch cows, which he feeds with the produce of his distillery. The milk is chiefly sold in New York, and the owners of the cows, besides paying him for their food, have also to pay a rent of about 5 dollars for each stall thoy occupy, so that here is another source of revenue to him. Every thing seemed to be so well arranged that I never had greater pleasure in visiting any establishment. Mrs Wilson's kindness and attention also can never be effaced from my recollection. I am also under a deep debt of gratitude to Alexander Watson, Esq., counscUor-at-law, New York, and his amiable lady and family, for their great hospitality. Mr Watson was at one time a great martyr to the gout, like the present Earl of Derby, and politely transcribed for mc the following cure for it which he had accidentally dis- covered, and which he told mc he had found an infallible remedy. Recipe for the CifBE of Gout in its worst form. The writer of these few lines has been an occasional martyr to this ter- rible disease, and he wishes to impress upon those who may peruse them, and have been afflicted with gout, that there is a great deal of truth in the trite maxim that " an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.'' Gout is produced by a certain acidity of the stomach, frequently caused by over-indulgence of some sort, and the inconsiderate use of wines of a particular kind, of which Madeira stands at the top of the list as superin- ducing this disorder amongst the unwary. I remember, when I was a boy, of my father getting in Edinburgh a French remedy for the cure of it, called •* Eau INIedicinal," which afforded almost immediate relief. As however, the price of it was 15s. sterling, and the bottle only contained two doses, I respectfully recommend the following as a much cheaper, and fully as effectual a remedy. Indeed the *' Eau Medicinal" was nothing u 2 400 NORTH AMKIUCA. <-lse tlian a composition in which colciiicuni wine was the main, if not tiie only ingredient. Whenorer the presence of gout is felt by the patient, let him not lose a n)onient in taking, say 35 or 40 drops of the trine of colchicum setdt, in a umall dose of Cpsom salts; and even although the pain is very great, either ill the foot, knee, or arm, he will fiiul that whenever the medicine begins to operate, the pain sensibly decreases, and in a wonderfully short time ceases altogether. If, on the other hand, the disease is not entirely con- quered, then the dose ought to bo repeated once or twice, as may be neces- i»ary, and probably the patient might increase the number of drops up to 50 or 60, according to the constitution of the sufferer. It may be proper to add that colchicum is ueilher more nor less than wild salTron, or meadow irra^s. and therefore poisonous in its nature. — Respectfully communicated '■\ Alex. "Watso!*, Of the i \ttf of Sexc }'ork, Counsellor -at -Law. S.li. — The use of magnesia is also recommended, as it operates as a coun- ter-acid. I have also to express my acknowledgments to Philip Burrowes, Esq., attorney, William Wood, Estj. of Den- nistoun, Wood & Co., merchants, and Mr Brown of tlie Franklin House, in Maiden Lane, the best frociiiented tavern in New York, where I was fretjuently entertained by my kind friends Messrs Wilson and Watson, and where every thing was in admirable style and admirably cooked. Houses of this kind are much frequented at New York, owing to people in business being in general so far from their homes. It is supposed that 2000 gentlemen visit the Franklin House every day. We sailed from New York to Glasgow in the screw- steamer the 'Cittj of Glasgow^ belonging to these enter- prising individuals Messrs Tod and McGregor of Glasgow, V. ho were the first who started steamers between Scotland and America. The City of Glasgow was commanded by that distinguished officer, Captain Mathews, now comman- der of that gigantic screw steamer the Great Britain^ a vessel of no less than 3500 tons burthen. The Great NORTH AMERICA. 4Gl Britain sailed betwixt Liverpool and New York till the middle of 1852, but at that period was transferred from the American to the Australian Line of Packets, and sail- ed from Liverpool to Melbourne, Port Phillip, on Saturday, the 21st of August 1852, with no less than 617 passen- gers, almost all of them bound for the gold diggings. We took the northern passage, as it is called, betwixt New York and Glasgow. It is not generally known that Quebec is some hundreds of miles nearer to Liverpool by navigable routes than New York. The coast of British America is a thousand miles nearer to Britain than New York, because every degree of longitude contains a less number of miles as we approach the poles. The north- ern route, between New York and Glasgow or Liverpool, is the preferable one, on account of its affording a smoother passage. The most stormy part of the Atlantic is found where the easterly gales meet the gulf-stream, south of Table Island, on the course between New York and Liver- j)ool, and it was there that the Great IVesteni was nearly lost, and where the President was last heard of. The cur- rent of the gulf-stream running with great violence against the force of an equinoctial gale, produces a heavy broken sea, which strains and impedes a vessel in its progress ; and it has often happened that on comparison of the logs of two vessels sailing from New York at the same time, that which has taken a northern route, passing near the Nova Scotia coast, has gone smoothly on her way, — while the other, after a tumultuous struggle with the elements, has come out strained and damaged. The gulf-stream is turned eastward at the Banks of Newfoundland, and flows toward the Mediterranean, so that the St Lawrence route is not injuriously affected by it. The Cunard steamers take the northern route we have spoken of, and hence the secret of their quick passages. »'*z NORTH AMJlcii A The follouing arc ajiproxiinatf &aiiiiig (Jit^unces to (liflftTeiit points, from the three rivaU in th. vi. .r. r!j trade, Quebec, New York, and New 0^1ean^. To Liverpool from New Orleans, 6:J0U imlt-ii. »» ,, New York, 3475 mdet*. tf ,1 Quebec, 3UO0 inilea by tlie Strait- of BolIeiBle and the north of Ireland. The voya^'CB acroHh the Atlantic are nM\x ni.i.i. wuii u h regularity and dispatch, that the captain-^ iitniead of making their wilU, or arranging their affairs, coolly »|>e€ify the time when, after having croMcd to America, they will come back to dine in Eun>|>c. In lH50, the average length of pa>!»j»gf by Canard's steamers, from Liverpool t- Ualifax uaji 11 day.i ; from Halifax to LiTer|>ool 10 from Halifax to lUwiion 34 hours; Halifax to New \. „ 55 boura ; New York to Halifax 62 hours ; and Ikiston to Halifax 41 hours. In May 1850, tlie Canada steamed from Liver|>ool to New York in 11 days 10 hours; and in the »ame month the America occupied only H days 10 boura from Halifax to Liverpool. Each of the veaaeU of (^inard'a line consumes about 700 tonii of coal, between Li\i r{M>ol and New York ; at the former port the expeOM of the coal and putting it on board being a guinea, and at the latter about £1, 7». per ton. In Ih:;o tlio swifteitt outward passage waa that of the Pacific in September, when only 10 days 5 hours were occupied between Liver- pool and New York ; and the swiftest homeward, that of the A$iay in lOJ days between New York and Liverpool. Quicker voyages however, liave been made since, and I would recommend to all my readers, to procure a three- half|K?nny tract called ** Ocean Routes" published by tho^e eminent individuals, Metiers W. & U. Chambers of Edinburgh, where the statistics connected with ocean steam navigation are perfectly wonderful. NORTH AMERICA. 4^)3 Although it was the month of November when \m' I rossed the Atlantic, yet the sea was upon the whole so trau(|uil that it was almost like a pleasure sail ; and I have ciTtainlya great predilection now for screw-steamers, par- ticularly in rough weather. No doubt where steam alone H to be used, the paddle is somewhat superior; but iu using both sails and steam, the screw is to be preferred, ASf where the winds arc favourable, it can be disconnected, the fires put out, and as much canvass spread, and as L'Peat a speed attained, as with the swiftest sailing-vessel ; vhile in passing through the regions of calms, or of con- trary winds, the sails can be taken in and the machinery used. After a voyage of UJ days we arrived in Glasgow, though another screw steamer, the ** Glasijowy* has since (luiir it in V2\ days. We had about (iO passengers on l).j;ird, the cabin passage money being 20 guineas, and the second cabin 1*2 guineas. I am quite satisfied that the owners would make a handsome profit by charsjing only the one-half of these sums. Why, in America they take you by steam from Buffalo to Chicago, a distance of 1 '»"''» miles, and feed you handsomely all the way in the .ihia for H dollars, or £1 : 13:4 sterling. Multiply this by 3 from the distance across the Atlantic being three times the above, and you have exactly £5 sterling, as the ( abin fare, or lesa than the one-half of what I would be willing to allow. If this monopoly continue much longer we must get up a joint-stock company for transatlantic steam navigation, which, I guess, will pav b.tt.T than raihvav shares. 464 NORTU A31ERICA. CHAPTER XXVI. Population in advance of the supply of food — Ajipalling scene on board the Caroline from ilarvation — Anecdote of an Irish conyict in the Fee- jee Tslands — Horrible confession of Alexander Pierce, a convict in New South Wales — Statistics of the famine in Ireland in 1847 — Effect of education in chocking surplus i)opulation — Proper ticws to be entertained in regard to the advantages of machinery — Wonderful influence of educa- tion in civilizing mankind. It is a singular fact, that in almost every L-miiiiry of the world, whether thickly or thinly peopled, the popula- tion is generally in advance of the supply of food. In fertile France some die annually of hunger, as is suffi- ciently attested by the number of squalid beggars you meet on the public roads. In sunny vine-clad Portugal, a river pilot will prostrate himself on the deck of a merchantman, and call on all the saints to shower down blessings on the head of a skipper who will give him a hard biscuit. In Naples, thousands of the most wretched of the population sleep every night in the streets, and are half starved during the day. In Norway and Sweden, the poorer classes mix their bread with saw-dust. Read Belzoni's account of the Arabs, and the skinny sheep of Egypt. Where was the fertility of that plentiful land ? In beautiful Chili, a land gushing with luxuriant produce, some are obliged, during the intervals of the crops, to feed on sea-weed. Numbers of the American Red Indians die annually from starvation, the chace, on which they NORTH AMERICA. 465 mainly depend, being a precarious mode of obtaining a livelihood. In the sunny half-peopled lands of Asia, there are always numbers on the verge of starvation. In China the poorer classes eat animals which have jjerished of disease, and other food never used by us, sucii as horseflesh, dogs, and cats, the flesh of which animals is equal in price to that of swine. Captain Pidding mentions that dogs are fatted and eaten in China as a delicious food, and are always found at the tables of the great. In default of these, they have no objections to a dish of rats and snakes : and cockroaches and other reptiles come in to be used either as food or medicine, by people who are driven frequently to great straits for want of sustenance. They frequently destroy their children also, from inability to bring them up : a practice prevalent in Otahite when first discovered, and in New Zealand, and many of the islands of the South Pacific Ocean. The Hindoos in the East Indies expire in thousands every year from starvation, without a murmur, and without complaint. A great number of the people in the countries above enumerated who are well-fed, might no doubt give up a portion of their food to the ill- fed — but this in a short time would be productive of still greater misery — as in their half- fed state, the surplus population are either incapable of procreation, or their children are weakly, and die otf. But were their food increased to a sufficient quantity by an equal division, they would breed more rapidly, so that, unless the supply of food could be artificially increased, the whole population would soon be reduced to half allowance. And if the supply of food were again artificially increased to full allowance, they would again breed beyond it. The struggle might thus go on, if science and industry were successful, till every square yard of land held a human being, and then in case of a famine, having nothing to fall back upon, they would 406 NOIITII AMERICA. be uuiJcr the painful necessity of eating one another, as those who are shipwrecked, or traversing a desolate and barren country, have sometimes to do, tlie weakest of all (except when they cast lot*) being the lir&t bufferer, and the strongest of all, the last survivor. The pangs of hun^MT, it is well known, overcome every other feeling:. Montgomery Martin in his celebrated book on tlu- Uriii^h Colonies, mentions that in 1828, the shipwrecked mariners of the (Jrojticus were forced to cannibalism, un- til the last wretched being perished for want of any niori' of his unfortunate companions to prey upon. The mangled remains of the sailors were found scattered on the Island of Antico»ti, at thf mouth of ihr St Lawrence as if a struggle had taken place in the last extremity. Foremost, indeed, amongst the terrible alternatives to which frail human nature has frecjurntly been necessitated, as it were, to have recourse, nothing is more appalling and revolting than anthro|>ophagism, or the eating of human flesh. The following confession of Alexander Pierce, who was transported to the penal settlement of Macnuarie Harbour, in New South Wales, affords a dis- mal instance of this dreadful altematiTc : — • I wM ool ih»n Bor* IbM a Boetb." b« mj». •* wbM I a»4* mj —■ cap« with Mvea otb«r*— mbmIj. D«U4>a. Tr«vcr*«, DAdowD, liath«wt. Gr«enhill, Brown, mad Corv«liat- We kept tocelber for Un dajh daring which tiaie wc h^d do food but oar kangftroo jackcle, which wo eU, beiDg nmr\j eihaiuted with buoger and fatigoe. On the rleteoth night we loooomll what WM b<^ to be doM for ov preeerratioa, mmI Mide ip oar aiadi to a horrible rr«aJt. In Um aorvlac w« mittmd Ikroa of o«r iWHnnlcwM Itiltrn CoroaUu, aad Browa, vhoM w« cop do d e d had left iM with iha Intention of golac back, if poMiblc. We than draw toU who of the five remaining one* ehoold dto. The dia fell upon H«egan to cat bim up. Wa dreeead part of tba Aaoh ioinndietely. and continued to um it at lone M It lasted. Wa th^ drow tola afiia, and it fell to the fkte of NOKTII AMLllICA. 41)7 .\Uiho\tt. TraverM and GreenhiU killed him with an axe, cut the fle»h from the booei, carried it on, and lircd upoD il at long a« it lasted. Uy Ihc titno it was all eaten, Traverse, through fatigue, fell lame in his knee, •o much so thai he could not proceed. Grecnhiil proposed that I thould kill him, which I agreed to. We then made the hrit of our way, carrtinjc with us the flesh uf Travi^rse, in the hope of reaching the eastern settlement while it lasted. We did not, however, succeed ; and I perceired that (jirecnbill alwajs carried the axo, and thought he watched an opportunity to kill me. I was always on mj guard ; and one night, when ho was asleep, I got tho axe, with which I immediately despatched him. I made a meal, and carried the remaining flesh with me to feed upon. At length I fell in with some native huts, which, from af[>earance, the inhabitants had just leA. There I collected some entrails and bits of kangaroo, which afTorded me a meal. Two davs afterwards I was caught and sent back to the settle* meut. I again made my escape — this time with one Thomas Cox, who eagerly pressed my departure I had irons on at tho time. When we had proceeded some distance, Cox knocked them o(T with an axe which he had brought with him. At night wo tried to make a Are, but could not, as the ground was so very wet. Wo travelled on several da)S without food, until we oame to King's Uivor. Wo had some word*, and I killed Cox with the axe. I ate part of him thit night, and cut the greater portion of him up. in order to take on with me. I swam the river. Remorse then seized ij{>on roe. I threw away all the flesh tave one morsel, which I kept to i-unviuco tho commandant that Cox was dead. 1 returned to the settlement and confessed that I slew him. Th« rest is well known." Ue was hanged at riobart Town, whither ho was sent for trial. The following extract from the Halifax jMoming Post of 1st December 1847, will shew what men will do when pressed by hunger : — " IIuBBlBLC NabuaTIVC— The Schooner Caroline, troui .'t^avsnivan, ci> countored heavy gales afu>r the 26th of October, had all her provisions washed over, and on tho 10th inttant, the crew had been six days without fooil or water. In this situation they cast lots as to who should die to save the lives of the others, and tho lot fell on a large Irishman, named Charles Ilrown, who was tho only roan with a knife on board, who threatened to plangc it into any one who would attempt to carry out the fatal chance. Hereupon a lad of 19, belonging to Wales, offered to die first, as he was the Toungest, and Hrown was about to stick him with bis knife, when the capuin struck Rrown with an adze, and killed him. They drew off his blood and drank it, cutting his body in stripes to eat. On the morning of 468 NORTH AMEUICA. the 13th three tcmcU hote in sight, and the three »urvivor« were retcaed, their lives, bevund doubt, having been saved by drinking the horrid liquid. Two of Ihc survivor* arrivctl safe at Thlladelphia ; the other on« was in a ressel bound for the West Indies." An Iri&l)maii, wlio was a convict, and had oijcapcd from Australia 50 years ago in a vessel that sailed from Sydney for the I'Vejee Islands, whore they are great cannibals, when about to be killed and devoured by the savages, succeeded with great dexterity, though with great dilli- cultv, in convincing them that his flesh waS so tough lit* Would 1)1' found indigestible. This had the elfect of sav- ing his life ; and in the course of the 40 years that he lived amongst them, he iiad no less than 100 wives, and left jO children. It >»ould certainly liave been a pity if the Feejeeans had aten up our worthy friend, who seems really to have laboured zealously and successfidly in ful- filling the injunction laid upon Mr and 3Irs Adam and all their posterity — the only command that has been obeyed — in being fruitful and replenishing the earth. Though the population of the United States of America doubles every 25 years, whilst in Scotland it takes 70, yet in a new country population is an advantage, and re- t|uires to be encouraged, while in an old country it is the reverse. The rapid increase, indeed, of the United Slates, arises partly, no doubt, from the number of emigrants who flock to it, but chiefly from the favourable tield pre- sented for human labour which induces early marriage. The Irish, till of late years, pretty nearly kept pace with the Americans in regard to early marriages, and conse- quent increase of population ; but from the field of labour being so limited, and long ago overstocked, starvation and misery became almost necessarily their lot. The Scotch liave in general acted with more prudence in this respect, and have felt that it would be equally ruinous to them- NOKTIJ AMERICA. 4(;9 selves and their olfapring, to enter into matrimonial con- nexions, until they had some reasonable prospect of being able to provide for the children that might be expected to spring from them. In consequence, marriages are very generally deferred to a later period than in America, and a much larger proportion of the population find it expe- dient to pass their lives in a state of celibacy. And it is fortunate that this is the case ; it is fortunate that the good sense of the people, and their laudable desire to preserve their place in society, have made them control the violence of their passions, and disregard the dicta of so many spurious advisers. Man cannot possibly increase beyond the means of subsistence provided for his support : And, therefore, it is (piite obvious and certain, that if the natural tendency of population to increase in countries advanced in the career of civilisation, and where tlu're is, in conse(pience, a considerably increased ditlicuhy of pro- viding supplies of food, be not checked l)y the prevalence of moral restraint, or by the prudence and forethought of the people, it nuist be checked by the prevalence of vice, misery, and famine. There is no alternative. The popu- lation of every country has the power, supposing food to be adequately supplied, to go on doubling every five and twenty years : but as the limited extent and limited fer- tility of the soil render it impossible to go on producing food in this ratio, it necessarily follows, that unless the passions are moderated, and a proportional check given to the increase of population, the standard of human sub- sistence will not only be reduced to the lowest assignable limit, but famine and pestilence will be perpetually at work to relieve the population of wretches born only to be starved. The state of Ireland during the years 184G and 1847, affords a melancholy though striking proof of the truth of 470 NORTH AMKIUCA. this assertion. The returns published in October 1847 shew in four parishes alone a reduction by famine and consequent disease of no less than 30G0 individuals in the short space of one year. That poverty is the suurce of by far the greatest por- tion of the ills which afflict humanity, is so plain and self- evidiMit a proposition, that it must be universally assented to ; and there can be no doubt whatever, that a too rapid increase of population, by occasioning a redundant supply of labour, and an excessive competition for employment, and low wages, is, of all others, the most eflicient cause of poverty. It is now too late to contend that a crowded ])opulation is a sure symptom of national prosperity. 'J'he population of the United States is inlinitely less dense than that of Ireland, but who will assert that they are also less nourishing and happy ? The truth is, that the well- being and prosperity of a nation does not depend on the number of its inhabitants, but on the degree of their in- dustry and intelligence, and on the extent of their com- mand over the necessaries and conveniences of human life. It is a truth that cannot be too often or too strongly impressed on the minds of the people, that it is not in the power of any government to protect them from misery and degradation, if they overstock the market with labour. If they do this, wages will be low, however rapidly capital may be augmenting ; while, if they understock the market uith labour, wages will be high, however much capital may be diminished. The labourers are thus really the masters of the only means by which their command over the necessaries and conveniences of life can ever be materi- ally extended ; and if they will not avail themselves of these means, they have themselves alone to blame. No proposition, for example, can be more true than that the unexampled misery of the Irish people is directly owing NORTH AMERICA. 471 to the excessive augmentation of their numbers ; and nothing can be more perfectly futile, than to expect any real or lasting amendment in their situation, until an effectual check has been given to the progress of popula- tion. It is obvious, too, that the low and degraded con- dition into which the people of Ireland are now sunk, is the condition to which every people must be reduced, whose numbers continue, for any considerable period, to increase faster than the means of providing for their com- fortable and decent subsistence ; and such will, most as- suredly, be the case in every old settled country in which the principle of increase is not powerfully counteracted by the operation of moral restraint, or by the exercise of a proper degree of prudence and forethought in the for- mation of matrimonial connections. *' Double the food," says P. J. Stirling, in his work entitled "The Philosophy of Trade," as in America, every 25 years, and popula- tion will double itself in the same time ; double the food, as in some of the countries of Europe, every 70 or 80 years, and mankind will multiply only at that diminished rate." The chief remedy for the evils of surplus population, and consequently starvation, in overgrown countries, may be said to be education, which seems to have the effect of causing people to postpone forming matrimonial alliances till they have a reasonable prospect of bringing up their children comfortably. People, accordingly, in the middle and higher ranks of society, and even some among the better classes of mechanics, delay marrying till a more advanced period of life, or until they have accumulated some little property, and these are the persons who make the least increase in the community. Weavers, common labourers, and the lower class of mechanics, on the con- trary, marry at a very early age, as they are apt to en- tertain the reckless notion, that fall what may, they can- 472 NORTH AMEKICA. not be worse. The old fashioned idea, too, lias been in- stilled into their minds by all the old wives in the country, that " Providence never sends mouths without sending food also," a doctrine which, if true, would upset the authority, not only of philosopher Malthus, but of all the philosophers w ho have ever appeared in the world. What if a farmer were to put twenty cows into a park that could only feed five, and were to say that providence never sent mouths without food also ? Why he would be considiTcd mad, and would no doubt be conveyed to an asylum. A rational education would also teach the people of this country a most important lesson in refrard to the proper view which they ^houKl take of machinery. The work- ing poj)ulation of Great Britain and Ireland may be com- puted at eiiilit niillions. Now that wonderful slave called steam, aided by machinery, is computed to do as much work, by sea and land, in this country, as would equal the manual etTorts of five hundred millions of men, or one- half the population of the whole world, and that without murmuring, and what is of infinitely more importance, without requiring any thing to eat. What would become of us were that mass of additional mouths suddenly to make their appearance on our shores ? Why, all the can- nibalism that ever existed in New Zealand or the Feejee Islands, would then be a joke to w hat we should have to witness here. We are apt to lose sight also of the im- portant fact, that in spite of the constant struggle of popu- lation against food, human happiness and human refinement are daily increasing, because human drudgery is daily less- ening through the combined operation of steam and machi- nery, whereby leisure is afforded for devising and accom- plishing many things tending to the benefit of the human race. If, for example, an hundred men were located on an NORTH AMERICA. 473 island containing abundance of land for their support, but their methods of cultivation were so imperfect, that a whole year's work of each individual were but just suffi- cient for the production of a year's food to each, it is cer- tain that their condition could not be ameliorated, but would always remain the same, unless invention assisted them. But if instruments wore discovered, whereby the labour of ten could be made available to furnish food for the whole, it is obvious that the remaining ninety would be at leisure to prosecute the labours of comfort and refine- ment. This has been eflected by the introduction of mechanical and chemical improvement in agriculture, and the preparation of food, to such an extent, that one man now can probably produce as much as twenty can con- sume, and the remainder arc at leisure for the production of every kind of necessary and luxury ; which latter, owing to the facility of production, are, one after another, ceas- ing to be luxuries, by their conversion into articles of common use ; and new inventions become luxuries in turn, also to change in turn into necessaries by a regular routine. The all but universal use of the steam-engine, as a mechanical power, has almost extinguished human drudgery as a mere mover ; and the operative handicrafts are now principally confined to matters of skill and dex- terity. Yet, notwithstanding the fact that every horse- power of an engine does the work of many men, still the demand for human labour is constantly on the increase, notwithstanding the fact that whole bodies of workmen are from time to time thrown out of employment by new improvements in machinery. The gross number of me- chanical workmen is every year increased ; for every year the quantity of consumers is increased, and every year fresh varieties of mani.factured goods are demanded, and fresh inventions produce new species altogether. 474 NORTH AMERICA. Miss Martineau, the celebrated authoress says, in re- ference to this subject : — " Since capital is derived from labour, whatever economizes labour, assists the growth of capital, and as machinery economizes labour, therefore machinery assists capital." And yet it is a remarkable fact, that amidst all the in- telligence that prevails in this country, even amongst the working classes themselves, there are still some who con- sider machinery the greatest enemy with which they have to contend, and would willingly assist in banishing it from the earth. This feeling however, once so prevalent, is gradually subsiding, and the great mass of the more in- telligent among the people, are now beginning to view machinery in its pr()j)er light. It is scarcely too much to say, that were the machinery of this country by any chance to be suddenly destroyed, that a great proportion of our manufacturing population would be thrown out of employ- ment, and would consequently be reduced to misery and starvation ; that a total change would take ])lace in our political relations with the rest of the w orld ; that our title of Queen among the nations would soon come to be re- membered only as a matter of history ; and our fertile plains become once more a hunting field for the wolf or the wild boar. Indeed, so far from machinery having the effect of diminishing the rate of wages, it is quite the reverse; and in confirmation of this assertion, I may mention that at a crowded meeting held at Stroud, in Gloucestershire, on 3d Feb. 1842, of several of the anti-corn-law associa- tions, in that district of country, Mr Symons, in moving the first resolution, remarked : — " Never in thi» country did profits fall vritboat wages falling also, and never did trade improve without wages likewise rising. Take the case of machinery, which is generally held forth as a bugbear to gull working-men NORTH AMERICA. 475 and mislead them as to the real cause of their distress. Take this borough as an instance, and see how machinery and wages hare fallen together. In 1831, there were 133 mills at work, and in 1841, there were 77 only ; there was a fall of 42 per cent. During this small period, wages have fallen 40 per cent ; so that it appears that wages, so far from being injured by machinery, were 40 per cent, higlier when there was nearly twice as much of it at work as there is now. It is not machinery that hurts the wages of the workmen, it is the unnatural barrier which prevents our realising the value of its produce. Productions purchase wealth. It is nonsense to talk of over-production ; it is over-rostriction which does the mischief, [cheers and cries of •' That's true.''] It is impossible indeed, to form any estimate of the ex- tent to which the comforts, and, if we may so term them, the elegancies of the poor are increased by machinery. The whole Sunday costume of a peasant girl — a dress. of the most fashionable order worn by the class — costs now only 20s. Eighty years ago, a lady could not have dressed herself so well for L.5, To the poor, quantity of commodities is the first great requisite. Surely, when these things are duly considered, it will not be a long time ere we look back upon the practice of machine- breaking, as one of the most astounding illustrations of popular delusion that the annals of human barbarism can produce. " The employment of machinery," says an able writer, " forms an item of great importance in the general mass of national industry. ' Tis an artificial force, brought in aid of the natural force of man ; an accession of strength, luiencumbered too by the expense of maintaining the la- bourer. Those occupations, therefore, which give great- est scope to the use of this auxiliary, must contribute most to the general stock of industrious effort." Machin- ery by rendering productions cheaper, increases the de- mand for manual labor, and consequently the number of laborers. Machines work for us, and are satisfied with- 476 NORTH AMr.IiK A. out either food or clothing. They increase all our com- forts, and consume none tliemselves. A single bushel of coals which a lahorer can get for half a day's work, could not be obtained by Iiim without the aid of machinery, for less than half a-year's work. There are some amongst the higher ranks of society who are rather hostile to the education of the peoj)le, from the mistaken notion that it tends to unfit them for the laborious duties of life, and to make them discontented with their condition ; and that ignorance is the surest pledge of submission to constituted authority. And were this true, the argument would be entitled to some weight, for it is said, that " if ignorance were bliss, 'tis folly to be -wise." So far, however, is this from being the case, that it is no exaggeration to assert that the greater part of the misery and crime which afflict and disgrace society proceeds from the ignorance of the poor in regard to those things which determine their condition — ignorance of the causes which occasion the gradation of ranks and the in- equality of fortunes ; — and ignorance of those circum- stances which elevate or depress the rate of wages, and which consequently exert the most powerful influence over their condition. The celebrated Sumner in his *' He- cords of the Creation," says, — *' Of all obstacles to im- provement, ignorance is the most formidable, because the only true secret of assisting the poor is to make them agents in bettering their own condition, and to supply them, not with a temporary stimulus, but with a permanent energy. As fast as the standard of intelligence is raised, the poor become more and more able to co-operate in any plan proposed for their advantage, more likely to listen to any reasonable suggestion. If the people are ignorant of the circumstances which really determine their condition, they must act blindly and capriciously, both in their private NORTH AMERICA. 477 capacity as masters of families, and in their public capa- city as citizens. An ignorant and uneducated multitude possess no self-regulating principle ; but necessarily be- come the prey of their own imaginary fears and appre- hensions, and of the sinister designs of cunning and crafty demagogues." It is truly observed by Dr Smith in hi* Wealth of Nations, that an instructed and an intelli- gent people are always more decent and orderly than an ignorant and stupid one. They feel themselves eacli in- dividually more re5:pectal)le, and more likely to obtain the respect of their lawful superiors, and tliey are therefore more disposed to respect them. The widest experience confirnio the truth of this observation. Mobs have uni- formly been violent and outrageous, just in proportion to the strength of the prejudices by which they have been actuated, or, which is the same thing, to their ignorance. What other cause can be assigned for the religious mas- sacres and persecutions that desolated Europe for so many ages, except that the ignorance of the people rendered them a prey to the grossest delusions of ignorance and fanaticism ? It is quite clear also, that if the French had been an educated people, many of the atrocities of their first or great Revolution would never have happened. And at the present day what was it but the influence of educa- tion which kept the manufacturing population of this country in general so (juiet during their severe sufferings in 1841. Look, for example, to the case of Leeds, where, during that year, 20,000 of its inhabitants were subsist- ing on one shilling per week. The Leeds Parhamentary Reform Association published an address to the mer- chants, &c. of the West Riding of Yorkshire, which ap- peared in the Leeds Times of IGth October 1841, where- in the following passage occurs — 478 NORTH AMERICA. •' Wo cannot pass on without soliciting the deep attention of the iner cbantfl, manufacturers, and tradesmen, and middle classes generally, to the comparative conduct of the working class and the landlord class, so far as a juflt respect for the property of others is concerned. Arc you not often told that the ignorant demoralized working class haTc no respect for pro- perty, and are ready to plunder the rich whenever they have the oppor- tunity, or when a strong temptation oftert ? Consider, we entreat you, how in periods uf the deepest distress of the operatives, when thousands have been wandering in the streets and roads, famished with hunger, asking in vain fur work — you and your families have lived in pcaco and security to person and property in the midst of tbem ; witnessing, in innumerable instances, their admirable patience, their orderly conduct, and resjjcct for the property of others, and gratitude for any acts of real kindness or charity." Tl i» hardly j)0ffi5ible to conceive a more splendid tribute to the intluence of education tiian is contained in this simple but affecting narrative. We are entitled, there- fore, to aver, that if ever the rights of property come to be violated in this country it will arise, not from the edu- cation of the lower classes, but from the want of it — not from their knowledge, but their ignorance. And, above all, it becomes those who really believe that education tends to unfit the poor for the discharge of their duties, to reflect, that the perpetrators of arsons, of robberies, and other outrages during a state of public ex- citement, are almost invariably the very lowest, and con- sequently the most uneducated and ignorant amongst all the population. It is ignorance alone which results to violence, because ignorance not being able to reason from cause to effect, resorts to blind destruction. What was it that occasioned the difference between the French Re- volution of 1789 and those of 1830 and 1848 ? And how did it happen that the very identical class — the mob who, in the eighteenth century, took such delight in butchering, that they poured forth the blood of the citizens of France upon the earth as water from a fountain, should, in the NORTH AMERICA. 479 nineteenth century, stand forth a race of heroes — brilHant with success, though exercising, at the same time, some of the most sublime traits of mercy that are to be found in the pages of history ? The answer is this, that the mists of ignorance and the clouds of darkness which then overshadowed them, had been dispelled by the accumu- lated knowledge and the dear-bought experience of sixty years. But amidst all our exertions to acquire the knowledge ne- cessary to promote our earthly comforts, let us not lose sight of heavenly knowledge, the importance of w hich is beauti- fully illustrated by Solomon in various parts of his Pro- verbs. — *' Take fast hold," he saith, *' of instruction ; let her not go ; keep her, for she is thy life. Receive my in- struction and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold. Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end." But amidst these exhortations to acquire spiritual know- ledge, he pours forth some awful denunciations upon those who despise or hate it : — '' How long, crieth wisdom, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity, and the scorners de- light in scorning, and fools hate knowledge. Turn you at my reproof. Because I have called and ye refused ; I liave stretched out my hand, and no man regarded. I also will laugh at your calamity ; I will mock when your fear Cometh ; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction as a wliirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you : Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer ; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me : For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord : They would none of my counsel, they despised all my repro^of; therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.'' 480 NORTH AMEUrCA. ilow long ye scorncrs of the trutli, Scornful will ye remain ? How long shall fools iheir follv lore. And hear my words in vain ? But sincu so long with earnest roice, To you in vain I call, Since all inj counsels and reproofs Thus ineflfoctual fall i The time will come, when humbled iu\ In sorrow's efil day, Vour Toice by anguish shall l>c taui^ht, But taught too lato to pray. 4 I 1 k >■ m T5»^ ■'f ^^