THE LIBRARY
OF
REGENTS
THE
UNIVERSIT
ARTIDU
OF
་་་་་
KAWAIILENE MAN i
MINNESOTA
Wilson Library

BATTLE MONUMENT, BALTIMORE.
THE
FAMILY TOURIST:
OR
A VISIT
TO THE PRINCIPAL CITIES
OF THE
WESTERN CONTINENT;
EMBRACING AN ACCOUNT OF
THEIR SITUATION-ORIGIN-PLAN-EXTENT-INHABITANTS-MAN-
NERS-CUSTOMS-DRESS-AMUSEMENTS-OCCUPATIONS-
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS-WORKS-EDIFICES, &c.
WITH
SKETCHES OF EVENTS,
CONNECTED WITH THEIR
}
MILITARY HISTORY.
The whole designed as an interesting and profitable reading Book for Families, and
specially prepared for the younger classes of society.
BY CHARLES A. GOODRICH,
Author of "Universal Traveller," "History of the United States,"
"Family Encyclopedia," &c.
HARTFORD.
PHILEMON CANFIELD.
1839.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, by
CHARLES A. GOODRICH,
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Connecticut.
Printed by
CASE, TIFFANY & BURNHAM.
Pearl street, Hartford.
G
wilsels
ANA 6242-1
PREFACE.
Authors have been compared to certain ladies, who,
having spread before their guests the best the larder
contains, and in the preparation of which they have ex-
pended all their culinary skill, preface the feast with a
score of excuses. With whatever propriety he might
follow such an example, the Author of the present vol-
ume waives the privilege, lest, as in the cases alluded to,
it should be surmised that, under cover of such excuses,
he is seeking the compliment of praise. To the patrons
of the work, the only remark, which he deems it wise to
make in relation to its merits or defects, is in the lan-
guage of an invitation, once tended to him by an aged
friend. "Will you dine with me to day? I scarcely
know," continued he, "what our bill of fare is to be-but
if good, come and enjoy it-if poor, still come, and help
us dispose of it!"
A word, however, by way of explanation is important.
The Author lays no other claim to originality for the vol-
ume than its plan. It is chiefly a combination of what
others have seen and recorded-a repast-he will not
call it a feast, lest he attribute to it higher qualities than
it deserves—but a repast, gathered from numerous vol-
umes by those who have enjoyed the luxury and benefit
of travel. While preparing another volume for the
press "the UNIVERSAL TRAVELLER," already before
the public-he became apprised of a great amount of
information, scattered through many different volumes
in relation to the cities of the world. As this informa-.
tion, according to the plan of that work, could find no
place, he determined to combine it in a separate volume,
ウ
​iv
PREFACE.
as a natural and not unappropriate appendage to that.
Scarcely, however, had he entered upon his design, be-
fore he perceived the field to be altogether too extensive
for the compass of a single volume. Confining himself,
therefore, to the Western Continent, he now presents
the result of his labors, with the intention of completing
the plan, should his life be spared, in relation to the
Eastern Continent, in one or more volumes, should a
favorable estimate be put upon this.
As the work is confessedly a compilation, the Author
has made a liberal use of works both foreign and domes-
tic; indicating, however, in most cases, the authors to
whom he has been indebted. To this remark there is
one exception. The "Modern Traveller," an English
compilation, has not in every instance been distinctly
credited, a general acknowledgment having been reserv-
ed for this place.
A proper proportion, the Author is quite sensible, has
not been in all cases observed, in relation to the cities
treated of. This defect, he endeavored to obviate, and
even delayed the completion of portions of the volume
for months, with the hope of obtaining the desired infor-
mation; in which, however, he has had in some instances
the mortification to fail. But he apologizes to himself,
inasmuch as he has made all due efforts, to supply defi-.
ciences, and this apology he doubts not will be deemed
sufficient by the candid.
It remains only to offer to his friends-especially to
the younger classes of the community-the volume as a
"guide-book" to the principal cities of the continent,
which while it contains not half that might be said of a
single one of our larger cities, reveals more facts, it is be-
lieved, in relation to most of them than any other one vol-
ume extant.
4
INTRODUCTION.
A distinguished senator in our American Congress, some
years since, in the course of one of his speeches, when speak-
ing of the commercial enterprise of our countrymen, related the
following curious incident. "A ship which had been built at
Pittsburg was freighted and cleared from that place for Leghorn.
On her arrival at the place of her destination, the master pre-
sented his papers to the proper officers, who would not credit
them; but said to him, 'Sir, your papers are forged. There is
no such place as Pittsburg in the world! Your vessel must be
confiscated!' The trembling Captain laid before the officer a map
of the United States-directed him to the Gulf of Mexico-
pointed out to him the mouth of the Mississippi-led him a
thousand miles up to the mouth of the Ohio, and thence ano-
ther thousand up to Pittsburg. "There, sir, is the port whence
my vessel cleared.' ”
The ignorance of the Leghorn officer of the customs was
quite pardonable, since in relation to a new country, and to its
far distant and quite inland ports of entry, he might not have had
an opportunity to inform himself. But whatever mortification
he experienced, it must have been far less than that of a certain
English nobleman, who, during his travels in Italy, was shown
a church, which he so much admired for its elegance of struc-
ture, as to request permission to take a sketch of it. "Oh!”
said the gentleman, who accompanied him, and was showing
him the building,-"You have no occasion to put yourself to
that trouble; the model was taken from a church in London,
the very place where you reside." Surprised and confused, his
lordship desired to know what edifice like it London could con-
tain, which had escaped his observation. He was told that it
was St. Stephen's, Walbrook, near the Royal Exchange. It is
further added, that his lordship had no sooner arrived in Lon.
don, than he went to take a view of that beautiful monument of
Q
1*
vi
INTRODUCTION.
architecture, which is esteemed Sir Christopher Wren's mas-
ter-piece, before he saw any of his friends, or returned to his
own home.
The author has introduced these humble anecdotes by way of
illustrating the importance of a knowledge of the world, which
may be inferred from the first-and especially of one's own
country, and what of improvements it contains, which is strik-
ingly exhibited, in the second.
It is indeed true, that in older countries, where the arts have
had longer time to ripen, and wealth to increase, the traveller
will find greater and more numerous objects of curiosity, than
in a country, which, like our own, has recently sprung into exist-
ence, and where as yet the wealth of the people is employed
rather in expansion than in tasteful improvement.
Yet, with a little more than two centuries gone over our
heads, since the planting of the first colony in America, and
while a good portion of that period has been spent in clearing
our forests, and providing the means of subsistence, advances
have been made in literature, in the arts, in architecture, &c.,
creditable to the taste, genius, and enterprise of our countrymen.
We have, indeed, no cities, which can compare with several in
the eastern hemisphere-no monuments like theirs-no palaces,
nor baronial castles-nor a hundred other objects of taste and
curiosity. But in the settlements of a wilderness, stretching
hundreds and even thousands of miles, on every side-in the
erection of towns and cities-in the manufacture of articles
of taste and fancy-in the variety and expansion of commerce
-in the patronage given to the fine arts-in the elegance and
even grandeur of some of our public edifices, we have exceeded
all anticipations, and are without a parallel, considering the
infancy of our country, in the history of nations.
For centuries after the invasion, London, that world in minia-
ture, bore no comparison to New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
or Boston. Westminster Abbey was the labor of half a centu-
ry, and was completed at the distance of more than one thou-
sand years from the foundation of the city in which it stands.
St. Paul's-that monument of taste and wealth-was finished
less than one hundred years ago.
The marvel then is, not that America has achieved so little,
but that she has accomplished so much. Foreigners, who have
travelled through our country, have been wont to indulge in
INTRODUCTION.
vii
illiberal criticism, comparing our cities, our public buildings, our
specimens of the fine arts, &c. with those which they have seen
beyond the waters, in countries, which have been settled for
centuries, and where princes and noblemen have lavished their
millions upon these and similar objects, gathered from unwar-
rantable and oppressive taxation. But how absurd the com-
parison! When America shall have attained a similar age-
when her forests shall have been felled-when her wealth shall
have increased, and it is rapidly rolling up-when her enter-
prise and genius shall become concentrated, and be applied to
works of taste and magnificence, we shall doubtless see in
her works, objects as grand, and monuments as splendid and
enduring, as are now the boast of countries which were grown
to manhood, when she first came on to the stage. The ama-
teur may find as much to admire, as he now does in London, in
Paris, in Rome, or was once admired in Athens, in Thebes, or
Tadmor of the Desert.
But already our country presents objects sufficient to com-
mand the admiration and gratify the taste and curiosity of her
citizens. Were these better known, they would be more appre-
ciated. Personal observation is always more gratifying, and
makes deeper and more lasting impressions, than verbal de-
scriptions. But there are a multitude, who enjoy not only no
opportunity for foreign travel, but have neither the means nor
the time to examine the various objects of interest in their own
land. They visit such as are in their immediate neighborhood,
and must depend upon written statements for the rest: Hence,
whoever furnishes a correct and candid description of objects at
a distance, performs for this numerous class a valuable service.
With this object in view, the author has prepared the present
work. It is designed not for the traveller, who has had the ad-
vantage of a personal visit to the places described, but for those
who have not enjoyed, and are not likely to enjoy that privilege.
The attempt, it is believed, is new, at least so far as to bring
into a single volume, and independent of other subjects, a view
of the cities of the American Continent. It is offered only as
an approximation to what is confessedly a desideratum among
the books, which are found in the families of our country.
The object of the work is two-fold-to furnish a book of
rational entertainment-one which may pleasantly occupy for a
few weeks the leisure hours and long evenings, when severer
ยี
viii
INTRODUCTION.
toils and more engrossing occupations are necessarily remitted:
and secondly, and primarily, to present an opportunity to the
younger classes of society, to become more extensively ac-
quainted with the chief places of the land, and the interesting
objects which they contain. As was noticed in the Prospectus-
cities are, in every country, and justly, objects of curiosity and
attraction. They are usually centres of wealth, influence, and
fashion. They are emporiums of trade and commerce-the
theatres of pleasure and amusements-the seats and patrons of
the fine arts-the work-shops of articles of taste and fancy—the
localities for rich and splendid specimens of architecture. Here,
also, may be seen in profitable contrast, society in its different
materials, forms, and conditions-the native and the foreigner-
the wealthy and the poor-the industrious and the idle-the
sober and the dissipated-the serious and the gay. From a view
of mankind thus relatively situated, and yet differently circum-
stanced, important lessons regarding manners, morals, and duty,
may be gathered. The more we know of our country-of her
history-of her government-the genius of her inhabitants-
their enterprise—the institutions, which they have founded-
the cities, which they have planted-the public works, which
they have projected and accomplished, the greater will be our
admiration, and the stronger our patriotic feeling. At the same
time, such knowledge will furnish us with topics of useful and
enlightened conversation. We shall also be better prepared to
travel abroad, if that privilege and pleasure be our good for-
tune, and better qualified to estimate the value and correctness
of the many works pertaining to our country, which issue from
the press-the workmanship of foreigners, who have not in all
cases been disposed to do America, or Americans justice.
CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION.
NORTH
AMERICA.
CANADA.-QUEBEC.
Anecdote of Dean Swift; Situation of Quebec; Origin; Appearance; Harbor;
Public Edifices; Mr. Duncan's visit to the Ursuline Convent; Fortifications; Reduc-
tion by Wolfe; Death of Wolfe; Reflections; Assault under Montgomery; his death;
Character.
MONTREAL.
Mode of travelling between Montreal and Quebec; Situation of Montreal; Ap-
pearance; Dress and Manners of the citizens; Merchants; Edifices; French Church;
Visit of Mr. Duncan to it; Society; Military Events; Anecdote of Ethan Allen.
UNITED STATES.
MASSACHUSETTS.-BOSTON.
1
1
Settlement of Boston; Situation; The Mall; State House; Tremont House; Dinner
scene; Faneuil Hall; Population; Government; Literary and Educational Institu-
tions; Harvard College; Mount Auburn; Characteristics of the citizens; A Carica-
ture; Patriotism; Revolutionary Incidents; Destruction of Tea.
CHARLESTOWN.
Settlement; Situation; Public Works; State Prison; Battle of Bunker Hill; Cere-
monies at laying the Corner-stone of Bunker Hill Monument; Webster's address on
the occasion.
MAINE.-PORTLAND.
Situation; Harbor; Ports; Public Edifices, Character of the Inhabitants; Savage
Depredations; Attack of Captain Mowat.
NEW HAMPSHIRE.-PORTSMOUTH.
Situation; Population; Appearance; Harbor; Forts; Public Buildings; Bridges;
Settlement; Story of a Hermit.
VERMONT.-VERGENNES.
Settlement; Situation; Population; Commodore McDonough's Flotilla.
BURLINGTON.
Delightful Situation; Vermont University; President Dwight's description of the
surrounding scenery.
CONNECTICUT-HARTFORD.
Original Settlers; Their journey to Connecticut; Distress of the Colonies; Removal
of Mr. Hooker; Gloomy state of the Colony; Invasion of the Pequot country; Amu-
sing extracts from the Hartford Colony Laws; Situation of Hartford; Description;
State House; Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, Retreat for the Insane; Washington
College; Election day.
NEW HAVEN.
First knowledge of the English of the place; Arrival of Mr. Eaton and his Asso-
ciates; Situation of New Haven; Description of the city; Surrounding Scenery; Ad-
ventures of Goffe and Whalley; Col. Dixwell; Cemetery; Character of the citizens;
Public Edifices; Yale College; New Township; Fair Haven; Dragon Point; Extracts
from the early Code of Laws; Attack of the British, 1779; Sufferings of President
Daggett.
MIDDLETOWN.
Origin of the settlement; Account of Sowheag, an Indian Sachem; Beautiful situ-
ation of the city; Wesleyan University; Upper Middletown.
NORWICH,
First settlement of Norwich; Situation of the city; Scenery; Water privileges;
Burying ground of Uncas; Origin of Sachem's Plain; Uncas and Miantonimoh; Sub-
sequent history of Uncas.
NEW LONDON.
Settlement of New London; Situation; Description; Forts; Burning of New Lon-
don by Arnold; Anecdotes of the Rogerincs.
X
CONTENTS.
RHODE ISLAND--PROVIDENCE.
Situation of Providence; Public buildings; Blackstone Canal; Boston and Provi-
dence Rail Road; Character of the Citizens; Roger Williams; Birth; Early History;
Removal to America; Settlement at Salem; Expulsion from the Colony; Founds
Providence; Family of Mr. Williams; Visits England and procures a charter; Diffi-
culties with the Indians; Death of Mr. Williams; Character.
NEW YORK.-NEW YORK.
Discovery of New York by Verrazzano, 1524; By Hudson, 1609; Incidents of his
voyage; Settlement by the Dutch; Notices of the first Dutch settlers; Houses; Clean-
liness; Curious domestic operations; Parties; Manners; Festivals of the Dutch; Dress;
Furniture; New York in 1640; In subsequent years; Population; Situation of the
city; Approach to it; Harbor; Broadway; City Hall; Park; Battery; Churches; Lit-
erary and other Institutions; Masonic Hall; New Custom House; Schools; Papers;
Health of the city; Temperature; Languages; Cooper's account of the Market;
Fruits; Style of Living; Domestic comfort; Description of a house in Broadway be-
longing to a gentleman of Fortune; Carriages; Militaty events; Retreat through Long
Island; Evacuation of the city; Residence of the British Officers; Brief Sketches of
Howe, Clinton, Cornwallis, Knyphauson, Carlton, and Abercrombie.
ALBANY.
Situation; Original settlement; Dutch architecture; change effected in its inhabitants;
Plan of the city; Capitol and other edifices; Commercial advantages of Albany;
Opening of the Erie Canal.
HUDSON.
Situation of Hudson: Present state; Whale fishery; Population.
TROY.
Situation; business portion of the city; Public buildings; Female Seminary; Rens-
selaer School; Character; Conimerce; Flour manufacture.
SCHENECTADY.
Origin of the name; Situation of the city; Architecture; Union College; Canalling
operations; Early History; Indian massacre of 1690.
UTICA.
Situation of the city; Hugh White, the first settler; Thrilling incident respecting
his family; Progress of Utica; Population; Prospects.
ROCHESTER.
Recent settlement; Historical facts relating to its settlement; Adventure of Enos,
Stone; Religious festival of the Senecas; state of Rochester in 1814; Military tactics
of an American Officer, Commencement of its prosperity; Character of its settlers;
Ecclesiastical History; Literary establishments; Business style of Architecture;
Water power of the Genesee; Canal trade of Rochester; History of the flour trade.
BUFFALO.
Situation; Beauty of the surrounding scenery; Destroyed in 1814; Thrift; Descrip-
tion of the city; Black Rock; Lines of communication; Seneca Reservation; Red
Jacket; Oratory of this chieftain; Anecdotes.
NEW JERSEY.-TRENTON.
Settlement; Kalm's description of Trenton in 1748; Situation; Present state; Cap-
ture of one thousand Hessians by Washington in 1776; Consequences of this victory;
PENNSYLVANIA.-PHILADELPHIA.
Philadelphia prior to the Revolution; Character of the inhabitants by different
travellers; Philadelphia and New York compared; Commercial advantages; First
impressions; Penn's Purchase; Regularity of the city; Market street, other streets;
Public buildings; Old State House; Bank of Pennsylvania; Bank of the United States;
Churches; Jewish synagogues; Charitable and Literary institutions; Girard College;
Fair Mount Water Works; Peale's Museum; Academy of Fine Arts; Libraries;
Philadelphia press; Pennsylvania University; American Philosophical Society; Char-
acter by Mr. Hodgson; Early History; Arrival of Penn; Conference with the Indians;
The treaty Elm tree; Penn's earty residence; Shippen's house; First Church; Frank-
lin's account of the early inhabitants; Customs before the Revolution; Wedding en-
tertainments; Diet; Dress; Various reminescences.
MARYLAND.-BALTIMORE.
Rapid growth of Baltimore; Effect of the late war upon Baltimore; Speculations of
1818; Situation and plan of the city; Merchants' Exchange; Catholic Cathedral; So-
cinian Chapel; Washington monument; Battle monument; Trade of Baltimore;
Flour Mills; Attack of the British, in 1814.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.-WASHINGTON.
Situation of Washington; Anecdote of Gen. Washington; Cession of the District
by Maryland and Virginia; Removal of the Government in 1800; Progress of the city
prior to 1814; Effect of burning the Capitol; Plan of the city; Description of the Cap-
itol; Senate Chamber; Representatives' Hall; Rotunda; Paintings; Library; Su-
preme Court; President's House; Dinner parties; Offices; State of Society; Literary
!
1
CONTENTS.
XI
taste; Amusements; Invasion of Washington; Destruction of the National edifices;
Mount Vernon; Tomb of Washington; Visit of Lafayette; Last hours of Washing-
ton; Character of Washington, by Lord Brougham.
GEORGETOWN.
Situation; Population; society; Public Institutions; Convent of Visitation.
Situation; Harbor; Commerce.
ALEXANDRIA.
VIRGINIA.-RICHMOND.
Situation; General description; Burning of the Theatre in 1811.
NORTH CAROLINA. RALEIGH.
Origin of its name; situation; Brief description.
SOUTH CAROLINA.-CHARLESTON.
Situation: Account of Charleston, by Capt. B. Hall; Remarks, by F. Hall; Unheal-
thiness; Extract from the Duke of Saxe Weimar's travels; Rice Mill; Population;
Character; Manners; Attack on Charleston, 1776; Gallant defence of Fort Moul-
trie; Heroic achievement of Sergeant Jasper.
GEORGIA.—SAVANNAH.
Situation; Plan of the city; Business; Commencement of Savannah by Gen. Ogle-
thorpe; Mary Musgrove and Thomas Bosomworth;-difficulties produced by them;
Revolutionary incidents; Siege of Savannah; Enterprise af six Americans.
FLORIDA.-ST. AUGUSTINE.
Settlement; Situation; Plan of the city; Fort Mason; Population; Character;
Schools; Resort for invalids; Yellow Fever; Cultivation of the Orange; Patgo; Pozey
dance.
LOUISIANA.-NEW ORLEANS.
Imposing view of New Orleans; Situation; Extent; Style of Buildings; Plan; Ca-
thedral; Churches; Charitable institutions; Population; Character of citizens; Health;
Water; Commerce; Market; Influence; Police; Balize; Breaches in the Levee; Battle
of New Orleans.
KENTUCKY.-LEXINGTON.
Settlements; Appearance of the city; Transylvania University; Public edifices.
LOUISVILLE.
Commercial importance of Louisville; Public buildings; Inhabitants; Canal.
OHIO.-CINCINNATI.
Situation; Rapid settlement; Admirable position of Cincinnati; General plan of the
city; Public buildings; Manufactures; Commerce; Population; Schools; Pork estab-.
lishments.
MISSOURI.-ST. LOUIS.
Situation; Recent settlement; Rapid advancement; Future prospects.
MEXICO,
VERA CRUZ.
Introductory remarks; Approach to Vera Cruz; Castle of St. Juan d'Uloa; Recent
destruction of it by the French; Port of Vera Cruz; Description of the city; Unhealth-
iness; Society; Population.
PUEBLA.
Situation; Population; Description; Religious edifices; Carriages; Market; Manu-
factures-
CHOLULA.
Situation; Population; Manufactures; Celebrated temple.
MEXICO.
Situation; Invasion of Cortes, 1519; Armament; Conduct at Vera Cruz; Attempt-
ed interview with Montezuma; Resistance to this proposal; Character of Montezuma;
Indecision of the Emperor; Canning of Cortes; Progress of the Invaders; Conference
between Montezuma and Cortes; Description of the city by Cortes; Access to it;
Temples; Montezuma II.; Splendor of his Court; Sacrifices; Gladiatorial Sacrifice;
Games; Fliers; Powers of Hercules; Measures of Cortes to extend his power; Mon-
tezuma seized; Execution of Qualpopca; Artful expedient of Cortes to secure the
command of the Lake; Critical situation of Cortes; Attack upon the inhabitants;
Retreat of Cortes and death of Montezuma; Re-appearance of Cortes; Death of
Guatimozin; Capture of the city; Modern Mexico; Situation; Humbolt's estimate
of Mexico; Plaza Major; Cathedral; Palace; Botanical Garden; Churches; Palace of
the Inquisition; Hospital of Jesus; Present state of the arts; University; Intelligence
of the people; Almeda or Promenade; Pasco Nuevo; Police; Population,
GUANAXUATO.
Situation; Description; Population; Gold and silver mines; Inhabitants.
GUATEMALA GUATEMALA.
Conquest of Guatemala; Situation; Old Guatemala; Calamities of the old city;
xii
CONTENTS.
t
Earthquakes; Epidemics; Destruction; Founding of the new city; Scenery; Ap-
pearance; Plaza, or Market place; Aqueducts; Houses; Smoking; Domestic occu-
pations; Costumes; Marriage customs; Funerals; State of society; Wretched char.
acter of the Police.
SOUTH AMERICA.
BRAZIL. ST SEBASTIAN OR RIO DE JANEIRO.
Situation; First Settlement; harbor; Style of Architecture; State of the Arts;
Nuisances; Description of the city; Churches; Cathedral; Royal Palace; Aqueduct;
Manners; Ladies; Shop-keepers; Superstitious observances; Barbers; Post-office;
Administration of justice; Instance of assassination; Police; Exccutions; Com-
inerce; Manufactures; Exports; Coffee; Sugar; Population.
BAHIA.
Situation; Trade; General description; Late improvements; Society; Dress;
Amusements;
VILLA RICA.
Situation; Houses; Trades; Population; Manners; Climate; Fruits.
PERNAMBUCO.
Situation; Olinda; Recife; Description of Recife; St Antonio; Description; Popu-
lation.
COLOMBIA.-BOGOTA.
Situation; Appearance; Public buildings; Principal streets; Plaza; Sale of differ-
ent commodities; Environs; Gencral routine; Priests; Population; Climate; Cata-
ract of Tequendama.
CUMANA.
Situation; Climate; Number of inhabitants; Character; Mode of taking ducks;
Earthquakes.
BARCELONA.
Position; Exports; Description; Population.
CARACCAS.
La Guayra, the port of Caraccas; Road to Caraccas; Mr. Semple's Journey; Sit-
uation of Caraccas; Description; Public edifices; Population; Awful convulsion
of 1812; Extent of the Desolation.
NEW VALENCIA.
Situation; Advantagous position; Population; Character; Description.
PUERTO CABELLO.
Importance; Situation; Harbor; Unhealthiness; Bay of Burburata.
MARACAIBO.
Situation; Climate; Population; Nautical disposition; Lively Character; Edu-
cation; Women.
MERIDA.
Situation; Present condition; Great unhealthiness.
CUCUTA.
General Congress of 1820, held here. Appearance of the city; Character; Propo-
sed to be called the city of Bolivar.
Situation; General account.
TUNJA.
{CARTHAGENA.
Bay and Port; Situation of the city; Description; Strength; Population; Trades;
Women of color; History; Climate.
-BOLIVIA.—CHUQUISACA.
Situation; Population; Climate; Public Buildings.
POTOSI.
Situation; Population; Elevation; Mines; Mint; Climate; Market; Singular cus-
tom; La Paz; Oropeza; Oruro.
PENO.-LIMA.`
Situation; Callao the port of Lima; Road; Appearance of Lima; Inhabitants;
Great Square; Cathedral; Parish Churches; University; Colleges; Inquisition; Ad-
venture of Mr. Stevenson; Pantheon; Luxury and dissipation; Abandoned char-
acter of the Priests; Houses; Streets; Climate; Earthquakes; Dress.
CUSCO.
Situation; Houses; Population; Antiquity.
AREQUIPA.
Situation; Population; General remarks.
TRUXILLO.
Situation; Extent; Streets; Dress and Customs.
BUENOS AYRES.—BUENOS AYRES.
Name; Situation; Population; Houses; Inhabitants; Gauchos; Oxaggous; Fruits;
Market; Plaza; Shops; Appearance; Dress; Churches.
CHILE. SANTIAGO.
Situation; Representations of travellers; Plaza; Palace; Cathedral; Consulado;
Mint; Approach from Mendoza,

金魚
​QUEBEC.
RAAR
THE
FAMILY TOURIST,
NORTH AMERICA.
CANADA.-QUEBEC.
It is somewhere related of the eccentric Dean Swift, that
in one of his pedestrian journeys to Holyhead, he stopped
at the sign of the Crown, in a place called Church Strat-
ton, and ordered dinner. But, not loving to digest a good
meal alone, he inquired of "mine host," who was a good-
humored and obliging man, whether there was not some
agreeable person in the town, whom he could invite to
share a good dinner with him. The landlord, on casting
about, suggested the curate, Mr. Jones, "who," he said,
was a very companionable man, and would have no ob
jection," he dare say, to spend a few hours, with a gen
tleman of his (the Dean's) appearance."
The Dean being quite pleased with the recommendation,
desired the landlord to wait upon Mr. Jones, with his com-
pliments, and say that a traveller would be glad to be favor-
ed with his company, at the Crown, if it was agreeable.
4
It happened to be the lecture day of the curate; but he,
thinking that his duty to the stranger and his people might
both be performed, accepted the invitation; and at the hour
named, sat down to partake of the hospitality of his new
friend, whose name continued still unknown to him.
On the arrival of three o'clock, the curate felt obliged
to excuse himself, to attend divine service, at the church.
Upon this intimation, the Dean replied, that he would do
2
14
FAMILY TOURIST.
QUEBEC.
himself the pleasure to attend also, and hoped to see his
clerical friend again, after service.
When the two gentlemen found themselves once more at
the Crown, the Dean began to compliment Mr. Jones, on
the delivery of a very appropriate sermon; and remarked
"that it must have cost him some time and attention, to
compose such a discourse."
The curate replied, that his duty was rather laborious, as
he also served another parish church, at some distance, and
therefore he could pay less attention than he could wish to
the composition of his sermons.
"Well," said the Dean, "you have a fine talent at de-
livery, and it is well you have ;-my sermon, which you
preached this afternoon, cost me a great deal of labor, but
you spoke it admirably."
The curate's countenance fell.
"However, my good friend," continued the dean,-
don't be alarmed-you have so good a talent at delivery,
that I hereby declare, you have done more honor to my ser-
mon, than I could have done myself; and now, by way of
compromising matters between us, you must accept this
half guinea.'
17:
It will readily occur to our readers, that the author of the
following work, is in circumstances, not altogether dissimi-
lar to those of the curate. For, not having had the advan-
tage of a personal visit to a moiety of the places, which he
proposes to describe, he will have to depend upon the pub-
lished accounts of travellers, who have been more fortunate.
But while he avoids the sin into which the curate fell, in
attempting to conceal his plagiarism, he hopes to merit
somewhat of the praise bestowed by the comic Dean, by
making his descriptions appear better in this volume, than
they do even in the works of the actual travellers them-
selves. This he will attempt, by enlargement, in case of
deficiency, and abridgment, in case of prolixity. And,
while for the "honor" thus done to several authors, he
might, perhaps, in courtesy, expect from them a half
guinea," he will be content to receive it from any, who will
do him the honor, to purchase the volume.
66
Without further detention, by way of exordium, he begs
leave to introduce his travelling companions to the ancient:
and celebrated capital of the Canadas-QUEBEC.
FAMILY TOURIST.
QUEBEC..
This city is situated in the lower Province of British
America, on the north-west side of the river St. Lawrence,
180 miles below Montreal; 400 miles from the sea; 700
west by north from Halifax; and 740 from Washington.
The city was founded on the third of July, 1608, by
Samuel de Champlain, geographer to the king. He com-
menced building on Cape Diamond. In 1629, it was ta-
ken by the English; but was esteemed of so little value,
that it was restored to the French in 1632. It continued
in the hands of private adventurers, or trading companies,
till 1633; when it was made a royal government, and be-
came a regular, and important colony. It was again taken
by the British in 1759, and with the whole country, was
confirmed to them by treaty, in 1763. Since that time, it
has been the capital of the British Provinces.
¥
Quebec occupies the extremity of a promontory, formed
by the rivers St. Lawrence and St. Charles. The latter of
which, coming down from the northern hills, flows for a
time nearly at right angles to the former; it then makes an
abrupt bend towards the east, and gradually inclines down-
ward, till the two streams unite before the rocky cape, upon
which Quebec stands. The city is thus surrounded with
water on all but one side.

The appearance of Quebec, as you approach it coming
down from Montreal, by steamboat, is very imposing. The
banks, for some distance above Wolfe's cove-so called,
from being the spot, whence General Wolfe and his army
ascended the heights of Abraham-are covered, observes
Mr. Duncan, with brush-wood, and on the beach below
white houses are scattered, at short intervals. The fortifi-
cations of the city come gradually into prospect;-first, are
seen two of the Martello towers, which like gigantic senti-
nels keep watch over the celebrated plains; then, the re-
doubts around the citadel, on the summit of Cape Diamond,
slowly develop their strength; embrasures, cannon, and
loop holes, successively presenting themselves. Over one
battery appears the mast and yard of a telegraph; and close
to the brow of the steep rock, 345 feet above the waters of
the river, is the flag staff and banner of the citadel. At the
very bottom of the steep, and apparently covering the very
scanty portion of ground, which is saved from the encroach-
ment of the river, are the numerous buildings of the lower
•
16
FAMILY TOURIST.
QUEBEC.
town of Quebec, with the wharfs, which have been project-
ed into the stream, and vessels of various kinds crowding
around them. On the right hand bank, and a little lower
than the city, Point Levi, covered with buildings, and
sloping up more gradually from the river, stretches out, so
as considerably to contract the channel. Before you is the
ample bay, four miles in length, with the island of Orleans
for its back ground, while to the right and left and all
around, are numerous merchantmen, and an occasional man-
of-war; some of them recently from the ports of Britain,
and others waiting a wind, to waft them to its shores.
The harbor is said to be one of the grandest imaginable,
strongly resembling the Bay of Naples. It is capable of ac-
commodating one hundred sail of the line. The tide rises
about 17 feet in common tides, and 23 in spring tides. The
common depth of the water is 28 fathoms. Above the city,
the St. Lawrence is 12 miles wide; but here it contracts it-
self suddenly to the width of one mile. From this circum-
stance, according to some authorities, the city derives its
name Quebeio or Quebec, signifying in the Algonquin lan-
guage, contraction. On disembarking at the wharfs, it is
sometimes necessary to ascend by a sloping plank 40 or 50
feet long.
To a traveller from the United States every thing around
him, on entering this city, wears a new and foreign aspect.
Buildings of wood and even of brick," says Professor Sil-
liman, are almost entirely unknown. Stone, either rough
from the quarry, or covered with white cement, or hewn ac-
cording to the taste and condition of the proprietor, is al-
most the only material for building; roofs, in many instan-
ces, and generally on the better sort of buildings, glittering
with tin plate, with which they are neatly covered; and
turrets and steeples, pouring a flood of light from the same
substance: these are among the first things that strike the
eyes of a stranger, entering the city of Quebec."
On looking round upon the inhabitants, "he sees a new
population, and, to a great extent, a completely foreign
people, with French faces and French costume; the French
language salutes his ear, as the common tongue of the
streets and shops: in short, he perceives that even in the
very capital, there is only a sprinkling of English popula-
tion; it is still a French city; and the cathedral, the ex-
FAMILY TOURIST.
17
, QUEBEC.
tensive college of the Jesuits, now used for barracks, and
most of the public buildings and private houses, are French.
He sees troops mingled, here and there, with the citizens;
he perceives the British uniform, and the German, in the
British service, which remind him that the country has
masters different from the mass of its population; and al-
though the military, are, obviously, not subjects of terror to
the citizens, the first impression borders on melancholy,
when we see these memorials of an empire fallen, and of an
empire risen in its stead. Sixty years have done little to-
wards obliterating the Gallic features of the country. Trum-
pets and bugles, and French horns now-startle us with a
sudden burst of martial music, and we can hardly believe
that we are not arrived in a fortified town of Europe."
"For an American city," observes the same traveller,
"Quebec is certainly a very peculiar place.
"A military town-containing about twenty [now thirty]
thousand inhabitants-most compactly and permanently
· built—stone its sole material-environed, as to its most im-
portant parts, by walls and gates-and defended by numer-
ous heavy cannon-garrisoned by troops, having the arms,
the costume, the music, the discipline of Europe-foreign in
language, feature, and origin, from most of those whom they
are sent to defend-founded upon a rock, and in its highest
parts, overlooking a great extent of country-between three
and four hundred miles from the ocean-in the midst of a
great continent—and yet displaying fleets of foreign mer-
chantmen, in its fine capacious bay-and shewing all the
bustle of a crowded sea-port-its streets narrow-populous
and winding up and down almost mountainous declivities
-situated in the latitude of the finest parts of Europe-ex-
hibiting in its environs, the beauties of an European capi-
tal—and yet in winter, smarting with the cold of Siberia-
governed by a people, of different language and habits, from
the mass of the population-opposed in religion, and yet
leaving that population without taxes, and in the full enjoy-
ment of every privilege, civil and religious; such are some
of the most prominent features, which strike a stranger in
the city of Quebec."*
The streets of the city are very narrow, and crowded with
*Silliman's Tour.
2
2*
18
FAMILY TOURIST.
QUEBEC.
high stone houses; numerous cars drive furiously along be-
tween the granaries and the wharfs, the carmen standing
in their vehicles, and scolding in loud and angry French,
when their progress is stopped at a narrow pass. The foot
path is in general very dirty, from the almost constant filtra-
tion of water from the rock above; and the jolting of comers
and goers so constant and annoying, that none but those
who have business to detain them, are likely to spend much
time in the lower town.
To men in trade, however, this is the nucleus of Quebec;
the Exchange, the Custom House, the banking offices, with
the counting houses, stores, and granaries, of the principal
merchants, are all collected in close juxtaposition, into a
few narrow streets, or lanes, which encircle the bottom of
the rocky precipice, and intervene between it and the river.
The greater part of the ground, upon which the lower town
stands, has been gained by encroachment upon the channel
of the St. Lawrence, and the same process is still going for-
ward to extend the habitable limits.
The approach from the lower to the upper town, is by
Mountain street, as it is most appropriately named, lying in
a kind of natural cleft in the brow of the precipice. This
street, after crossing for a time the face of the hill, like a
sheep walk, makes an angular turn, and goes right up the
acclivity, where the ascent is least precipitous. The upper
town is the seat of government, and the principal residence
of the military. The peculiar situation occasions great
irregularity, and unevenness in the streets.
These are gen-
erally well paved. The breadth of the principal one is thir-
ty-two feet; that of others only from twenty-four to twenty-
seven feet.
Among the principal buildings, says Lieutenant Hall, the
Government house, or Castle of St. Louis, may take prece-
dence. It occupies the site of an old French fortress, which
covered four acres, and formed nearly a parallelogram. In
1808, seven thousand pounds were appropriated for its re-
pair, and embellishment, and an additional sum, at a subse-
quent period. It is a thin blue building, which seems quiv-
ering on the verge of the precipice, overlooking the lower
town, and at least two hundred and fifty feet above it. Its
front resembles that of a respectable gentleman's house in
FAMILY TOURIST.
19
QUEBEC.
England; the interior contains comfortable family apart-
ments. For occasions of public festivity, there is another
building, on the opposite side of the court-yard, much re-
sembling a decayed gaol. The furniture is inherited, and
paid for by each successive governor. The grand entrance
to the Chatteau is flanked, on one side, by this grim moul-
dering pile, and on the other, by stables, with their appro-
priate dung-hills. There is a small garden on the bank of
the river, commanding, as does the Chatteau itself, an inter-
esting view of the opposite shore of the St. Lawrence.
The public buildings, besides the Castle of St. Louis,
are the Hotel Dieu, the Convent of Ursulines, the Monas-
tery of the Jesuits, now used for barracks, the Cathedrals,
Catholic and Protestant, the Scotch Church, the lower
town Church, the Court House, the Seminary, the new
Gaol, and the artillery barracks: there are also a Place D'
Armes, a Parade, and an Esplanade.
The Court House is a modern stone building, one hun-
dred and thirty-six feet by forty-four, with a handsome and
regular front.
It oc-
The Protestant Cathedral is the handsomest modern
building in the city. It is built of stone, and is one hun-
dred and thirty-six feet long, by seventy-five broad.
cupies ground nearly as high as any in the place, and is
seen at a great distance.
The Catholic Cathedral is likewise built of stone; is two
hundred and sixteen feet long, and one hundred and eight
broad. It is full of pictures and images, and in it are still
displayed, with no inconsiderable degree of splendor, the
enticing ceremonies of the Romish worship.
There are several charitable Catholic institutions in
Quebec: the principal of these is the 'Hotel Dieu,' found-
ed in 1637, by the Duchess D'Aiguillon, (sister to Cardinal
Richelieu,) for the poor sick. The establishment consists
of a superior and thirty-six nuns. The principal building
is three hundred and eighty-three feet long, by fifty broad.
This establishment is highly commended for the humanity,
comfort, cleanliness and good arrangement, which prevails
in it.
The Ursuline Convent, founded in 1639, for the educa-
tion of female children, stands within the city. It is a
square whose side is one hundred and twelve feet.
20
FAMILY TOURIST.
A
QUEBEC.
Mr. Duncan gives the following account of a visit, which
he made to this convent in 1819, permission having been
obtained by a friend for that purpose. "On ringing the
bell for admittance, three nuns made their appearance, to
whom we handed the order for our admittance. They told
us, however, that the Pére D-was that moment in the
chapel, hearing confession, and that they should be obliged
to detain us without till he returned.
"In a few minutes his reverence made his appearance,
having entered the convent by a private passage; the door
was then unlocked, and we were admitted. The Mére
Superieure was waiting to receive us a jolly, fresh looking
woman, rather above the ordinary height, of a dignified
carriage, and apparently about thirty-five, or forty years of
age. We had no sooner changed bows with the ladies,
than the usual question was put to me by the Mére Superi-
eure, 'Parlez vous Français, Monsieur?' Finding, how-
ever, that I was rather lame at this, she frankly waived cer-
emony, and addressed me in English, which she spoke so
well, that I could not keep from suspecting that she was of
an English family.
"We were conducted first into the room, in which the
nuns hear the service of the chapel; a plain apartment,
with an altar and a few pictures. From it we were taken
into a kind of parlor, where all the religieuses, except those
who were engaged in the school-rooms, were waiting to
receive us. They were ranged in a line opposite the door,
and immediately on our entering, bowed and smiled most
graciously, and without the slightest appearance of formal-
ity or demureness. At one end of the row were four in-
teresting young creatures wearing white veils; these were
in their noviciate, and Pére D- informed us that they wore
the white veil two years, before assuming the vows, and the
black one.
Beside them were three, who had been invested
with the black veil only a few weeks before; had I visited
Quebec a little sooner, I might have witnessed the cere-
mony, for it is always public. I was told that these three
were only from eighteen to twenty-four years of age; they
seemed not at all dull, but laughed and talked as good hu-
moredly as any. The four novices seemed to be the only
demure individuals among the whole; they bowed to us
like the rest, but relaxed not a muscle of their counte-
nance.
FAMILY TOURIST.
21
QUEBEC..
'The dress of the Ursulines is dismal in the extreme.
A long black robe of bombasin with very wide sleeves; a
black veil tied round the forehead, and thrown back over
the shoulder; a piece of stiff starched linen covering the
breast, and tied down by strings passing under the arms;
the forehead hid by a piece of linen, which covers the eye-
brows, and a corresponding bandage brought down under
the chin, so as to conceal the ears and part of both cheeks:
-all that is elegant and graceful in the human figure is
thus completely concealed; and the poor creatures are in
shape and color not very unlike so many walking coffins.
Some of them wóre a leathern belt at the waist, with a ro-
sary, and cross hanging from it. The dress of the novices
differs in nothing from that of the others, excepting the
color of the veil; which, by the way, is not made use of to
conceal the features, but is in all cases thrown back over
the shoulders. The aspect of the nuns was more interest-
ing than that of the Sœurs Gris at Montreal. Some of the
young ones might, I dare say, have been thought pretty,
had they worn a less ghastly dress; a few of the others
had something of the grandmother aspect, but some, and
the Mére Superieure in particular, had pleasing features,
and lady-like deportment.
!
"About half-a-dozen of the nuns accompanied us from room
to room, each of whom showed the utmost inclination to
'enter into conversation with us. We saw three school
rooms, all full of neatly dressed girls at their tasks, with
two nuns in each as teachers; two of these were devoted to
children of the poorer classes, who are educated at a very
small annual sum, the other was for the daughters of those,
who could afford to pay more liberally.
Whenever we en-
tered, the whole rose from their seats and courtesied, con-
tinuing to stand still, till we left the room. In passing from
one room to another we were conducted through a pretty
extensive garden; the wall which surrounds it is not high,
and were the sisters disposed to make off, it would pre-
sent no serious obstacle.
"From the schools, we were conducted to the kitchen,
and dining hall. The kitchen has a pump well within it,
and the chimney is of ample size, somewhat resembling
those of an old baronial castle. The dining hall is floored
with bricks of an octagon shape, and covered with a kind
of red varnish, which they told us was cow's blood. Long
•
22
FAMILY TOURIST.
QUEBEC.
"tables of deal surround the hall, with a drawer for each in-
dividual, containing a knife, fork, and spoon; all exceed-
ingly clean and neat. Two of the nuns, in succession,
wait upon the others. Passing through a gallery, which led
I believe to sleeping apartments, I remarked over each of
the doors an inscription in French; over one of them,
‹ Pour un moment de travail, une eternitè de repos.' Before
taking leave, some little ornaments of neatly wrought
bark-work, were exhibited to us, of which I purchased one
or two.
"We had been about an hour within, when a bell rang,
which Pére D-gave us to understand was the signal for
our departure. The nuns conducted us to the door, which
I attempted to open, but found it locked; the Superieure,
before producing the key, joked us very good humoredly at
the unusual predicament, in which we found ourselves!
The parting was as courteous and polite, as could well be;
we did not indeed shake hands, but no ladies could have
pronounced a more affable and unceremonious Bon jour,
Messieurs! Bonjour' "*
Quebec may be considered the "Gibralter" of Ameri-
ca, being better fortified by nature and art, than any other.
town on the American continent. These fortifications,
Mr. Duncan thus describes :
"On the south and east, the precipice of rock, on which
the city stands, is in most places perfectly inaccessible,
while the more practicable points admit of easy and effect-
ual defence. On the north, the banks of the St. Charles
are low, shallow, and muddy; effectually securing the town
from the approach of ships of war, or the erection of hos-
tile works; both of which, besides, would, in this situa-
tion, be under the fire of the batteries along the brow of
the rock. The only vulnerable point is on the west, adjoin-
ing to the Plains of Abraham.
'The citadel, upon the highest part of Cape Diamond,
may be said to be the nucleus of the works, which have
been erected to protect this side of Quebec. No strangers,
unless by very rare and special permission from the highest
authorities, nor in general any, but the military, are permit-
ted to enter the citadel. I understand, however, that there
* Duncan's Travels.
ና
FAMILY TOURIST:
23
QUEBEC.
Its defences are
is really nothing extraordinary to be seen.
of the strongest kind, its guns of the largest calibre; and
magazines are embraced within its circuit, which might en-
able the garrison to make a final stand, even were the whole
range of the outer works reduced by an enemy. The
highest point within the citadel is Brock's battery, which
was erected during the last war, and commands, it is said,
all the works on this side of the town. From the citadel,
which is immediately over the St. Lawrence, enormous
walls cross the plain, extending down towards the St.
Charles. These walls have all the additional aid of outer-
works, ditch, glacis, and covered way. Strong bastions
project at intervals; and in whatever direction you look,
heavy cannon converge, so as to meet the assailant at every
turn, both with a direct and cross fire. There are two
gates on this side, St. John's and St. Louis's; but every ap-
proach to them is fortified with such jealous care, that one
cannot conceive a possibility of their ever being entered,
but by consent of the garrison. The wall at each gate is
said to be about fifty feet in thickness. Within the walls,
and between the two gates, is a fine sloping bank, or espla-
nade of considerable extent. Other batteries and lines of
defence are continued round the brow of the rock, on both
sides, towards the lower town; but, excepting in the neigh-
borhood of the Prescott gate, there appears to be compara-
tively little occasion for them. Between this gate and the
St. Charles, is the grand battery, commanding the bay, and
a greater part of the harbor.
"Upon the whole, Quebec may be regarded as pretty
nearly impregnable. The walls are so high that escalade
is hopeless; so thick, that a breach seems impracticable;
and while Britain retains its naval superiority in the river,
blockade is out of the question. The length and severity
of the winter, also, act as a powerful auxiliary, for field op-
erations could scarcely then be carried on. I have heard
it indeed said, that, in the winter nights, the sentinels on
the ramparts are relieved every fifteen minutes, so over-
powering is the intensity of the cold."
Quebec has been the theatre, at different times, of sev
eral interesting and important military operations.
In 1759, while Canada was yet in possession of the
French, an attempt was made by the English under Gene-
1
24
FAMILY TOURIST.
:
QUEBEC.
ral Wolfe, for its reduction. The place was at that time
strong by nature, and fortified by art. An attempt to reduce
it must have appeared chimerical to any one, but to Mr.
Pitt, then prime minister of England. He indeed well
knew the danger of the enterprise; but, at the same time,.
he knew the qualifications of Wolfe, as leader of the ardu-.
ous expedition. The assistants of Wolfe, Monckton,
Townshend, and Murry were, like himself, young, ardent,
and emulous of military glory. Early in the season, he,
sailed from Halifax with 8,000 troops; and about the last
of June landed the whole army, on the island of Orleans, a
few miles below Quebec. From this position, a near and
distinct view could be taken of the obstacles to be sur-
mounted, and even the bold and sanguine mind of Wolfe
perceived more to fear, than to hope for, in the enterprise.
His attention was first drawn to Point Levi, on the bank
of the river, opposite Quebec, and from that position he
cannonaded the town. Some injury was done to the houses,
but his cannon were too far distant to make any impression
upon the works of the enemy. He resolved to quit this
post, and to land below Montmorency, and passing that
river, to attack the French General in his intrenchments.
He succeeded in landing his troops, and with a portion of
his army crossed the Montmorency. A partial engagement
took place, in which the French obtained the advantage.
Relinquishing this plan, he then determined, in concert.
with the Admiral, to destroy the French shipping and mag-
azines. Two attempts were unsuccessful; a third was
more fortunate; yet, but little was effected. Deeply im-
pressed with the disasters at Montmorency, his extreme
chagrin affected his spirits, preyed upon his delicate frame,
and at length brought him to a sick bed. Before he had
sufficiently recovered, he proceeded to put into execution a
plan, which he had matured on that sick bed. This was to
proceed up the river, gain the heights of Abraham, and draw
Montcalm to a general engagement.
The difficulties attending this enterprize were numerous.
The current was rapid, the shore shelving, the only landing
place so narrow that it might easily be missed in the dark,
and the steep above such as troops, even when unopposed,
could not ascend without difficulty. Yet the plan, though
bold and hazardous, was well adapted to the desperate situ-
ation of affairs, and was determined on.
FAMILY TOURIST.
25
QUEBEC.
"On the twelfth of September," observes Professor Sil-
liman, one hour after midnight, General Wolfe, with his
army, leaving the ships, embarked in boats, and silently
dropped down with the current, intending to land a league
above Cape Diamond, and thus to gain the heights of Abra-
ham. But owing to the rapidity of the current, they fell
below their intended place, and disembarked at what is now
called Wolfe's Cove, a mile, or a mile and a half, above the
city. This operation was a most critical one-they had to
navigate in silence, down a most rapid stream-to hit upon
the right place for landing, which in the dark, might be
easily mistaken-the shore was shelving, and scarcely prac-
ticable, even without opposition. Doubtless, it was this
combination of circumstances, which lulled the vigilance
of the wary and observing Montcalm: he thought such an
enterprize absolutely impracticable, and therefore had sta-
tioned only sentinels and picket guards along this precipit-
ous shore."
No one, who did not possess the resolution and daring
spirit of Wolfe, would have attempted so hazardous an ad-
venture. On reaching the shore, Wolfe leaped from the
boat, but observing the forbidding appearance of the pre-
cipice full of rugged projections, he whispered to an officer,
who stood by, "I don't believe there is any possibility of
getting up, but you must do your endeavor.' Fired with
the zeal which animated their commander, the troops began
pulling themselves up by means of the boughs, stumps of
trees, and projections of rocks. It was an hour before the
dawn of day. By day-light they were formed and in per-
fect preparation for battle.
>>
Montcalm, at first could not believe that the English had
ascended the heights. When convinced of the fact, he
comprehended the full advantage they had gained. He saw
that a battle was inevitable, and prepared for it, with
promptness and courage. Leaving his camp at Montmo-
rency, he advanced towards the English army, which was
formed in order of battle to receive him. The French ad-
vanced briskly. The English reserved their fire, until the
enemy were near, and then gave it with decisive effect.
Early in the engagement, Wolfe was wounded in the wrist;
but preserving his composure, he continued to encourage
his troops. Soon after, he received a shot in the groin.
This painful wound he also concealed, placed himself at
3
26
FAMILY TOURIST.
QUEBEC.
the head of the grenadiers, and was leading them to charge,
when he received a third and mortal wound. Undismayed
by the fall of their General, the English continued their
exertions under Monkton, who in a short time, was himself
wounded, and the command devolved upon Townshend.
About the same time Montcalm received a mortal wound,
and the second in command also fell. The left wing and
centre of the French gave way. Part were driven into
Quebec, and part over the river St. Charles.
On receiving his mortal wound, Wolfe was conveyed into
the rear, where, careless about himself, he discovered, in
the agonies of death, the most anxious solicitude concern-
ing the fate of the day. From extreme faintness, he had
reclined his head on the arm of an officer, but was soon
aroused by the cry of "They fly, they fly!" "Who fly?"
exclaimed the dying hero. "The French," answered his
attendant. "Then," said he, "I die contented;" and im-
mediately expired.
Montcalm survived long enough to write a letter with his
own hand to the English General, recommending the
French prisoners to his humanity. When informed that
his wound was mortal, he expressed his satisfaction, that he
should not live to see the fall of Quebec. Five days after
the battle, the city surrendered.
All the incidents of the battle were distinctly seen from
the walls of Quebec. It was a thrilling scene. More than
a thousand French in an hour or two fell on this field of
carnage, either killed, or wounded. The killed and wound-
ed of the English were about half of this number.
What melancholy reflections are excited by such horrors
of war! What bitterness of spirit-what deadly revenge,
in the bosoms of contending armies! While we admire
the military enthusiasm and intrepidity of generals and
soldiers, in such a scene as this, who does not mourn over
such needless waste of life? Who does not feel his heart
sink, at the exultation of the dying hero over the death of
his foes, in the moment that he was ascending to the tribu-
nal of God? Happy that day for the world, when the con-
fused noise of the battle of the warrior will be heard no
more, and garments shall no more be seen rolled in blood.
No undue censure is designed to be cast upon Wolfe,
Montcalm, or the soldiers under their command; but only
to pour forth that regret, which the heart of tenderness
FAMILY TOURIST.
27
QUEBEC.
feels in the view of the needless death in the field of battle
of those, who, by their talents and influence were pre-emi-
nently fitted for the advancement of the best interests of
men, and the diffusion of the peaceable religion of Christ.
In the early part of the Revolutionary war of the United
States with Great Britain, Quebec was again the scene of
military operations. General Richard Montgomery, who
had fought with Wolfe in the battle of Quebec in 1759,
had, after that event, taken up his residence in the colony
of New York; and, on the breaking out of the war, had
espoused the American cause. In 1775, he was appointed
a general in the Northern army; and, on the indisposition
of General Schuyler, took the chief command. Soon after
this, he reduced several forts, and took possession of Mont-
real. On receiving the submission of this latter place, he
pushed on towards Quebec.
1.
In the mean time, Colonel Arnold had been detached
from the camp before Boston, at the head of 1,000 men,
with orders to march on Quebec, by way of the river Ken-
nebec. Through an unexplored route of 300 miles-
through swamps and woods, over mountains and precipices,
and amid hardships and trials of a most uncommon charac-
ter, did this general, and his resolute troops work their
way; and, at the expiration of thirty-one days, encamped
on the southern banks of the St. Lawrence, opposite Que-
bec.
The sudden and unexpected appearance of such a hos-
tile force threw the inhabitants of the city into great alarm;
and could Arnold have crossed the river immediately, it
would probably have fallen into his hands. Boats, how-
ever, were not in readiness, and several days were con-
sumed, in preparing a sufficient number. At length, he
made the passage-ascended the heights of Abraham, at
the spot where Wolfe and his enthusiastic troops had as-
cended before him. The inhabitants and garrison of Que-
bec had had time to recover their courage, and to put the
city in a state of defence. To Arnold's summons to sur-
render, the only reply was a firing at his flags. Being in
no condition to undertake a siege, he withdrew his troops
twenty miles up the river, and awaited the arrival of Mont-
gomery.
On the arrival of the latter-their united forces not ex-
28
FAMILY TOURIST.
QUEBEC.
ceeding a thousand men-a descent was again made upon
the city. But their artillery made no impression upon the
fortifications, and a whole month was spent without any
success. In this state, it was determined to make an as-
sault. The American camp was on the plains of Abra-
ham. Four points of attack were agreed on-two feints
against the walls of the upper town, one at St. John's gate,
and the other near a citadel, while two real assaults were to
be directed against two other points, both in the lower town,
but situated on opposite sides.
"General Arnold led a party from the plains of Abraham,
around by the river Charles, and assaulted the lower town,
on that side. In the mean time, General Montgomery ap-
proached under Cape Diamond.
"The pass at the foot of Cape Diamond, was probably,
then, much narrower and more difficult than at present.
The attempt was made at five o'clock, on the morning of
December 31, 1775, in the midst of a Canadian winter,
and of a violent snow-storm, and of darkness. The path,
narrow and difficult, at best, was then so much obstructed
by enormous masses of ice, piled on each other, as to ren-
der the way almost impassable. Montgomery's party
were therefore obliged to proceed in a narrow file, till they
reached a picketed block-house, which formed the first bar-
rier. The General assisted with his own hands, in cutting
down and removing the pickets, and the Canadian guard,
stationed for its defence, having thrown away their arms,
fled, after a harmless random fire. The next barrier was
much more formidable; it was a small battery, whose can-
non were loaded with grape shot, and as General Montgo-
mery, with Captains Cheesman and Macpherson, the latter
of whom was his aid, and others of the bravest of his party,
were pressing forward towards this barrier-a discharge of
grape shot killed the General, and most of those near his
person, and terminated the assault on that side of the town.
It is said that this second barrier had also been abandoned,
but that one or two persons returning to it, seized a slow
match, and applied it to the gun, when the advancing party
were not more than forty yards from it. This occurrence has
been sometimes differently related. Some American gentle-
men who were at Quebec about sixteen years since, saw a man,
who asserted that he was the person, who touched off the
cannon, and what is very remarkable, he was a New Eng-
FAMILY TOURIST.
29
MONTREAL.
lander. He related that the barrier was abandoned, and
the party who had been stationed at it were in full flight ;
but as it occurred to him, that there was a loaded cannon,
he turned and discharged it at random, and then ran.
""*
On the fall of Montgomery, signals were made to Ar-
nold's party, by means of rockets, that all was lost. On
the return of light, the body of General Montgonery was
found, and near him one of his aids, with several other
distinguished officers, besides privates, either killed or
wounded.
The death of Montgomery was deeply lamented, both in
Europe and America. All enmity to him seemed to expire
with his life, and the respect to his private character pre-
vailed over all other considerations; his dead body received
every possible mark of distinction from the victors, and was
interred in Quebec, with all the military honors due to a
brave soldier. Congress directed a monument to be erect-
ed to his memory, expressive of their sense of his high
patriotism, and heroic conduct. This monument stands in
front of St. Paul's Church in the city of New York. In
1818, at the expense of that State, his remains were re-
moved to that city, and now repose near the monument.
MONTREAL.
From Quebec to Montreal, the distance is 180 miles.
The customary travelling between these two cities was until
a few years by means of Calashes,† along the bank of the
* Silliman's Tour to Quebec.
+ "The Calash is not unlike an American chaise or gig, but is built
much stouter, and with or without a top; the horse is much farther from
the body of the carriage, and this allows room for the driver, whose seat
rests on the front or foot board, of that part of the vehicle in which we
ride; this foot board, after sloping in the usual manner, then rises per-
pendicularly, to such a height as to sustain the seat; high sides are also
furnished to the part, where the feet rest in a common chaise, and thus
children and baggage are secured from falling out. The calash carries
two grown persons on the seat within, besides the driver, who is often a
man; his seat, and the board which supports it, fall, by means of hinges,
when the passengers are to get in, and the board and seat are then hook-
ed up again to their place when the driver mounts."-Tour between Hart-
ford and Quebec.
3*
30
FAMILY TOURIST.
MONTREAL.
river, where there was a regular establishment of post hous-
es, under government regulation. The usual mode of con-
veyance is now, by means of steamboats, which will proba-
bly, as they carry goods, as well as passengers, soon super-
sede almost entirely the arrival of square rigged vessels at
Montreal. The fare up the river, including provisions, is
twelve dollars; down the river, ten dollars; the difference
is occasioned by the increased length of time, which it
usually requires to stem the current.
Montreal is built upon an island of the same name, about
32 miles in length. The site of the town was originally
fixed upon by Jaques Cartier, who in 1635, or 36, first sail-
ed thus far up the St. Lawrence. It was then occupied
by an Indian village. The city was begun in 1640, when a
few houses were built. The place was originally called
Ville Marie. There seems however, says Mr. Silliman, to
have been one error in locating the future city. It was
meant to be at the head of navigation; it is literally so;
and ships can go up to the very city, although it is not
natural to do it with vessels of more than an hundred and
fifty tons. Vessels drawing fifteen feet of water, can lie at
Market gate, high up in the city; the general depth of
water in the harbor is from three to four and a half fathoms.
Unfortunately, however, the rapid of St. Mary, at the ex-
treme end of the town, or rather, near one of its suburbs,
is so powerful an obstacle, that nothing but a very strong
wind will force a vessel through, when not impelled by any
other power.
The city and its suburbs, according to Mr. Duncan, ex-
tend for nearly two miles, along the northern, or rather the
western bank of the St. Lawrence; for the course of the
river takes a bend here, and runs very nearly from south to
north. From the opposite bank, the town has a showy ap-
pearance, and in summer, the circumjacent scenery is ex-
ceedingly beautiful. Behind, and to the left of the city,
rises the mountain, from which it originally took its name;
not a conical eminence, but a swelling semicircular ridge,
with its concave surface towards the stream, and placed like
a rampart behind the city, to shield it in winter from the
unkindly blast. A dense forest covers the greater part of
the hill, except where space has been cleared for a few neat-
ly built mansion houses, whose bright tin roofs glitter in
FAMILY TOURIST.
31
MONTREAL.
the sunbeams. Behind one of the most remote of these, a
monumental column rises from among the trees. Between
the bottom of the eminence and the spires of the city, a thin
blue smoke ascends from part of the suburbs, which the
sinking of the ground conceals from view. In front of its
dark colored outline are the tall masts of merchantmen from.
the Thames, the Mersey, and the Clyde; huge steamboats
with double chimneys; river craft of all sizes; and enor-
mous rafts of timber. In the middle of the stream reposes
the island of St. Helena, encircled by a group of smaller
ones; while the unceasing sound of a small rapid, which
surrounds them, falls gently on the ear. To the right and
left rolls the majestic flood of the St. Lawrence, about two
miles in width, and although yet five hundred miles from
the ocean, capable of floating on its surface vessels of six,
or seven hundred tons burden.
The city, unfortunately, does not gain much upon you,
by a nearer inspection. The streets are for the greater
part most inconveniently narrow, and the foot walks in
many places encumbered with cellar doors, and other pro-
jections. The dark colored limestone of which the houses
are built, has a dull effect, and the massive iron shutters,
folded back from almost every window and door, consider-
ably increase the gloom. The bright tin which covers the
spires and roofs, has decided utility to recommend it, but,
in a warm sunshine its reflection is painful to the eyes, and
at all times it has an air of flaunting vulgarity. Blue slate
harmonizes much more agreeably with the azure of the sky,
but it will not stand, as I have been told, the intense cold
which prevails in winter. The tin is put on in rows, not
parallel, but obliquely to the eaves of the house, the nails
which fasten it are carefully overlapped, and no where is the
slightest degree of rust to be seen.
Between the older part of the city and the mountain,
some wider streets have been laid out, which will greatly
improve the general features of Montreal; and I have been
astonished to observe on my second visit, the great number
of buildings which have started up, in various directions,
since the period of my first visit. The town is obviously
increasing with rapidity, and a number of very splendid
mansions have lately been erected on the slope of the
mountain, which would be regarded as magnificent residen-
ces, even by the wealthy merchants of the mother country.
32
FAMILY TOURIST.
MONTREAL.
The population of Montreal, continues the same author,
notwithstanding the mixture of British merchants, has still
an aspect decidedly French, and that language assails your
car in every quarter. The dress of the lower orders is
somewhat peculiar.
The women and children have a kind
of quaint formality, in the shape of their clothes; the men,
in place of a hat, wear a red, or blue night cap of a thick
texture, with a party-colored worsted sash around their
waist, and shoes fashioned like the Indian moccassins, but
of thicker leather. They are great smokers, and seldom
to be seen without a small black pipe in their mouths, not
unlike the Scotch cutty. The politeness of the common
people is quite characteristic of their descent, and a couple
of carmen cannot address each other on the street without
pulling off their caps, and "Bon jour, Monsieur." The
Romish priests, who are seen gliding quietly along, are
habited in a close black robe, buttoned up in front, with a
small scull-cap under an ordinary hat, and the lappet of a
small black band, with white edges, depending below the
chin. The students of the Seminary wear a long blue sur-
tout, with seams of white cloth, and a sash of colored wors-
ted round the waist, gathered into a knot in front.
Besides the varieties of costume to which I have alluded,
a few Indians are almost always in the streets, from the
Caughnawaga village. Some of them have a squalid and
dirty appearance, but others, and more particularly the fe-
males, are very decently attired; I have indeed seen some
of them with an ample mantle of fine blue cloth, over gar-
ments of India silk. They are fond of silver ornaments,
and have generally a broad ring round their hats, and a
large disk perforated with holes, hanging on their breast.
I saw a group the other day sitting near the old market,
one of whom had an infant suspended at her back, strapped
down like an Indian mummy to a piece of board. This
singular cradle has a projection to defend the child's head,
and is adorned with colored cloth and beads.
I have seen
two or three children swathed in this way, none of whom
seemed at all impatient of the confinement.
Of the merchants of Montreal, I believe the greater pro-
portion are Scotchmen. A few Englishmen mingle with
them, and there are also a considerable number of Ameri-
cans, from the New England States, who are distinguished
FAMILY TOURIST.
33
MONTREAL.
by characteristic shrewdness and perseverance, which have
made the natives of that part of the Union so noted, through-
out the rest of the country. So far as I have been able to
discover, the utmost harmony prevails between them and
those, who are by birth, subjects of our sovereign. I dined
at a gentleman's house who had thus become voluntarily
subject to the laws of our native country; he said that he
could not discover that his liberty had been at all abridged
by the change.*
Montreal possesses a few public buildings, civil, military,
and ecclesiastical; the neatest of which, for none of them
can be called elegant, are the new Court House and the
Jail. Behind the Court House is the Champ de Mars; a
very level piece of ground of considerable extent, which is
a favorite promenade in the summer evenings, and the prin-
cipal scene of military displays. Opposite to the Jail, is
a monument to the memory of Lord Nelson, consisting of
a Doric column, springing from a square pedestal, and sur-
mounted with a statue of the Admiral. Upon the four
sides of the pedestal are basso-relievo representations of
his principal achievements, surrounded with inscriptions
and allegorical figures. The column is of stone, the stat-
ue and bas-reliefs of composition. It stands at the top of
a pretty steep street, at right angles to the river. His lord-
ship looks towards the river, because the best view of the
monument is obtained from the bottom of the declivity;
but it unfortunately happens that the principal street of the
city passes behind him, and he has consequently turned his
back upon it, and all it contains.
The Episcopal Church, a recent erection, was intended
to be a splendid one, with a towering spire; but the where-
withal was exhausted ere the spire grew up; and for the
present, a covering of boards serves to indicate where it is
intended to be.
The Hotel Dieu, founded in 1644, is three hundred and
twenty-four feet in front, by four hundred and sixty-eight
deep; it is attended by thirty-six nuns, who administer to
the sick and diseased of both sexes.
The Convent of La Congregation de Notre Dame, forms
a range of buildings, two hundred and thirty-four feet in
* Duncan's Travels.
34
FAMILY TOURIST.
MONTREAL.
front, by four hundred and thirty-three; the object of this
institution is female instruction.
The General Hospital, or Convent of the Grey Sisters, was
founded in 1750: it occupies a space along the little river
St. Pierre, of six hundred and seventy-eight feet, and is a
refuge for the infirm poor and invalids.
The Cathedral of Notre Dame, is one hundred and forty-
four feet by ninety-four; this church we thought, in some
respects more splendid in the interior, but less grand, than
that at Quebec. It contains, among other things, a gigan-
tic wooden image of the Saviour on the cross.
The Ca-
thedral stands completely in the street of Notre Dame,
across the Place D'Arms, and entirely obstructs the view up
and down the street. This church is on the outside rude
and unsightly.
The Seminary of St. Sulspice, occupies three sides of a
square, and is one hundred and thirty-two feet by ninety,
with spacious gardens. It was founded about 1657.
The new College, or Petit Seminaìre, is in the Recol-
let suburbs; it is two hundred and ten feet, by forty-five,
with a wing at each end of one hundred and eighty-six feet
by forty-five; it is an appendage of the other seminary, and
designed to extend its usefulness, by enlarging its accom
modations.
There is near the mountain of Montreal, another append-
age of the seminary. It appears to be about a mile from
the town-it is a considerable stone building, surrounded
by a massy wall, which encloses extensive gardens, &c.
This place was formerly called Clateau des Signeurs de
Montreal; but now it has the appellation of La Maison
des Pretres. It is a place of recreation, resorted to, once
a week, by both the superiors and pupils of the seminary.
The principal French Church, according to Mr. Duncan,
is open throughout the whole week, from an early hour till
late in the evening; and a number of Canadians may at
all times be seen, kneeling and offering prayers before the
altars, of which there are four or five. Around the sides
of the church are several confessionals, where you see others
upon their knees, whispering through a grating, behind
which the priest is seated.
"The external appearance of this Church is exceedingly
plain. The roof and spire are covered with tin; and a
cipher formed by the letters A and M, appears on various
places, which is to be interpreted Ave Maria.' The in-
FAMILY TOURIST.
35
MONTREAL.
terior is gaudy and glittering in the extreme, and around
the walls are several pictures, a few of which are appa-
rently of considerable merit. The church is dedicated to the
Virgin Mary, of whom a pretty large statue occupies a re-
cess, immediately above the principal altar. Encircling
this altar are four fluted Corinthian columns, supporting a
semicircular frieze and cornice, from which springs a scroll
work, terminated by a large French crown; the whole glow-
ing in bright green and gold. Upon the altar are as usual
a crucifix, large candlesticks, and bouquets of artificial
flowers; before it, suspended from the roof, is a small oil
lamp, which is kept perpetually burning. On both sides
of the elevated platform, on which the altar stands, are
seats for some of the higher orders of clergy. On the left
side, considerably elevated, is a huge crucifix of barbarous
workmanship.
J
"I have frequently stepped into this church to see what
was going forward. One day I learned that two new bells
were to be placed in the steeple, and that, preparatory to
this, they were to be baptized! This was a sight not to
be missed, and I accordingly took care to be in church, at
the hour appointed. The bells were suspended near the
centre of the church, from a temporary wooden erection,
and near them were a table and some chairs. Soon after
we had assembled, a door near the upper end of the church
was thrown open, and forth issued a procession of priests,
preceded by two boys in white robes, carrying a pair of
enormous candles, in candlesticks of corresponding di-
mensions, and two behind carrying a little silver vessel of
oil, and water in a silver vase. The priests were variously
attired, some in black, others in white, and a few in gorge-
ous robes of silk and gold.
"The boys placed the candlesticks on the table near the
bells, and the priests bestowed themselves in the chairs,
around the table, or on the seats, which surrounded the
principal altar; prayers were then chanted, after which an
old ecclesiastic in white ascended the pulpit, and addressed
the congregation, in a pretty long French oration. My
knowledge of the language was too limited to admit of my
fully understanding the old gentleman's address, but I was
informed by those who did, that it was intended to impress
the minds of his auditors with the solemnity of the ap-
proaching ceremony; and I doubt not that he thought we
36
FAMILY TOURIST.
MONTREAL.
much needed some such admonition, for the aspect of the
congregation was by no means very devout. There was a
great crowd present, and with many, as with myself, curi-
osity seemed to be the most active principle, for they scram-
bled upon the tops of the pews, and pushed one another so
tumultuously, that the old priest twice stopped his address
to rebuke us, and on one occasion clapped his hands very
angrily, and threatened to suspend the ceremony. I must
in justice add, that a great number of the auditors were not
Canadians.
Descending from the rostrum, he was invested with a
robe of gaudier colors, and having pronounced a solemn
benediction upon the water in the vase, he dipped a brush
in it and made the sign of the cross upon each bell, inside
and out, accompanying it with the solemn words, “In nom-
ine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancte!" Other two then
set to work, and completed what he had begun, brushing the
bells all over; and then with snow-white towels wiping them
dry. Some oil was then consecrated, with which the sign
of the cross was made on a variety of places on each bell,
and then carefully wiped dry with a little cotton. A
silver censer with live coals was next produced, into which
some incense was thrown; and, after being waved three
times in the air, it was held under each bell, till they were
quite filled with the odorous fumes.
"Two old gentlemen and their venerable spouses now
came forward, and one pair was stationed at each bell.
These were the Godfathers and Godmothers of the new
members of the holy church; and after having answered
some questions to the satisfaction of the priests, they had
the honor of bestowing names on their Godchildren. This,
it seems, is an honor which is much coveted, and is only
conceded to those, who are able and willing to pay hand-
somely for the distinction. The oldest priest now took
hold of the clapper, and tolled each bell three times, which
was immediately repeated by each of the sponsors. The
old couples now produced presents for their bantlings; first
a large roll of linen for each bell, which was swathed
round it by the officiating priests; then rolls of crimson
silk, one of which was richly figured, succeeded by laces of
fringes, and the whole was bound on by a splendid allow-
ance of white silk riband. The ceremony was now wound
up by a short prayer or two, chanted by the priests, when
FAMILY TOURIST.
37
MONTREAL.
the large candlesticks were again elevated, and the whole
fraternity retired as they had entered.
Popery has fallen so much in the back ground, in our
native country, that many are not aware of the existence
of such a ceremony; it is however regularly performed to
all church bells in Popish countries, before they take their
stations in the belfry, and without it they would be consid-
ered quite unqualified to fulfil the high functions, which
devolve upon them; one of the most important of which is
the ringing of souls out of purgatory. All-Saints day, as
it is called, came round during my present visit, when the
bells had their hands full of work. In the afternoon of
that day, all may ring who please, and the poor ignorant
people are taught to believe that their pulling lustily will
materially benefit the souls of deceased friends, who are
undergoing lustration. I stepped into the church in the
evening, after the public services were over; there was no.
light except from the glimmering of the small oil lamp be-
fore the altar, but it served to show a number of Canadi-
ans on their knees, and a coffin near the entrance, elevated
upon a grim scaffold, garnished like our hearses with sculls
and crossed bones. This was intended as a symbol of the
departed state, to aid dull imagination, and stimulate devo-
tional feelings. Next day, and for several succeeding ones,
a board was suspended on the door of another church, in-
scribed, "Indulgence plenière pour les Morts," and I was
informed that whoever during these days, confessed to a
priest, should have forty days remission after death of the
pains of purgatory.
As to the society of Montreal and the style of living
which prevails, strangers are very likely to differ somewhat
in their opinions. If you wish to enjoy good eating, danc-
ing, music, and gayety, you will find abundance of all. If
literary society is your choice, you will discover but little ;
and if religious, still less. I was particularly struck with
the extent to which card playing and the dice box abound;
they seem indeed to be almost the only resource in an eve-
ning party, if it is not professedly a dancing one. That the
citizens of Montreal are hospitable and kind in their atten-
tion to a stranger, I bear my willing and most grateful tes-
timony; but unless the traveller is prepared to enjoy such
4
38
FAMILY TOURIST.
MONTREAL.
expedients for recreation, he must lay his account with
being occasionally somewhat singular in company.*
During the war of the Revolution several attempts were
made upon different points in Canada, by the Americans.
In November, 1775, Colonel Allen and Major Brown under-
took an expedition against Montreal. Allen found boats
ready for him at Longueville, and crossed the river in the
night, below Montreal. Here Brown was to have joined
him with his troops, but missed his way, and Allen was left,
with a small force, in the neighborhood of the city.
It was just sunrise. The murmur of the city was heard
at a few miles distance, and by and by the roll of the Eng-
lish drums came upon the ear. The Americans now saw
that they were discovered. Before long, a column of British
infantry came marching down the bank of the river. There
was an almost breathless silence in Allen's small band, as
they came up. Even Allen himself stood fast, and gazed
at them.
"To the boats! to the boats!" cried a dozen of his sol-
diers; "there's a thousand of them."
"Silence! every
man of ye," roared Allen, brandishing a huge horse pistol,
"the first man that turns his back upon the red coats, shall
smell gunpowder." They were satisfied with this arrange-
ment, on the whole, examined their rifles, and stood ready
for the onset.
"Stand your ground, boys!" shouted Allen. A party of
British soldiers were moving towards them from the main
body, at double quick time. "Let them come!" cried a
tall, fine looking hunter at his side; "let them come!”
He brought his rifle to his eye as he spoke.
((
•
"Fire" shouted the British officer, and instantly the
hunter dropped dead at the feet of Allen. His hardy fol-
lowers shrunk back.
They were sprinkled with the blood
of the poor hunter. 'Fire! fire!" shouted Allen, with a
voice of thunder. They fired, and a hot skirmish commen-
ced. Several of the English fell, and several of the Ameri-
cans: others fled. Some defended themselves behind rocks
and trees. Allen was at last left alone, surrounded, and
compelled to surrender. He brushed a few tears away for
* Duncan's Travels.
FAMILY TOURIST.
39
MONTREAL.
the fate of his friend, the young hunter, and marched on
with the English.
He was kept a prisoner more than two years, and then
was exchanged for some English officer, whom the Ameri-
cans had taken. The irons put upon him were so fastened
about him, and so heavy, that, for a long time, he could lie
down only on his back. A chest was his seat by day, and
his bed by night.
He was sent to England, to be tried as a prisoner of state,
not as a fair and open enemy, but as a rebel.
At this time,
all the Americans were called rebels, and the English used
to speak of hanging great numbers of them, when the war
was over.
Allen was a man of very large frame, and prodigious
strength. He possessed great courage, and was much in-
clined to daring enterprise. His reputation, it seems, had
gone before him to England; and he was, therefore, kept
in very close confinement. The people were as much afraid
of him, as if he had been a whale, or a sea serpent. They
sometimes used to come and see him in his prison; but
they were very shy, and, if he so much as turned round,
they would run away like a flock of startled sheep.
UNITED STATES.
MASSACHUSETTS.
?
BOSTON.
*
BOSTON, the largest city in the New England States, and
the capital of Massachusetts, may boast of what may be
called in America, antiquity. It is now more than two
hundred years old, the first settlement of it by the English
having been made in the year 1630. The place was called
Shawmut by the Indians, and Trimountain by the English
settlers. The name Boston was given to it by Mr. Cotton,
its first minister, who came from Boston, in England. For
more than half a century after Governor Winthrop had laid
the foundation of the city of the pilgrims, Philadelphia was
a forest; and New York was an insignificant village long
after its rival had become a great commercial town.
The latitude of Boston is 42° 22′ 23″ N. and longitude
70° 58′ 53″ W. from London. It is situated 300 miles south-
east of Montreal; 300 north-east from Philadelphia, and 436
from Washington.
The city is built on an irregular peninsula, nearly two
miles in length, at the bottom of Massachusetts Bay, and
united to the main land by an isthmus more than a mile in
length. The harbor is safe and commodious, capable of
allowing 500 vessels to ride at anchor; yet the mouth is so
narrow as scarcely to admit two ships abreast. The en-
trance is defended by two forts. The town has out-grown
the limits of its natural position; and Charlestown upon an
opposite peninsula, and South Boston upon the main land,
may be regarded as integral parts of the city.
"Circum-
scribed, however, as they are," says Mr: Duncan, "the

ō
100
43733
BOSTON, FROM DORCHESTER HEIGHTS.
FAMILY TOURIST.
41
BOSTON.
citizens have had the good taste to reserve a park of up-
wards of forty acres, upon which no buildings have been
allowed to encroach. The Mall, as this is called, is sur-
rounded with spreading elms, and is the finest within the
limits of any considerable town in the United States." This
obvious ornament has been strangely overlooked in the
larger American cities, notwithstanding the abundance of
elbow-room, which all of them enjoy. The streets in the
old town, with a few exceptions, are, according to Dr.
Dwight, "narrow, crooked and disagreeable. The settlers
appear to have built, where they wished, where a vote per-
mitted, or where danger, or necessity forced them to build.
The streets strike the eye of a traveller, as if intended to
be mere passages from one neighborhood to another, the
result of casualty, not of contrivance,”—just like a Europe-
an city. Indeed, almost all the great cities in the world
have been formed in a similar manner. London, Paris,
Amsterdam, Moscow, Constantinople, &c. are all princi-
pally built on wretched streets and with a deplorable-con-
fusion. "It is remarkable," says Dr. Dwight, "that the
scheme of forming public squares, so beautiful, and in great
towns so conducive to health, should have been almost en-
tirely forgotten. Nothing is so cheerful, so delightful, or
so susceptible of the combined elegancies of nature and art.
On these open grounds, the inhabitants might always find
sweet air, charming walks, fountains refreshing the atmos-
phere, trees excluding the sun, and, together with fine
flowering shrubs, presenting to the eye the most ornament-
al objects, found in the country. Here, also, youth and
little children might enjoy those sports, those voluntary in-
dulgencies, which in fresh air, are, peculiarly to them, the
sources of health and the prolongation of life. Yet many
large cities are utterly destitute of these appendages; and
in no city are they so numerous, as the taste for beauty,
and a regard for health, compel us to wish."
"The people of New York and Philadelphia," says this
learned traveller, "to a great extent, live in hired houses,
which have been erected by professional builders; whereas,
the citizens of Boston have very generally lived in houses
of their own, which each individual has built according to
his own taste, or ability. Many of the modern houses in
Boston, however, are superior to every other American city.
Houses of stone are interspersed in great numbers through
4*
42
FAMILY TOURIST.
BOSTON.
most parts of the town; but in West Boston, and still more
on mount Vernon (the modern name of Beacon Hill,) they
appear to peculiar advantage. Previously to 1776, the lat-
ter spot was almost absolutely a waste. In that year, it was
purchased by three Boston gentlemen, by whom at a great
expense, the ground was levelled, its steep western declivi-
ty cut down, and a field of nearly thirty acres, converted
into one of the most beautiful building grounds in the
world." In splendor of building and nobleness of situation,
this West End of Boston is not within many degrees of a
rival" on this side of the Atlantic.
<<
Boston struck Mr. Duncan, as having altogether more
the appearance of an English town, than New York.
Many of the buildings are of a fine white granite, and most
of the others are of brick. The streets are very compactly
built; and although many of them are narrow and crooked,
all exhibit a degree of order and cleanliness, which will in
vain be looked for in New York.
3.
On a finely rising ground at the upper part of the Mall,
stands the State House, a building of humbler pretensions,
as to size and materials, than the New York City Hall, but
in situation and architectural outline, greatly superior. It
is nearly a square; in front is a lofty, projecting colonnade.
of the Corinthian order, with twelve columns, springing
from a piazza of rusticated stone, but unhappily bearing
only a balustrade, over which rises a small attic story with
a pediment; and overtopping all is a large circular dome,
terminating with a small square lantern, from which a most
commanding view is obtained of the surrounding country.
In a niche erected for the purpose, on the lower floor,
stands Chantry's statue of Washington, a fine specimen of
sculpture it cost $16,000. In front is Boston Bay, stud-
ded with nearly forty islands, with fortifications, and a light-
house; the shores which surround its ample basin, advanc-
ing and receding with most capricious irregularity, and
forming numerous capes and peninsulas, on one of the
largest of which the city stands. The vast amphitheatre
round the bay, exhibits a country richly variegated with
hill and valley, immense forests and cultivated ground, and
sprinkled with above twenty little towns of snowy whiteness,
among which a dozen of spires may be counted.
"The
view from the dome of the State House," remarks a writer,
FAMILY TOURIST.
43
BOSTON.
"is said not to be exceeded by that from the Castle Hill of
Edinburgh, or that of the Bay of Naples from the castle of
St. Elmo.'
""
Beside the State House, already mentioned, the other
public buildings of Boston are such as we might expect to
find in a place abounding in wealth, and architectural taste
and skill.
"Descending from the State House," observes Mr.
Goodrich, in his Universal Geography, "towards the mer-
cantile part of the city, the Tremont House attracts our at-
tention; this is a spacious and splendid hotel, unsurpassed
for elegance of structure, and the style of its accommoda-
tions. The front of the pile is Quincy granite, ornamented
with a fine portico; the wings are brick, with stone base-
ments, and, with the front, form three sides of a quadran-
gle; the number of apartments contained in the whole is
180." A late English traveller, in describing the internal
arrangement of this institution, remarks as follows: "Let
the reader reflect, that here are two public tables daily, one
for men resident in the house, together with many gentle-
men of the city, who regularly dine here; the other for
ladies of families, who have not private apartments of the
latter there are a dozen, consisting of two or more cham-
bers attached to each parlor; these are seldom unoccupied,
and have also to be provided for; add to all this an occa-
sional dinner or supper to large public parties, and he will
then be enabled to appreciate the difficulties and to do
justice to the system, which works, as I shall presently
describe.
"At half past seven, A. M. the crash of a gong rattles
through the remotest galleries, to rouse the sleepers; this
you may hear or not, just as you choose; but sound it does,
and loudly. Again, at eight, it proclaims breakfast on the
public tables: as I never made my appearance at this meal,
Î cannot be expected to tell how it may be attended. The
lover of a late déjeûner may either order his servant to pro-
vide one in his own room, or at any hour, up to noon, direct
it to be served in the common hall; it will, in either case,
consist of whatever he may desire, that is in the house.
"At three o'clock, dinner is served in a well proportion-
ed, well lighted room, seventy feet long by thirty-one wide,
occupied by two parallel tables, perfectly appointed, and
provided with every delicacy of the season, well dressed,
44
FAMILY TOURIST.
BOSTON.
and in great abundance,—the French cooking the best in
the country.
"At this same hour, let it be borne in mind, the same
play is playing, in what is called the ladies' dining room,
where they sit surrounded by their husbands, fathers, broth-
ers, or lovers, as may be and surely having no meaner ta-
ble service. As for the possessors of an apartment, these
persons order dinner for as many as they please; at what
hour they please; and in what style they please; the which
is duly provided in their respective parlors.
In the public rooms, tea is served at six, and supper at
nine o'clock; it being yet a marvel to me, first, how all
these elaborate meals are so admirably got up, and next,
how the plague these good people find appetite to come to
them with a regularity no less surprising.
At a short distance from the Tremont, stands an ancient
edifice called the Stone Chapel, with its square tower and
massive colonnade, producing a noble effect by the simple.
dignity of its architecture. In an opposite direction, on
the same street, and fronting the Mall, is St. Paul's Church,
a granite edifice in the Doric style, with a façade of free
stone, comprising a portico of six pillars. This church is
one of the finest in the United States; the simplicity of its
exterior is peculiarly striking. The stone structure on
Church Green, with its octagonal shape and tall spire,
though of a fantastical design, has its admirers. The Park
Street Church, at the head of the Mall, attracts attention,
by the height of its steeple. The Old South, in the centre
of a busy district, is beheld with interest, from its historical
associations. The tower of the Brattle Street Church, still
exhibits in its front, the cannon ball shot into it from the
batteries of the besiegers, in 1775.
Trinity Church, in Summer street, a massy structure of
rough granite, with a lofty square tower, affords a grand
and imposing specimen of mixed gothic architecture. The
Church in Bowdoin street, a gothic edifice of rough stone,
has the same effect, on a somewhat smaller scale.
The largest building in the city is Faneuil Market, a
granite structure, two stories in height, and 536 feet long.
The centre has a dome, and at each end is a portico of four
columns, each of an entire stone. This is the most ele-
gant market in the United States, and probably in the world;
on either hand it fronts on a spacious street, one 65 and the
FAMILY TOURIST.
45
BOSTON.
other 102 feet in width, both showing a solid front of stone
stores of uniform height and appearance. Old Faneuil
Hall stands west of this spot; it is a lofty brick edifice, and
the spacious galleries of its interior still witness the throngs
and the oratory of popular meetings. Painting and repairs
have a little modernized the aspect of this venerable pile.
The Old State House, now the City Hall, is another relic of
ancient architecture, and the scene of many events in revo-
lutionary history. In this building are now the Merchant's
Reading Room, the Post Office, and other public offices.
The wharves of Boston surpass those of any sea port of
the United States, for size and convenience. Long Wharf,
at the bottom of State street, is 1,650 feet long, and has a
line of lofty brick stores nearly its whole extent. Central
Wharf is 1,240 feet in length, and 150 wide, and contains
54 stores in a single pile, with a spacious observatory in the
centre, where telegraphic signals are received from the
islands in the bay. India Wharf has a double row of stores,
six stories high; all these wharves have spacious docks, and
wide and convenient landings, carriage ways, &c.
The Massachusetts General Hospital is a beautiful stone
edifice, much commended for the convenience of its interior
arrangements. The Houses of Industry and Correction, on
the peninsula of South Boston, but within the city limits,
are of stone, each 220 feet long, and of a uniform architec-
ture. The Court House and Jail in Leverett street, are of
stone, and comprise three well built edifices. The county
Court House, in Court Square, is a handsome building, in a
bad situation. The United States Bank, in State street, is
a well built structure, but more remarkable for strength,
than classic proportion; the columns in front are the largest
in the city, and are each of a single stone. The Washing-
ton Bank has a more symmetrical design and better effect.
The Masonic Temple is a new building of granite, and has
a fine front.
As a commercial city, Boston holds the second rank
among the sea ports of the United States. Including those
parts of Charlestown, Cambridge and Roxbury, which, in
point of contiguity, may be regarded as appendages to the
city, the whole population of the capital may be estimated
at from 80,000 to 100,000.
Until 1821, Boston retained the denomination of a town,
46
FAMILY TOURIST.
BOSTON.
and continued to be governed by a body of select-men, ac-
cording to the ancient New England custom. Since that
period, it has had a city government, consisting of a Mayor,
eight Aldermen, and a Common Council of 48 members, all
chosen annually in January." *
Boston is honorably pre-eminent in the number of its
literary and educational institutions. The public schools
are maintained by a tax; and as every person has a right to
send his children to these establishments, the poor obtain
education almost gratis. The rich mostly prefer sending
their children to private academies. The public schools
are under the inspection of a committee of gentlemen, an-
nually chosen, whose duty it is to visit them once in three
months. "The Bostonians are very proud, and perhaps
justly so," remarks Captain Basil Hall, "of this system of
public instruction." Boston is rich in public libraries,
among which that of the Athenæum, a literary institution in-
corporated in 1817, claims pre-eminence. In works on
American history, the collection is said to be unrivalled.
A museum is attached to it. The other literary societies
of Boston are the American Academy of Arts and Scien-
ces; the American Antiquarian Society; the Massachu-
setts' Medical Society; the Massachusetts' Historical Soci-
ety; and the Massachusetts Agricultural Society. Its char-
itable associations are not less numerous. Among these
are a Bible Society for Massachusetts; several Missionary
Societies; an Institution for the relief of the widows and
children of deceased ministers; a Humane Society for the
relief of distressed seamen; and a Female Asylum.
Harvard College, although situated in Cambridge, three
miles from Boston, is so naturally associated with the capi-
tal, that we shall speak of it in this place. It is the most an-
cient, and most amply endowed collegiate institution in the
Union. The foundation of it was laid in the year 1636, by.
the appropriation of £400 for the purpose of a public
school, by the General Court of the infant colony. In
1638, the Rev. John Harvard, of Charlestown, bequeathed
to it one half of his property, amounting to nearly £800.
The institution was now dignified with the name of Har-
* Goodrich's Universal Geography.
FAMILY TOURIST.
47
BOSTON.
vard College; and the town, which had hitherto been
called Newtown, was named Cambridge, in honor of that
seat of science in England, at which a great number of
the principal colonists had received their education. Thus
remarks Dr. Dwight, "within ten years after the little
flock, which commenced the settlement of Massachusetts,
landed at Salem, and within eighteen years after the first
foot was set on the shore of Plymouth, a college was en-
dowed by them and established." In 1650, the first char-
ter was granted by a General Court, constituting the Presi-
dent and Fellows of the College a corporate body. This
charter was confirmed by the Constitution of the State,
when the style of "the University in Cambridge," was first
legally given. The professorships of divinity and of math-
ematics and natural philosophy were founded by Mr. Tho-
mas Hollis, a merchant of London, 1722 and 1726; that
of Hebrew, by the Hon. Thomas Hancock, an eminent
merchant of Boston, in 1765. Other professorships have
been added, from time to time, by subsequent benefactors.
They now amount to upwards of twenty, including the
Medical Department, which is an integral part of the In-
stitution; although, for the greater convenience of medi-
cal students, it occupies buildings in Boston. The Uni-
versity now comprises five colleges, and a new hall, (erect-
ed in 1814 at an expense of nearly £17,000) containing
the chapel, lecture rooms, dining rooms, and kitchen: this
hall, which is of fine white granite, is reckoned the hand-
somest building in Massachusetts. The building stands in
an inclosed plain, fourteen acres in extent, sheltered on
three sides by forest trees, and in the immediate vicinity of
an extensive common. The library, containing upwards of
40,000 volumes, is the best in the United States. The philo-
sophical apparatus is also valuable. The museum has been
enriched by a collection of mineralogical specimens, princi-
pally presented by Dr. Letsom of London, and the Paris
Committee of Public Safety. There is also a valuable col-
lection of anatomical wax models, the workmanship of
Italian artists. The academical course is completed in
four years.
"The literary and scientific reputation of Harvard Uni-
versity," says Mr. Duncan, "stands very high; and except
Yale College, none in this country can contest with it the
48
FAMILY TOURIST.
BOSTON.
pre-eminence. There is one feature, however, in its char-
acter, which excites the most melancholy reflections. Its
theological creed is undisguised Socinianism; and it is
said, that nearly all the professors are of these sentiments."
Mount Auburn also belongs to Boston, being a place of
burial for such of the inhabitants of the capital, as are dis-
posed by purchase to become interested in it. It is about
two miles west of Cambridge. "It embraces, according
to Dr. Reed, who visited it in 1835, no less than sixty acres
of ground, and is a late purchase of the Horticultural So-
ciety, with the intention of forming at once a garden, and
a sepulchre. The land is fine, clothed with young wood,
and has beautiful undulations, affording alternately the
most quiet little dells and pleasant outlooks. There cannot
be better scope for English landscape-gardening than it sup-
plies and a skilful hand might soon place it above Pèrela
Chaise. It can never be so rich in tombs as this is; but
Père la Chaise has no sense of retirement about it. This,
even as it is, gives you the sense of silence without sad-
ness, and retirement without gloom. But I am jealous of
the land of the mere horticulturist; and there are already
reasons for this distrust. Formal beds of flowers, assorted
by their genus, least of all accord with a cemetery. Now,
it is not uncommon to see flowers crowded together over
the new-made tomb; and these not the humble daisy, vio-
let, and primrose, which might spring from the sod and
sleep on its bosom, but showy and glaring flowers, evident-
ly fixed on the soil by an intrusive hand.
"A great many interments have been made here already.
There is one just finishing, of great pretensions and ex-
pense; but money has been unskilfully applied, and has
ruined it. It is full of small parts and small ornaments,
which destroy its unity and power. There is one also for
Spurzheim, which pleased me best; it is simply a tomb, of
massive parts, and has only his name cut on its side in bold
and deep characters. There is also a neat monument for
the amiable Hannah Adams. She was the first person
interred in this ground, and the following inscription is on
the tomb :-
FAMILY TOURIST.
49
BOSTON.
ΤΟ
HANNAH ADAMS,
HISTORIAN OF THE JEWS,
AND
REVIEWER OF THE CHRISTIAN SECTS,
THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED
BY HER FEMALE FRIENDS.
FIRST TENANT
OF MOUNT AUBURN.
SHE DIED DEC. 15, 1831,
AGED 76.
"Because the drive to this place is very pleasant, and
because the walks within are equally so, it has become quite
a place of fashionable resort; so that it may be said that
the pleasure of the people of Boston consists in going to
the grave. There were, I think, some dozen of carriages,
and a number of saddle horses, in attendance when we
went; but it did not materially affect the quiet of the
place; it is so extensive, and a party is so quickly lost in
the numerous paths, which wind about the acclivities.
And all do not go for purposes of recreation. As we made
a sudden turn, in one of the secluded walks, we came in
sight of a tomb, which had been just erected, and there
were two newly-made widowers standing over it, who
had stolen from the crowd and the world, to gaze in soli-
tude and silence on the spot, which enclosed all that was
dearest to them on earth. We shunned them, lest we should
seem to intrude on their sorrows."
"The Bostonians," observes Dr. Dwight, "almost with-
out an exception, are derived from one country, and a sin-
gle stock. They are all descendants of Englishmen; and,
of course, are united by all the great bonds of society,
language, religion, government, manners, and interests.
With a very small number of exceptions, they speak the
English language, in the English manner; are Protestants;
hold the great principles of English liberty; are governed
voluntarily by the English common law, and by statutes
strongly resembling those of Great Britain, under a con-
stitution essentially copied from the British, and by courts
in almost every respect the same. Their education, also,
differs very little in the school, the shop, the counting-
5
50
FAMILY TOURIST.
BOSTON.
house, or the university. Although they are republicans,
and generally congregationalists, they are natively friends
of good order, and firm government, and feel the reputa-
tion of Old Massachusetts, in much the same manner, as
an Englishman feels the honor of Old England.
<<
Every New Englander, with hardly an exception, is
taught to read, write, and keep accounts. By means of
this privilege, knowledge is, probably, more universally dif
fused here, than in any other considerable town in the
world. A great number of the inhabitants also have been
liberally educated...... Boston is distinguished for its habits
of business. A man who is not believed to follow some
useful business, can scarcely acquire or retain even a de-
cent reputation. A traveller passing through it, is struck
with the peculiar appearance of activity every where visi-
ble. Almost all whom he meets, move with a sprightli-
ness, differing very sensibly from what he observes in New
York, or Philadelphia.
"Nor less distinguished are the inhabitants, particularly
the middle and inferior classes, for their intelligence and
information. In a singular degree, they are acquainted
with the affairs of the town itself, and with the residence
and character of almost every inhabitant. I have rarely
met a child, who could not tell me both the street,
and the house for which I inquired. Nor are they less dis-
tinguished for civility. A. Bostonian, if not pressed by bu-
siness of his own, will readily accompany a stranger to the
house, which he wishes to find, and will scarcely appear to
feel, as if he had conferred the least obligation.
"The people of Boston are characteristically distin-
guished by a lively imagination, an ardor easily kindled, a
sensibility soon felt, and strongly expresssd. They ad-
mire, where graver people would only approve; detest,
where cooler minds would only dislike; applaud a perform-
ance where others would listen in silence; and hiss, where
a less susceptible audience would only frown. This char-
acter renders them sometimes more, sometimes less, amia-
ble, usually less cautious, and often more exposed to future
regret. From this source, their language is frequently hy-
perbolical, and their pictures of objects in any way inter-
esting, highly colored.
"Hence, also, their enterprises are sudden, bold, and
sometimes rash. A general spirit of adventure prevails
FAMILY TOURIST.
51
BOSTON.
here, which, in numerous instances, has become the means
of attempts made with honor and success, in cases where
many of their commercial neighbors would have refused to
adventure at all. The manner in which they commenced
the trade of Nootka Sound, and circumnavigated the
globe, advantageously, illustrates this observation.
A ship
belonging to Joseph Barrett, Esq. and others, sailed round
the earth three times; and a sloop of moderate size, once.
Few merchants in America would, I believe, have resolved
on these enterprises, and few seamen have executed them.
On the other hand, the dealers in Georgia lands found ma-
ny more customers in Boston, than in New York. The
tea shipped to Boston by the East India Company, was de-
stroyed in New York it was stored.
66
"The enterprising spirit by which the Bostonians, and
the New Englanders generally, are distinguished, has char-
acterized them from the very foundation of the colony;
and it formed one topic of eloquent panegyric in the splen-
did oration of Burke, on moving his famous Resolutions of
Conciliation with the Colonies."* 'Look," said he, "at
the manner in which the people of New England have of
late carried on the whale fishery. Whilst we follow them
among the tumbling mountains of ice, and behold them
penetrating into the deepest frozen recesses of Hudson's
Bay and Davis' Straits, whilst we are looking for them
beneath the arctic circle, we hear that they have pierced
into the opposite region of polar cold; that they are at the
antipodes, and engaged under the frozen serpent of the
South. Falkland Island, which seemed too remote and
romantic for the grasp of national ambition, is but a stage
and resting-place, in the progress of their victorious indus-
try. Nor is the equinoctial heat more discouraging to
them, than the accumulated winter of both the poles. We
know that whilst some of them draw the line and strike
the harpoon, on the coast of Africa, others run the longi-
tude, and pursue the gigantic game along the coast of Bra-
zil. No sea, but what is vexed by their fisheries. No cli-
mate, that is not witness to their toils. Neither the perse-
verance of Holland, nor the activity of France, nor the
dexterous and firm sagacity of English enterprise, ever car-
ried this most perilous mode of hard industry to the extent,
*
Dwight's Travels.
52
FAMILY TOURIST.
BOSTON.
to which it has been pushed by this recent people; a peo-
ple who are still, as it were, but in the gristle, and not yet
hardened into the bone of manhood."
"'*
"It is curious enough to compare with this splendid en-
comium upon the adventurous spirit of mercantile enter-
prise, the caricature of the New Englander drawn by an
American writer, in which the same general lineaments
are, nevertheless, preserved. "These Yankees are cer-
tainly a very strange race of people. You will see them
with their eel-skins upon their hair, to save the expense of
barbers, and their ear-rings in their ears, to improve their
sight to see how to cheat you better, I suppose. They
would sooner die than part with one of these ornaments—
unless you pay them well for it. At the same time, they
live upon nothing. A rasher of pork is a feast for them,
even on holidays. Their favorite drink is switchel, or mo-
lasses and water, which they tell you, is better than bur-
gundy or champaign. They are, however, better taught
than fed, and make the finest, boldest sailors in the world.
They can sail to the North Pole in an egg-shell, if the ice
does not break it. Indeed, they are seamen by birth, and
box the compass in their cradles. You know our genteel
laziness unfits us (Virginians) for the drudgery of com-
merce: so we leave it all to the Yankees: The crafting
part of them come to us at all seasons in their sloops and
schooners, bringing a miscellaneous cargo of all sorts of
notions-not metaphysical, but material-such as cheese,
butter, potatoes, cranberries, onions, beets, coffins;-you
smile, but it is a fact, that, understanding some years ago
that the yellow fever was raging with great violence, some
of them very charitably risked their own lives, to bring us
a large quantity of ready-made coffins, of all sizes, in nests,
one within another, to supply customers at a moment's
warning; an insult we have hardly forgiven them yet. You
will see them sailing up into all our bays, rivers, and creeks ;
wherever the water runs. As the winter comes on, they
creep into some little harbor, where they anchor their ves-
sels, and open store on board, retailing out their articles of
every kind, to the poor countrymen, who come to buy.
Towards the spring, they sail away with a load of planks
* Burke's Speeches, Vol. 1, p. 284.
FAMILY TOURIST.
53
BOSTON.
or shingles, which they often get very cheap. Indeed, the
whole race of Yankee seamen are certainly the most enter-
prising people in the world. They are in all quarters of the
globe, where a penny is to be made. In short, they love
money a little better than their own lives. What is worst,
they are not always very nice about the means of making
it, but are ready to break the laws like cobwebs, whenever
it suits their interest."*
This," remarks Lieutenant Hall, “is a caricature—
intentionally a caricature; but we have introduced it for
the purpose of showing what pleasant things have been
said of the Yankees. Still the Virginian satire is not with-
out its justice, in respect to some, whose birth-place was
the land of the puritan fathers. To be correctly judged of,
the New Englanders should be seen at home."
"I feel a
pride and pleasure," says Mr. Carey, in his Olive Branch,
in doing justice to the yeomanry of the Eastern States:
they will not suffer in a comparison with the same class of
men in any part of the world. They are upright, sober,
orderly, and regular; shrewd, intelligent, and well-inform-
ed; and I believe there is not a greater degree of native.
urbanity among the yeomanry of any other country, under
the canopy of heaven." These traits of character, so highly
and justly commended by Mr. Carey, are applicable to the
citizens of Boston.
Perhaps no people on the globe are more attached to
their country, are more jealous of its honor, or more watch-
ful in respect to its constitution, and institutions, than the
people of Boston. They were among the first in their re-
sistance to British tyranny, and foremost in all the great
measures which led to the triumph of American liberty.
As early as 1760, an attempt was made by the British gov-
ernment to enforce an act, by which duties were laid on
foreign sugar and molasses. This act being considered op-
pressive, had, in some instances, been supposed to be eva-
ded. 'Writs of assistance,' or search-warrants, were there-
fore offered to the custom-house officers, with a view to search
for those articles, supposed to be secreted. This measure
roused the people, and for the purpose of opposing the issu-
ing of these writs, they employed two eminent lawyers, Oxen-
* Letters from Virginia.
5*
54
FAMILY TOURIST.
BOSTON.
bridge Thatcher, and James Otis, to appear before the
court in their behalf. John Adams said, "That on this
occasion, Otis was a flame of fire!-every one of the im-
mense audience, who heard him in his defence of Ameri-
can rights, went away ready to take arms against writs of
assistance. Then and there was the first scene of opposi-
tion to the arbitrary claim of Great Britain; then and there
American independence was born."
In 1765, Lord Grenville introduced into the British par-
liament his famous project for taxing America, to com-
mence with duties on stamps. This excited throughout
the colonies a burst of indignant feeling; but in no place
greater heart-burnings than in Boston. Measures were
pursued by the patriotic populace, which were considered
unwarrantable by the more reflecting; but they evinced the
spirit and character of the people of those days. The
stamp act was expected to go into operation on the 1st of
November; but in August preceding, the excited feeling of
the inhabitants broke out into open violence.
"After burn-
ing the effigy of Mr. Oliver, the proposed distributor of
stamps, the populace assembled at his house, broke his
windows, and destroyed his furniture. Mr. Oliver then
formally pledged himself to have no concern in the execu-
tion of the obnoxious statute. The houses of an officer of
the court of admiralty, and of one of the custom-house of-
ficers, were entered, and their effects purloined. But the
greatest damage was done in the mansion house of lieuten-
ant-governor Hutchinson, whose loss in furniture, plate, fix-
tures, and money, was very considerable; and was a chief
item in the claims, which Great Britain afterwards made
against Massachusetts, for remunerating those who suffered,
in attempting to enforce this act of its legislature."
On the arrival of the 1st of November, "the great, the
important day," its dawn was ushered in by the tolling of
the bells of the city, as for a funeral. Many of the shops
and stores were shut. Effigies of the men who supported
the act, were paraded about the streets, and carried to a
gallows erected on Boston neck, where after being suspend-
ed for some time, they were cut down and torn to pieces,
amid the shouts and acclamations of thousands.
In 1768, "non-importation agreements" were entered
into by several of the colonies, in regard to articles on
which duties had been laid. Tea being one, the East In-
FAMILY TOURIST.
55
BOSTON.
dia Company soon found a large quantity accumulated in
their ware-houses. This they found it necessary to sell, to
save themselves from bankruptcy; and, accordingly, large
shipments were made to America, with the hope that the
people of the colonies, in spite of all private associations,
and patriotic agreements, would purchase an article, which,
from long habit and extensive use, had become almost a
necessary of life.
Long before the ships arrived, however, with the tea, ar-
rangements were made to avert the threatened mischief.
That which arrived in Philadelphia and New York, was
sent back to England in the same ships that brought it. In
Charleston it was landed, and was ruined in damp ware-
houses. In Boston another fate awaited it.
Two of the vessels with the tea arrived on Saturday, No-
vember 27th. On Monday following, a meeting of citizens
was called, and a vote passed with acclamations, "that the
tea shall not be landed, that no duty shall be paid, and that
it shall be sent back in the same bottoms." At the same
time, resolutions were passed, calling on the consignees,
among whom were two sons of Governor Hutchinson, to
decline the charge of it. A guard of twenty-five men were
appointed to protect it, and prevent its being landed; and
then the meeting was adjourned to the next day, to hear
the answer of the consignees.
That answer was, that they would not send it back, but
would store it. A proclamation from the governor, order-
ing the people to disperse, was read by the sheriff, which
was received with one universal hiss. Votes were again
passed, prohibiting the tea to be landed.
"On the fifteenth of December, another meeting was
held at the Old South Church, when Mr. Rotch, the owner
of the largest parcel of tea, attended; and after much diffi-
culty, he was persuaded to apply to the custom house for a
clearance, and the meeting adjourned, to hear the result,
till the next morning. Ten gentlemen accompanied him to
the custom house, and the clearance was refused, in a peremp-
tory manner. A vote of the meeting was then passed, order-
ing him to protest against this refusal, and a deputation was
sent with him to Governor Hutchinson, who was at his
country seat on Milton Hill, seven miles from Boston, to
entreat him to grant a pass, that the vessel might leave the
harbor.
56
FAMILY TOURIST.
BOSTON.
In the meantime, various speeches were made in the
meeting, to keep the people together, which were said to
amount to six or seven thousand persons. Mr. John Rowe,
an eminent merchant and patriotic citizen, who was, doubt-
less, in the secret of the measures that were to be taken in
the last resort, hinted in the form of an inquiry, "Who
knows how tea will mix with salt water?" which was re-
ceived with applause. At length, about sun down, the
deputation returned from the governor, with the refusal to
grant the pass. A few minutes after, a band of eighteen or
twenty young men, who had been prepared for the event,
went by the meeting house, giving a shout. It was echoed
by some within; others exclaimed, "the Mohawks are
come!" The assembly broke up, and a part of it follow-
ed this body of young men to Griffin's wharf, (now called
Liverpool wharf,) on the south side of the town.
"Three different parties, composed of trust worthy per-
sons, many of whom in after life were among the most re-
spectable citizens of the town, had been prepared, in con-
formity to the resolves of the political leaders, to act as cir-
cumstances should require. One or two of these parties
wore a Kind of Indian disguise. They were seventy or
eighty in all; and, when every attempt had failed to have
the tea returned, and the final refusal of the governor to in-
terfere was received, it was immediately made known to
them, and they proceeded at once to throw the obnoxious
merchandise into the water. This was done with as much
good order and regularity, as if the tea had been discharged
in the ordinary way. The chests were hoisted upon the
decks, broken open, and their contents emptied over the
the side of the ship into the channel. A large crowd of
people was collected, who were quiet spectators of the ope-
ration, which was completed in the course of the evening;
and after the work was finished, the actors and spectators
carmly retired to their several homes.
"Of all the tea, which was three hundred and forty-two
chests, the whole quantity saved is contained in a small vial
still in existence. One of the operators, on his return home,
found his shoes filled with it; this he put into a bottle, and
sealed up. Not a pound of the tea was purloined. One of
the persons engaged in the business, who wished to pre-
serve too large a specimen, was observed by some of his
companions to have the pockets of his coat a little distend-
FAMILY TOURIST.
57
CHARLESTOWN.
ed. This was treated as an accident, which was remedied,
however, in a good natured way, without resistance, by the
application of a knife across the waist of the coat, which
left a garment, that has, in later times, been called a spen-
cer, and the part separated was thrown overboard, to ac-
company its kindred tea. The most scrupulous care was
taken, that none of it should be secreted. The shores of
the harbor, at high water mark, were lined with it the next
day, as with other worthless weeds. A chest, containing a
few pounds, floated into a creek in Dorchester, where it
was discovered, brought into town, and publicly committed
to the flames."
CHARLESTOWN.
CHARLESTOWN is an appendage, or suburb of Boston; yet
it was founded a year earlier than the latter. In 1629, the
inhabitants of Salem, being dissatisfied with the location, to
the number of 100, removed under the direction of Mr.
Graves, to Mishawun, to which by consent they gave the
name of Charlestown. Mr. Graves laid out the town in
two acre lots, one of which he assigned to each inhabitant;
and afterwards he built a good house for the accommoda-
tion of those who were soon to come over to New Eng-
land.*
The more compact part of the town is built on a penin-
sula, the centre of which is occupied by Bunker Hill. The
houses stand on the eastern and southern slope of the hill,
and along its base. The main street is a mile in length,
and there is a spacious and handsome square in the south-
ern part. It is a pleasant but irregular town, and the views
of the city, with the harbor and the neighboring country,
which are exhibited from the elevated parts, are exceeding
ly beautiful.
There are several public works at Charlestown, of inter-
est, among which may be mentioned the United States'
Navy Yard. It occupies 60 acres of ground, and compri-
ses a marine hospital, warehouse, arsenal, powder maga-
* Holmes,
58
FAMILY TOURIST.
CHARLESTOWN.
zine, and a superintendant's house, all of brick, with two
large wooden houses to shelter frigates and sloops of war,
on the stocks. The dry dock is the finest in the United
States. It cost rising half a million of dollars.
On the western side of the peninsula, at the water's edge,
stands the Massachusetts State Prison. It has been re-
cently re-built on the Auburn plan, with 300 cells, and re-
organized at an expense of $86,000. The Massachusetts
Insane Hospital stands upon a beautiful eminence in the
western part of Charlestown, without the peninsula, and
consists of several piles of buildings.
Charlestown is memorable for the battle of Bunker Hill,
so called, which was fought June 17, 1775. It was the
first regular battle fought in the Revolutionary war, and
served to give an impulse to the Americans in their strug-
gle, which they did not forget, till victory crowned their
arms, in the final battle of Yorktown.
Bunker and Breed's Hill, are two eminences in Charles-
town. "On the 16th of June, Colonel Prescott received
orders to fortify Bunker's Hill; but on viewing that emi-
nence, he saw at once, that it was an ineligible spot; and
he looked along to the right, and found that a spur of that
hill, which was now called Breed's Hill, was the most pro-
per situation, in every respect, for a battle ground. Con-
sidering that they were within the limits of their orders,
Prescott and Colonel Gridley, the engineers, began a re-
doubt on the right of Breed's Hill. It was about one hun-
dred and forty feet square, with two open passages for in-
gress and egress. On the left of the redoubt, running
north-easterly, was a breast work of sods, not much over
four feet high; but not, as has been stated, extending to
Mystic river; it did not extend one quarter of the way to it.
The line from this breast work was made of two post and
rail fences, placed about four feet apart, in parallel lines,
and between them was trode the newly mown grass, mak-
ing quite as good a screen for the militia, as the redoubt or
the breast work.
General Ward, who commanded the American army,
concluding from the firing from Copp's Hill, in' Boston, at
the early dawn of the morning of the 17th, that the British
would make a struggle to get possession of the works, offer-
ed to relieve Prescott and his men; but they unanimously
FAMILY TOURIST.
599
CHARLESTOWN.
declined the offer, but earnestly insisted on reinforcements.
These were reluctantly given, as the commander in chief
thought that an attack on his camp was contemplated; and
in such case, his camp at Cambridge, indifferently fortified
as it was, would be a better place for a general action, than
Bunker's Hill.
"Early in the morning, from the battery on Copp's Hill,
one of the men in or near the redoubt was shot, and was in-
stantly buried on the spot; but although the roar of the
cannon from Copp's Hill was incessant, no further damage
was done by their shots; and in aid of this battery, the
Lively, a man-of-war, was brought to bear, and in fact she
began the cannonade.
General Gage, wishing to drive the provincials from the
hill, sent Major General Howe and Brigadier General Pigot,
with ten companies of grenadiers, and ten of light infantry,
with some artillery, to perform this service. These gene-
rals, reconnoitering the American forces, on their arrival at
Norton's Point, thought best to wait the reinforcement from
Boston. For these, Howe waited from about noon till
three o'clock, P. M. before the battle was commenced.
The British began a slow march up the hill in two lines,
stopping at times to give the artillery a chance to play.
But the angle of elevation was such, that it did but little ex-
ecution. The provincials wasted no ammunition; they had
but a scanty supply. They were ordered to put four buck
shots to a bullet, and to reserve their fire until the enemy
were at blank point shot distance. At this moment they
poured in upon the approaching foe a most destructive vol-
ley. The effect was not more destructive than appalling.
The British soldiery expecting nothing but random shots
from undisciplined militia, were astonished at such deadly
fires, and their line was broken in confusion. Some com-
panies had not twenty soldiers fit for duty, when they were
about to rally. The British officers had the greatest diffi-
culty to bring their troops into line again. At length, they
came up a second time towards the works, but with some
wavering, and in less than fifteen minutes, their line broke
in still greater confusion than before. Clinton saw this from
Boston, and hastened over to assist Howe. Both the gen-
erals addressed the soldiers; called to mind their former
wreaths of glory, and the everlasting disgrace of being
beaten by raw militia. Howe swore to them, that he would
60
FAMILY TOURIST..
CHARLESTOWN.
never survive the disgrace, if they were conquered that day.
By this time, Charlestown, consisting of four hundred
houses, was in a blaze. This Clinton had done to terrify
the neighboring army. On the third attack, they were
under the necessity of resorting to skill, not daring to put
it on the score of bravery a third time. Pigot, with a con-
siderable force, took a circuitous route around the south
side of the hill, and came upon the south-western angle of
the redoubt, and instantly scaled the slight works. Pit-
cairn was with him, and was shot through the body as he
was about to leap into the redoubt. Pigot, being a short
man, was lifted by his soldiers on to the sods, and jumped
into the area without harm. The provincials were now
attacked on the east and on the west; their ammunition
was exhausted, and they had but few, or no bayonets; and
after beating their assailants a while with the buts of their
guns, Prescott ordered a retreat. Those at the breast-work
and in the redoubt retreated, and those at the rail fence
followed, over Charlestown neck northward.
"Until the commencement of the retreat, but few of the
Americans had been killed. Their unwillingness to leave
ground at the proper time, was the cause of the consider-
able number of killed and wounded. Captain Knowlton,
having a fine company near Mystic river, moved up in good
order, and covered the retreat of the Americans. The
battle was ended between five and six o'clock. The wind
during the fight, was brisk and westerly, and drove the
smoke directly in the face of the enemy; but as the smoke
rose over the heads of the British, the Americans, as it
were, looking under the cloud, saw where to fire. Pres-
cott was during the fight in the redoubt; the other portion of
the Massachusetts militia at the breast works. The New
Hampshire troops, under Stark, Dearborn, and others,
were at the rail fence. They were marching from their
native State towards Cambridge, and went on to the bat-
tle ground by their own impulses, not having received any
orders from the commander in chief.
"The British had between three and four thousand in the
fight. They acknowledged ten hundred and fifty-four
killed and wounded, with a great proportion of officers.
Their number was most unquestionably larger; for they
brought between three and four hundred of the slain, and
FAMILY TOURIST.
61
CHARLESTOWN.
buried them in the corner of the new burying ground at the
bottom of the common in Boston. The others were buried
on Breed's Hill, where they fell.
"The Americans had fifteen hundred in the fight, but
perhaps there were a few more at times, for volunteers
came on to the ground, expended their powder, and re-
treated, when they could do no more service to the cause.
The provincials had one hundred and thirty-nine killed,
and three hundred and fourteen wounded and missing.
The officers who fell on the American side were, Colonel
Gardner of Cambridge, Lieutenant-Colonel Parker of
Chelmsford, and Majors Moore and M'Crary,-all men of
distinction and value, and heroes in the cause,-with Ma-
jor Joseph Warren.
"General Burgoyne was all the time, during the battle,
seated in the belfry of the North Church of Boston, a most
commanding position, to watch the movements of either
party. His letter describing the scene was, at that period,
considered as one of very graphic power, but is too gener-
al to give the historian much information. Warren as-
sumed no command on that day. He had been commis-
sioned as a major-general by the Provincial Congress, but
four days previous, and had not taken any command; nor
had he, in fact, been sworn into office, except, as every one
had an oath in heaven, to live free, or die. Warren was,
at the moment of his fall, president of the Provincial Con-
gress, and chairman of the committee of safety. He had
put some one into the chair, and mounted his horse at Wa-
tertown, where the legislature was in session, to come and
encourage his fellow citizens in the fight. When he enter-
ed the redoubt, Prescott offered him the command, but he
declined it, saying, 'I come to learn war, under an experi-
enced soldier, not to take any command.' He was the mar-
tyr of that day's glory. His death was felt as a calamity to
the cause and to the nation. He was in the prime of life,
being only thirty-five years of age, with a spirit as bold
and dauntless, as was ever blazoned in legends, or recorded
in history. He was a prudent, cautious, but fearless states-
man; made to govern men, and to breathe into them a por-
tion of his own heroic soul. His eloquence was of high,
order; his voice was fine, and of great compass, and he
modulated it at will. His appearance had the air of a sol-
dier,-graceful and commanding, united to the manners of
6
62
FAMILY TOURIST.
CHARLESTOWN.
a finished gentleman. The British thought that his life was
of the utmost importance to the American army; of so
much importance, that they would no longer hold together
after his fall. They sadly mistook the men they had to
deal with. His blood was not shed in vain; it cried from
the ground for vengeance; and his name became a watch-
word in the hour of peril and glory. The name of the
humblest individual, who perished in that fight, will be re-
membered by the town, or parish from whence he came,
and be generally enrolled on the books of the corporation.
Young, substantial yeomen, or industrious mechanics, they
were owners of the soil for which they fought. The battle
scene was imposing;-the ground was in the immediate
neighborhood of a city, whose inhabitants were watching
the progress of events, anxious for their nearest friends;-
the roar of cannon from ships of war, and from floating and
stationary batteries, followed, or commingled with inces-
sant volleys of musketry—a well-built and compact town,
seen in one mass of flames,-and all this but the commence-
ment of troubles,-was a sight appalling to every Ameri-
can, and seemed to shake even the enemy, in both mind
and body. The British troops, in considerable numbers,
occupied the hill that night, and enlarged the redoubt to
nearly twice its original extent; yet they did not venture
to light their fires, but labored by the sinking, flickering
lights, which shot up from the smouldering ruins of Charles-
town. For the Americans, struggling for liberty, the event
of this battle was most fortunate. Their troops had done
enough for honor; enough to produce an impression of their
prowess on the minds of their enemies: enough to give them
confidence in themselves; and to show that they had learnt
something in the way of preparing themselves to correct the
errors of judgment in planning a fight. They suffered enough
to feel their loss deeply, and yet not sufficiently in any way to
weaken their forces. The wound received was too deep
to be healed at once; the sight was too awful to be soon
forgotten."*
A monument designed to perpetuate the memory of this
event, most memorable, perhaps, in the struggle of the
Americans for liberty, was commenced June 17th, 1825.
* Hinton's United States.
3
63
-FAMILY TOURIST.
CHARLESTOWN.
It stands on the southern brow of the eminence, immedi-
ately overlooking the town, upon a commanding site. It
is a plain obelisk of grey granite, and its height is 220 feet;
the base is 30 feet square. Only a portion of it is com-
pleted.
The ceremony of laying the corner stone of this monu-
ment was grand and imposing. The following account is
given by Levasseur, the private secretary of the illustrious
Fayette, the latter of whom was present on the sublime oc-
casion.
"The sun rose clear, on the fiftieth anniversary of Bun-
ker's Hill; and thousands of voices, joined with the cheer-
ful sound of bells and the roar of artillery, saluted him with
their patriotic shouts. At seven, A. M. passing through this
crowd, which was excited by glorious recollections of the
17th of June, 1775, General Lafayette proceeded to the
grand lodge of Massachusetts, where deputations from the
grand lodges of Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, Vermont, and New Jersey, were assembled,
with the officers of the chapters of the Knights Templars, to
receive and compliment him.
"At ten o'clock, 2,000 free masons, sixteen companies of
volunteer infantry, a corps of mounted militia, with the dif-
ferent corporations, and the civil and military authorities,
proceeded to the State House, where the procession was
formed under the inspection of General Lyman; while the
Grand Masters of the Masonic order went for General La-
fayette, who had returned to the house of Mr. Lloyd, on
leaving the lodge.
"At half past ten, the procession began to move: it con-
sisted of about 7,000 persons; two hundred officers and
soldiers of the revolution marched in front, and forty vete-
rans, glorious relics of the battle of Bunker's Hill, followed
them in eight open carriages. They were decorated with a
broad ribbon, on which was this inscription :-" 17th June,
1775." Some of them had on their shoulders the cartridge
belts they had worn on that memorable day; and one of
them who had been a drummer, still bore the drum with
which he had several times rallied the American battal-
lions, when broken by the English columns. Behind them
marched a long line of persons formed of the numerous sub-
scribers to the monument, six abreast, and 2,000 Masons,
clad in rich ornaments, and bearing the instruments and
64
FAMILY TOURIST.
}
CHARLESTOWN.
symbols of their order. Last came General Lafayette, in an
elegant carriage, drawn by six beautiful white horses. Next
behind him followed a long line of coaches, in which were
his son, his secretary, the governor of Massachusetts and
his staff; finally, a great number of persons of distinction,
natives and strangers. This column proceeded, with the
sound of music and ringing of bells, through the midst of
200,000 citizens, who had assembled from all the States of
the Union; while the General was at intervals saluted by
artillery and general acclamations. He arrived at Bun-
ker's Hill at half past twelve, and the whole crowd was soon
ranged in regular order on the hill, where the monument
was to be erected, to witness the national gratitude express-
ed to the first heroes of the revolution.
*
"The humble pyramid erected in former times, over the
remains of Warren and his companions, which we had seen
on our first visit to Bunker's Hill, had disappeared. From
the largest piece of wood it contained, a cane had been
formed, which was mounted with gold, and bore an inscrip-
tion referring to its origin, and stating that it had been pre-
sented by the Masons of Charlestown to General Lafayette,
who accepted it as a precious relic of the American revolu-
tion. A large excavation which had been made at that
place, showed that the new monument was to be raised on
the same spot.
"A few moments after we had taken our places around
that excavation, and silence had been obtained throughout
the numerous crowd that surrounded, awaiting the ceremo-
ny in solemn silence, the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge
of Massachusetts, accompanied by the principal dignataries
of the order, brother Lafayette, Mr. Webster, and the prin-
cipal architect, proceeded to lay the first stone of the monu-
ment, with the forms prescribed by the Masonic order. In
an iron chest were placed medals, pieces of money, and a
silver plate, on which was engraved the order of ceremo-
nies. This box was placed under the stone, on which the
Grand Master poured wheat, oil, and wine; while the Rev.
Mr. Allen, the chaplain of the day, pronounced the bene-
diction. The Masonic command to finish the monument
was then given, and a salute of artillery announced that
this part of the ceremony was accomplished.
"The procession then moved to a vast amphitheatre,
formed on the north-eastern declivity of the hill. At the
FAMILY TOURIST.
65
CHARLESTOWN.
centre of its base was raised a covered platform, from which
the orator of the day was to raise his voice, and address an
audience of 15,000 persons assembled in the amphitheatre.
All the revolutionary officers and soldiers, several of whom
had come from great distances to witness this solemnity,
were seated opposite the stage, the survivors of Bunker's
Hill forming a little group in their front. At the head of
that party was placed, in a large chair, the only surviving
general of the revolution, Lafayette. Immediately behind
were 2,000 ladies, brilliantly dressed, who seemed to form
a guard of honor for those venerable old men, and to pro-
tect them from the tumultuous throng of the crowd. Be-
yond the ladies, more than 10,000 persons were seated on
the numerous benches which were placed on the side of the
hill, the top of which was crowned with upwards of 30,000
spectators, who, although beyond the reach of the orator's
voice, stood motionless, and in the most profound silence.
After the agitation which necessarily accompanies the move-
ments of so large a crowd, had been tranquilized, the melo-
dious sound of a large choir of singers was heard, who were
concealed behind the stage, and raised a patriotic and re-
ligious song, the deep melody of which agreeably prepared
the minds of all for the impressions of eloquence. This
music was succeeded by a prayer from Dr. Thaxter; and
when the venerable pastor, who had had the honor of fight-
ing at Bunker's Hill, presented himself before the assembly,
with his white locks falling in long silver curls on his
shoulders; when he raised towards heaven his hands en-
feebled by age, and with a voice still strong, implored the
benedictions of the Almighty on the proceedings of that
day, the whole audience seemed penetrated with inexpres-
sible emotions. At length, the orator of the day, Mr.
Webster, presented himself in his turn; his tall stature, his
athletic form, the noble expression of his countenance, and
the fire of his eye, perfectly harmonized with the solemnity
of the scene. Mr. Webster, who had been for a long time
rendered popular by the charms of his eloquence, was wel-
comed by the assembly with every expression of pleasure.
The murmur of satisfaction with which he was saluted, as-
cended from the base of the hill to the summit, and prevent-
ed him for a few instants from beginning his discourse.
During his discourse, the orator was sometimes inter-
rupted by bursts of applause from the audience, who could
6*
66
FAMILY TOURIST.
CHARLESTOWN.
not repress the expression of their sympathetic feelings,
when Mr. Webster addressed the revolutionary veterans,
and General Lafayette; and while they, uncovering their
venerable heads, arose to receive the thanks which were
offered them in the name of the people. A hymn sung in
choir by the whole assembly, succeeded this speech, and
terminated the second part of the ceremony.
"At the signal given by a field piece, the procession form-
ed anew, mounted the hill, and went to seat themselves at a
banquet prepared on the summit. There, under an im-
mense wooden covering, 4,000 persons took their places
without confusion. The tables were spread with so much
art, that the voice of the president, and all those who offer-
ed toasts, or made speeches, were easily heard, not only by
the company, but also by a great number of spectators, sta-
tioned without. The names of Warren, the orator of the
day, and the guest of the nation, were proposed by turns
during the repast. Before leaving the table, the General
rose to return thanks to the members of the monument as-
sociation, and expressed himself in these terms:
"I will now ask your attention, only to thank you in the
name of my revolutionary companions in arms, as well as in
my own name, gentlemen, for the testimonies of esteem and
affection, I may say filial affection, with which we have been
this day loaded. We offer you our best wishes for the pres-
ervation of republican liberty and equality, self-government,
and happy union between the States of the confederation:
objects for which we fought and bled,-for it is on them
that the hopes of mankind now rest. Permit me to give
you the following toast: Bunker's Hill, and the Holy Re-
sistance to oppression, which has freed the American hem-
isphere; the anniversary toast at the jubilee of the next
half century, shall be: Europe Disenthralled!' This toast
was received with transport; and immediately after, the
company returned to the city."*
In the course of his brilliant oration, already alluded to,
Mr. Webster, turning to the war-worn and scar-bearing
survivors of that day's battle, ranged in order before him,
thus addressed them:
“VENERABLE MEN! You have come down to us, from a
* Levasseur's Journal.
FAMILY TOURIST.
67
CHARLESTOWN.
former generation. Heaven has generously lengthened out
your lives, that you might behold this joyous day. You
are now, where you stood, fifty years ago, this very hour,
with your brothers, and your neighbors, shoulder to shoul-
der, in the strife for your country. Behold, how altered!
The same heavens are indeed over your heads; the same
ocean rolls at your feet; but all else, how changed.
"You hear now no roar of hostile cannon-you see no
mixed volumes of smoke and flame, rising from burning
Charlestown. The ground strewed with the dead and the
dying; the impetuous charge; the steady and successful
repulse; the loud call to repeated assaults; the summon-
ing of all that is manly to repeated resistance; a thousand
bosoms freely and fearlessly bared in an instant to whatev-
er of terror there may be in war and death ;-all these you
have witnessed, but you witness them no more.
"All is peace. The heights of yonder metropolis, its
towers and roofs, which you then saw filled with wives and
children and countrymen in distress and terror, and look-
ing with unutterable emotions for the issue of the combat,
have presented you to-day with a sight of its whole happy
population come out to welcome and greet you with an
universal jubilee. Yonder proud ships, by a felicity of po-
sition, appropriately lying at the foot of this mount, and
seeming fondly to cling around it, are not means of annoy-
ance to you, but your country's own means of distinction
and defence.
"All is peace; and God has granted you this sight of
your country's happiness, ere you slumber in the grave for-
ever. He has allowed you to behold and to partake the
reward of your patriotic toils; and he has allowed us, your
sons and countrymen, to meet you here, and in the name of
the present generation, in the name of your country, in the
name of liberty, to thank you!
66
But, alas! you are not all here! Time and the sword
have thinned your ranks. Prescott, Putnam, Stark, Brooks,
Read, Pomeroy, Bridge! our eyes seek for you in vain,
amidst this broken band. You are gathered to your fa-
thers, and live only in your country in her grateful remem-
brance, and your own bright example. But let us not too
much grieve that you have met the common fate of men.
You lived, at least, long enough to know that your work
had been nobly and successfully accomplished. You lived
68
FAMILY TOURIST.
CHARLESTOWN.
to see your country's independence established, and to
sheathe your swords from war. On the light of Liberty
you saw arise the light of Peace, like
' another morn,
Risen on mid-noon;'—
and the sky, on which you closed your eyes, was cloud-
less!
គ
"But—ah !—Him! the first great martyr in this great
cause ! Him! the premature victim of his own self-devot-
ing heart! Him! the head of our civil councils, and the
destined leader of our military bands; whom nothing
brought hither, but the unquenchable fire of his own spirit!
Him! cut off by Providence, in the hour of overwhelming
anxiety and thick gloom; falling, ere he saw the star of his
country rise; pouring out his generous blood, like water,
before he knew whether it would fertilize a land of free-
dom or of bondage! how shall I struggle with the emotions
that stifle the utterance of thy name! Our poor work may
perish; but thine shall endure! This monument may moul-
der away; the solid ground it rests upon may sink down to
a level with the sea; but thy memory shall not fail! Where-
soever among men a heart shall be found, that beats to the
transports of patriotism and liberty, its aspirations shall be
to claim kindred with thy spirit!
"But the scene, amidst which we stand, does not permit
us to confine our thoughts, or our sympathies, to those fear-
less spirits, who hazarded or lost their lives, on this conse-
crated spot. We have the happiness to rejoice here in the
presence of a most worthy representation of the survivors
of the whole Revolutionary army.
VETERANS! You are the remnant of many a well-fought
field. You bring with you marks of honor from Trenton,
and Monmouth, from Yorktown, Camden, Bennington, and
Saratoga. VETERANS OF HALF A CENTURY! When in
your youthful days, you put every thing at hazard in your
country's cause, good as that cause was, and sanguine as
youth is, still your fondest hopes did not stretch onward to
an hour like this! At a period, to which you could not
reasonably have expected to arrive; at a moment of nation-
al prosperity, such as you could never have foreseen; you
are now met, here, to enjoy the fellowship of old soldiers,
and to receive the overflowings of an universal gratitude.
FAMILY TOURIST.
69
CHARLESTOWN.
'But your agitated countenances and your heaving
breasts inform me, that even this is not an unmixed joy. I
perceive that a tumult of contending feelings rushes upon
you. The images of the dead, as well as the persons of
the living, throng to your embraces. The scene over-
whelms you, and I turn from it. May the Father of all
mercies smile upon your declining years, and bless them!
And when you shall here have exchanged your embraces;
when you shall once more have pressed the hands, which
have been so often extended to give succor in adversity, or
grasped in the exultation of victory; then look abroad into
this lovely land, which your young valor defended, and
mark the happiness with which it is filled; yea, look abroad
into the whole earth, and see what a name you have con-
tributed to give to your country, and what a praise you
have added to freedom, and then rejoice in the sympathy
and gratitude, which beam upon your last days from the im-
proved condition of mankind."*
* Address at the Laying of the Corner Stone of the Bunker Hill
Monument.
MAINE.
PORTLAND.
THIS city is beautifully situated, on an elevated peninsu-
la, in Casco Bay, 118 miles N. N. E. from Boston; 542
from Washington; and 258 S. of Quebec. The peninsula
resembles the form of a saddle: the principal part of the
houses being erected on the seat. The situation is handsome:
the harbor is a beautiful piece of water spreading on the
south-east, and the cove, smaller, but scarcely less beautiful,
on the north-west. This cove at the time of ebb becomes
a pond. A bridge, thrown over the outlet, connects Port-
land with the main land in this direction. The peninsula
is universally handsome. The site of the town is an easy,
elegant arched slope. The principal streets run parallel
with the length of the peninsula; and are crossed by others.
nearly at right angles. Like those of most other towns in
this country, they are destitute of that exact regularity,
both in their position and direction, which would have ren-
dered them entirely beautiful.
The situation of Portland is probably as healthy, as any
in New England. The slope, on which it is built, furnish-
es every where a ready passage for all the water, and the
happiest means of keeping the town perfectly clean. No-
thing can stagnate here without pains-taking. The air
cannot but be sweet. The wells furnish an ample supply
of pure and fine water. Accordingly, the inhabitants en-
joy as uninterrupted health, as those of any place, of the
same size, in the United States.
The harbor is safe, capacious, and rarely frozen. It is
sufficiently deep to admit ships of the line. The wharfs
of no great length, reach to the channel. No American
town is more entirely commercial; and, of course, none
is more sprightly. Lumber, fish, and ships, are the princi-
FAMILY TOURIST.
71
PORTLAND.
*
Numerous islands are
pal materials of their commerce.
in the bay to the east, on two of which are forts, which de-
fend the entrance of the harbor; Fort Preble on Bang's
island, and Fort Scammel, a block-house, on House isl-
and. Fort Burrows stands under the observatory bluff, on
the water's edge. Between 40,000 and 50,000 tons of
shipping belong to this port, consisting of a large number
of ships, brigs, schooners, sloops, and steamboats and other
craft.
Many of the private buildings of Portland are hand-
some, and some elegant. An appearance of neatness and
good taste reigns throughout the place. The public build-
ings are in good style, and appropriate to the present state
and prosperity of the place. Among the finest public edi-
fices are the Court House, and Custom House. The city
contains fifteen Churches. The people are distinguished
for their love of order; many of them are eminent for their
piety. In their manners, they are pleasing, and quite hos-
pitable in their feelings. "A traveller," observes a travel-
ler, "cannot easily visit them without carrying away a
very advantageous impression of their character." Edu-
cation is well attended to, and there are numerous schools,
some of which are of a high character.
1
Portland was formerly called Falmouth. It was incor-
porated as a city in 1786. This place suffered considera-
bly during the early Indian wars. In 1776, an attack was
made on the inhabitants by a body of savages, who cap-
tured or destroyed thirty of their number, and compelled
the remainder to flee for safety to a neighboring island.t
In 1689, the savages renewed their attacks on this re-
gion; but by the means of the enterprise of Colonel Church,
who was sent to defend it, a large body of savages, aided
by a party of French, was defeated. But the next spring,
the Indians appeared at Falmouth, and three forts in the
town fell into their hands. One hundred of the inhabit-
ants were made prisoners, and the town was destroyed.
The slain remained unburied until the following year,
when Colonel Church appeared, and consigned them to
the grave.
* Dwight's Travels.
+ Hubbard.
72
FAMILY TOURIST.
PORTLAND.
During the Revolutionary war, Falmouth was the scene
of an outrage, which fired the American people with indig-
nation. Captain Mowat, the commander of a British sloop
of war, had often come on shore at Portland, where he had
always received marked attention from the inhabitants.
But after the battles of Lexington and Breed's Hill, the re-
gard of the Americans for the British had somewhat cool-
ed; and, on one occasion, when Mowat visited the town,
he received some personal insult from several strangers,
who happened to be in the place. This was regretted and
reprobated by the principal inhabitants.
Mowat resenting the insult, which consisted in a tempo-
rary arrest, immediately sailed for Boston, for the pur-
pose of obtaining permission to destroy the place. Admi-
ral Greaves consenting, Mowat, on the 18th of November,
1775, appeared before the town, and by a messenger, in-
formed the inhabitants of his design. A respectful remon-
strance was sent to him, in which he was reminded of the
former hospitality and politeness of the people towards
him. But no other indulgence could be obtained, but a
respite till the next morning. In this short interval, most
of the inhabitants removed, and some of their effects were
conveyed to a place of safety.
In the morning, the British vessels opened their fire upon
the town, and continued the work of devastation, till they
had reduced all the public buildings (except the Congrega-
tional Church) and one hundred and thirty dwelling houses
to ashes. One hundred and sixty families were thus driven
to find an asylum from the winter, in a country thinly in-
habited, and whose inhabitants were poorly able to furnish
either subsistence, or even a shelter. The name of Mowat
is inscribed on the pages of American history, and will de-
scend down, while type, ink, and paper last, with the unen-
viable reputation of a second Erostratus.*
* Dwight's Travels.
1
NEW HAMPSHIRE.
1
PORTSMOUTH.
PORTSMOUTH, although not incorporated as a city, is by
far the most populous, and important town in New Hamp-
shire. It is the only seaport in the State. It is built on a
beautiful peninsula on the north side of Piscataqua river;
united with the main land by a narrow isthmus on the
north-west, and by a bridge over a small inlet on the south.
The surface of the peninsula is uneven and beautiful. As
seen from the tower of the steeple, the opposite shore of
Kittery, from which it is divided by the above river, the
river itself, the harbor, the ocean, the points, the islands,
the town, and the adjacent country, form an assemblage of
beautiful objects not often surpassed. It lies about three
miles from the ocean-55 N. and E. from Boston; 58 S.
W. of Portland; and 491 from Washington.
The population exceeds 8,000, chiefly collected near
the harbor on a hill adjoining. Like most other New Eng-
land towns the houses are chiefly of wood; but it contains
some elegant buildings. Being compactly built, it has suf-
fered severely by several fires within a few years, the most
recent and destructive of which took place in December,
1813, by which a large proportion of the buildings was de-
stroyed. Their place, however, has been supplied, and the
appearance of the town improved.
The harbor is one of the finest in the world, completely
land-locked, never frozen, and accessible to the largest
ships. Its tides are high and rapid. The channel, at low
water, is 40 feet in depth. It is defended by Fort Constitu-
tion on Great Island; Fort M'Clary opposite; Fort Sulli-
van on Trepethen Island; and Fort Washington on Pierce's
Island. The two latter were garrisoned during the late
war.
7
74
FAMILY TOURIST
PORTSMOUTH.
Portsmouth contains seven churches, some of which
may be said to be elegant; a court house, jail, six banks,
markets, an academy, atheneum, 280 stores, &c. Two
bridges were built to connect with Kittery, Maine, in 1822,
across the Piscataqua, the channel of which is broad, and
the current rapid at particular times of the tide. The long
bridge is 1,750 feet in length, extended across water, vary-
ing from 43 to 45 feet in depth at low tide, a distance of
900 feet, and crosses an island in the river. A water com-
pany was formed and commenced operations in 1799,
which supplies all the streets with good water, brought a
distance of three miles. On Great Island, is a light-house.
On Continental Island, which is owned by the United States,
is a navy yard belonging to government; and on Badger's
Island was constructed the first ship-of-the-line in America.
It was built during the Revolution, and named the North
America.
Portsmouth was settled in 1623, by a company of which
Sir Ferdinando Gorges was an associate, and was incorpo-
rated by Massachusetts in 1653, while New Hampshire was
a colony. It is remarkable that during the long and bloody
wars, by which most other parts of this State suffered, this
place was entirely exempted. From the time that New
Hampshire became a separate government in 1680, to the
American Revolution, the Legislature held its sessions in
this town; but since that period they have met at Concord,
Exeter, &c.
Some years since there died in this place a hermit, at
the advanced age of 82 years. He lived on a farm, suffi-
cient in extent and fertility to have supported a large fam-
ily; but he had imbibed the idea, that he should live to
spend the whole, exercising the greatest economy. For
more than twenty years he dwelt entirely alone, in a hut,
which scarcely any one would have deemed decent for a
barn. He made his own garments, which were in a fashion
peculiar to himself. He tilled his land, milked his cows,
and made his butter and cheese; but subsisted principally
on potatoes and milk. Owing no doubt to his abstemious
and temperate mode of living, he exhibited at the age of
eighty-two, a face freer from wrinkles, than is generally
seen in those of fifty.
His mother lived to be more than an hundred years of
FAMILY TOURIST.
75
PORTSMOUTH.
age. When she was one hundred and two, some people
visited her on a certain day; and while they were with her,
the bell was heard to toll for a funeral.
The old lady burst
bell toll for me?
into tears, and said, "When will the
It seems that the bell will never toll for me; I am afraid
that I shall never die!"
Though repeatedly invited to repair to some of the neigh-
bors, to spend the winter, where he might be comfortable,
this hermit absolutely declined; alleging that he had every
thing he wanted. He would not suffer any one to spend a
night in his house, or to take care of him in his last illness.
For several weeks before his death, he was in a feeble state
of health; but with those comfortable accommodations,
which were abundantly in his power, he might have per-
haps lived to the age of his mother.
During an extreme cold night, in which the thermometer
fell to four degrees below cipher, he became so chilled, that
he was unable to rise in the morning, and soon expired.
He had no shirt to his back, according to his usual custom,
and his only covering for the night, besides an old tattered
cloth garb, was a small ragged blanket; and his bed was a
parcel of straw.
VERMONT.
VERGENNES.
THIS is the only incorporated city in the State of Ver-
mont. The act of incorporation passed the legislature in
1788. Its settlement commenced in 1766, by emigrants
from Massachusetts and Connecticut. Its progress in trade
and population has probably not corresponded to the ex-
pectations of its inhabitants, at the time it was vested with
city privileges.
It lies on the Otter Creek, at the head of navigation, and
embraces an area of 400 rods by 480. The creek here
falls thirty feet, and affords many good mill sites, some of
which are occupied. The largest vessels, which navigate
Lake Champlain, are able to come within seven miles of
Vergennes. The shores on either side are bold and often
picturesque; but the channel is very crooked. The sur-
rounding country is quite fertile, and considerable produce
finds its way to market through this port. The place is
advantageously situated for ship building. The population
does not much exceed one thousand. In this port, Com-
modore McDonough's flotilla, which so signally sustained
the honor of America on Lake Champlain, in an engage-
ment with a superior British force, was fitted out in 1814.
But although Vermont cannot boast of cities of size,
population, and wealth, like many of her sister States, she
has several finely situated, well built and thriving towns, of
which perhaps the most distinguished is
BURLINGTON.
Burlington stands on a most beautiful harbor, on the
east side of Lake Champlain, near the mouth of Onion
river. It is on elevated ground, commanding a noble view
of the lake and adjacent country. It carries on a consider-
able trade. Almost all the vessels which navigate the lake
FAMILY TOURIST.
BURLINGTON.
are owned here. Many of the private houses are in beauti-
ful taste, with large gardens. Here are the public build-
ings of the county, an academy, bank, &c. The popula-
tion is about 4,000.
The Vermont University is located at Burlington. It was
incorporated in 1791, but did not go into operation till
1800; it has been liberally patronised by the State. It has
a library of more than 1,000 volumes, and a philosophical
apparatus, that is tolerably complete. The funds consist
principally of lands, amounting to about 40,000 acres, and
yielding, at present, an income of about 1,200 dollars. On
the 27th of May, 1824, a large college edifice, erected in
1801, was unfortunately destroyed by fire; but the library
and part of the philosophical apparatus were saved. Since
that time, three brick edifices have been erected, two of
them containing rooms for students; the other containing
a chapel and other public rooms.
"Splendor of landscape," remarks Dr. Dwight, "is the
peculiar boast of Burlington. Lake Champlain, here six-
teen miles wide, extends fifty miles northward, and forty
southward, before it reaches Crown Point; and through-
out, a great part of this magnificent expansion is visible at
Burlington. In its bosom are encircled many beautiful
islands; three of them, North and South Hero, and La
Motte, sufficiently large to contain, the first and last, one
township each, the other, two; forming, together with the
township of Alburgh, on the point between the bay of Mis-
ciscoui and the river St. John, the county of Grand Isle.
A numerous train of these islands are here in full view. In
the interior, among the other interesting objects, the range
of the Green Mountains, with its train of lofty summits,
commences in the south with the utmost stretch of the eye;
and limiting, on the east, one third of the horizon, declines
far northward, until it becomes apparently blended with the
surface. On the west, beyond the immense field of glass,
formed by the waters of the lake, extends the opposite
shore from its first appearance at the south, until it vanish-
es from the eye in the north-west, at the distance of forty
miles. Twelve or fifteen miles from this shore ascends the
first range of western mountains; about fifteen or twenty
miles further, the second range; and, at about the same
distance, the third. The two former commence a few miles
**
78
FAMILY TOURIST.
BURLINGTON.
south of the head of Lake George; one on the eastern, and
the other on the western side of this water. Where the
third commences, I am ignorant. The termination of all
these ranges is not far from the latitude of Plattsburg. The
prospect of these mountains is superlatively noble. The
rise of the first range from the lake, the ascent of the second
far above it, and the still loftier elevation of the third, dif-
fuse a magnificence over the whole, which mocks descrip-
tion. Three of the summits, hitherto without a name, are
peculiarly distinguished for their sublimity. Among those
of the Green Mountains there are two, in the fullest view
from this spot, superior even to these. One of them, named
the Camel's Rump, the Camel's Back, and the Camel; the
other the Mountain of Mansfield. The latter of these, was
by the following expedient proved, not long since, to be
higher than the former. A hunter, who had ascended to
its highest point, put into his piece a small ball; and point-
ing it to the apex of the Camel, the ball rolled out. Both
of them are, however, very lofty; higher, as I believe, than
Killington Peak, notwithstanding the deference with which.
I regard the estimates of Doctor Williams. The peculiar
form of the Camel's back, invests this mountain with a
sublimity entirely superior to any other in this State."*
* Dwight's Travels.
CONNECTICUT.
!
HARTFORD.
THE original English settlers of Hartford were a distin-
guished band of pilgrims, principally from the county of
Essex, in England. In 1632, a considerable portion of
them emigrated to America, and first settled at Mount
Wollaston, now Quincy, near Boston. But during the
same year, they were ordered by the court to Newtown,
since called Cambridge. In the course of the following
year, they were joined by the Rev. Thomas Hooker, their
former minister, in England; who, to escape "fines and
imprisonment," had been obliged to take refuge in Hol-
land for three years. On landing at Boston, Mr. Hooker
proceeded to Newtown, where, finding himself in the midst
of a joyful and affectionate people, he was filled with joy
himself. He embraced them with open arms, saying, in the
language of the apostle, "Now I live, if ye stand fast in the
Lord." With Mr. Hooker came over the famous Mr. John
Cotton, Mr. John Haynes, afterwards governor of Connecti-
cut, Mr. Goff, and two hundred passengers of importance to
the colony." On the 11th of October of this year, the eighth
church was gathered on the American soil, and the pastor,
Mr. Hooker, and the teacher, Mr. Stone, were ordained
with appropriate services.
Accessions to the little colony at Newtown continuing to
be made, as also to those who had settled at Dorchester,
and Watertown, it was deemed essential to the comfort of
the three settlements, to remove to some more commodious
place. In the summer of 1634, six men were despatched
from "the towns in the Bay," to examine the lands on the
"Quonchtacut," as the river was called by the Indians, or
the "fresh river," as denominated by the English. The
report of these " spies," of the commodiousness of the
place, and the fruitfulness of the soil, was so favorable, that
80
FAMILY TOURIST.
HARTFORD.
a resolution was adopted by the people of the above towns,
"forthwith to begin several plantations there."
On making application to the court for liberty to remove,
an unexpected opposition arose, because they had it in view
to plant a colony in Connecticut, independent of that of
Massachusetts. The debate in the court was long and spir-
ited; and the application, for that session, rejected. This
caused considerable excitement, not only in the general
court, but in the colony, to allay which, Mr. Cotton was
requested to preach on the subject.
The next May, 1635, the people of Newtown renewed
their application to the court, for liberty to reinove; which,
after some delay, was granted, upon consideration that
they should continue under the jurisdiction of Massachu-
setts.
<<
Matters being thus arranged, on the 15th of October,
about sixty men, women and children, with their horses,
cattle and swine, commenced their journey from the Mas-
sachusetts, through the wilderness, to Connecticut river.
After a tedious and difficult journey, through swamps and
rivers, over mountains and rough grounds, which were
passed with great difficulty and fatigue, they arrived safely
at the places of their respective destination. They were so
long on their journey, and so much time and pains were
spent in passing the river, and in getting over their cattle,
that after all their exertions, winter came upon them before
they were prepared. This was an occasion of great dis-
tress and damage to the plantations."
"The winter set in this year much sooner than usual,
and the weather was stormy and severe. By the 15th of
November, Connecticut river was frozen over, and the snow
was so deep, and the season so tempestuous, that a consider-
able number of the cattle, which had been driven on from
Massachusetts, could not be brought across the river. The
people had so little time to prepare their huts and houses,
and to erect sheds and shelters for their cattle, that the
sufferings of man and beast were extreme. Indeed, the
hardships and distresses of the first planters of Connecticut
scarcely admit of description. To carry much provision,
or much furniture, through a pathless wilderness, was im-
practicable. Their principal provisions and household fur-
niture were, therefore, put on board several small vessels,
which, by reason of delays and the tempestuousness of the
FAMILY TOURIST.
81
HARTFORD.
season, were either cast away, or did not arrive. Several
vessels were wrecked on the coast of New England, by the
violence of the storms. Two shallops, laden with goods,
from Boston to Connecticut, in October, were cast away on
Brown's island, near the Gurnet's nose; and the men, with
every thing on board were lost. A vessel with six of the
Connecticut people on board, which sailed from the river
for Boston, early in November, was, about the middle of the
month, cast away in Manamet Bay. The men got on shore,
and after wandering ten days in deep snow and a severe
season, without meeting any human being, arrived, nearly
spent with cold and fatigue, at New Plymouth.
"By the last of November, or beginning of December,
provision generally failed in the settlements on the river,
and famine and death looked the inhabitants sternly in the
face. Some of them, driven by hunger, attempted their
way, in this severe season, through the wilderness, from
Connecticut to Massachusetts. Of thirteen in one compa-
ny, who made this attempt, one, in passing the rivers, fell
through the ice, and was drowned. The other twelve were
ten days on their journey, and would all have perished, had
it not been for the assistance of the Indians.
"Indeed, such was the distress in general, that by the
3d and 4th of December, a considerable part of the new set-
tlers were obliged to abandon their habitations. Seventy
persons, men, women and children, were necessitated, in
the extremity of winter, to go down to the mouth of the
river to meet their provisions, as the only expedient to pre-
serve their lives. Not meeting with the vessels, which they
expected, they all went on board the Rebecca, a vessel of
about sixty tons. This, two days before, was frozen in
twenty miles up the river; but by the falling of a small
rain and the influence of the tide, the ice became so broken
and was so far removed, that she was enabled to get out.
She ran, however, upon the bar, and the people were forced
to unlade her to get her off. She was reladed, and, in five
days, reached Boston. Had it not been for these providen-
tial circumstances, the people must have perished with
famine.
"The people who kept their stations on the river suffer-
ed in an extreme degree. After all the help they were
able to obtain, by hunting, and from the Indians, they were
obliged to subsist on acorns, malt, and grains.
82
FAMILY TOURIST.
•
HARTFORD.
"Numbers of the cattle, which could not be got over the
river before winter, lived through without any thing but
what they found in the woods and meadows. They winter-
ed as well, or better than those which were brought over,
and for which all the provision was made, and pains taken,
of which the owners were capable. However, a great num-
ber of cattle perished. The Dorchester, or Windsor peo-
ple, lost in this single article about two hundred pounds
sterling. Their other losses were very considerable.
"It is difficult to describe, or even to conceive, the ap-
prehensions and distresses of a people, in the circumstan-
ces of our venerable ancestors, during this doleful winter.
All the horrors of a dreary wilderness spread themselves
around them. They were compassed with numerous, fierce,
and cruel tribes of wild and savage men, who could have
swallowed up parents and children, at pleasure, in their
feeble and distressed condition. They had neither bread
for themselves, nor children, neither habitations nor cloth-
ing convenient for them. Whatever emergency might hap-
pen, they were cut off, both by land and water, from any
succor or retreat. What self-denial, firmness, and magna-
nimity are necessary for such enterprises! How distress-
ful, in the beginning, was the condition of those now fair
and opulent towns on Connecticut river!
"For a few years after the settlements on the river com-
menced, they bore the same name with the towns in Mas-
sachusetts, whence the first settlers came.
"The Connecticut planters, at first settled under the gen-
eral government of the Massachusetts, but they held courts.
of their own, which consisted of two principal men from each
town; and, on great and extraordinary occasions, these
were joined with committees, as they were called, consist-
ing of three men from each town. These courts had power
to transact all the common affairs of the colony, and with
their committees, had the power of making war and peace,
and treaties of alliance and friendship with the natives with-
in the colony.
"The first court in Connecticut was holden at Newtown,
April 26th, 1636. It consisted of Roger Ludlow, Esquire,
Mr. John Steel, Mr. William Swain, Mr. William Phelps,
Mr. William Westwood, and Mr. Andrew Ward. Mr. Lud-
low had been one of the magistrates of Massachusetts in
1630, and in 1631 had been chosen lieutenant governor of
FAMILY TOURIST.
83
HARTFORD.
that colony. At this court it was ordered, that the inhab-
itants should not sell guns, nor ammunition, to the Indians..
Various other affairs were also transacted relative to the
good order, settlement, and defence of these infant towns.
"Several of the principal gentlemen interested in the set-
tlement of Connecticut, Mr. John Haynes, who at this time
was governor of Massachusetts, Mr. Henry Wolcott, Mr.
Welles, the ministers of the churches, and others, had not
yet removed into the colony. As soon as the spring ad-
vanced, and the travelling would admit, the hardy men be-
gan to return from the Massachusetts to their habitations
on the river. No sooner were buds, leaves and grass so
grown, that cattle could live in the woods, and obstructions
removed from the river, so that vessels could go up with
provisions and furniture, than the people began to return,
in large companies, to Connecticut. Many, who had not
removed the last year, prepared, with all convenient des-
patch, for a journey to the new settlements upon the river.
"About the beginning of June, Mr. Hooker, Mr. Stone,
and about one hundred men, women and children, took
their departure from Cambridge, and travelled more than a
hundred miles, through a hideous and trackless wilderness,
to Hartford. They had no guide but their compass; and
made their way over mountains, through swamps, thickets,
and rivers, which were not passable but with great difficul-
ty. They had no cover but the heavens, nor any lodgings
but those which simple nature afforded them. They drove
with them a hundred and sixty head of cattle, and by the
way, subsisted on the milk of their cows. Mrs. Hooker
was borne through the wilderness upon a litter. The peo-
ple generally carried their packs, arms, and some utensils.
They were nearly a fortnight on their journey.
+
"This adventure was the more remarkable, as many of
this company were persons of figure, who had lived, in
England, in honor, affluence, and delicacy, and were stran-
gers to fatigue and danger.
"*
Such is a brief account of the original settlement of the
English, at Hartford, Windsor, and Wethersfield. Weth-
ersfield, however, is the oldest town in the State, a few
huts having been erected there in 1634, in which a small
number of individuals contrived to winter.
* Trumbull's History of Connecticut.
84
FAMILY TOURIST.
HARTFORD.
The Indian name of Hartford was Suckiaug. The Sa-
chem of the place was Sunckquasson, who gave a deed
about the year 1636, to Samuel Stone and William Good-
win, who appear to have acted in behalf of the first settlers.
In 1670, the soil was again purchased of the Indians, the
evidence of the first purchase being considered imperfect.
Hartford retained the name of Newtown, till February,
1637, when, by order of the court, it was changed to the
former name, in honor of Mr. Stone, who was born at
Hartford in England.
"For a time, the affairs of the people of the three settle-
ments, Hartford, Windsor, and Wethersfield, wore a most
gloomy aspect. They had sustained great losses in cattle
and goods in the preceding years, and even this year they
were unfortunate with respect to their cattle. They had
no hay, but what they cut from the spontaneous productions
of an uncultivated country. To make good English mead-
ow was a work of time. The wild, coarse grass, which
the people cut, was often mowed too late, and but poorly
made. They did not always cut a sufficient quantity of
this poor hay. They had no corn or provender with which
they could feed them; and amidst the multiplicity of affairs,
which, at their first settlement, demanded their attention,
they could not provide such shelters for them as were ne-
cessary, during the long and severe winters of this northern
climate. From an union of these circumstances, some of
their cattle were lost, and those which lived through winter
were uncommonly poor, and many of the cows lost their
young. Notwithstanding all the exertions the people had
made the preceding summer, they had not been able, in the
multiplicity of their affairs, and under the inconveniences,
to raise a sufficiency of provision. Their provisions were
not only very coarse, but very dear and scanty. The people
were not only inexperienced in the husbandry of the coun-
try, but they had but few oxen or ploughs.
They per-
formed almost the whole culture of the earth with their
hoes. This rendered it both exceedingly slow and labo-
rious.
"The inhabitants of Hartford, as also those of the infant
settlements in their vicinity, were regarded with jealousy by
the Indians in their immediate neighborhood, and even at
a distance.
FAMILY TOURIST.
85
HARTFORD.
"They waylaid the white man in his path through the
woods. They seized upon him while at work in the field.
They cut him down with their tomahawks at the door of his
own house. The question was to be settled, whether our
forefathers should abandon the country, or meet and con-
quer this terrible foe. They determined on the latter. On
the first of May, just eighteen months after the settlement
was begun, and when there were only eight hundred souls
in the colony, the Court met, and resolved upon an offen-
sive war against the Pequots, the powerful tribe inhabiting
the country around New London and Stonington, and which
were evidently plotting the destruction of the colony. On
the 10th, ninety men were drafted from the three settle-
ments, and ready for the expedition. Embarked on board
three little floats that were to convey them down the river,
they received the exhortation and blessing of their venera-
ted pastor, Mr. Hooker. Your cause,' said he, is the
cause of heaven; the enemy have blasphemed your God,
and slain his servants; you are only the ministers of his
justice. March, then, with Christian courage in the strength
of the Lord; march with faith in his divine promises; and
soon your swords shall find your enemies, soon they shall
fall like leaves of the forest under your feet.' So it
proved.
C
"Mr. Stone went as Chaplain. On the fifteenth, they
were at the mouth of the river, whence they sent back twen-
ty of their number to guard their own defenceless homes.
On the morning of the 28th, the little army, consisting of
seventy-seven Englishmen, and a party of Narragansett and
Mohegan Indians was before the fort of the Pequots at
Mystic. The day was near dawning. A dog bays the
alarm. It is too late. The Englishmen's musketry and
broadswords are upon them, and their last hour has come.
The brave Captain Mason, with a party of his equally brave
men, rushes in at the east end of the fort, and carries the
battle into the huts of the savages, just roused from sleep.
The conflict is terrible, and, for a moment, the victory
hangs in suspense; till Mason, seizing a fire-brand, cries,
we must burn them,' and throws it among the mats of their
cabins. Instantly they are in flames. The assailants retire
and surround the fort, and the fire finishes the work.
one short hour the battle is over; six hundred Indians are
slain, and the power of the most formidable foe of the Eng-
In
8
86
FAMILY TOURIST.
HARTFORD.
lish is annihilated. Our men left the scene of action just
as the sun had risen; embarked on board their vessels,
which, just at that crisis, entered the Pequot harbor to
receive them; and, in three days, were at their homes,
with only two of their number killed, and about twenty
wounded."*
The early records of Hartford contain many laws and reg-
ulations passed in their general town meeting, which in the
wisdom of the fathers were deemed important for the wel-
fare of their little community; but which to us at the pres-
ent day would appear almost puerile, especially if due al-
lowance is not made for their primitive manners and pecul-
iar circumstances. A few extracts from these records fol-
low:
1635.-It is ordered, that there shall be a guard of
men, to attend with their arms fixed, and two shot of pow-
der and shot, at least. . . . every public meeting for religious.
use, with two sergeants to oversee the same, and to keep out
one of them sentinel . . . . . and the said guard to be freed
from boarding, and to have seats provided near the meet-
ing house door, and the sergeants to repair to the magis-
trates for a warrant for the due execution thereof.
It is ordered, that every inhabitant which hath not free-
dom from the whole to be absent, shall make his personal
appearance at every general meeting of the whole town,
having sufficient warning; and whosoever fails to appear at
the time and place appointed, shall pay sixpence for every
such default; but if he shall have lawful excuse, it shall be
repaid him again; or whosoever departs away from the meet-
ing before it be ended, without liberty from the whole, shall
pay the likewise.
It is ordered, that whosoever borrows the town chain, shall
pay two pence a day for every day they keep the same, and
pay for mending, if it be broken in their use.
It is ordered, that there shall be a set meeting of all the
townsmen together the first Thursday in every month, by
nine o'clock in the forenoon, so that if any inhabitant have
any business with them, he may repair unto them; and
whosoever of them do not meet at the time and place set,
to forfeit two shillings and sixpence for every default.
* Dr. Hawes' Centennial Address.
FAMILY TOURIST.
87
HARTFORD.
The 17th September, 1640-It is ordered, that ..
Woodward shall spend his time about killing of wolves, and
for his encouragement he shall have four shillings and six-
pence for his board, in case he kill not a wolf, or a deer in
the week; but if he kill a wolf or a deer, he is to pay for
his board himself; and if he kill . . to have it for two
pence a pound. This order is made for a month before he
begins. It is further ordered, that if any person hath lost
any thing that he desireth should be cried in a public meet-
ing, he shall pay for crying of it two pence to Thomas
Woodford, to be paid before it be cried; and the crier shall
have a book of the things that he crieth.
At a general Town Meeting in April, 1643-It was or-
dered, That Mr. Andrews should teach the children in the
school one year next ensuing, from the 25th of March,
1643, and that he shall have for his pains £16; and there-
fore the townsmen shall go and inquire who will engage
themselves to send their children; and all that do so shall
pay for one quarter at the least, and for more if they do send
them, after the proportion of twenty shillings the year; and
if they go any weeks more than an even quarter, they shall
pay sixpence a week; and if any would send their children,
and are not able to pay for their teaching, they shall give
notice of it to the townsmen, and they shall pay it at the
town's charge; and Mr. Andrews shall keep the account
between the children's schooling and himself, and send no-
tice of the times of payment and demand it; and if his
wages doth not come in so, then the townsmen must col-
lect and pay it; or if the engagements come not to sixteen
pounds, then they shall pay what is wanting, at the town's
charges.
1
At a general Town Meeting, October 30th, 1643—It
was ordered, That if any boy shall be taken playing, or
misbehaving himself, in the time of public services, wheth-
er in the meeting house or about the walls. .... by two
witnesses, for the first time, shall be examined and punish-
ed at the present, publicly, before the assembly depart;
and if any shall be the second time taken faulty, on witness,
shall be accounted . . . . . Further, it is ordered, if the pa-
rents or master shall desire to correct his boy, he shall have
liberty, the first time to do the same.
It was further ordered, in the same general meeting, that
there should be a bell rung by the watch every morning, an
88
FAMILY TOURIST.
HARTFORD.
hour before day break, and that they are appointed by
the constables for that purpose, shall begin at the bridge,
and so ring the bell all the way forth and back from Mas-
ter Moody's (Wyllys Hill) to John Pratt's ..... and that
they shall be in every house, one up, and . . . some lights
within one quarter of an hour after the end of the bell ring-
ing . . .. if they can .... the bell is rung before the time
appointed, then to be up with lights as before mentioned,
half an hour before day break, and for default herein is to
forfeit one shilling and sixpence, to be to him that finds him
faulty, and sixpence to the town.*
Hartford was not incorporated as a city, till 1784, nearly
a century and a half from its settlement. It lies upon the
bank of Connecticut river, 50 miles from its mouth. It is
123 N. E. from New York, and 100 W. S. W. from Boston.
Its lat. is 41° 45′ N. and long. 4° 15' E. from Washington.
The limits of the city extend somewhat more than a mile
upon the river, and about three fourths of a mile in breadth.
The position of the city is quite pleasant. The prospect
from the State House, or any other considerable elevation,
is delightful, especially in the latter part of the spring
months, when the uncommonly fertile country around has
put on its appropriate attire. Few scenes are more en-
chanting-the river, which at this season is considerably
swollen, coming down from the north, and sweeping rapid-
ly by the city-while the proud steamboat is seen laboring.
up against the current, or just swinging off from the dock,
turns with the descending tide, and dashes like the war-
horse down the impetuous flood.
The city is rather irregularly laid out, and is divided at
the south part by Mill, or Little river. Until within a few
years, the southern portion of the city has been neglected;
but several fine mansion houses have recently been erected
in this quarter, which now promises to rival, if not excel,
the other portions of the city. From the nature of the soil,
the streets must always in the spring season of the year, be
liable to mud; but they are annually improving. The first
efficient effort to improve Main street, was made in 1790, or
1791, "when the town voted to cover it with stone, and an-
nually appropriated a tax of four pence on the pound for
* Historical Collections.
FAMILY TOURIST.
89
HARTFORD.
that purpose for several years." A vast expense has been
incurred to improve the streets, especially Main street,
greatly to the credit of the authorities of the city.
The
The city is well built, and contains many elegant public
and private edifices. The State House, in which are the
public offices of the State, is surmounted with a cupola,
and is a handsome and spacious building. It is "fifty feet
in width, fifty in height, and one hundred and thirty in
length. The first story is twenty feet high, of dark brown
free stone, with circular breaks over each window.
second story is twenty, and the third ten feet high; and the
division between them is marked by a band of free stone.
From each front, finished with iron gates, projects an open
arcade, sixteen feet wide and forty long. The one on the
west supports a second and third story, enclosed and finish-
ed, like the rest of the building. On the eastern one stands
a Doric portico, thirty feet high, of ten columns, built of
brick, and stuccoed white. On the first floor of the south
wing are four rooms, occupied as offices by the Treasurer
and Comptroller. The north contains the court room, of
forty feet diameter. Within it is a row of Doric, fluted
columns, ten feet from the wall, supporting the floor of the
Representatives' room, which is as large as the one below,
and thirty feet high, including the second and third stories.
Ionic pilasters are between each window, whose entablature
and balustrade reach to the bottom of the attic windows,
and on the south side of the room form the front of a gal-
lery supported by fluted columns. The council chamber
occupies the south wing on the same floor; is of the same
size, as the one last described; and differs from it only in
being without a gallery, and having in the place of pilasters
Corinthian columns, whose capitals are without their ap-
propriate leaves. A double flight of stairs from the west
end of the area below, communicates to the hall, which is
the entrance to the two large rooms. The hall is forty feet
by twenty-five, and twenty high. At its east end are win-
dows, opening from the floor to the Portico; and at the
west are doors, communicating with the Secretary's office,
and with a spiral stair case, which leads to the gallery, and
to committee rooms in the third story, over the Hall and
8*
90
FAMILY TOURIST.
HARTFORD.
the Secretary's office."*
Within a few years, the appear-
ance of this edifice has been greatly improved.
The City Hall, built for city purposes, is also spacious
and elegant. It has two fronts, with porticos, supported
each by six columns. The effect of this building, however,
is in a great measure lost, from its confined position; on a
somewhat higher elevation, and with open grounds around
it, it would produce great effect, and be much more orna-
mental to the city.
"The city has eleven places of public worship-four for
Congregationalists, one Episcopal, two Baptist, one Metho-
dist, one Universalist, one Roman Catholic, and one Afri-
can; several of these are very handsome, and the Episcopal,
a Gothic edifice, is much admired for its elegance. There
are five banks, and a bank for savings; three fire and ma-
rine insurance offices, an arsenal, museum, three markets,"
&c.
In the immediate vicinity, are located the American Asy-
lum for the Deaf and Dumb, the Retreat for the Insane,
and Washington College.
The Asylum was founded by an association of gentlemen
in Hartford, in 1815. "Their attention was called to this
important charity, by a case of deafness in the family of one
of their number. An interesting child of the late Dr. Cogs-
well, who had lost her hearing at the age of two years, and
her speech soon after, was, under Providence, the cause
of its establishment. Her father, ever ready to sympathize
with the afflicted, and prompt to relieve human suffering,
embraced in his plans for the education of his own daugh-
ter, all who might be similarly unfortunate. The co-opera-
tion of the benevolent was easily secured, and measures
were taken to obtain from Europe a knowledge of the diffi-
cult art, unknown in this country, of teaching written lan-
guage through the medium of signs, to the deaf and dumb.
For this purpose, the Rev. Thomas H. Gallaudet visited
England and Scotland, and applied at the institutions in
those countries, for instruction in their system, but meeting
with unexpected difficulties, he repaired to France, and ob-
tained at the Royal Institution at Paris, those qualifications
for an instructor of the deaf and dumb, which a selfish and
* Dwight's Travels.
FAMILY TOURIST.
91
HARTFORD.
mistaken policy had refused him in Great Britain. Accom-
panied by Mr. Samuel Clerc, himself deaf and dumb, and
for several years a successful teacher under the Abbe Si-
card, Mr. Gallaudet returned to this country in August,
1816. The Asylum had, in May preceding, been incorpo-
ted by the State legislature. Some months were spent by
Messrs. Gallaudet and Clerc, in obtaining funds for the ben-
efit of the Institution, and in the spring of 1817, the Asy-
lum was opened for the reception of those for whom it was
designed, and the course of instruction commenced with
seven pupils.
"In 1819, Congress granted the Institution a township
of land in Alabama, the proceeds of which have been in-
vested as a permanent fund. The principal building was
erected in 1820, and the pupils removed to it in the spring
of the following year. It is one hundred and thirty feet
long, fifty feet wide, and, including the basement, four sto-
ries high. Other buildings have been subsequently erect-
ed, as the increasing number of pupils made it necessary;
the principal of which is a dining hall and work shops for
the male pupils. Attached to the Institution are eight or
ten acres of land, which afford ample room for exercise and
the cultivation of vegetables and fruits for the pupils.
"The pupils usually remain at the Asylum four or five
years, in which time an intelligent child will acquire a
knowledge of the common operations of arithmetic, of
geography, grammar, history, biography, and of written
language, so as to enable him to understand the Scriptures,
and books written in a familiar style. He will of course be
able to converse with others by writing, and to manage his
own affairs, as a farmer or mechanic. There are work
shops connected with the Institution, in which the boys
have the opportunity of learning a trade, and many of them
by devoting four hours each day to this object, become skill-
ful workmen, and when they leave the Asylum, find no diffi-
culty in supporting themselves. The annual charge to each
pupil is one hundred dollars."
"The Retreat for the Insane commenced its operations
on the 15th of April, 1824. The edifice is situated on a
commanding eminence, at the distance of a mile and a
quarter, in a south-westerly direction, from the State House,
in Hartford. The elevation overlooks an ample range of
92
FAMILY TOURIST.
HARTFORD.
fertile country, presenting on every side a most interesting
landscape, adorned with every beauty of rural scenery, that
can be found in rich and cultivated fields, and meadows of
unrivalled verdure; in extensive groves and picturesque
groups of forest, fruit and ornamental trees; and above
all, in the charming diversity of level, sloping and undula-
ting surfaces terminating by distant hills, and more distant
mountains.
"The city of Hartford is conspicuously seen on the left,
and in different directions, five flourishing villages, ren-
dered nearly continuous by numerous interervening farm
houses. On the east, the prospect is enlivened by the
passing and re-passing of carriages and travellers, on the
two principal thoroughfares of the country, that extend
along the front of the building, one at the distance of fifty
or sixty rods, the other within three fourths of a mile.
Still farther eastward, but within a mile and a half, the pros-
pect is frequently enlivened by the splendid show of passing
steamboats, and the white sails of various water craft, ply-
ing up and down the Connecticut river, which is distinctly
seen in many long windings.
"The edifice for the accommodation of the patients, and
those who have the care of them, is constucted of unhewn
free stone, covered with a smooth white water proof cement.
Its style of architecture is perfectly plain and simple, and
interests only by its symmetrical beauty, and perhaps by
the idea it impresses of durability and strength, derived
from the massy solidity of its materials-yet notwithstand-
ing these, its general aspect is remarkably airy and cheer-
ful, from the amplitude of its lights, and the brilliant white-
ness of its exterior. The whole building is divided into
commodious and spacious apartments, adapted to various
descriptions of cases, according to their sex, nature and
disease, habits of life, and the wishes of their friends. The
male and female apartments are entirely separated, and
either sex is completely secluded from the view of the oth-
er.
Rooms are provided in both male and female apart-
ments, for the accommodation of the sick, where they are
removed from any annoyance, and can continually receive
the kind attentions of their immediate relations and friends.
Attached to the buildings, are about seventeen acres of ex-
cellent land, the principal part of which is laid out in walks,
ornamental grounds and extensive gardens. With each
FAMILY TOURIST.
93
HARTFORD.
wing and block of the building, is connected a court yard,
encompassed by high fences, and handsomely laid out, de-
signed to afford the benefit of exercise, pastime, and fresh
air to those who cannot safely be allowed to range abroad.
"Connected with the Institution, there are horses and
carriages, which are appropriated exclusively to the benefit
of the patients, and which afford them much pleasant exer-
cise and amusement. The male patients frequently employ
themselves in the garden, and amuse themselves at the back
gammon board, draughts, and the like. The female pa-
tients employ themselves in sewing, knitting, drawing,
painting, playing on the piano, and other amusements.
The various exercises and amusements are adapted to the
age, sex, and former habits of the patients, and in all cases
the two sexes are kept entirely separate. There is a libra-
ry in the Retreat, composed of light and agreeable works,
and several periodicals and newspapers, are constantly ta-
ken, for the perusal of which the inmates manifest much
fondness. [On the Sabbath, those that are in a proper con-
dition, attend religious service, conducted by Rev. Mr. Gal-
laudet, at present, 1338, chaplain to the Institution.] Every
thing connected withthe Institution, is designed to make it
a pleasant and agreeable residence for all its inmates."*
Washington College was founded in 1826. It has two
edifices of free stone; one 148 feet long by 43 wide, and
four stories high, containing 48 rooms; the other 87 feet
by 55, and three stories high, containing the chapel, libra-
ry, mineraological cabinet, philosophical chamber, labrato-
ry and recitation rooms. There are 5,000 volumes in the
college library, and 2,500 in the libraries of the different
societies. A complete philosophical apparatus, cabinet of
minerals, and botanical garden and green house, belong to
the institution. The faculty consists of a president, six
professors, and two tutors. Students about 60. Com-
mencement first Thursday in August.†
There are two fine bridges in the city-one across the
Mill or Little River connecting the northern and southern
portion of the city. This is built of free stone, and is 100
* American Magazine, vol, i. 1835.
+ Darby and Dwight's Gazetteer, 1836.
94
FAMILY TOURIST.
HARTFORD.
feet wide, supported by a single arch, seven feet in thick-
ness at the base, and three feet three inches at the centre;
the chord or span of which is 104 feet. The elevation from
the bed of the river to the top of the arch is 30` feet. An-
other bridge across the Connecticut River, 1,000 feet long,
and which cost over $100,000, unites the city with East
Hartford. Hartford is advantageously situated for busi-
ness. An extensive and wealthy district surrounds it.
Steamboats, in the open season, daily communicate be-
tween it and New York, and smaller steamboats, some for
passengers and others for towing flat boats, ascend the river
-the former to Springfield, and the latter as far as Wells'
river, 220 miles above the city. The coasting trade is
considerable; the foreign trade not extensive. The man-
ufactures of the city exceed $900,000 per annum. More
than twice as many books are published here annually as
are manufactured in any other place of equal population in
the United States. The population within the limits of the
city in September, 1835, was nine thousand and eight lun-
dred.
The State Assembly meets alternately at Hartford and
New Haven, on the first Wednesday of May-the odd
years at the former place. Anterior to this era in the
State, "Election Day" was marked by various ceremo-
nies, which rendered the day one of great gathering and
high festivity. Most of these, however, have been gradually
dispensed with. The clergy, who were formerly dined at
the public expense, have no longer that provision made for
them. The Governor's Guards have met with a similar
deprivation. The Election Sermon is heard no more, and
for several years the members of the Assembly, who were
wont to march in solemn and dignified procession to the
house of God, have formed no procession at all.
Several travellers have described the ceremonies of Elec-
tion day, as they were observed in the "olden time," till
the era spoken of above. We select the following from
Kendall's Travels, 1808, as a substantially correct account
of these days, which were wont to infuse animation into the
man of threescore years and ten, and filled the stripling
with joys, which he felt but once in a year.
"I reached Hartford," says this traveller, "at noon, on
FAMILY TOURIST.
95
HARTFORD.
Wednesday, the 19th of May, 1807. The city is on the
west bank of the Connecticut, fifty miles above its mouth.
The governor, whose family residence is on the east side
of the river, at some distance from Hartford, was expected
to arrive in the evening. This gentleman, whose name is
Jonathan Trumbull, is the son of the late governor Jona-
than Trumbull; and though the election is annual, he has
himself been three or four years in office, and will almost
certainly so continue during the remainder of his life. It
was known that the votes at this time were in his favor.
"The governor has volunteer companies of guards, both
horse and foot. In the afternoon, the horse were drawn up
on the bank of the river, to receive him, and escort him to
his lodgings. He came before sunset, and the fineness of
the evening, the beauty of the river, the respectable appear-
ance of the governor, and of the troop, the dignity of the
occasion, and the decorum observed, united to gratify the
spectators. The color of the clothes of the troops was
blue. The governor, though on horseback, was dressed in
black, but he wore a cockade in a hat, which I did not like
the less, because it was in the form rather of the old school
than of the new.
In the morning, the foot guards were paraded in front of
the State House, where they afterwards remained under
arms, while the troop of horse occupied the street which
is on the south side of the building. The clothing of the
foot was scarlet, with white waist coats and pantaloons;
and their appearance and demeanor were military.
"The day was fine, and the apartments and galleries of
the State House afforded an agreeable place of meeting, in
which the members of the Assembly and others awaited
the coming of the Governor. At about eleven o'clock, his
excellency entered the State House, and shortly after, took
his place at the head of a procession, which was made to a
meeting house or church, at something less than half a
mile distant. The procession was on foot, and was com-
posed of the person of the governor, together with the lieu-
tenant governor, assistants, high sheriffs, members of the
lower house of the assembly, and, unless with accidental
exceptions, all the clergy of the State. It was preceded
by the foot guards, and followed by the horse; and attend-
ed by gazers, that, considering the size and population of
the city, may be said to have been numerous. The church,
96
FAMILY TOURIST.
HARTFORD.
which from its situation is called the South Meeting House,
is a small one, and was resorted to on this occasion, only
because that more ordinarily used was at this time rebuild-
ing. The edifice is of wood, alike unornamented within
and without; and when filled, there was still presented to
the eye nothing but what had the plainest appearance. The
military remained in the street, with the exception of a few
officers, to whom no place of honor or distinction was as-
signed; neither the governor nor other magistrates were
accompanied with any insignia of office; the clergy had no
canonical costume, and there were no females in the
church, except a few (rather more than twenty in number)
who were stationed by themselves in a gallery opposite the
pulpit, in quality of singers. A decent order was the high-
est characteristic that presented itself.
"The pulpit, or as it is here called, the desk, was filled
by three, if not four clergymen; a number by its form and
dimensions it was able to accommodate. Of these, one
opened the service with a prayer, another delivered a ser-
mon, a third made a concluding prayer, and a fourth pro-
nounced a benediction. Several hymns were sung; and
among others, an occasional one. The total number of
singers was between forty and fifty.
The sermon, as will be supposed, touched upon mat-
ters of government. When all was finished, the procession
returned to the State House. The clergy who walked
were about a hundred in number.
It was in the two bodies of guards alone, that any suita-
ble approach to magnificence discovered itself. The gov-
ernor was full dressed, in a suit of black; but the lieuten-
ant governor wore riding boots. All, however, was con-
sistently plain, and in unison with itself, except the dress-
swords, which were worn by high sheriffs, along with their
village habiliments: and of which the fashion and the ma-
terials were marvelously diversified. Arrived in front of
the State House, the military formed on each side of the
street; and as the governor passed them, presented arms.
The several parts of the procession now separated; each
to a dinner prepared for itself at an adjoining inn; the gov-
ernor, lieutenant governor, and assistants to their table, the
clergy to a second, and the representatives to a third. The
time of day was about two in the afternoon.
FAMILY TOURIST.
97
NEW HAVEN.
"Only a short time elapsed before business was resumed;
or rather, at length commenced. The General Assembly
met in the council room, and the written votes being ex-
amined and counted, the names of the public officers elect-
ed were formally declared. They were in every instance
the same as those which had been successful the preceding
year.
"This done, the lieutenant governor administered the
oath to the governor elect, who, being sworn, proceeded to
administer their respective oaths to the lieutenaut govern-
or and the rest; and here terminated the affairs of the elec-
tion day. Soon after six o'clock, the military fired three
feux de joies, and were then dismissed.
"On the evening following that of election day, there is
an annual ball at Hartford, called the election ball; and on
the succeeding Monday, a second, which is more select.
The election day is a holiday throughout the State; and
even the whole remainder of the week is regarded in a
similar light. Servants and others are now indemnified for
the loss of the festivals of Christmas, Easter, and Whitsun-
tide, which the principles of their church deny them.
Families exchange visits, and treat their guests with slices of
election cake; and thus preserve some portion of the luxuries
of the forgotten feast of the Epiphany. The whole day,
like the morning, and like the evening which preceded it,
was fine. In Hartford, the degree of bustle was sufficient
to give an air of importance to the scene; a scene that ta-
ken altogether, was not unfitted to leave on the mind a pleas-
ing and respectful impression."
NEW HAVEN.
The first knowledge which the English appear to have
obtained of the beautiful territory, on which New Haven
stands, was in the year 1637, when, in the prosecution of the
Pequot war, a party of English troops pursued Sassacus,
the great sachem of that tribe, and his warriors, in their
flight, as far as Fairfield. It is not improbable that the spot
had been previously visited by the Dutch, from New York.
9
98
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW HAVEN.
No attempt, however, had been made by them to settle. It
was still in possession of an Indian tribe, called the Quin-
nipiacs, which name seems to have been given, not only to
the territory itself, but, also, to the river, now called Wal-
lingford river, and which forms the eastern boundary of the
township.
On the 30th of March, 1638, a small colony, led by Mr.
Davenport, Mr. Prudden, Mr. Samuel Eaton, and Theophi-
lus Eaton, Esq., sailed from Boston, for Quinnipiac. After
a fortnight's voyage, they reached their destined port.
The first Sabbath after their arrival, the people assembled
under a large spreading oak. Here they invoked the bles-
sing of that God who had preserved them amid the perils
of the deep, and here they listened to such directions and
exhortations, as their pious minister Mr. Davenport thought
pertinent to their state.
In November following, Theophilus Eaton, Esq., Mr.
Davenport, and the other English planters, entered into ar-
ticles of agreement with Momauguin, sole sachem of Quin-
nipiac, by which the said sachem transferred the territory
to the English, for which the latter agreed to protect the
sachem and his Indians, and gave twelve coats of English
cloth, twelve alchymy spoons, twelve hatchets, twelve hoes,
two dozen of knives, twelve porringers, and four cases of
French knives and scissors.
The New Haven colonists were, perhaps, the most weal-
thy company, which emigrated to New England. The
tract of land selected for their residence was singularly
level, and beautiful; and susceptible of being laid out in
regular squares. The centre of the town was occupied
by a large square, which was encompassed by nine others.
The city lies at the head of a harbor, which sets up four
miles from Long Island Sound. Its latitude is 40° 18′ north;
longitude 72° 56' west. It is 76 miles from New York;
34 from Hartford; 134 from Boston; and 301 from Wash-
ington.
"There is nothing in Britain," says Mr. Duncan, "that
bears any resemblance to a New England town, and it is
not easy to convey an idea of its singular neatness. The
houses are generally of wood, painted white, and decorated.
FAMILY TOURIST.
99
NEW HAVEN.
with Venetian blinds, of a brilliant green. The solid frame-
work of the walls is covered externally with thin planks,
called by Americans, clapboards, which overlap each other
from the eaves downward, and serve effectually to exclude
rain. The roofs are covered with shingles, which are thin
slips of wood, put on like slates, and painted with a dark
blue. The buildings are, in general, about two stories in
height; the door is decorated with a neat portico; and very
frequently a projecting piazza, most grateful in hot weather,
with benches under it, extends along the whole front of the
house. Mouldings and minute decorations of various kinds
are carried round the principal projections. A garden is not
unfrequent behind, and a neat wooden railing in front,
inclosing a grass-plot and a few trees. Such houses would
soon look rusty and weather-beaten were they in our cli-
mate; but they enjoy here a purer atmosphere, and the
smoke of coal fire is unknown. The painting is renewed
once a year, which serves to preserve the wood for a long
time. The churches, or meeting-houses, as they are more
generally called, are, in the smaller towns, also of wood,
and, with the addition of a steeple and a gilt weather-cock,
resemble very much the other buildings. In the large
towns they are of brick or stone, but retain generally the
green Venetian blinds upon the windows. The streets are
wide, and run off, at right angles to each other, from a
large open square, covered with green turf, in the centre
of the town: the churches, town-house, and an inn or two,
not unfrequently front this green. Gravel walks skirt ma-
ny of the streets, and occasionally rows of limes or pop-
lars. The agreeable succession of gardens, grass-plots,
- trees, foot-walks, and buildings, gives an air of rural quiet-
ness to the town; and the open space which frequently in-
tervenes between one house and another, prevents much of
the danger which would otherwise arise from fire. Every
thing betokens an unusual share of homely simplicity and
comfort, and the absence at once of great riches and of
great poverty.
'New Haven possesses most of the distinctive peculiar-
ities which I have now noticed; but combines with them
much of what we usually consider inseparable from a town.
The churches, and a great many of the dwelling-houses,
100
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW HAVEN.
are of brick, a few even of stone,* and two or three of the
streets are closely built. The numerous buildings of Yale
College, all of brick, and constructed with a regularity and
neatness, complete its claims to superiority.
The country round New Haven is very picturesque,
Behind the town, at a distance of about two miles, is an
amphitheatre of rugged hills, not unlike some of our Scot-
tish scenery; in front is an inlet from Long Island Sound,
affording a safe and commodious harbor; to the right and
left, a richly cultivated country, relieved by patches of for-
est; and in wide expanse before it, the blue waves of the
sea rolling in magnificence. Two large precipices, called
East and West Rock, 400 feet high, and about two miles
apart, form part of the semicircular range. They are prom-
inent features in the landscape; and events in the annals
of our native country, with which they are associated, im-
part to them that traditional charm, which is so often want-
ing in American scenery. In the fastnesses of these rocks,
some of the regicides of Charles I. found shelter from
their pursuers, when the agents of his profligate son hunted
them for their lives.
"Of the individuals referred to, President Dwight has
communicated some highly interesting particulars. About
three miles N. E. from Northampton in the Connecticut
valley, and 90 miles from due W. of Boston, is the little
town of Hadley. "In this town," says the learned writer,
"resided for fifteen or sixteen years, the celebrated regi-
cides, Goffe and Whalley. They came hither in the year
1654, and lived in the house of the Reverend Mr. Rus-
sel, the minister. Whalley died in his house. Some
years since, the house was pulled down by Mr. Gaylord, the
*The original churches in New Haven are described by Dr. Dwight,
as "barely decent structures;" but in 1812, all the congregations voted
that they would take down their churches, and build new ones. Accord-
ingly, two of them commenced the work in 1813, and a third in 1814,
These three are all placed on the western side of Temple street, which is
100 feet wide, facing an open square. "The Presbyterian churches are
of Grecian architecture. The Episcopal Church is a Gothic building,
the only correct specimen, it is believed, in the United States. Few
structures devoted to the same purpose on this side the Atlantic, are
equally handsome." Dwight, Vol. 1, p. 154. In one of the Congrega-
tional or Presbyterian Churches, Mr. Duncan says, an organ has been
introduced, but with a special stipulation that no voluntary shall be al-
lowed to break in upon the solemnity of worship.
FAMILY TOURIST.
101
NEW HAVEN.
proprietor, when the bones of Whalley were found buried
just without the cellar-wall, in a kind of tomb of mason-
work, and covered with flags of hewn stone.
·
After his de-
cease, Goffe quitted Hadley, and went into Connecticut,
and afterwards, according to tradition, to the neighborhood
of New York. Here he is said to have lived some time,
and, the better to disguise himself, to have carried vegeta-
bles at times to market. It is said, that having been dis-
covered here, he retired secretly to the colony of Rhode
Island, and there lived with a son of Whalley, the remain-
der of his life. The following story has been traditionally
conveyed down among the inhabitants of Hadley:
"In the course of Philip's war, which involved almost
all the Indian tribes in New England, and, among others,
those in the neighborhood of this town, the inhabitants
thought it proper to observe the 1st of September, 1675, as
a day of fasting and prayer. While they were in the
church, and employed in their worship, they were surprised
by a band of savages. The people instantly betook them-
selves to their arms, which, according to the custom of the
times, they had carried with them to the church; and rush-
ing out, attacked their invaders. The panic under which
they began the conflict, was, however, so great, and their
number was so disproportioned to that of their enemies,
that they fought doubtfully at first, and in a short time be-
gan evidently to give way. At this moment, an ancient
man, with hoary locks, of a most venerable and dignified
aspect, and in address widely differing from that of the in-
habitants, appeared suddenly at their head, and with a firm
voice and an example of undaunted resolution, reanimated
their courage, led them again to the conflict, and totally
routed the savages.
When the battle was ended, the stran-
ger disappeared, and no one knew whence he had come, or
whither he had gone. The relief was so timely, so sud-
den, so unexpected, so providential; the appearance and
retreat of him, who had furnished it, were so unaccounța-
ble; his person was so dignified and commanding, his res-
olution so superior, and his interference so decisive, that
the inhabitants, without any uncommon exercise of credu-
lity, readily believed him to be an angel sent from Heaven
for their preservation. Nor was this opinion seriously con-
troverted, until it was discovered, years afterwards, that
Goffe and Whalley had been lodged in the house of Mr.
*
9
102
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW HAVEN.
Russell. Then it was known that their deliverer was Goffe ;
Whalley having become superannuated some time before.
the event took place. There is an obscure and very doubt-
ful tradition, that Goffe also was buried here.
Colonel Dixwell, another of the king's judges, we learn
from other authority, found shelter also in America.
"He
visited his fellow exiles in their concealment, and being him-
self unknown, settled and married at New Haven, under the
name of James Dowds. By that name, he signed his will,
but there he adds to it his own. His tombstone is shewn
at New Haven with only the initials J. D. Esq. deceased
March 18th, in the 82d year of his age, 1688.' Another
stone, with the initials, E. W. Esqr.' is traditionally sup-
posed to mark the grave of Whalley:-if it be so, his bones
must have been removed there by Dixwell; an affecting act
of pious friendship."
C
"I have seen both the grave stones alluded to" says Mr.
Duncan; "they still stand in the old burying ground, be-
hind one of the churches. The inscription on the first is
in rude characters, and is thus arranged:
J. D. ESQ.
DECEASED MARCH YE
18 IN YE 82D YEAR OF
HIS AGE, 1688-9.
"The other stone, which has been supposed to commemo-
rate Whalley, must have been erected over some other per-
son whose name and history have been lost; for the date,
which has generally been read, 1688 is in reality, 1658.
The mistake has arisen from a slight injury which the stone
has received, and which has imparted to the figure 5, some-
thing of the shape of 8, although it is still quite possible to
decipher its original form. None of these relics will long
survive. The ancient burying-ground is no longer used;
the fence round it has gone to decay; and the moss-grown
grave-stones are rapidly disappearing under the dilapidating
attacks of idlers, who are daily defacing these frail memori-
als of the dust, which sleep below.
The new cemetery, which has sprung from the ashes of
the old one, in simplicity of arrangement, and elegance of
monumental decoration, leaves at a great distance all others
that I have any where seen. It is in shape an oblong square
divided by a regular succession of avenues, crossing each
FAMILY TOURIST.
103
NEW HAVEN,
other at right angles, and skirted by rows of Lombardy
poplars. The divisions, which are thus formed, are subdi-
vided into spaces sufficient for family-burying-places, which
are surrounded with a neat wooden railing, painted white.
There is scarcely a grave, which has not a monument of
one kind or other; and with the exception of those trans-
ferred from the old burying-ground, they are almost univer-
sally of white, or green marble. Some of those of white
marble were executed in Italy. The green marble is found
about two miles off, and is thought by some to bear a close
resemblance to the verd antique. The monuments consist
of obelisks, tables, and upright slabs, at the head and foot of
the grave. The obelisks are ranged in the centre of the
principal subdivision, in parallel rows, and at right angles
to each other. The inscriptions, which are cut on the
white marble, are generally painted black; those on the
green are gilt, and have a very rich effect.
"While the monuments in the old burying-ground seem
devoted to ruin, those in the new one, although accessible
to every passenger, are treated with the most scrupulous re-
spect
A neat fence surrounded the cemetery; but openings
are left at regular intervals, from which numerous foot walks
cross the ground. The soil is composed of a light sand,
and shoots from the poplars are springing up so numerously,
that they threaten to overrun it. Except the slight wooden
railing, there is no kind of fence round the graves; they
are altogether free from those unsightly cages of cast iron,
by which our burying-grounds in Glasgow are disfigured,
and the enclosures are not defaced by those quaint emblems
of mortality and grief, which so often, with us, betray the
bad taste of the proprietors. A becoming respect is shewn
to the memory of the departed; and an air of impressive
solemnity, pervade the whole enclosure, which is not coun-
teracted by any of those lugubrious, and not unfrequently
ludicrous allegorical devices,, and misapplied quotations
from scripture, which meet us at every step in our more an-
cient repositories of the dead. I have visited every shrine
in Westminster Abbey, and have heard the marble-hearted
verger dole out, in monotonous cadence, the dreary cata-
logue of names, which are entombed and commemorated
there. The damp of the long drawn aisles chilled me to the
heart; and I trod over the ashes of monarchs, barons, and
crusading knights, whose sculptured figures, scattered
around, were covered with the mutilations and dust of many
104
FAMILY TOURIST,
NEW HAVEN.
generations; yet, I doubt whether sympathy with my kin-
dred dust was as strongly excited there, as in the burying
ground at New Haven.'
The population of New Haven, is about 12,000. By
these the New England character, Mr. Duncan remarks, is
very favorably exhibited. The simplicity, and sincerity of
the ancient Puritans may still be seen strongly marked in
their descendants. Plain and frugal in their domestic hab-
its, they exhibit little of that artificial polish which, like
varnish, frequently disguises very worthless materials, and a
stranger is not mortified by professions without services, and
show without substance.
The area, occupied by the city, is probably as large as
that, which usually contains a city of six times the number
of inhabitants in Europe. Many of the houses have court
yards in front, and gardens in the rear. The former are or-
namented with trees and shrubs; the latter are filled with
fruit trees, flowers and culinary vegetables. The houses are
generally two stories high, built of wood, in a neat, hand-
some, but not expensive style. Many of those recently
erected, however, are good and substantial edifices of brick
and stone. The public edifices are, the college building;
twelve churches, viz. six Congregational, two Episcopal,
two Methodists, one Baptist, and one Roman Catholic; a
Tontine, a State House, a Jail, four Banks, a Custom House,
and a State Hospital.
The chief ornament and attraction of New Haven, re-
mains to be noticed, its college, the rival of Harvard Uni-
versity in literary respectability, and honorably distinguish-
ed from it by the orthodoxy of its religious character. The
buildings of Yale College make a conspicuous appearance,
when entering the town eastward; and the effect is consid-
erably heightened by three churches, which stand at a little
distance in front, in a parallel line. The ground between
the college and the churches, is neatly divided and enclosed
and ornamented with trees. Including passage-ways the
principal edifices present a front of upwards of 800 feet.
The buildings are chiefly constructed of brick, and consist
of five spacious edifices, each four stories high, one hundred
* Duncan's Travels.

YALE COLLEGE, NEW HAVEN.
FAMILY TOURIST.
105
NEW HAVEN.
and four feet by forty, containing thirty two studies; a chap-
el for religious worship, and ordinary public exhibitions; a
Lyceum, containing the library and recitation rooms; an
Athenæum; a Chemical Labratory; an extensive stone Di-
ning Hall, containing also in the upper story, apartments
for the mineralogical cabinet; a separate Dining Hall for
Theological Students; a dwelling house for the President;
a large stone building occupied by the medical department;
and the Trumbull Gallery, a neat and appropriate building
erected as a repository for the valuable historical and other
paintings of Col. Trumbull.
Yale College was originally established at Saybrook, in
the year 1700, and was incorporated by the colonial legisla-
ture in the following year. The project of establishing a
college in Connecticut, appears to have been seriously en-
tertained fifty years before; but it was checked, Dr. Dwight
inform us, by well founded circumstances by the people of
Massachusetts, who justly urged that the whole population
of New England, was scarcely sufficient to support one in-
stitution of this nature, and that the establishment of a sec-
ond would endanger the prosperity of both; these objections
put a stop to the design for the time; it was not, how-
ever, lost sight of. In 1718, the infant Institution- was re-
moved by the Trustees to New Haven. It was originally
intended simply for the education of young men for the
ministry; but, as it gathered strength from individual liber-
ality and public patronage, the range of its plan of study
was gradually extended, until it now embraces the more es-
sential parts of a complete literary, scientific, and medical
education.
The college received its name, in commemoration of the
beneficence of the Honorable Elihu Yale, a son of one of
the first settlers, who went to England in early life, and
thence to India, where he became governor to Madras;
and on his return to England, he was elected governor of
the East India Company. From this gentleman, the col-
lege received donations at various times, between 1714 and
1718, to the amount of 5007. sterling; and a short time be-
fore his death, he directed another benefaction to the same
amount to be transmitted, but it was never received. An-
other of its early benefactors was the celebrated Dean Berke-
ley, afterward Bishop of Cloyne, who came to America in
1732, for the purpose of establishing a college in the island
106
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW HAVEN.
of Bermuda; a project to which he nobly sacrificed consid-
erable property, as well as time and labor. His efforts be-
ing frustrated by the failure of the promised support from
government, he presented to this Institution a farm which
he had purchased in Rhode Island, and afterwards trans-
mitted to it from England a very valuable collection of
books-" the finest that ever came together at one time into
America." Sir Isaac Newton, and many other distinguish-
ed men, presented their works to the library.
Although founded under the sanction of the colonial le-
gislature, and partly endowed by it, the college was for a
long time indebted for its support chiefly to individual
patronage the whole amount bestowed by the colonial
legislature, during the first ninety years of its existence, did
not much exceed 4,5007. sterling. But when the Federal
Government was consolidated, a grant was made, in 1792,
to Yale College, out of a fund created by uncollected ar-
rears of war taxes, by which ultimately 60,000 dollars were
realized.
The library of the college contains above 10,000 volumes,
exclusive of pamphlets. The libraries of the Linonian So-
ciety and of the Brothers in Unity, comprise each more
than 5,000 volumes. The Calliopean Society has a library
of 3,800 volumes. The Moral Society about 600-making
in the several libraries an aggregate of about 25,000
volumes. The college possesses the richest mineralogical
cabinet on the continent. This cabinet originally belonged
to Colonel George Gibbs, who deposited it in this seminary
in 1811. It contained 24,000 specimens. In 1825 it was
purchased of Colonel Gibbs, at the price of $20,000; of
which sum the officers of Yale College, and the citizens of
New Haven, contributed ten thousand dollars; the citizens
of New York, three thousand dollars; the alumni of South
Carolina seven hundred dollars, and an individual five hun-
dred dollars. Several thousand specimens, chiefly domes-
tic, have since been added by various donors.
To the east of the original city, but within the nine origi-
nal squares and Mill River, lies the New Township. With-
in a few years, this part of the city has rapidly increased.
Still further east, at the distance of two miles, but within
the present city limits, is Fair Haven. It is on both sides
of the Quinnipiac, and contains about 1,000 inhabitants.
FAMILY TOURIST.
107
NEW HAVEN.
The oyster business is extensively carried on here. "It
commences in October, and closes in April. There are
oysters brought here from different places, but the largest
amount is from Virginia. The last season (1835 and
1836,) there was brought from the North River, 12,000
bushels, making 139,841 bushels brought here in the sea-
son. Many of these oysters are laid down in beds. The
quantity taken in Fair Haven varies from 20,000 to 40,000
bushels yearly from 300 to 400 boats are engaged in taking
them. In the summer of 1835 there was brought into the
village 5,000 bushels of round clams, of which 2,000 were
caught in the vicinity. It is estimated that there are dug
on our shores every season, 4,000 bushels of long clams.
There are 20 vessels owned in this village, whose whole
amount of tonnage is 1,188 tons: six of these are engaged
in the West India trade a part of the season, and the oth-
ers in the coasting business."*
'There is a large amount of excellent stone for building
and other purposes, found in the village; and the getting
it out during the spring and summer season receives con-
siderable and increasing attention. In 1835, there was
quarried by different companies 270,000 solid feet. This
year [1836] there is going into operation the manufacture
of lime from oyster shells; and the person who is engaged
in the business, calculates there may be made 200,000
bushels in a year." "The population, and business in gen-
eral, is constantly increasing, and there is every promise of
this being one of the most prosperous villages in the State."
"This place was formerly called Dragon, from a sandy
point of that name, about forty rods below the bridge, on
the eastern side of the river. The tradition is, that at the
time of the first settlement of New Haven, this point was a
place of resort for seals, which lay here and basked them-
selves in the sun. At that time these animals were called
dragons; hence the name Dragon Point."
The first settlers of New Haven had, for several years,
no written code of laws. "The word of God," it was or-
dered, "should be the only rule for ordinary affairs of gov
ernment in that commonwealth." But they had a court,
which held its sessions, as was necessary, before which all
* Historical Collections.
108
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW HAVEN.
庸
​matters relative to the Town, and its inhabitants, were
brought, and a decision had thereon, according to the na-
ture and circumstances of the case. Hence the ancient
Records of New Haven, like those of Hartford and several
of the Massachusetts towns, exhibit much that is sufficient-
ly curious. The original settlers were a people of great
simplicity-but all their public acts evince no small respect
for the word and authority of God, and singular and self-
denying efforts to promote good order and sound morality.
A few extracts from the New Haven Records, at this early
period, will corroborate the above remarks.
At a Court held at New Haven, A. D. 1643.-Andrew
Low, jun., for breaking into Mr. Ling's house, where he
brake open a cupboard and took from thence some strong
water, and 6d. in money, and ransackt the house from roome
to roome, and left open the doors, for which fact being com-
mitted to prison, brake forth and escaped, and still remains
horrible obstinate and rebellious against his parents, and
incorrigible under all the means to reclaim him. Where-
upon it was ordered that he shall be as severely whipt as
the rule will bear, and work with his father as a prisoner,
with a lock upon his leg so that he may not escape.
Dec. 30, 1651.—It was proposed that some safer way
might be found out to Connecticote, that the danger of
East River may be avoyded. The new waye was desired
to be viewed againe, as William Bradley offered to lend
his cannow to lie in the East River, if the town will find
ropes to draw it to and agayne.
A Court holden 3d November, 1639.-It was ordered that
Mr. Hopkins shall have two hogsheads of lime for hist
present use, and as much more as will finish his house as he
now intends itt, he thinking that two hogsheads more will
serve.
It is ordered, that a meeting-house shall be built forth-
with, fifty foote square; and that the carpenters shall fall
timber where they can find it, till allotment be layed out,
and men know their proprietyes.
It is ordered, that Mr. Greyson and Mr. Evance shall
have fower dayes liberty after this day to square their tim-
ber, before the former order shall take hold of them.
It is ordered, that Mr. Eaton, Mr. Davenport, Robert
Newman, Matthew Gilbert, Capt. Turner and Thomas
Flugill, shall from henceforward have the disposing of all
FAMILY TOURIST.
109
NEW HAVEN.
house lotts, yett undisposed of about this towne, to such
persons as they shall judge meete for the good of the
plantation; and thatt none come to dwell as planters here,
without their consent and allowance, whether they come in
by purchase or otherwise.
It is ordered, that every one that bares armes shall be
completely furnished with arms, (viz.) a muskett, a sword,
bandaleers, a rest; a pound of powder; 20 bullets fitted to
their muskett, or 4 pound of pistol shott, or swan shott at
least, and be ready to show them in the market place upon
Monday the 16th of this monthe, before Captaine Turner
and Lieutenant Seely, under the penalty of 20s. fine for
every default or absence.
4th December, 1639.-It is ordered that Thomas Saule
shall agree with Goodman Spinnage before the next Court,
or else the Court will determine the difference between
them.
Roger Duhurst and James Stewart are enjoyned to
make double restitution to John Cockerill for five pounds
and seventeen shillings which they stole out of his chist
on the Lord's day in the meeting time, and they being ser-
vants to the said Cockerill, for which aggravation they were
whipped also..
Thomas Manchester servant to Mr. Perry, being accused
by his master for being druncke, and for giving his master
uncomely language, for which his master having given him
some correction, the Court (onely) caused him to be sett in
the stocks for a certain time.
Nicholas Tamer, servant to the said Mr. Perry, for
drunkenness and abusing his master in words, was whipped.
A General Court, 4th January, 1639-It is agreed by
the town, and accordingly ordered by the Court, that the
Neck shall be planted or sowen for the tearme of seaven
yeares, and thatt John Brockett shall goe about laying it
out, for which and all difference betwixt party and party
aboute ground formerly broke up and planted by English
there, shall be arbitrated by indifferent men, which shall be
chosen to that end.
It is ordered, that some speedy course shall be taken to
keepe hogs out of the Neck.
It is ordered, that a convenient way to the Hay-place be
left common for all the towne.
10
110
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW HAVEN.
It is ordered, that no cattell belonging to this towne
shall go without a keeper after the first of May next.
A Court holden February 5th, 1639.-It is ordered that
brother Andrewes, bro. Kimberly, Wm. Ives, and Sargeant
Beckley, shall assist Mr. Ling to ripen Goodman Tap's bu-
siness against the next Courte, concerning his demands for
certain moneyes which he disbursed for bringing cattell
from the Bay, appertaining to divers persons.
It is ordered, that brother Andrewes shall detaine so
much of Robert Champion, his wages in his hands, as may
secure a debt of £3 which Mr. Mouland demaunds of the
said Robert.
It is ordered, that Mr. Mouland shall pay to Mr. Perry
20s. which he owes him.
It is ordered, that Mr. Wilks shall pay 5 bushels and a
halfe of Indian corne to Thomas Buckingham, for corne
destroyed by Mr. Wilks his hogs.
Isaiah, Captain Turner's man, fined £5 for being drunke
on the Lord's day.
Wm. Bloomfield, Mr. Malbon's man, was sett in the
stocks for prophaning the Lord's day, and stealing wine
from his master, which he drunk and gave to others.
Ellice, Mr. Eaton's boy, was whipped for stealing a sow
and a goate from his master and selling them.
David Anderson was whipped for being drunke.
John Fenner, accused of being drunk with strong wa-
ters, was acquitted, it appearing to be of infirmity, and oc-
casioned by the extremyty of the cold.
Mr. Mouland accused of being drunke, but nott clearly
proved, was respited.
Peter Brown, Licensed to bake to sell, so long as he
gives no offence in it justly.
18th February, 1639-John Charles forbidden to draw
wine, because there hath been much disorder by itt.
Goodman Love was whipped and sent out of the planta-
tion, being not only a disorderly person himselfe, butt an
encourager of others to disorderly drinking meetings.
George Spencer being prophane and disorderly in hist
whole conversation, and an abettor of others to sin, and
drawing others into a conspiracie to carry away the Cock
to Virginia, was whipped and sent out of the plantation.
John Proute, Hen. Brasier, and Will. Bromfield, was
FAMILY TOURIST.
111
NEW HAVEN.
whipped for joyning in the aforesaid conspiracie, and the
said Hen. and Wm. were ordered to weare irons during the
magistrate's pleasure.
At a General Court held the 1st of the 7th month, 1640.
-It was ordered that none of this plantation shall either
sell or lett a lott to any stranger, for yeares, without allow-
ance from the Courte.
A Court held at New Haven the 3d of the 7th month,
1642.-Matthew Wilson, for killing a dog of Mr. Perry's
willfully and disorderly, fined 20s. for his disorder, and or-
dered to pay 20s. damage to Mr. Perry, which 40s. Edward
Chipperfield undertook to see pay'd by the last of Septem-
ber next.
8 month 1642.—It was ordered, that whosoever finds any
things that are lost shall deliver them to the Marshall, to be
kept safe till the owners shall challenge them.
2 November 1642.-Jervas Boykin is orderde to pay un-
to George Badcocke the sum of 20s. for taking his cannow
without leave.
It is ordered, that those who have ffarmes at the River
called stoney River, shall have liberty to make a sluice in
the River for their own convenience.
7th December, 1642. Fforasmuch as John Owen hath
had some damage done in his corne by hogs occasioned
through the neglect of Mr. Lamberton, John Bud and Will
Preston, in not making up their fence in season, It is there-
fore ordered, thatt the said Mr. Lamberton, John Bud and
Will Preston shall make satisfaction to the said John Owen
for the damage done; (viz.) eight days worke and two
pecks of Corne, which is to be pay'd according to the sev-
eral apportions of ffence unset up respectively.*
During the war of the Revolution, New Haven was at-
tacked by a considerable body of the British, who took pos-
session of the town, and committed numerous acts of vio-
lence on the inhabitants. This attack was made on Mon-
day, July 5th, 1779, the day on which the citizens were to
have assembled to commemorate the Declaration of Inde-
pendence. The Connecticut Journal of July 7th gives the
following account of the ingress of the British and their
proceedings:
* Historical Collections,
112
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW HAVEN.
-
NEW HAVEN, July 7th.
About two o'clock on the morning of the 5th instant, a
fleet consisting of the Camilla and Scorpion men of war,
with tenders, transports, &c. to the number of 48, com-
manded by Commodore Sir George Collier, anchored off
West Haven. They had on board about 3000 land forces,
commanded by Major Gen. Tryon; about 1500 of whom,
under Brigadier Gen. Garth, landed about sunrise on West
Haven point. The town being alarmed, all the preparation
which the confusion and distress of the inhabitants, and a
necessary care of their families would permit, was made for
resistance. The West Bridge on Milford road, was taken
up, and several field pieces were carried thither, and some
slight works thrown up for the defence of that pass. The
division under General Garth being landed, immediately
began their march towards the town. The first opposition
was made by about twenty-five of the inhabitants, to an ad-
vanced party of the enemy of two companies of light in-
fantry. These, though advancing on the height of Milford
hill, were attacked with great spirit by the handful of our
people, and driven back almost to West Haven, and one of
them was taken prisoner. The enemy then advanced in
their main body, with strong flanking parties, and two field-
pieces; and finding a smart fire kept up from our field-pieces
at the bridge aforesaid, chose not to force an entrance to
the town by that, the usual road, but to make a circuitous
-march of nine miles, in order to enter by the Derby road.
In this march our small party on Milford hill, now increased
to perhaps 150, promiscuously collected from several com-
panies of the militia, had a small encountre with the ene-
my's flank near the Milford road, in which was killed their
adjutant, Campbell, the loss of whom they lamented with
much apparent sensibility. Our people on the hill, being
obliged by superior numbers, to give way, kept up a contin-
ual fire on the enemy, and galled them much, through all
their march to Thomson's bridge on the Derby road. In the
mean time, those who were posted at the West bridge, per-
ceiving the movements of the enemy, and also that anoth-
er large body of them had landed at the South End, on
the east side of the Harbor, quitted the bridge and marched
thence to oppose the enemy at Thomson's bridge. But by
the time they had reached the bank of the river, the ene
FAMILY TOURIST.
113
NEW HAVEN.
my were in possession of the bridge, and the places at
which the river is here fordable: yet having received a
small accession of strength by the coming in of the mili-
tia, they gave the enemy a smart fire from two field-pieces
and small arms, which continued with little abatement, till
the enemy were in possession of the town, or through the
town across the Neck bridge; the enemy entered the town
between 12 and 1 o'clock. In the mean time, the division
of the enemy, before mentioned to have landed at the
South End, which was under the immediate command of
Gen. Tryon, was bravely resisted by a small party of men,
with one field-piece, who, besides other execution, killed
an officer of the enemy, in one of the boats at their land-
ing. This division marched up by land, and attacked the
fort at Black Rock; at the same time, their shipping drew
up, and attacked it from the harbor. The fort had only
nineteen men, and three pieces of artillery, yet was defend-
ed as long as reason or valor dictated, and then the men
made good their retreat.
The town being now in full possession of the enemy, it
was, notwithstanding the subjoined proclamation, delivered
up, except a few instances of protection, to promiscuous
plunder; in which, besides robbing the inhabitants of their
watches, money, plate, buckles, clothing, bedding, and pro-
visions, they broke and destroyed their household furniture
to a very great amount. Some families lost every thing
their houses contained many have now neither food, nor
clothes to shift.
A body of militia sufficient to penetrate the town, could
not be collected that evening: we were obliged therefore to
content ourselves with giving the enemy every annoyance
in our power, which was done with great spirit for most of
the afternoon at and about the Ditch corner.
Early on Tuesday morning, the enemy unexpectedly, and
with the utmost stillness and dispatch, called in their guards,
and retreated to their boats, carrying with them a number
of the inhabitants captive, most, if not all of whom, were
taken without arms, and a few who chose to accompany
them. Part of them went on board their fleet, and part
crossed over to General Tryon at East Haven. On Tues-
day afternoon, the militia collected in such numbers, and
crowded so close upon Gen. Tryon, that he thought best to
retreat on board his fleet, and set sail to the westward.
10*
114
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW HAVEN.
The loss of the enemy is unknown; but for many reasons
it is supposed to be considerable, and includes some officers
whom they lament, besides Adjutant Campbell. Ours, by
the best information we can obtain, is 27 killed, and 19
wounded. As many of our dead upon examination appear-
ed to have been wounded with shot, but not mortally, and
afterwards to have been killed with bayonets, this demon-
strated the true reason why the number of the dead exceed-
ed that of the wounded, to be, that being wounded and fall-
ing into the enemy's hands, they were afterwards killed. A
further confirmation of this charge is, that we have full and
direct testimony, which affirms that Gen. Garth declared to
one of our militia, who was wounded and taken, that "he
was sorry his men had not killed him, instead of taking
him, and that he would not have his men give quarter to
one militia man, taken in arms."
Although in this expedition, it must be confessed to the
credit of the Britons that they have not done all the mis-
chief in their power, yet, the brutal ravishment of women,
the wanton and malicious destruction of property, the burn-
ing of the stores upon the wharf, and eight houses in East
Haven; the beating, stabbing, and insulting of the Rev.
Dr. Daggett, after he was made a prisoner, the mortally
wounding of Mr. Beers, senior, in his own door, and other-
ways abusing him; the murdering of the yery aged and help-
less Mr. English in his own house, and the beating and final-
ly cutting out the tongue of and then killing a distracted
man, are sufficient proofs that they were really Britons."
In the preceding account of this wanton attack upon an
unoffending town, allusion has been made to their abusive
treatment of Dr. Dagget, the aged and venerable president
of Yale College. Not long afterwards he published an ac-
count of the transaction, under his own signature, and to
the truth of which he made oath before a magistrate. The
following is from the original, which is in the office of the
secretary of State at Hartford.
"An account of the cruelties and barbarities, which I
received from the British soldiers, after I had surrendered
myself a Prisoner into their hands. It is needless to relate
all the leading circumstances, which threw me in their way.
It may be sufficient to observe, that on Monday morning the
5th inst. the town of New Haven was justly alarmed, with
very threatening appearances of a speedy invasion from the
FAMILY TOURIST.
115
NEW HAVEN.
enemy. Numbers went out armed to oppose them; I
among the rest, took the station assigned me upon Milford
hill, but was soon directed to quit it, and retire further north
as the motion of the enemy required. Having gone as far
as I supposed was sufficient, I turned down the hill to gain
a little covert of bushes, which I had in my eye; but to my
great surprise, I saw the enemy much nearer than I expect-
ted, their advanced guards being, little more than 20 rods
distant, plain open ground between us. They instantly fired
upon me, which they continued, till I had run a dozen rods,
discharging not less than 15 or 20 balls at me alone; how-
ever, through the preserving providence of God, I escaped
them all unhurt, and gained the little covert at which I aim-
ed, which concealed me from their view, while I could
plainly see them through the weeds and bushes, advancing
towards me within about 12 rods. I singled out one of
them, took aim, and fired upon him; I loaded my musket
again, but determined not to discharge it any more, and as
I saw I could not escape from them, I determined to surren-
der myself a prisoner. I begged for quarters, and that they
would spare my life. They drew near to me, I think two
only in number, one on my right hand, the other on my left,
the fury of infernals glowing in their faces, they called me
a damned old Rebel, and swore they would kill me instant-
ly. They demanded, what did you fire upon us for? I re-
plied, because it is the exercise of war. Then one made a
pass at me with his bayonet, as if he designed to thrust it
through my body. With my hand I tossed it up from its
direction, and sprung in so near to him that he could not
hurt me with his bayonet. I still continued pleading and
begging for my life, with the utmost importunity, using ev-
ery argument in my power to mollify them, and induce them
to desist from their murderous purpose.
One of them gave
me four gashes on my head with the edge of his Bayonet,
to the skull bone, which caused a plentiful effusion of blood.
The other gave me three pricks with the point of his bayo-
net, but they were no more than skin deep. But what
is a thousand times worse than all that has been related, is
the blows, and bruises they gave me with the heavy barrels
of their guns on my bowels, by which I was knocked down
once, or more, and almost deprived of life; by which bruises,
I have been almost confined to my bed ever since. These
scenes might take up about two minutes of time. They
116
FAMILY TOURIST.
MIDDLETOWN.
seemed to desist a little time from their design of murder,
after which they stript me of my shoe and knee-buckles,
and also my stock buckle. Their avarice further led them
to rob me of my pocket handkerchief, and a little old tobac-
co box. They then bade me march towards the main body,
which was about twelve rods distant; where some officers
soon inquired of me who I was; I gave them my name, sta-
tion and character, and begged their protection, that I might
not be any more abused or hurt by the soldiers. They
promised me their protection. But I was robbed of my
shoes, and was committed to one of the most unfeeling sav-
agesthat ever breathed. They then drove me with the main
body, a hasty march of five miles or more. I was insulted
in the most shocking manner by the ruffian soldiers, many
of which came at me with fixed bayonets, and swore that
they would kill me on the spot. They damned me, and
those that took me, because they spared my life. Thus
amidst a thousand insults, my infernal driver hastened me
along faster than my strength would admit in the extreme
heat of the day, weakened as I was by my wounds and the
loss of blood, which at a moderate computation could not
be less than one quart. And when I failed in some degree
through faintness, he would strike me on the back with a
heavy walking staff, and kick me behind with his foot. At
length by the supporting power of God, I arrived at the green
in New Haven. But my life was almost spent, the world
around me several times appearing as dark as midnight. I
obtained leave of an officer to be carried into the widow Ly-
man's and laid upon a bed, where I lay the rest of the day,
and succeeding night, in such acute and excruciating pain
as I never felt before.
NATHANIEL DAGGETT.
MIDDLETOWN.
The Indian name of Middletown was Mattabesett, a name
which a small river emptying into the Connecticut north of
the city, still retains. The attention of the English was
first drawn to this fine location, as a place of settlement, in
1650, at which time a committee was appointed to explore
FAMILY TOURIST.
117
MIDDLETOWN.
the lands. It is not a little singular that they should have
estimated the fertility of this remarkably fertile region so
low, as to report that subsistence might be obtained in it
for fifteen families. In the course of the same year a sinall
settlement was commenced near the Connecticut river, north
and south of the little river, but the inhabitants soon in-
creased to such a number, as to be invested with town priv-
ileges in 1652. The following year, the place took the
name of Middletown. In 1654, there were probably about
thirty families; in 1670 the number was only fifty two. The
principal planters were from England, Hartford, and Weth-
ersfield; but the greater number were from Hartford. Con-
siderable accessions were made from Rowley, Chelmsford,
and Woburn, in Massachusetts.
"A portion of the lands in Middletown, were given by
Sowheag, the great Sachem of Mattabesett, to John Haynes,
for some time governor of Connecticut, probably before any
settlement was made in the town. On the 21st of Jan. 1662,
Sepunnemo and other chiefs, knowing the gifts of Sowheag
to Mr. Haynes, sold to Samuel Wyllis, and others, doubt-
less as agents of the colony or town, all the remaining lands
in Middletown, including Chatham, extending six miles
east of the river, and as far west as the Court had granted
the bounds of the town; excepting 300 acres, which they
reserved for the heirs of Sowheag and Mattabesett Indians,
to be laid out east of the river; and a tract on the west side,
previously laid out for Sawsean, to remain for his heirs for-
ever. A reservation also appears to have been in the neigh-
borhood, now called Newfield, where the Indians held lands
as late as 1713.
"Sowheag was a powerful Sachem. His fort or castle
was on the high ground in the west part of the city of Mid-
dletown, still called from this circumstance, Indian hill,
about three fourths of a mile N. W. of the Court House,
where he was able, by means of his whistle, to call around
him many warriors, it is said to the number of 500, whose
wigwams were thick on both sides of the Connecticut east-
ward. His dominions extended not only over these and
other Indians in Middletown and Chatham, but over the
Piquay, or Wethersfield Indians, whose sagamore, Sequin,
was subject to him: and as a part of the original township
of New Haven was purchased of Montowese, Sowheag's son,
118
FAMILY TOURIST.
MIDDLETOWN.
it is probable that his dominion embraced some of the In-
dians in that town.
"Although Sowheag gave lands to Gov. Haynes, he may
be considered as a base and treacherous man. In April,
1637, some of his Indians aided the Pequots in their incur-
sion into that town, when they surprised and killed six men.
Sowheag entertained the murderers, and treated the people
of Wethersfield in a haughty and insulting manner. It
seems, however, that the people of Wethersfield, had previ-
ously offered him some provocation. On hearing of their
differences, the General Court were disposed to forgive him,
and appointed a committee to compromise all differences
with him. But he totally refused to give up the murderers,
and continued his outrages against the English. The Court
of Connecticut therefore, in August, 1639, determined to
send one hundred men to Mattabesett, and take the delin-
quents by force. They notified their friends of New Haven
of their determination, both that they might receive their
approbation, in an enterprise of such general concern, and
that they might make the necessary arrangements for de-
fending their own plantations.
Gov. Eaton and his coun-
cil viewed it important that the murderers should be brought
to justice, but in existing circumstances, deemed the meas-
ure proposed for doing it inexpedient, and dissuaded the
Connecticut colony from hostile measures.'
""*
The city of Middletown, which was incorporated in 1754,
is built on a beautiful declivity along the western bank of
Connecticut river, where the stream suddenly expands, and
makes a bend in its course, so as to present the appearance
of a small lake with high sloping and cultivated shores. It
is built mostly upon eight streets; the principal street how-
ever is Main Street, which runs north and south, and is
about a mile in length. The streets and walks are shaded
with elms, and linden, or lime trees. Much taste has been
displayed by the citizens about their residences in the col-
lection of choice shrubs and plants. Main street is eleva-
ted from 45 to 50 feet above the level of the river. Indian,
or Sowheag hill, one mile from the river, is 227 feet above
its level. The base of the Wesleyan University Lyceum is
160 feet above the river, being distant five eighths of a mile.
*Connecticut Historical Collections,
FAMILY TOURIST.
119
MIDDLETOWN.
The value of articles manufactured in this place yearly is
estimated at $700,000. The coasting trade of Middletown
is extensive; its foreign trade is considerable. The width
of the river opposite the city varies from 97 to 80 rods; it is
navigable to this city for vessels drawing ten feet of water.
"The Wesleyan University, says Mr. Barber in his "His-
torical Collections," was founded in 1831, and is an insti-
tution of great promise, under the patronage of the Metho-
dist Episcopal church. The college buildings are finely
situated on an eminence, about half a mile from the river,
commanding a view of the town, some of the neighboring
villages, and a fine prospect of a most fruitful surrounding
country. The college buildings were originally built for,
and occupied by, the American Literary, Scientific and
Military Academy, under the care of Captain Partridge.
The Academy having failed in its operations, the buildings
were vacated, and left on the hands of the proprietors. At
this time, several annual conferences of the Methodist Epis-
copal Church were preparing to establish a college under
the patronage of said church, and were holding the privilege
of location in the market, for the purpose of securing a
liberal local subscription. To secure this privilege, the
proprietors of the Academy offered their building as a gra-
tuity, for the use of a college or university forever, on con-
dition that there should be an additional endowment raised
of $40,000. The citizens of Middletown and its vicinity,
with a commendable zeal, by a public grant, and by private
subscriptions, pledged about $18,000 of the endowment.
These offers, together with the other local advantages, fixed
the university in its present location." This University is
at the present time in a flourishing condition. Its Philo-
sophical and Astronomical apparatus has recently been in-
creased by an expenditure of about $6000,—and an addi-
tion of about one hundred instruments. "The prospects
in and around the city, says Dr. Dwight, are in an uncom-
mon degree delightful. On the west, at the distance of four
or five miles, rise to the height of eight hundred feet the
mountains of the Middletown range. An undulating coun-
try, ornamented with farms, groves, and well appearing
houses, extends from their base to the river. Directly south
recedes from the river, which here bends several miles to
the East, near the lower extremity of the city, a spacious
and beautiful valley, bordered on the Eastern side, by hills,
ascending with an easy, elegant acclivity several miles, to
120
FAMILY TOURIST.
NORWICH.
such a height as frequently to be called mountains, and di-
versified with a rich variety of agricultural scenery.
"Immediately North lies an extensive interval, through
which runs a large mill stream. Beyond it, at the distance
of three miles, appears in full view, on the Southern decliv-
ity of a fine eminence, the handsome village, called Upper
Middletown. The river, a noble stream half a mile in
breadth, winds in delightful prospect directly beneath this
complication of elegant objects, eight or ten miles, losing
itself, at the lower limit, by passing through the range of
hills, already mentioned.
6.6
Beyond the river rise the fine slopes of Chatham, cov-
ered with all the varieties of culture, orchard, grove and
forest; and interspersed with well appearing farm houses.
These grounds, and indeed the whole assemblage and ar-
rangement of the objects, which form the landscape, are
fashioned with an exquisite hand, and delight the eye of eve-
ry traveller."*
NORWICH.
The proprietor of the land upon which Norwich stands,
was Uncas, sachem of the Mohegans, a tribe of Indians,
which had their residence in this neighborhood. Frequent
wars were waged by Uncas and the Narragansetts, during
one of which, the latter besieged the Mohegan chief in hist
fort, until his provisions were nearly exhausted. Perceiv-
ing that unless speedy relief was had, he and his men must
perish, he contrived to communicate to the English scouts,
sent out from Saybrook fort, the danger he was in, and ur-
gently besought assistance. And as an inducement to the
English to interfere, he represented the great danger they
would be in, from the hostile Narragansetts, should the lat-
ter succeed in their design.
No sooner was the situation of Uncas made known to
the garrison at Saybrook, than one Thomas Leffingwell, an
ensign at Saybrook, and an enterprising and bold man,
loaded a canoe with beef, corn, and pease, and under cover
* Dwight's Travels.
FAMILY TOURIST.
121
2
NORWICH.
of night paddled from Saybrook to the Thames, on enter-
ing which, he had the address to place the whole in the
fort. The enemy soon perceiving that Uncas was relieved,
raised the siege. For this service, Uncas gave Leffingwell
a deed of a great part, if not of the whole, town of Nor-
wich. In June, 1659, Uncas, with his two sons, Owaneco
and Attawanhood, by a more formal and authentic deed,
made over to Leffingwell, John Mason, Esquire, the Rev.
James Fitch, and others, consisting of thirty-five proprie-
tors, the whole town of Norwich, which is about nine miles
square. The company, at this time, gave Uncas and his
sons about £70, as a further compensation, for so large and
fine a tract.
"In the spring of 1660, preparations were made to com-
mence a settlement by the Rev. James Fitch, who, with the
principal part of his church and congregation, removed
from Saybrook, and planted the town of Norwich. Three
or four planters joined them from New London, and two or
three from the towns of Plymouth and Marshfield, in Mas-
sachusetts. In 1663, the General Assembly ordered, that
the deed should be recorded. The limits were afterwards
ascertained, and the town received a patent for the whole.
"The Mohegans were a great defence, and of essential
service to the town for many years. They kept out their
scouts and spies, and so constantly watched their enemies,
that they gave the earliest notice of their approach, and
were a continual defence against them. For this purpose,
in times of danger, they often moved and pitched their
wigwams near the town, and were a great terror to the en-
Once the hostile Indians came near the town, upon
emy.
the Sabbath, with a design to make a descent upon it; but
on viewing it from an eminence, and seeing the Mohegan
huts, they were intimidated, and retired without doing the
least damage."*
The city of Norwich, formerly called Chelsea, or Nor-
wich Landing, lies at the head of navigation of the Thames.
The principal part of the city is built on the southern de-
clivity of a high and rocky hill. The houses rise in tiers
one above another. The approach to the city from the
·
* Trumbull's History of Connecticut.
11
122
FAMILY TOURIST.
NORWICH.
south presents one of the most beautiful, interesting, and
romantic prospects in the State. For a considerable dis-
tance down the river, the buildings which are mostly paint-
ed white, appear in full view, and in contrast with the deep
green foliage crossing the rocky and elevated banks of the
river, give a picturesque variety to the scene, forming on
the water a delightful approach to the city.
In respect to its water privileges, Norwich is the second
town in New England. About one mile to the east of the
Landing is the flourishing village of Greenville, which owes
its birth to the extensive water power of the immediate neigh-
borhood. Here a dam has been thrown across the Shetuck-
et, whose waters are capable of carrying 60,000 spindles.
Several large factories have already been erected, and oth-
ers are said to be in contemplation, on an extended scale.
The Chelsea Manufacturing Company here owns the most
extensive paper mill in the State. Large quantities of pa-
per are furnished by this company, as well as by factories
owned by two gentlemen, by the name of Hubbard, for the
New York market. The first paper manufactured in Con-
necticut, was made in this town by Colonel Christopher Lef-
fingwell.
Within the precincts of this town is the royal burying
round of the celebrated Uncas. It is situated on an eleva-
t d bank, on the northern edge of a grove, near the falls of
the Yantic, a tributary of the Thames, and about one mile
from the entrance of that river into the latter. Little did
Uncas dream, that the busy hum of large manufacturing
establishments would ever be heard nearly over the graves
of his descendants. But here the well finished mansion
has taken the place of the wigwam; and the hands of civil-
ized man are turning off his works of art and usefulness,
where once flourished the tomahawk, and once sounded
the war-whoop. Yet the memory of this savage friend is
still kindly cherished by his successors on the soil. The
foundation stone to a monument to Uncas was laid during
the tour of the late President Jackson into New England,
at which ceremony that "military chieftain" was present,
and in which he assisted. Other monuments would well
become the same hands to perpetuate the memory of other
equally "noble souls" who have been driven to lay their
bones in lands far from their fathers' sepulchres. Several
FAMILY TOURIST.
123
NORWICH.
monuments of the royal line of the Uncases, Mr. Barber
informs us, are still to be seen. He has given us the fol-
lowing inscriptions, copied on the spot:
"Here lies ye body of Pompi Uncas, son of Benjamin
and Ann Uncas, and of ye royal blood, who died May
ye 1st, 1740, in the 21st year of his age."
"Here lies Sam Uncas, the 2d and beloved son of his
father, John Uncas, who was the grandson of Uncas, grand
sachem of Mohegan, the darling of his mother, being
daughter of said Uncas, grand sachem. He died July 31st
1741, in the 28th year of his age."
The following inscription is said to have been on a
monument formerly standing here in memory of Samuel
Uncas:
For beauty, wit, for sterling sense,
For temper mild, for eloquence,
For courage bold, for things waureegan,'
He was the glory of Mohegan-
Whose death has caused great lamentation,
Both to ye English and ye Indian Nation.
In the eastern part of the town of Norwich is a place,
which is to this day known by the name of "Sachem's
Plain." It derived its name from a memorable battle
fought in the year 1643, between Uncas and Miantonimoh
-the former, sachem of the Mohegans-the latter, sachem
of the Narragansetts. These chiefs and their respective
tribes were perpetually at war; but the English had ob-
tained a pledge from Miantonimoh, that he would engage
in no hostile movement, without consulting them.
"Con-
trary, however, to his agreement, Miantonimoh without pro-
claiming war, or giving Uncas the least information, raised
an army of nine hundred, or a thousand men, and marched
against him. Uncas' spies discovered the army at some
distance, and gave him intelligence. He was unprepared;
but rallying between four and five hundred of his bravest
men, he told them they must by no means suffer Miantoni-
moh to come into their town; but must go and fight him
on his way. Having marched three or four miles, the ar-
* Waureegan signifies clothes, household furniture, &c. of a costly de.
scription.
124
FAMILY TOURIST.
NORWICH.
mies met upon a large plain. When they had advanced
within fair bow shot of each other, Uncas had recourse to a
stratagem, with which he previously acquainted his war-
riors. He desired a parley, and both armies halted in the
face of each other. Uncas, gallantly advancing in the
front of his men, addressed Miantonimoh to this effect:
'You have a number of stout men with you, and so have I
with me.
It is a great pity that such brave warriors
should be killed in a private quarrel between us only.
Come like a man, as you profess to be, and let us fight it
out. If you kill me, my men shall be yours; but if I kill
you, your men shall be mine.' Miantonimoh replied, 'My
men came to fight, and they shall fight.' Uncas falling in-
stantly upon the ground, his men discharged a shower of
arrows upon the Narragansetts; and without a moment's
interval, rushing upon them, in the most furious manner,
with their hideous Indian yell, put them immediately to
flight. The Mohegans pursued the enemy with the same
fury and eagerness, with which they commenced the ac-
tion. The Narragansetts were driven down rocks and
precipices, and chased like a doe by the huntsman. Among
others, Miantonimoh was exceedingly pressed. Some of
Uncas' bravest men, who were most light of foot, coming
up with him, twitched him back, impeding his flight, and
passed him, that Uncas might take him. Uncas was a stout
man, and rushing forward, like a lion greedy of his prey,
seized him by his shoulder. He knew Uncas, and saw
that he was now in the power of the man whom he had
hated, and by all means attempted to destroy; but he sat
down sullen, and spake not a word. Uncas gave the Indian
whoop and called up his men, who were behind, to his as-
sistance. The victory was complete. About thirty of the
Narragansetts were slain, and a much greater number
wounded. Among the latter was a brother of Miantoni-
moh, and two sons of Canonicus, a chief sachem of the
Narragansett Indians. The brother of Miantonimoh was
not only wounded, but armed with a coat of mail, both
which retarded his flight. Two of Miantonimoh's cap-
tains, who formerly were Uncas' men, but had treacherous-
ly deserted him, discovering his situation, took him and
carried him to Uncas, expecting in this way, to reconcile
themselves to their sachem. But Uncas and his men slew
them. Miantonimoh made no request, either for himself or
FAMILY TOURIST.
125
NORWICH.
his men; but continued in the same sullen, speechless
mood. Uncas therefore demanded of him, why he would
not speak. Said he, 'Had you taken me, I should have
besought you for my life.' Uncas, for the present, spared
his life, though he would not ask it, and returned with great
triumph to Mohegan, carrying the Narragansett sachem, as
an illustrious trophy of victory.
Intelligence of the capture of Miantonimoh having
reached the English, Uncas was ordered by them to take his
prisoner to Hartford, to advise with the governor and magis-
trates what should be done with him.
The governor and magistrates were of opinion, that as
there was no open war between them and the Narragan-
setts, it was not prudent for them to intermeddle with the
quarrel; but advised, that the whole affair should be refer-
red to the commissioners of the United Colonies, at their
meeting in September.
How long Miantonimoh continued speechless does not
appear; but it is certain, that when he came to Hartford,
his mouth was opened. He most earnestly pleaded to be
left in the custody of the English. He probably expected.
more safety and better treatment with them, than with Un-
cas. Uncas consented to leave him at Hartford, but in-
sisted that he should be kept as his prisoner. He was there-
fore kept, under guard, at Hartford, until the meeting of
the commissioners.
ton.
On the 7th of September the commissioners met at Bos-
Before them was laid the case of the two contending
chiefs, upon which they finally resolved,
"That as it was
evident that Uncas could not be safe, while Miantonimoh
lived; but that, either by secret treachery or open force,
his life would be continually in danger, he might justly put
such a false and blood-thirsty enemy to death." They de-
termined Uncas should not do it in any of the English plant-
ations, but in his own jurisdiction. At the same time,
they advised that no torture or cruelty, but all mercy and
moderation be exercised in the manner of his execution.
Immediately upon the return of the commissioners of
Connecticut and New Haven, Uncas, with a competent
number of his most trusty men, was ordered to repair forth-
with to Hartford. He was made acquainted with the deter-
mination of the commissioners, and received his prisoner,
marched with him to the spot where he had been taken.
11*
126
FAMILY TOURIST.
NORWICH.
At the instant they arrived on the ground, one of Uncas'
men, who marched behind Miantonimoh, split his head
with a hatchet, killing him at a single stroke. He was
probably unacquainted with his fate, and knew not by what
means he fell. Uncas cut out a large piece of his shoulder
and ate it in savage triumph. He said, 'It was the sweet-
est meat he ever ate; it made his heart strong.'
The Mohegans, by order of Uncas, buried him at the
place of his execution, and erected a great heap or pillar
upon his grave. Two Englishmen were sent with Uncas,
to see that the execution was done, and to prevent all tor-
ture and cruelty in the manner of its performance. Con-
necticut and New Haven, agreeably to the direction of the
commissioners, sent a party of soldiers to Mohegan, to
defend Uncas against any assault which might be made upon
him, by the Narragansetts, in consequence of the execution
of their sachem.*
Miantonimoh was buried on the spot, where he was
slain. But a few years since, a large heap of stones,
thrown together by the wandering Indians, according to
the custom of their country, and as a melancholy mark of
the love that the Narragansetts had for their fallen chief,
lay on his grave; but the despicable cupidity of some peo-
ple in that vicinity, has removed them to make common
stone wall, as it saved them the trouble of gathering stones
for that purpose. The spot of his sepulture is, however,
yet known.f
Some additional particulars of this renowned chief of
the Mohegans will doubtless interest our friends. The
Mohegan tribe appears to have been originally a part of the
Pequot nation—a tribe inveterate towards the English, and
the terror of the Indian tribes in the vicinity. At the time
the English settled Connecticut, Uncas was chief sachem
of the Mohegan tribe. He had been, it is thought, a war-
captain under Sassacus. At this time, however, he was in
open rebellion against that chief; but he possessed little
influence, and unaided, must soon have been brought to
terms by the haughty and warlike Sassacus.
Uncas perceived the advantage of friendship to the Eng-
lish. He was probably sincere in his good will-but con-
* Trumbull.
+ Mass. His. Collections, Vol. 3.
FAMILY TOURIST.
127
;
NORWICH.
nected with this was his own interest. He was ever faith-
ful to them, although they at first doubted his fidelity. Gov-
ernor Wolcott thus speaks of him:*
'Twas here [at Hartford] that Uncas did the army meet,
With many stout Mohegans at his feet.
He to the general [Masont] goes, and doth declare,
He came for our assistance in the war.
He was that Sagamore, whom great Sassacus' rage
Had hitherto kept under vassalage.
But weary of his great severity,
He now revolts and to the English fly.
With cheerful air our captain him embraces,
And him, and his chief men with titles graces;
But over them preserved a jealous eye,
Lest all this might be done in treachery.
It reflects credit upon Mason, that he was thus wary of a
stranger; but he soon became convinced that of whatever
other good traits of character Uncas might be destitute, he
was not wanting in fidelity. "The Mohegans embarked
with Mason's ninety men, on board a pink or pinnace and
a shallop, both of which, the water being low in the river,
[Connecticut,] fell aground several times. The Indians
disliked this new species of navigation, and especially so
much of it as pertained to the flats and sands; and Uncas
was still more impatient to recommend himself by an active
commencement of the war. He therefore requested that he
and his men might be set on shore, promising to join Mason
again at Saybrook. His request was granted; and he not
only redeemed his promise, but, meeting a considerable par-
ty of Pequots on the route, he attacked them with great
spirit, and killed seven of their number-which,' says
Captain Mason, we looked at as a special Providence;
for, before, we were somewhat doubtful of his fidelity.'
((
"This good opinion was daily confirmed by the Sachem's
conversation and conduct. Indeed," says captain Mason
"he was a great friend, and did great service.-I shall nev-
er forget him." At the commencement of the campaign,
the various Indians who engaged in it were in high glee.
* Wolcott's “Poetical Account of Mr. Winthrop's agency in obtain-
ing a Charter for Connecticut."
+ This was Captain Mason, who led the Connecticut forces against
Mystic Fort, soon after the settlement of the Colony.
128
FAMILY TOURIST.
NORWICH.
They gathered into a ring, and one by one made solemn
protestations how gallantly they would demean themselves,
and how many men they would kill. But Uncas said very
little, until Mason inquired of him what these Indians would
do. "Nothing," answered he gravely; "the Narragan-
setts will leave you to a man. I can only say for myself,
that I never will." And he never did. The Narragansetts,
who had vaunted themselves on the example they should be
obliged to set the English, to encourage them in their attack
upon the enemy, soon fell into the back ground, and many
of them returned home."* The Indians, and especially the
Narragansetts, were "horribly afraid" of the Pequots. But
Uncas appears to have had courage, which never forsook
him, for after the real success which attended the assault of
the English upon Mystic Fort, and the utter destruction.
which was caused among the Narragansetts, while most of
the Indians who had remained till after the assault, now de-
serted, or at last disappeared, under a fear of falling in with
the wandering Pequots, Uncas remained steadfast and un-
flinching."
"A small harbor" continues Mr. Thatcher, "in the south-
western part of the town of Guilford, in Connecticut, has to
this day a name derived from one of his achievements. He
and his Mohegans, with a few of the English, having under-
taken, when the enemy fled westward, to scour the shores
near the sea for the purpose of cutting off stragglers, came
up with a Pequot Sachem, and a few men, not far from this
harbor, and pursued them. As the south side of the har-
bor is formed by a long narrow neck of land, the Pequots
went out upon that point, hoping that their pursuers would
pass them. But Uncas, perceiving the stratagem, ordered
some of his men to give chase, which the enemy observing,
swam over the mouth of the harbor. There they were way-
layed, and taken as they landed. A council being held, and
the Sachem sentenced to death, Uncas himself is said to
have shot him with an arrow, cut off his head, and set it up
in the crotch of a large oak tree near the water. The skull
remained there many years, and the name of the " SACHEM'S
HEAD" has been ever since attached to the harbor.t
"The remuneration to Uncas for the part he took in this
*Thatcher's Indian Biography.
+ History of Guilford, Mass. Hist. Cóll,
FAMILY TOURIST.
129
NORWICH.
war, was a portion of the Pequot territory, (which he after-
wards sold to the English,) and 100 captives of that tribe;
and this with the honor of having subdued his real Pequot
rival, and the reputation of being upon the most flattering
and favorable terms of intercourse with the English, made
him at once a character of high dignity, and of no little in-
fluence. Indians began to collect around him from neigh-
boring tribes, and he could now muster four or five hun-
dred warriors. The colony of Connecticut treated with him
and made him presents, and permitted him to exercise do-
minion, and to give deeds of territory, in all respects like
an independent and sovereign authority, while he enjoyed
at the same time, the benefit of their personal patronage and
the protection of his tribe from their enemies.
In July, 1638, Uncas visited in person the authorities
of Massachusetts, at Boston-the only visit of mere ceremo-
ny, which is recorded of him in history.
"He came attended by thirty seven men, and accompa-
nied by Gov. Haynes, whom he had called upon by the way.
He offered the Governor of Massachusetts a present of
twenty fathoms of wampum, which being in open court the
council thought fit to refuse it, "till he had given satisfac-
tion about the Pequots he kept," &c.; upon this, he appear-
ed much dejected, and even affected to apprehend that his
life was in danger. But he was not long at a loss. Evi-
dence was produced, which counteracted the main suspi-
cions that rested upon him; and he promised to submit his
controversy with the Narragansetts to English arbitration,
and to follow any arrangement they should make as to his
Pequots.
"The present was now accepted, and about half an hour
afterwards, he went to the Governor, and addressed him in
the following terms: "This heart"-he said, laying his hand
on his breast-" is not mine, but yours. I have no men.
They are all yours. Command me any hard thing—I will
do it. I will not believe any Indian's words against the
English. If any man shall kill an Englishman, I will put
him to death, were he never so dear to me." The Governor
gave him a handsome red coat, defrayed the expenses of his
visit, and furnished him with provisions for his return-jour-
ney, and a general letter of protection-and so "he depart-
ed very joyful."
130
FAMILY TOURIST.
NORWICH.
According to Mr. Thatcher, to whose narrative we are
indebted for the above sketches, "Uncas was in less favor
with the English, towards the latter part of his life, than for-
merly. He did not come to an open rupture with them at
any time; and his subjects, though frequently insolent were
never hostile. Their last services during the life of Uncas,
were during Philip's war, when a party of them was com-
manded by Onecho, a son of Uncas, and by other Sachems.
The father was then too old a man to endure much more
labor and weariness."
• It has been stated that Uncas was at last convinced of
the truth of Christianity, and that he died in the faith. The
only proof of it is derived, it is believed, from the following
anecdote.
"In the summer of 1676, a great drought prevailed
throughout New England, which was extremely severe in
the Mohegan country. The corn was dried up in August,
and the fruit and leaves fell from the trees, as in autumn.
The Indians were alarmed, but knew not what to do. Ac-
cording to custom, they applied to their Powahs, to inter-
cede with the Great Spirit for rain, after their manner; but
these men labored in vain. They went to the English set-
tlement at Norwich, and Uncas went with them. He told
Mr. Fitch, the clergyman at that place, that it was a hard
case with them—the Powahs could do them no service-they
must apply to the English God. Mr. Fitch appointed a
fast day, at these and other suggestions. The weather on
that occasion was clear, but about sunset, at the close of the
religious services, some clouds arose. The next day also
was cloudy. Uncas now went up to the house of Mr. Fitch
with many Indians, and lamented the great want of rain.
"If God shall send it," said Mr. Fitch, "will you not attri-
bute it to your Powahs?" No," answered the Sachem;
we have done our utmost, but all in vain." The clergy-
man then told him, that if he would make the declaration
before the Indians, they should see what God would do for
them. Uncas then made a speech to the Indians, confes-
sing with particular emphasis, that if God should grant this
favor, it could not be in consequence of their powawing,
but must be ascribed to the clergyman's prayers. Of the
sequel we only know, that upon the day following, there
was so copious a rain that the river rose more than two feet."*
<<
* Thatcher's Indian Biography.
FAMILY TOURIST.
131
NORWICH.
In the opinion of Mr. Fitch, Uncas gave no good evi-
dence of faith in the gospel. He with other chiefs did indeed
for a time, appear to give attention to preaching, but they
at length not only withdrew themselves, but discouraged
the Indians from an attendance upon the ministry of the
word of God. Mr. Gookin characterizes Uncas, but per-
haps severely, as an old, wicked, and wilful man; a drunk-
ard, and otherwise very vicious, who has always been an op-
poser and underminer of praying to God. "It is to be
feared, that excepting his fidelity to the English, and this
trait of character was highly honorable to him, he had no
qualities, which entitled him to that respect, which for a
time he enjoyed.
The last we hear of Uncas is in 1680, when he must have
been a very old man, yet even at this advanced age he was
enjoying good health, and considerable vigor of constitu-
tion. A remnant of his tribe still exists in the neighborhood
of Norwich. They own a reservation of about three thou-
sand acres of land. They are the only natives of the nu-
merous tribes which were once spread over the state. The
last Sachem of the tribe was Isaiah Uncas, who was once
a pupil in the celebrated school of Dr. Wheelock, at Leba-
The following epitaph, copied by President Stiles
from a grave stone in the old Indian burial ground at Mo-
hegan, indicates the end of the genealogy:
non.
Here lies the body of SUNSEETO,
Own son to Uncas, grandson to ONEKO,
Who were the famous Sachems of MOHEGAN;
Eut now they are all dead, I think it is WERHEEGEN.*
The Mohegan Indians still preserve some of the peculiar
customs of their ancestors. "On the 16th of October 1827,"
says Mrs. Huntington, in a letter to Dr. Holmes, "the Rev.
Mr. Palmer of this city, was invited to attend the funeral of
an Indian child, which was to be deposited in the 'Shan-
tup burying ground.' In approaching the ground, the re-
lics of two Indians, and also two spoons, were seen lying be-
side it. Expressing a wish to obtain them, Mr. P. received
* Werheegen was a Mohegan term signifying "All is well," or Good
news. Oneko, or Onecho commanded in Philip's war
132
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW LONDON.
no immediate answer, until a youth of their company had
whispered something in every ear from the oldest to the
youngest. At the close of the exercises, with great formal-
ity, the young Indian replied, your request is granted! In
answer to the inquiry why two skeletons were found in the
ground, an old woman replied, it was an Indian and Squaw;
and informed him farther that according to their custom,
the bodies were deposited in an upright position, within a
circular grave, and a pot of succotash between them, the
fragments of which were found. The decayed stump of a
large tree covering the relics, indicated the antiquity of the
grave.
""**
NEW LONDON.
The settlement of New London was begun by the Eng-
lish in 1646; but a part of those who entered upon the
lands this year, soon became discouraged, and left the
place. The following year, however, Mr. Richard Blin-
man, a man of energy and enterprise, who had been a min-
ister in England, removed from Gloucester to the new settle-
ment; in consequence of which a considerable addition
was made to the number, who had kept their station. In
1648, the number of settlers had so increased, that the in-
habitants consisted of more than fifty families. Some of
the principal men were John Winthrop, Esquire, the Rev.
Mr. Blinman, Thomas Minot, Samuel Lothrop, Robert Al-
lyn, and James Avery. For their encouragement, the
General Court granted them a three years exemption from
all colonial taxation. Mr. Winthrop was authorised to su-
perintend the affairs of the plantation. The next year, a
court was appointed for the trial of small causes. The
judges were Mr. Winthrop, Thomas Minot, and Samuel Lo-
throp. The Indian name of the place was Nameaug, alias
Towawog. In 1654, the whole tract, now comprised within
the towns of New London and Groton, was called Pequot, from
the name of the harbor, and original inhabitants. By this
it was known for about four years. On the 24th of March,
* Holmes' Annals.

NEW-LONDON.
B2
FAMILY TOURIST.
133
NEW LONDON.
1658, the assembly passed an act respecting it, which is so
curious, and expressive. of the feeling of our ancestors to-
wards their native country, as to render it worthy of publi-
cation:
"WHEREAS it hath been the commendable practice of the
inhabitants of all the colonies of these parts, that as this coun-
try hath its denomination from our dear native country of
England, and thence is called New England; so the planters,
in their first settling of most new plantations, have given
names to those plantations of some cities and towns in Eng-
land, thereby intending to keep up and leave to posterity the
memorial of several places of note there, as Boston, Hartford,
Windsor, York, Ipswich, Braintree, Exeter; this court con-
sidering, that there hath yet no place in any of the colonies,
been named in memory of the city of London, there being a
new plantation within this jurisdiction of Connecticut, settled
upon that fair river Mohegan, in the Pequot country, being
an excellent harbor, and a fit and convenient place for fu-
ture trade, it being also the only place which the English
in these parts have possessed by conquest, and that upon a
very just war, upon that great and warlike people, the Pe-
quots, that therefore they might thereby leave to posterity
the memory of that renowned city of London, from whence
we had our transportation, have thought fit, in honor to that
famous city, to call the said plantation NEW LONDON."
The name of the river was also changed and called the
Thames.*
New London is situated on the west bank of the Thames,
three miles from Long Island Sound. As a town, it is the
smallest in the State, being but four miles in length from
north to south, and on an average about three fourths of a
mile in breadth. It is the semi-seat of justice for the coun-
ty, and a port of entry. It is 42 miles south-east from
Hartford, and 53 east from New Haven.
The city is situated on a declivity, which descends east
and south. From the summit of the hill in the rear of the
most populous part of the city, a beautiful prospect of the
surrounding country presents itself. The principal streets
are parallel with the river; and are crossed by others near-
* Trumbull's History of Connecticut.
12
134
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW LONDON.
ly at right angles; but without any regularity, either in
the distances, or their direction. The natural surface of
the ground is uneven, and abounds with granite rocks.
The houses are less beautiful, and in less thorough repair,
than one would suppose, considering the wealth of the in-
habitants. Before the Revolution, the commerce of the
place was considerable-but subsequently it sensibly de-
clined. A spirit of enterprise has, however, within a few
years, been manifested—the coasting and foreign trade has
revived a steamboat communication with New York has
been opened and the whale-fishery is carried on extensive-
ly and profitably. A capital of nearly a million of dollars
is devoted to this latter business, and not less than thirty
ships, which give employment to about 900 seamen, are
engaged in this adventurous business. Several vessels are
also engaged in sealing. In consequence of this enter-
prise, and the profits which have grown out of it, consider-
able improvements have been made in the city. Some fine
buildings have been erected, and the streets have been
straitened and levelled.
"The fish market," says Dr. Dwight, "is believed to be
the best, except that of Newport, in the United States. A
considerable part of the fish sold in New York are supplied
by the fishermen of New London, from the waters in its
neighborhood."
The harbor is reported to be one of the best on the
whole coast of the United States. It is three miles long,
and vessels of almost any size find in it sufficient water, and
good and safe anchoring ground. During the extreme cold
in January, 1835, while the navigation of the harbor of
New York was closed with ice, the harbor of New London
remained open and unobstructed.
New London contains five places for public worship,-
two for Congregationalists-one Baptist-one Episcopal-
and one Methodist. There are three banks-the Union,
New London, and Whaling. There are two Insurance offi-
ces-the Union Marine, and New London Fire-the capital
of the latter, $250,000.
The city is defended by two forts. Fort Trumbull and
Fort Griswold. The former stands on the New London
side of the Thames, about a mile below the city. It is sit-
uated on the extremity of a Peninsula, extending eastward
into the river. It was built during the Revolutionary war,
FAMILY TOURIST.
135
NEW LONDON.
under the superintendence of Colonel John Ely, of Say-
brook. Fort Griswold is on the east side of the Thames,
on a commanding eminence, opposite the city, in the town
of Groton. It is not at present garrisoned, and is consid-
erably out of repair.
Towards the close of the Revolutionary war, a most dis-
graceful attack was made upon New London by a body of
British troops, under command of the ever infamous Bene-
dict Arnold. The attack was made September 6th, 1781.
The Editor of the Connecticut Gazette, printed at New
London, on the day after, gave the following account of the
transaction in his columns :
"About day-break on Thursday morning last, 24 sail of
the enemy's shipping appeared to the westward of this har-
bor, which by many were supposed to be a plundering par-
ty after stock; alarm-guns were immediately fired, but the
discharge of cannon in the harbor has become so frequent
of late, that they answered little or no purpose. The de-
fenceless state of the fortifications and the town are obvious
to our readers; a few of the inhabitants, who were equipped,
advanced towards the place, where the enemy were thought
likely to make their landing, and manoeuvred on the heights
adjacent, until the enemy about 9 o'clock landed in two
divisions, and about 800 men each, one of them at Brown's
farm near the light-house, the other at Groton Point: the
division that landed near the light-house, marched up the
road, keeping up large flanking parties, who were attacked
in different places on their march by the inhabitants, who
had spirit and resolution to oppose their progress. The
main body of the enemy proceeded to the town, set fire to
the stores on the beach, and immediately after to the dwell-
ing houses lying on Mill Cove. The scattered fire of our
little parties, unsupported by our neighbors more distant,
galled them so that they soon began to retire, setting fire
promiscuously on their way. The fire from the stores
communicated to the shipping that lay at the wharves, and
a number were burnt; others swung to single fast, and re-
mained unhurt.
"At 4 o'clock, they began to quit the town with great
precipitation, and were pursued by our brave citizens with
the spirit and ardor of veterans, and driven on board their
boats. Five of the enemy were killed, and about twenty
136
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW LONDON.
wounded; among the latter is a Hessian captain, who is a
prisoner, as are seven others. We lost four killed and ten
or twelve wounded, some mortally.
"The most valuable part of the town is reduced to ash-
es, and all the stores. Fort Trumbull, not being tenable
on the land side, was evacuated as the enemy advanced, and
the few men in it crossed the river to Fort Griswold, on
Groton Hill, which was soon after invested by the division.
that landed on that point: the fort having in it only about
120 men, chiefly militia, hastily collected; they defended it
with the greatest resolution and bravery, and once repulsed
the enemy but the fort being out of repair, could not be
defended by such a handful of men, though brave and de-
termined, against so superior a number; and after having
a number of their party killed and wounded, they found
that further resistance would be in vain, and resigned the
fort. Immediately on the surrendery, the valiant Colonel
Ledyard, whose fate in a particular manner is much lament-
ed, and 70 other officers and men, were murdered, most
of whom were heads of families. The enemy lost a Major,
Montgomery, and 40 officers and men in the attack, who
were found buried near the fort: the wounded were carried
off."
"Soon after the enemy got possession of the fort, they
set fire to and burnt a considerable number of dwelling-
houses and stores on Groton bank, and embarked about sun-
set, taking with them sundry inhabitants of New London
and Groton. A Colonel Eyre, who commanded the divis-
ion at Groton, was wounded, and it is said died on board
the fleet the night they embarked. About 15 sail of vessels,
with the effects of the inhabitants, retreated up the river on
the appearance of the enemy, and were saved, and four
others remained in the harbor unhurt. The troops were
commanded by that infamous traitor, Benedict Arnold,
who headed the division which marched up to the town.
By this calamity it is judged that more than one hundred
families are deprived of their habitations, and most of their
all. This neighborhood feel sensibly the loss of so many
deserving citizens, and though deceased, cannot but be
highly indebted to them, for their spirit and bravery in
their exertions and manly opposition to the merciless ene-
mies of our country, in their last moments.
"The following savage action, committed by the troops,
FAMILY TOURIST.
137
NEW LONDON.
who subdued fort Griswold, on Groton Hill, on Thursday
last, ought to be recorded to their eternal infamy. Soon
after the surrender of the fort, they loaded a wagon with
our wounded men, by order of their officers, and set the
wagon off from the top of the hill, which is long and very
steep. The wagon went a considerable distance with great
force, till it was suddenly stopped by a tree; the shock was
so great to these faint and bleeding men, that some of them
died instantly. The officers ordered the men to fire on the
wagon, while it was running."
The buildings burnt at New London in this expedition
by the British troops, were 65 dwelling houses containing
97 families, 31 stores, 18 shops, 20 barns, and 9 public and
other buildings, among which were the Court House, Jail,
and Church-in all 143.
"In many instances, where houses were situated at a
great distance from any stores, and contained nothing but
household furniture, they were set on fire, notwithstanding
the earnest cries and entreaties of the women and children
in them, who were threatened with being burnt in them, if
they did not instantly leave them. Indeed two houses
were bought off for £10 each, of an officer who appeared
to be a Captain, upon condition, however, that he should
not be made known; and where the houses were not burnt,
they were chiefly plundered of all that could be carried off.
At the harbor's mouth, the houses of poor fishermen were
stripped of all their furniture of every kind, the poor peo-
ple having nothing but the clothes that they had."
About the year 1720, a sect arose in New London, called,
from their leader, Rogerenes. The following account of
this people is from Dr. Trumbull's History of Connecticut,
second volume.
"The Rogerenes were a sort of Quakers, who had their
origin and name from one John Rogers, of New London.
He was a man of unbounded ambition, and wished to be
something more than common men. One Case and one
Banks, two lewd men, called singing Quakers, coming
through the colony singing and dancing, accompanied with
a number of women to assist them in their musical exer-
cises; and especially to proclaim how their lips dropped
with myrrh and honey, fell in company with John, and at
once made a convert of him to their religion. He, in a
12*
138
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW LONDON.
high degree imbibed their spirit and ever retained it. Not-
withstanding, it was not long after, before he commenced a
seventh-day Baptist. After maintaining the opinion of this
sect for a short time, he returned again to Quakerism. To
gratify his pride, and that he might appear as the head of a
peculiar sect, he differed in several points from the Qua-
kers; particularly, that there were three ordinances of re-
ligious use, baptism, the Lord's supper, and imposition of
hands. To make himself more eminent, as the head of a
new sect, he commenced preacher of his peculiar scheme,
and without any kind of ordination, administered baptism
to his followers. The madness, immodesty, and tumultu-
ous conduct of Rogers, and those who followed him, at
this day, is hardly conceivable. It seemed to be their study
and delight to violate the Sabbath, insult magistrates and
ministers, and to trample on all law and authority, human
and divine. They would come, on the Lord's day, into
the most public assemblies nearly or quite naked, and in the
time of public worship, behave in a wild and tumultuous
manner, crying out, and charging the most venerable min-
isters with lies and false doctrine. They would labor upon
the Lord's day, drive carts by places of public worship,
and from town to town, apparently on purpose to disturb
Christians, and Christian assemblies. They seemed to take
'pains to violate the laws in the presence of officers, that
they might be complained of, and have an opportunity to
insult the laws, the courts, and all civil authority.
•
"A particular instance of their conduct on a certain oc-
casion, when Rogers was indicted for a high misdemeanor,
may serve as a specimen of their spirit and conduct in gen-
eral. The crime for which he was indicted, and the man-
ner of his own and his followers' conduct, will appear from
the following extract from 'Pratt's Historical Account of
Quakerism.'
"It was his manner to rush into the assembly on the
Lord's day, in the time of God's worship, in a very boister-
ous way, and to charge the minister with lies and false doc-
trine; and to scream, shout, stamp, &c. by which he offer-
ed insufferable molestations to the worship and people of
God. And this was his manner in the court also, when he
pleased, or had a mind to make himself sport, and he would
laugh at it, when he had done, until his sides shook.
"I saw him once brought to court for such a disturb-
FAMILY TOURIST.
139
NEW LONDON.
ance, committed on the Sabbath. He had contrived the
matter so as to be just without the door, when he was called
to answer; upon which he rushed into court with a
prodigious noise; his features and gestures expressed more
fury than I ever saw in a distracted person of any sort,
and I soberly think, that if a legion of devils had pushed
him in headlong, his entrance had not been more horrid
and ghastly, nor have seemed more preternatural.
"When he came to the bar, he demanded of the court
what their business was with him? The indictment was
ordered to be read. To this he pleaded not guilty, after a
new mode: for as the clerk read, sometimes at the end of
a sentence, and sometimes at the beginning, he would cry
out, That's a cursed lie; and anon, That's a devilish lie;
till at length a number of his followers, of both sexes, tuned
their pipes, and screamed, roared, shouted and stamped to
that degree of noise, that it was impossible to hear the
clerk read.'
"He professed to be a most holy man, guided in all his
conversation by the Holy Ghost, so that, for the course of
twenty years, he had lived without the commission of one
sin. Yet he was almost constantly committing such gross
offences. He was divorced from an amiable wife for forni-
cation and supposed beastiality. The latter he often con-
fessed out of court. When he had occasion, he took to
his bed a maid, whom he had purchased, and after she had
borne him two children, he put her away. He suffered a
long imprisonment, upon a strong suspicion that he was an
accomplice in burning the meeting-house at New London.
He once sat upon the gallows, upon a conviction of blas-
phemy. For these and the like instances, he and his fol-
lowers suffered the penalties of the law; but for his reli-
gion, neither he nor his followers suffered any thing, any
further than it led them to such misdemeanors, as are pun-
ishable by the laws of all Christian nations."*
'Many anecdotes are related concerning this singular
people, one of which is the following. Among other viola-
tions of law and order by the Rogerenes, they took to
themselves wives, without complying with the requirements.
of law and decency. One day, as Governor Saltonstall was
sitting in his room smoking his pipe, a man by the name
* Trumbull.
140
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW LONDON.
of Gurdon, with a woman, came in, and addressing the
Governor, said, 'Sir, I have married this woman, and that
too without the authority of your magistrates and minis-
ters.' The Governor turned round, took the pipe out of
his mouth, and in a stern voice said, 'Gurdon, have you
taken this woman for your wife?' Gurdon replied, 'Yes,
I have.' The Governor turned to the woman, and inquir-
ed, 'Madam, have you taken this man for your husband?'
She replied, Indeed, sir, I have.' 'Well, then,' said the
Governor, by authority of, and according to the laws of
Connecticut, I pronounce you lawfully wedded, husband
and wife.' Gurdon was astonished, and, after a pause,
replied, Thou art a cunning creature.'
'
"It is said to be contrary to the tenets of the Rogerenes
to employ physicians, or to use medicines in case of sick-
ness. The following method of preserving a clear con-
science in this respect, is related upon good authority. A
number of these people were afflicted by a certain cutane-
ous disorder, and their principles forbidding them the use
of medicines, they were at a loss what to do. After delib-
erating upon the subject, they came to the conclusion that
this disorder, (or whatever else it might be called,) could
not come under the head of bodily infirmity. It was de-
termined that the itch might be considered as a noxious ani-
mal, which they might innocently destroy. They accord-
ingly made use of the usual remedies found efficacious for
this disorder."
"A considerable number of the descendants of the
Rogerenes still reside in Groton, New London, and its vi-
cinity. Many years since, a person by the name of Wa-
trous, one of this sect, wrote and published a book called
'The Battle Axe.' Such was the nature of this publica-
tion, that he could find no printer who was willing to print
it. Determined, however, that his book should be pub-
lished, Watrous procured a printing press and types, and
printed the work himself. This-book is said to be a curi-
osity, from the nature of the work, and from the typo-
graphical execution. So little faith have this people in
other denominations of Christians around them, that quite
recently they would not suffer any of their people to assist
as carpenters or otherwise, in the construction of a new
church, lately erected in New London."*
* Connecticut Historical Collections.
RHODE ISLAND.
PROVIDENCE.
THIS is the second city in New England in point of pop-
ulation, wealth, and business. It stands on Providence
river, at the head of Narraganset Bay, 35 miles from the
ocean; 42 south-west from Boston; 190 north-east of New
York; and 394 north-east from Washington. The town
is built on both sides of the river, the two parts being con-
nected by two handsome bridges. The new town, on the
west side of the river, has all the bustle and liveliness, and
displays the flourishing appearance of a commercial city.
The hill on the opposite side, or East Providence, is
chiefly occupied by private mansions beautifully situated,
and adorned with gardens and court yards.
Providence is well laid out, and viewed from several em-
inences within the city, or from the bay, its appearance is
fine and imposing. The calamities, which it has several
times suffered by storms, floods, and particularly an exten-
sive fire in 1801, and the great storm of 1815, when 500
buildings were destroyed, have ultimately tended to the im-
provement of the city, in its streets and buildings. These
are mostly of wood, and are uniformly neat; there are ma-
ny, however, of brick, granite, &c., which are spacious and
elegant, and finely situated.
The public buildings are numerous, and several of them
very handsome. The college edifices belonging to Brown
University occupy the summit of a hill, which overlooks
every part of the town, the cove, and the country beyond
it, the river with the regions on both sides; together with
extensive tracts to the north and east. The prospect is a
noble one; but is sensibly impaired by the sterility of the
soil in the western quarter, and is not a little deficient in
fine varieties of surface. This Institution was established
in 1764, and was originally stationed at Warren, where the
142
FAMILY TOURIST.
PROVIDENCE.
first commencement was held in 1769. The next year it
was held in Providence. It has now the name of Brown
University, given it in honor of Nicholas Brown, Esq. who
has been its most liberal benefactor. Under its distin-
guished President and able faculty, it enjoys a high reputa-
tion among the literary institutions of New England. The
corporation is composed of two boards: one of Fellows;
the other of Trustees. The former consists of twelve, in-
cluding the President: of whom eight are required by the
charter to be Baptists. The latter consists of thirty-six ;
of whom twenty-two must be Baptists; five Quakers; five
Episcopalians; and four Congregationalists. The philo-
sophical and chemical apparatus is extensive. The seve-
ral libraries contain from 12,000 to 15,000 volumes, of
which 6,000 belong to the library of the college.
The Arcade, extending from Westminster street to
Weybosset, is the handsomest building of the kind in the
country. It is 226 feet long, and three stories high, with
twenty-eight rooms on each floor. It has a front on each
street consisting of an Ionic portico 72 feet wide, and col-
onades of six columns each 25 feet high, the shafts of which
are single blocks 22 feet in length. This building was
completed in 1828, at a cost of $130,000.
There are fourteen Churches in the city, some of which
are handsome specimens of architecture; particularly two
Congregational Churches, a Baptist, and an Episcopal
Church.
Providence is well situated for commercial enterprise.
The river, which divides the town nearly in the centre,
is navigable for vessels of 900 tons burden. The foreign
and coasting trade are both extensive, as the commerce of
the State, which was formerly concentrated at Newport, is
now chiefly transferred to this place. Several lines of
packets, besides other vessels, run regularly to different
parts of the United States, and the facilities for internal
communication are numerous.
The Blackstone Canal, which extends from Providence
to Worcester, has opened an internal communication im-
portant to Providence. This canal passes near numer-
ous manufactories, adding much to the trade of the city,
as does the manufacturing village of Pawtucket, one of
FAMILY TOURIST.
143
PROVIDENCE.
the most important in the country, and to which leads one
of the finest roads in the United States.
An important Rail Road was opened between this city
and Boston in 1835. Its distance is 41 miles. The track
is a single one. The amount of capital that had been paid
in in November, 1836, was $1,250,000, and on this sum
at that time a dividend of four per cent. Two trains of
cars for passengers pass through each way daily-Sundays
excepted; and another train, called the steamboat train,
which is connected with the New York and Providence
steamboat line, conveys passengers to and from Providence
every day, on which the steamboat arrives at and departs
from, Providence. The time usually occupied in passing
the whole distance between Boston and Providence, is
about two hours and fifteen minutes. The fare is two dol-
lars.
The citizens of Providence are distinguished in general
for their intelligence, enterprise, liberality, and courteous
manners. They have exhibited no small pride in rendering
their city pleasant and beautiful. An honorable testimony
is borne to the morals of Providence by the late President
Dwight. He remarks: "The morals of Providence are
probably superior to those of any other town in this State.
The usual order of things, with respect to morality, seems
here to be inverted. In most other States the country is
more virtuous than the city. Here, a general, and honor-
able, regard to morality, and a general performance of its
duties, such as is found in other respectable towns of this
country, appears to prevail. Many years have not elapsed
since the market, the street, and the wharves, were little
less frequented on the Sabbath, than on other days. You
will remember, that the Sabbath in this State is neither re-
garded by the laws, nor sanctioned by any general religious
observance. We saw a few carts entering the town; but
were informed, that the number had yearly decreased for a
considerable time, and that the inhabitants were strongly,
as well as generally, opposed to this indecent intrusion."
The founder of Providence was Roger Williams, a man
who figured in the early history of the colony of Massa-
chusetts, and about whose religious tenets and conduct
the most contradictory statements have been made. Injus-
144
FAMILY TOURIST.
PROVIDENCE.
tice has doubtless been done him; yet, it is not improbable
from his excitable and ardent feelings-from his well known
courage and firmness, that he might have in his language.
and conduct given occasion to his contemporaries to feel
towards him some unkindness; yet no apology can be of-
fered for their great severity towards him. His intimate re-
lation to the city about which we are writing, will justify a
brief notice of the principal events of his life, which we gath-
er from a late Memoir of his life by Professor Knowles.
The early history of Mr. Williams, is traditionary. It is
said that even the records of the church, which he founded
at Providence, contain no notice of him earlier than 1675.
He was born in Wales, probably in 1599. The place
of his birth and the character of his parents are not known.
From a remark in one of his books, it appears probable, that
he became pious in early life. "That his parents were in
humble life, and that his disposition was pious and thought-
ful, may be inferred," says his biographer, "from an inci-
dent, which is related concerning him, and which, if true,
had a great share in determining his future course. It is
said, that the famous lawyer, Sir Edward Coke, observed
him one day, during public worship, taking notes ofthe dis-
course. His curiosity was excited, and he requested the
boy to show him his notes. Sir Edward was so favorably
impressed by the evidences of talent, which these exhibited,
that he requested the parents of young Williams, to intrust
their son to his care. He placed him, as the tradition runs,
at the University of Oxford, where he drank deeply at the
fountains of learning. His writings testify, that his educa-
tion was liberal, according to the taste of those times, when
logic and the classics formed the chief objects of study at
the Universities."
After leaving Oxford, he commenced the study of law;
but finding theology more agreeable to his taste, he direct-
ed his attention to that; and, at length, received Episcopal
orders. For a time, he had charge of a parish in England.
For the same reasons, which impelled so many of the
English clergy to abandon their native land, for the wilds
of America, Roger Williams, no doubt, emigrated to the
same place of refuge. The time of his emigration was De-
cember 1st, 1630, at which time he embarked at Bristol, in
the ship Lyon, Capt. William Price. His wife accompa-
FAMILY TOURIST.
145
PROVIDENCE.
nied him. Governor Winthrop thus records the arrival of
this vessel.
"Feb. 5. The ship Lyon, Mr. William Pierce, master,
arrived at Nantasket. She brought Mr. Williams, a godly
minister, with his wife, Mr. Throgmorton, Perkins, and oth-
ers, with their wives and children, about twenty passengers,
and about two hundred tons of goods. She set sail from
Bristol, December 1st. She had a very tempestuous pas-
sage, yet through God's mercy, all her people came safe,
except Way, his son, who fell from the spritsail yard in a
tempest, and could not be recovered, though he kept in sight
near a quarter of an hour; her goods also came all in good
condition."
Shortly after Mr. Williams' arrival he was invited by the
church in Salem to become an assistant to Mr. Sheldon, as
teacher in the place of the accomplished Higginson, who
had died a few months before. This invitation he accepted
and commenced his ministry in that town. The civil au-
thority, however, interfered on the ground that Mr. Wil-
liams had refused to join with the congregation, at Boston,
because they would not make a public declaration of their
repentance, for having held communion with the churches
of England, while they lived there; and besides, had de-
clared his opinion, that the magistrate might not punish a
breach of the Sabbath, nor any other offence, as it was a
breach of the first table; therefore they marvelled they
would choose him without advising with the Council; and
withal desiring that they would forbear to proceed till they
had conferred about it.
We are not told precisely in what terms, and to what ex-
tent, he wished the members of the Boston church to ex-
press their repentance by their conduct. In this require-
ment, he probably forgot his own principles of liberty of
conscience; but in regard to the other charge, that the civil
magistrate has no right to control the consciences of men,
he was right in point of principle, although perhaps too
strong in expression. Notwithstanding the interference of
the court, the church at Salem considered it her right to se-
lect her own pastor; and accordingly, Mr. Williams entered
upon the duties of a minister among them. His situation
however, was rendered unpleasant by the persecution of en-
emies, in consequence of which he was obliged to retire to
Plymouth. Here he became an assistant to Mr. Ralph
13
146
FAMILY TOURIST.
PROVIDENCE.
Smith, the pastor of the church there. After a residence
at Plymouth of two years, he returned to Salem, and resum-
ed his labors, as an assistant to Mr. Sheldon; on the death
of this gentleman, which occurred in 1634, Mr. Williams
was invited to become the teacher of the church. The ma-
gistrates sent a request that they would not ordain him; but
the church persisted, and Mr. Williams was regularly intro-
duced to the office of teacher.
In 1635, Mr. Williams was summoned to appear before
the general court to answer to the following "dangerous
opinions" said to be held by him, viz: 1. that the magistrate
ought not to punish the breach of the first table, otherwise
than in such cases as did disturb the civil peace; 2. that he
ought not to tender an oath to an unregenerate man; 3. that
a man ought not to pray with such, though wife, child, &c.
4. that a man ought not to give thanks after sacrament, nor
after meat," &c.
In respect to the first of these charges, Mr. Williams nev-
er held it to be wrong for the civil magistrate to punish
breaches of the first table, when they disturbed the civil
peace, but only that they had no right to force the con-
sciences of men. In respect to the second charge, we are
not informed of the precise views of Mr. Williams, respect-
ing oaths. It seems probable, however, that he considered
an oath to be an act so entirely religious, as to feel that an
irreligious man could not sincerely take one. In this he
was probably biased by a wrong judgment, as he was also
in denying the propriety of uniting in religious worship with
the unregenerate. The fourth charge was unworthy the
framers of it.
We cannot enter into this subject with more particular-
ity. Mr. Williams doubtless held opinions, which were at
variance with the received opinions of the day, and in re-
spect to some of which he appears not to have exercised a
sound judgment, yet he was far from meriting the severe
censures, which were passed upon him. Some of those
censures his judges deserved themselves; for in some points
in which they condemned Mr. Williams, they deserved con-
demnation themselves.
In October, 1635, Mr. Williams was called before the
court for the last time. Mr. Hooker was chosen to dispute
with him, but not being able to reduce him from any of his
errors, the court sentenced him to depart out of their juris-
FAMILY TOURIST.
147
PROVIDENCE.
diction, within six weeks, all the ministers, save one, appro-
ving the sentence.
Mr. Williams received permission to remain at Salem till
spring; but because he would not agree not to refrain in his
own house, from uttering his opinions, the Court ordered to
send him to England. Accordingly a warrant was sent to
him to repair to Boston to go on board a ship, there ready
to sail. But he replied, that he could not come without
hazard to his life. Whereupon a pinnace was despatched
to apprehend him, and take him on board the ship in Nan-
tasket Bay; but when the commissioner sent for this purpose
came to his house, he found Mr. Williams had gone to some
unknown place, three days before. It appears that Gov.
Winthrop had privately advised him to leave, as a measure
which the public peace required.
The departure of Mr. Williams was about the middle of
January, 1635-6. It is not certain that any one accompa-
nied him, though a number of persons joined him soon af
ter. He proceeded south towards Narragansett Bay. The
weather was severe, and his sufferings were great.
It appears that he visited Ousamequin, sachem of Poka-
noket, who resided at Mount Hope, near the present town
of Bristol, (R. I.) From him he obtained a grant of land,
now included in the town of Seekonk, in Massachusetts.
This territory was within the limits of the Plymouth colony.
Notwithstanding this, with the assistance of friends, he erect-
ed a habitation, and here probably hoped to live in peace.
In a short time, however, he received a letter from Mr.
Winslow, governor of Plymouth, kindly apprising him of his
encroachment on the territory of Plymouth, and advising
him to remove.
He immediately resolved to comply with the advice. He
accordingly embarked in a canoe with five others, and pro-
ceeded down the stream. As they approached the little
cove, near Tockwotten, now India Point, they were saluted
by a company of Indians, with the friendly interrogation,
"What cheer," a common English phrase, which they had
learned from the colonists. At this spot, they probably went
on shore, but they did not long remain there. They passed
around India Point and Fox Point, and proceeded up the
river on the west side of the peninsula, to a spot near the
mouth of the Moshassuck river. Tradition reports, that
Mr. Williams landed near a spring, which remains till this
148
FAMILY TOURIST.
PROVIDENCE.
day. At this spot, the settlement of Rhode Island com-
menced :
"O call it holy ground,
The soil where first they trod.
They have left unstained, what there they found,
FREEDOM TO WORSHIP GOD."
To the town here founded, Mr. Williams, with his habit-
ual piety, and in grateful remembrance of God's merciful
Providence to him in his distress, gave the name of PROVI-
DENCE.
His removal from Seekonk, is fixed by his biographers.
about the middle of June, 1636. The exact day is un-
known.
The spot where Mr. Williams and his companions land-
ed was within the jurisdiction of the Narragansett Indians.
The Sachems of this tribe were Canonicus, and his nephew
Miantonimoh. The former was an old man, and he prob-
ably associated with him his young nephew, as better fitted
to sustain the toils and cares of royalty. Their residence
is said by Gookin to have been about Narragansett Bay,
and on the island of Canonicut.
The first object of Mr. Williams would naturally be, to
obtain from the sachems a grant of land for his new colony.
He visited them, and received a verbal cession of the terri-
tory, which, two years afterwards, was formally conveyed
to him by deed.*
The lands thus ceded to Mr. Williams, he conveyed to
twelve men, who accompanied, or soon joined him, reserv-
* It reflects great credit on Canonicus, that he received Mr. Williams
with so much cordiality, and treated him, as Mr. Thatcher remarks, with
a hospitality worthy of an emperor, "At first, indeed, the savage chief-
tain was suspicious of his visiter's motives; and he was none the more
prepossessed in his favor, from his subjects having recently suffered ex-
cessively from a formidable epidemic, which he supposed to have been
introduced by the English." Mr. Williams has himseif given an account
of his interview with the chief. "At my first coming among them, Cau-
nounicus (morosus æque ac barbarus senex) was very sour, and accused
the English and myself of sending the plague among them, and threat-
ening to kill him especially." Soon after, however, he not only permitted
the refugee and the poor wanderers, who had followed him from Salem,
to have a resting place in his domain, but gave them all "the neck of land
lying between the mouths of the Pawtucket and Moshassuck rivers, that
they might sit down in peace upon it forever."
FAMILY TOURIST.
149
PROVIDENCE.
ing for himself an equal part only. From these he exact-
ed no remuneration.
Mrs. Williams and her two children are supposed to
have come from Salem to Providence in the summer of
1636, in company with several persons, who wished to join
their exiled pastor.
The family of Mr. Williams was now dependent on his
exertion for support. No supplies could be derived from
Massachusetts. The natives were unable to afford much
aid. It is probable that Mr. Williams had nearly expended
all his funds, in the support of his family during his ab-
sence, and in the negociations with the Indians. Of his
poverty, there is evidence, in a touching incident, mention-
ed in his letter to Major Mason. It is alike honorable to
all the parties: "It pleased the Father of Spirits to touch
many hearts, dear to him, with many relentings; amongst
which, that great and pious soul, Mr. Winslow, melted,
and kindly visited me at Providence, and put a piece of
gold into the hands of my wife, for our supply."
In a deed, which was enrolled January 29, 1667, Mr.
Williams says, that he planted, with his own hands, at his
first coming, the two Indian fields, Whatcheer, and Saxifrax
Hill, which he had purchased of the natives. Thus was
he forced, as at many other times, to resort to manual labor
for his subsistence. In his reply to Mr. Cotton, he says:
"It is not unknown to many witnesses, in Plymouth, Sa-
lem, and Providence, that the discusser's time hath not
been spent (though as much as any others whosoever) alto-
gether in spiritual labors and public exercises of the word;
but day and night, at home and abroad, on the land and
the water, at the hoe, at the oar, for bread." But he sus-
tained all his labors and hardships with a patient spirit, and
with a steadfast adherence to his principles.
His house was, undoubtedly, erected near the spot where
he landed, and a few rods eastward of the celebrated
spring. Here the wanderer found a resting place. This
was his home for more than forty years. Here he died,
and near the site of his dwelling his ashes were deposited.
It would be an interesting effort of the imagination, to
contrast the situation of Providence, at the time of the set-
tlement, with the present condition of that beautiful and
flourishing town. Where now are busy streets, and ample
warehouses, and elegant mansions, and a population of
13*
150
FAMILY TOURIST.
PROVIDENCE.
nearly 20,000 souls, were, at that time, dense forests, and a
few scattered Indian families. How astonishing is the
change! Roger Williams himself, with all his vigor of
imagination, and his ardent temperament, could not have
anticipated the expansion of his little settlement to its pre-
sent amplitude, beauty, and strength. The glorious vision
could not have visited his mind; but he acted under the
power of that prophetic faith, which assured him of suc-
cess, in his efforts for the welfare of men. He looked be-
yond the present, to the bright future, and was confident,
that his principles, though then misunderstood and rejected,
would ultimately triumph.
In 1643, Mr. Williams was intrusted with an important
agency. The settlement at Providence and on Rhode
Island had continued to increase for several years. They
had hitherto been distinct, but their principles and interests
were so similar, that an alliance as one colony became
manifestly expedient. The necessity of a charter from the
government of England, was apparent, to protect them
from the encroachments of the other colonies, and to give
a sanction and authority to their government. A commit-
tee was appointed, at an Assembly in Newport, September
19, 1642, with instructions to procure a charter.
committee intrusted the agency to Mr. Williams, who, on
behalf of that colony and his own, agreed to visit England,
on this important errand.
This
He accordingly left his family, and proceeded to Man-
hattan, (New York,) to embark for England. It would have
been more convenient and agreeable to sail from Boston,
but Mr. Williams was not permitted to enter the territories
of Massachusetts, notwithstanding the good service which
he had performed for them in their hour of need.
In 1644, he returned to America, having accomplished
the object of his mission. His return to Providence was
greeted by a voluntary expression of the attachment and
gratitude of its inhabitants, which is one of the most satis-
factory testimonies to his character. They met him at
Seekonk, with fourteen canoes, and carried him across the
river to Providence. This simple act of respect must have
been highly grateful to his feelings. It does equal honor to
him, and to his fellow citizens, who thus showed them-
selves capable of estimating, in a manner worthy of free-
men, the services of a friend and public benefactor.
FAMILY TOURIST.
151
1
PROVIDENCE.
We may suppose, that Mr. Williams, after his return,
immediately endeavored to carry into operation the charter,
which he had procured with so much labor and expense.
But it was a work which required time, to bring the inhab-
itants of the several settlements at Providence, Newport,
Portsmouth, and Warwick, to agree on a form of govern-
ment, and unite as one colony. The charter prescribed
no form of civil polity, and it was accordingly necessary
to manage the negociations between the towns with much
delicacy and skill.
Our limits forbid us to notice the incidents of Mr. Wil-
liams' life from the above date to the year 1676, excepting
to mention that in 1654, he was chosen president of the
colony, which office he held till 1657.
1676 was memorable in New England for King Philip's
war, so called. It spread over the whole of this territory,
and threatened for a while the destruction of the colonies.
Many of the inhabitants of Providence and of other
towns removed to Newport, for safety; but a considerable
number remained, among whom was Mr. Williams, though
it seems his wife and family removed to the Island.
Mr. Williams was very active, notwithstanding his age.
He accepted a military commission, and the title, "Captain
Roger Williams," appears on the records. It certainly
displayed spirit and patriotism in a man of seventy-seven
years, to buckle on his armor for the defence of his home
and his fellow citizens. He sent the following proposition.
to the town. "I pray the town, in the sense of the late
bloody practices of the natives, to give leave to so many as
can agree with William Field, to bestow some charge upon
fortifying his house, for security to women and children.
Also to give me leave, and so many as shall agree, to put
up some defence on the hill, between the mill and the high-
way, for the like safety of the women and children in that
part of the town." This proposal was signed by eleven per-
sons, who subscribed various sums, to defray the expense.
The highest subscription was two pounds six shillings,
except that of Mr. Williams, which was ten pounds, though
we may presume he was not the richest man among them.
A garrison was established at Providence by the General
Assembly, with seven men, under the command of Cap-
tain Arthur Fenner, with a provision, however, that it
152
FAMILY TOURIST.
PROVIDENCE.
"
should not eclipse Captain Williams' power in the exer-
cise of the train bands there."
The town was attacked by the Indians, on the 29th of
March, 1676, and twenty-nine houses were burnt, among
which was that in which the records of the town were
kept. These were thrown into the mill-pond, and after-
wards recovered, though much injured.
It is said that when the Indians approached Providence,
Mr. Williams took his staff, and went out to meet them on
the heights north of the cove. He remonstrated with the
sachems, and warned them of the power and vengeance of
the English.
"Massachusetts,” said he, can raise thou-
sands of men at this moment, and if you kill them, the
king of England will supply their place as fast as they fall."
"Well," answered one of the chieftains, "let them come.
We are ready for them. But as for you, brother Williams,
you are a good man.
You have been kind to us many
years. Not a hair of your head shall be touched."
Mr. Williams lived to his 84th year, but of the immediate
cause of his death, or the exact time of this event, we are
not informed.
In regard to his family, little is now known. His wife
is supposed to have survived him, but when and where she
died, we do not know. It is nearly certain that he left no
will, and had but little property to bequeath. He had six
children. Joseph, the last, lived for several years, on a
farm in Cranston, three or four miles from Providence,
where he died, August 17th, 1724, in the eighty-first year
of his age, and was buried in the family burying-ground,
on the farm, where his grave-stone now stands, with this
inscription:
"Here lies the body of Joseph Williams, Esq., son of
Roger Williams, Esq., who was the first white man that
came to Providence. He was born 1644. He died Au-
gust 17th, 1724, in the eighty-first year of his age:
In King Philip's war, he courageously went through,
And the native Indians he bravely did subdue,
And now he's gone down to the grave, and he will be no more,
Until it please Almighty God his body to restore,
Into some proper shape, as he think fit to be,
Perhaps like a grain of wheat, as Paul sets forth you see.
(Corinthians, 1st book, 15th chapter, 37th verse.)”
FAMILY TOURIST.
153
PROVIDENCE.
His biographer, Professor Knowles,* to whom the author
is indebted for the foregoing facts, gives the following
summary of Mr. Williams' character. "His mental fac-
ulties were of a high order. His mind was strong, original,
and independent. The clearness with which he dis-
cerned the true principles of religious liberty, and the
steadiness with which he maintained them, in opposition
to the general theory and practice of that age, show a su-
perior intellect. Few men are far in advance of their co-
temporaries; and this is a wise arrangement of Providence,
for such men are not so immediately useful, as many others
of inferior powers. They are not understood—they offend
the prejudices, and wound the self-love of men. Their
influence is of the nature of prophecy. They plant prin-
ciples, which are of slow growth, but which will eventually
produce rich fruit. Such individuals must be content to
live for posterity. They must be steadfast in upholding
the truth, though amid ingratitude and opposition, cheered
by the bright prospect of future triumph.
"Mr. Williams was of this class of men, and his station
in that class is a proof of the elevation and vigor of his
mind.
"It is an evidence, also, of superior moral qualities. It
requires a spirit of self-sacrifice, a pure love of truth, a
benevolent zeal for the welfare of mankind, an elevation
above selfish ends. All these traits of character Mr. Wil-
liams possessed. He was sincerely pious. Love to God
dwelt habitually in his soul, and controlled his feelings and
his actions. In his books and letters, every topic takes a
hue from his piety. His magnanimous forgiveness of inju-
ries, his zeal for the welfare of all who sought his aid,
his untiring benevolence towards the hapless savages, his
patriotic and self-denying toil for the prosperity of his col-
ony, all show the efficacy and fervor of those religious prin-
ciples which governed him. Mr. Callender said of him,
'Mr. Williams appears, by the whole course and tenor of
his life and conduct here, to have been one of the most
disinterested men that ever lived, a most pious and heaven-
ly minded soul.' Dr. Bentley says: In Salem, every body
loved Mr. Williams. He had no personal enemies, under
any pretence. All valued his friendship. Kind treatment
* Memoir of Roger Williams, &c. by James D. Knowles,
154
FAMILY TOURIST
PROVIDENCE.
could win him, but opposition could not conquer him. He
was not afraid to stand alone for truth against the world,
and he had address enough with his firmness, never to be
forsaken by the friends he had ever gained. He had al-
ways a tenderness of conscience, and feared every offence
against moral truth. He breathed the purest devotion. He
was a friend of human nature, forgiving, upright, and pi-
He understood the Indians better than any man of his
age. He made not so many converts, but he made more
sincere friends.'
ous.
"His religious principles were those of Calvin. His
views of the ordinances of the Gospel were, undoubtedly,
after his baptism, those now held by the Baptists. But he
did not acknowledge himself as belonging to any denomi-
nation; because he believed, that there are now neither
true churches, nor persons authorized to administer the
ordinances.
"His political principles were decidedly in favor of the
rights of the people. He not only displayed them, in the
civil constitution of his colony, but he repeatedly stated
them in his books. Such passages as the following con-
tain his political creed :
CCC
Kings and magistrates must be considered invested
with no more power, than the people betrust them with.'
'The sovereign power of all civil authority is founded in
the consent of the people.'
"The faults of Mr. Williams sprung, in part, from the
imperfection of human nature, and in part from his tem-
perament, and the constitution of his mind. He was ar-
dent, and his imagination was the most active of his intel-
lectual faculties. He sometimes adopted opinions, rather
by a sudden bound of the imagination, than by a regular
process of reasoning. His ardor, and his conscientious-
ness and fearless love of truth, impelled him to act on his
opinions, with a degree of energy and firmness, which ex-
posed him to the charge of obstinacy. Such a man will
occasionally fall into error, and into rapid transitions, which
give to his conduct the appearance of inconsistency. This
was the case with Mr. Williams, in some of his actions,
but the inconsistency never affected his great principles.
These he never abandoned for a moment. His course was
steadily onward, like that of a planet, though disturbing
causes occasionally produced slight eccentricities.
FAMILY TOURIST.
155
PROVIDENCE.
"In his domestic relations, he seems to have been amia-
ble and happy. His expressions of attachment to his fam-
ily prove the strength of his conjugal and paternal affection.
His children grew up to maturity. A numerous posterity
have arisen to bless his memory, and to feel pleasure in the
contemplation of his character and the diffusion of his fame.
"He is dead, but his principles survive, and are destined
to spread over the earth. The State which he founded is
his monument. Her sons, when asked for a record of
Roger Williams, may point to her history, unstained by a
single act of persecution; to her prosperity, her perfect
freedom, her tranquil happiness; and may reply, in the
spirit of the epitaph on the tomb of Sir Christopher Wren,
in St. Paul's Cathedral, 'Look around,'-
'Si monumentum quæris, circumspice.'"
NEW YORK.
NEW YORK.
BEFORE proceeding to a description' of New York, the
present commercial capital of the United States, we have
divers historical matters, with which to entertain our fellow
travellers, touching the discovery of the place, and the early
settlement of the city, with sketches of the manners and
customs of the primitive settlers.

*
"The first European feet that ever trod on any part of
the territory, now included within the State of New York,
were probably," says Dr. Miller,* "Verrazzano, and his
crew, who appear to have visited the harbor of New York,
in 1524. The description which this navigator gives of a
harbor into which he put-of the islands which he saw in it
of the river which he ascended, corresponds with the
harbor of New York, the islands Statten and Manhatten,
and the river, afterwards called the Hudson.
Dr. Belknap
says the harbor which Verrazzano entered, "by his de-
scription, must be that of New York." Others have con-
sidered the whole account as agreeing with the harbor of
Newport, in Rhode Island. The weight of authority, how-
* Miller's Historial Discourse, 1809.
† That noted historian, Diedrich Knickerbocker, has decided that Ver-
razzano never made the above discovery, for the following potent reasons.
1st. "Because, on strict examination, it will be found," says he, "that the de-
scription given by him applies as well to the bay of New York, as it does
to my night cap." 2d. Because he was a Florentine, and the Florentines
having filched away the laurels from the brows of the immortal Colum-
bus, and bestowed them on their officious townsman, Amerigo Vespu-
ci, they may be suspected of an attempt to rob the illustrious Hudson of
the credit of his discovery." 3d. "I award," says he, "my decision in
favor of the pretensions of Hendrick Hudson, in as much as his expedi-
tion sailed from Holland-being truly and absolutely a Dutch enterprise."
-and as if in truth, like the Squire of the knight of La Mancha,
he would "heap proof upon the shoulders of demonstration," he adds-
"though allthe proofs in the world were introduced on the other side,I would
set them at nought, as undeserving my attention."—"Thus, therefore," he
concludes "the title of Hendrick Hudson to his renowned discovery is
fully vindicated." Doubtless!

NEW YORK.
FAMILY TOURIST.
157
NEW YORK.
ever, lies in favor of the former opinion. If so, the merit
of the discovery is due to Verrazzano, and the date of that
discovery, is the spring of 1524. This navigator was a Flo-
rentine, in the service of Francis I. of France. At this time
he was on a voyage of discovery. He first made the Ameri-
can coast, near Wilmington, North Carolina. From this
point, he sailed south as far as Georgia, after which he di-
rected his course north, and entered, as we have stated, the
harbor of New York.
((
In this harbor, according to his own account, he staid
about fifteen days. He and his men frequently went on
shore to obtain supplies, and to see the country. He says
expressly: "Sometimes our men stayed two or three daies
on a little island neere the ship for divers necessaries." And
again, we were oftentimes within the land five or six
leagues, which we found as pleasant as is possible to de-
clare, very apt for any kind of husbandry, of corne, wine,
and oyle. We entered afterwards into the woods, which
we found so great and thicke, that any army, were it never
so great, might have hid itselfe therein; the trees whereof
are okes, cipresse trees, and other sorted unknowen in Eu-
rope."
Verrazzano returned to France in July. He gave to the
whole country, whose coast he had explored, the name of
New France. It is distressing to add, that in a subsquent
voyage, according to some authorities, Verrazzano was cut
to pieces by the savages, who murdered him and others, who
had gone ashore, in the sight of those who remained on
board the ship, the latter being unable to rescue them.
From this time nearly a century elapsed before the least
addition was made to the knowledge of this part of the
American Continent.
In 1609, however, Henry Hudson, arrived on the Ameri-
can coast. Hudson was an Englishman. He had in years
previous, under the patronage of some English merchants,
made two voyages, with the hope of discovering a passage to
India by the north; but failing in his object, he had return-
ed to England. Thence he proceeded to Holland, and en-
gaged in the service of the Dutch East India Company. By
the latter he was furnished with a small ship, called the
Half Moon, manned by twenty men, and with which, he left
14
158
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW YORK.
Amsterdam on the 4th, and the Texel on the 6th, of April,
1609.
An account of the voyage of Verrazzano had been pub-
lished nine years before this of Hudson ; but there is no evi-
dence of his having seen it. Hence he is entitled to the
merit of an original discoverer. He appears to have first
landed where Portland (Maine) now stands, and to have re-
mained on shore six days. Thence pursuing a southerly
course, he reached Chesapeake Bay, whence he again coast-
ed northward, and on the 3d of Sept. anchored within San-
dy Hook.
"The next day, the 4th of September, he sent a boat on
shore for the purpose of fishing. The tradition is, that his
men first landed on Coney island, which lies near to Long
Island, and now makes a part of King's County. On the
same day, the natives came on board of his ship, as she lay
at anchor, conducting themselves with great apparent friend-
liness, and discovering a strong disposition to barter the
produce of their country for knives, beads, clothes, and oth-
er articles of a similar kind. The next day, the 5th of Sep-
tember, Hudson again sent his boat on shore, for the pur-
pose, as appears from the journal, of exploring and sound-
ing the waters lying to the south, within Sandy Hook, and
forming what is now called the Horse-Shoe. Here the
boat's crew landed, and penetrated some distance into the
woods, in what is now Monmouth county, in New Jersey.
They were well received by the natives, who presented them
very kindly with, what the journal calls, "green tobacco,"
and also with "dried courants,"* which are represented as
having been found in great plenty and of a very excellent
quality.
"On the 6th of September, Hudson sent a boat, manned
with five hands, to explore what appeared to be the mouth
of the river, at the distance of about four leagues from the
ship. This was no doubt the strait between Long and
Staten Islands, generally called the Narrows. Here the
writer of the journal observes," a good depth of water was
found," and, within, a large opening and a narrow river to
the west, in which it is evident he refers to what is now call-
ed the Kills, or the channels between Bergen Neck, and
* These were probably whortleberries, or some other wild berries, of a
similar kind, which the Indians were accustomed to dry.
FAMILY TOURIST.
159
NEW YORK.
Staten island. In exploring the bay, and the adjacent wa-
ters, the boat's crew spent the whole day. On their way, in.
returning to the ship, towards night, they were attacked by
the natives in two canoes; the one carrying fourteen men,
the other twelve. A skirmish ensued, in which one of Hud-
son's men, named John Colman, was killed, by an arrow,
which struck him in the throat, and two more wounded.
The next day, the remains of Colman was interred on a point
of land not far from the ship, which from that circumstance
received the name of Colman's Point; and which was prob-
ably the same that is now called Sandy Hook."*
On the 11th of September, Hudson entered the river,
which bears his name, from which time to the 22d, he con-
tinued to ascend it. The ship reached a point somewhat
above where the city of Hudson now stands. From this
place, Hudson despatched a boat, which ascended as far as
the present site of Albany. On the 23d, he began to de-
scend the river, and on the 4th of October, he left it, and
immediately stood out to sea, proceeding directly for Eu-
rope, where he arrived on the 7th of November following.
Like his predecessor Verrazzano, he also came to a miser-
able end. During a subsequent voyage, commenced in 1610,
a spirit of mutiny appeared among his crew, a majority of
whom took the command of the ship from Hudson, whom,
with his son, and seven others, they put into a boat, and
abandoned them to their fate. No further tidings were ever
heard of them.
By virtue of this discovery, both the Dutch and English
gave the name of Hudson to the river. As a place of set-
tlement, the former were soon attracted to the territory.
Owing, it is said, to the hostility of the Indians near the
mouth of the river, a fort and trading house were first erect-
ed, 1614, near the spot where Albany now stands To-
wards the close of the same year, or in the course of the next,
a small trading house and fort were erected on Manhattan†
island, and called New Amsterdam. This was the com-
mencement of the city of New York.
The city, as well as the State of New York, continued
in possession of the Dutch, with the exception of a few
* Miller's Historical Discourse, 1809.
+ This was the Indian name of the Island.
160
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW YORK.
<< were
years, until the peace of 1664, when it came under the
British dominion. During the period the Dutch possessed
it, the style of architecture, dress, manners, customs,—all
were of course Dutch. The following amusing notices of
some of these subjects are given us by that amusing chron-
icler of the "olden time," Diedrich Knickerbocker:
"The houses of the higher classes," says he,
generally constructed of wood, excepting the gable end,
which was of small black and yellow Dutch bricks, and
always faced on the street, as our ancestors, like their de-
scendants, were very much given to outward show, and
were noted for putting the best leg foremost. The house
was always furnished with abundance of large doors, and
small windows on every floor, the date of its erection was
curiously designated by iron figures on the front, and on
the top of the roof was perched a fierce little weathercock,
to let the family into the important secret, which way the
wind blew. These, like the weathercocks on the tops of
our steeples, pointed so many different ways, that every
man could have a wind to his mind;-the most staunch and
loyal citizens, however, always went according to the wea-
thercock on the top of the Governor's house, which was
certainly the most correct, as he had a trusty servant em-
ployed every morning to climb up and set it to the right
quarter.
"In those good days of simplicity and sunshine, a pas-
sion for cleanliness was the leading principle in domestic
economy, and the universal test of an able housewife-a
character which formed the utmost ambition of our unen-
lightened grandmothers. The front door was never open-
ed except on marriages, funerals, new-year's days, the fes-
tival of St. Nicholas, or some such great occasion. It was
ornamented with a gorgeous brass knocker, curiously
wrought, sometimes in the device of a dog, and sometimes
of a lion's head, and was daily burnished with such reli-
gious zeal, that it was oft-times worn out by the very pre-
cautions taken for its preservation. The whole house was
constantly in a state of inundation, under the discipline of
mops and brooms and scrubbing-brushes; and the good
housewives of those days were a kind of amphibious ani-
mal, delighting exceedingly to be dabbling in water—inso
much that an historian of the day gravely tells us, that
many of his townswomen grew to have webbed fingersdike
FAMILY TOURIST.
161
NEW YORK.
unto a duck; and some of them, he had little doubt, could
the matter be examined into, would be found to have the
tails of mermaids-but this I look upon to be a mere
sport of fancy, or, what is worse, a wilful misrepresenta-
tion.
"The grand parlor was the sanctum sanctorum, where
the passion for cleaning was indulged without control. In
this sacred apartment, no one was permitted to enter, ex-
cepting the mistress and her confidential maid, who visited
it once a week, for the purpose of giving it a thorough
cleaning and putting things to rights always taking the
precaution of leaving their shoes at the door, and entering
devoutly on their feet. After scrubbing the floor, sprink-
ling it with fine white sand, which was curiously stroked
into angles, and curves, and rhomboids, with a broom-af-
ter washing the windows, rubbing and polishing the furni-
ture, and putting a new bunch of evergreens in the fire-
place the window-shutters were again closed to keep out
the flies, and the room carefully locked up, until the revo-
lution of time brought round the weekly cleaning day.
"As to the family, they always entered in at the gate,
and most generally lived in the kitchen. To have seen a
numerous household assembled around the fire, one would
have imagined that he was transported back to those happy
days of primeval simplicity, which float before our imagin-
ation like golden visions. The fire places were of a truly
patriarchal magnitude, where the whole family, old and
young, master and servant, black and white, nay, even the
cat and dog, enjoyed a community of privilege, and had
each a right to a corner. Here the old burgher would sit
in perfect silence, puffing his pipe, looking in the fire with
half-shut eyes, and thinking of nothing for hours together;
the goede vrouw on the opposite side would employ herself
diligently in spinning yarn or knitting stockings. The
young folks would crowd round the hearth, listening with
breathless attention to some old crone of a negro, who was
the oracle of the family, and who, perched like a raven in
a corner of the chimney, would croak forth for a long win-
ter afternoon a string of incredible stories about New Eng-
land witches-grisly ghosts, horses without heads-and
hair-breadth escapes, and bloody encounters among the
Indians.
"In those happy days a well regulated family always rose
14**
**
162
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW YORK.
with the dawn, dined at eleven, and went to bed at sun-
down. Dinner was invariably a private meal, and the fat
old burghers showed incontestible symptoms of disappro-
bation and uneasiness at being surprised by a visit from a
neighbor on such occasions. But though our worthy an-
cestors were thus singularly averse to giving dinners, yet
they kept up the social bands of intimacy by occasional
banquetings, called tea-parties.
"These fashionable parties were generally confined to
the higher classes, or noblesse, that is to say, such as kept.
their own cows, and drove their own wagons. The com-
pany commonly assembled at three o'clock, and went away
about six, unless it was in winter time, when the fashiona-
ble hours were a little earlier, that the ladies might get
home before dark. The tea-table was crowned with a
huge earthen dish, well stored with slices of fat pork, fried
brown, cut up into morsels, and swimming in gravy.
The company being seated around the genial board, and
each furnished with a fork, evinced their dexterity in
launching at the fattest pieces in this mighty dish-in much
the same manner as sailors harpoon porpoises at sea, or
our Indians spear salmon in the lakes. Sometimes the
table was graced with immense apple-pies, or saucers full of
preserved peaches and pears; but it was always sure to
boast of an enormous dish of balls of sweetened dough,
fried in hog's fat, and called dough-nuts, or oly keoks-a
delicious kind of cake, at present scarce known in the
city, excepting in genuine Dutch families.
"The tea was served out of a majestic delft tea-pot,
ornamented with paintings of fat little Dutch shepherds
and shepherdesses tending pigs-with boats sailing in the
air, and houses built in the clouds, and sundry other in-
genious Dutch fantasies. The beaux distinguished them-
selves by their adroitness in replenishing this pot from a
huge copper tea-kettle, which would have made the pigmy
macaronies of these degenerate days sweat merely to look
at it. To sweeten the beverage, a lump of sugar was laid
beside each cup—and the company alternately nibbled and
sipped with great decorum, until an improvement was in-
troduced by a shrewd and economical old lady, which was
to suspend a large lump directly over the tea-table, by a
string from the ceiling, so that it could be swung from
mouth to mouth-an ingenious expedient, which is still
FAMILY TOURIST
163
NEW YORK.
kept up by some families in Albany; but which prevails
without exception in Communipiaw, Bergen, Flat Bush,
and all our uncontaminated Dutch villages.
"At these primitive tea-parties the utmost propriety and
dignity of deportment prevailed. No flirting nor coquet-
ting-no gambling of old ladies, nor hoyden chattering
and romping of younger ones-no self-satisfied struttings
of wealthy gentlemen, with their brains in their pockets-
nor amusing conceits, and monkey divertisements, of smart
young gentlemen with no brains at all. On the contrary,
the young ladies seated themselves demurely in their rush-
bottomed chairs, and knit their own woollen stockings;
nor ever opened their lips, excepting to say, yah Mynher,
or yah ya Vrouw, to any question that was asked them;
behaving, in all things, like decent, well-educated damsels.
As to the gentlemen, each of them tranquilly smoked his
pipe, and seemed lost in contemplation of the blue and
white tiles with which the fire-places were decorated;
wherein sundry passages of scripture were piously por-
trayed-Tobit and his dog figured to great advantage;
Haman swung conspicuously on his gibbet, and Jonah ap-
peared most manfully bounding out of the whale, like Har-
lequin through a barrel of fire.
"The parties broke up without noise and without confu-
sion. They were carried home by their own carriages,
that is to say, by the vehicles nature had provided them,
excepting such of the wealthy as could afford to keep a
wagon. The gentlemen gallantly attended their fair ones
to their respective abodes, and took leave of them with a
hearty smack at the door: which, as it was an established
piece of etiquette, done in perfect simplicity and honesty
of heart, occasioned no scandal at that time, nor should it
at present-if our great-grandfathers approved of the cus-
tom, it would argue a great want of reverence in their de-
scendants to say a word against it."*
Another writer, who has also garnered up a merry mass
of facts in relation to the manners and customs of the
Dutch in the "olden time," gives us the following de-
scripti n.
"The Dutch kept five festivals of peculiar notoriety, in
the year Kerstydt, (Christmas); Nieuw jar, (New Year);
* History of New York, by Diedrich Knickerbocker.
164
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW YORK.
a great day of cake, Paas, (the Passover); Pinxter, (i. e.
Whitsuntide); and San Claas, (i. e. Saint Nicholas, or
Christ-kinkle day.) The negroes on Long Island, on some
of those days came in great crowds to Brooklyn and held
their field frolics." Nieuw jar or New Years day is still
observed with much good feeling and hospitality both at
New York and Albany; especially among the descendants
of the primitive stock.
It was the general practice of families in middle life to
spin, and make much of their domestic wear at home. Short
gowns and petticoats, were the general inn-door dresses.
1
Young women who dressed gay to go abroad to visit,
or to church, never failed to take off that dress and put on,
their home-made, as soon as they got home; even on Sun-
day evenings, when they expected company, or even their
beaux, it was their best recommendation to seem thus fru-
gal and ready for any domestic avocation. The boys and
young men of a family always changed their dress for a com-
mon dress in the same way. There was no custom of of-
fering drink to their guests; when punch was offered, it was
in great bowls.
"Dutch dances were very common; the supper on such
occasions was hot chocolate and bread.
"The negroes used to dance in the markets, using tom-
tons, horns, &c. for music.
"None of the stores or tradesmen's shops then aimed at
any rivalry as now. There were no glaring allurements at
windows, no over-reaching signs, no big bulk windows;
they were content to sell things at honest profits, and to trust
to an earned reputation for their share of business.
66
Many aged persons have spoken to me of the former
delightful practice of families sitting out on their "stoops"
in the shades of the evening, and their saluting the passing
friends, or talking across the narrow streets with neighbors.
It was one of the grand links of union in the Knickerbock-
er social compact. It endeared, and made social neigh-
bors; made intercourse on easy terms; it was only to say,
come sit down. It helped the
It helped the young to easy introductions,
and made courtships of readier attainment.
"I give some facts to illustrate the above remarks, de-
duced from the family B with which I am personally
acquainted. It shows primitive Dutch manners. His grand-
father died at the age of sixty-three in 1782, holding the of-
FAMILY TOURIST.
165
NEW YORK.
fice of alderman eleven years, and once chosen mayor and
declined. Such a man, in easy circumstances in life, fol-
lowing the true Dutch ton, had all his family to breakfast,
all the year round, at day light. Before the breakfast he uni-
versally smoked his pipe. His family always dined at twelve
exactly, at that time the kettle was invariably set on the fire
for tea, of Bohea, which was always as punctually furnished
at three o'clock. Then the old people went abroad on pur-
pose to visit relatives, changing the families each night in
succession, over and over again all the year round. The
regale at every such house was expected as matter of course,
to be chocolate supper, and soft waffles.
Afterwards, when green tea came in as a new luxury,
loaf sugar also came with it; this was broken in large lumps.
and laid severally by each cup, and was nibbled or bitten as
needed!
The family before referred to actually continued the
practice till as late as seventeen years ago, with a steady de-
termination in the patriarch to resist the modern innova-
tion of dissolved sugar, while he lived.
"While they occupied the stoops in the evening, you
could see every here and there an old Knickerbocker with
his long pipe, fuming away his cares, and ready on any oc-
casion to offer another for the use of any passing friend
who would sit down and join him. The ideal picture has
every lineament of contented comfort and cheerful repose.
Something much more composed and happy than the bust-
ling anxiety of "over business" in the moderns.
"The cleanliness of Dutch housewifery, was always ex-
treme; every thing had to submit to scrubbing and scour-
ing; dirt in no form could be endured by them and dear
as water was in the city, where it was generally sold, still it
was in perpetual requisition. It was their honest pride to
see a well-furnished dresser, showing copper and pewter in
shining splendor, as if for ornament, rather than for use.
"It was common in families then to cleanse their own
chimneys without the aid of hired sweeps; and all trades-
men, &c. were accustomed to saw their own fuel. No man
in middle circumstances of life ever scrupled to carry home
his one cwt. of meal from the market; it would have been
his shame to have avoided it."*
* Watson's Historic Tales of olden time,
166
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW YORK.
In respect to the apparel of those days, the author above
cited observes: "Men wore three-square or cocked hats,
and wigs; coats with large cuffs, big skirts lined and stiff-
ened with buckram. None ever saw a crown higher than
the head. The coat of a beau had three or four large plaits
in the skirts, wadding almost like a coverlet to keep them
smooth; cuffs very large, up to the elbows, open below and
inclined down, with lead therein; the capes were thin and
low, so as readily to expose the close plaited neck-stock of
fine linen cambric, and the large silver stock-buckle on the
back of the neck; shirts with hand ruffles, sleeves finely
plaited, breeches close fitted, with silver, stone, or paste.
gem buckles; shoes or pumps with silver buckles of various
sizes and patterns; thread, worsted, and silk stockings; the
poorer class wore sheep and buckskin breeches close set to
the limbs. Gold and silver sleeve buttons, set with stones
or paste of various colors and kinds, adorned the wrists of
the shirts of all classes. The very boys often wore wigs;
and their dresses in general were similar to those of the
men.
"The women wore caps, (a bare head was never seen,)
stiff stays, hoops from six inches to two feet on each side;
high heeled shoes of black stuff, with white silk or thread
stockings; and in the miry times of the winter they wore
clogs, gala shoes, or patterns.
"As soon as wigs were abandoned, and the natural hair
was cherished, it became the mode to dress it by plaiting it,
by queuing and clubbing, or by wearing it in a black silk
sack or bag, adorned with a large black rose.
"In time, the powder with which wigs and the natural
hair had been severally adorned, was run into disrepute
(about 28 or 30 years ago) by the then strange innovation
of 'Brutus heads;' not only then discarding the long-cher-
ished powder and perfume, and tortured frizzle-work, but
also literally becoming 'round heads' by cropping off all
the pendent graces of ties, bobs, clubs, queus, &c. The
hardy beaux who first encountered public opinion by ap-
pearing abroad unpowdered and cropt, had many starers.
The old men, for a time, obstinately persisted in adherence
to the old regime; but death thinned their ranks, and use
and prevalence of numbers at length gave countenance to
modern usage.
"From various reminiscents we glean, that laced ruffles,
FAMILY TOURIST.
167
'
NEW YORK.
depending over the hand, was a mark of indispensable gen-
tility. The coat and breeches were generally desirable of
the same material-of 'broad cloth' for winter, and of silk
camlet for summer. No kind of cotton fabrics were then
in use, or known. Hose were, therefore, of thread or silk
in summer, and fine worsted in winter; shoes were square-
toed, and were often double channelled.' To these suc-
ceeded sharp toes, as piked as possible. When wigs were
universally worn, grey wigs were powdered; and for that
purpose sent in a wooden box frequently to the barber to
be dressed on his block head. But brown wigs,' so called,
were exempted from the white disguise. Coats of red
cloth, even by boys, were considerably worn; and plush
breeches, and plush vests of various colors, shining and
smooth, were in common use. Everlasting, made of wor-
sted, was a fabric of great use for breeches, and sometimes
for vests. The vest had great depending pocket flaps, and
the breeches were short above the stride, because the art,
since devised, of suspending them by suspenders, was then
unknown. It was then the test and even the pride of a
well-formed man, that he could by his natural form readily
keep his breeches above his hips, and his stockings, with-
out gartering, above the calf of his leg. With the queus be-
longed frizzled side-locks and tout pies, formed of the natu-
ral hair, or, in defect of a long tie, a splice was added to
it. Such was the general passion for the longest possible
whip of hair, that sailors and boatmen, to make it grow
most, used to tie theirs in eel-skins. Nothing like sur-
touts were known; but they had coating or cloth great-
coats, or blue cloth and brown camlet cloaks, with green
baize lining to the latter. In the time of the American
war, many of the American officers introduced the use of
Dutch blankets for great-coats. The sailors used to wear
hats of glazed leather, or woollen thrums, called chapeaus;
and their 'small clothes,' as we now call them, were im-
mensely wide 'petticoat-breeches.' The working men in
the country wore the same form, having no falling-flaps,
but slits in front; and they were so full in girth, that they
ordinarily changed the rear to the front, when the seat be-
came prematurely worn out. At the same time numerous
working men and boys, and all tradesmen, wore leather
breeches and leather aprons.
"Some of the peculiarities of the female dress were
168
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW YORK.
these, to wit: Ancient ladies are still alive, who often had
their hair tortured for hours at a sitting, in getting up for
a dress occasion, the proper crisped curls of a hair curler.
This formidable outfit of head work was next succeeded
by 'rollers,' over which the hair was combed above the
forehead. These were again superseded by cushions'
and artificial curled work, which could be sent to the bar-
ber's block, like a wig, 'to be dressed,' leaving the lady at
home to pursue other objects.
"When the ladies first began to lay off their cumbrous
hoops, they supplied their place with successive substi-
tutes, such as these, to wit: first came bishops,' a thing
stuffed or padded with horse-hair; then succeeded a smaller
affair, under the name of Cue de Paris, also padded with
horse-hair.
(6
6
C
Among other articles of female wear, we may name
the following, to wit: Once they wore a skimmer-hat,'
made of a fabric which shone like silver tinsel; it was of
a very small flat crown and big brim, not unlike the pres-
ent Leghorn flats. Another hat, not unlike it in shape,
was made of woven horse-hair, wove in flowers, and called
‘horse-hair bonnets,' an article which might be again use-
fully introduced for children's wear as an enduring hat for
long service. I have seen what was called a bath-bonnet,
made of black satin, and so constructed to lay in folds,
that it could be set upon, like a chapeau bras; a good arti-
cle now for travelling ladies. The mushmelon-bonnet,' used
before the revolution, had numerous whalebone stiffeners
in the crown, set an inch apart in parallel lines, and pre-
senting ridges to the eye between the bones. The next
bonnet was the 'whalebone bonnet,' having only the bones
in the front as stiffeners. Acalash bonnet' was always
formed of green silk; it was worn abroad, covering the
head, but when in rooms it could fall back in folds like the
springs of a calash or gig top; to keep it over the head, it
was drawn up by a cord always held in the hand of the
wearer. The 'wagon bonnet,' always of black silk, was
an article exclusively in use among the Friends, and was
deemed to look, on the head, not unlike the top of the
Jersey wagons,' and having a pendent piece of like silk
hanging from the bonnet and covering the shoulders. The
only straw wear was that called the straw Cheshire bon-
net,' worn generally by old people.
FAMILY TOURIST.
169
NEW YORK.
"The ladies once wore 'hollow breasted stays,' which
were exploded as injurious to the health. Then came the
use of straight stays. Even little girls wore such stays.
At one time the gowns worn had no fronts; the design was
to display a finely quilted Marseilles, silk, or satin petti-
coat, and a worked stomacher on the waist. In other
dresses, a white apron was the mode; all wore large pock-
ets under their gowns. Among the caps was the 'queen's
night-cap,' the same always worn by Lady Washington.
The cushion head dress' was of gauze, stiffened out in
cylindrical form, with white spiral wire. The border of
the cap was called the balcony.
"Formerly there were no sideboards, and when they
were first introduced after the revolution, they were much
smaller and less expensive than now. Formerly they had
couches of worsted damask, and only in very affluent fami-
lies, in lieu of what we call sofas, or lounges. Plain peo-
ple used settees and settles,-the latter had a bed concealed
in the seat, and by folding the top of it outwards to the
front, it exposed the bed, and widened the place for the bed
to be spread upon it."
In those days," there were no Windsor chairs: and fan-
cy chairs are still more modern.
Their chairs of the gen-
teelest kind were of mahogany or red walnut, (once a great
substitute for mahogany in all kinds of furniture, tables,
&c.) or else they were of rush bottom, and made of maple
posts and slats, with high backs and perpendicular. In-
stead of japanned waiters as now, they had mahogany tea-
boards, and round tea-tables, which, being turned on an
axle underneath the centre, stood upright, like an expanded
fan or palm-leaf, in the corner. Another corner was occu-
pied by a beaufet, which was a corner closet with a glass
door, in which all the china of the family was intended to
be displayed, for ornament as well as use. A conspicuous
article in the collection was alway a great china punch-
bowl, which furnished a frequent and grateful beverage,--
for wine drinking was then much less in vogue. China
tea-cups and saucers were then about half their present
size; and china tea-pots and coffee-pots, with silver noz-
zles, was a mark of superior finery. The sham of plated
ware was not then known, and all who showed a silver sur-
face had the massive metal too. This occurred in the weal-
15
170
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW YORK.
thy families, in little coffee and tea pots; and a silver tank-
ard for good sugared toddy, was above vulgar entertainment.
Where we now use earthen-ware, they then used delf-ware
imported from England; and instead of queens ware (then
unknown,) pewter platters and porringers, made to shine
along a dresser," were universal. Some, and especially
the country people, ate their meals from wooden trenchers.
- Gilded looking-glasses and picture frames of golden glare
were unknown; and both, much smaller than now, were`
used. Small pictures painted on glass, with black moul-
dings for frames, with a scanty touch of gold leaf in the cor-
ners, was the adornment of a parlor. The looking-glasses
in two plates, if large, had either glass frames figured with
flowers engraved thereon, or were of scalloped mahogany-
painted white or black, with here and there some touches.
of gold. Every householder in that day, deemed it essen-
tial to his convenience and comfort to have an ample chest
of drawers in his parlor or sitting room, in which the linen
and clothes of the family were always of ready access. It
was no sin to rummage them before company. These draw-
ers were sometimes nearly as high as the ceiling. At other
times they had a writing-desk about the centre, with a fall-
ing lid to write upon when let down. A great high clock
case reaching to the ceiling, occupied another corner; and
a fourth corner was appropriated to the chimney place.
They then had no carpets on their floors, and no paper on
their walls. The silver-sand on the floor was drawn into a
variety of fanciful figures and twirls of the sweeping brush,
and much skill and even pride was displayed therein in the
devices and arrangement. They had then no argand or
other lamps in parlors, but dipt candles, in brass or copper
candlesticks, was usually good enough for common use;
and those who occasionally used mould candles, made them
at home in little tin frames, casting four to six candles in
each. A glass lanthorn with square sides furnished the en-
try lights in the houses of the affluent. Bedsteads then were
made if fine, of carved mahogany, of slender dimensions;
but, for common purposes, or for the families of good trades-
men, they were of poplar, and always painted green. It
was a matter of universal concern to have them low enough
to answer the purpose of repose for sick or dying persons-
a provision so necessary for such possible events, now so
FAMILY TOURIST.
171
NEW YORK.
little regarded by the modern practice of ascending to a bed.
by steps, like clambering up to a hay mow.
"A lady giving me the reminiscences of her early life,
thus speaks of things as they were before the war of Inde-
pendence:-Marble mantels and folding doors were not then
known; and well enough we enjoyed ourselves without so-
fas, carpets or girandoles. A white floor sprinkled with
clean white sand, large tables and heavy high back chairs
of walnut or mahogany, decorated a parlor genteelly
enough for any body. Sometimes a carpet, not, however,
covering the whole floor, was seen upon the dining room.
This was a show-parlor up stairs, not used but upon gala
occasions, and then not to dine in. Pewter plates and dish-
es were in general use. China on dinner tables was a great
rarity. Plate, more or less, was seen in most families of
easy circumstances, not indeed in all the various shapes that
have since been invented, but in massive silver waiters,
bowls, tankards, cans, &c. Glass tumblers were scarcely
seen. Punch, the most common beverage, was drunk by
the company from one large bowl of silver or china; and
beer from a tankard of silver.
i
"The use of stoves was not known in primitive times,
neither in families nor churches. Their fire-places were as
large again as the present, with much plainer mantel pieces.
In lieu of marble plates around the sides and top of the fire
places, it was adorned with china Dutch tile, pictured with
sundry scripture pieces. Dr. Franklin first invented the
open stove," called also the "Franklin stove," after which
as fuel became scarce, the better economy of the "ten plate
stove" was adopted.
"The most splendid looking carriage ever exhibited
among us was that used, as befitting the character of that
chief of men, General Washington, while acting as Presi-
dent of the United States. It was very large, so as to make
four horses, at least, an almost necessary appendage. It was
occasionally drawn by six horses, Virginia bays. It was
cream colored, globular in its shape, ornamented with cu-
pids, supporting festoons, and wreaths of flowers, emblem-
atically arranged along the pannel work ;-the whole neatly
covered with best watch-glass. It was of English construc-
tion.
Some twenty or thirty years before the period of the rev-
olution, the steeds most prized for the saddle were pacers,
172
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW YORK.
since so odious deemed. To this end the breed was prop-
agated with much care, The Narragansett pacers of Rhode
Island were in such repute, that they were sent for, at much
trouble and expense, by some few, who were choice in their
selections. It may amuse the present generation to peruse
the history of one such horse, spoken of in the letter of
Rip Van Dam of New York, in the year 1711, which I
have seen.
It states the fact of the trouble he had taken to
procure him such a horse. He was shipped from Rhode
Island in a sloop, from which he jumped overboard, when
under sail, and swam ashore to his former home. He arri-
ved at New York in 14 day's passage, much reduced in flesh
and spirit. He cost £32, and his freight 50 shillings.
This writer, Rip Van Dam, was a great personage, he hav-
ing been President of the Council in 1731; and on the
death of Governor Montgomery that year, he was governor,
ex-officio, of New York. His mural monument is now to
be seen in St. Paul's church."*
When the Dutch first established themselves on the Isl-
and, its surface presented a very irregular appearance. In
some places, the ground rose into craggy hills; in other
parts were low, hollow and marshy swamps. By great la-
bor and expense, that part on which the city is built, has
been nearly levelled, and the marshes filled up. In 1640,
New York was a mere village, and the dwelling houses were
few, low, and straggling. The most prominent buildings
were then, according to its erudite and right pleasant histo-
rian Diedrich Knickerbocker, "the Fort, the Church of St.
Nicholas, the Jail, the Governor's house, the Gallows, the
Pillory, the West India Store, and the city Tavern," of
which there are now no remains.
In 1665, the inhabitants of New York were incorporated
under the care of a Mayor, five Aldermen, and a Sheriff.
Until this time, the city was ruled by a Scout, Bergomas-
ters and Schipens. The first Mayor after the conquest was
Thomas Willet Esqr., an Englishman. At the time of the
conquest in 1664, the town was composed of a few miser-
able houses, and the whole in such a mean condition, ac-
cording to a letter of Nicholas to the Duke of York, that
not one soldier had lain in sheets, or in any other bed than
canvass and straw. Some of the houses, however, were
* Watson's Historic Tales of Olden Time.
FAMILY TOURIST.
173
NEW YORK.
handsomely built of brick and stone, and in part covered
with red and black tiles.
"In 1678, the houses, according to Sir Edmund Andros,
were three hundred and forty-three, and the population, as
there were found to be ten on an average for each house,
was 3430 souls. At this time, a merchant worth £1000,
was a good substantial merchant, and a planter worth half
that in moveables was accounted rich. "There may have
lately traded in that colony," says Andros, "in a year, from
ten to fifteen ships or vessels, upon an average of 100 tons
each, English, New England, and of our own built. "
In 1686, the city was first regularly incorporated by a
charter. The shipping belonging to the city, had increas-
ed to nine or ten three mast vessels of about 80 or 90 tons;
200 or 300 ketches or barks of about 40 tons, and about 20
sloops of 25 tons.
In 1693, the first printing press was erected in the city,
by William Bradford, who was appointed printer to the gov-
ernment. The first book from his press was a small folio
volume of the Laws of the Colony.
In 1690, the city contained 594 houses, and 6000 inhab-
itants. The shipping consisted of 40 ships, 62 sloops, and
60 boats.*
Nearly a century from the above date, or in 1790, the in-
habitants were only about 33,000, including more than 2000
slaves.
From the preceding facts, it is quite apparent that for a
series of years, the city of New York was surprisingly
slow in its growth; but by a settlement of the interior of the
State, and the opening of the navigation of the great
Lakes, it has, within a few years, received an impulse,
which, added to the other advantages, has established its
present and secured its future pre-eminence. The popu-
lation of the city at the present time is probably seven or
eight times what it was in 1790. At the same time, the
annual increase of its commerce is so great, that statements
made in respect to it in any one year, would be found ex-
ceedingly defective the year succeeding. Let this be our
apology for omitting such statistics, in relation to this, and
other subjects, bearing upon the growth of this 'London
* Holmes' Annals, passim.
15*
174
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW YORK.
of America. It may be added, also, in this place, that so
many pages have been devoted to the earlier history of the
city, that our allotted space will require a somewhat par-
tial view of New York as it now is.
The Hudson, or North River, flows by the city on the
western side; a narrow part of Long Island Sound, famil-
iarly termed the East River, washes it upon the other;
while in front, a noble bay expands between the shores of
Long Island and New Jersey, in which the united navies
of the world might spread their canvass. Below the Bay
are the Narrows, formed by the heights, which jut forward
with a fine sweeping bend, giving a circular form to the
magnificent basin, and facilitating the defence of the har-
bor. At various points above and below them are forts,
of such imposing strength, that it seems impossible that
any naval armament can reach the city, unless with the co-
operation of a powerful land force. Ice very rarely, now,
obstructs the navigation; and about twenty miles from the
city, the Atlantic opens to the vessels, without a rock, or
island to annoy them.
(C
Approaching the city at sunset," says a traveller, "I
shall not soon forget the impression, which its gay appear-
ance made upon me. Passing slowly round its southern
point, formed by the confluence of the Hudson with what
is called the East River, we admired at our leisure the
striking panorama, which encircled us. Immediately in
our front, was the battery, with its little fort and its public
walks, diversified with trees, impending over the water,
numberless well-dressed figures gliding through the foliage,
or standing to admire our nearing vessel. In the back-
ground, the neatly painted houses, receding into distance;
the spiry tops of poplars piercing above the roofs, and
marking the line of the streets. The city gradually en-
larging from the battery, as from the apex of a triangle,
the eye followed, on one side, the broad channel of the
Hudson and the picturesque coast of Jersey, at first sprin-
kled with villages and little villas, their white walls just
glancing in the distance through thick beds of trees, and
afterwards rising into abrupt precipices, now crowned with
wood, now jutting forward in bare walls of rock. To the
right, the more winding waters of the East River, bound-
'
FAMILY TOURIST.
175
NEW YORK.
ed, on the one side by the wooded heights of Brooklyn
and the varied shores of Long Island, and on the other, by
quays and warehouses, scarcely discernible through the
forest of masts, that were covered, as far as the eye could
reach. Behind us stretched the broad expanse of the bay,
whose islets, crowned with turreted forts, their colors
streaming from their flag-staffs, slept on the still and glow-
ing waters, in dark or sunny spots, as they variously caught
or shunned the gaze of the sinking sun. It was a glorious
scene, and we almost caught the enthusiasm of our com-
panions, who, as they hailed their native city, pronounced
it the fairest in the world."*
"The harbor of New York," says another traveller, to
whom we are indebted for the most distinct description of
this city, "is one of the best in the country, and is capable
of almost unlimited extension. The wharfs skirt both
sides of the island, and piers project at right angles into
the stream, leaving intermediate slips, which have many of
the advantages of wet docks, and are free from several of
their inconveniences.
"The tides rise and fall about six feet, but there is al-
ways water enough abreast of the piers to float the largest
merchantmen. They do not, however, enjoy the advan-
tage of dry docks, for the tide does not ebb sufficiently to
empty them, and mechanical means have not yet been re-
sorted to; but vessels which need repair, are keeled down
in shallow water, first upon the one side, and then upon
the other. Masts surround the city like reeds on the mar-
gin of a pool; and when one passes along the wharfs, and
witnesses the never ceasing operations of loading and dis-
charging, warping out and hauling in, vessels of every de-
scription arriving and sailing with every breeze that blows,
together with the bustling of shippers, custom-house off-
cers, sailors, and carmen, he cannot but be impressed with
the great extent of the commerce which can supply such
extensive means with such unceasing employment."+
'J
"While nature has done much for this city in regard to
its pleasant and advantageous situation, art has done its
* Views of Society in America.
+ Duncan's Travels Vol. i. p. 29.
176
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW YORK.
are
proportion in the way of ornamental architecture. There
are some fine buildings, but excepting the City Hall, there
are few which merit particular notice. "The streets in the
lower and older part of the city," says Mr. Duncan,
very narrow and crooked, and, what is more immediately
inexcusable, are kept in very bad order. Garbage and lit-
ter of almost every kind are thrown out upon the pave-
ment, where a multitude of hogs of all ages riot in abund-
ance. The foot-walks are incumbered with projecting
steps and cellar doors, lamp-posts, pumpwells, and occa-
sionally poplar trees; and where any open space occurs,
barrels, packing-boxes, and wheelbarrows, are not unfre-
quently piled up. No town affords greater facilities for
subterraneous drains, for the ground slopes on both sides
from the centre to the water; and no town that I ever saw,
stands in so much need of them. The more modern streets
are greatly superior in every respect; they are in general
wide and straight, and the foot-walks are comparatively
free from projections and incumbrances." The city is
lighted throughout, but indifferently, except in the princi-
pal streets; in many places the feeble glimmerings of the
solitary oil-lamp struggle past two stately trees, which stand
like sentinels to defend it.
"Broadway, the principal street, runs in a strait line
from the battery to its extremity in Bloomingdale road.
It measures three miles in length, and is about eighty feet
in width. It occupies in general the highest part on which
the city stands, and for two miles it is compactly built; the
houses are chiefly brick, but there is still a considerable
mixture of wooden ones.
"The early Dutch settlers," continues Mr. Duncan,
imported bricks from Holland to construct their dwell-
ings; and a few of these houses still remain. They are one
story in height, with the gable end to the street, and a lit-
tle iron weathercock perched upon the top of it. The
British settlers laid the surrounding forests under contribu-
tion for building materials; and a considerable proportion of
the older part of the city is still constructed of wood. Fre-
quent and destructive fires were the natural consequence of
this system; and these are, still, every winter, grubbing out a
few of the remaining wooden tenements. The erection of
FAMILY TOURIST.
177
NEW YORK.
wooden houses is now prohibited, and the brick ones which
succeed them, are built with great neatness. The bricks
are made of very fine clay, which affords a very close and
smooth grain; and the buildings are always showily paint-
ed, either of a bright red with white lines upon the seams,
or of a clean looking yellow. In many of the more recent
ones, the lintels and steps are of marble. Stone buildings
are very rare."
The City Hall, which stands on the north side of the
Park, a triangular enclosure in the centre of the city, is à
splendid edifice, almost entirely of white marble. It is
216 feet long, and 105 broad. The architecture, however,
is thought by many to be faulty. The internal arrange-
ment is inconvenient; the basement story, which is of red
freestone, impairs the simplicity and gives it a patched and
party-colored appearance. The building is an oblong
square with projecting wings, two stories in height beside
the basement; with a portico of half the height between
the wings, and a kind of lantern-dome, supporting a figure
of justice. The portico consists of sixteen Ionic columns,
springing from a handsome flight of steps, but unhappily
surmounted with a balustraded balcony in place of a pedi-
ment. In the front, there are no fewer than between six-
ty and seventy windows; some of them flat, and others
arched, and a few with intervening Corinthian pilasters.
The prevailing defect is the absence of simplicity and grand-
The portico, in relation to the building, is exceed-
ingly dwarfish; and the windows, with their minute orna-
ments, break down the whole into too much detail; the in-
judicious use of red stone also, in the basement story, ma-
terially diminishes the apparent height. The principal
entrance is by the portico in front; within is a handsome
lobby, with a marble stair of elegant proportions, leading
to the second story; and from a circular railed gallery at
the landing place ten marble columns arise, supporting the
dome. The apartments of the building are appropriated to
the use of the Common Council of the city, and the differ-
ent Courts of Law. The chair occupied by the Mayor in
the Council-room, is the same in which Washington sat,
when presiding at the first Congress of the United States;
and a full-length portrait of this great man, with those of
some others of the Revolutionary chiefs, adorn the walls.
eur.
178
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW YORK.
In the other rooms, there is a profusion of portraits of offi-
cers, who distinguished themselves during the recent con-
flict. It is remarkable, that in this building there is no
room at all adapted for the purpose of a popular meeting.
Besides the triangular grass plot in front of the City Hall
dignified by the name of " Park," there are two other prom-
enades called the "Bowling Green" and the "Battery."
The former is a small oval enclosure at the lower end of
Broadway, in the centre of which once stood a statue of
George III.; but when the Americans threw off their allegi-
ance to that monarch, they turned this representative of
majesty into bullets, and fired them at his troops. The
Battery is a strip of ground at the southern extremity of the
island, about a quarter of a mile in length, which in the days
of the Dutch governors, was the site of an earthen breast-
work, over which a few pieces of cannon presented them-
selves to the vessels coming up the bay; but the embank-
ment has long been levelled, and the guns thrown aside. It
is now covered with a verdant turf, and shaded by the
branching foliage of numerous trees, with a modern stone
fort of great strength, projecting from one corner of it into
the water. In a summer evening, the Battery is a deser-
vedly favorite promenade, and the prospect which it affords,
is very rarely to be equalled. The noble bay expands be-
fore it; bounded, on the left, by the sloping hills and valleys
of Long Island; in front, by the narrows, about ten miles
off; and on the right, by the shores of New Jersey. Two
or three forts appear upon as many islands, and vessels of
every size, from the seventy four gun-ship to the sloop at
anchor or under sail. The cliffs of some stately mountain
are almost all that could be desired to complete the land-
scape.*
Most of the churches in New York, are of brick and
constructed internally with reference to the comfort of the
congregations. Several of them may be called splendid.
St. Paul's Chapel is esteemed one of the finest buildings
in the city; its spire is 234 feet high. St. John's Chapel
has a spire 240 feet in height, and is the most costly church
in the city, having been built at the expense of 200,000 dol-
lars. St. Patrick's Cathedral, a Roman Catholic edifice, is
* Modern Traveller.
FAMILY TOURIST.
179
C
NEW YORK.
the largest of all the churches and is of stone, 120 feet long
and 80 wide. There are more than 140 additional church-
es, some of them very costly. Trinity Church, is a Gothic
edifice of stone, erected in 1788. Its steeple is 198 feet
high, and contains a chime of bells, the only set in the city.
This church belongs to the oldest and richest episcopal es-
tablishment in America, possessing a property to the amount
of several millions of dollars.
The New York institution is a name given to a large ed-
ifice, 200 feet in length, in the rear of the City Hall, and
occupied by the Literary and Philosophical Society, the
Historical Society, and the Academy of fine Arts, the Ly-
ceum of Natural History, the Museum, and the Deaf and
Dumb Asylum. The Historical Society has a library of
10,000 volumes. The New York Society Library in Nas-
sau Street, has 20,000. The State Prison is on the east-
ern bank of the Hudson, in the upper part of the city, and
is a large stone building, enclosed by a spacious yard. The
alms house is at Bellevue, on East river, and comprises three
stone buildings, the largest of which is 320 feet in length.
The Hospital is a large and well regulated establishment
and has a library of 4000 volumes.*
New York has a College and University. The former
was founded in 1557, and till the Revolution, was called
King's College; since that time it has held the name of Co-
lumbia College. Its library contains 14,000 volumes. The
institution is well endowed. The College building is of
stone, stuccoed, and contains lodgings for the professors,
with a Chapel, Library, Museum, lecture rooms, &c., but
the students do not reside in it. The University is situated
on the east side of the Washington Parade Ground. It is
200 feet long, and 100 feet deep. It is in the castellated
Gothic style, four stories on the wings-two in the centre,
one of which forms the chapel. It is built of the white
marble of Sing Sing.
Masonic Hall is situated in Broadway, nearly opposite
the city hospital. It is fifty seven feet in front; 90 feet in
depth, and three stories high. The front is paved with
granite, and the interior, which is divided into several con-
venient apartments, contains on the second floor one spa-
cious hall, the full size of the edifice, and finished after the
* Goodricl.'s Universal Geography.
180
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW YORK.
full florid style of Henry VII's chapel. It is the largest
hall in the city.
A new Custom House is now erecting at the corner of
Wall and Nassau Streets, and extending to Pine street. Ac-
cording to Williams, the building is 177 feet long, and 89
wide; and the form and order of it is similar to that of the
Parthenon at Athens. When finished it will be one of the
handsomest, and most costly edifices in the city.
There are numerous other public edifices in the city,
which are equally entitled to notice; but any adequate de-
scription of them would greatly transcend our limits. Other
objects demand our notice, and will better accord with our
main design.
Few, if any cities in the union, can claim a greater num-
ber of efficient charitable institutions than the city of New-
York. Her paupers, embracing a large body of emigrants
from the shores of Europe, find the hand of christian bene-
ficence liberally opened to them, bòth in poverty and sick-
ness.
The city participates in the munificent fund of the state,
appropriated to the advancement of common education.
There were in 1829, eleven public schools, nineteen charity
schools; three incorporated schools; and four hundred and
thirty-six private schools, at which were educated 22,943
pupils. Since that time, the number has been greatly aug-
mented. At the Sunday schools upwards of 12,000 chil-
dren are educated. Besides these, there are a number of
infant schools, where several thousands of children under
the age of four years are instructed. At the Roman Cath-
olic free schools nearly 2000 children are educated.
It is estimated that ten millions of sheets are annually is-
sued by the news presses. About 20 monthly periodicals
are published: 12 daily newspapers; nine semi-weekly; and
about 30 weekly papers.
The city of New York may be classed among the most
healthy of its size in the world. As no register of births,
however, is preserved, one important item is wanting in es-
timating its comparative salubrity. Its apparent average
mortality, greater than some of its sister cities, is to be re-
ferred to the number of its emigrants, who resort to this
great emporium. The characteristic feature of a large pro-
portion of the most prevalent disorders is inflammatory; hence
the immense outlet of human life by pulmonary consump-

100000
PARK AND CITY HALL, NEW YORK.
FAMILY TOURIST.
181
NEW YORK.
tion and the number of still-born cases is supposed to have
been much increased of late years, by the injudicious use of
ergot. The deaths from the drinking of cold water in some
summers of great solar heat, serve to enlarge the bills of
mortality. This was particularly the case in the ordeal
season of 1825, and that of 1834; also the past summer,
1838. The yellow fever has been less frequent in its re-
currence than formerly. This, by some, is attributed to
the improved state of the city's domestic policy; and by oth-
ers to a more judicious system of her quarantine regula-
tions. The first record of this formidable disorder is that
of its appearance in 1702, under the name of the great mor-
tality. It appeared again in 1742, and 1791. Since 1795,
it has appeared in the years 1797, 1798, 1801, 1803, 1805,
1819, and 1822. In 1832, the Asiatic Cholera made its ap-
pearance in the city, and swept off nearly 5000 of the in-
habitants. The annual average of deaths in New York, is
estimated to be as 1 to 39.
The average temperature of the city throughout the year
is stated at 55° of Fah. In winter, the thermometer is rare-
ly lower than 15° or 20° below the freezing point; some-
times the mercury falls to zero, and it has been observed
at from two to six degrees below it. Snow is not of fre-
quent occurrence, and rarely continues on the ground more
than ten or twelve days at a time. The temperature of the
summer is seldom higher than 80° or 84°. The late sum-
mer, 1838, has been characterized for unusual heat, and
for a longer period than is to be found on record. The
changes of temperature are frequent, and often great. The
greatest changes yet noticed, occurred in August 1809,
when by a sudden northeast storm of rain, the thermometer
fell 40° in fifty-six minutes.
**
the
Morse describes New York, forty years ago, as
gayest place in America.” "The ladies,” he says, "in the
richness and brilliancy of their dress, are not equalled in
any city of the United States, not even in Charleston, which
has heretofore been called the centre of the beau monde.
In point of sociability and hospitality," he adds, "New
York is hardly exceeded by any town" in the Union. With
regard to their love of literature, and their patronage of the
* Hinton's United States.
16
182
FAMILY TOURIST.
·
NEW YORK.
arts and sciences, inquiries could not then be answered quite
satisfactorily. Dr. Dwight bears a similar testimony to the
hospitality, by which its inhabitants are distinguished. "Ta-
bles are spread here," he says, "with a luxury, that must,
I think, satisfy the demands of any epicure. The economy
of the inhabitants is, I think, less remarkable and less uni-
versal, than their industry. The furniture and carriages of
many of the inhabitants are rich and beautiful. Until lately
almost all the coaches were private property. Hackney
coaches are now employed in considerable numbers. The
general attachment to learning is less vigorous in this city,
than in Boston, commerce having originally taken a more
entire possession of the minds of its inhabitants. The char-
acter of New York, however, has for 'some time been mate-
rially changing in this respect. Wealth, also, in a much
higher degree than good sense can justify, is considered as
conferring importance and distinction on the owners."
The languages spoken in this city are very various.
When passing through the streets, you will hear English,
French, Dutch, and German, and all the various brogues
spoken by the numerous nations, when imperfectly acquaint-
ed with the English tongue. It is computed, that one third
of the inhabitants are either natives of New England, or de-
scendants of those who have emigrated from the northern
States. Not more than a third of the population is, strictly
speaking, native to this State; and the proportion of Euro-
peans of various nations is probably larger than in any other
city in the Union.
<<
According to Mr. Cooper, the "products of nature"
abound in the markets in New York, and are quite equal
and in some articles superior to those which are found even
in the capital of France itself. "It is difficult," he says,
to name fish, fowl, or beast, that is not in its proper per-
son, or in some species nearly allied to it, to be obtained in
the markets in New York. Of fish alone, a gentleman has
named between 70 and 80 varieties, all of which are edible
and most of which are excellent. Of fowls there is a great
variety. I have had a list, nearly or quite as long as the
catalogue of fishes, placed before me, and it would do your
digestive powers good to hear some of the semi-barbarous
epicures, of this provincial town, expatiate on the merits of
grouse, canvasbacks, brants, plover, wild turkeys, and all
FAMILY TOURIST.
183
NEW YORK.
the et cæteras of the collection. In respect to the more vul-
gar products of regular agriculture, I shall say nothing.
They are to be found here, as elsewhere, with the excep-
tion, that, as a great deal is still left to nature, perfection
and variety in vegetables is not as much attended to as in
the vicinity of older and larger places. But of the game,
I may speak with confidence; for, little as I have yet seen
of it, at this particular season, one mouthful is sufficient to
prove that there is a difference between a partridge and a
hen, greater than what is demonstrated by the single fact
that one sleeps on a roost, and the other in a tree.'
""
"Of the fruits," " continues Mr. Cooper, "I can speak
of my own knowledge. The situation of New York is
singularly felicitous in this respect. In consequence of
the great range of the thermometer, there is scarce a fruit,
which will endure the frost, that is not found in a state
nearly approaching to perfection. Indeed, either owing to
the freshness of the soil, or to the genial influence of the
sun, or to both, there is an extraordinary flavor imparted to
most of the animal and vegetable food, which I have tasted.
In short, so far as my observation has extended, the sun im-
parts a flavor to every grass, plant, or fruit here, that must
be tasted, and tasted with discrimination, in order to be
appreciated. Yet man has done but little to improve these
inestimable advantages. There is no extraordinary show
of fruits in the public market-places. Peaches, cherries,
melons, and a few others of the common sorts, it is true,
abound; but the Americans appear not to be disposed to
make much sacrifice of time, or money, to the cultivation
of the rarer sorts.
"I cannot close this subject, however, without making
one remark on the nature of a peculiar difference that I
have noticed between the fruits of this country, and those
of your own capital in particular. A French peach is
juicy, and, when you first bring it in contact with your pal-
ate, sweet, but it leaves behind it a cold, watery, and almost
sour taste. It is for this reason so often eaten with sugar.
An American is exceedingly apt to laugh, if he sees ripe
fruit of any sort eaten with any thing sweet.
The peaches
here leave behind a warm, rich, and delicious taste. You
who, as a Parisian, say so much for, and think so much of,
your gout, may be disposed to be incredulous, when I tell
you these people would positively reject the best melon that
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FAMILY TOURIST.
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•
ever appears on your table. There is a little one to be
picked up in the markets here for a few sous, say twelve
at the utmost, that exceeds any thing of its kind, that I
have admitted into the sanctuary of my mouth. I want
terms to describe it. It is firin and yet tender; juicy,
without a particle of the cold watery taste we know,
and of an incomparable flavor and sweetness. Its equal
can only be found in the Crimea, or the adjacent parts
of Turkey, and perhaps in Persia. The Americans ad-
mit that it is the only melon that can appear on the table
of one who understands the difference between eating and
tasting, and to me it seems to have been especially created.
for an epicure. In the gardens of the gentlemen you find
not only a greater variety, but, a few common fruits except-
ed, a far better quality than in the markets. I have tasted a
great many old acquaintances, transplanted from the east-
ern to the western hemisphere, and I declare I do not re-
member one that has not been benefitted by the change, in
flavor, though not always in appearance.
Owing to the facility and constancy of intercourse
with the Southern States, the fruits of the tropics are found
here, not quite as fresh, certainly, as when first culled from
the plant itself, but well-flavored, and in absolute contact
with the products of the temperate zones. Pine-apples,
large, rich, golden, and good, are sold from twelve to
twenty-five sous; delicious oranges are hawked in the
streets much cheaper than a tolerable apple can be bought
in the shops of Paris, and bannanas, yams, watermelons,
&c. are as common as need be in the markets. It is this
extraordinary combination of the effects of different cli-
mates, the union of heat and cold, and of commercial fa-
cilities, added to the rare bounties of Nature; that incline
me to think the empire of gastronomy will, sooner or later,
be transferred to this spot. At present it must be confessed
that the science is lamentably defective, and, after all, per-
haps, it is in those places where Nature has been most lib-
eral that man is apt to content himself, without which no
perfect enjoyment in any branch of human indulgence can
exist.
ཝཱ
"Passing from the means of gratification possessed by
these people, we will turn our attention, for a moment, to
the manner in which they are improved. The style of liv-
FAMILY TOURIST.
185
NEW YORK.
ing of all the Americans, in the Northern States, is essen-
tially English. As might be expected in a country where
labor is comparatively high, and the fortunes, though great,
still not often so princely as in the mother country,
the up-
per classes live in a more simple form, wanting some of the
most refined improvements of high English life, and yet
indulging, under favor of their climate, situation, and great
commercial freedom, in perhaps a greater combination of
luxury and comfort than any other people of the world.
In respect to comfort itself there is scarce any known in
England, that is not to be found here; the point of differ-
ence is in its frequency. You are, therefore, to deduct ra-
ther in the amount of English comfort, than in its quality ;
and you are not to descend far below the refinements at all,
since all the substantials of that comfort, which makes
England so remarkable in Europe, are to be found equally
in America. There are points, perhaps, even in the latter,
in which the Englishman (rarely very much disposed to
complacency) would complain in America; and there are,
certainly, others, on which the American (who has a
cast of the family likeness) would boldly vent his spleen.
in England. I am of opinion the two nations might bene-
fit a good deal by a critical examination of each other. In-
deed, I think the American has, and does, daily profit by
his observation, though I scarce know whether his kinsman
is yet disposed to admit that he can learn by the study of
a people so new, so remote, and so little known, as those of
the United States.
"After you descend below the middle classes in society,
there is no comparison to be drawn between the condition
of the American and that of the native of England, or of
any other place. I have seen misery here, it is true, and
filth, and squalid, abject poverty, always in the cities, how-
ever; but it is rare; that is, rare, indeed, to what I have
been accustomed to sce in Europe. At first, I confess there
was a feeling of disappointment came over me at seeing it
at all; but reflection convinced me of the impossibility of
literally bringing all men to a state in which they might
profit by the advantages of their condition. Cadwallader,
also, who has a silent, significant manner of conveying
truths, has undeceived me more than once, when I have
been on the very threshold of an error. I remember that
one day, while I stood contemplating, in the suburbs of this
16*
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FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW YORK.
city, a scene of misery that one might not have expected to
witness out of Europe; he advanced to the door of the drea-
ry hovel I gazed at, and asked the inhabitants how long
they had resided in America. The answer proved that he
had not deceived himself as to the birth-place of its luck-
less tenants. In this manner, in more than a dozen in-
stances, he has proved that his own country has not given
birth to the vice and idleness, which here could alone
entail such want. In perhaps as many more instances,
he has passed on, shaking his head at my request that he
would examine the causes, admitting frankly that he saw
the subjects were natives. It is astonishing how accurate
his eye is in making this distinction.
that he has been deceived in a solitary instance. Where
misery is so rare, it is a vast deal to admit, that perhaps
half of its objects are the victims of a different system
than that under which it is exhibited.
I do not know
"There is something exceedingly attractive in the exhi-
bition of neatness and domestic comfort which one sees
throughout this country. I think the brilliancy of the cli-
mate, the freshness of the plant, and the exterior ornaments
of the houses, contribute to the charm. There is a species
of second-rate genteel houses, that abound in New York,
into which I have looked when passing, with the utmost
pleasure. They have, as usual, a story that is half sunk in
the earth, receiving light from an area, and two floors above.
The tenants of these buildings are chiefly merchants, or
professional men, in moderate circumstances, who pay
rents of from 300, to 500 dollars a year. You know that
no American, who is at all comfortable in life, will share
his dwelling with another. Each has his own roof, and
his own little yard. These buildings are finished, and ex-
ceedingly well finished too, to the attics; containing, on
the average, six rooms, besides offices, and servants' apart-
ments. The furniture of these houses is often elegant, and
always neat. Mahogany abounds here, and is commonly
used for all the principal articles, and very frequently for
doors, railings of stairs, &c. &c. Indeed the whole world
contributes to their luxury. French clocks, English and
Brussels carpets, curtains from Lyons and the Indies, ala-
baster from France and Italy, marble of their own, and
from Italy, and, in short, every ornament below the rarest
FAMILY TOURIST.
187
NEW YORK.
that is known in every other country in Christendom, and
frequently out of it, is put within the reach of the American
of moderate means, by the facilities of their trade. In
that classical taste, which has been so happily communi-
cated to your French artisans, their own are, without doubt,
miserably deficient; but they are good imitators, and there
is no scarcity of models. While in consequence of want
of taste or want of wealth, the Americans possess, in very
few instances, any one of the articles that contribute to
the grace of life in the same perfection as they are known
in some one other country, they enjoy, by means of their
unfettered trade, a combination of the same species of luxu-
ries, in a less advanced state, that is found no where else.
They often, nay, almost always, fail in particular excel-
lence, but they possess an aggregate of approximate per-
fection that is unrivalled, perhaps, even in England; cer-
tainly if we descend below the very highest classes in the
latter country.
"But there are hundreds, I believe I might almost say
thousands, of houses in New York, of pretensions altogeth-
er superior to those just named. A particular description
of one belonging to a friend of Cadwallader, by whose
favor I was permitted to examine it, may serve to give you
an idea of the whole of its class. The proprietor is a
gentleman of the first society of the country, and of what
is here called an easy fortune, though hundreds of his
neighbors enjoy the goods of this world in a far greater de-
gree than himself.
"The dwelling of Mr. is on the Broadway, one of
the principal streets, that runs on the height of land along
the centre of the island, for the distance of about two
miles. It is the fashionable mall of the city, and certainly,
for gayety, the beauty and grace of the beings who throng
it, and above all, the glorious sun, that seems to reign here
three days out of four, it may safely challenge competition
with most if not any of the promenades of the old
world. The house in question occupies, I should think, a
front of about thirty-four feet on the Broadway, and extends
into the rear between sixty and seventy more.
There are
no additions, the building ascending from the ground to its
attics in the same proportions. The exterior necessarily
presents a narrow, ill-arranged façade, that puts architectu
ral beauty a good deal at defiance. The most that can be
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FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW YORK.
done with such a front is to abstain from inappropriate or-
nament, and to aim at such an effect as shall convey a prop-
er idea of the more substantial comforts, and the neatness
that predominate within. The building is of brick, paint-
ed and lined, and modestly ornamented, in very good taste,
with caps, sills, cornices, &c. &c. in the dark red free-
stone of the country. The house is of four stories; the
lower, or rez de chaussée, being half sunk, as is very usual,
below the surface of the ground, and the three upper pos-
sessing elevations in proportion to the height of the edifice.
The door is at one of the corners of the front, and is near-
ly on a level with the windows of the first floor, which may
commence at the distance of about a dozen feet above the
pavement of the street. To reach this door, it is necessary
to mount a flight of steep, inconvenient steps, also in free-
stone, which compensate, in a slight degree, for the pain of
the ascent, by their admirable neatness, and the perfect or-
der of their iron rails and glittering brass ornaments. The
entrance is into a little vestibule, which may be some
twelve feet long, by eight in width. This apartment is en-
tirely unfurnished, and appears only constructed to shelter
visiters, while the servant is approaching to admit them
through the inner door. The general excellence of the
climate, and perhaps the custom of the country, have, as
yet, prevented the Americans from providing a proper
place for the reception of the servants of their guests:
they rarely wait, unless during the short calls, and then it is
always in the street. As visiters are never announced,
and as but one family occupies the same building, there is
little occasion, unless to assist in unrobing, for a servant to
attend his master, or mistress, within the outer door. From
the vestibule, the entrance is into a long, narrow, high, and
handsome corridor, at the farther extremity of which are
the principal stairs. This corridor, or passage, as it is
called here, is carpeted, lighted with a handsome lamp, has
a table, and a few chairs, and, in short, is just as unlike a
French corridor, as any thing of the sort can very well be.
From this passage, you enter the rooms on the first floor; you
ascend to the upper, and descend to the lower story, and you
have egress from and ingress to the house by its front and rear.
The first floor is occupied by two rooms that communicate
by double doors. These apartments are nearly equal in
size, and, subtracting the space occupied by the passage,
FAMILY TOURIST.
189
NEW YORK.
and two little china closets, that partially separate them,
they cover the whole area of the house. Each room is
lighted by two windows; is sufficiently high; has stuccoed
ceiling and cornices in white; hangings of light, airy,
French paper; curtains in silk and muslin; mantel-pieces
of carved figures in white marble (Italian in manufacture, I
should think); Brussels carpets; large mirrors; chairs,
sofas, and tables, in mahogany; chandeliers; beautiful,
neat, and highly wrought grates in the fire-places, of home-
work; candelabras, lustres, &c. &c., much as one sees
them all over Europe. In one of the rooms, however, is a
spacious, heavy, ill-looking sideboard, in mahogany, groan-
ing with plate, knife and spoon cases, all handsome
enough I allow, but sadly out of place, where they are seen.
Here is the first great defect that I find in the ordering of
American domestic economy. The eating or dining-room.
is almost invariably the best one in the house. The cus-
tom is certainly of English origin, and takes its rise in the
habit of sitting an hour or two after the cloth is removed,
picking nuts, drinking wine, chatting, yawning, and gazing
about the apartment. The first great improvement to be
made in the household of these people is to substitute taste
for prodigality in their tables; and the second, I think, will
be to choose an apartment for their meals, that shall be
convenient to the offices suited to the habits of the family,
plain in its ornaments, and removed from the ordinary oc-
cupations of those who are to enjoy it. In some houses
this is already partially effected; but as a rule, I am per-
suaded that the American guest, who should find himself
introduced into a salle à manger, as plain as that in which a
a French duke usually takes his repast, would not think
his host a man who sufficiently understood the fitness
of things. I have heard it said that the occupant of
the White House* gives his dinners in one of these plain
rooms, and that the meanness of Congress is much laughed
at, because they do not order one better furnished for him.
Certes, if Congress never showed a worse taste than this, they
might safely challenge criticism. As the President, or his
wife, directs these matters, I suppose, however, the great
national council is altogether innocent of the innovation.
"You ascend, by means of the stairs at the end of the
*The President of the United States,
190
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW YORK.
passage, into what is here called the second story, but
which, from the equivocal character of the basement, it is
difficult to name correctly. This ascent is necessarily nar-
row, crowded, and inconvenient. The beautiful railings
in mahogany and brass, and the admirable neatness of eve-
ry part of an American house of any pretension, would
serve to reconcile one to a thousand defects. As respects
this cardinal point, I think there is little difference between
the English and the Americans, at least so far as I have
yet seen the latter; but the glorious sun of this climate
illuminates every thing to such a degree, as to lend a quality
of brightness that is rarely known in Britain. You know
that a diamond will hardly glitter in London. It must also
be remembered that an American house is kept in this order
by the aid of, perhaps, one third of the domestics that would
be employed in the mother country.
"On the second floor, (or perhaps you will get a better
idea, if I call it the first,) of the house of Mr. there
is a spacious saloon, which occupies the whole length of the
building, and possesses a corresponding breadth. This
apartment, being exclusively that of the mistress of the
mansion, is furnished with rather more delicacy than those
below. The curtains are in blue India damask, the chairs
and sofa of the same colored silk, and other things are
made to correspond. The library of the husband is on the
same floor, and between the two there is a room used as a
bed-chamber. The third story is appropriated to the sleep-
ing rooms of the family; the attic to the same purpose for
the servants, and the basement contains a nursery and the
usual offices. The whole building is finished with great
neatness, and with a solidity and accuracy of workman-.
ship that it is rare to meet in Europe out of England.
The doors of the better rooms are of massive mahogany,
and wherever wood is employed it is used with great taste
and skill. All the mantel-pieces are marble, all the floors
are carpeted, and all the walls are finished in a firm smooth
cement.
"
I have been thus minute in my account, because in de-
scribing the house of Mr. I am persuaded that I con-
vey a general idea of those of all the upper classes in the
northern section of this country. There are, certainly,
much larger and more pretending buildings than his, in
New York, and many far richer and more highly wrought;
FAMILY TOURIST.
191
NEW YORK.
but this is the habitation of an American in the very best
society, who is in easy circumstances, of extensive and high
connexions, and who receives a fair proportion of his ac-
quaintances.
1
"You will also see by what I have written, that the Amer-
icans have not yet adopted a style of architecture of their
own. Their houses are still essentially English, though
neither the winters nor the summers of their climate would
seem to recommend them. There is, however, something
in the opposite character of the two seasons, to render a
choice difficult. A people in whose country the heats of
Florence and the colds of St. Petersburg, periodically pre-
vail, may well hesitate between a marble fountain, and a
Russian stove. I am not certain that, considering their
pursuits, and the peculiarity of climate, they are very wrong
in-their present habits. But I shall forever protest against
the use of carpets, while the thermometer is at 90°, nor
shall I soon cease to declaim against those hideous excres-
cences called stoops. Beautiful, fragrant, and cool India
mats, are notwithstanding, much in use in midsummer, in
the better houses. Still, with all my efforts, I have not been
able to find a room to sleep in, that is not fortified with a
Brussels, or a double English ingrain. The perspiration
stands on my forehead, while I write of them! Another de-
fect in the American establishment is the want of cabinets
de toilette. They are certainly to be found in a few houses,
but I have occupied a bedroom five and twenty feet square,
in a house otherwise convenient, that had not under its roof
a single apartment of the sort. This is truly a sad prodi-
gality of room, though space be unquestionably so very de-
sirable in a warm climate.
“I should think about the same proportion of the inhabi-
tants keep carriages here as in France. But the ordinary
coaches of the stands in New York, are quite as good, and
often far better than those voitures de remise that one usu-
ally gets by the day in Paris. There is even a still better
class of coaches to be ordered by the day, or hour, from the
stables, which are much used by the inhabitants. The
equipages of this city, with the exception of liveries, and
heraldic blazonries, are very much like those of your own
mighty capital. When I first landed, coming as I did from
England, I thought the coaches so exceedingly light as to
192
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW YORK.
be mean; but, too experienced a traveller to be precipitate,
I waited for the old impressions to lose a little of their in-
fluence, before an opinion was formed, and in a short time
I came to see their beauties. Cadwallader told me that
when he first arrived in England, he was amazed at the clum-
siness of the English vehicles, but that time by rendering
them familiar, soon changed his opinion. We went togeth-
er lately to examine a coach from London, which its owner
had abandoned, either in distaste, or because he found it un-
suited to the country, and really it was calculated to renew
all the original opinions of my friend. I have heard of an
American, who carried to England one of the light vehicles.
of his country, and after it had arrived, he was positively
ashamed to exhibit it among its ponderous rivals. In this
manner do we all become the subjects of a capricious and
varying taste, that is miserably dependent on habit; a fact
simple as it is, which might teach moderation and modesty
to all young travellers, and rather less dogmatism than is
commonly found among some that are older.'
During a principal part of the revolutionary war, the city
of New York was in possession, and the head quarters, of
the British. Boston was evacuated by the British, March
17th, 1776. About the middle of April following, General
Washington, expecting an attempt on the part of the British,
to take possession of the city of New York, himself fixed his
head quarters in that city, where the greater part of his
troops rendezvoused. A portion of the American army,
amounting to about 15,000, were posted on Long Island,
across East river, at the distance of about a mile from the
city. On the 12th of August, the British Gen. Howe, land-
ed his troops, estimated at about 24,000 men, at Gravesend
Bay to the right of the Narrows. On the 26th an engage-
ment between these two armies occurred, in which the
Americans were routed. In consequence of this defeat,
and the American troops being destitute of shelter from se-
vere and heavy rains, and at the same time being greatly fa-
tigued and dispirited, Gen. Washington determined to with-
draw his troops from the island. "This retreat," says Dr.
Holmes, "
was to have commenced at eight o'clock on the
night of the 20th; but a strong northeast wind and a rapid
* Notices of the Americans.
:
193
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW YORK.
tide caused a delay of several hours. In this extremity,
Heaven remarkably favored the fugitive army. A south-
west wind springing up at eleven, essentially facilitated its
passage from the island to the city; and a thick fog hang-
ing over Long Island from about two in the morning, con-
cealed its movements from the enemy, who were so near that
the sound of their pickaxes and shovels was heard. In
about half an hour after, the fog cleared away, and the en-
emy were seen taking possession of the American lines.
General Washington, as far as possible, inspected every
thing. From the commencement of the action on the morn-
ing of the 27th, until the troops were safely across East riv-
er, he never closed his eyes, and was almost constantly on
horseback. His wisdom and vigilance, with the interposing
favor of Divine Providence, saved the army from destruc-
tion."*
Immediately after the victory on Long Island, the British
made dispositions to attack New York. Under an appre-
hension that the place was indefensible, it was decided in a
council of general officers that it was inexpedient to attempt
to hold possession. Accordingly, the American army was
withdrawn with an inconsiderable loss of men; but all the
heavy artillery, and a large portion of the baggage, provis-
ion, and military stores, was unavoidably abandoned. On
the 15th of September the British troops entered and took
possession of the city.
"Within a few days, a fire broke out at a place where a
party of British sailors had been frolicking, which spread
with unexampled fury. The buildings were then chiefly cov-
ered with shingles; the weather had been extremely dry for
some days; a strong southerly wind prevailed at the time;
and it broke out about one o'clock in the morning, at a sea-
son when the town was almost empty of its citizens—and the
engines and pumps were chiefly out of order. About one
thousand buildings were destroyed, and but for the exertions
of the sailors and soldiers with engines from the fleet, the
whole city must have been reduced to ashes."+
The British continued to hold possession of the city, until
the 25th of November, 1783, on which day they evacuated
* Holme's Annals.
† Allen's Revolution.
17
194
FAMILY TOURIST. E
NEW YORK.
it; and on the same day, the American army entered. On
the following Sabbath, divine service was performed at
King's Chapel, by the Rev. Dr. Rogers, who delivered a
well adapted discourse to a thronged and deeply affected as-
sembly. The fire-works on the evening of the next Tues-
day, probably exceeded any exhibition of the kind, ever
witnessed in America. The last and not the least interest-
ing spectacle was seen in passing down the harbor,-the
British fleet, lying peaceably at anchor above Sandy Hook,
ready to transport the troops to their own shores.
During their occupation of the city, the British officers
of the higher rank resided in different parts of the city, and
in their style of living exhibited no small show. The resi-
dence of Admiral Digby was Beekman's house, on the north-
west corner of Sloate lane and Hanover Square. The late
king of England, then Prince Wm. Henry, quartered with
the admiral, and was under his guardianship. General H.
Clinton resided at the house of N. Prime, No. 1, Broadway,
on the Battery. His country house was Doct. G. Beek-
man's on the East river, near Bayard's place. Sir Guy
Carlton, also occupied the house of N. Prime and for his
country residence, the house at Richmond Hill, on Green-
wich street, afterwards the residence of Col. Aaron Burr.
Lord Dorchester also dwelt at the latter house. General
Howe occupied the same with General Clinton, at the south
end of Broadway. General Knyphausen, commander of the
Hessians, resided in a large house in Wall Street, where is
now the Insurance Company, next door eastward to the
New York Bank.
We conclude with a brief notice of the personal appear-
ance of some of the principal British officers, a part of
whom were residents for a time of the city.
"Sir William Howe was a fine figure, full six feet high,
and admirably well proportioned. In person he a good
deal resembled Washington, and might have been mistaken
for him at a distance. His features, though good, were
more pointed, and the expression of his countenance was
less benignant. His manners were polished, graceful, and
dignified.
"Sir Henry Clinton was short and fat, with a full face,
prominent nose, and an animated intelligent countenance.
In his manners he was polite and courtly, but more formal
FAMILY TOURIST.
195
ALBANY,
and distant than Howe; and in his intercourse with his
officers, was rather punctilious, and not inclined to inti-
macy.
Lord Cornwallis in person was short and thick set,
but not so corpulent as Sir Henry. He had a handsome
aqualine nose, and hair, when young, light and rather in-
clined to sandy; but at the time of his leaving here, it had
become somewhat gray. His face was well formed and
agreeable, and would have been altogether fine, had he not
blinked badly with his left eye. He was uncommonly easy
and affable in his manners, and always accessible to the
lowest of his soldiers, by whom he was greatly beloved.
With his officers he used the utmost cordiality.
"Gen. Knyphausen, who commanded the Germans, was
a fine looking German of about five feet eleven, straight
and slender. His features were sharp, and his appearance
martial.
"Tarleton was below the middle size, stout, strong,
heavily made, with large legs, and uncommonly active.
His eye was small, black, and piercing; his face smooth,
and his complexion dark; he was quite young, probably
about twenty-five.
"Col. Abercrombie, who afterwards gained so much
eclat in Egypt, where he fell, was one of the finest built
men in the army; straight, and elegantly proportioned.
His countenance was strong and manly, but his face was
much pitted by the small pox. When here he appeared to
be about forty."*
ALBANY.
Albany is situated on the west bank of the Hudson,
near the head of tide water, 160 miles from New York.
It is the seat of government of the State of New York,
and in point of wealth, population, trade, and resources,
the second city in the State.
It is a current opinion, that during his voyage in 1609,
*Watson's Historic Tales.
196
FAMILY TOURIST.
ALBANY,
Hudson himself ascended the river as far as the present
site of Albany. This is incorrect. The navigator him-
self proceeded to a point, a little above where the city of
Hudson* now stands, whence he despatched a boat to ex-
plore the river still higher up. The boat reached the pres-
ent site of Albany, and returned.
In 1614, a fort and trading house were erected near the
spot on which Albany now stands, which was called Fort
Orange. The precise location of these appears to have
been a small island in the river, about half a mile below
the present site. It is probable that a village was com-
menced soon afterwards, on the present site of the city.
The Indian name of the spot was Skenectadèa. The vil-
lage was at first called by the Dutch Beverwych; then
Fort Orange, and afterwards Williamstadt. It received
the name of Albany, at the time of the English conquest
in 1664, in honor of the Duke of York and Albany, broth-
er of Charles II. Next to Jamestown, in Virginia, it is the
oldest settlement in the United States. The Indian name
of the North, or Hudson river, was Cahohátatèa.
Albany, like New York, was settled by the Dutch, and
for many years afterwards the inhabitants were almost with-
out exception descendants from the original settlers. The
houses were almost all built in the Dutch manner; stand-
ing endwise upon the street, with high, sharp roofs, small
(
* While the ship lay at anchor, it is related, that Hudson and his
crew, for the purpose of making an experiment on the temper of the In-
dians, attempted to make a number of their principal men drunk. But,
though they were all merry,' as the journalist expresses it, only one of
them appears to have been completely intoxicated. This phenomenon
excited great surprise and alarm among his companions. They knew
not what to make of it. And it was not until the next day, when he had
completely recovered, that they became composed and satisfied. This,
so far as we know, is the first instance of intoxication by ardent sprints
among the Indians, on this part of the American continent. It is very
remarkable, that among the Six Nations, there is a tradition still very
distinctly preserved, of a scene of intoxication, which occurred with a
company of the natives, when the first ship arrived. Happy for these
sons of the forest, and their 'red brethren" in all the land, so far as this
maddening poison is concerned, had Columbus never made his other-
wise fortunate and glorious discovery of these western shores. Well
may the Indians of America ask, as asked an Indian of Levasseur in
one of the Western States-"Have the white people any God? Will
his vengeance always sleep? Will he never take pity on poor In-
dians ?"

ALBANY.
FAMILY TOURIST.
197
ALBANY.
windows, and low ceilings. The appearance of these
houses was ordinary, dull, and disagreeable. The first
house ever erected in the place was standing a few years
since, and is perhaps to this day. It was built of bricks,
which were imported from Holland. Every house almost
had its stoop, or porch, in which the Dutch gentlemen de-
lighted to pass their leisure hours with a pipe in their
mouths. This custom is noticed by Professor Kalm in his
travels, in 1749. "The street doors," says he,
are gen-
erally in the middle of the houses, and on both sides are
seats, in which, during fair weather, the people sit and
spend almost the whole day, especially on those which are
in the shadow of their houses. In the evening these seats
are covered with people of both sexes; but this is rather
troublesome, as those who pass by are obliged to greet ev-
ery body, unless they shock the politeness of the inhabit-
ants of this town."
A great change, however, has taken place in Albany.
The population has essentially altered. From its being
Dutch in its inhabitants-its buildings-its manners and
customs, like New York, the general aspect of the place
has changed. One sees, here and there, yet standing, the
Dutch tenement, on each side of which perhaps is a mod-
ern mansion, with its lofty roof-its large windows-its
granite, or marble exterior-its pillars, et cetera,—all in
contrast with the humble, singular, and unsightly taberna-
cle of the sojourners from Holland, or their descendants.
The population which has come in are in part from New
England, a shrewd money-making generation-whom the
Dutch citizens regarded for years with no small jealousy;
but with whom at length, ancient prejudices having given
way, they are on terms of good neighborhood, and even
cordiality. The distinctions in society in this place, some
twenty or thirty years since, were, perhaps, as great as in
any place on the continent; but the increase of New Eng-
land people, and of others, has had a tendency to obliter-
ate in a measure those strong and well-defined lines, which
were formerly drawn by the wealthy and ancient Dutch
families, and which were kept visible and distinctive as
long as their influence availed.
The streets of Albany are, in a loose sense, parallel and
17*
198
FAMILY TOURIST.
辈
​ALBANY,
right angled to the river. Market, Pearl, and State streets,
the principal ones, are strait, and handsome. The two
former are parallel to the river; the latter meets them at
right angles. The streets are now paved, and the travelling
easy; but years since, owing to the clayey character of
the soil, they were so encumbered with mud, that in wet
seasons, it was not uncommon for wagons to sink so deep
as to need the power of Hercules to extricate them.
The first appearance of the city is not prepossessing to
a stranger; but there is considerable taste displayed in the
construction of many of the buildings, both public and
private. The Capitol, or State House, occupies a com-
manding position, being situated at the head of State street,
which rises in a strait course from the river to the brow of
a hill 220 feet. It is a stone edifice 115 feet in length,
and 90 in width, and 50 feet high. In the front is an Ionic
portico, with columns 33 feet in height. The public
square, adjoining the capitol, is adorned with beautiful
walks and avenues. From this point there is a beautiful
view of Green-bush, on the opposite side of the river, fa-
mous for many years as a cantonment. During the late
war it presented a bustling appearance, but the lines of
barracks, which were capable of accommodating 10,000
men, are deserted and solitary.
The Academy, long a distinguished and well endowed
institution, is just north of the capitol. It is the handsom-
est building in the city. It is of stone, three stories high,
and presents a front of 90 feet. The State Hall, the Al-
bany Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank, and the Museum, are
also splendid edifices. The collection of the latter is one
of the best in the United States.
The position of Albany for commerce is exceedingly
eligible, being situated near the head of sloop navigation
in the Hudson river. The opening of the Erie Canal has
given a great impulse to Albany. It has become a vast
thoroughfare for travellers of every description, whether in
pursuit of fortune or pleasure, bound north and west.
Here centres, preparatory to being shipped for New York,
an immense amount of productions from the fertile regions
of the West. It must long continue to enjoy its present
FAMILY TOURIST.
199
ALBANY.
advantages, and these will probably proportionally increase
with the growing enterprise of the western world.
At Albany, the canal terminates in a basin. This is
formed by an artificial pier 80 feet in width, and 4,300 feet
long; it is connected with the shore by draw-bridges, and
covered with stores, in which immense quantities of lumber
and merchandise are deposited. The basin contains a sur-
face of 32 acres.
The completion of the canal, so far, as to connect its
waters with those of the Hudson, was a joyful day for this
city. The marriage ceremony, if we may so term it, took
place on the 23d of October, 1823. The lock which forms
the communication between the canal and basin was on
this day, for the first time, opened; and the waters of the
West, with those of the River from the North and South,
for the first time, embraced each other. The transition of
the first boats was celebrated with some ceremony.
(C
'Large committees from New York, and from other
places on the canal route, attended at Albany. The New
York committee was headed by Mr. William Bayard. Mr.
James was the chairman of the Albany committee of citi-
zens. These gentlemen had on all occasions given the full
weight of their long established and respectable characters
in favor of the execution of the canals.
"The pencil could not do justice to the scene presented
on the fine autumnal morning, when the Albany lock was
first opened. Numerous steamboats and river vessels,
splendidly dressed, decorated the beautiful amphitheatre
formed by the hills, which border the valley of the
Hudson, at this place: the river winding its bright
stream far from the north, and losing itself in the distance
at the south the islands it embraced;-the woods varie-
gated by the approach of winter, a beauty peculiar to our
climate; the wreathed arches, and other embellishments,
which had been erected for the occasion, were all objects
of admiration. A line of canal boats, with colors flying,
bands of music, and crowded with people, were seen com-
ing from the north, and seemed to glide over the level
grounds, which hid the waters of the canal for some dis-
tance, as if they were moved by enchantment.
"The first boat which entered the lock was the De Witt
Clinton, having on board Governor Yates, the mayor and
corporation of Albany, the canal commissioners and engi-
200
FAMILY TOURIST.
HUDSON.
neers, the committees, and other citizens. Several other
boats succeeded. One, (not the least interesting object in
the scene,) was filled with ladies. The cap-stone of the
lock was laid with masonic ceremonies, by the fraternity,
- who appeared in great numbers and grand costume.
"The waters of the west, and of the ocean, were then
mingled by Dr. Mitchell, who pronounced an epithalamium
upon the union of the river and the lakes, after which the
lock gates were opened, and the De Witt Clinton majesti-
cally sunk upon the bosom of the Hudson.
"She was then towed by a long line of barges, past the
steamboats and other vessels, to a wharf at the upper end
of the city, where those gentlemen, who were embarked
on board the canal boats, landed and joined a military and
civic procession, which was conducted to a large stage,
fancifully decorated, erected in front of the capitol. Here
the canal commissioners received a congratulatory address
from Charles E. Dudley, Esquire, Mayor of Albany, which
was answered by Mr. Clinton, as president of the board of
commissioners. The Albany committee was addressed by
Mr. Bayard, which was returned by Mr. James, and the
day concluded with a banquet, at which it might be said,
with as much propriety as it could be said in relation to any
other festive board, that there was 'the feast of reason and
the flow of soul.'"*
HUDSON.
This city is very properly named after the navigator of
1609, as a little above this spot, or opposite to it, Hudson
moored his ship, and lay at anchor while a boat was des-
patched to explore the river higher up.
The city is situated on the east side of the river, 27 miles
below Albany. It stands on a plain rising from the river,
where the banks are 50 or 60 feet in height; this plain ter-
minates in the east at the foot of an elevation which rises
several hundred feet, overlooking the river and country
* Colden's Memoir.
FAMILY TOURIST.
201
TROY.
for many miles around. Hudson is one of the most im-
portant places on the river, and is at present increasing in
business and wealth; it maintains the third rank in the
State for manufactures, and is regularly built with
streets at right angles. From a beautiful promenade in
the upper part of the town, a delightful prospect is pre-
sented of the river and the Catskill mountains; the oppo-
site bank of the Hudson is charmingly diversified with vil-
lages, farms, and country seats.
For several years after its settlement, it was in a very
flourishing state; but subsequently its prosperity was
checked. An impulse has recently been given to it, by
means of several large and valuable manufactories, situ-
ated on two creeks, the one of which, Claverack creek,
flows on the eastern side of the town-and Abram's, or
Factory creek, on the northern side. The whale fishery
has lately been attempted with great spirit, and several
ships have returned, after highly successful voyages, to
reward the owners for their enterprise and adventure. The
population of Hudson in 1830 was 5,392.
TROY.
The city of Troy is situated on the east side of the Hud-
son at the termination of its tide, and navigable waters,
one hundred and sixty six miles north of the city of New
York, and six north of Albany. It was incorporated in 1806.
That part of the city limits which is most populous, and
now nearly covered with buildings, is situate on a nearly
level plain, which rises abruptly from the river to the height
of about 25 feet, extending about one and a half miles in
length along the river, and about half a mile back. Dock
and River streets meander with the river, the other seven
north and south streets are straight, and 60 feet broad, with
a like number of narrow streets, called alleys, passing through
the middle of each block. These are crossed with other
streets at right angles extending from the river easterly.
River street is the great street of business. The large
stores or ware-houses, built on the west side, are mostly of
brick or stone, and, being built on the bank, or rise from
202
FAMILY TOURIST.
TROY.
the river, are from four and a half to six and a half stories
high on the side joining the wharfs, and two and a half to
three and a half stories on the east or River street side.
On the east side of river street, as also in first, second, third
and fourth streets, the houses and stores are mostly hand-
some modern brick buildings. Among the public buildings
entitled to particular notice, are St. Paul's church and the
City Hall, or County Court house; the latter built in imi-
tation of the ancient temple of Theseus in Greece, and, like
its prototype, entirely of Marble, excepting the covering of
the roof which is of copper, and excepting also that this has
pillars in front. It is 103 feet long and 60 broad, with side
walls 50 feet in height, and for elegance, simplicity and du-
rability, is strikingly appropriate.
St. Paul's church is built in gothic style, of bushham-
mered, dark colored, secondary, lime stone, 113 feet long,
70 broad, with side walls 42 feet high, presenting the ap-
pearance of great strength, durability, and fine finish.
Troy is distinguished for its literary institutions. Here
is situated a Female Seminary, intended for young ladies, in
all the higher branches of education. Since its commence-
ment, it has been under the care of Mrs. Emma Willard, a
lady of fine understanding and attainments, and who to these
qualifications unites great energy and perseverance.
To
her untiring labors and felicitous management, this semi-
nary is indebted for its great reputation. It has been pat-
ronized by gentlemen from perhaps every state in the un-
ion, and here numerous young ladies have enjoyed advan-
tages, not perhaps to be found at any similar institution in
the country. Mrs. Willard, now Mrs. Yates, has recently
relinquished, it is believed, the immediate charge of this in-
stitution, retaining however a general supervisory care.
This city is also the location of the Rensselaer school-
named after the Hon. Stephen Van Rensselaer of Albany,
through whose liberality it was munificently endowed. It is
designed to instruct young men in all the modern arts and
sciences, and more especially chemistry and geology as
bearing upon the arts and agriculture.
The inhabitants of Troy were principally from New Eng-
land. If the original settlers were not distinguished for
their literary character, they have ever sustained a high
reputation for their industry and success in business. Many
are now very wealthy. Society has rapidly advanced.
FAMILY TOURIST.
203
SCHENECTADY.
Great liberality is exhibited in the way of public improve-
ments. Troy is a beautiful spot, and considering its thrift,
its industry, its energetic and enterprising population, and
its yearly improving state of society, it is among the most.
desirable residences in the state of New York.
The Erie Canal here enters the Hudson, giving to the
place many of the advantages, which Albany enjoys, in con-
sequence of that magnificent channel of intercourse with the
West. Immense quantities of lumber, flour, grain, wool,
beef, pork, &c. besides manufactured goods, are shipped to
New York, New Jersey and Boston. Steam Boats daily
ascend and descend the Hudson, from this place, while a
great number of passage, or "packet" boats, and freight, or
"line" boats, as they are called, are continually arriving and
departing. The manufacture of flour here amounts to one
or two hundred thousand barrels: Its other manufacturing
establishments are numerous, and on an extensive scale.
SCHENECTADY.
The name of this city is said to be of Indian origin, being
derived from Schenectadea, or Pine-Wood-Landing, a phrase
used by the Indians to designate a considerable extent of
country, of which the present city of Schenectady forms a
part. The name of the spot on which Schenectady stands
was Ohnowalagántle.
The city is pleasantly situated, on a fertile plain on the
southeast side of the Mohawk river. It is fifteen and a half
miles northwest from Albany. It is bounded, on the east
and south-east, by a range of hills of moderate elevation, and
of rather a light sandy soil. On the west of the city and the
Mohawk, the country is spread out into considerable ex-
tensive flats, possessing a soil of great fertility, and under a
high state of cultivation.
The city is laid out with great regularity: most of its
streets intersecting each other at right angles, and dividing
the area into squares.
The houses are, for the most part, constructed of brick:
and though, owing to the great intervals of time at which
204
FAMILY TOURIST.
SCHENECTADY.
some of them were built, there has been so great a mixture
of the ancient and modern styles of architecture as greatly
to impair the beauty of the city, reviewed as a whole; yet
many private houses have an air of much comfort and ele-
gance. The ancient edifices, are however, yearly being
displaced, and their sites are occupying with buildings in
more modern style.
+
·
Union College, for its importance as a literary institution
deserves particular notice. It is situated east of the com-
pact part of the city, on an eminence which affords, partic-
ularly on the west, an extensive and delightful prospect.
The city, flanked, on the north-east and south-west, by lux-
uriant meadows and pasture land-beyond these, on the west
the beautiful Mohawk, gliding calmly along-farther on,
the rich and variegated flats, terminated by a range of regu-
lar and not very high hills-form, when beheld from the Col-
lege, one of the most charming landscapes in nature.
Union College was incorporated in 1794, and was so
named from the Union of several religious denominations
In its establishment.
The plan of the College edifices, as drawn by M. Ramêe,
celebrated French architect, for its beauty and adaptation
to the purposes for which it was designed, is highly credita-
ble to the taste and judgment of that artist. Only two of
the eight large edifices of the original plan, have yet been
completed. These afford rooms for the accommodation of
about 200 students, and tenements for the families of the
President and Professors.
The institution possesses a library, cabinet, philosophi-
cal and chemical apparatus, &c. Besides a president, there
are 4 professors, and 4 assistant professors in this college;
the whole number of alumni in 1833, was 1,373, of whom
1,253 were living; students 1832, 3,205. In the libraries.
are about 13,500 vols. of which that of the college contains
about 5,000.
The Erie Canal crosses the north part near the Hudson, but
on account of the circuitous route, and the numerous locks
between this place and Albany, much of the navigation stops
here. Packet boats run hence in numerous lines to Utica,
and on as far as Buffalo, and many still extend to Albany.
Thus a vast amount of merchandise annually passes through
this city. The Albany and Schenectady rail road greatly
F
FAMILY TOURIST..
205
:.
SCHENECTADY.
facilitates the communication with the Hudson; and this
with the Saratoga and Schenectady rail road, have render-
ed Schenectady the great thoroughfare for travellers to the
springs. Numerous lines of stage coaches also pass through
this city. Recently a rail road connecting this city with
Utica, has been constructed along the valley of the Mohawk.
The passage, 80 miles, is performed in four hours.
Schenectady is more interesting from the associations of
its early history, than for its present magnitude, or import-
ance, as a city. It is one of the oldest Dutch settlements
in the State of New York. Its early inhabitants suffered all
the miseries and hardships that can be supposed to have at-
tended upon their exposed situation, and slender means of
subsistence. Not powerful by their number; at a consid-
erable distance from their civilized countrymen ; with scarce-
ly any thing for their defence; they were almost continually,
during many years, falling victims to savage treachery and
barbarity.
"In the year 1690, Schenectady was destroyed by a party
of Canadian French and Indians; most of them Mohawks,
whom the French had seduced from their attachment to the
English. This party consisted of three hundred men; and
was one of three, sent by Count De Frontenac to distress
the British Colonies. The other two proceeded against
New Hampshire, and the Province of Maine, where one of
them, under Hertel De Rouville, destroyed Dover. The
body, which attacked Schenectady, was commanded, ac-
cording to Colden, by Monsieur De Ourville; according to
Dr. Trumbull, (for which he quoted the letters of Col.
Schuyler and Captain Bull,) by D'Aillebout, DeMantel, and
Le Moyn. The Mohawks were, or had lately been inhabi-
tants, of Caghnawaga: a village up the river, about 25 miles
from Schenectady. Of course they had been familiarly ac-
quainted with the town, and often entertained by its citizens.
The French were chiefly what are called Indian traders.
They arrived in the neighborhood on the 8th of February,
when the season was so cold, and the snow so deep, that it
was thought to be impossible for an enemy to approach.
The French commander sent some of the Indians, as spies,
to discover the state of the town. These men were seen
lurking in the neighborhood; and this fact was publicly an-
nounced; but the people were so satisfied of their safety,
18
206
FAMILY TOURIST.
UTICA.
that they paid no regard to the information. Not even a
sentinel was employed to watch the advent of the supposed
enemy. This negligence was fatal to them. The French
afterwards confessed, that they were so reduced by cold,
hunger, and fatigue, as to have formed the resolution to sur-
render themselves prisoners, if they found the least prepara-
tion for resistance. But, learning from the spies, that the
town was perfectly defenceless and secure, they marched
into its centre the following evening; raised the war-whoop;
and, having divided themselves into little parties, broke
open the houses, set them on fire, and butchered every man,
woman and child, on whom they could lay hands. No
tongue, says Colonel Schuyler, can express the cruelties
which they committed. Some of the inhabitants sought for
safety in flight; and ran naked through the snow into the
fields and forests. Others endeavored to hide themselves
within the town from the fury of their murderers; but were
forced from their retreats by the flames, and either killed
or carried into captivity. Sixty-three were butchered in
this inhuman manner. Twenty-seven more were made
prisoners. Of those who escaped, twenty-five lost their
limbs by the severity of the cold."
UTICA.
The city of Utica stands on the south side of the Mo-
hawk, in the north-east part of the charming valley, which
is made by the river Mohawk, the Oriskany and the Sa-
daghqueda or Saquoit (saw-qua) creeks. It was formerly
called Old Fort Schuyler, from a military post of that name
established here, to complete the chain of communication
between Fort Stanwix (from which it was distant about six-
teen miles north-east) and Schenectady.
This tract of country, now so delightful and so exuber-
ant, does not appear to have attracted the attention of the
Dutch sufficiently to form a settlement in it, since it is well
known to have remained an unbroken wilderness, till the
* Dwight's Travels, Vol. II.
FAMILY TOURIST.
207
UTICA.
year 1784, when Hugh White, an emigrant from Middle-
town, in Connecticut, with the spirit and courage which
had a few years before characterised Boon, of Kentucky,
first planted himself in the neighborhood. He entered a
log habitation at the present village of Whitesborough,
about four miles west of Old Fort Schuyler, and in what
was then known as the county of Montgomery, embracing
the whole region west of the county of Albany. In two or
three years after, the towns of Clinton and New Hartford
were begun to be settled by emigrants from the Eastern
States; and, in the year 1789, John Post, Uriah Alverson,
Stephen Potter, and others, formed a settlement at Old
Fort Schuyler, the prosperity of which was soon deter-
mined by laying out a road through the extensive wilder-
ness from Canandaigua, The Chosen Place,' (now Can-
andaigua,) to the Mohawk. This road was opened in 1796,
and intersected the river near Old Fort Schuyler. The
settlement now increased rapidly, and two years afterwards
it was incorporated as a village, with its present name,
Utica. For many years the country, around went by the
name of Whitestown, after Mr. White, and to this day, by
the aged, it is spoken of only as the "Whitestown Coun-
try."
<
An incident occurred in the family of Mr. White, soon
after his settlement at the West, which is still related by
the family, and which in the original form was told to
Colonel McKenney by a son of Mr. White, and by the for-
mer has been sketched in his 'Tour to the Lakes.'
"One evening, while Mr. White, the father, was absent,
and only Mrs. White, her little son and daughter, were at
home, they were alarmed on seeing in the woods three In-
dians coming in the direction of the house; but on per-
ceiving one of them to be Skenandoah, who was known to
them, their fears were in a measure, quieted. On arriving,
they addressed the mother, and said, 'We have called to
ask you for your little daughter to take home with us to-
night!' The request startled Mrs. White-she knew not
what answer to give; for it was part of the business of Mr.
White, on all occasions, to conciliate the Indians, and by all
the means in his power. To refuse the request, she feared
would excite them; and to grant it, would be to jeopard the
liberty, if not the life of her child! At the critical moment,
208
FAMILY TOURIST.
UTICA.
and while the Indians were waiting for a reply, the father
came in. The request was repeated to him, when he instantly
granted it. The mother was overwhelmed with surprise,
and felt all the horrors that may be conceived under such
circumstances. But she was silent. The little girl was
brought out, and delivered over to these Indians, who lived
some ten or twelve miles distant. They took her by the
hand and led her through the woods, stopping only long
enough to say, when the sun is so high in the morning,'
pointing to a certain elevation in the heavens,' we will re-
turn her.' Mrs. White had heard that Indians were base
and treacherous; and considered her little daughter as
having been given in sacrifice to save the family. Mr. W.
explained his reason for yielding up the child; but the mo-
ther, still anxious and doubting, gave way only to grief.
The night was long and sleepless. The day at last broke,
but upon eyes that had not been closed, and brought with
it increased anxiety. The sun rose-and the anxiety of
the family rose with it. At last he reached the point in the
heavens, which had been referred to for the period of the
child's return, when the anxious and afflicted mother ex-
claimed, there they are!" Skenandoah and his coin-
panions, faithful to their promise, were on the spot, and
the little girl, gay and smiling, and dressed out in all the
finery of which an Indian lodge could boast, delighted both
with her visit and her trinkets.
"You may feel anxious to know," observes Colonel Mc-
Kenney, addressing himself to a friend, "what was the ob-
ject of those Indians, in this extraordinary movement. I
will tell you. Mr. White had gone among them, and set-
tled in their country. He had promised to be friendly—
he had smoked the pipe of peace with these people, a most
sacred and binding obligation with them, and which they
never violate. But so had others, and these promises and
that pledge in them, had been alike disregarded. There
was no foundation left for their confidence: 'the white
man,' said they, 'is deceitful.' Their object was to test
the confidence of this family in them; and this was their
method of deciding the question. Give us your child!'
If, as they doubtless reasoned among themselves, they trust
us with their daughter, they will prove that they have confi-
dence in us and we will then know how to trust them.
If they refuse our request, then we shall know that they
W

UTICA.
FAMILY TOURIST.
209
UTICA.
doubt our sincerity, and this will convince us that they
have none themselves. Mr. White fortunately understood
the Indian character; but had not had their object ex-
plained to him. This was a secret with the Indians. But he
knew that their confidence when once established, is ever
after hard to be shaken; and concluded, as a rational man
would, that to show confidence in them, was the most di-
rect way to secure it for himself. But the hazard was
great; the trial was severe; and not unlike the demand of
old, made by the Master of Life to Abraham, to take his
son, his only son Isaac, and offer him,' &c.
"From that hour the family experienced nothing but a
succession of the kindest, offices on the part of the Indians,
and one uninterrupted scene of friendship; and so united
did the Indians become in all the interests of the family,
that they stood always ready to promote them; and as to
security, they never felt more secure than when surrounded
by these people. Skenandoah, in particular, continued
intimate with this family to his death. Mr. White died in
1812, at the age of 80 years. He was a venerable man,
respected and beloved by all who knew him.”*
From the period when Utica was incorporated, until the
completion of the middle section of the Erie canal, its
augmentation, though substantial, was not remarkably rap-
id. In 1813, it numbered only 1,700 inhabitants. It was,
however, the centre of intercourse between the lakes and
the cities of Schenectady and Albany; the Mohawk river
affording a tolerable communication with the former place.
The great western turnpike from Albany to Buffalo, also
offered great facilities for inland commerce, and Utica be-
came the deposit of products of the northern, southern, and
western back country. But when the great channel of in-
tercourse between Lake Erie and the Hudson river ap-
proached its consummation, the business, wealth, and pop-
ulation of the place rapidly increased, and it is now become
one of the most flourishing and substantial towns in the
State.
In the year 1793, the first mail west of Canajoharie was
transported, by Simeon Pool, from that place to Whites-
town, in pursuance of an arrangement of the Post Office
* McKenney's Tour to the Lakes.
18*
210
FAMILY TOURIST.
UTICA.
Department, that the inhabitants along the route should
convey it at their own expense. The distance was fifty
miles, and twenty-eight hours were allowed the post-rider to
complete it. This contract soon passed into the hands of the
late Jason Parker, Esq., a man of much enterprise, who was
the founder of the great lines of stages, which now traverse
this country in every direction. To his activity, Utica is
largely indebted for her extraordinary facilities of inter-
course with every part of the State. At the time of his
decease in 1830, there were twelve weekly, semi-weekly, or
daily lines running southerly and northerly. One hundred
and eight regular stages left the place, and about sixty
mails arrived, and departed, weekly. In addition to these
conveyances by land for the mails and travellers, there are
several lines of packet boats on the Erie canal, which leave
Utica daily for Schenectady; and also several for Buffalo,
and intermediate places on the route. These boats are
commodious and pleasant, accommodating comfortably
from thirty-five to forty passengers.
*
The canal level is 425 feet above the tide water at Alba-
ny. The central street of the city is distant from Albany,
by post road, 96 miles; by the canal, 110 miles: from
Buffalo, on Lake Erie, by the post road, 202 miles; by the
canal, 253: from Oswego, the southern port of Lake On-
tario, with which it communicates by the Erie and Oswe-
go and Erie canals, 84 miles. The city is nearly the geo-
graphical centre of the State. In 1794, the place con-
tained nineteen families: in 1830, the return from the cen-
sus was 8,500. Its present population is estimated at
10,000. The city charter was granted by the legislature
of the State, February, 1832. The charter is remarkable
for being the first ever granted in the State, in which the
licensing of shops for retailing ardent spirit is expressly
prohibited. The city is regularly built; its streets are
broad, straight, and commodious, and the buildings gener-
ally handsome. Few places have increased with greater
rapidity; or for its size, or age, contains more wealth, or
more institutions, which have for their object the relief of
the poor, the improvement of morals, or the cultivation of
literature and science. A vast quantity of cotton and
* Encyclopedia Americana.
FAMILY TOURIST.
211
ROCHESTER.
woollen goods are yearly manufactured in the immediate
vicinity. The canal commerce of Utica alone is extensive,
while the tolls paid on clearances received at and passing
Utica are annually about one million of dollars. The prin-
cipal manufacturing district is the beautiful valley of the
Sadaghqueda a territory of ten miles square, having Uti-
ca for its north-east corner, and the river Mohawk for its
northerly line. Here, on the stream from which the valley
takes its name, are several large cotton manufacturing es-
tablishments, which produce annually cloth of more than
half a million of dollars in value. Connected with these
factories are others of various kinds.
Utica, it is well known, aspires to become, at no distant
day, the seat of the State government. Geographically it
is situated in the centre of the State, as already noticed;
hence were the seat of government to be removed, it would
seem to be entitled to this honor; and it would not be sur-
prising, if the growing population of the West, and the
wealth and influence which are rolling up there, should, at
some future time, combine to gratify, in this particular,
this respectable and increasingly prosperous city.*
ROCHESTER.
In the progress of our travels, we have arrived at a spot,
which, had we visited it in 1810-twenty-eight years since
—not a single house should we have found standing upon it.
The Indian may have encamped upon the ground, and pos-
sibly may have erected his temporary wigwam there, beside
the flowing waters of the Genesee, to listen to the "eternal
bass" of the neighboring cataract; but the white man had not
reared his more substantial habitation, or begun those im-
provements, which his skill and industry and perseverance
have since so magnificently wrought. Or, had we delayed our
visit till 1812, we should have found "but two frame dwell-
ings here, small and rude enough,-one of which yet re-
mains to remind us of the change since the period, when
the occupants of those shantees had to contend against
* Edinburgh Encyclopedia.

212
FAMILY TOURIST.
ROCHESTER.
wild beasts,* for the scanty crop of corn first raised in a
tract now included in the heart of the city." But, select-
ing some appropriate elevation, cast your eyes abroad, and
here you see a city has risen, as it were, in a night, em-
bracing a population of 20,000 souls; and their number is
increasing every day,-while habitations, stores, shops,
manufactories, by hundreds, are annually erecting, to ac-
commodate the "immigrants" to this Western Metrop-
olis.
* In a valuable and highly interesting work, "Sketches of Rochester
-by Henry O'Reilly," to which work the author in this place ac-
knowledges his indebtedness for whatever may be interesting in relation
to this city-the following sketches of a thrilling adventure is given in
illustration of the remark quoted above:
Two frame buildings had been erected, one of which was occupied by
Isaac Stone, the other by Enos Stone.
"It was in the fall of 1811, that Encs Stone had a patch of corn,
about six acres in extent. His corn patch was on the east and south
sides of his little dwelling, which stood near the bank of the river, be-
side the fording-place. Provisions were exceedingly scarce, and not to
be had at any price, except to prevent starvation. Mr. Stone looked up-
on his cornfield with anxiety, knowing well the extent of his dependence
upon it for the then approaching winter. Towards the ripening of the
precious crop, he found that much would be lost from the depredations of
the wild beasts; and at length he began to tremble for the whole field,
when he found that a she bear had commenced devastations upon it, de-
stroying far more than she devoured. For a while he kept her at bay
by leaving out his dog; till, at length, the emboldened creature would
chase the dog even to the door-step. Finding that something must be
done; that he could not hope for half a crop, if such depredations con-
tinued; and that he could not sleep with such an animal prowling about
his dwelling; Mr. Stone turned out with a toy and a trusty gun, to at-
tack the intruder, about two o'clock one morning. The bear then took
refuge in a tree, whence she was soon dislodged by the smoke of a fire
kindled beneath. She fell near Mr. Stone, and, after a short contest with
him and his boy and dog, fled to another tree. She was dislodged from
this and three other trees by kindling fires beneath-when, more pow-
der being obtained from a neighbor, (the first two shots proving ineffect-
ual, and exhausting all his own powder), Mr. Stone had the satisfaction
of seeing his annoyer disabled to such a degree as to fall from the tree.
But, though fallen, the bear was unconquered still; and, when no longer
able to stand, the ferocious brute fought upon her haunches, like that re-
doubted soldier, who,
'When his legs were cutted off, did fight upon the stumps !'
She kept the dog at bay, and parried the blows of her assailants, with a
degree of skill not unworthy of a professional boxer. But her shaggy
hide soon became the trophy of him whose cornfield she had measura-
bly devastated."
FAMILY TOURIST.
213
ROCHESTER.
In 1810, Rochester was a desert.
"The first allotments
for a village were made in 1812; when Nathaniel Roches-
ter, Charles H. Carroll, and William Fitzhurgh surveyed
the 'Hundred Acre Tract' for settlement, under the name
of 'Rochester.' The above tract, according to the work
already cited, was land which two men by the name of
Phelps and Gorham deeded to Indian Allen in 1790, on
consideration of having a mill erected to accommodate
the few settlers in the surrounding country. It was part
of a larger tract of twelve by twenty-four miles, on the
west side of the Genesee, which Phelps and Gorham had
previously obtained from the Indians for the purpose of a
mill-yard! It had passed from Allen into the possession of
Sir William Pultney, from the agent of whose estate (Charles
Williamson) it was purchased in 1812 for $17.50 per acre by
the persons who thus made arrangements for founding a
village upon it."
"Two other tracts adjoining the mill-lot, and laid out
also in 1812, together with a tract laid out in 1816, were
included with the primitive settlement in the boundaries
assigned to Rochester by the law which created it a village
in 1817. Some of the land on the east side of the Gene-
see, in Rochester, (the Hundred Acre Tract being on the
west side,) was sold by Phelps and Gorham, in 1790, for
eighteen pence an acre."
"In 1813,* there were three houses built and occupied
* It is related by the author of "Sketches of Rochester," as an evidence
of the condition of the place the above year, that the Senecas here held, in
the month of January, their feast of Sacrifice and Thanksgiving.' It was
indeed their last--the winding up of those pagan and unhallowed rites,
which perhaps for centuries had been observed-offerings to the god of this
world, and evidence of the ignorance and debasement to which they had
sunk. In a few years, on this very spot, the temples of the Living God
would point their spires to heaven, and thousands within their consecra-
ted walls would offer the "sacrifice" of penitential sorrow for sin, and a
song of "thanksgiving" for deliverance from the bondage of the prince
of darkness.
The Author thus describes the ceremonial of the Senecas:
"Preparations were made at the council-house, or other place of meet-
ing, for the accommodation of the tribe during the ceremonial. Nine
days was the period, and two white dogs the number and kind of ani-
mals formerly required for the festival; though in these latter days of re-
form and retrenchment (for the prevailing spirit had reached even the
wigwams and the altars of the Senecas) the time has been curtailed to
214
FAMILY TOURIST.
ROCHESTER.
on the west side of the river; these, excepting a mill-race
opened by Rochester & Co., were the only improvements
in these parts, during the above year.
In the spring of 1814-the war between the United States
and Great Britain being in progress- Sir James Yeo, with
a fleet of thirteen vessels, appeared off the mouth of the
Genesee, threatening the destruction of the rude improve-
seven or five days, and a single dog was made the scape-goat to bear
away the sin of the tribe! Two dogs, as nearly white as could be pro-
cured, were usually selected from those belonging to the tribe; and were
carefully killed at the door of the council-house by means of strangula-
tion; for a wound in the animal or an affusion of blood would spoil the
victim for the sacrificial purpose. The dogs were then fantastically
painted with various colors, decorated with feathers, and suspended about
twenty feet high, at the council-house or near the centre of the camp.
The ceremonial is then commenced, and the five, seven, or nine days of
its continuance are marked by feasting and dancing, as well as by sacri-
fice and consultation. Two select bands, one of men and another of
women, ornamented with trinkets and feathers, and each person furnish-
ed with an ear of corn in the right hand, dance in a circle around the
council-fire, which is kindled for the occasion, and regulate their steps by
rude music. Hence they proceed to every wigwam in the camp; and, in
like manner, dance in a circle around each fire. Afterward, on another
day, several men clothe themselves in the skins of wild beasts, cover
their faces with hideous masks, and their hands with the shell of the tor-
toise, and in this garb they go among the wigwams, making horrid
noises, taking the fuel from the fire, and scattering the embers and ashes
about the floor, for the purpose of driving away evil spirits. The per-
sons performing these operations are supposed not only to drive off the
evil spirit, but to concentrate within themselves all the sins of the tribe.
These sins are afterwards all transferred into one of their own number,
who, by some magical dexterity or sleight-of-hand, works off from him-
self into the dogs the concentrated wickedness of the tribe! The scape-
goat dogs are then placed on a pile of wood, to which fire is applied,
while the surrounding crowd throw tobacco or other incense upon the
flame, the scent of which is deemed to co-operate with the sacrifice
of the animals, in conciliating the favor of Nauwanew or the Great
Spirit. When the dogs are partly consumed, one is taken off and put
into a large kettle, with vegetables of various kinds, and all around
devour the contents of the reeking caldron. After this, the Indians
perform the dances of war and peace, and smoke the calumet: then,
free from wickedness, they repair to their respective places of abode,
prepared for the events of the new year.
"The wild spot where these pagan rites were performed only twen-
ty-six years ago, has been transformed for the purposes of civilized
man, and is now surrounded or covered by some of the fairest mansions
and the noblest temples of Western New York."--Whence, one natu-
rally asks, did the Senecas derive this ceremonial? Could it be that it
was handed down by tradition, through some untraceablé channel, from
the days of him, who received the "ceremonial law" on the top of
Sinai ?
FAMILY TOURIST.
215
ROCHESTER.
ments in and around Rochester.
thirty-three people in
This little band threw
near the Deep Hollow,
Messengers were des-
patched to arouse the people in the surrounding country, for
defence against the threatened attack.
"At this time, there were but
Rochester capable of bearing arms.
up a breast work called Fort Bender,
beside the Lower Falls, and hurried down to the junction
of the Genesee and Lake Ontario, five miles north of the
present city limits, where the enemy threatened to land;
leaving behind them two old men, with some young lads,
to remove the women and children into the woods, in case
the British should attempt to land for the capture of the
provisions, and destruction of the bridge at Rochester, &c.
Francis Brown and Elisha Ely, acted as captains, and Isaac
W. Stone, as Major, of the Rochester forces, which were
strengthened by the additions that could be made from this
thinly-settled region. Though the equipments and disci-
pline of these troops would not form a brilliant picture for
a warlike eye, their very awkwardness in those points, coup-
led as it was with their sagacity and courage, accomplish-
ed more perhaps, than could have been effected by a larger
force of regular troops, bedizzened with the trappings of
military pomp. The militia thus hastily collected were
marched and countermarched, disappearing in the woods at
one point and suddenly emerging elsewhere, so as to im-
press the enemy with the belief that the force collected for
defence was far greater than it actually was. (The circum-
stances here related are substantially as mentioned to the
writer by one who was then and is now a resident of Ro-
chester.) An officer with a flag of truce was sent from the
British fleet. A militia officer marched down with ten of
the most soldier like men to receive him on Light-house
Point. These militia men carried their guns upright as
might be consistent with their plan of being ready for action
by keeping hold of the triggers! The British officer was
astonished: he "looked unutterable things." Sir," said
he, "do you receive a flag of truce under arms, with cocked
triggers?"
"Excuse me, excuse me, sir: we backwoods-
men are not well versed in military tactics," replied the
American Officer, who promptly sought to rectify his error
by ordering his men to "ground arms!" The Briton was
still more astonished; and after delivering a brief message
immediately departed for the fleet, indicating by his coun-
216
FAMILY TOURIST.
ROCHESTER.
tenance a suspicion that the ignorance of tactics, which he
had witnessed, was all feigned for the occasion, so as to de-
ceive the British Commodore into a snare! Shortly after-
wards on the same day, another officer came ashore with a
flag of truce for farther parley, as the British were evident-
ly too suspicious of stratagem to attempt a hostile landing,
if there was any possibility of compromising for the spoils.
Capt. Francis Brown was deputed with a guard to receive
the last flag of truce. The British officer looked suspiciously
upon him and upon his guard; and after some conversation,
familiarly grasped the pantaloons of Capt. B. about the knee,
remarking, as he firmly handled it, "Your cloth is too good
to be spoiled by such a bungling tailor," alluding to the
width and clumsy aspect of that garment. Brown was quick
witted, as well as resolute, and replied jocosely, that he was
prevented from dressing fashionably by his haste that morn-
ing, to salute such distinguished visiters!" The Briton ob-
viously imagined that Brown was a regular officer of the
American Army, whose regimentals were masked by clum-
sy over-clothes. The proposition was then made, that, if
the Americans would deliver up the provisions and military
stores, which might be in and around Rochester, or Char-
lotte, Sir James Yeo would spare the settlements from de-
struction. "Will you comply with the officer ?"
"Blood
knee deep first!" was the emphatic reply of Francis Brown.
"While this parley was in progress, an American officer,
with his staff, returning from the Niagara frontier, was ac-
cidentally seen passing from one wooded point to another;
and this with other circumstances, afforded to the British,
"confirmation strong" that their suspicions were well foun-
ded; that there was a considerable American Army collect-
ed; and that the Yankee officers pretended ignorance for
the purpose of entrapping ashore the commodore and his
forces! The return of the last flag to the fleet was follow-
ed by a vigorous attack in bombs and balls, while the com-
pliment was spiritedly returned, not without some effect on
at least one of the vessels, by a rusty old six pounder, which
had been furnished and mounted on a log for the important
occasion. After a few hours spent in this unavailing man-
ner, Admiral Yeo run down to Pultneyville, about 20
miles eastward of Genesee river, where on learning how
they had been outwitted and deterred from landing by such

Park fe
MAIN OR MIDDLE FALLS OF THE GENESEE, ROCHESTER, N. Y.
0
FAMILY TOURIST.
217
ROCHESTER.
a handful of militia, their mortification could scarcely re-
strain all hands from a hearty laugh at the "Yankee trick."
On the close of the war, during which an effectual stop
had been put to nearly every begun and certainly every con-
templated improvement, the courage, enterprise, and indus-
try of the interested again revived.
"In 1815, Hervey Ely, Josiah Bissell, and Elisha Ely, fin-
ished the "red mill" (afterwards called the Hydraulic Buil-
ding, and now burnt,) Samuel Hildreth, of Pittsford, com-
menced running a stage with a mail twice a week between
Rochester and Canandaigua; and a private weekly mail
route was established between Rochester and Lewiston, des
pendent for support on the income of the post-offices on the
route.
"In 1816, the first religious society, (Presbyterian) was
formed, consisting of 16 members-a small paper called the
Rochester Gazette, was commenced-a mill-race was finish-
ed by Brown and Mumford, and a cotton factory was com-
menced on the Frankfort Tract,—a tavern was opened by
Abelard Reynolds on the "Hundred acre Tract," Buffalo
street-a commencement was made in the business of pur-
chasing produce from the neighboring country. The popu
lation numbering 331 at the beginning of the year, was not
ascertained at the close."
<
The real prosperity of Rochester may be said to take date
in 1817, at which time it was invested with village privile-
ges by an act of the Legislature; and so rapidly had it in-
creased by 1834, that it was deemed important to its wel-
fare, to be erected into a city. Accordingly this latter
year, it received a charter. The first mayor was Jonathan
Child, who, on the occasion of his inauguration, among oth-
´er remarks, made the following on the growth and prosperi-
ty of the city:
*
"The rapid progress which our place has made, from a
wilderness to an incorporated city," said the mayor, "authori-
zes each of our citizens proudly to reflect upon the agency
he has had in bringing about this great and interesting
change. ROCHESTER, we all know, has had little aid in its
permanent improvement from foreign capital. It has been
settled and built, for the most part, by mechanics, and mer-
chants, whose capital was ECONOMY, INDUSTRY, and PERSE
19
218
FAMILY TOURIST.
VERANCE.
ROCHESTER.
It is their labor and skill, which has converted
a wilderness into a city; and to them surely, this must be a
day of pride and joy. They have founded and reared a city
before they have passed the meridian of life. In other coun-
tries and times, the city of Rochester would have been the
result of the labor and accumulations of successive genera-
tions; but the MEN WHO FELLED THE FOREST, that grew on
the spot where we are assembled, are sitting at THE COUN-
CIL BOARD OF OUR CITY. Well, then, may we indulge an
honest pride, as we look back upon our history, and let the
review elevate our hopes, and animate our exertions. To-
gether we have struggled through the hardships of an infant
settlement, and the embarrassments of straitened circum-
stances; and together let us rejoice and be happy, in the
glorious reward that has crowned our labors.".
"The formation of religious institutions was commenced
about the year 1816, when there were about 331 inhabitants,
by the organization of a church and the settlement of a cler-
gyman,-Rev.
gyman, Rev. Comfort Williams. "The communicants of
this first church were but sixteen in number, and these were
scattered about the country-some of them residing on the
Ridge Road in the town of Brighton and Greece. The first
permanent religious edifices were erected about 1822,-the
three previously erected, having been temporary buildings
of wood. The few years which have passed since then
have been wonderfully eventful in its ecclesiastical affairs.
There are now not less than twenty-two religious societies,
whose structures embellish the appearance of the city, while
their spirituality extends a hallowed influence over its social
relations. Seminaries and societies of value in literature
and science, and Sabbath Schools effecting much good with
little means, indicate that there are here actively in opera-
tion such causes as have rendered New England celebrated
in the annals of education-illustrious in the empire of the
mind."
The people of Rochester, appreciating the importance of
education, as intimately connected with the order, indus-
try, and morality of their city, have with laudable zeal and
on a liberal scale, furnished the means of intellectual im-
provement. There is the Rochester High School-the
Rochester Female Academy-the Alexander Street Female
FAMILY TOURIST.
219
ROCHESTER.
Seminary, each of which has a handsome and commodious
building, and able and accomplished instructors-besides
which there are eighteen select schools, and thirteen com-
mon schools, and not less than twenty Sabbath Schools.
The benefits of the higher schools are taken advantage of
by the surrounding country, and pupils even from Canada,
resort here for instruction.
"The business of Rochester may be estimated by a few
facts. This city is interested by a larger extent than any
other in the carrying trade of the Erie Canal,—the great
thoroughfare between the sea board and the inland waters.
About one half of the whole amount of stock in all the trans-
portation lines on that water-way is owned or controlled by
its citizens. Rochester is to the Canal what Buffalo is to
the Lakes. The staple product is remarkable for its quan-
tity, as well as quality. The celebrity of the Genesee wheat
is increased by the skill with which it is here prepared for
market. Rochester is already, not merely the best, but the
largest flour-manufactory in the world.
"In various departments of manufactures, such as edge-
tools, carpeting, fire engines, fire arms, cloths, leather, pa-
per, pianos, &c., considerable energy is manifested.
"The style of the structures, public and private, is indi-
cative of the good sense and correct taste of the citizens.
It may readily be inferred, that among a people so prosper-
ous in business of such varied and important character, the
comforts of good dwellings and tastefully arranged premises
are largely appreciated and enjoyed. A degree of architec-
tural taste and solid construction has been strikingly evinced
in most of the larger dwellings erected within a few years.
past. The smaller buildings, which men of moderate means
are encouraged to erect through the facilities of obtaining
suitable materials, are generally neat and comfortable. In-
stead of wooden buildings, such as might be expected in a
newly settled "wooden country,"-buildings cheaply erected
and serving well enough perhaps for a generation, the con-
gregations have generally preferred to erect massive edifices,
chiefly of stone-distinguished for size and beauty, as well
as solidity.
"The public edifices and most of the manufactories and
stores are erected of stone, or brick. The law has for some
220
FAMILY TOURIST.
·
ROCHESTER.
years forbidden the construction of wooden buildings with-
in certain limits; and care is used to render fire proof some
of the most valuable structures.
"The immense facilities for trade and intercourse furnish-
ed to Rochester by canals and rail-roads, and the benefits
flowing from the navigation of the Genesee River, and Lake
Ontario, may be estimated by any one who is capable of
comprehending the range of improvement now in progress,
as well as that already completed. Within three years, if
not in two, chains of rail roads will be completed so as to
unite Rochester in that way, with the Atlantic, and with a
vast territory in the west. The enlargement of the Erie
Canal, and the construction of the Genesee Valley canal, to
be completed in three or four years, will form a new era in
our prosperous history-giving invaluable impulses to all
branches of our business. The works of the general gov-
ernment for improving our intercourse by steam boats, with
Ontario, have rendered the Port of Rochester, an excellent
harbor for the largest vessel of the lakes, and will soon be
completed at an additional cost of about $160,000. The
great aqueduct, with its appendages, for the enlarged Erie
Canal across the Genesee, will also be completed in a couple
of years, at an expense to the state of nearly half a million
of dollars. The works on all the important improvements
now connected with the city, will incidentally prove of great
value in various ways.
We have not yet spoken of the natural advantages which
have most essentially contributed to the sudden and deep
rooted prosperity of Rochester. THE WATER POWER OF
THE GENESEE may be considered illimitable for all prac-
tical purposes, when we view the facilities for employing
it to the greatest advantage. It may be used at various
points along the banks, on both sides of the river, for a
space of two miles, between the north and south lines of
the city. Within that distance, the aggregate amount of
the different falls and rapids of the Genesee is about 260
feet, or a hundred feet more than the perpendicular height
of Niagara Falls.*
* "Calculations have been made that the quantity of water generally
passing in the Genesee river at Rochester, is about 20,000 cubic feet per
minute. The water power has also been estimated as equal to about two
thousand steam engines of twenty horse power; and, estimating horse
FAMILY TOURIST.
221
ROCHESTER.
The canal trade of Rochester is immense, and yearly
increasing. The annual receipt of toll is larger at this point
than at any other on the line of the canal. The following
table of receipts and shipments of freight for 1836, on
the canal, exclusive of shipments by the lakes and supplies
for the surrounding country, must impress the mind with the
magnitude of the canal business done in this city. The
table was furnished by James Smith, Esq., collector
for the above year, and is taken from "Sketches of Ro-
chester."
1836.
Shipped.
Landed.
Sundries, Ibs.
1,668,575
441,364
Domestic spirits, gallons,
44,978
Boards and scantling, ft. 753,173
229,780
Shingles, M.
146
Timber, feet,
9,500
22,651
Staves, lbs.
585,688
860,251
1..
power as valued in England, it has been computed that the hydraulic
privileges at Rochester may be made worth ten millions of dollars per
annum. Those who made their calculations more than a dozen years
ago, did not include more than one half the fall within the city limits-
for the city includes double the amount of fall, which was contained with-
in the village limits. So that, even by the calculations heretofore made,
the value of our water power might be estimated at about double what was
formerly stated. But the increased skill with which the water privileges
are now being improved-the extent of the fall permitting the water to
be used over and over again, in some cases three or four times on the
same lot, if required-renders idle all calculations of specific value.-
With falls and rapids causing a descent of 260 feet within the city lim-
its, the water power of the Genesee at Rochester may, for all practical
purposes, be considered ILLIMITABLE.
"The greatest flood ever known in the Genesee River, occurred in the
fall of 1835. Nothing equal to it has occurred within the knowledge of
the earliest settlers in Rochester and its vicinity. Although it was un-
precedented, it may find frequent parallels; for, as the country becomes
better cleared, the water (from the rain or thawing snow) will more
suddenly find its way to the river than could be the case from wild land.
The influence exercised on the character of many streams by the improve-
ments of the country, is a subject worthy of attention.
"The
inferred from the fact,
greatness of the flood of 1835, may be
that the quantity of water which then passed, was estimated at two mil-
lions one hundred and sixty-four thousand cubic feet per minute! Ima-
gination may picture better than pen describe the foaming and roaring
of such a mighty flood washing over rapids and falls forming at Ro-
chester a descent about 100 feet higher than the perpendicular pitch of
Niagara.”—Sketches of Rochester.
19*
222
FAMILY TOURIST.
ROCHESTER.
1836.
Shipped.
Landed.
Flour, bls.
368,842
2,344
Wheat, bushels,
151,714
365,328
Barley,
2,112
Rye,
1,298
Corn,
8,323
Other grain, bushels,
14,834
15,230
Bran and ship stuffs, bu. 241,391
Pease and beans,
1,141
Potatoes,
1,040
440
Pork, barrels,
251
303
Beef,
837
688
Salt,
860
19,977
Ashes,
4,249
212
Lime,
421
2,642
Dried fruit, lbs.
15,944
2,330
Clover and grass seed,
491,976
81,093
Flax seed,
2,400
3,620
Wool,
370,505
6,525
Cotton,
604
51,231
1
Cheese,
81,844
9,042
Butter and lard,
55,143
14,430
Hops,
21,450
4,229
Tobacco,
15,805
49,296
Leather,
83,177
17,131
Fur,
1,715
Peltry,
56,912
63,055
Gypsum,
224,899
472,981
Stone,
1,306,672
1,533,371
Domestic cotton,
$8,782
Woollens,
51,322
Merchandise,
3,688,360
5,488,113
Furniture,
2,115,904
1,036,039
Clay,
8,820
219,200
Mineral coal,
346,450
578,903
Pig iron,
68,095
397,308
Iron ware,
383,097
644,205
The history of the flour trade of Rochester borders on
romance. Until 1814, no flour was manufactured, when a
few hundred barrels were sent to the troops on the Niagara
frontier. In 1815, a small trade was opened with Canada,
and some hundreds of barrels were shipped to Montreal,
FAMILY TOURIST.
223
ROCHESTER.
and other ports on the lakes. In 1816, seven or eight
thousand barrels were shipped. Since that time, the busi-
ness has increased with wonderful rapidity. "There are
now within the city, twenty mills (exclusive of grist mills),
with upwards of ninety runs of stone. These mills are
capable of manufacturing five thousand barrels of flour
daily, and, when in full operation, require about twenty
thousand bushels of wheat daily. The immense consump-
tion of the raw material, occasioned by such an extensive
manufacture, furnishes to the rich wheat-growing region.
around Rochester a ready market, while it draws consid-
erable supplies from the shores of Erie and Ontario. Be-
sides the wheat drawn from the surrounding country, and
from Ohio, some of the Rochester millers imported from
Canada, under heavy duties, 200,000 bushels in 1836. In
the year ending the first of August, 1835, eighteen mills,
with seventy-eight runs, manufactured about 460,000 bbls.
flour; and the annual product, with the late improvements,
will not, probably, in seasons of fertility, &c., fall far short
of six hundred thousand barrels."
The following table is interesting, as exhibiting the an-
nual average value of wheat, together with the extreme
ranges of prices since 1814, when Rochester was first
known as a market for that commodity:
1814 Average, $1 25 Range, $1 183 to $1 31
1815
1816
1817
1818
1819
1821
1822
1 12/1/20
1 75
1 53
103
92
1. 06
1 12
100
m
621
50
75
1 183
2 50
871
2 25
1 06
56
1 31
1820
52
44
40
33
621
56
96
75
1 31
92
75
1 09
1825
73
50
92
1826
59
44
71
85
72
1 44
1 44
69
1823
1824
1827
1828
1829
1830
71
93
1 02
84
62/1/
78
100
224
FAMILY TOURIST.
ROCHESTER.
1831 Average, $1 01 Range, $0 78 to $1 19
1832
99
84
1 12/1/1/0
1833
92
75
1 06
1834
80
75
87/1/2
1835
1 07
75
1 37/1/20
1836
1 48
1 183
2.00
1837
1 78
1 38
2 15
From the preceding table, it is apparent, that the value
of wheat has been subject to great fluctuations. The fol-
lowing causes for these fluctuations are assigned in the work
which we have already largely quoted.
"C
Very little wheat or flour was sent out of the Genesee
country till after the year 1815. The crop that year was
short in this quarter and in Canada; but it did not affect
prices till the following spring and summer, when flour was
sold at Rochester, for four weeks, at fifteen dollars per bar-
rel! Indian corn was then shipped freely from Rochester
to the Canadian shore of Ontario, and commanded ready
sale at York (now Toronto), for three dollars per bushel !
"The cold summer' of 1816 was not injurious to our
crop; but a demand for the English market affected prices
materially during the latter part of that year, and also in
the years 1817, 1818, 1828, 1829, and 1831. The crop
in 1828, in the Genesee country, was an almost entire fail-
ure; but being nearly or quite an average in other por-
tions of the country, Rochester prices would not have ad-
vanced near the close of that year, but for a demand from
England.
"It is well known that in particular districts of our coun-
try, there has been a rapid increase of cultivation of bread-
stuffs. But it is also well known, that, in other very ex-
tensive portions of our country, agricultural enterprise has
been turned into employments yielding better profits than
grain-growing in those regions. Witness the extent to
which the great southern staple has lately been cultivated,
to the exclusion, in a great degree, of wheat and other
grains. This, with the rapid increase of population, &c.,
were the leading causes of the high prices of 1835. [Might
not the prevalence of the speculating mania, the withdrawal
of considerable labor from productive employment, and
the expansion of bank issues, be particularly included
FAMILY TOURIST.
225
BUFFALO.
among the causes which have contributed to the inflation
of prices?]
"The foregoing causes, combined with the entire failure
of the crop of 1836 east of the mountains, in North Caro-
lina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania, and
the partial failure in the State of New York, fully explain
the causes of the existence of high prices in that year and
in 1837.
"In 1823, canal navigation was opened without inter-
ruption from Albany to Rochester. The want of this com-
mercial avenue was one reason of the extreme depression
of prices in 1820, and 1821; but the effect was chiefly at-
tributable to the largely increased cultivation of wheat, in
consequence of the stimulus of high prices during the four
preceding years, together with the luxuriant crops of those
two years (1820 and 1821).
"The crops of 1825 and 1826 were probably the most
abundant for the land in seed, which have been known since
the settlement of the country."
From the preceding pages occupied with an account of
Rochester, it is apparent, that few if any places in the Uni-
ted States enjoy such natural advantages; but natural ad-
vantages alone do not create a city, and such a city,—there
must be enterprise, skill, perseverance-and these, it is evi-
dent, the population which have clustered to this spot must
have possessed in no ordinary degree. Rochester will one
day be, in respect to Western New York, what New York
herself is to Eastern. Indeed, we may now inquire-
using the language of the book, which has enabled us to
spread out so charming a view of the thrift and prosperity
of the place-"What citizen of Rochester can find any
cause for envying the growth or prosperity of any other
city, either 'Down East,' or in the Far West?" "
BUFFALO.
Buffalo is situated at the east end of Lake Erie, and at
the head of Niagara river. "As one approaches the city,"
observes Mr. Greenwood, " a wide spread sheet of water
226
FAMILY TOURIST.
BUFFALO.
If the traveller has never seen the
imagine that he sees it. If he has,
a sea view that lies before him.
As
opens to the sight.
ocean, he may here
he will say that it is
he looks to the west, the horizon only bounds the liquid
expanse; and it is not till he descends to the shore, and
marks the peculiar quiet and exact level of the even and
sleeping lake, that he will find any thing to remind him,
that he is not on the coast of the salt and swelling sea."
Buffalo is west of Albany 284 miles, and distant from
Washington, 376. Like Rochester, it is of recent origin.
In 1814, during the late war, it was entirely destroyed
by the British, excepting a single house-that of a widow
lady. This destruction was by way of retaliation, for the
burning of Newark, in Upper Canada, by the Americans.
At this time, however, it contained only about 100 houses.
Its prosperity dates since the completion of the Erie ca-
nal; and, from that completion, its prosperity has been
rapid and surprising. Rochester has, indeed, outstripped
it; but from its position, it is designed to increase, forming
as it does, and as it must continue to be, the grand empori-
um of the lake commerce. The Buffalo creek affords mill
sites of great importance, and a canal has lately been form-
ed from the falls to the town, on which are important hy-
draulic works. The harbor of Buffalo is furnished with a
light-house at the entrance, and has been much improved
by art. Formerly, the sand of the lake washed in, and ob-
structed its mouth; this has been in a measure prevented
by the construction of a pier extending into the lake 1000
feet. Buffalo is a place of great life, enterprise, and activ-
ity. Its harbor is thronged with steamboats, and all man-
ner of water craft, as its streets are with travellers, emi-
grants, and men of business. Lines of steamboats con-
nect this place with Detroit and Cleveland, touching at the
intervening ports. Thousands and ten thousands of emi-
grants, travellers, and men of business, enter Buffalo, and
depart on board her steamboats for the "far west;" while
a vast amount of produce is shipped westward, and thou-
sands of bushels of wheat, and barrels of flour, and other
articles, are sent eastward by the Erie canal.
The main street of Buffalo runs along the ridge of the
hill, which overlooks Lake Erie, and is ornamented with
several fine blocks of brick stores, handsome dwelling
FAMILY TOURIST.
227
BUFFALO.
houses, together with several public buildings. The Eagle
Hotel is a noble building, finished in the best style. Several
of the Churches are handsome structures, and present a
fine appearance. A large piece of ground has been left in
the middle of the town for a public square. A walk has
also been laid out on the brow of the hill towards the lake.
This is called the Terrace, and affords a charming view of
the lake, the harbor, and the canal to Black Rock.
The canal to Black Rock lies along the shore of the
lake. About half a mile from Buffalo, while the workmen
were engaged in the process of excavation, they struck
upon a bed of old and half decayed trees. Into this bed
they penetrated to the depth of six feet, and along a line of
nearly half a mile. In many of the trees and branches
was found the grain of the wood in a state of preserva-
tion. But the greater part was a black mass of matter,
which, on being dried, burnt with great readiness. In some
places ashes and coals were found; and some of the logs
appeared to have been washed and rolled by the waters of
the lake, before they were buried.*
Black Rock, where terminates the canal in a basin, is a
pleasant village, situated on the margin of Niagara river,
three miles from Buffalo. For a few years, it was very
flourishing, while it was expected to become an important
place; but the capital and business have since been trans-
ferred chiefly to Buffalo.
Situated as Buffalo is, it is apparent that it enjoys ad-
vantages, to which but few western towns for many years
will probably be able to lay claim. It is, and is likely to
remain, a grand point of communication between the At-
lantic and the lakes. By the great canal, it communicates
with New York; by the Welland and Rideau canals, with
Lake Ontario and Montreal; and by Lake Erie and the
Erie and Ohio canal, with the Ohio and Mississippi valley.
Near Buffalo is the "Seneca Reservation,”—a valuable
tract of land, guarantied to the Senecas, the westernmost
tribe in the confederacy of the Five Nations. They were
formerly considered the most numerous and powerful tribe,
* Northern Traveller.
228
FAMILY TOURIST.
BUFFALO.
and preserved their superiority until the fatal defeat they
received from General Schuyler, in 1778, since which
they have made a less conspicuous figure.
In a small log house, in a retired situation, about four
miles from Buffalo, there lived a few years since, Red
Jacket, a chief more famous, perhaps, than any other be-
longing to this tribe.
During the Revolutionary war, Red Jacket was opposed
to the Americans, as was his tribe. In 1784, however, a
treaty was made with some of the Six Nations at a council
held at Fort Stanwix. At that council, Lafayette was pres-
ent. During his late visit to the United States, he saw
Red Jacket, at Buffalo. The latter reminded the General
of the above council. "And where," asked Lafayette, "is
the young warrior, who so eloquently opposed the burying
of the tomahawk ?" 'He is before you," answered the
chief. "Ah!"-he added with a melancholy air, and strip-
ping off a handkerchief from his bald head,-"Time has
made bad work with me-but you, I perceive,”—and here
he narrowly reconnoitered the General's wig-" You have
hair enough left yet!"
A few years subsequent to the negociation referred to on
this occasion, Red Jacket had an interview with General
Washington, who gave him a silver medal, which he wore
ever afterwards, and is said to have named him "the
Flower of the Forest." But the Senecas were again hos-
tile soon afterwards, and it was only at the expense of an
expedition, which ravaged their territory far and wide, that
this haughty people were, at length, subdued into any thing
like a state of composure. Red Jacket is believed to have
been second to none of his countrymen in his opposition
to the American interest, down to that period; but a peace
was granted upon liberal terms-some complaints of the
Indians were adjusted—a system of protection was devised
for their benefit-and thenceforth, both they and he were
quite friendly in most instances, and faithful to their en-
gagements in all.
**
Red Jacket was distinguished for his oratorical powers.
* Thatcher's Indian Biography.
1
FAMILY TOURIST.
229
BUFFALO.
Once, when some inquiries were made respecting his deeds
of blood, which are sometimes supposed to constitute the
character of an Indian, he exclaimed-" A Warrior! I am
an Orator!—I was born an Orator!"
Red Jacket always strenuously opposed the introduction of
Christianity among his tribe. On a certain occasion, a coun-
cil of his tribe was convened at Buffalo, at the request of a
missionary from Massachusetts, with a view of recommend-
ing himself to them in his religious capacity. The mis-
sionary made a speech to the Indians, explaining to them
the objects for which they had come together, in conclu-
sion of which, he wished to hear their objections, if they
had any to make. Having spent some time in consulta-
tion among themselves, Red Jacket expressed the result in
- a speech, as follows:
"Friend and brother!"—he began-"It was the will of
the Great Spirit that we should meet together this day. He
orders all things, and he has given us a fine day for our coun-
cil. He has taken his garment from before the sun, and
caused it to shine with brightness upon us. Our eyes are
opened that we see clearly. Our ears are unstopped that
we have been able to hear distinctly the words you have
spoken. For all these favors we thank the Great Spirit, and
him only.
"Brother!—This council fire was kindled by you. It
was at your request that we came together at this time. We
have listened with attention to what you have said. You
requested us to speak our minds freely. This gives us great
joy, for we now consider that we stand upright before you,
and can speak what we think. All have heard your voice,
and all speak to you as one man. Our minds are agreed.
"Brother!-You say you want an answer to your talk
before you leave this place. It is right you should have one
as you are a great distance from home, and we do not wish
to detain you. But we will first look back a little, and tell
you what our fathers have told us, and what we have heard
from the white people.
Brother!-Listen to what we say. There was a time
when our forefathers owned this great island.*
extended from the rising to the setting sun.
Their seats
The Great
* Meaning the Continent-a common belief and expression among the
Indians.
20
230
FAMILY TOURIST.
BUFFALO.
}
4
Spirit had made it for the use of Indians. He had created
the buffalo, the deer, and other animals for food. He made
the bear and the beaver, and their skins served us for cloth-
ing. He had scattered them over the country, and taught
us how to take them. He had caused the earth to produce
corn for bread. All this he had done for his red children,
because he loved them. If we had any disputes about hunt-
ing-grounds, they were generally settled without the shed-
ding of much blood. But an evil day came upon us. Your
forefathers crossed the great waters, and landed on this isl-
and. Their numbers were small. They found friends and
not enemies. They told us they had fled from their own
country, for fear of wicked men, and had come here to en-
joy their religion. They asked for a small seat. We took
pity on them, granted their request, and they set down
amongst us. We gave them corn and meat.
They gave
us poison* in return. The white people had now found our
country. Tidings were carried back, and more came
amongst us. Yet we did not fear them. We took them to
be friends. They called us brothers. We believed them,
and gave them a larger seat. At length their numbers had
greatly increased. They wanted more land. They wanted
our country. Our eyes were opened, and our minds became
uneasy. Wars took place. Indians were hired to fight
against Indians, and many of our people were destroyed.
They also brought strong liquors among us. It was strong
and powerful, and has slain thousands.
"Brother!-Our seats were once large, and yours were
very small. You have now become a great people, and we
have scarcely a place left to spread our blankets. You have
got our country, but are not satisfied. You want to force
your religion upon us.
"Brother!-Continue to listen. You say that you are
sent to instruct us how to worship the Great Spirit, agreea-
bly to his mind; and if we do not take hold of the religion,
which you white people teach, we shall be unhappy hereaf
You say that you are right, and we are lost. How do
we know this to be true? We understand that your religion
is written in a book. If it was intended for us as well as
for you, why has not the Great Spirit given it to us; and
not only to us, but why did he not give to our forefathers the
ter.
Spirituous liquor.
FAMILY TOURIST.
231
BUFFALO.
knowledge of that book, with the means, of understanding
it rightly? We only know what you tell us about it. How
shall we know when to believe, being so often deceived by
the white people?
"Brother!-You say there is but one way to worship and
serve the Great Spirit. If there is but one religion, why do
you white people differ so much about it? Why not all
agree, as you can all read the book?
"Brother!We do not understand these things. We
are told that your religion was given to your forefathers,
and has been handed down from father to son. We also
have a religion, which was given to our forefathers, and has
been handed down to us, their children. We worship that
way. It teaches us to be thankful for all the favors we re-
ceive, to love each other, and to be united. We never quar-
rel about religion.
-
"Brother!—The Great Spirit has made us all. But he
has made a great difference between his white and red chil-
dren. He has given us a different complexion and different
customs. To you he has given the arts; to these he has not
opened our eyes. We know these things to be true. Since
he has made so great a difference between us in other things,
why may we not conclude that he has given us a different
religion, according to our understanding? The Great Spir-
it does right. He knows what is best for his children. We
are satisfied.
"Brother!-We do not wish to destroy your religion, or
take it from you. We only want to enjoy our own.
"Brother!-You say you have not come to get our land
or our money, but to enlighten our minds. I will now tell
you
that I have been at your meetings, and saw you collect-
ing money from the meeting. I cannot tell what this mon-
ey was intended for, but suppose it was for your minister;
and if we should conform to your way of thinking, perhaps
you may want some from us.
'Brother!-We are told that you have been preaching
to white people in this place. These people are our neigh-
bors. We are acquainted with them. We will wait a little
while, and see what effect your preaching has upon them.
If we find it does them good, and makes them honest, and
less disposed to cheat Indians, we will then consider again
what you have said.
"Brother!-You have now heard our answer to your
232
FAMILY TOURIST.
BUFFALO.
1
talk, and this is all we have to say at present.
As we are
going to part, we will come and take you by the hand, and
hope the Great Spirit will protect you on your journey, and
return you safe to your friends."
This was emphatically a pagan speech, but, independent
of the lamentable hostility evinced towards Christianity,
there were embodied in it not a few solemn and pointed
truths. On another occasion it is related that a young cler-
gyman attempted to enlighten this chief through the medi-
um of an Indian interpreter, named Jack Berry,-for Red
Jacket, though he understood the English language, was
ever reluctant to speak it. "Brother!"-said Jack, in be-
half of the chief-"if you white people murdered the Sav-
iour, make it up yourselves. We had nothing to do with
it. If he had come among us, we should have treated him
better."
During the last war with England, Col. Snelling, a gal-
lant officer of the American army, stationed on the Niagara
frontier, shewed some peculiarly gratifying attentions to
Red Jacket. The former being, soon afterwards, ordered
to Governor's Island, the chief came to bid him farewell.
"Brother," said he, "I hear you are going to a place call-
ed Governor's Island. I hope you will be a Governor your-
self. I am told you whites consider children a blessing. I
hope you will have one thousand at least. Above all, where-
ever you go, I hope you will never find whiskey more than
two shillings a quart."
During the concluding years of Red Jacket's life, he be-
came a victim to intemperance. In consequence of his hab-
its, in 1827 he was deprived of his civil rank, by his nation.
Subsequently, however, he was restored to his former rank,
in consequence, it is said, of an address he made in a coun-
cil of Chiefs, marked with all the fire and eloquence of his
better days.
He visited the Atlantic cities for the last time, as late as
the spring of 1829. He was now more than 70 years of
age. Years had done much to waste the vigor of his con-
stitution, but intemperance more. "He died in January,
1830, at the Seneca Village, near Buffalo, where his funeral
took place on the 21st of the month. It was attended by all
parties of his own tribe, and by many Americans, drawn
FAMILY TOURIST.
233
·
•
BUFFALO.
together by a curiosity to witness the obsequies. His body
· was removed from his cabin into the mission-house, where
religious services were performed. In these the Pagans
took but little interest. Wrapped in profound and solemn
thought, they, however, patiently awaited their termination.
Some of them arose, and successively addressed their coun-
trymen in their own language. They recounted the exploits
and virtues of him, whose remains they were now about to
bear to his last home. They remembered his own prophet-
ic appeal" Who shall take my place among my people?"
They thought of the ancient glory of their nation; and they
looked around them on its miserable remnant. The im-
pression was irresistible. Tears trickled down the cheeks
of the grave comrades of the dead.
"Well might they weep! He that lay before them was
indeed the last of the Senecas.' The strong warrior's arm
was mouldering in the dust, and the eye of the orator was
cold and motionless forever.”*
* Thatcher's Indian Biography.
20*
NEW JERSEY.
TRENTON.
TRENTON was founded a few years prior to 1720, by an
enterprising trader of the name of William Trent, after
whom the place was named. Previously to his settlement,
the place bore the name of Littleworth, indicative, proba-
bly, of the little estimation in which it was held.
+
In 1748, the Swedish traveller Kalm visited this place;
he represents it as a long, narrow town, containing about
100 houses. At that time, the principal occupation of the
inhabitants was the transportation of passengers and goods.
from Philadelphia to New York, or from the latter to the
former place. Vessels called yachts plied between Tren-
ton and Philadelphia. Each passenger paid one and six-
pence, besides a charge for his baggage. Provision was
made by the traveller for his own support during the pas-
sage.
Trenton was incorporated in 1792. It is the capital of
the State, and is situated on the east bank of the Delaware,
at the head of steamboat and sloop navigation. It is 60
miles south-west of New York; 30 north of Philadelphia;
and 166 north-east of Washington. The town is of considera-
ble size and importance. The principal streets are regu-
larly laid out, and contain many handsome houses, and nu-
merous stores. The Delaware and Raritan canal, extend-
ing from Trenton to New Brunswick, crosses the city, and
is here joined by a feeder, which enters the river above the
falls. These falls afford water power for extensive manu-
facturing privileges.
With the city of Trenton, there are usually coupled the
villages of Mill Hill, Bloomsbury, and Lamberton. Tren-
ton proper contains about 500 dwellings; Mill Hill 80;
Bloomsbury 50; Lamberton 70.
The Philadelphia steamboats ply daily between that city
FAMILY TOURIST.
235
TRENTON.
and Trenton-one from Lamberton and others from Blooms-
bury. Stages run three times a day by the rail-road to
New York and Philadelphia.
For some years, Trenton was far from being in a flour-
ishing state; but, recently, new life has been imparted to
the business and enterprise of the place-the population is
somewhat increasing, and an air of thrift and industry per-
vades the city.
Trenton is memorable in the annals of the Revolution-
ary war for the capture, on the 25th of December, 1776, of
1000 Hessians, by the Americans, with the loss of scarcely
a man on their side.
This victory was the more remarkable, as it was effected
at a period in the American war, when the British cause
seemed to be triumphant on every side, and the loyalists
were anticipating triumph to themselves, and a speedy ter-
mination in their favor, of the contest in which they were
engaged.
General Washington had been compelled to abandon.
Long Island, and to retire from New York. Forts Wash-
ington and Lee had been surrendered, with a garrison of
between two and three thousand men. From White Plains,
Washington had been obliged to retreat to Newark, and
from this latter place to Brunswick, Princeton, Trenton,
and from Trenton to the Pennsylvania side of the Dela-
ware, while the pursuit of the enemy was so much urged,
that the rear of the American army was often in sight of
the proud and pursuing foe. Every day seemed to usher
in some new calamity, and the cause of America appeared
to be hastening to irretrievable ruin. The most discreet
no longer dissembled that the close of the war was at hand,
and that the hour was come, in which the colonies were
about to resume the yoke.
"In the midst of this gloom and depression, Washing-
ton alone was not discouraged. His constancy was an ob-
ject of admiration. Far from betraying any symptoms of
hesitation or fear, he showed himself to his dejected sol-
diers with a serene countenance, and radiant, as it were,
with a certain hope of a better fortune." It was apparent,
however, to him, that a crisis had arrived, when by some
bold and well-directed movement, his waning fortune must
236
FAMILY TOURIST.
TRENTON.
if possible be retrieved-one by which a strong and exult-
ing foe should receive a sufficient check to give time to the
fallen countenances of the Americans to rise once more,
and their hopes to take the place of despondency and dis-
couragement. On looking round upon the different points
where portions of the British army were stationed, his eye
fell upon Trenton, where " Colonel Ralle, a Hessian offi-
cer of great merit, was cantoned, with his brigade of in-
fantry, and a detachment of English dragoons, the whole
consisting of a corps of 1400 or 1500 men. This division
he determined to attack, and in order to make his attack
with more order and effect, he divided his army, which
consisted almost entirely of the Militia of Pennsylvania
and Virginia, into three corps, the first and most considera-
ble of which was to pass the Delaware at Mackenky's Fer-
ry, about nine miles above Trenton. The Commander-in-
chief, accompanied by generals Sullivan and Greene, had
reserved to himself the conduct of this corps, to which a
few pieces of artillery were attached. It was destined to
attack Trenton. The second division, under the command
of General Irwin, was directed to cross at Trenton Ferry,
about a mile below the village of this name, and having
reached the left bank, to seize without loss of time, the
bridge over the river Assumpink, in order to intercept the
retreat of the enemy, when he should be dislodged from
Trenton, by the division under Washington. Finally, the
third corps, commanded by General Cadwallader, was or-
dered to pass the river at Bristol, and proceed to take post
at Burlington. The night of Christmas was appointed for
the expedition. The dispositions being made, according
to the plan above mentioned, the Americans proceeded
with admirable order and silence towards the Delaware.
The chiefs exhorted their soldiers to be firm and valiant, to
wash out the stains of Long Island, of New York, and of
New Jersey; they represented to them the necessity, the
glory, and the brilliant fruits of victory; they incessantly
reminded them that this night was about to decide the fate
of their country. An extreme ardor manifested itself
throughout their ranks. The three columns arrived in the
dusk of the evening at the bank of the river. Washington
had hoped that the passage of the troops, and transporta-
tion of artillery, might have been effectuated before mid-
FAMILY TOURIST.
237
TRENTON.
night, so as to have time to reach the destined points by
break of day, and to surprise the enemy at Trenton. But
the cold was so intense, and the river so obstructed with
floating ice, that it was impossible to cross and to land the
artillery earlier than four in the morning. All the troops
having at length gained the left bank, the first corps was
parted into two divisions, one of which, turning to the
right, marched towards Trenton, by the road which lies
along the river; the other, guided by Washington in per-
son, took the upper or Pennington road. The distance by
either route, being nearly equal, it was hoped that the two
columns might arrive at the same time. It was enjoined
them to engage in combat without any delay, and after
having driven in the outposts, to fall immediately upon the
main body of the enemy, at Trenton, without giving him
time to recover from his surprise. They exerted all their
efforts to arrive before day; but a thick fog, and a mist
mingled with sleet, which rendered the road slippery, re-
tarded their march. The two divisions, however, reached
Trenton at eight o'clock. Notwithstanding so many ob-
stacles, and the hour already so late, the Hessians of
Colonel Ralle had no suspicion of the approach of the
enemy."*
Colonel Ralle, however; did what he was able. Hastily
drawing out his Hessians, he advanced to encounter the
enemy in the open field: but he was mortally wounded in
the first onset: and the Americans charging the Germans
with great fury, the latter betook themselves to flight, leav-
ing upon the field six pieces of light artillery. They at-
tempted to escape by the road of Princeton, but Washing-
ton perceiving their design, despatched several companies
to pre-occupy the road, who received the fugitives in front.
Thus surrounded on every side, the German regiments of
Ralle, of Anspach, and of Knyphausen, were constrained
to lay down arms, and surrender at discretion. The loss
of the Hessians, in killed and wounded, amounted to only
30 or 40; but the number of prisoners was at first upwards
of 900; and even exceeded 1000, when all those were col-
lected, who had concealed themselves in the houses.
Washington soon after marched his prisoners to Phila-
* Botta.
238
FAMILY TOURIST.
TRENTON.
delphia, where through the streets of the city they were pa-
raded with a sort of triumphal pomp, followed by their
arms and banners.
This victory of Trenton was properly the salvation of
America. It was the turning point from depression to ele-
vation-from retreat to pursuit-from discomfiture to vic-
tory. From this time, the spirit of the nation was roused
-confidence was restored-and, in the sequel, the reign of
tyranny was terminated, and that of liberty established.
1
PENNSYLVANIA.
i
·
PHILADELPHIA.
PRIOR to the Revolution, Philadelphia ranked as the first
city in the American colonies, in point of population, wealth,
and importance; and as the seat of the first Congress, it
claimed the honors of a capital. These, it has been com-
pelled to surrender to the Federal City, while New York has
outstripped it as a commercial emporium, both in its ton-
nage, and its population. In the amount of its shipping,
Philadelphia is now the third city in the union; in popula-
tion, the second; but, in the variety, extent, and excellence
of its manufactures, it is still the first. Boston has been
styled, "the literary capital" of the United States, so far as
regards native publications, although the re-printing of Eu-
ropean works is carried on to a greater extent in Philadel-
phia. If the former city was the cradle of the Revolution,"
the latter was its nursery. New York has been called the
American London; Boston the Liverpool, (it might rather
be styled the Edinburgh) of America; but Philadelphia can
be compared to no English or European city. In its archi-
tectural plan, it is unique; in its heterogeneous and motley
population, its character is properly and truly American.
By some travellers, Philadelphia has been said to be less
distinguished for the hospitality of its inhabitants than some
other cities, and therefore a less agreeable and cheerful resi-
dence for a stranger. This is the statement of both Mr.
Duncan, and Mr. Howison; but Capt. Basil Hall says, "the
greatest pleasure of its inhabitants appears to lie in giving a
hearty and most hospitable reception to strangers,"" prop-
erly introduced." All, however, unite on the other hand,
that the Philadelphians are distinguished for their quietness,
piety, and morality.
The higher classes are said to be better informed and more
refined in their manners, than those of New York, and en-
tertain fewer national prejudices. If less ardent and spright-
ly, they are also less versatile and factious than those of
240
FAMILY TOURIST.
PHILADELPHIA.
Boston. "The lower ranks" says Mr. Howison, appear
to have a remarkable respect for religion and propriety of
conduct; and I believe that crimes and violations of law
are more rare in Philadelphia, than in any other city of
equal population in the world.""
No two cities within a hundred miles of each other, re-
marks the traveller just cited, can differ more than New
York and Philadelphia. "The latter has far less appear-
ance of bustle in it, than the former; and the people one
sees in its streets, are even more sedate and respectable in
their looks, than the same class of persons in New York.
Philadelphia contains no street that equals Broadway, in
splendor and variety, but it possesses some superior in regu-
larity and elegance. Chestnut-street, which is the finest and
most fashionable part of the city, comprehends many divis-
ions that will bear a comparison with the best parts of the
New Town of Edinburgh; and the interior of the houses is
proportionably tasteful and commodious. The High street is
the great place of business; and in it is a market which, I
suppose, for the quantity and variety of articles it affords, is
not exceeded by any in the world, being about half a mile in
length."
The position of Philadelphia, although not equal to that
of New York, is well chosen, and unites many natural ad-
vantages. The city stands upon an isthmus about two miles
wide, between the Delaware and the Schuylkill, five miles
above their confluence, and 126 miles from the sea. Its
port is excellent, although liable to the inconvenience of
being occasionally shut for a few weeks in the winter by the
ice, notwithstanding that it lies under the parallel of 39°
57 N. This interruption of its communication with the
sea, occurs less frequently, however, than formerly, and
lasts for a shorter time; and as the surrounding country be-
comes cleared of its forests, the severity of the winter, there
is reason to believe, will be to a still further degree mitiga-
ted.*
The course of the two rivers at the city, is very nearly
N. and S. but, almost immediately above, they diverge, the
Delaware bending to the N. E., and the Schuylkill to the
Modern Traveller.

PHILADELPHIA.
FAMILY TOURIST.
241
PHILADELPHIA.
N. W., thus materially facilitating the commercial commu-
nication with the interior of the State, and with New Jer-
sey. Both rivers are navigable up to the city, by the lar-
gest merchantmen. The Delaware is here about a mile in
width; the tide rises and falls about six feet, and vessels of
about 1200 tons can come up to the wharfs. It is naviga-
ble by large sloops, and steam-boats to Trenton, about 30
miles above. The Schuylkill, although, above the city,
comparatively shallow and disturbed by rapids, was always
navigable by small vessels and rafts to a considerable dis-
tance; and through the spirited exertions of a company
formed in 1815, the navigation has been so greatly improv-
ed and artificially extended, that boats loaded with produce
ascend to the coal mines of Mount Carbon, beyond the Blue
Mountains, a distance of 110 miles, 64 of which are canal,
overcoming a fall of 588 feet, by means of 28 dams, and 120
locks. A branch undertaken by the Union Canal Compa-
ny, connects the Susquehanna with the Schuylkill at Read-
ing.
The first appearance of the city, stretching along the
bank of the Delaware" in magnificent extent," Mr. Howi
son thought "very imposing." Ships of every description
are seen at anchor in the river, and give the city a commer-
cial and busy aspect. Mr. Duncan, (who visited it in 1818)
says: "The appearance of the city from the river, is by
no means imposing; rather the opposite. The ground is
generally level, and the mass of buildings presents a dull,
heavy uniformity. Most of those along the bank are by no
means elegant, and only a solitary steeple rises above the
dense horizon.” Thus travellers differ; less widely, how-
ever, in meaning, than in words; for, while there is noth-
ing imposing, in the sense of deceptive, in the first view of
the city, nothing picturesque in its site, nor magnificent in
its architectural character, it is very conceivable, that its
"unbroken aggregate of buildings," with all the signs of
mercantile wealth and bustle, must derive a sort of grandeur
from its very extent and from the ideas connected with the
moving scene.
"The aspect of the city, however," continues Mr. Dun-
can, "improves amazingly when you enter the streets, which
are wide, straight, and clean, and, with only one exception,
cross each other at right angles. The houses are generally
1
21
242
FAMILY TOURIST.
PHILADELPHIA.
of painted brick ; but some of the more modern have a flight
of marble steps in front; and the lintels of the doors and
windows, and even the side walk in front, are of the same
beautiful materials."*
When Penn laid out the ground for his city, he intended
that it should occupy a parallelogram, one mile in width,
between the two rivers, and that the buildings should be
kept within the parallel lines, till the intervening space was
filled. But the inhabitants found that the bank of the Dela-
ware was a more desirable situation than that of the Schuyl-
kill; and, in consequence, buildings have stretched along
the former river, above and below the assigned boundary,
till the city is here about four miles long, while the streets
are not compactly built much further than half way across
to the other river. On both banks of the Schuylkill, how-
ever, a considerable number of buildings have been erected.
The populous suburb on the Delaware, to the south of the
original boundary, is called Southwark; that to the north,
the Northern Liberties, and closer to the river, Kensington.†
"Market street, 100 feet wide, stretches through the cen-
tre of the city, from the one river to the other; it is crossed
rather nearer the Schuylkill than midway, by Broad-street,
113 feet wide, and the other streets are at right angles to
one or other of these. The cross streets are from 50 to 60
* Duncan's Travels.
+"The venerable elm, under which, according to tradition, Penn ne-
gotiated his celebrated treaty with the Indians, stood at Kensington; and
the decayed trunk, after being spared by the British army in the Revolu-
tionary war, and weathering many a hard gale, was at last levelled a few
years ago in a hurricane. Portions of it are now eagerly sought after
by relic-hunters, to be converted, like the Cruickstone Yew, and the raft-
ers of Alloway Kirk, into snuff boxes and other toys. I lately discover-
ed in an old Baltimore newspaper, what is said to be a copy of Penn's
treaty; it is in the form of an indenture, and the following are the articles
which it specifies as having been given to the Indians, in exchange for
the ground between the two rivers, 'as far as a man can ride in two days
with a horse' 20 guns, 20 fathoms matchcoat, 20 fathoms stroudwater,
20 blankets, 20 kettles, 20 pounds powder, 100 bars lead, 40 tomahawks,
100 knives, 40 pairs stockings, 1 barrel beer, 20 pounds red lead, 100 fath-
oms wampum, 30 glass bottles, 30 pewter spoons, 100 awl-blades, 300
tobacco pipes, 100 hands tobacco, 20 tobacco tongs, 20 steels, 300 flints,
30 pairs scissors, 30 combs, 60 looking glasses, 200 needles, 1 skipple salt,
30 pounds sugar, 5 gallons molasses, 20 tobacco boxes, 100 jews' harps,
20 hoes, 30 gimblets, 30 wooden screw boxes, 100 strings of beads. This
curious document does not appear in Clarkson's Life of Fenn."
Mease's Picture of Philadelphia.
FAMILY TOURIST.
243
PHILADELPHIA.
feet wide. Those running parallel to the rivers are, with
a quaker-like simplicity, (which, however, affords a stran-
ger important facilities in finding his way,) named North
and South, Front, Second, Third, Fourth, and so on, as
they recede from each river. Those parallel to Market
street are, with more elegance, named after the various kinds
of timber with which the ground was formerly covered;
Vine, Sassafras, Mulberry, Chestnut, Walnut, Spruce, Pine,
and Cedar. Water street, between Front street, and the
Delaware, which should have been called Mud-Lane, and
the wharfs project into the stream, are deviations from the
original plan of the city. Dock street, the only crooked
one in the city, was originally the bed of the sluggish stream,
which generated noxious air, and was a few years ago arch-
ed over."
Not many wooden houses are now to be seen in the streets
the greater part were extirpated by fires, which, on different
occasions, spread dreadful havoc; and since 1796, their
erection has been prohibited. The side walks are wide and
less encumbered than those of New York. Many of them
are skirted with Lombardy poplars. In hot weather, numer-
ous awnings are stretched along in front of the stores, the
foot walks are cooled by frequent ablutions with water, and
the atmosphere has a fresshness and purity very uncommon
in so large a city.
Market street, which, to correspond to its situation,
should have been the most elegant in the city, is disfigured
by a long, covered piazza in the centre, of the plainest pos-
sible appearance, under which the venders of meat, fish,
poultry, vegetables, fruit, earthen and wooden ware, expose
their commodities for sale; and on either side are carts and
wheel barrows, loaded with additional supplies. Upon the
whole, however, the streets are much superior to the mass
of those in New York, although individually, not one of
them can be compared with Broadway, nor is there a walk
or a prospect equal to what the Battery affords.
Philadelphia abounds in public buildings, which attract
the attention of the stranger, either on account of interest-
ing historical associations, or for their architectural superi-
ority.
Of the former kind may be mentioned the old State House,
in which the Continental Congress sat, and from whence
*244
FAMILY TOURIST.
PHILADELPHIA.
the Declaration of Independence issued. It is in Chestnut
street, built of brick, comprising a centre and two wings,
and has undergone no material alteration, since its erection.
It has a venerable appearance. It is surmounted by a cu
pola, having a clock, the dial of which is glass, and which
is illuminated at night until ten or eleven o'clock, showing
the hour and minutes, until that time. The front is a con-
siderable distance back from the street, the approach being
paved to the curb-stone with brick, and two elegant rows of
trees extending its whole length. East of the main entrance,
in the front room, the sessions of the congress were held,
and the question of independence was decided.
"The banking house of the late Mr. Girard," remarks
Mr. Duncan," presents an elegant front, almost entirely of
white marble. A lofty Corinthian portico, of fluted columns
rises from a flight of steps to the full height of the building,
and corresponding pilasters are extended on both sides.
The Bank of Pennsylvania is a still. more perfect structure,
and makes a nearer approach to classical models, than any
that I have ever seen. The whole building, including even
the roof, is of white marble. Its form is a parellogram, 125
feet long, and 51 feet broad; at each end is a flight of steps
supporting a chaste Ionic portico of six columns, with an en-
tablature and pediment. The entablature is carried round
the building, but the sides are otherwise plain. Under the
portico, the Grecian character has been carefully preserved
and in neither is there any opening but a single door in the
centre.
"This magnificent edifice is said to have been designed
from a temple at Athens; and the very remarkable correct-
ness of its principal features, combined with the appropriate
and beautiful material of which it is composed, produce a
most pleasing effect on the spectator's mind, and forcibly
impress him with the sad inferiority of modern decoration,
to the simple elegance of Grecian models. The situation
which this noble edifice occupies, is low and confined, and
materially injures its effect.*
* Duncan Vol. 2 pp. 187-191. The design of the Bank of Pennsylva-
nią is taken from the temple of the muses on the Ilyssus. The first stone
was laid in April 1799, and the whole was finished in 1801. It is reck-
oned the purest specimen of Grecian Architecture in the country, with the
exception of the Bank of the United States.
i

GIRARD COLLEGE, PHILADELPHIA.
FAMILY TOURIST.
245
PHILADELPHIA.
"The Bank of the United States is a still more elegant
structure, built on the plan of the Parthenon, at Athens, so
far as it could be consistently with the different purposes for
which it is designed, and dispensing of course with the
flanking columns and every appendage of mere decoration.'
The front is a portico, the full height of the building, con-
sisting of eight Doric columns, twenty-seven feet in height,
and four feet and a half in diameter, rising from a flight of
steps, and supporting a corresponding entablature and pedi-
ment, all of the Pennsylvania white marble. The interior
arrangements are thus described:
"The door of entrance opens into a large vestibule, with
circular ends embracing the transfer and loan offices on the
right and left, together with a commodious lobby leading
to the banking room. The vestibule ceiling is a prolonged
panelled dome, divided into three compartments by bands,
enriched with the quilloches springing from a projecting
impost, containing a sunken frette. The pavement is inlaid
with American and Italian marble throughout. The bank-
ing room occupies the centre of the building, being 48 feet
wide, and 81 feet in length. A double range of six fluted
marble columns, 22 inches in diameter, form a screen or
gallery for the clerk's desks, which are placed within the in-
ter-columniations. These columns are of the Ionic order,
with a full entablature and blocking course, on which the
great central and lateral arches are supported. The cen-
tral arch, being semi-cylindrical, is 28 feet in diameter, and
81 feet in length. The ceiling is 35 feet from the floor to
the crown of the arch. An Isthmian wreath, carved in one
entire block of Pennsylvanian marble, surrounds the clock
face, which occupies the space of the first pannel over the
entablature in the centre, the design of which is copied from
the reverse of an antique gem, found at Corinth, and descri-
bed by Stuart. The tellers' counters are of marble, form-
ing panelled pedestals, across each end of the banking room.
The stockholder's room is a parellelogram of 50 feet by
28, having a groin-arched ceiling. The banking room is
amply warmed by two cast iron furnaces, lined with brick,
being simply erected within an air chamber, through which
the external atmosphere passes, and becomes heated by the
furnace. It then rises through the arch into a circular cast
iron pedestal, perforated on the sides, out of which it is suf
fered to escape into the room. The whole body of the build-
21*
246
FAMILY TOURIST.
PHILADELPHIA.
ing is arched in a bomb-proof manner, from the cellar to
the roof, which is covered with copper. All the groin-arch-
es are girdled at the springing line with iron straps, passing
round within the body of the division walls."*
There is a third Bank, the oldest in the United States,
called the Bank of North America; the establishment of
which, in 1781, aided by the exertions of its originator, Mr.
Morris, is believed to have been the means of saving the
public treasury from Bankruptcy. The banking house,
however, is only a plain brick building, recently rough cast,
on the northern side of Chestnut street. A fourth, the Bank
of Pennsylvania, is described as a neat and correct speci-
men of the Gothic style of architecture." There is also a
Masonic Hall in the same style. These buildings Mr. Dun-
can says
are necessarily on a small scale, and the fatal in-
congruity of red brick walls with white marble buttresses and
pinnacles, must strike every one who has seen an ancient
Gothic building.t" To remedy this, the Gothic Bank has
been recently rough cast and colored in imitation of
marble.
There are between eighty and ninety places of worship
in Philadelphia. Most of these are neat, but plain edifices.
It is only within a few years that a taste for architectural
decoration has been introduced. One of the Baptist church-
es is mentioned by Lieutenant Hall, as having some claim
to elegance of design. "It has a rotunda surmounted with
a dome, which is lighted by a lantern 20 feet in diameter;
there is a projection to the street in the form of wings, sepa-
rated by an Ionic collonade, which forms the entrance, and
is crowned with two cupolas; the whole is of brick; the di-
ameter of the rotunda is 90 feet. The walls are 50 feet from
the ground, and are surmounted with three steps before the
swell of the dome, which rises at an angle of 45°. The
*Carey and Lea's Philadel, hia, in 1824, pp. 78-9. The foundation
stone of this beautiful edifice was laid in April 1819, and it was finished
in 1824.
+"The Masonic Hall," says Lieutenant Hall" is an awkward combi-
nation of brick and marble in the Gothic style; that is, plentifully tricked
and founced with niches, pinnacles, and battlements, and a spire 80 feet
high. The Philadelphia Bank is in the same ridiculous taste, bating the
absurdity of the spire."-F. Hall, pp. 217~18.
FAMILY TOURIST.
247
PHILADELPHIA.
building is calculated to hold 2500 persons."* The first
Presbyterian church, in Washington Square, built in 1822,
is said to be on the model of the Ionic temple on the Ilys-
sus; it is of brick, coated with mortar, painted in imitation
of marble. The roof is suremounted with a cupola, in
which is a bell. St. Andrew's Church, in Eighth Street,
is also a Grecian edifice :" the front is intended to be a copy
of the portico of the Temple of Bacchus at Teos; the inte-
terior is of a correspondent character, and highly decorated."
This church, which is 130 feet long, by 65, was consecra-
ted for the episcopal worship, in May 1823. St. Stephen's,
in Tenth Street, consecrated in the same year, is described
as one of the most perfect specimens of Gothic architecture
in the country. Christ Church, in second street, rebuilt
in 1727, has a steeple 190 feet high, which was for a long,
time the only one of which Philadelphia could boast, with a
ring of eight bells.
A second Jewish synagogue has been recently erected,
40 feet in front, 70 feet in depth, and two stories in height,
"built in the Egyptian style, of stone from the falls of the
Schuylkill. The principal entrance is through an elevated
door way formed with inclined jambs supporting a large coved
cornice, in which is sculptured the globe and wings. The
interior embraces two semi-circular blocks of seats, display-
ing to the north and south of the ark and altar. The dome
is supported with Egyptian columns copied from the temple
at Tentyra, and is formed by semicircular archivolts, join-
ing a richly pannelled segment extending over the ark and
altar. In the centre of the dome is a lantern which gives
light to the altar. The ark is situated in the east side, im-
mediately opposite the altar, and is neatly decorated with
pilasters, supporting a second cornice, enriched with the
globe and wings, together with a marble tablet, containing
the ten Commandments in Hebrew. It is approached by a
flight of steps between cheek-blocks, which support two
handsome tripods, crowned with lamps. The galleries are
semi-circular, extending round the northern and southern
sides of the building, and are supported by the columns
which extend to the dome." One scarcely knows at which
* F. Hall, p. 217. + Philadelphia, in 1824, p. 49. + Ibid.
§ Philadelphia, in 1824, p. 55.
248
FAMILY TOURIST..
PHILADELPHIA.
circumstance to admire the most, that a Jewish synagogue
should be erected on the model of a heathen temple, or
that this whimsical combination of incongruous styles and
emblems, sacred and profane, Egyptian columns, and the
airy dome, should be met with in the city of Penn."*
For the benevolent disposition of its citizens and for the
number, variety, and extent of its charitable and literary
institutions, Philadelphia has long been distinguished.
Among these may be mentioned the Pennsylvania hospital,
founded in 1750, the buildings of which occupy an entire
square; the university, Girard college, the medical college,
the alms-house, the dispensaries, Friend's asylum for the
insane, humane society, orphan's, and indigent widow's,
and single women's asylum, the institution for the deaf and
dumb, and the abolition, savings fund, and fuel saving socie-
ties, besides many others. Some of these are worthy of further
notice. The institution for the deaf and dumb was estab-
lished in 1820, and incorporated the next year, with a grant
of $8,000 from the State, and a liberal appropriation for
the support of indigent pupils from Pennsylvania. The
building is of granite, was erected in 1824, is 96 feet in
front by 63 in depth, and is a chaste and beautiful speci-
men of architecture. The annual expenses of the institu-
tion are about $11,000. The number of pupils in May,
1833, was 72; half of whom were males and half were fe-
males. The university of Pennsylvania, located in this
city, in January, 1833, had 186 students in the academical
department, and in the medical department 368 students,
The alms-house is supported at an expense to the public of
about $50,000 per annum. The city is well supplied with
public schools and academies, some of which are well en-
dowed; and it has recently received a most munificent be-
quest, for the establishment of a college for orphans, by the
will of the late Stephen Girard. This gentleman, who died
in 1831, by his will bequeathed the sum of two millions
of dollars to the corporation of the city, in trust for the
endowment of an orphan college. The site selected by Mr.
Girard for this object, is 11 miles from the city, on the
Ridge Road, at a place called Peel Hill. It contains for-
ty-five acres of land, upon which, by the terms of the will,
4
* Modern Traveller.
FAMILY TOURIST.
249
PHILADELPHIA.
buildings are to be erected for the accommodation of 300
pupils, together with those necessary for the teachers, and
for other purposes. Provision is made for the education
of as many poor orphans as the place will accommodate;
the pupils are to be selected, 1st, from the city of Phila-
delphia; 2d, from the State of Pennsylvania; 3d, from the
city of New York; and, 4th, from the city of New Orleans.
They are to be taught in the various branches of a sound
education, including practical mathematics, philosophy,
and the modern languages; and provision is made for ex-
tending the course of study, for those who may merit it by
distinguished capacity or industry. The corner stone of
the Girard College for Orphans was laid, on the 4th of Ju-
ly, 1833. The building is to be 160 feet front, by 217 in
flank, including the porticos. The order is Corinthian ;
the superstructure will repose on a basement in the form
of a truncated pyramid, composed of twelve steps surround-
ing the whole building. The columns are to be six feet in
diameter at the base, and 54 feet 6 inches high. The body
of the building will be of blue marble, and the columns,
pediment, &c. of white marble.*
Of the public works of Philadelphia, there are none of
which its inhabitants are more justly proud than those at
Fair Mount, by which the city is supplied with water of the
best quality, and in the greatest plenty. Fair Mount is in
the rear of the city, upon the bank of the Schuylkill, the
neighborhood of which affords some romantic scenery.
The reservoirs are situated on the top of a hill rising from
the river, a part of it perpendicular rock, to the height of
100 feet. The ascent from the river to the reservoirs is by
a flight of substantial wooden steps, with resting places,
over one of which is a temple. The reservoirs, which are
surrounded with paling, outside of which is a gravelled
walk, contain upwards of twelve millions of gallons, sup-
plying the city through 72 miles of pipes. The water was
formerly forced to the reservoirs by steam, which is no
longer used; it is now raised by machinery propelled by
the Schuylkill. The machinery is simple, and is turned
by large water-wheels, of which there are five, one of them
of iron, and twenty-four tons in weight. If all are in mo-
* Darby and Dwight's Gazetteer.
t
250
FAMILY TOURIST.
PHILADELPHIA.
tion, they will raise seven millions of gallons in twenty-four
hours. To turn them, the Schuylkill has been dammed its
whole breadth, by which the water is thrown back into a
reservoir lock, whence it is admitted as it is required to
operate upon the wheels, and is discharged into the river
below the dam. The whole expense of these works, inclu-
ding the cost of works abandoned, was 1,783,000 dollars.
The water thus circulated through the city, is not only suf-
ficient for every family, but is used to wash the streets. It
is of immense service in case of fire, as it is only necessa-
ry to screw the hose to the hydrants, which are placed at
convenient distances, to secure a constant stream of suffi-
cient force to reach any ordinary height.*
Peale's Museum, originally a private collection, but now
under the direction of public trustees, is rising into impor-
tance. The grand attraction, Mr. Duncan tells us, is the
gigantic skeleton of the mastodon or mammoth. "A human
being shrinks into-insignificance, beside the bony fabric of
this enormous antedeluvian. The skeleton of the mam-
moth resembles very much that of the elephant, carrying,
like it, two great tusks in front. The principal difference
is found in the grinders; which in the elephant are flat on
the top, with enamel penetrating the whole material, but, in
the mammoth, they rise into ridges, or processes, as anato-
mists term them, somewhat as in those of sheep, with the
enamel of the form of an outer crust or case, enveloping,
but not penetrating the bone. Some naturalists have sup-
posed from this peculiarity, that the mammoth was a car-
nivorous animal; but a scientific gentleman remarks to me,
that this is impossible, as it has, like the elephant, no front
teeth, and its neck is too short, and its tusks too long, to
have admitted of its holding and devouring its prey, as car-
nivorous animals do. He thinks it probable, that it lived
upon shrubs and the smaller branches of trees, for crushing
which the grinders seem to be well adapted. It only occurs
to me in reply to this remark, that the enormous trunk of
the mammoth may have served to catch and crush the small-
er animals, and convey them to his mouth. Conjecture,
however, in such cases, is both unavailing and unimportant;
it is sufficient that we have in the existence of these bones
* Hinton's United States,
FAMILY TOURIST.
251
PHILADELPHIA.
unanswerable demonstration that in earlier times an animal
has existed, much more enormous in bulk, than the largest
that is now known to tread the globe. This skeleton,
which is, I believe, not so large as some others that have
been found, is 11 feet high over the shoulders, and meas-
ures 31 feet from the extremity of the tusks to the end of
the tail, following the curve. It was found in 1801, in a
marl pit in the State of New York; others have been found
near the licks, or salt springs, in the State of Ohio. The
skeleton is nearly entire, except in the cartilaginous parts,
which are supplied by cork."
"An Academy of the Fine Arts was founded here in
1805. It was shortly after incorporated by the legislature,
and a building was erected with suitable apartments for
study and exhibition rooms. One of the apartments con-
tains a few specimens of antique sculpture, and casts of
most of the celebrated statues. Among the modern speci-
mens is a bust of Washington, by Canova; and one of
West, by Chantrey. The painting room is more richly
stored, and can boast, if the catalogue is correct, of seve
ral paintings by old masters; among which are three by
Titian; one by Raphael; one by Correggio, which is said
to have been executed for Charles III. of Spain, and was
purchased for £34; three by Rubens; one by Dominichi-
no; one by Teniers; one by Vandyke; one by Paul Vero-
nese; one by Rembrandt; four by Murillo; and three by
Salvator Rosa. These are but a few of the old paintings,
and, among a crowd of moderns, are some of great merit
by native artists, the chief of whom appear to be Allston
and Lesslie. From Allston's pencil, is a beautiful picture
of the dead man raised to life by touching the bones of the
prophet Elisha; and by Lesslie is a painting, which I
thought excellent, exhibiting William of Deloraine un-
horsed and wounded by Lord Cranstoun. His goblin at-
tendant has seated himself on the warrior's helmet, and
opened the mysterious book to devour its contents; while
an airy phantom, like the spirit of a storm, stretching
downwards behind him, extends his arm to prostrate the
over-curious imp by the side of the bleeding moss-
trooper."*
*Duncan's Travels.
252
FAMILY TOURIST.
PHILADELPHIA.
Philadelphia possesses a valuable public library, which
owes its origin to the literary taste and public spirit of
Franklin, now containing about 24,000 volumes; and an-
other containing not less than 5,000. There is also an
atheneum, established on a smaller scale than that at Bos-
ton, but well supplied with British periodical publications,
generally within six weeks after their publication. The
Friends have a separate library, consisting of about 8,000
volumes, principally on theological subjects, and many of
them rare. There is also a Law Library, and a Mer-
cantile Library. The library of the Academy of Natural
Sciences, is said to contain the most valuable and exten-
sive collection of works on Natural History in the United
States. Altogether, there were, in 1824, no fewer than six-
teen public libraries in Philadelphia, containing in all up-
wards of 65,000 volumes.
In a literary point of view, Philadelphia cannot yet com-
pete with Boston; nor in the finest and most accurate spe-
cimens of typography. In this latter respect, Boston has
improved greatly within a few years. Yet the Philadelphia
press has issued several highly finished works. In the ac-
tivity of its press, however, Philadelphia exceeds any other
place in the Union. Some few years since, it was stated in
a New York paper, that "the new novel, Peveril of the
Peak, was received from England in New York, on Mon-
day, at ten A. M., and was printed, published, and sold on
Tuesday, within twenty-eight hours after the same was re-
ceived. Another English copy of the same work was re-
ceived per the Custom House, New York, at 12 o'clock
on Wednesday; at 1 o'clock forwarded to Philadelphia by
the mail. In Philadelphia, it was printed on Thursday, and
on Friday, 2,000 copies were put in boards by 6 o'clock in
the morning. The English copy of Moore's Loves of the
Angels was taken out of the Custom House in New York on
a Monday morning in February last, at 11 o'clock, A. M.;
was immediately sent to Philadelphia; and 250 copies of
the work printed, were received at New York on Thursday
following by 8 o'clock A. M., and the same copies were sold
and circulated that afternoon." It is only within a few
years, however, that the business of re-publishing so large
a proportion of the English books of value, has been un-
FAMILY TOURIST.
253
dertaken.
PHILADELPHIA.
In 1786, four booksellers thought an edition of
the New Testament for schools, a work of risk, not to
be determined upon till after long deliberation. Four
years after, one of these booksellers (Mr. Dobson, a Scotch-
man) took courage to undertake a re-publication of the
Encyclopædia Britannica. When the first half volume
was published, he had but 246 subscribers. They increas-
ed, however, so rapidly, that 2,000 copies were thrown off
of the second volume; the first was soon re-printed; and,
in a short time, he soon found it difficult to procure the
requisite number of printers and engravers to carry forward
the work with sufficient rapidity. Since then, Rees's Cy-
clopædia, Brewster's Edinburgh Encyclopædia, Nicholson's
Encyclopædia, Pinkerton's Voyages and Travels, Gill's Bi-
ble, Scott's Bible (two editions), East's Reports, Vesey's
Reports, the British Poets (fifty volumes), and several other
heavy works, have been re-printed at Philadelphia; togeth-
er with various editions of Shakspeare, Hume and Smol-
let, &c. Among the native publications have appeared,
Wilson's Ornithology, nine volumes imperial quarto; Bar-
ton's American Botany, five volumes 4to; and Mar-
shall's Life of Washington. For the copy of the latter
work, the sum of $60,000 was paid. The first standing
quarto English Bible was set up by Matthew Carey, in
Philadelphia, in 1804; and is still, it is said, the only stand-
ing quarto Bible of separate types.*
The Pennsylvania University is located in Philadel-
phia. This institution, begun under the auspices of Dr.
Franklin, was originally only an academy and charity
school. Material alterations having been made, at different
periods, in its internal management, it was at length incor-
porated by the State Legislature, first, (in 1755,) as the
College of Philadelphia; and afterwards (in 1779) on a
more extended scale, as the University of Pennsylvania.
Although respectable in other departments, this seminary
is most highly celebrated as a medical school; in which
respect, Mr. Duncan says, Philadelphia is regarded as the
Edinburgh of the United States. The building now occu-
pied by the college, was originally destined for the resi
dence of the President of the United States. General
* Modern Traveller.
22
254
FAMILY TOURIST.
·
PHILADELPHIA.
Washington having, however, declined the offer of the
mansion, it was purchased, in 1798, by the trustees of the
University.
The American Philosophical Society, so well known to
the learned in Europe for its valuable Transactions, was
also founded chiefly by the exertions of Dr. Franklin. It
still maintains its high character. Its library is very valua-
ble, comprising the most complete collection extant of the
Memoirs and Transactions of the various learned Institu-.
tions in the Old World, (kept up to the date of the latest
publications,) and an extensive collection of historical doc-
uments relating to the United States. "Besides the Philo-
sophical Society," Captain B. Hall remarks, "there are va-
rious learned bodies in Philadelphia, of which I shall mere-
ly say, that I have seen few similar institutions elsewhere,
managed with a more earnest desire to pursue knowledge
for its own sake. The inhabitants of Philadelphia, indeed,
appear to have more leisure on their hands, than those of
any city in the Union; and accordingly, scientific and lit-
erary pursuits are there cultivated with much steadiness
and success. This circumstance imparts a peculiar char-
acter to the style of thought and of conversation in that
city, sufficiently obvious to distinguish the inhabitants from
those of most other parts of America." The wealthy
conversaziones, called the Wistar parties, (from their found-
er, the late Dr. Wistar, President of the Philosophical So-
ciety,) consisting of most of the men of letters and science
or general information in the city, are maintained with
much spirit, and, to a stranger properly introduced, form a
most agreeable feature of the society of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia has been characterized as "the centre of
the social world in America." It is, undoubtedly, as ano-
ther writer remarks, "the focus of intelligence, as well as
of wealth and business in this part of the Union." Before
taking leave of it, we shall take the liberty of introducing
some remarks of a traveller who designed to be candid
(Mr. Hodgson). Although his observations are somewhat
of a general character, some of them, it will be perceived,
have special reference to the good people of the city of
"Brotherly Love."
66
'If, in opposition to their republican principles, we di-
FAMILY TOURIST.
255
PHILADELPHIA.
vide the Americans into classes, the first class will com-
prehend what are termed the Revolutionary Heroes, who
hold a sort of patent of nobility undisputed by the bitter-
est enemies of aristocracy. Their numbers, indeed, are
few; but they have too many peculiar features to be com-
prised in the description of any other class of their coun-
trymen. Many of them were educated in England; and
even those who never travelled, had generally the advan-
tage of the best English society, either colonial or milita-
ry. They were formed in the English school; were im-
bued with English; and, however active they were in re-
sisting the encroachments of the mother country, they are,
many of them at least, delighted to trace their descent to
English families of rank, and to boast of the pure English
blood which flows in their veins. In the families of these
patricians, in which I have spent many agreeable hours, I
met with nothing to remind me that I was not in the society
of that class of our well-educated country gentlemen, who
occasionally visit the metropolis, and mingle in fashionable
or political life. The old gentlemen of this class, are in-
deed gentlemen of the old school; and the
and the young ladies are
particularly agreeable, refined, accomplished, intelligent,
and well-bred.
"The second class may include the leading political
characters of the present day, the more eminent lawyers, the
well-educated merchants and agriculturists, and the most
respectable of the novi homines of every profession. It will
thus comprise the mass of the good society of America;
the first class which comprehends the best, being very lim-
ited, sui generis, and about to expire with the present gen-
eration. The manners of this second class are less pol-
ished than those of the corresponding class in England,
and their education is neither so regular, nor so classical;
but their intellects are as actively exercised, and their in-
formation at least as general, although less scientific and
profound. The young ladies of this class are lively, mod-
est, and unreserved; easy in their manners, and rather
gay and social in their dispositions: at the same time they
are very observant of the rules of female propriety; and if
they ever displease, it is from indifference, rather than from
either bashfulness or effrontery. Their appearance is gen-
erally genteel and agreeable; their figure is almost univer-
sally good, and they dress remarkably well,- in this city
256
FAMILY TOURIST.
PHILADELPHIA.
(Philadelphia), indeed, more to my taste than in almost
any place I recollect. For this, they are indebted, partly
to the short passages from Europe, which waft across the
Atlantic the latest fashions from London and Paris; partly
to their accommodating tariff, which places within their
reach all the most elegant materials for dress, which Amer-
ican enterprise can collect in the four quarters of the globe;
and partly to the simplicity of the Quaker costume, which
has had a happy and sensible influence on the taste and hab-
its of the community at large. Their tone of voice, which
is a little shrill, and their mode of pronouncing a few par-
ticular words, are the peculiarities of manner which, I
think, would be most remarked upon in the best society in
England. Generally speaking, also, the style of female
education in America is less favorable to solid acquire-
ments than with us. The young ladies here go earlier into
society than in England, and enter sooner into married
life; they have not, therefore, the same opportunities for
maturing their taste, expanding their intellect, and acquir-
ing a rich store of well arranged and digested knowledge,
as those have, who have devoted to improvement the longer
interval, which climate or custom has, with us, interposed
between the nursery and the drawing-room. In the high-
est class, especially in Carolina, there are many exceptions
to this general remark; and among the young ladies of
Boston, there appeared to me to be, if less of refinement
than in the Carolinians, yet, a very agreeable union of do-
mestic habits and literary taste, and great kindness and sim-
plicity of manners.
}
"The third class may comprehend all below the second,
for in a country where some would, perhaps, resent the idea
of a second class, this division is sufficiently minute. This
class will include the largest proportion of the American
population; and it is distinguished from the corresponding
classes of my countrymen, (the little farmers, inn-keepers,
shop-keepers, clerks, mechanics, servants, and laborers,) by
greater acuteness and intelligence, more regular habits of
reading, a wider range of ideas, and a greater freedom from
prejudices, provincialism, and vulgarity. It is distinguish-
ed, also, by greater coldness of manner; and this is the first
of the charges against the nation, generally, on which I
shall remark.
"As respects the highest classes, I think this charge is,
FAMILY TOURIST.
257
PHILADELPHIA.
in a great measure, unfounded: their reception of a stranger
at least, appeared to me as frank and as warm as in England.
To that part of the population which I have included in the
third class, the charge attaches with strict propriety; and
in many cases, their coldness amounts to the English 'cut
direct. At first, it incommoded me excessively, especially
in the women in the country, who showed it the most; and
I have sometimes been disposed to ride on, not in the best
temper, when arriving at an inn after a long stage before
breakfast, and asking very civilly, can we have breakfast
here?' I have received a shrill I reckon so,' from a cold
female figure, that went on with its employments, without
deigning to look at us, or to put any thing in motion to ve-
rify its reckoning. In due time, however, the bread was
baked, the chicken killed, and both made their appearance,
with their constant companions, even in the wildest part of
America, ham, eggs, and coffee. The automaton then took its
place; and if I had been an automaton also, the charm would
have remained unbroken: but I do not remember an instance
in which the figure did not converse with good humor be-
fore I rose. Very often, however, our reception was warm
and friendly; and the wife, or daughter, who poured out my
coffee, was frank, well bred, obliging, and conversible.
The coldness of the men, also, I found to be confined prin-
cipally to their manners, and to indicate no indisposition to
be sociable and accommodating. On the contrary, in a
route of more than seven thousand miles, of which I travel-
led nearly two thousand on horseback, and the rest in steam
boats, and stages, I have found the various classes as ac-
commodating and obliging as in England: sometimes, I con-
fess I have thought more so. Some parts of Georgia and
the Carolinas, might suggest a slight qualification of this
remark; while East Tennesee and the valley of the Shenan-
doah might almost claim a warmer eulogy. In the course
of my route, I have met with only one instance of personal
rudeness, and that too slight to be mentioned, except for
the sake of literal accuracy. My servant's impressions cor-
respond to mine. On questioning him at the termination
of our route, he said,' he thought the Americans quite as
ready to serve us, and one another, as the English; and that
they were continually expressing their surprise to find Eng-
lishmen so civil.' Now our civility was nothing more than
would naturally be suggested by a recollection of the insti
22*
258
FAMILY TOURIST.
PHILADELPHIA.
tutions of the country, through which we were travelling,
and a general desire to be pleased with friendly intentions,
however manifested. The coldness of manner in the Amer-
icans, however, is a great defect, and must prejudice trav-
ellers till they understand it a little."*
We shall conclude our account of Philadelphia with
some notices of its early history. In 1681, Charles II.
granted to William Penn a patent for the territory of Penn-
sylvania in consideration of his father's services, and of a
debt due to him from the crown. It was his own intention
to call the territory New Wales; but the under secretary
had inserted the name Pennsylvania, and would not change
it even to Sylvania, which Penn proposed, and to do which
he offered a doceur of twenty guineas. At length Penn
went to the king and requested the change made-but the
king declined, and established the present name.
In September, Penn sailed in the Welcome for his newly
acquired territory; but soon after commencing the voyage,
the small-pox appeared and swept off thirty of the passen-
gers. The rest arrived in safety at the expiration of six
weeks, and Penn landed at Chester. He was received with
great hospitality with his friends at the "Essex House,
then the residence of Robert Wade. This house stood
about two hundred yards from Chester creek, near the mar-
gin of the Delaware, and on a plain of about fifteen feet
above tide water. Near the house by the river side stood
several lofty white pines, three of which remain at the
present day, and thence ranging down the Delaware stood
a large row of lofty walnut trees, of which a few still sur-
vive.
Essex house had its south-east gable end fronting to the
river Delaware, and its south-west front upon Essex street;
its back piazza ranged in a line with Chester creek, which
separated the house and farm from the town of Chester;
all vestiges of the house are now gone, but the facts of its
location and position have been told to me by some aged
persons who had once seen it. The iron vane once upon
it was preserved several years, with the design of replacing
it upon a renewed building once intended there.
Penn and his immediate friends came up in an open boat
or barge from Chester, and landed at what was called "the
* Hodgson.
FAMILY TOURIST.
259
PHILADELPHIA.
Blue Anchor Tavern," owned by one Guest. It was a new
house, and then in building.
The whole scene was active, animating and cheering.
On the shore were gathered, to cheer his arrival, most of
the few inhabitants who had preceded him. The busy
builders, who had been occupied at the construction of
Guest's house, and at the connecting line of "Budd's long
row," all forsook their labors to join in the general greet-
ings. The Indians, too, aware by previous signals of his
approach, were seen in the throng, or søme, more reserved-
ly apart, waited the salutation of the guest, while others,
hastening to the scene, could be seen paddling their canoes
down the smooth waters of the creek.
The above tradition has been confirmed by several intelli-
gent and respectable persons, especially by a Mrs. Preston,
who, according to Watson, in his "Annals" was present
on the occasion and used to say, she admired the affability
and condescension of the Governor, especially his manner
of entering into the spirit and feeling of the Indians; he
walked with them, sat down on the ground with them, ate
with them of their roasted acorns and hominy, when they
got up to exercise and express their joy by hopping and
jumping, he finally sprung up, and beat them all. I will
not pretend, says Mr. Watson, to vouch for this story; we
give it as we received it from honest informants, who cer-
tainly believed it themselves. It was a measure harmless
in the abstract; and as a courtesy to the Indians, may have
been a fine stroke of policy in winning their regard. He
was young enough to have been gay; being then only thirty-
eight years of age. And one of the old journalists has left
on record, that he was naturally prone to cheerfulness for
a grave public friend, especially in the eye of those of them
who held " religion harsh, intolerant, austere."*
Not long after his arrival, Penn held his famous confer-
ence with the Indians, designing to ratify in person the
terms of purchase and treaty of friendship, which his com-
missioners had concluded with the natives. He proceeded,
therefore, accompanied by some friends, and young people
of both sexes, to a place called Coaquannoc, the site of the
city, which he afterwards founded under the name of Phila-
delphia, (Brotherly Love). On arriving there, he found
* Watson's Annals.
260
FAMILY TOURIST.
PHILADELPHIA.
the sachems and their tribes already assembling; they filled
the woods as far as the eye could reach, and had a formi-
dable appearance, both from their number and their arms.
The white men were a mere handful, without weapons of
any kind; "so that dismay and terror had come upon them,
had they not confided in the righteousness of their cause."
The spot upon which the council was held, is a little high-
er up, and was then named Shackamaxon: it is now occu-
pied by the houses of Kensington, which may be consider-
ed as a suburb of Philadelphia. Here stood an elm of pro-
digious size, to which the leaders on each side repaired,
approaching each other under its wide-spreading branches.
William Penn appeared in his usual dress, without sword or
staff, or any other insignia than a sky-blue sash of silk net
work. This sash is still in existence in England. On his
right hand was Col. Markham, his relation and secretary;
on his left, his friend Pierson; and he was followed by a
train of quakers. Before him were carried various arti-
cles of merchandise, which, when they came near the
sachems, were spread on the ground. In his hand he held
a roll of parchment, containing the confirmation of the
Treaty of Purchase and Amity. The chief sachem, on
Penn's approach, put upon his own head a sort of chaplet,.
in which appeared a small horn, the emblem of kingly pow-
er; and whenever the chief, who had a right to wear it,
put it on, the place was considered as sacred, and the per-
* The tree thus memorable was blown over on the 3d of March, 1810;
the blow was not deemed generally prevalent, nor strong. In its case,
the root was wrenched and the trunk broken off; it fell on Saturday
night, and Sunday many hundreds of people visited it. In its form it
was remarkably wide spread, but not lofty; its main branch inclining
towards the river measured 150 feet in length; its girth around the trunk
was 24 feet, and its age, as it was counted by the inspection of its circles
of annual growth, was 283 years. While it stood, the Methodists and
Baptists often held their summer meetings under its shade. When it
had fallen, several took their measures to secure some of the wood as
relics. An arm-chair was made from it and presented to Dr. Rush; a
part of it is constructed into something memorable and enduring at Penn's
Park in England. A marble monument has been erected near the site
of the original tree to perpetuate its memory, with the following four in-
scriptions on its four sides, to wit:
TREATY GROUND
of
WILLIAM PENN,
and the
INDIAN NATIONS,
1682.
Unbroken Faith.
WILLIAM PENN,
Born 1644.
Died 1718.
Placed by the
PENN SOCIETY,
A. D. 1827,
to mark
the Site of
the
PENNSYLVANIA
founded
1681,
GREAT ELM TREE. by Deeds of Peace.
FAMILY TOURIST.
261
PHILADELPHIA.
sons of all present as inviolable. The Indians, on this
sign, threw down their bows and arrows, and seated them-
selves round their chiefs in a semicircle. The chief sa-
chem then announced, by means of an interpreter, that the
natives were ready to hear the "white chief." Upon this,
Penn made a declaration of his pacific intentions, and un-
rolling the parchment, explained, article by article, the
conditions of the purchase and compact. He then paid
them for the land, and made them many presents besides,
and concluded the ceremony, by presenting the parchment
to the chief sachem, desiring him to preserve it carefully
for three generations.
Having thus fairly purchased the land of the natives, he
ordered a regular survey of it, during which he pitched
upon Coaquannoc, as the most noble and commodious place
for his new city. This being determined upon, and a plan
formed, a map was made of it, and the name of Phila-
delphia" given to it, in token of that principle of brotherly
love, which he wished might forever characterize his new
dominions. Several houses were erected upon the spot
the same year. During the year 1683, about one hundred
houses were erected; and such was the popularity of Penn,
and such the encouragement given to new settlers, that
before the expiration of 1684, the city embraced nearly
300 houses.* The population of the city and suburbs in
1830 was nearly 168,000.
The early history of Philadelphia, is replete with interest-
ing facts and associations. Fortunately, within a few years a
gentleman well qualified for the task has presented the public,
with a highly interesting volume entitled, " Annals of Phil-
adelphia," "designed,'
designed," as he remarks, "to revive the re-
collections and the peculiar traits and characteristics of the
olden time." To this volume the author is indebted for the
remaining pages of this article, gathered out of some seven
or eight hundred pages, and for which he here makes this
specific acknowledgment.
"The city residence of Penn was the Slate Roof House,
which is still standing at the south east corner of Norris' alley
and second street, but it has undergone great alterations. It
*Life of Penn.
262
FAMILY TOURIST.
}
PHILADELPHIA.
"To
was originally built for Samuel Carpenter. During his second
visit in 1700, Penn and his family occupied this house, and
here within a month after his arrival was born John Penn,
the only one of the race ever born in the country."
that house therefore," says Mr. Watson, "humble, degen-
erated, and altered in aspect as it now is, we are to appro-
priate all our conceptions of Penn's employments, medita-
tions, hopes, fears, &c., while acting as Governor and pro-
prietary among us. In those doors he went in and out-up
and down those stairs he passed-in those chambers he re-
posed-in those parlors, he dined or regaled his friends-
through those gardens he sauntered. His wife, his daugh-
ter Lætitia, his family, and his servants, were there. In short,
to those who can think and feel, the place' is filled with lo-
cal impressions.""
"This house, after Penn's return to England, became the
residence of Governor Logan, and sometime after him, of
Governor Hamilton. For many years preceding the war of
Independence, it was deemed a superior boarding house.
While it held its rank as such, it was honored with the
company, and, finally with the funeral honors of General
Forbes, successor to General Braddock, who died in the
house in 1759. The pomp of his funeral from that house,
surpassed all the simple inhabitants had before seen in their
city. His horse was led before the procession, richly ca-
parisoned, the whole conducted in all 'the pomp of war,'
with funeral dirges, and a military array with arms re-
versed.
“In 1764, it was occupied as a distinguished boarding
house by the widow Graydon, mother of Captain Graydon
of Carlisle, who has left us his amusing, "Memoirs of 60
years life in Pennsylvania" There his mother, as he in-
forms us, had a great many gentry as lodgers. He describes
the old house as very much of a castle in its construction,
although built originally for a Friend. "It was a singular
old fashioned structure, laid out in the style of a fortification,
with abundance of angles both salient and re-entering. Its
two wings projected to the street in the manner of bastions,
to which the main building, retreating from 16 to 18 feet,
served for a curtain. John Adams and other members of
the first congress had their lodgings in the Slate House."
""
Shippen's House," or "Shippey's Great House," was
FAMILY TOURIST.
263
PHILADELPHIA.
another venerable edifice. For many years after its con-
struction, it was beautifully situated and surrounded with
rural beauty, being originally, on a small eminence, with a
tall row of yellow pines in its rear, a full orchard of best
fruit trees close by, overlooking the rising city, beyond the
Dock creek, and having on its front view a beautiful green
lawn, gently sloping to the then pleasant Dock creek, and
draw-bridge, and the whole prospect unobstructed to the
Delaware and the Jersey shore. It was indeed a princely
place for that day, and caused the honest heart of Gabriel
Thomas, to overflow at its recollection, as he spoke of it in
the year 1698, saying of it, that "Edward Shippey, who lives
near the capital city, has an orchard and gardens adjoining
to his great house that equals any I have ever seen, being a
very famous and pleasant summer house, erected in the mid-
dle of his garden, and abounding with tulips, carnations,
roses, lilies, &c., with many wild plants of the country be-
sides."
"Such was the place enjoyed by Edward Shippen, the
first Mayor, under the regular charter of the year 1700.
Shippen was a Friend, from England, who had suffered "for
truth's and Friend's sake," at Boston by a public punish-
ment from the misguided rulers there. Possessing such a
mansion and the means to be hospitable, he made it the
temporary residence of William Penn and his family, for
about a month, when they arrived in 1699. About the
year 1720 it was held by Governor Keith, and in 1756 it
became the residence of Governor Denny. As it usually
bore the name of " the Governor's house," in after times, it
was probably occupied by other rulers.
"The first church in Philadelphia was erected in 1695.
It was a one story wooden Chapel, built under the auspices
of the Rev. Mr. Clayton. The ceiling was so low, that a
tall person could touch it. The bell was hung in the crotch
of a tree close by. When the second church was erected
on the same spot, the structure was so much larger, that
the walls of the smaller were left standing, and the worship
was continued in it till the other was roofed and nearly fin-
ished." The present Christ Church, built of brick, was
founded in 1727. The steeple, however, was not finished
till 1754, at a cost of £2100, and the bells were purchased in
England, at a cost of £900,―they were brought out, freight
264
FAMILY TOURIST.
PHILADELPHIA.
free, in the ship Matilda, Captain Budden; and as a com-
pliment to his generosity, as often as he arrived in subse-
quent years, the bells put forth a merry peal to announce
their gratitude. The whole weight of the bells was said to
be 8000lbs.-the tenor bell weighed 1800lbs. They were cast
by Lester and Pack, men of most note in their day. They
were hung here by Nicholas Nicholson, a native of York-
shire, in an entirely new manner.
"These bells, heavy as they were in mounting, had to
be taken down in the year 1777, by the Commissary Gener-
al of military stores, to keep them from falling into the
hands of the British, for military purposes; they were again
returned and hung after the evacuation of the city.
"When the bells were yet a novelty, they excited very
great interest to hear them chime and ring tunes. They
used to ring the night before markets; and on such occa-
sions numbers of persons would go from villages like Ger-
mantown, half way to the city, to listen to the peals of mer-
ry music.
"The first time the bells were tolled was long remem-
bered, as being for the occasion of Governor Anthony Pal-
mer's wife, the mother of 21 children, all of whom died with
consumption! The ringing was also doubly memorable in
having caused the death of one of the ringers, by his igno-
rance and ill-judged management of the bell rope.
"The Hon. Charles Thompson, said he well remember-
ed being present, when a man fell from a high elevation on
the steeple, down to the ground unhurt! While he was up,
some commotion occurred in the crowd below, and he turn-
ing his head and body backwards to look, gave occasion to
the wind to pass between him and the steeple, and so forc-
ed him to let go his hold by the hands, and he fell! What
horrors he must have felt in his terified thoughts, during his
rapid descent! "Mercy he sought, and mercy found,"
for he fell, providentially and strangely enough, into a
large mass of mortar, and his great fall was harmless.
In respect to the state of society among the early inhab-
itants of Philadelphia, Mr. Watson observes, that "they
were distinguished for a frank and generous hospitality.
They made many entertainments, but they were devoid of
glare and show, and always abundant and good.
"Dr. Franklin, describing the state of the people about
the vear 1752, says they were all loyal, and submitted wil-
FAMILY TOURIST.
265
PHILADELPHIA.
lingly to the government of the crown, or paid for defence
cheerfully. They were led by a thread. They not only
had a respect, but an affection for Great Britain, for its laws,
its customs, and its manners, and even a fondness for its
fashions,-not yet subsided. Natives of Great Britain
were always treated with 'particular regard; and, to be "an
Old England man" gave a kind of rank and respect among
us.'
"The old people all testify that the young of their youth
were much more reserved, and held under much more re-
straint in the presence of their elders and parents than now.
Bashfulness and modesty in the young were then regarded
as virtues; and the present freedom before the aged was not
then countenanced. Young lovers then listened and took
side-long glances, when before their parents or elders.
"It was the custom for the younger part of the family,
and especially of the female part, to dress up neatly towards
the close of the day, and sit in the street porch. Some-
times they would go from porch to porch in neighborhoods,
and sit and converse. Tea was such a rarity, that it was
measured out for the tea-pots in small hand-scales. After-
noon visits were not made, as now, at night, but at so ear-
ly an hour as to permit matrons to go home, and see their
children put to bed.
"Before the Revolution, no hired man or woman wore
any shoes so fine as calf-skin; coarse neats-leather was their
every-day wear. Men and women then hired by the year,
-men got 16 to £20, and a servant woman 8 to £10. Out
of that it was their custom to lay up money, to buy before
their marriage a bed and bedding, silver tea-spoons, and a
spinning wheel, &c.
"Among the rough amusements of men, might be men-
tioned, shooting, fishing, and sailing parties. These were
frequent, as also mutton clubs, fishing, house and country
parties were much indulged in by respectable citizens.
Great sociability prevailed among all classes of citizens,
until the strife with Great Britain sent every man to his
own ways;' then discord and acrimony ensued, and the
previously general friendly intercourse never returned.
We afterwards grew another and enlarged people.
"Our girls in the day-time, used to attend the work of
the family, and in the evening, paraded in their porch at the
door. Some of them, however, even then, read novels, and
23
266
FAMILY TOURIST.
PHILADELPHIA.
walked without business abroad. Those who had not house-
work,employed themselves in their accomplishments, such as
making shell-work cornucopies, working of pocket-books,
with a close, strong-stitched needle-work.
"The ladies seventy years ago, were much accustomed
to ride on horse-back for recreation. It was quite common
to see genteel ladies riding, with jockey caps.
""
Boarding schools for girls were not known in Philadel-
phia, until about the time of the Revolution, nor had they
any separate schools for writing and ciphering, but were
taught in common with boys. The ornamental parts of
female education were bestowed, but geography and gram-
mar were never regarded for them, until a certain Mr. Hor-
ton-thanks to his name!-proposed to teach those sci-
ences to young ladies. Similar institutions afterwards
into favor.
grew
"It was usual in the Gazettes of 1760, to 70, to an-
nounce marriages in words like these, to wit; 'Miss Bet-
sey Lawrence, or Miss Elizabeth Caton, a most agreeable
lady, with a large or a handsome fortune.'
"In still earlier times, marriages had to be promulged
by affixing the intentions of the parties on the court-house
or meeting-house door; and when the act was solemnized,
they should have at least twelve subscribing witnesses.
The act which imposed it was passed in 1700.
"The wedding entertainments of olden times were very
expensive and harrassing to the wedded. The house of the
parent would be filled with company to dine; the same
company would stay to tea and to supper. For two days,
punch was dealt out in profusion. The gentlemen saw the
groom on the first floor, and then ascended to the second,
where they saw the bride; there every gentleman, even to
one hundred in a day, kissed her! Even the plain Friends
submitted to these things. I have known rich families,
which had 120 persons to dine-the same who had signed
their certificate of marriage at the monthly Meeting; these
also partook of tea and supper. As they formally passed
the Meeting twice, the same entertainment was repeated.
Two days the male friends would call and take punch, and
all would kiss the bride. Besides this, the married pair
for two entire weeks saw large tea-parties at their home,
having in attendance every night the groomsman and bride-
maids. To avoid expense and trouble, Friends have since
FAMILY TOURIST.
267
PHILADELPHIA.
made it sufficient to pass but one Meeting. When these
marriage entertainments were made, it was expected also
that punch, cakes, and meats should be sent out very gen-
erally in the neighborhood, even to those who were not
visiters in the family!
"Of articles and rules of diet, so far as it differed from
ours, in the earliest time, we may mention coffee, as a bev-
erage, was used but rarely; chocolate for morning and
evening, or thickened milk for children. Cookery in gen-
eral was plainer than now. In the country, morning and
evening repasts were generally made of milk, having bread
boiled therein, or else thickened with pop-robins,-things
made up of flour and eggs into a batter, and so dropt in
with the boiling milk.
"A lady of my acquaintance thus describes the recol-
lections of her early days, preceding the war of Independ-
ence. Dress was discriminate and appropriate, both as
regarded the season and the character of the wearer. La-
dies never wore the same dresses at work and on visits; they
sat at home, or went out in the morning, in chints; bro-
cades, satins, and mantuas were reserved for evening or
dinner parties. Robes or negligees, as they were called,
were always worn in full dress. Muslins were not worn at
all. Little Misses at a dancing school ball (for these were
almost the only fetes that fell to their share in the days of
discrimination) were dressed in frocks of lawn or cambric.
Worsted was then thought dress enough for common
days.
"As a universal fact it may be remarked, that no other
color than black was ever made for ladies bonnets, when
formed of silk or satin. Fancy colors were unknown, and
white bonnets of silk fabric had never been seen. The
first innovation remembered was the bringing in of blue
bonnets.
"The time was, when the plainest woman among the
Friends (now so averse to fancy colors) wore their colored
silk aprons, say, of green or blue, &c. This was at a time
when the gay wore white aprons. In time, white aprons
were disused by the gentry, and then the Friends left off
their colored ones and used the white! The same old
ladies, among Friends whom we can remember as wearers
268
FAMILY TOURIST.
PHILADELPHIA.
of the white aprons, wore also large white beaver hats, with
scarcely the sign of a crown, and which was indeed confined
to the head by silk cords tied under the chin. Eight dollars
would buy such a hat, when beaver fur was more plentiful.
They lasted such ladies almost a whole life of wear. They
showed no fur.
"Very decent women went abroad and to churches with
check aprons. I have seen those, who kept their coach in
my time to bear them to church, who told me they went on
foot with a check apron to the Arch-street Presbyterian
meeting in their youth. Then all hired women wore short
gowns and petticoats of domestic fabric, and could be
instantly known as such whenever seen abroad.
"In the former days, it was not uncommon to see aged
persons with large silver buttons to their coats and-vests—
it was a mark of wealth. Some had the initials of their
names engraved on each button. Sometimes they were
made out of real quarter dollars, with the coinage impres-
sion still retained,—these were used for the coats, and the
eleven-penny-bits for vests and breeches. My father wore
an entire suit decorated with conch-shell buttons, silver
mounted.
"The articles of dress in those early times would at
the present day not be recognized by their names. The
following is an advertisement for the year 1745.-For
sale,
"Tandems, isinghams, nuns, bag and gulix, (these all
mean shirting), huckabacks (a figured worsted for women's
gowns), quilted humhums, turketees, grassets, single allo-
peens, children's stays, jumps and bodice, whalebone and
iron busks, men's new market caps, silk and worsted wove
patterns for breeches, allibanes, dickmansoy, cushloes,
chuckloes, cuttanees, crimson dannador, chain'd soosees,
lemonees, byrampauts, moree, naffermamy, saxlingham,
prunelloe, barragons, druggets, florettas," &c. &c.
"Before the Revolution, no hired men or women wore
any shoes so fine as calf-skin; that kind was the exclusive
property of the gentry; the servants wore coarse neat-
leather. The calf-skin shoe then had a white rand of
sheep-skin stitched into the top edge of the sole, which
they preserved white as a dress shoe as long as possible.
"It was very common for children and working women
FAMILY TOURIST.
269
PHILADELPHIA.
to wear beads made of Job's-tears, a berry of a shrub.
They used them for economy, and said it prevented several
diseases.
Until the period of the Revolution, every person who
wore a fur hat, had it always of entire beaver. Every ap-
prentice, at receiving his 'freedom,' received a real beaver,
at a cost of six dollars. Their every-day hats were of
wool, called felts. What were called roram hats, being fur
faced upon wool felts, came into use directly after the
peace, and excited much surprise, as to the invention.
Gentlemen's hats, of entire beaver, universally cost eight
dollars.
"The use of lace veils to ladies' faces is but a modern
fashion, not of more than twenty to thirty years standing.
Now they wear black, white, and green, the last only
lately introduced as summer veil. In olden time, none
wore a veil but as a mark and badge of mourning, and then,
as now, of crape in preference to lace.
"Ancient ladies remembered a time in their early life,
when the ladies wore blue stockings and party-colored
clocks of very striking appearance. May not that fashion,
as an extreme ton of the upper circle in life, explain the
adoption of the term-Blue-stocking Club?' I have seen
in possession of Samuel Coates, Esq., the wedding silk
stockings of his grandmother, of a lively green, and great
red clocks. My grandmother wore in winter, very fine
worsted green stockings with a gay clock surmounted with
a bunch of tulips.
"The late President Thomas Jefferson, when in Phila-
delphia, on his first mission abroad, was dressed in the garb
of his day after this manner, to wit: he wore a long waisted
white cloth coat, scarlet breeches and vest, a cocked hat
with a black cockade.
"Even spectacles, permanently useful as they are, have
been subject to the caprice of fashion. Now they are oc-
casionally seen of gold-a thing I never saw in my youth;
neither did I ever see one young man with spectacles-now
so numerous! A purblind or half-sighted youth then deem-
ed it his positive disparagement to be so regarded. Such
would have rather run against a street post six times a
day, than have been seen with them! Indeed, in early
olden time they had not the art of using temple spectacles.
Old Mrs. Shoemaker, who died in 1825 at the age of 95,
23*
270
FAMILY TOURIST.
PHILADELPHIA.
said she had lived many years in Philadelphia before she
ever saw temple spectacles—a name then given as a new
discovery, but now so common as to have lost its distinc
tive character. In her early years, the only spectacles.
she ever saw were called 'bridge spectacles,' without any
side supporters, and held on the nose solely by nipping the
bridge of the nose.
66
My grandmother wore a black velvet mask in winter,
with a silver mouth-piece to keep it on, by retaining it in
the mouth. I have been told that green ones have been
used in summer for some few ladies, for riding in the sun on
horseback.
"Ladies formerly wore cloaks as their chief over-coats;
they were used with some changes of form under the suc-
cessive names of roquelaurs, capuchins, and cardinals.
"In Mrs. Shoemaker's time, above named, they had no
knowledge of umbrellas to keep off rain, but she had seen
some few use kitisols-an article as small as present para-
sols now. They were entirely to keep off rain from ladies.
They were of oiled muslin, and of various colors. They
were imported from India by way of England. They must,
however, have been but rare, as they never appear in any
advertisements.
Dr. Chancellor, and the Rev. Mr. Duche, were the first
persons in Philadelphia, who were seen to wear umbrellas
to keep off the rain. They were of oiled linen, very coarse
and clumsy, with ratan sticks. Before their time, some
doctors and ministers used an oiled linen cape, hooked round
their shoulders, looking not unlike the big coat capes, now
in use, and hen called a roquelaur. It was only used for
severe storms.
"About the year 1771, the first efforts were made in
Philadelphia to introduce the use of umbrellas in summer,
as a defence from the sun. They were then scouted in the
public gazettes, as a ridiculous effeminacy. On the other
hand, the physicians recommended them to keep off verti
goes, epilepsies, sore eyes, fevers, &c. Finally, as the doc-
tors were the chief patrons, Doctor Chancellor and Dr. Mor-
gan, with the Rev. Parson Duche, were the first persons,
who had the hardihood to be so singular, as to wear um-
brellas in sunshine. Mr. Bingham, when he returned from
the West Indies, where he had amassed a great fortune in
the Revolution, appeared abroad in the streets attended by a
FAMILY TOURIST.
271
PHILADELPHIA.
mulatto boy bearing his umbrella. But his example did not
take, and he desisted from its use.
"In the old time, shagreen-cased watches, of turtle shell
and pinch-beck, were the earliest kind seen; but watches
of any kind were much more rare, than now. When they
began to come into use, they were so far deemed a matter
of pride and show, that men are living who have heard
Friends publicly express their concern at seeing their youth
in the show of watches, or watch chains. It was so rare to
find watches in common use that it was quite an annoyance
at the watchmakers, to be so repeatedly called on by street.
passengers for the hour of the day. Mr. Duffield, therefore,
first set up an out door clock, to give the time of day to people
in the street. Gold chains would have been a wonder then ;
silver and steel chains and seals were the mode, and regard-
ed good enough. The best gentlemen of the country were
content with silver watches, although gold ones were occa-
sionally used. Gold watches for ladies, was a rare occur-
rence, and when worn were kept without display for do-
mestic use.
"The rarity of carpets, now deemed so indispensable to
comfort, may be judged of by the fact, that T. Mallack, Esq.
now aged 95, told me he had a distant recollection of meet-
ing with the first carpet he had ever seen, about the year
1750, at the house of Owen Jones, at the corner of Spruce
and Second street. Mrs. S. Shoemaker, an aged Friend of
the same age, told me she had received as a 'rare present
from England, a scotch carpet; it was but twelve feet square,
and was deemed quite a novelty then, say 60 years ago.
When carpets afterwards came into general use, they only
covered the floor in front of the chairs and tables. The
covering of the whole floor is a thing of modern use.
Many are the anecdotes which could be told of the carpets,
and the country bumpkins. There are many families, who
can remember that soon after their carpets were laid, they
have been visited by clownish persons, who showed strong
signs of distress at being obliged to walk over them; and
when urged to come in, have stole in close to the sides of
the room tip-toed, instinctively, to avoid sullying them.
"The papering of the walls of houses was not much in-
troduced, till after the year 1800. All the houses, which I
remember to have seen in my youth, were white-washed on-
ly; there may have been some rare exceptions. As early as
272
FAMILY TOURIST.
PHILADELPHIA.
the year 1769, Plunket Fleeson first manufactured Ameri-
can paper hangings at corner of Fourth and Chestnut street,
and also paper mache or raised paper mouldings, in imita-
tation of carving, either colored or gilt. But although there
was thus an opportunity to paper rooms, their introduction
must have been extremely rare. The uncle of Joseph P.
Norris, Esq. had his library or office room papered, but his
parlors were wainscotted with oak and red cedar, unpaint-
ed, and polished with wax and robust rubbing. This was
at his seat at Fairhill, built in 1717.
"When china was introduced among us in the form of
tea-sets, it was quite a business to take in broken china to
mend. It was done by cement in most cases; but generally
the larger articles, like punch bowls, were done with silver
rivets, or wire. More than half the punch bowls you could
see were so mended.
"It is only of late years that the practice of veneering
mahogany and other valuable wood has prevailed among us.
All the old furniture was solid."*
* Watson's Historic Tales of Olden Time.
1
MARYLAND.
BALTIMORE.
BALTIMORE, the largest city in Maryland, though not
the seat of government, has had the most rapid growth of
any town of the same size in the Union. In 1787, it con-
tained only 1955 houses, including its port; the number of
stores was 152, and of churches nine, belonging to as many
sects. In 1789, the number of inhabitants was between
10,000 and 11,000; of whom, not more than one in five,
Dr. Morse states, attended public worship of any kind,
notwithstanding the variety that courted their choice.
There were many respectable families who lived genteelly
but the bulk of the population, recently collected from all
quarters of the globe, bent on the pursuit of wealth, and
varying alike in their habits, manners, and creed, were
"unsocial, unimproved and inhospitable." In 1790, the
number of inhabitants was 13,503; the amount of ship-
ping, 13,564 tons. In 1800, the population had doubled
in ten years more, it had risen to 46,555, including 10,343
blacks; in 1820, to 62,627, and the tonnage was 68,674.
It now ranks as the third city in commercial importance in
the United States, and the third also in population, contain
ing between 80,000 and 90,000 inhabitants. This is an
increase of numbers perhaps unparalleled, unless Roches-
ter be an exception, the place having been raised from a
town to a city, as late as the last day of the year 1796.
During the war with England, in 1812, the commerce of
Baltimore, like that of every other part of the country,
partook of the fluctuations of the times. Her merchants
suffered, however, less than most other places. After the
peace with England in 1815, the merchants of Baltimore
resumed their former commercial operations. The effect
on the city was sudden and most encouraging: a rapid
influx of population immediately followed: activity perva-
ded every class of society and every branch of industry:
274
FAMILY TOURIST.
BALTIMORE.
the vessels belonging to the port, which had been scattered
in various parts of the United States, during the war, were
now called home; a considerable accession to the tonnage
had taken place. The trade to China, Batavia, Bengal,
and other parts of Asia was resumed: the intercourse with
Europe was briskly renewed, and the accumulated produce
of the country was quickly despatched to the proper mar-
kets. European imports, and particularly British manu-
factures were introduced in the greatest abundance, and it
may be doubted, whether, at any period, the business of
Baltimore was more active, or its apparent prosperity more
flattering than for the three years succeeding the war.
Real estate rose to a higher value than it had been known
to possess before. Numerous dwelling-houses were erected,
to accommodate the increasing population, and rents became
exorbitant.
"But this delusive prosperity was not peculiar to Balti-
more; the whole country was drawn into the snare; and
the combination of causes which led to it, arising from the
great changes in the state of this country and Europe, as
well as its general and fatal consequences, are too well
known to be dwelt upon here. Baltimore suffered more
than any other city. Business was curtailed; property fell
in value; and when the stock of the Bank of the United
States, then at an exaggerated and unparalleled nominal
value, fell nearly one third of that value, in the space of a
few weeks, which it did in 1818, the consummation ruined
many, who had incautiously adventured their whole for-
tunes in the speculation. A principal part of the active
commercial capital was withdrawn from its accustomed
channels; several of the most enterprizing merchants were
deprived of their means, and even those who escaped the
storm, were terrified at the shock, and became doubtful,
hesitating, timid, and inactive. This may with truth be
said to have been the darkest period in the history of Balti-
more. But the principle of vitality and increase is still
strong within her, and although she has risen but slowly
from her reverses, she has still risen and continues to rise."*
With this brief historical account of Baltimore, we next
proceed to give some account of the city itself. It stands
* Picture of Baltimore, 1832.
FAMILY TOURIST.
275
BALTIMORE.
on the top of a small bay in the river Patapsco, 14 miles
from the Chesapeake, and consists of two portions, nearly a
mile asunder, the upper of which is, properly speaking, the
town, and the lower, called Fell's Point, is the harbor.
The water comes up to the town, but it is shallow, and in
general, none but coasters go past the point. The bay is
formed and protected by a peninsular tongue of land,
which stretches downwards into the river; the entrance is
narrow, and is completely commanded by a fort, which
sustained a heavy bombardment during the last war.
The town is built with considerable regularity, upon por-
tions of three hills and their intervening valleys; many of
the streets cross each other at right angles, and they are in
general, spacious and well paved. A large proportion of
the buildings are of brick; the more ancient, in conse-
quence of inattention to painting, have rather a gloomy
aspect; but the modern ones resemble in every respect
those of New York and Philadelphia. The public build-
ings and monuments indicate by their splendor, great wealth
and enterprize in the inhabitants. Some of these build-
ings merit a particular notice.
The Merchants' Exchange, which was begun in 1815, is
one of the objects most worthy of the notice of a stranger
visiting Baltimore. It has a front of 255 feet; its depth
141; its general form in plan is that of the letter H; but
the two wings toward the west have not yet been erected.
It is four stories in height, including the basement, which
is vaulted throughout. It contains a hall 86 feet in length,
lighted from a dome 90 feet above the floor. The colon-
nades are to the east and west, and are composed each of
six Ionic columns, the shafts of which are single blocks of
Italian marble, and their design and proportion are the
closest imitation of the purest Grecian model. The dome
contains in its centre a repeating vane which, moving with
that on the summit of the dome, discovers the direction of
the wind to the merchants in the hall.
The Catholic Cathedral is another splendid edifice, built
in the Ionic style, 190 feet long and 177 feet wide, sur-
mounted by a dome and a cross which rise to the height of
127 feet. It is remarkable throughout for the chaste sim-
plicity of its design, and the beautiful proportion of all its
276
FAMILY TOURIST
BALTIMORE.
parts. It contains by far the largest organ in the United
States; it has 6,000 pipes and 36 stops. The edifice con-
tains several fine paintings-one the Descent from the
Cross, painted by Paulin Guerin, a present of Louis XVI.
to the Archbishop another represents St. Louis burying
his officers and soldiers, slain before Tunis. St. Louis
could find no one to bury them, for fear of contagion; but
that heroic prince could not bear to see the bodies of so
many brave men exposed to be devoured by hyenas and
birds of prey. To encourage his army, he began the work
of charity, accompanied by his armor-bearer and chaplain.
He is represented as holding the corpse of an officer, his
relation, which he lays down in a rude grave made in the
sand. This valuable painting is by the celebrated Steuben.
Charles X., when king of France, presented it to the
Cathedral.
The Socinian chapel is a more lightsome and tasteful
fabric, and although not a large building, is said to have
cost 100,000 dollars. The interior is profusely decorated.
The pulpit is of polished marble, of various colors, with a
baptismal font before it of the same material; upon the
wall behind are two white marble slabs, resembling the
tables of the law in the ancient picture of Moses, upon
which are inscribed a few texts of scripture. The ends of
the pews are beautifully carved and bronzed, in imitation
of the antique. The ceiling is covered with rich stuccoed
work, and in the gallery is a large organ, the front of
which is very tastefully finished in the form of an ancient
lyre. The effect of the whole is splendid.
Besides the above, St. Paul's church, the Court House,
and the Union Bank, are all elegant.
Baltimore contains several public monuments, from
which it is sometimes called the "Monumental City."
One of these, called the Washington Monument, was
commenced in 1815. It occupies the point of a rising
ground, a little above the city, at the intersection of
Charles and Monument streets. It is a Doric column,
upon a square base, and surmounted by a pedestal, upon
which is placed a colossal statue of Washington. The
base is fifty feet square, and is elevated twenty feet the
column, to the feet of the statue, is one hundred and sixty
FAMILY TOURIST.
277
BALTIMORE.
feet; and the statue is thirteen feet in height. The statue
is the design and work of Causici, and represents Wash-
ington at the instant when he resigned his commission (af-
ter the Revolution) into the hands from which he had re-
ceived it.
Another monument called the "Battle Monument," is
designed to commemorate the battle of North Point, when
the British army made a "demonstration" upon Baltimore
in the year 1814. The Battle Monument was erected by
the survivors, to the memory of those who fell and the
corner stone was laid on the first anniversary of the battle,
on the 12th of September, 1815, with all the ceremonies
usual upon such occasions.
The Baltimore Monument was designed by Maximil-
ian Godefroy, and stands in Calvert street, near Fayette
street, upon what was once the sight of the "Old Court
House," but which is now called Monument Square. An
Egyptian base, raised to the height of about four feet from
the pavement of the street, is surmounted by a column,
representing a fasces, upon the bands of which are placed
in bronze letters, the names of those who fell. On each
angle of the base are griffins, and the lower part of the
column is ornamented with basso-relievos, representing
part of the occurrences of the 12th of September, 1814;
the whole being crowned by a statue of the city, with the
eagle at her side, holding a laurel wreath suspended in her
uplifted hand. The monument is surrounded by an iron
railing, to preserve it from injury; and at each corner are
lamps of gas, whose brilliant illumination of the spotless
marble presents a most striking effect at night. The en-
tire height of the Monument is fifty-two feet two inches.*
On the south side of the plinth, at the base of the
column:
BATTLE
OF NORTH POINT,
12TH SEPTEMBER, A. D. 1814;
AND OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES,
THE THIRTY-NINTH.
* Picture of Baltimore.
24
278*
FAMILY TOURIST.
1
BALTIMORE.
On the north side of the plinth :
BOMBARDMENT
OF FORT MC'HENRY,
12TH SEPTEMBER, A. D. 1814;
AND OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES,
THE THIRTY-NINTH.
The trade of Baltimore is great, and it may be consid-
ered the best flour market in the world. The harbor is
good, although vessels larger than 200 tons cannot ascend
above the lower suburb, called Fell's-Point; this is sepa-
rated from the city by a small stream, over which there are
several bridges. The shipping of Baltimore amounted, in
1828, to 106,303 tons. There are within 20 miles of the
city, above 60 flour mills; one of which has ground
32,000 barrels in a year; within the same space, there
are also twelve cotton manufactories, and various others.
of cloth, powder, paper, iron, copper, glass, steam-engines,
chemical works, &c.
The Duke of Saxe-Weimer, during a stay in Baltimore,
visited one of the celebrated flour-mills of that city. He
thus speaks of it. "The machine which moves the wheels
was made by Bolton and Watt, of Soho, in England, and
is of sixty horse-power. This mill has eight pair of stones,
of which there are commonly but four worked at a time;
most of the work, which in general is done by men, is per-
formed by machinery connected with the steam engine; a
long and horizontal chest leads from the interior of the mill
to the wharf, where the vessels with grain lie; from the ves-
sel, the wheat is poured in one of the extremities of the
chest, or rather channel, along whose whole length a spiral
screw runs, which by turning brings the grain to a large
reservoir in the mill. By another piece of machinery, the
wheat is conveyed to the upper part of the house, and
thrown into a wire cylinder, where it is perfectly fanned,
and is thence conducted to the hoppers; the flour falls
into a common reservoir, whence it is conveyed to a bolt-
ing machine. The fine flour passes through a trough to a
place where it is spread by a horizontally revolving rake, to
be cooled; after this it runs by a spout to the ground floor,
where it is packed in oaken barrels. A workman fills the
FAMILY TOURIST.
279
BALTIMORE.
barrel with a shovel, pushes it on an iron ring forming
part of a scale, to weigh it, underneath a wooden block,
which acted upon by a lever presses the flour into the bar-
rel; this block, after being sponged in the common way,
is again ready for use. Two hundred barrels of superfine
flour can be furnished daily by this mill, which works night
and day; twelve workmen are sufficient to attend to all
the operations. The owner said he could do with fewer,
but was unwilling to dismiss them. The engine has three
boilers, one is unemployed, to be cleaned, and be in reserve
in case of an accident; from the roof of the mill there is
a fine prospect over the city and harbor.”*
In our notice of the city of Washington, an account will
be found of the invasion of that city by the British, in Au-
gust of 1814. The success of his attack on the metropo-
lis, encouraged General Ross to undertake an expedition
against Baltimore. On the 12th of September, he landed
5,000 men at North Point, about fourteen miles from the
city. No opposition was offered to the debarkation, but
effective preparations had been made for the defence of
the city, and General Stryker, with 3,000 men, was des-
patched to retard the progress of the invaders. The ad-
vanced parties met about eight miles from the city. In the
skirmish which ensued, General Ross, who had incautious-
ly ridden to the front, to ascertain whence the firing origin-
ated, was mortally wounded by a shot from a rifleman.
The command devolved on Colonel Brooke, under whom
the British advanced to meet the main detachment. The
battle was better contested than the affair of Bladensburgh.
The American line was not shaken by either the musketry
or the artillery, and did not yield, until an engagement com-
menced with the bayonet. As soon, however, as their left
gave way, the whole army fell into confusion, and a com-
plete route ensued. On the following day, the British came
in sight of the lines of Baltimore, defended by from 15,000
to 20,000, and a large train of artillery. To attack these
in front, would have been exposing the assailants to tre-
mendous slaughter; it was therefore determined to carry
Fort M'Henry on the extreme left of the entrenchments,
and close to the bank of the river Petapsco. It was neces-
* Duke of Saxe-Weimer's Travels.
280
FAMILY TOURIST.
BALTIMORr.
sary, however, that the guns of the fort should be silenced
by the fire of the shipping; but so many difficulties, natu-
ral and artificial, were found to be interposed, that the
large ships could not get up. Deprived of the co-opera-
tion of the naval force, the British commander was unable
to prosecute the enterprise, and the troops were withdrawn.
They returned unmolested to North Point, and, the next
day, re-embarked. The death of General Ross seemed to
have broken up their plan of operation, and the fleet soon
afterwards left Chesapeake Bay, and separated.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, the seat of government of the United States,
stands in the centre of the District of Columbia, upon the
north bank of the Potomac, between the river and one of its
tributaries, called the East Branch. The Capitol at Wash-
ington, from which American Geographers often compute
their meridian, is 38° 58′ north lat. and 76° 55′ 30″ west'
long. from Greenwich. The city is about 120 miles from
the junction of the Potomac with the Chesapeake, and
about 250 miles from the sea. The principal branch of the
river flows down from the west, and unites with the smaller
one from the eastward, in front of the city. Ships of war of
the largest size, can float in safety three or four miles above
the junction of the streams. It was expected that this situ-
ation would have been found to be particularly favorable to
commercial enterprise, and consequently that the population
would rapidly increase; hitherto, however, these hopes have
not been realized.
The selection of the site of Washington, as the seat of
government, was mainly attributable to Gen. Washington;
but the spot was not selected, until he had made laborious
and interesting investigations of the surrounding country.
"The
The following anecdote is related by Mr. Custis.
canoe, or pirogue, in which Gen. Washington and a party
of friends made the first survey of the Potomac, to ascertain
the practicability of a navigation above tide water, was hol
lowed out of a large poplar tree, under the direction of Col.
Johnson, of Frederick county, Maryland. This humble
bark was placed upon a wagon, hauled to the margin of the
Monocacy, launched into the stream, and there received its
honored freight.
The General was accompanied, in the interesting and
important reconnissance, by Colonel, (the late Governor)
24*
282
FAMILY TOURIST.
WASHINGTON.
Johnson, of Maryland, one of the first Commissioners of the
City of Washington, and several other gentlemen. At night
fall, it was usual for the party to land and seek quarters of
some of the planters, or farmers, who lived near the banks
of the river, in all the pride and comfort of all old fashioned
kindliness and hospitality.
Putting up for the night, at a respectable farmer's, the
General and two Johnsons were shown into a room having
but two beds. 'Come gentlemen,' said the Chief, who
will be my bed fellow?' Both declined. Col. Johnson often
afterwards declared-"Greatly as I should have felt hon-
ored by such distinction, yet the awe and reverence which
I always felt, in the presence of that admirable man, prevent-
ed my approaching him so nearly."
•
The district which includes Washington, Georgetown,
and Alexandria, was ceded to the United States, by Mary-
land and Virginia,-by the former in 1788; by the latter in
1789. On the 16th of July, 1790, Congress passed an act
authorizing the President to appoint three commissioners to
make the selection of a proper location. For this purpose,
the President issued his proclamation in 1791. By an
act of May, 1796, the commissioners were authorized to bor-
row money for the advancement of the buildings, and to
pledge the lots that had been given to the United States, as
well as the faith of the government, to refund the loan. In
1798, an act was passed, supplementary to the aforesaid act,
to hasten the progress of the public improvements. So far
were the public buildings finished, that, in April, 1800, an
act was passed authorizing the President to remove, with
all the departments, from Philadelphia to the Federal City,
which had been previously named, the City of Washington,
in honor of the President; and in pursuance of this act the
government was removed, and commenced operations in
the city, the first day of December, 1800. It cannot be
denied but that the character, wishes and influence of
Washington, had no small share in fixing the seat of gov-
ernment. Like all other of his plans, it has proved to have
been dictated by wisdom, justice, and forecast; for the site
is one of the finest in the world for a city. From the hill
on which stands the Capitol, the most noble view presents
itself to the eye of the beholder that the imagination could
paint. From the north, round to the south, a circular line
FAMILY TOURIST.
283
WASHINGTON.
of high grounds is seen, making within them the interior of
an immense amphitheatre; which it is said, resembles the
appearance of Rome from some of the elevations in or near
the "
Eternal City.” The east view is extensive, but not
bounded by high lands; the horizon sinks with the power
of vision. On the south, the broad and peaceful Potomac
is seen for many miles, extending to Alexandria, and even
to Mount Vernon. The whole panorama is bold, magnifi-
cent, picturesque, and yet soft and beautiful; it only requires
the moral consecration of long past events, the massy piles of
ancient grandeur, the deep and solemn recollections of the
mighty dead, to make the impression, at this view from the
capitol, such as crowds on the mind, when one views the
Vatican, or domes of St. Peter.*
Soon after the site of Washington was fixed upon, the
territory from all quarters became the subject of speculation.
By this means a fictitious value was given to the lands, which
served to retard the growth of the city. The whole con-
cern was badly managed. The dwelling houses which were
erected, were small and inconvenient. For some years, great
doubts were entertained, whether it would continue long to be
the seat of government. Such was the state of things up to
1814, when the burning of the capital and of the President's
house by the British, settled the question. "When Con-
gress next assembled," observes the author already cited,
"the subject of rebuilding these edifices, came before that
body, and the question as to the removal of the legislature,
was necessarily discussed. An effort was made for the re-
moval of the seat of government. The national feeling,
however, co-operated with other considerations, to influence
the decision; it was voted not to remove, and the requisite
amount was enthusiastically voted to efface the memorials of
British triumph. From this time, "the corporation of the
city seemed to be animated with a new soul, and individuals,
relieved from the fear of change, risked all they had in real
estate. Landed property arose in value, and hope, energy,
and active business, took the place of despair, listlessness,
and wasting, and repining indolence. New streets were
opened, dwelling houses and stores were then erected. The
trade came to the city, the boarders left Georgetown, and
came to Washington, and a new face was put on every thing
* Sketches of Public Character.
284
FAMILY TOURIST.
WASHINGTON.
in the city; churches were built, institutions of learning
arose, and large, if not ample provision was made for other
necessary improvements on the face of nature. This work
has been going on ever since the close of the war; but it
must be pleasant to the citizens of Washington to reflect,
when all things are taken into consideration, that they are
not indebted to the government, in equity, for one dollar for
all their grants and favors; but that in truth, the government
is indebted to the city, for more than a million of dollars,
putting a fair value on the property now owned by the Uni-
ted States within the city, which cost them nothing. Bles-
sings are said to come in clusters; for as soon as the city
began to flourish, it became healthy. The low grounds
were drained, and the fever and ague, once prevalent, is now
rarely known among the evils of Washington; and at pres-
ent the city is decidedly as healthy as any in the United
States, or perhaps in the world. The water of Washington
is of the best quality, and can be brought to every door in
the greatest abundance at a very moderate expense.
The original plan of the city was on a most extensive
scale. A parallelogram more than four miles and a half
long, and two miles broad, was regularly divided into streets,
avenues, and squares; and should the anticipations of its
founders be realized, this will, after all, be but the nucleus
of the future metropolis. The streets are laid out towards
the cardinal points, crossing each other at right angles; the
avenues intersect these diagonally, so as to avoid the tire-
some sameness which is observable in the streets of Phila-
delphia, and extensive squares are to be placed at the cros-
sings of these transverse lines. The avenues are from 130
to 160 feet wide; the streets from 80 to 110.
▾
""
The Capitol is a large and magnificient building of white
free stone, 352 feet long, in the shape of a cross, with the
Representatives Hall, and the Senate Chamber, in the two
wings, and a spacious rotunda in the centre. It covers an
acre and a half, and 1,820 feet of ground. It has cost the
United States nearly three millions of dollars. The square
on which the capitol stands, contains more than twenty acres,
and is laid out in a handsome style, and is filling up with
trees and shrubbery in a flourishing state. The dome of
this building is the third in point of size in the world; next
to St. Paul's, and before St. Sophia's.
FAMILY TOURIST.
285
WASHINGTON.
The Representatives Hall, is semicircular, 95 feet in
length, and 60 in height. Along its circumference are pla-
ced fourteen marble columns, reaching to the vaulted dome
and fancifully tied together under the cornice by festoons of
red damask. The gallery for the public, which is raised
about twenty feet above the floor of the House, extends
along the whole circuit, behind these columns. In the cen-
tre, below, sits the Speaker, from whose chair seven passa-
ges radiate to the circumference, whilst the members sit in
concentric rows facing the Speaker; the whole arrangement
being not unlike in form to that of half a spider's web.
Every member has a snug, stuffed, comfortable arm-chair
allotted to him; besides a writing-desk furnished with all
the apparatus of paper, pens, and ink, and a drawer under-
neath, of which he keeps the key.
This noble room, or more properly amphitheatre, is not
well adapted for hearing. Were it actually a theatre, and
the audience seated where the members are placed, while
the actors addressed them from the corridor or open space
behind the speaker's chair, along the diameter of the semi-
circle, it might do very well; because the Speaker, when
addressing the House from the chair, was heard distinctly
enough by the members. It was always difficult, however,
for any member of the house to make himself heard.
The Senate Chamber is similar in form to that of the
Hall of Representatives, but of course it is much smaller;
the diameter of the semi-circle being only 75 feet.
*
These beautiful chambers," observes an English trav-
eller,
are calculated to make an impression very favora-
ble to the dignity of the deliberative assemblies, which oc-
cupy them; and the general appearance of the members
does not materially impair it. Many of them have the ap-
pearance of English country gentlemen; and a considera-
ble portion of them are lawyers, who carry in their faces
those marks of intellectual exertion, which seem to plead
some apology for having sacrificed little to the graces.
Some of the members from the Western country, indeed,
would look a little queer in our House of Commons. The
proceedings, both of the Senate and the House of Rep-
resentatives, seem to be conducted with great order and
decorum, and with a courtesy and attention to the feel-
286
FAMILY TOURIST.
WASHINGTON.
ings of honorable gentlemen,' which I was not prepared
to expect. The style of their best speakers is fluent, forci-
ble, and perspicuous; and in cases where it is not possible
that their arguments should be sound, they seldom fail to
be specious and acute. My friend, who would, I believe,
be considered the first authority on the subject, told me,
that he considered their two prominent faults to be, a prone-
ness to engage in dissertation, and to pursue the investiga-
tion of a difficult question, which had been started inciden-
tally in the course of the debate, without ascertaining
whether its solution was absolutely necessary to the original
discussion. He regards the frequent change of members
in the House of Representatives as inimical to the acquisi-
tion of that knowledge, or the formation of those habits,
so desirable in a deliberate assembly; and deprecates the
custom into which they have fallen, of referring every thing
to committees, as tending in effect to leave to the decision
of a few, many questions, which ought to be argued upon.
general principles, by the House at large.
"It is usual for ladies to attend when any interesting de-
bate is expected. Ordinarily, they are admitted only into
the gallery; but instances have occurred, when they have
been allowed a seat on the floor. The reporters for the
newspapers have a place assigned them behind the Speak-
er's chair. Except when some remarkably good speaker
has 'possession of the floor,' the members, instead of at-
tending to what is spoken, are busied in conversation, in
writing letters, rapping the sand off the wet ink with their
knuckles, rustling the countless newspapers, which deluge
the House, locking or unlocking their drawers, or moving
up and down the avenues, which divide the ranges of seats,
and kicking before them, at every step, printed reports, let-
ter covers, and other documents strewed on the floor. A
couple of active little boys are always seen, running to and
fro with armfuls of papers, or carrying slips of writing from
members to the chair, or from member to member. When-
ever any one rises to speak, who, there is any reason to in-
fer, from experience, or from internal evidence, will be
lengthy, one of these little mercuries flies off for a glass of
water, which he places on the orator's desk."
The Rotunda occupies the centre, and is 96 feet in di-
FAMILY TOURIST:
287
WASHINGTON.
ameter, and 96 feet high. This is the principal entrance
from the East Portico and West stair, and leads to the legis-
lative hall and library. The pannels of the circular walls
are appropriated to paintings and bas-relievos, or historical
subjects by different artists.
Över the west door of the dome is a group in bas-relief,
representing the preservation of Captain John Smith from
the wrath of Powhattan by the kind interference of his
daughter Pocahontas. This is the work of an Italian art-
ist, by the name of Capelano; but he has represented his
Indians as Italians, and his intended child of the forest an
Italian queen." Notwithstanding its defects, the work at-
tracts much attention and admiration. Over the east door
is a representation of the landing of the Pilgrims at Plym-
outh in 1620. The Indians on the rocks, the boat, the
shore, the sea, are all well executed, but the artist mistook
in giving the adventurers the´hat of the ancient pilgrim,
and the dress also. The sculptor was Causici. Over the
north door is a sculpture of William Penn in the act of
making his treaty with the Indians in 1680. In the sculp-
ture itself there is neither beauty nor attraction-the spirit
of the piece arises only from the moral sublimity of the
subject.
On the pannels between the doors are several fine heads
-one of Columbus, which is thought to be something near
a true likeness, bearing a strong resemblance to some fine
pictures of him. The head of Sir Walter Raleigh is a fine
one, resembling the best prints of him. The heads of La
Salle and Sebastian Cabot, although rough statuary, have
considerable expression and life in them. Over the great
Eastern door there is a head of Washington, which is ad-
mired by many, and is certainly a specimen of very good
proficiency in the art. In addition to these, the Rotunda
contains four splendid pictures from Revolutionary sub-
jects, painted by order of the government of the United
States, by Colonel Trumbull. These are-1. Declaration
of Independence. 2. Surrender of General Burgoyne.
3. Surrender of the British army at Yorktown. 4. Resig-
nation of General Washington at Annapolis. More appro-
priate embellishments for the Halls of the National Legis-
lature could not have been devised. These paintings are
288
FAMILY TOURIST.
}
WASHINGTON.
valuable for the faithful portraits they furnish. Some crit-
ics have found fault with the grouping of the figures; and
the apparent stiffness of the principal officers; but there is
a redeeming virtue in the design, sufficient to confer real
and everlasting value on the paintings.
Passing from the Rotunda, westerly, along the gallery of
the principal stairs, the Library room door presents itself.
This room is 92 feet long, by 34 wide, and 36 high. It is
divided into twelve arched alcoves, ornamented with fluted
pilasters, copied from the pillars in the celebrated Octagon
Tower at Athens. The first Congressional Library, which
was selected under the direction of Mr. Gallatin, Dr.
Mitchell, and others, consisted of about three thousand vol-
umes, and was burnt by the British, at the close of the last
war. The total loss of the library induced Mr. Jefferson
to offer his valuable collection, comprising about 10,000
volumes, which was immediately purchased, though an ob-
jection was made to the infidel character of some of the
volumes, and the too great number of Bibles, which it con-
tained. It has since been considerably increased.
The apartment for the accommodation of the Supreme
Court, on the basement story of the North wing, immedi-
ately below the Senate room, is of a semi-circular shape,
with the windows to the east to admit the light, which en-
ters awkwardly and feebly, at the backs of the Judges on
the bench. The arches, in the ceiling, diverge like the
radii of a circle, from a point over the justice-seat, to the
circumference. On the wall is an emblem of Justice hold-
ing her scales, in bold relief, and also a figure of Fame,
crowned with the rising sun, and pointing to the Constitu-
tion of the United States. The members of the bar are
conveniently accommodated with seats and desks in the
body of the apartment; and the visiters are furnished with
rows of benches on the right and left wings of the centre
of the Court.
"This room," remarks the Author of Sketches of Pub-
lic Characters, "is one of deep interest to every lover of
his country. To see seven quiet, good looking men, cov-
ered with a slight robe of black, without enough of the
insignia of office to tell them from so many pall-bearers,
1

PRESIDENT'S HOUSE AT WASHNIGTON.
PA
FAMILY TOURIST.
289
WASHINGTON.
sitting together, listening to the arguments of men from
every State in the Union, on great and important questions
of municipal, civil, and international law; and thus with-
out any emotion or excitement, settling all the conflicting
opinions that have grown up in this republic since its form-
ation, is a specimen of the moral sublime, unequalled in
the annals of civil or ecclesiastical history. These oracles
of the Delphic cave have as yet been free from the corrup-
tions or fear of executive power, and uninfluenced by party
strife in the halls of legislation. As long as this sanctuary
is unassailed, and talents and integrity are selected and
maintained in this branch of government, so long will it
be the palladium of American liberties; but wo betide the
hour when political rancor shall come within these walls to
poison the fountains of justice, or to weaken her arm.
The bickerings above them, in the Senate Chamber, may
pass away, and the many boisterous and idle speeches be
forgotten, while the country is safe; but once pollute this
hall, and the guardian genius of the liberties of this coun-
try will leave it forever."
"It
The President's house is a magnificent mansion.
stands near the centre of one of the largest squares of
city, on an eminence nearly a mile and a half west from
the Capitol. The building is of the Ionic order, with a
southern and a northern point. It is one hundred and
seventy-five feet long, and eighty-five in width; it has two
lofty stories above the basement. There are thirty-one
rooms of considerable size, within the walls.
As you
enter the north door, there is a fine large hall, called the
entrance hall. At the left of this is the eastern room,
whose length is the width of the house, making a room in
the clear eighty feet in length, forty feet in width, and
twenty-eight in height, with four fire-places, two of them
of elegant marble jambs, mantel pieces, &c. From the
south of the hall, you enter the elliptical room, which is the
general audience room on levee nights. The east room
was intended for a general audience room, and the elliptical
room to receive foreign ambassadors and public functiona-
ries, on occasions of ceremony; but the east room not
having been furnished until lately, the elliptical room has
been used for all public ceremonies. East of the elliptical
room is the Green Drawing Room; this is of a medium
25
290
FAMILY TOURIST.
WASHINGTON.
size for such an edifice. On the west of the elliptical
room is the Yellow Drawing Room; on the west from this
is the large Dining Room, of a fine size, and farther west
still is the small Dining Room, and beyond this is the Por-
ter's Room.
"The north front of the upper story contains six rooms
for various purposes. The south front has seven rooms;
the antechambers, the audience chamber, and ladys' parlor ;
this is directly over the elliptical room, and of the same
size of that. The basement story contains eleven rooms,
kitchen, pantry, butler's room, &c. These are cool and
convenient in the summer, and warm in the winter, from
the massy walls of the edifice.
"Some of the furniture of the house is elegant, but in
general, it looks much abused from the crowds of careless
visiters. The ladys' parlor may be said to be superbly fur-
nished, but this remark does not extend to many other
rooms. Within twelve years past, Congress have expended
eighty thousand dollars in furnishing this mansion, and
there was some old furniture of the former stocks. Some
portion of the plate is elegant, and is now worth twenty
thousand dollars, or more.
The ornaments are sparse and not of high order. In
the second south-east room, there is a map of Virginia, a
portrait of Bolivar, a bust of Washington, and one of
Americus Vespucius. These latter ornaments are very
good specimens of the arts. In the third room, the ante-
chamber, there is an engraving of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence, in a gilt frame. In the yellow drawing room is
a portrait of Washington, from the pencil of Stuart. In
this room is a French piano, which it is said, cannot be
kept in tune. In the days of omens, when Memnon's harp
responded to the rays of the sun, or Eolus first breathed
among the reeds, this might be thought to have a mysteri-
ous bearing on the jars of the cabinet councils, or at least,
a Greek poet would have said that the genius of the place
was not always happy and tuneful. This palace belongs to
the people, and should be adorned with the best specimens
of the fine arts the country can produce. The works of
the great painters should hang upon the walls, and those of
their sculptors fill every niche. To the tenants of this
house, it cannot be of much importance, for to them it is
only a caravansera, where they throw down their wallets to

FAMILY TOURIST.
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WASHINGTON.
cast a horoscope to lay spirits, and raise spells, and their
hour comes, and they take up their march, without restora-
tion to health or a forgiveness of their sins. Such is the
omnipotence of the public mind in a free government.
The whole square, except a few spaces for iron gates, is sur-
rounded by a substantial stone wall, of excellent masonry:
The four public offices of the secretaries are within these
walls. The view from the north front is extensive and
beautiful, but from the south front it is more extensive and
still more resplendent, embracing in its range a lovely pros-
pect of the Potomac.
"The site of the house is elevated about sixty feet above
the river, and the descent is quite gradual to it. On the
south-eastern side of the wall, there is a stone arch for a
gateway it looks, from the antiquity of the style and the
color of the material of which it is made, as if it had stood
centuries, defying the climate. Two large ancient weeping
willows, one on each side of the arch, add much to its ven-
erable appearance. These trees have not grown up since
the date of the federal constitution. They are older than
the city charter. They were provincial seedlings, now
national monuments. It is said that an accomplished lady
of the Great House, in former days, when congratulated
upon her elevation, remarked with a smile, 'I dont know
that there is much cause for congratulation; the President
of the United States generally comes in at the iron gate,
and goes out at the weeping willows.'"*
It belongs to this place to give some account of the
usages and ceremonies of the interior of this house. We
speak only of those which are public, and about which the
world has some curiosity.
During the session of Congress, the President has fre-
quent dinner parties. Mr. Cooper gives the following
account of a dinner to which he was invited, during the
administration of President Monroe.
"On this occasion, we were honored with the presence
of Mrs. Monroe, and two or three of her female relatives.
Crossing the hall, we were admitted to a drawing room, in
which most of the company were already assembled. The
hour was six. By far the greater part of the guests were
* Sketches of Public Characters.
292
FAMILY TOURIST.
WASHINGTON.
men, and perhaps two-thirds were members of Congress.
It is unnecessary to describe a company that was composed
of a very fair representation of the whole country, the very
lowest classes always excepted. There was great gravity
of mien in most of the company, and neither any very
marked exhibition, nor any positively striking want, of
grace of manner. The conversation was common-place,
and a little sombre, though two or three men of the world
got around the ladies, where the battle of words was main-
tained with sufficient spirit. I do not know that it differed
materially from a reunion anywhere else. To me the
entertainment had rather a cold than a formal air.
dinner was announced, the oldest Senator present (there
were two, and seniority of service is meant,) took Mrs.
Monroe and led her to the table. The rest of the party
followed without much order. The President took a lady,
as usual, and preceded the rest of the guests.
When
"The drawing room was an apartment of a good size,
and of just proportions. It might have been about as large
as a better sort of Paris salon, in a private hotel. It was
furnished in a mixed style, partly English and partly
French, a custom that prevails a good deal, in all the
fashions of this country. It was neat, sufficiently rich,
without being at all magnificent, and, on the whole, was
very much like a similar apartment in the house of a man
of rank and fortune in Europe. The dining room was in
a better taste than is common here, being quite simple, and
but little furnished. The table was large and rather hand-
The service was in china, as is uniformly the case,
plate being exceedingly rare, if at all used. There was,
however, a rich plateau, and a great abundance of the
smaller articles of table plate. The cloth, napkins, &c.,
&c., were fine and beautiful.
some.
"The dinner was served in the French style, a little
Americanized. The dishes were handed round, though
some of the guests, appearing to prefer their own customs,
very coolly helped themselves to what they found at hand.
Of attendants there were a good many. They were neatly
dressed, out of livery and sufficient. To conclude, the
whole entertainment might have passed for a better sort of
European dinner party, at which the guests were too nu-
merous for general, or very agreeable discourse, and some
of them too new to be entirely at their ease. Mrs. Monroe,
FAMILY TOURIST.
293
WASHINGTON.
arose at the end of the desert, and withdrew, attended by
two or three of the most gallant of the company. No sooner
was his wife's back turned, than the President reseated him-
self, inviting his guests to imitate the action. After allow-
ing his guests sufficient time to renew, in a few glasses, the
recollections of similar enjoyments of their own, he arose
himself, giving the hint to his company, that it was time
to join the ladies. In the drawing room, coffee was served
and every body left the house before nine.
"On the succeeding Wednesday, Mrs. Monroe opened
her doors to all the world. No invitation was necessary, it
being the usage for the wife of the President to receive once
a fortnight during the session, without distinction of per-
sons.
66 We reached the White House, at nine. The court (or
rather the grounds) was filled with carriages, and the com-
pany was arriving in great numbers. On this occasion two
or three additional drawing rooms were opened, though the
frugality of Congress has prevented them from finishing the
principal reception-room of the building. I will acknow-
ledge the same sort of surprise that I felt at the Castle Gar-
den fête, at finding the assemblage so respectable, in air,
dress, and deportment. Determined to know exactly in which
view to consider this ceremony, I gave my companion no
peace until every thing was explained.
The evening at the White House, or the drawing room
as it is sometimes pleasantly called, is in fact a collection of
all classes of people, who choose to go to the trouble and
expense of appearing in dresses suited to an ordinary eve-
ning party. I am not sure that even dress is much regard-
ed; for I certainly saw a good many there in boots. The
females were all neatly and properly attired, though few
were ornamented with jewelry. Of course the poorer and
laboring classes of the community would find little or no
pleasure in such a scene. They consequently stay away.
The infamous, if known, would not be admitted for it is a
peculiar consequence of the high tone of morals in this coun-
try, that grave and notorious offenders rarely presume to
violate the public feeling by invading society. Perhaps if
Washington were a large town, the "evenings" could not
exist; but as it is, no inconvenience is experienced.
<<
►
Squeezing through the crowd, we achieved a passage
to a part of the room, where Mrs. Monroe was standing,
25*
294
FAMILY TOURIST.
WASHINGTON.
surrounded by a bevy of female friends. After making our
bow here, we sought the President. The latter had posted
himself at the top of the room, where he remained most of
the evening, shaking hands with all who approached. Near
him stood all the Secretaries, and a great number of the
most distinguished men of the nation. Individuals of im-
portance from all parts of the Union, were also here, and
were employed in the manner usual to such scenes.
"Besides these, one meets here a variety of people in
other conditions of life. I have known a cartman leave
his horse in the street, and go into the reception-room to
shake hands with the President. He offended the good
sense of all present, because it was not thought decent that
a laborer should come in a dirty dress on such an occasion;
but while he made a trifling mistake in this particular, he
proved how well he understood the difference between gov-
ernment and society. He knew the levee was a sort of hom-
age paid to political equality in the person of the first ma-
gistrate, but he would not have presumed to enter the house
of the same person as a private individual, without being
invited, or without a reasonable excuse in the way of busi-
ness.
"There are no doubt, individuals, who mistake the char-
acter of these assemblies, but the great majority do not.
They are simple, a periodical acknowledgment, that there
is no legal barrier to the advancement of any one to the first
association in the Union. You perceive there are no mas-
ters of ceremonies, no ushers, no announcing, nor indeed
any let or hindrance to the ingress of all who please to come;
and yet how few, in comparison to the whole number who
might enter, do actually appear. If there is any man in
Washington, so dull as to suppose equality means a right to
thrust himself into any company he pleases, it is probable
he satisfies himself by boasting that he can go to the White
House once a fortnight as well as a governor or any body
else."
"At the distance of about 200 yards, on the east of the
President's house, are situated two buildings for the depart-
ments of State, and of the Treasury, and at the same dis-
tance on the west, are others for the War and Navy depart-
ments. These buildings are all of the same dimensions and
construction; they are 160 feet long, and 55 wide, of brick,
two stories in height; they are divided in their length by a
FAMILY TOURIST.
295
WASHINGTON.
broad passage, with rooms on each side and a spacious stair-
case in the centre. The two most northerly buildings are
ornamented with an Ionic portico of six columns, and pedi-
ment; and every observer must be convinced that the two
other buildings require some such finish on their south points
to make them complete. The grounds about these offices
have been graduated and planted, of late years; and the
shrubbery begins to make a pleasing appearance.
"In walking through these offices, a reflecting visiter can-
not fail to be impressed with favorable ideas of the system
and order with which the affairs of this great people are con-
ducted. The heads of departments, with 250 clerks, of
every grade, occupy these buildings. They exhibit no sin-
ecure places, but are all engaged in the business of their
employments, and with as little of relaxation as is compati-
ble with a due attention to health.”
There are other objects of interest and curiosity in Wash-
ington, a notice of which we are obliged to omit, by reason
of the unexpected length to which this article has been ex-
tended. The state of society at Washington, however, de-
mands a brief notice "In many respects," remarks Mr.
Hodgson," Washington reminded me very much of a water
ing place. Scarcely any of the members reside here, ex-
cept while Congress is sitting; and then they are in lodgings.
The ladies who accompany their fathers or husbands, to see
a little of the world, are situated very much as they would
be at Harrowgate, or Cheltenham; and there are usually
many strangers in pursuit of entertainment. It is the resi
dence also of the foreign ministers, and the heads of the de-
partments of Government. All this gives rise to much dis-
sipation. On some of the evenings, there are routs at the
houses of one or other of the ministers of the Corps diplo-
matique, and the rest are generally anticipated by one or
two invitations All, however, complain that this routine
becomes very dull before the session closes, as they meet
almost the same persons every evening, and the sober ones
will seldom go out above two or three times a week. Fam-
lies who are acquainted with each other, often board togeth-
er at the large taverns; and the members who are bachelors
for the time being, form messes, at the private boarding-
houses, where they are often in very close, and sometimes
very shabby quarters. I think quite the majority of the
members go to the Capitol in hackney coaches; and as the
296
FAMILY TOURIST.
WASHINGTON.
ground has been covered with snow, I have several times
seen a sledge and four, with eight or ten senators from
Georgetown in the neighborhood.
"The literary taste of the inhabitants now does them
credit, and it is every day growing better. The visiters
find' but little time to devote to reading, and their previous
acquirements are sufficient for all the demands of the occa-
sion;
and to the honor of the country, I speak of the ladies
more particularly, these are sufficient for their purpose. In
some of the prettiest, a close observer will see the lisp or
drawl of the drawing room conversation, which is only a
manner put on for the time. In the moments of intoxicated
vanity, from admiration and flattery, even the political phi-
losopher looks wise and straightens up; and can youth and
beauty be expected to be more firm or insensible? The di-
plomatic corps of Washington have not,in former years, done
much either to enrich, embellish, or enlighten the city.
Those who have been sent here in former times, have, with
some honorable exceptions, been of a secondary order of di-
plomatists, with their equipage and parties, and after making
a dash, have hardly been heard of again. Many of them,
no doubt, were men of talents; but there was no opportuni-
ty of displaying their intellectual powers here. The corps
are now, however, very respectable.”*
'During the session of Congress," the same writer con-
tinues, "the amusements of Washington, absorb no small
portion of the attention of the visiters, as well as members.
Political struggles possess a sort of dramatic influence on
society; not that the theatre is very well attended; but for
the short time it is kept open, it finds a very tolerable sup-
port, when the press of visiters is great. The President's
levees, and the parties of the Secretaries, foreign ministers,
heads of Bureaus, and those citizens, who can afford to make
parties, are frequent, and well attended. At these parties,
are collected the most distinguished men, not only of the
nation, but many foreigners of note.
"The visiters who do not think of distinction, like well
enough to see what is passing, and they find easy access to
the social circles, and mingle in the throng, to see and ex-
amine for themselves. It is not difficult to get an intro-
duction to men of importance, and to pass a social half
* Skethes of Public Characters.
FAMILY TOURIST.
297
WASHINGTON.
hour with them. These routs are rather to be remembered,
than enjoyed at the moment. These parties are so crowded
as to level all distinctions. Governors, generals, judges,
and political managers, whose influence is something in a
little district, are all lost in this congregation. Orators
whose speeches were fine at home, and doubtless raised a
most noble flame among their political partisans, are aston-
ished at being overlooked; and poets, whose works have
been printed on wire-wove and hot-pressed paper, and sent
to the ladies' toilets in silk and morocco binding, are mor-
tified that not even a belle lisps a line of their works, or ever
whispers their names. The traveller, who has seen every
kingdom on which the sun looks down, is put precisely on
a par with him who has just come down from the moun-
tains, or out of the West, or from the East. Fashion is the
bed of Procrustes, and all are suited to its dimensions. A
whiskered dandy, a black-stocked, officer-like looking man,
and a quizzing-glass allache, are all moving about, regard-
less of those they jostle or crowd. If you inquire who it
is that pushes you out of the way to get at a partner for
the waltz, nobody can tell you, and perhaps he hardly could
himself, if you were to ask him who he was; no matter, he
seems genteel, and that is sufficient for the hour. The
waltz goes on, much to the gratification of the exquisites;
for belles-aye, grave matrons, are swimming round in the
dance, if Dervise-like whirling can be called dancing, and
you see blowsy impudence and simpering familiarity gazing
with Asiatic voluptuousness upon seemingly unsuspecting
innocence, made giddy by unnatural motion, or unmeaning
flattery."*
Allusion has been made in the preceding pages, to an
invasion of Washington by the British during the last war
of the Americans with that power. In the beginning of
August, 1814, a British squadron of between fifty and
sixty sail, arrived in the Chesapeake; of this force several
frigates and bomb vessels were ordered to ascend the Poto-
mac; another division under Sir Peter Parker, was directed
to threaten Baltimore; the main body ascended the Patux-
ent as far as Benedict, where on the 19th of August, 5000
men commanded by general Ross, were landed.
* Sketches of Public Character.
298
FAMILY TOURIST.
WASHINGTON.
In the mean while General Winder, who had command
of the American military district, somewhat anticipated the
designs of the enemy; but, still, not certain of their ob-
ject, had called upon the militia to repair to his standard.
But the call was by no means responded to, according to
the exigency of the case. On the 22d, not more than
2000 had assembled. At the head of these and of 1000
regulars, he took a position not far from the enemy, in-
tending to prevent their progress into the country.
General Ross with his forces commenced his march
towards Washington, the Americans retiring before him.
At Bladensburgh, six miles from Washington, a battle was
fought, General Winder commanding the American force
-and Commodore Barney a small flotilla. The British
were commanded by Major General Ross, and rear Admi-
ral Cockburn. The Americans were repulsed, and the
British advanced towards the capital. A body of militia
had been assembled in this emergency; but the president
and heads of departments, on reviewing the force brought
out for defence, despaired of success, and dispersed. Gen-
eral Ross, at the head of about seven hundred men, took
possession of Washington, and burned the capitol or Sen-
ate-house, the President's house, and the public offices, the
arsenal, the navy yard, and the bridge over the Potomac.
The loss of the British in this expedition was nearly a thou-
sand men, in killed, wounded, and missing; the loss of the
Americans was ten or twelve killed, and thirty or forty
wounded. Commodore Barney's horse was killed under
him, and himself wounded in the thigh and taken pris-
oner; but he was parolled on the field of battle for his
bravery.
The destruction of the national edifices, a British writer
remarks, "has reflected a very 'equivocal glory' upon its
perpetrators. It was a wanton and useless outrage upon
the feelings of the nation." And says an intelligent Brit-
ish Traveller, "Of all the errors committed on our part
during that unhappy war, this was undoubtedly the greatest.
Setting aside the question as to its abstract defensibility, on
the ground of retaliation or otherwise, it is obvious, that it
was in the highest degree impolitic; because its immediate
effect, as might have been anticipated, was to break down
party spirit among the Americans, and to unite them as
FAMILY TOURIST.
299
WASHINGTON.
one man, in support of the measures of Government. The
fire-brand was no sooner applied to their Chief Magistrate's
Palace, and the National Senate House, than thousands
who had from the beginning maintained a systematic oppo-
sition to the contest, at once came forward and took up
arms to maintain it: their national feelings were roused
into powerful excitement, and they joined in one loud voice
of execration, at the destruction of their national edifices.
Our ministers, had such been their object, could not have
devised a more effectual way of strengthening Mr. Madi-
son's hands. Had our troops recorded their triumph upon
the front walls of the buildings, and left them uninjured,
the indignant feeling of humiliation would have wreaked
itself on those by whose imbecility the capture of the city.
had been occasioned, and who escaped so nimbly, when it
fell into the enemy's hands. The burning of the buildings
saved Mr. Madison. A thirst for revenge of the insult
overcame every other feeling; and the war became thence-
forward, what it had not been before, decidedly popular
and national."
Among the objects in the vicinity of Washington which
are of especial interest to every American, is Mount Ver-
non, the celebrated seat of General Washington; bequeath-
ed by him to the Hon. Bushrod Washington, the General's
nephew, and lately one of the Judges of the Supreme
Court. No one who visits Washington, will fail to visit
Mount Vernon; and no one who describes the former, needs
any apology for describing the latter. This celebrated
spot is 8 miles from Alexandria, and 15 from Washington.
We avail ourselves of Mr. Duncan's account of the seat
and sepulchre of the father of his country.
"At the bottom of the avenue to Mount Vernon, the
gate was opened to us by an old negro, who had survived
the master of his youth, and who now receives from many
a visiter, substantial tokens of the universal respect, which
is entertained for his memory. The avenue is narrow, and
in bad order; it has indeed more the air of a neglected
country road, than the approach to a gentleman's residence.
The mansion house, an old fashioned building of two sto-
ries, surmounted with a small turret and weathercock,
stands on an elevated situation, on the western bank of the
་
300
FAMILY TOURIST.
WASHINGTON.
Potomac; it is built of wood, but the walls are plastered in
imitation of rusticated freestone. The back part of the
house is to the river; at the other side are two small wings
at right angles to the principal building, and connected by
piazzas, which bend towards them, so as to form a kind of
irregular crescent. Opposite the hall door is a semicircu-
lar grass-plot, surrounded with a gravel walk, and shaded
on both sides by lofty trees: two beautiful chestnuts were
pointed out to me, which sprang from nuts planted by the
General's own hand. On the two sides are the vegetable
and flower gardens, in the latter of which is a green-
house.
"The mansion-house was originally built by Wahsing-
ton's uncle, who had served in the British navy under Ad-
miral Vernon, and who commemorated his regard for his
commanding officer, by the name which he gave to his es-
tate. Some partial alterations were made on the house by
the General; but report says, that he subsequently regret-
ted that he did not entirely rebuild it. It is an old fash-
ioned, perhaps not a very comfortable residence, according
to modern ideas of comfort; but it ought now to be consid-
ered sacred, and have the most unremitting care bestowed
on its preservation. He will be worse than a Vandal who
presumes to pull it down. In the hall hangs a picture of
the Bastile, and in a small glass case above it, is an ancient
key, which formerly turned the bolt of one of the dreary
locks in that house of sighs. It was sent out to Washing-
ton by the Marquis la Fayette, after the destruction of the
Bastile, as an inscription affixed, in his hand-writing, re-
cords. Over the mantel-piece is a framed miniature of the
General, which was cut out of a piece of common earth-
en-ware. It is a singular fact, that this is regarded
by the family as the most accurate likeness that ex-
ists. The general contour of his face is well ascertained,
and there is a strong similarity in most of the portraits; yet
those who knew him best, agree that there was a certain
expression in his countenance, which is quite wanting even
in Stuart's painting, and in the engraving which was exe-
cuted from it. This very ordinary kind of daub, which
was broken out of a common pitcher, and probably execu-
ted by some potter's apprentice, is said to possess more
of this intellectual characteristic, than any of the other
portraits.

CAPITOL AT WASHINGTON.
FAMILY TOURIST.
301
WASHINGTON.
"At the back of the house, a lofty piazza stretches
along the whole length of the building; and before it,
the ground slopes rapidly towards the river, and soon be-
comes quite precipitous. On the bank is a small tea-house,
which affords a most commanding view of the surrounding
scenery. The Potomac widens into a bay before you, and,
bending round the base of Mount Vernon, seems almost to
insulate the promontory on which it stands; then sweeping
in the opposite direction round the projecting shore of Ma-
ryland, and lost for a time in its vast forest, it re-appears in
noble expanse about ten miles below, with the sunbeams
flashing from its surface, and rolling its mighty current
into the yet more ample bosom of the Chesapeake.
"A little to the right of the tea-house, and nearer to the
edge of the bank, is the tomb of Washington. Here, un-
der the peaceful shade of oaks and cedars, lies all that
earth contains of him, by whose energy and patriotism the
United States became a nation! No venerable cathedral
rears its arches over his remains; no sumptuous mausoleum
embalms his memory.
'Si monumentum quæris, circumspice!'
His country is his monument; his country's liberty, his only
panegyric.
"Washington in his will, designated the spot in which
he wished to be interred, and particularly directed that his
body should not afterwards be removed. The cemetery is
nothing more than a plain brick vault, almost level with the
ground; it is encircled by venerable oaks, and some beauti-
ful red cedars in the mould which covers the roof. Visiters
were formerly allowed to see the interior, but some person
having had the rudeness to strip part of the cloth from the
coffin, all access to it is now forbidden. Subsequently to
this prohibition, the servant who had been entrusted with
the key, conceived the horrible idea of robbing the vault,
for the purpose of carrying off the body to Britain, to ex-
hibit for money! His intention was happily discovered,
and the nefarious outrage prevented. It is difficult, indeed,
to imagine how it could have been carried into effect, with-
out immediate detection; but the projector must have been
a fool to suppose that such atrocity would have been coun-
26
302
FAMILY TOURIST.
WASHINGTON.
tenanced in Britain, or that he would have been permitted
for a single day to carry on so abominable a trade.
►
"The State of Virginia applied to the relatives of the
General, for permission to remove the body to Richmond,
to erect a monument over it, and it is said that, notwith-
standing the specific injunctions of the will, the family
were persuaded to consent to this proposal. Several years,
however, have since elapsed; and as no provision has yet
been made for carrying the proposed plan into effect, it is
generally believed that no claim will be founded upon that
permission. Congress, it is reported, wish to transfer the
body to the seat of government, and to entomb it under
the centre dome of the capitol. If it be ever removed
from its present situation, certainly, the Capitol is its only
suitable resting place. No individual State should be
allowed to possess a deposit, which, if the family relinquish
it, is undoubtedly the property of the nation, and should
pass into no other guardianship. Beyond all question,
however, the proper place for Washington's ashes is where
they are. The secluded spot harmonizes with every idea
which we have formed of his character, while the powerful
influence of local associations, gives vividness to our con-
ceptions, and intensity to our emotions. In the Capitol,
every thing would have an opposite tendency. It is a
building which Washington never saw, and which is no
way connected with his personal history; it has once been
reduced to ashes; and what would in all probability have
been the fate of the body had the removal taken place be-
fore that event? In visiting the tomb of Nelson, in the
vaults of St. Paul's, it is not the wondrous achievements
of the hero which chiefly occupy our thoughts; there is
nothing in those damp and dismal caverns, which is at all
in harmony with such recollections. An attendant pilots
you, by the yellow glimmering of a tallow candle, through
tartarean darkness, to the quarry of granite under which
he is buried; and while wandering round it, your thoughts
are engrossed with the opening which was made in the
floor of the church to lower the coffin through, and of the
prodigious labor it must have cost to pile up over it such
ponderous masses of stone. Nelson you scarcely think of;
your ideas are all engaged about those who buried him.
At Mount Vernon no such distraction takes place. You
look around upon scenery which Washington often con-
FAMILY TOURIST.
303
WASHINGTON.
templated; you tread the turf over which he walked; you
see the gardens in which he amused himself; the trees
which he planted; the house, the rooms, the chair, which
he occupied, and the humble vault which he himself chose
for the repose of his dust. Every thing is consistent; the
effect is harmonious and powerful. Mount Vernon alone
should be Washington's grave.'
"On the opposite bank of the Potomac, and a very little
way farther up, is a small intrenchment, named Fort Wash-
ington, which commands the channel of the river. Had it
been vigorously defended when our vessels went up the
river to Alexandria, it is believed that it might have arrest-
ed their progress. When our troops, however, were on
their march to Washington, the officer who commanded it
blew it up and made off. There was no sufficient cause for
such a proceeding; yet, it is said that he obeyed to the let-
ter the orders of his superior officer. I was quite gratified
to hear from a gentleman of Judge Washington's family,
that when the British ships of war passed Mount Vernon,
they honored the memory of the departed hero, by lowering
their foretop-sails, and their bands, as another gentleman
informed me, played Washington's march. That was
indeed a manifestation of most correct and honorable feel-
ing on the part of the commanding officer.
.
"I have mentioned that the avenue to Mount Vernon
had a neglected appearance; I am sorry to add that similar
neglect pervades other parts of the establishment. The
flower garden and green-house nearly gone to decay; the
tea-house on the bank of the river is almost in ruins;
indeed, its upper story, from which a more extensive view
may be obtained, is at present inaccessible, for the ladder
to it retains but one foot at top and another at bottom.
Even the door of the vault is to all appearance so crazy,
that I think a kick would go far to knock it to pieces. It
is painful to observe such an air of desolation in so inter-
esting a spot, and I would cherish the hope that it will
speedily be removed."*
During the visit of Lafayette to the United States, he
paid a visit to Mount Vernon and the tomb of Washington,
which is thus described by Mr. Lavasseur :
*Duncan's Travels.
304
FAMILY TOURIST.
WASHINGTON.
"After a voyage of two hours, the guns of Fort Wash-
ington announced that we were approaching the last abode
of the father of his country. At this solemn signal, to which
the military band accompanying us responded by plaintive
strains, we went on deck, and the venerable soil of Mount
Vernon was before us; at this view an involuntary and
spontaneous movement made us kneel. We landed in boats
and trod upon the ground, so often worn by the feet of
Washington. A carriage received Gen. Lafayette, and the
other visiters silently ascended the precipitous path, which
conducted to the solitary habitation of Mount Vernon. In
re-entering beneath this hospitable roof, which had shelter-
ed him when the reign of terror tore him violently from his
country, and family, George Lafayette felt his heart sink
within him, at no more finding him, whose paternal care
had softened his misfortunes, whose example and wise coun-
sel inspired his youthful mind with those generous senti-
ments which at present render him an example of good citi-
zenship, a model to parents and husbands, the most devoted
of sons, the most stable of friends. His father again sought
with emotion for every thing which reminded him of the
companion of his glorious toils.
"Three nephews of General Washington, took Lafayette,
his son, and myself, to conduct us to the tomb of their un-
cle; our numerous companions remained in the house; in a
few minutes after, the cannon of the fort thundering anew,
announced that Lafayette rendered homage to the ashes of
Washington. Simple and modest as he was during life, the
tomb of the citizen hero is scarcely perceived amid the
sombre cypresses by which it is surrounded: a vault slightly
elevated and sodded over, a wooden door without inscrip-
tion, some withered and some green garlands, indicate to the
traveller who visits this spot, the place where rests in peace
the puissant arms which broke the chains of his country.
As we approached, the door was opened; Lafayette descend-
ed alone into the vault, and a few minutes after re-appeared,
with his eyes overflowing with tears. He took his son and
me by the hand, and led us into the tomb, where by a sign.
he indicated the coffin of his paternal friend, along side of
which was that of his companion in life, united to him for-
ever in the grave. We knelt reverentially, near his coffin,
which we respectfully saluted with our lips; rising, we threw
FAMILY TOURIST.
305
WASHINGTON.
ourselves into the arms of Lafayette, and mingled our tears
with his.
"In leaving the vault, we were met by the three nephews
of Washington: one of them, Mr. Custis, presented general
Lafayette with a gold ring, containing some of the hair of
the great man, and we returned to the house, where our
companions awaited us. An hour was devoted to visiting
the house and grounds, which at present belong to a ne-
phew of Washington, who bears the same name, and is one of
the judges of the Supreme Court of the United States. He
has made no alteration in the property left him by his uncle,
for whose memory he entertains the most profound and ten-
der respect. George Lafayette assured us that every thing
in the house was as he saw it twenty-eight years ago.
He
found in the place where Washington himself had left it, the
principal key of the bastile, which was sent him by Lafay-
ette, at the time this monument of despotism was destroyed.
The note sent with the key is still carefully preserved.”
Washington closed his useful and eventful life on the night
of the 14th Dec. 1799. The following account of his last
hours, is from "Custis' Recollections :"
"On the morning of the thirteenth, the general was en-
gaged in making some improvement in front of Mount Ver-
non. As was usual with him, he carried his own compass,
noted his observations, and marked out the ground. The
day became rainy, with sleet, and the improver remained so
long exposed to the inclemency of the weather, as to be con-
siderably wetted before his return to the house. About one
o'clock he was seized with chillness and nausea, but having
changed his clothes, he sat down to his in-door work-there
being no moment of his time for which he had not provided
an appropriate employment.
"At night, on joining his family circle, the general com-
plained of slight indisposition, and, after a single cup of tea,
repaired to his library, where he remained writing until be-
tween eleven and twelve o'clock. Mrs. Washington retired
about the usual family hour, but became alarmed at not hear-
ing the accustomed sound of the library-door, as it closed for
the night, and gave signal for rest in the well regulated man-
sion, she rose again and continued sitting up, in much anx-
iety and suspense. At length the well known step was
heard on the stair, and upon the general's entering his cham-
26*
306
FAMILY TOURIST.
WASHINGTON.
ber, the lady chided him for staying up so late, knowing
himself to be unwell; to which Washington made this mem-
orable reply: "I came as soon as my business was accom-
plished. You well know, that, through a long life, it has
been my unvaried rule never to put off till the morrow the
duties which should be performed to day."
Having first covered up the fire with care, the man of
mighty labors sought repose; but it came not as it had long
been wont to do, to comfort and restore, after the many and
earnest occupations of the well spent day. The night was
spent in feverish restlessness and pain. "Tired nature's
sweet restorer, balmy sleep," was destined no more to visit
his couch; yet the manly sufferer uttered no complaint,
would permit no one to be disturbed in their rest on his ac-
count, and it was only at day-break he would consent that
the overseer might be called in, and bleeding resorted to.
A vein was opened, but without affording relief. Couriers.
were despatched to summon Dr. Craik, the family physician,
and Drs. Dick and Brown, as consulting physicians, all of
whom came with speed. The proper remedies were ad-
ministered, but without producing their healing effects, while
the patient, yielding to the anxious looks of all around him,
waived his usual objections to medicines, and took those
which were prescribed, without hesitation or remark. The
medical gentlemen spared not their skill, and all the resour-
ces of their art, were exhausted, in unwearied endeavors to
preserve this noblest work of nature.
"The night approached-the last night of Washington;
the weather became severely cold, while the group gathered
nearer to the couch of the sufferer, watching with intense
anxiety, for the slightest dawning of hope. He spoke but
little. To the respectful and affectionate inquiries of an old
family servant, as she smoothed down his pillow, how he
felt himself, he answered, "I am very ill." To Dr. Craik,
his earliest companion in arms, longest tried and bosom
friend, he observed: "I am dying, sir,—but am not afraid
to die." To Mrs. Washington, he said, "Go to my escritoir,
and in the private drawer you will find two papers,-bring
them to me." They were brought. He continued: "These
are my wills-preserve this one, and burn the other." Which
was accordingly done. Calling to Col. Lear, he said, "Let
my corpse be kept the usual period of three days."
The patient bore his acute suffering with manly fortitude
FAMILY TOURIST.
307
WASHINGTON.
and perfect resignation to the Divine will-while, as the
night advanced, it became evident that he was sinking, and
he seemed fully aware that his "hour was nigh." He in-
quired the time, and it was answered, a few moments to
twelve. He spoke no more, the hand of death was upon
him, and he was conscious that his" hour was come." With
surprising self possession, he prepared to die. Composing
his form at length, and folding his arms upon his bosom,
without a sigh, without a groan, the father of his country
expired, gently, as though an infant died. Nor pang nor
struggle told when the noble spirit took its noiseless flight;
while so tranquil appeared the manly features in the repose
of death, that some moments had passed ere those around
could believe the patriarch was no more.
"It may be asked, and why was the ministry of religion
wanting to shed its peaceful and benign lustre upon the last
hours of Washington? Why was he, to whom the observ-
ance of sacred things were ever primary duties through life,
without their consolations in his last moments? We an-
swer, circumstances did not permit. It was but for a little
while that the disease assumed so threatening a character, as
to forbid the encouragement of hope, yet, to stay that sum-
mons which none may refuse, to give farther days to him,
whose "time honored life" was so dear to mankind, prayer
was not wanting to the Throne of Grace.-Close to the couch
of the sufferer, resting her head upon that ancient book,
with which she had been wont to hold pious communion, a
portion of every day, for more than a half a century, was the
venerable consort; absorbed in silent prayer, and from which
she only arose when the mourning group prepared to bear
her from the chamber of the dead. Such were the last hours
of Washington !"
The following tribute to the exalted virtues of this illus-
trious man, from the pen of Lord Brougham, may with pro-
priety close this brief notice of one who was "first in war—
first in peace-and first in the hearts of his countrymen."
"How grateful the relief which the friend of mankind,
the lover of virtue, experiences, when, turning from the
contemplation of such a character [Napoleon], his eye
rests upon the greatest of our own or of any other age;
the only one upon whom an epithet so thoughtlessly lav-
ished by men to foster the crimes of their worst enemies,
may indeed be innocently and justly bestowed! In Wash-
308
FAMILY TOURIST.
WASHINGTON.
ington we truly behold a marvellous contrast to almost
every one of the endowments and the vices, which we have
been contemplating; and which are so well fitted to excite
a mingled admiration, and sorrow, and abhorrence. With
none of that brilliant genius which dazzles ordinary minds;
with not even any remarkable quickness of apprehension;
with knowledge less than almost all persons in the middle
ranks, and many well educated of the humbler classes pos-
sess; this eminent person is presented to our observation
clothed in attributes as modest, as unpretending, as little
calculated to strike or astonish, as if he had passed un-
known through some secluded region of private life. But
he had a judgment sure and sound; a steadiness of mind
which never suffered any passion, or even any feeling, to
ruffle its calm; a strength of understanding, which worked
rather than forced its way through all obstacles,-removing -
or avoiding rather than overleaping them. His courage,
whether in battle or in council, was as perfect as might be
expected from this pure and steady temper of soul. A per-
fectly just man, with a thoroughly firm resolution never to
be misled by others, any more than by others overawed;
never to be seduced or betrayed, or hurried away by his own
weakness or self-delusions, any more than by other men's
arts; nor ever to be disheartened by the most complicated dif-
ficulties, any more than to be spoiled on the giddy heights of
fortune such was this great man-whether we regard him
as sustaining alone the whole weight of campaigns, all but
desperate, or gloriously terminating a just warfare by his re-
sources and his courage-presiding over the jarring ele-
ments of political councils, alike deaf to the storms of all
extremes—or directing the formation of a new government
for a great people, the first time that so vast an experiment
had ever been tried by man-or finally retiring from the su-
preme power to which his virtue had raised him over the
nation he had created, and whose destinies he had guided as
long as his aid was required-retiring from the veneration
of all parties, of all nations, of all mankind, in order that
the rights of men might be conserved, and that his example
might never be appealed to by vulgar tyrants. This is the
consummate glory of the great American; a triumphant
warrior where the most sanguine had a right to despair; a
successful ruler in all the difficulties of a course wholly un-
tried; but a warrior, whose sword only left its sheath when
FAMILY TOURIST.
309
GEORGETOWN.
the first law of our nature commanded it to be drawn; and
a ruler who, having tasted of supreme power, gently and
unostentatiously desired that the cup might pass from him,
nor would suffer more to wet his lips than the most solemn
and sacred duty to his country and his God required!
"To his latest breath did this great patriot maintain the
noble character of a captain, the patron of peace; and a
statesman, the friend of justice. Dying, he bequeathed to
his heirs the sword, which he had worn in the war of lib-
erty, charging them 'never to take it from the scabbard
but in self-defence, or in defence of their country and her
freedom; and commanding them, that when it should thus
be drawn, they should never sheathe it, never give it up,
but prefer falling with it in their hands to the relinquish-
ment thereof,'-words, the majesty and simple eloquence
of which, are not surpassed in the oratory of Athens and
Rome. It will be the duty of the historian and the sage _in
all ages, to omit no occasion of commemorating this illus-
trious man; and until time shall be no more, will a test
of the progress which our race has made in wisdom and in
virtue be derived from the veneration paid to the immortal
name of WASHINGTON.
11*
*
GEORGETOWN.
Georgetown may be considered as a suburb, or part of the
metropolis, being separated from it by a narrow stream
called Rock, Creek. It is about three miles west of the
Capitol. The position of the town is remarkably salubri-
ous, and it has at all times escaped those summer epidem-
ics that have prevailed some years in the adjacent country.
It is handsomely situated on a succession of hills rising
gradually from the River and Creek, to which all its streets
incline, so that every considerable rain thoroughly cleanses
them of all impurity. The houses are chiefly of brick,
and there are many elegant villas in different parts. The
population is between 8,000 and 10,000. It is a thriving
* Edinburgh Review, Oct. 1838.
310
FAMILY TOURIST
1
GEORGETOWN.
place, and has considerable commerce. Tobacco and flour
are its chief articles of exportation. During the session of
Congress, it is the residence of a considerable number of
that body. The society is represented as enlightened and
agreeable. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal leaves the
Potomac at this place, and a bridge crosses the road.
In respect to public institutions, the two which attract
most attention, are the College, and the Convent of Visita-
tion. The former was established 50 years since. In 1815,
it was made a University by Congress. It is under the di-
rection of the Roman Catholics. The College buildings
are delightfully situated on an eminence that commands a
fair prospect all around. It has a respectable library, and
the system of education is said to be enlightened and lib-
eral.
A
The Convent of Visitation is under the direction of
about 60 nuns, who devote themselves to religious duties
and the education of females. A large number of children
are taught gratuitously; but the most valuable part of the
establishment is the boarding school for young ladies.
writer whom we have before quoted, has the following lan-
guage respecting the instructors in this institution, and the
system of education pursued. "The Sisters themselves
are highly educated, in every branch of science, and in all
the current and fashionable literature of the age, as well
as in the profound ethics, and the sublime doctrines of the
Christian religion. In this institution the great evil of
most schools is avoided; this evil is, to make one person
teach many branches, and of course no one can be pro-
found in all. Here, each sister selects her department,
and never walks out of it; six or seven, therefore, are
united as instructors in the same branch, and the indis-
position of one or two does not interfere with the course
of instruction in any branch.
"The languages are here taught with great accuracy,
and with a pure, lady-like, and natural accent, the charm
of polished society. The system of education extends to
the minute duties of housewifery, and the pupils graduate
with a thorough acquaintance with the science of the kitch-
en and mysteries of the culinary art, without which no wo-
man can be said to be accomplished."
FAMILY TOURIST.
311
ALEXANDRIA.
ALEXANDRIA.
Alexandria, formerly called Belhaven, is a commercial
town of considerable activity, seven miles south of Wash-
ington, on the opposite side of the Potomac. The river is
here a mile wide, and 30 feet deep. The harbor is capa-
cious, and vessels of the largest size can float alongside the
wharfs, a row of which extends along the river the whole
length of the city. The town is compactly built on the
plan of Philadelphia; the streets are wide, deeply paved,
kept clean, and are better lighted at night than most Amer-
ican towns. Articles of export are flour, biscuits, and to-
bacco; fish and lumber are, however, shipped in consider-
able quantities. It is said that 200,000 barrels of flour
have been inspected here in the course of a single year.
The biscuits or crackers are quite celebrated, and are ship-
ped in large quantities to all parts of the United States, and
even to the West India Islands. Baltimore has had the
same withering effect on the commerce of Alexandria, that
New York has exercised on its seaport vicinity. The pop-
ulation exceeds 8,000.
VIRGINIA.
RICHMOND.
RICHMOND, the political metropolis of Virginia, is situ-
ated on the north bank of James River, between fifty and
sixty miles above City Point; 150 miles above the mouth
of the river, and 123 south-west from Washington. It is
at the head of tide water; though the river has been ren-
dered boatable 220 miles above the city. It is just below
the falls, and opposite to Manchester, with which it is
connected by bridges. The population, in 1830, was
16,060.
The situation of Richmond is highly picturesque and
healthful, and it is a flourishing commercial city. Most of
the houses are of brick, and many of them are elegant.
Its public buildings are very commodious, and in good
style, and it has considerable manufactures. The falls ex-
tend nearly six miles, in which the river descends eighty
feet. A canal passes round these falls, and the river is
navigable for batteaux 220 miles above them. The city is
thus connected with a very extensive back country, that is
highly productive of wheat, corn, hemp, tobacco, and coal.
Vessels drawing ten feet of water come to Rockets, just
below the city, and those drawing fifteen feet ascend to
Warwick, five miles below Richmond. The inland, coast-
ing, and foreign trade of Richmond, are extensive and in
creasing, and the city possesses great advantages as a
healthy and pleasant place of residence. It has good
schools, and convenient houses of worship for many reli-
gious denominations. The Virginia armory is an exten-
sive establishment, and capable of supplying the State with
FAMILY TOURIST.
313
RICHMOND.
arms. The new court-house is a very spacious and elegant
building. The capitol has a very commanding situation
on Shockoe hill.*
In 1811, December 26, a most awful catastrophe befel a
portion of the citizens of Richmond, during the sudden
conflagration of the theatre. The house was uncommonly
full at the time; not less than 600 persons were present.
The curtain rose on the second act of a pantomime; the
orchestra was in full chorus; a performer came on to open
the scene ;-when sparks of fire began to fall on the back
part of the stage, and Mr. Robertson came, waving his
hand first to the ceiling, then exclaiming, "the house is on
fire!" The cry of fire! fire! passed rapidly through the
house; and the scene of horror and distress that followed,
baffles all description. All flew from their seats. Cries
and shrieks filled the house. Many persons were trodden
under foot; several were thrown back from the windows,
from which they were endeavoring to leap. The stair-
ways were blocked up, and the smoke threatened instant
suffocation. Many leaped from the windows of the first
story, and were saved; some from the second windows;
others were shockingly burnt. The fire flew with amazing
rapidity; and within ten minutes after it caught, the whole
house was wrapped in flames. Nearly 70 persons perished
in the conflagration; and a considerable number after-
wards expired, in consequence of the injuries they received.
Among those who perished in the flames was George W.
Smith, governor of Virginia, and Abraham B. Venable,
president of the Bank of Virginia. The first had, but a
few days before, been placed in the chair of government;
the last had very honorably filled several high stations, and
had been in the House of Representatives, and in the Sen-
ate of the United States, during the most interesting pe-
riods.
Pursuant to an ordinance of the common council of the
city of Richmond, the remains of those who perished in
the fire were deposited in the area, which had been in-
closed within the walls of the theatre; an area which was
to be encompassed by a wall five feet high. The inter-
* Encyclopædia Americana.
27
314*
FAMILY TOURIST.
RICHMOND.
ment was made on Sunday, the 30th, when a mournful
procession moved to the sepulchral spot. The remains
were chiefly enclosed in two large mahogany boxes, and
were deposited in the centre of the place where the pit
stood. The city was bathed in tears. On this spot of ag-
ony and desolation, the citizens have, with great propri-
ety, erected a church, called the Monumental Church, with
a monument in front, commemorative of the melancholy
event.*
* Holmes' Annals.
NORTH CAROLINA.
RALEIGH.
RALEIGH, the political metropolis of North Carolina, de-
rives its name from Sir Walter Raleigh, a distinguished
warrior, statesman, and writer, who flourished in the reigns
of Elizabeth and James I., and who, in 1584, projected a
plan for the discovery and settlement of the territory north
of the Gulf of Mexico. The discoveries made under his
auspices terminated, in after years, in the settlement of
Virginia, and the neighboring States. With great proprie-
ty does the South contain a city bearing his name.
was one of the most distinguished men of his age. A well
known act of gallantry increased his favor at court. Eliz-
abeth the queen, in a walk among a crowd of courtiers,
having come to a spot where the path was obstructed by
mire, Raleigh immediately took off his rich plush cloak
and spread it on the ground for a foot-cloth.
He
The city thus called after this gallant knight, is a hand-
some interior town, near the centre of North Carolina, six
miles west of the Neuse, 164 miles south-west of Rich-
mond, and 288 from Washington. It contains thirteen
public buildings, five houses of public worship, and about
3,000 inhabitants, of whom half are slaves. Union square,
in the centre of the town, containing ten acres, is a public
ground, highly ornamental to the city. Four streets ex-
tend from it, dividing the town into four parts. In 1831,
the splendid State House of this town was destroyed by
fire. The beautiful marble statue of Washington, by
Canova, the great Italian artist, which cost the State
25,000 dollars, was placed in the State House, and was
316
FAMILY TOURIST.
1
RALEIGH.
supposed at first irreparably destroyed. It has since been
discovered to be less injured than was imagined. The
artist is dead, and it is a source of melancholy regret,
that this chef d'ouvre can never be restored to its pris-
tine beauty. There are two flourishing academies in this
town. The most beautiful materials for building abound
in its vicinity.*.
* Flint's Geography of Mississippi Valley.
}
}
SOUTH CAROLINA.
CHARLESTON.
CHARLESTON, the commercial metropolis of South Caro-
lina, and formerly the seat of government, is a fine looking
city, standing on a dead level with the sea in front, at the
distance of seven miles; and two noble rivers, the Ashley
and the Cooper, inclosing it on a wide peninsula, called the
neck. The present city was founded in 1680. Old Charles-
ton being at this time abandoned, on account of the un-
healthiness of its situation. The old town lay upon the
banks of the Ashley river, and was founded in 1670 by Go-
vernor William Sayle. It has a neat and safe harbor, but
its entrance is somwhat obstructed by a bar.
The city is regularly built, and the streets cross each oth-
er at right angles. The smallest streets are paved. All
have brick side walks. The paving stone is imported from
the northern States, on which account it is an expensive ar-
ticle, and the paving of the streets can only be gradually ef
fected. In the streets are a row of trees, consisting princi-
pally of the Pride of India, planted on each side along the
outer edge of the foot pavement; a fashion common to most
of the southern towns of America. "What gives Charles-
ton, however, its peculiar character," Captain B. Hall adds,
is the verand, or piazza, which embraces most of the houses
on their southern side, and frequently, also, on those which
face the east and west. These are not clumsily put on, but
constructed in a light oriental style, extending from the
ground to the very top, so that the rooms on each story en-
joy the advantage of a shady open walk. Except in the
busy, commercial parts of the town, where building ground
is too precious to be so employed, the houses are surround-
ed with a garden crowded with shrubs and flowers of all
kinds, shaded by double and treble rows of orange-trees;
each establishment being generally encircled with hedges,
of a deep green, covered over with the most brilliant show
imaginable, of large white roses, fully as broad as my hand.
2*7*
318
FAMILY TOURIST.
CHARLESTON.
The houses, which stand in the midst of these luxurious
pleasure grounds, are built of every form and size, general-
ly painted white, with railed terraces on the tops; and every
house, or very nearly every one, and certainly every church
spire, of which there are a great number, has a lightning
rod."*
Another writer, F. Hall, remarks, that "Streets unpaved
and narrow, small wooden houses, from among which rise,
in every quarter of the town, stately mansions, surrounded,
from top to bottom, with broad verandas, and standing with-
in little gardens full of orange-trees, palm-trees, and mag-
nolias, are features which give Charleston an expression be-
longing to the South of Europe, rather than to the Teutonic
cities of the North. Perhaps, taking into view its large
black population, and glowing temperature in January, it
is not very unlike some of the cities on the Mediterranean
coast of Africa. In other respects, it is a noble monument
of what human effort can effect. Its soil is a barren, burn-
ing sand, with a river on each side, overflowing into pesti-
lential marshes, which exhale a contagion so pernicious as
to render sleeping a single night within its influence, during
the summer months, an experiment of the greatest hazard."
"Yet Charleston is deemed more salubrious than any
other part of the low country of the United States; and
during the sickly season, it is the resort even of rich plant-
ers from the West Indies. But Charleston itself is no place
of refuge during the hottest part of the season. All the in-
habitants, who can afford it, then flee to a barren sand-
bank in the harbor, called Sullivan's Island, containing one
well and a few palmettoes; where they dwell in miserable
wooden tenements, trembling in every storm, lest their hi-
ding places should be blown from over their heads, or del-
uged by an inundation from the sea. Many migrate to the
mountains, to Ballston or Saratoga, or to other parts of the
Northern States.Ӡ
When those who decide on spending the summer in the
city, are once settled there, it is deemed in the highest de-
gree hazardous to sleep a single night in the country. "The
experiment," says Mr. Hodgson," is sometimes made, and
occasionally with impunity; but all my informants concur-
+ F. Hall's Travels.
* B. Hall's Travels.
FAMILY TOURIST.
319
CHARLESTON.
red in assuring me, that fatal consequences might generally
be expected. The natives, however, may pass to and fro
between the city and Sullivan's Island, (seven miles distant,)
without risk. Of late years, it has been discovered, that
there are certain healthy spots, even in the country, during
the most sickly months. These are in the pine barrens, at
a distance from the swamps. To be safe in them, it is ne-
cessary that the land be as barren as possible, and that not a
tree be cut down, except to leave room for the house. Even
a little garden, it is considered, would entail some risk. I
saw several of these retreats, which are occupied by the over-
seers of plantations."* These remarks apply to the natives
whose apprehensions are confined to "the country fever," a
species of ague. After the age of ten or fifteen years, they
are generally proof against the yellow, or "strangers fever."
But the probability would be greatly against a stranger's
escaping the fatal effects of the latter, who should remain.
either in Charleston or Savannah during the sickly season.
It is only, therefore, during a few months in the year, that
Charleston is inhabited by the better class of its citizens.
The races, which usually take place in February, are the
signal for the principal families to visit their town houses,
for three or four weeks, assembling from their plantations,
at a distance of from 30 to 150 miles. During this short
season of gayety, there is a perpetual round of visits. Ear-
ly in March, they return to the retirement of their planta-
tions, often accompanied by the strangers with whom they
have made acquaintance. They remain there till about the
beginning of June, when they return to the city, or start on
their summer excursion. By those who remain prisoners
in Charleston, the first black frost is looked for with great
anxiety towards October; after which, they may with safety
return to their plantations, where they remain till the return
of February. "In passing through the city at that season,
when all is ornamented and gay, and the climate pure and
delicious, it is melancholy," remarks Mr. Hodgson, "to
think of the stillness which will soon pervade its streets, when
the heats will almost suspend all intercourse among the na-
tives, and when the stranger who has been so rash as to re-
main in this infected region, will move with fearful and
trembling steps, his imagination filled with apparitions of
* Hodgson's Travels.
320
FAMILY TOURIST.
CHARLESTON.
1. 11
the 'pestilence that walketh in darkness,' and his heart
sickened with the destruction that waiteth at noon day.'
"Charleston keeps in pay a company of police soldiers,
who during the night occupy several posts. They have
their guard house near Jones' Hotel, and I was startled to
hear the retreat and reveillê beat there. This corps owes
its support to the fear of the negroes. At nine o'clock in
the evening a bell is sounded; and after this no negro can
venture abroad without a written permission from his mas-
ter, or he will immediately be thrown into prison, nor can
his owner obtain his release till next day, and then only by
the payment of a fine. Should the master refuse to pay this
fine, then the slave receives twenty-five lashes, and a receipt,
with which he is sent back to his master.'
""
The Duke of Saxe Weimar, who spent some time in
Charleston, in 1825, visited several of the public buildings
and institutions of the city, thus describes it. "The mark-
et consists of five houses, in a long street ending upon the
harbor, and resembles somewhat those of the Philadelphia
market. The quantity of the most beautiful tropical fruit
therein arranged, oranges from Florida, pistachios, and
large excellent pine apples from Cuba, interested me much.
These large and delicious fruit cost only twelve and a half
cents each, of course a dollar for eight. There were nuts
of various descriptions; many sorts of potatoes, cabbages,
and white and red radishes. Fish were not presented in
so great a variety as I expected. Of shell-fish, I saw oys-
ters only, which are roasted in the shell at market, and
consumed by the negroes with great avidity. Upon the
roofs of the market houses sat a number of buzzards, which
are supported by offals. It is a species of vulture, black,
with a naked head. Seen from a distance, they resemble
turkeys, for which reason they are denominated turkey-
buzzards. They are not only suffered as very useful ani-
mals, but there is a fine of five dollars for the killing of one
of these birds. A pair of these creatures were so tame that
they crept about in the meat market among the feet of the
buyers."
"The Orphan House," continues the same writer, "is a
brick building, three stories high, erected by voluntary con-
tributions, and in it, one hundred and thirty-six children of
FAMILY TOURIST.
321
CHARLESTON.
both sexes are supported. I was surprised at the exceeding
cleanliness pervading the whole establishment. The chil-
dren sleep upon the floor, and the girls and sick only are
allowed mattrasses; the boys have a woollen coverlet, in
which they wrap themselves. I was informed that this was
done for fear of vermin. A very nourishing diet, and a
truly maternal care, preserve the children healthy. At their
twelfth year, they are provided for abroad, to enable them
to earn their own subsistence. Many of the boys enter into
the United States Navy, and it has been reported to me that
two of the pupils of this institution have attained the rank
of officers. Behind the house is a moderately large chapel,
in the midst of the garden. The clergy of all Christian
professions can hold divine service here every Sunday after-
noon; in the mornings, the service in turn is taken charge
of by a superintendent. In front of the building, is a large
open square. In it stands an ill-preserved statue of Lord
Chatham, which was erected by the then colony of South
Carolina, before the breaking out of the American revolu-
tion, in memory of that great man, in gratitude for the op-
position he maintained against colonial taxation. An in-
scription on the statue mentions this. During the siege, it
stood at the corner of the street, near the City Hall. There
it lost an arm by one of the first English balls that struck
the city."
The Duke had the opportunity of inspecting a rice mill
in the vicinity of the city. He thus speaks on the subject
of rice and the manner of cleaning it. "Rice is known
as the staple article of produce of the lowlands in South
Carolina, and yet there was no mill hitherto to free the rice
from its husk, and to prepare it for use or export. This
mill is situated near the river Ashley. The schooner that
conveys the rice from the plantation, lies directly before it,
a cart is taken on board the vessel, filled with rice, and by
means of an inclined plane, drawn into the mill, where it is
deposited. Hence the rice is drawn to the upper story, in
which it is cleared of dust by a fan, and passed between
two large mill-stones, which frees the hull from the grain.
It is then placed in a cylinder of bolting cloth. By this it
is further cleaned from all hull. Now it comes into the
trough, where it is beaten by heavy hammers faced with
tin, and by that means is completely cleaned.
It is once
1
322
FAMILY TOURIST.
CHARLESTON.
more conveyed into a bolting cylinder, where, by another
series of revolutions, it is freed from the slightest dust, and
shook through a tube into the tierces placed for packing.
The tierces stand upon a trunnel, which whirls round,
while a hammer continually strikes upon it. Such a tierce
in this way receives six hundred pounds of rice. The
machinery is to be set in motion in future by a steam ma-
chine of twenty-four horse-power."
In 1787, Charleston contained 1600 houses, and a popu-
lation of 15,000 souls: viz.-9,600 whites and 5,400 ne-
groes. The public buildings at that time consisted of the
State House, the Exchange, the Armory, the Poor House,
two large Churches for Episcopalians, two for Congrega-
tionalists, one for Scotch Presbyterians, two for Baptists,
one Methodist, one German Lutheran, one French Protes-
tant, one Quakers' Meeting House, and two Synagogues,
one for Portuguese, the other for German Jews. There
were upwards of 1000 Roman Catholics at that time in
Charleston, but they had no building for worship. In 1820,
the population of the city was estimated at 24,780 souls;
of whom the whites were 10,653; the free blacks, 1,475;
and the slaves, 12,652.
"Charleston," says Mr. Hodgson, " has enjoyed the repu-
tation of containing the most polished circle of society of
any city in the United States, the very beau monde of Amer-
ica; and not wholly, it should seem, without reason.'
Mr. Hodgson says, that the best society there, though not
very extensive, is much superior to any that he had previ-
ously met with. "It consists of a few patrician families,
who form a select circle, into which the novi homines, un-
less distinguished by great personal merit, find it extremely
difficult to gain admission. Strangers well introduced,
and of personal respectability, are received with much lib-
erality and attention. Many of the old gentlemen were ed-
ucated at English colleges, and retain something of their
original attachment to the mother country, notwithstand-
ing their sensibility to recent calumny and misrepresenta-
tion. Their manners are extremely agreeable, resembling
the more polished of our country gentlemen, and are form-
ed on the model of what in England we call the old
school.' They are, however, the last of their generation,
FAMILY TOURIST.
323
CHARLESTON.
and will leave a blank much to be deplored, when they pass
away. The young ladies of the patrician families are deli-
cate, refined, and intelligent, rather distant and reserved to
strangers, but frank and affable to those who are familiarly
introduced to them by their fathers and brothers. They go
very early into company, are frequently married at sixteen
or eighteen years of age, and generally under twenty, and
have retired from the vortex of gay society before even the
fashionable part of my fair country-women would former-
ly have entered it. They often lament that the high stand-
ard of manners to which they have been accustomed, seems
doomed to perish with the generations of their fathers.
The fact is, that the absence of the privileges of primo-
geniture, and the consequent repeated subdivisions of
property, are gradually effecting a change in the structure
of society in South Carolina, and will shortly efface its
most interesting and characteristic features."
The military events connected with the places which we
describe, form an interesting portion of our volume. And
among the most exciting scenes of the Revolutionary
history of our country, we may reckon the attack on
Charleston during the campaign of 1776.
In the beginning of this year, a fleet under Sir Peter
Parker, and two thousand five hundred troops commanded
by Earl Cornwallis, were despatched upon an expedition
against the Southern Colonies. About the beginning of
May, the first fleet arrived off Cape Fear. Here, being
joined by General Clinton, it was determined to attempt the
reduction of Charleston. This was considered no difficult
operation; and with the fall of this, the entire province,
it was foreseen, would fall into British hands.
The plan was no sooner decided, than the English pre-
pared to put it in execution. But the Carolinians had neg-
lected nothing to secure themselves the means of defend-
ing their province, and particularly their capital. The
chiefs of the people had taken particular care to fortify
Sullivan's Island, situated on the part of the sea, at the
distance of six miles from the point of land formed by the
confluence of the two rivers, Ashley and Cooper, and upon
which the city of Charleston is built. This island so com-
mands the channel, which leads to the port, that the ves-
324
FAMILY TOURIST.
-
CHARLESTON.
sels which would enter it, must pass under the cannon of
Fort Moultrie. It had recently been armed with thirty-six
pieces of heavy cannon, and twenty-six pieces of inferior
calibre. The fort itself was constructed of a species of
wood of the country, which the inhabitants denominated
Palmetto, and is so spongy and soft, that the ball is deprived
by it of its impetus, and lodges within it without causing
splinters. The militia of all the province were called in
haste, to the defence of the city. In the space of a few
days the garrison amounted to six thousand men, if not
perfectly disciplined, at least full of ardor.
The regiment on pay, of South Carolina, was sent to
guard Fort Johnson, situated in James Island, three miles
from Charleston, and which commanded the whole breadth
of the channel.
The second and third regiments occupied Sullivan's
Island. William Moultrie, who commanded the second
regiment, was charged with the defence of the fort, which
afterwards, from his gallant defence of it, was called by
his name. The rest of the troops were distributed in the
most important posts; the roads which led to the sea were
obstructed by abattis, the ware-houses of the coast demol-
ished, and intrenchments erected upon the shore.
There was not an inhabitant who had not in hand either
arms, or the spade, or the pick-axe. The blacks, who had
been called in from the country, admirably seconded the
whites in all their labors of fortification. The chief com-
mand belonged to General Lee, who possessed the entire
confidence of the troops and of the people; none rivalled
him in devotion to the common cause. The hatred he had
long borne towards the English government, the love of
glory, and the desire of answering the universal expecta-
tion, continually excited his natural ardor. Rutledge, a
man of great influence in the province, also manifested the
most active zeal in animating the inhabitants to defend
themselves. His example and exhortations obtained the
most happy results. Every one was at his post, expecting
the enemy with intrepid confidence. Meanwhile the Brit-
ish fleet appeared, and cast anchor at the north of Sulli-
van's Island.
The ships of war were the Bristol and Experiment of
fifty guns; four frigates, the Active, the Acteon, the Sole-
FAMILY TOURIST.
325
CHARLESTON.
*
bay, and the Syren of twenty-eight; the Sphynx of twen-
ty, the Friendship of twenty-two, two smaller vessels of
eight; and the Thunder, a bomb-ketch.
It was very difficult, especially for the larger ships, to
pass the bar, which is found at the entrance of the channel
at Charleston.
It was not without extre:ne fatigue, that the English
succeeded in crossing it with the Bristol and the Experi-
ment, even after they had lightened them of their artillery,
and a great part of their lading. They struck, and it was
thought they would bilge immediately; but the skill of the
officers, and the efforts of the sailors, at length preserved
them.. The intention of the English was to reduce Fort
Moultrie, in order, afterwards, to attack the city without
obstacle. General Clinton issued a proclamation, which
he sent into the city by a flag; he therein reminded the
inhabitants of the subversion of all laws; of the tyranny
established in the hands of the Congress, the committees,
and other unconstitutional authorities; he gave them a last
admonition, before proceeding to extremities; he exhorted
them to avert from their heads, by a prompt return to obe-
dience, the vengeance of a powerful and irritated nation.
He offered pardon at the same time, to all those who should
lay down arms and submit immediately.
This summons produced no effect whatever.
The English generals had arranged their attack in the fol-
lowing manner. The ships were to cannonade Fort Moul-
trie in front, while a corps of troops landed for this purpose
on Long Island, to the east of Sullivan's Island, should
cross the narrow arm of the sea that separates them, and
which was believed fordable. This corps would then have
pressed the fort on the part of the land, which was much
less strongly fortified. This plan offered them so fair a
prospect of success, that General Lee himself, having
doubts whether the fort could be defended, recommended
that it should be evacuated, and that all efforts should be
concentrated for the defence of the city. But the inhabit-
ants, who dreaded bombs out of measure, resolved to at-
tempt, by all means, the defence of the fort.
All the preparations being completed on the one part,
and on the other, on the morning of the twenty-eighth
of June, the ketch Thunder, protected by another vessel,
28
326
FAMILY TOURIST.
CHARLESTON.
took post, and began to throw bombs into Fort Moultrie,
while the rest of the squadron advanced.
About eleven o'clock, the Bristol, the Experiment, the
Active, and the Solebay, having formed in line, opened a
violent fire against the Fort. The Sphynx, the Acteon,
and the Syren, went to také their stations to the west, be-
tween the point of Sullivan's island and the city, partly to
be able to sweep the interior of the works, and partly to
interrupt all communication between the island and the
main land, which would deprive the garrison of the means
of retreat, prevent them from receiving succors of men
and of munitions, and prohibit the Carolinians from an-
noying the besiegers by fire ships or other engines of war.
The unskilfulness of the pilots caused the miscarriage of
these dispositions; the three vessels struck upon a bank
named the middle grounds; two of them, by the exertions
of the mariners, were again set afloat, but not without hav-
ing received considerable damage. Whether on account
of the hour, already become late, or in consequence of this
damage, they were no longer in a situation to execute the
orders of the captains. As to the Acteon, she was totally
stranded, and the next morning burned. During this time,
the first four vessels had kept up a furious cannonade
against the fort, which was returned with equal vivacity.
The Thunder, after having discharged upwards of sixty
bombs, found herself so disabled that she discontinued her
fire; but the others maintained it; and if the attack was
vigorous, the defence was not feeble. The English them-
selves were constrained to admire the intrepidity of the
Americans, in so hot an action.
The garrison of the fort, which consisted only in militia,
and a few soldiers of the line, displayed an incredible cool-
ness and gallantry, in the service of their artillery, in the
midst of the tempest of balls which was hailed upon them by
the enemy's squadron. The Americans aimed with an ex-
treme precision. The English ships suffered excessively,
and their loss in men was not inconsiderable. The Bristol,
especially, being damaged in all her rigging, was for some
time so exposed to the fire of the batteries, that she narrowly
escaped being sunk. Captain Morris, who commanded the..
Acteon, had already received several wounds, and the greater
part of his men were killed; left almost alone upon the deck,
FAMILY TOURIST.
327
CHARLESTON.
he refused to be carried below, until a ball took off one of
his legs, and then was removed without hope of life. The
admiral himself, Peter Parker, received a severe contusion.
Lord Campbell, who a little before was governor of the
province, was mortally wounded.
The loss of the garrison was very inconsiderable; never-
theless their fire slackened, and at length ceased altogether.
Their ammunition was exhausted, and the English considered
their victory as already secure. But the Americans soon
succored the fort, and the cannonade was renewed with the
same fury as at first. It continued till seven o'clock in the
evening.
The English then perceiving the inutility of their attack,
and the deplorable state of their vessels, and not seeing the
corps make its appearance, which was to have come upon
that part of Long Island, determined to abandon the en-
terprise.
Generals Clinton and Cornwallis would have crossed the
arm of the sea, which separates the two neighboring islands,
in order to attack Fort Moultrie on the land side, as it had
been concerted, but the water was found too deep, and the
ford impracticable; this, at least, they alleged. On the
other hand, even though they should have succeeded in
surmounting these obstacles, it is probable they would have
found others more formidable still upon the shores of Sulli-
van's Island. Colonel Thompson, at the head of three
hundred grenadiers of his regiment; Colonel Clark, with
two hundred soldiers of North Carolina; Colonel Horry,
followed by two hundred militia of South Carolina, and
Racoon's company of riflemen, with some pieces of artil-
lery, had occupied the posts situated at the eastern extrem-
ity of the island. It is therefore credible, that it was more
the preparations of defence made by the Americans, than
the difficulty of the ford, which prevented the English
generals from attempting the passage. Can it be supposed
that officers, so experienced, should have continued nine
whole days in Long Island, without having caused the
depths of the waters to be sounded, and ascertaining, long
before the time of the action, whether they were fordable
or not?
It appears equally difficult to comprehend how, after hav
ing discovered either that the ford was împracticable, or
the position of the Americans impregnable, the English
328
FAMILY TOURIST.
CHARLESTON.
should have remained inactive in Long Island, instead of
endeavoring to land upon some other part of Sullivan's Island,
by means of the boats they had assembled. This circum-
stance presents several points which it is impossible to ex-
plain. However it may be, the English retired during the
night, and the following morning their ships were already
at the distance of two miles from the island. A few days
after, having re-embarked their troops, they made sail for
New York, where the army, increased by all the re-enforce-
ments it had received from England, expected General
Howe.
Such was the issue of the attack on Fort Moultrie by the
English. It placed the affairs of South Carolina, for the
present, in a state of security. The fort itself received little
injury, either because the balls of the enemy passed above
it, or because the spongy wood, of which it was constructed,
diminished their effect.
This battle was remarkable on the side of the Americans
for some of those traits of obstinate courage, which are the
usual results of the fermentation of minds in the midst of
political revolutions. Among others it is recorded, that a
sergeant of grenadiers, named Jasper, on seeing the staff of
the American standard cut by a ball, sprung after it to the
ground, and fastened it to the rammer of a cannon: then
mounting upon the parapet, hoisted it anew amidsts the most
violent fire of the enemy. President Rutledge presented
him with a sword, complimenting him highly and publicly.*
A subsequent incident in the life of Sergeant Jasper, as
not only illustrating his bravery, but also the tenderness
and humanity of his heart, may properly follow the record
of the above heroic achievement. Jasper had a brother,
who had joined the British, and who held a similar rank in
the army. To this brother he was warmly attached, and
actually ventured into the British garrison at Ebenezer to
see him. His brother was exceedingly alarmed, lest he
should be seized and hung as an American spy; for his
name was well known to many of the British officers. "Do
not trouble yourself," said Jasper; "I am no longer an
American soldier."
"Thank God for that, William," exclaimed his brother,
heartily shaking him by the hand; "and now only say the
* Botta.
FAMILY TOURIST.
329
CHARLESTON.
word, my boy, and here is a commission for you, with regi-
mentals and gold to boot, to fight for his majesty, king
George."
Jasper shook his head, and observed, that though there
was but little encouragement to fight for his country, he
could not find it in his heart to fight against her. And
there the conversation ended. After staying two or three
days with his brother, inspecting and hearing all that he
could, he took his leave, returned to the American camp, by
a circuitous route, and told General Lincoln all that he had
seen.
His
Soon after, he made another trip to the English garrison,
taking with him his particular friend, Sergeant Newton,
who was a young man of great strength and courage.
brother received him with his usual cordiality; and he and
his friend spent several days at the British fort without giv-
ing the least alarm. On the morning of the third day, his
brother observed that he had bad news to tell him.
((
Aye! what is it?" asked William.
"Why," replied his brother, "here are ten or a dozen
American prisoners, brought in this morning, as deserters
from Savannah, whither they are to be sent immediately;
and, from what I can learn, it will be apt to go hard with
them, for it seems they have all taken the king's bounty.'
•
3:3
"Let us see them," said Jasper. So his brother took him
and his friend Newton to see them. It was indeed a mel-
ancholy sight, to see the poor fellows hand-cuffed upon the
ground. But when the eye rested on a young woman, wife
of one of the prisoners, with her child, a sweet little boy of
five years, all pity for the male prisoners was forgotten.
Her humble garb showed that she was poor; but her deep
distress, and sympathy, with her unfortunate husband,
proved that she was rich in conjugal love, more precious
than all gold. She generally sat on the ground opposite to
her husband, with her little boy leaning on her lap, and her
coal black hair spreading in long, neglected tresses on her
neck and bosom. Sometime she would sit, silent as a statue
of grief, her eyes fixed upon the earth: then she would start
with a convulsive throb, and gaze on her husband's face
with looks as piercing sad, as if she already saw him strug-
gling in the halter, herself a widow, and her son an orphan.
While the child, distressed by his mother's anguish, added
to the pathos of the scene, by the artless tears of childish
28*
330
FAMILY TOURIST.
CHARLESTON.
suffering. Though Jasper and Newton were undaunted in
the field of battle, their feelings were subdued by such heart
stirring misery. As they walked out into the neighboring
wood, the tears stood in the eyes of both. Jasper first
broke silence. Newton," said he, "my days have been
but few; but I believe their course is nearly finished."
66
"Why so, Jasper ?"
((
Why, I feel that I must rescue those poor prisoners, or
die with them; otherwise, the remembrance of that poor
woman and her child will haunt me to my grave."
"That is exactly what I feel too," replied Newton ;" and
nere is my hand and heart to stand by you, my brave friend,
to the last drop. Thank God, a man can die but once; and
why should we fear to leave this life in the way of our
duty?"
The friends embraced each other, and entered into the
necessary arrangements, for fulfilling their desperate reso-
lution.
Immediately after breakfast, the prisoners were sent on
their way to Savannah, under the guard of a sergeant and
corporal, with eight men. They had not been gone long,
before Jasper, accompanied by his friend Newton, took
leave of his brother, and set out on some pretended errand
to the upper country. They had scarcely got out of sight
of Ebenezer, before they struck into the woods, and pushed
hard after the prisoners, and their guard, whom they close-
ly dogged for several miles, anxiously watching an opportu-
nity to make a blow. The hope, indeed, seemed extrava-
gant;-for what could two unarmed men do against ten
equipped with loaded muskets and bayonets? However,
unable to give up their countrymen, our heroes still travel-
led on.
About two miles from Savannah, there is a famous spring
generally called the Spa, well known to travellers, who often
stopped there to quench their thirst. "Perhaps" said Jas-
per, "the guard may stop there. Hastening on through the
woods, they gained the Spa, as their last hope, and there
concealed themselves among the thick bushes that grew
around the spring. Presently, the mournful procession came
in sight of the spring, where the sergeant ordered a halt.
Hope sprung afresh in the bosoms of our heroes, though no
doubt mixed with great alarms; for "it was a fearful odds."
FAMILY TOURIST.
331
1
CHARLESTON.
(<
The corporal, with his guard of four men, conducted the
prisoners to the spring, while the sergeant, with the other
four, having grounded their arms near the road, brought up
the rear. The prisoners, wearied with their long walk, were
permitted to rest themselves on the earth. Poor Mrs. Jones,
as usual took her seat opposite to her husband, and her little
boy overcome with fatigue fell asleep in her lap. Two of
the corporal's men were ordered to keep guard, and the
other two to give the prisoners drink out of their canteens.
These last approached the spring, where our heroes lay
concealed, and, resting their muskets against a pine tree,
dipped up water. Having drank themselves, they turned
away with replenished canteens, to give to the prisoners also.
Now, Newton, is our time," said Jasper. Then bursting
like lions from their concealment, they snatched up the two
muskets that were resting against the pine, and in an instant,
shot down the two soldiers who were upon guard. It was
now a contest who should get the loaded muskets that fell
from the hands of the slain; for by this time, a couple of
brave Englishmen, recovering from their momentary panic,
had sprung and seized upon the muskets; but before they
could use them, the swift handed Americans, with clubbed
guns, levelled a final blow at the heads of their brave antago-
nists. The tender bones of the skull gave way, and down
they sunk, pale and quivering, without a groan. Then has-
tily seizing the muskets, which had thus a second time fall-
en from the hands of the slain, they flew between their sur-
viving enemies and their weapons, grounded near the road,
and ordered them to surrender; which they instantly did.
They then snapped the hand-cuffs of the prisoners, and arm-
ed them with muskets.
At the commencement of the fight, poor Mrs. Jones had
fallen to the earth in a swoon, and her little son stood
screaming piteously over her. But, when she recovered,
and saw her husband and his friends freed from their fetters,
she behaved like one frantic with joy. She sprung to her
husband's bosom, and with her arms round his neck, sobbed
out, my husband is safe,-bless God, my husband is safe."
Then, snatching up her child, she pressed him to her heart,
as she exclaimed, "thank God! my son has a father yet."
Then kneeling at the feet of Jasper and Newton, she press-
ed their hands vehemently, but in the fulness of her heart,
(6
332
FAMILY TOURIST.
CHARLESTON.
she could only say, "God bless you! God Almighty bless
you!"
For fear of being re-taken by the English, our heroes
seized the arms and regimentals of the dead, and with their
friends and captive foes, re-crossed the Savannah, and safely
joined the American army, at Parisburgh, to the inexpressi-
ble astonishment and joy of all.*
* American Anecdotes.
GEORGIA.
SAVANNAH.
THE city of Savannah is situated on the south bank of the
Savannah river, 18 miles above its mouth. It is 100 miles
southwest of Charleston, and 662 south by west of Wash-
ington. It is elevated about 40 feet above the river, a sandy
bluff rising abruptly about that distance from it. The site
of the city is nearly level; it is very regularly laid out, the
streets crossing each other at right angles. Many of these
are wide, and with public squares, 10 in number, are planted
with handsome trees. The place was formerly very un-
healthy; of late years this has much improved, a change
which is attributed in some degree to a new mode, recently
adopted in the cultivation of rice in the vicinity. Since the
great conflagration of 1820, when a large portion of the city
was destroyed, it has been principally re-built, and many
handsome, and some elegant buildings, have been erected.
Among the public, and conspicuous buildings of the city,
are the exchange; two banks; 10 churches, one of which,
built of granite, is very splendid; a court house, hospital,
jail, poor-house, theatre, and an academy. Many of the
private dwellings are very elegant. There are several be-
nevolent institutions in the place. The business of Savan-
nah is very considerable, and it has some commerce. Ves-
sels of 14 feet draught come to the wharfs, and a great por-
tion of the imports and exports of the state, are laden and
unladen here. Cotton, rice, sugar, and tobacco, are the
most valuable staples, and the annual amount exported, par-
ticularly of the two former, is very heavy. The export of
cotton has been 120,000 bales in a single year.
The settlement of Savannah and of Georgia itself was
commenced in 1733, by General Oglethorpe, an active and
worthy philanthropist, who led a colony of 113 to com-
mence a settlement in that territory. They first landed
334
FAMILY TOURIST
SAVANNAH.
in Charleston, by whose citizens they were cordially received
and who supplied them with provisions and boats to convey
them to their place of destination. Yamacrau Bluff, since
called Savannah, from the Indian name of the river, was se-
lected as the most eligible place for a settlement, and a trea-
ty being held with the Creek Indians, a large tract of land
was obtained by cession. The next year, between 500 and
600 emigrants arrived, to each of whom was assigned a por-
tion of the uncleared territory. But it was soon found that
these people, who were the refuse of cities, having been
rendered poor by idleness or irresolute by poverty, were not
fitted to fell the mighty groves of Georgia. A race more
hardy and enterprising was required for clearing the wilder-
ness. The Trustees therefore issued fresh proposals, invi-
ting settlers who had not, by poverty or persecution, been
rendered objects of compassion, and offering to all who
should repair to the colony, 50 acres of land. In conse-
sequence of this offer, more than 400 persons from Scotland,
Switzerland, and Germany, arrived in 1735.
·
At the time Oglethorpe landed, he found the territory pos-
sessed by Indians. The tribe at Yamacrau was inconsid-
erable, but the interior Indians were more powerful. Deem-
ing it expedient to unite all the Indians he was able in a
treaty, he employed an Indian, or rather half-breed woman
by the name of Musgrove, and who could speak both the
English and Creek languages: perceiving that she had some
influence amongst the Indians, and might be made useful as
* an interpreter in forming treaties of alliance with them, he
first purchased her friendship with presents, and then allow-
ed her a salary of one hundred pounds a year, as a reward
for her services. By her assistance, he summoned a pretty
general meeting of the chiefs, to hold a Congress with him,
at Savannah, in order to procure their consent to the peace-
able settlements of his colony. At this Congress, when fifty
chiefs were present, Oglethorpe represented to them the great
power, wisdom and wealth of the English nation, and the
many advantages that would accrue to the Indians in gen-
eral, from a connection and friendship with them; and as
they had plenty of lands, he hoped they would freely resign
a share of them to his people, who had come to settle
amongst them, for their benefit and instruction. After hav-
ing distributed some presents, which was considered as a
necessary preliminary to a treaty of peace and friendship, an
་
FAMILY TOURIST.
335
SAVANNAH.
agreement was entered into, and Tomochichi, in the name
of the Creek Nation, addressed him with the following
speech:
"Here is a little present; I give you a Buffalo skin
adorned on the inside with the head and feathers of an
eagle, which I desire you to accept, because the eagle is an
emblem of speed, and the buffalo of strength: the English
are swift as the bird, and strong as the beast; since like
the former, they flew over vast seas to the uttermost parts
of the earth; and like the latter, they are so strong that
nothing can withstand them: the feathers of the eagle are
soft, signifying love; the buffalo's skin is warm, and signi-
fies protection: therefore, I hope the English will love and
protect their little families."
Oglethorpe accepted the present, a treaty was concluded
to the satisfaction of both parties, the colonists appeared
satisfied with their condition, and every thing appeared to
promise prosperity to the new colony.
man.
Among the Georgia settlers was a man by the name of
Thomas Bosomworth, a chaplain in the regiment of Ogle-
thorpe. It appears that he was an artful and avaricious
In 1747, he laid a plan, either to destroy the colony,
or acquire a fortune. Among a number of Indians present
at Frederica, a small English settlement, not far from Sa-
vannah, in December, was an Indian king by the name of
Malatche. Bosomworth suggested to him the idea of be-
ing crowned in imperial form, by those of his tribe, who
were with him: accordingly a paper was drawn up, filled
with royal ceremonies, acknowledging Malatche Opiya
Meco, to be the rightful, natural prince and emperor of the
dominions of the Creek Nation; vesting him with powers
to make laws, frame treaties, declare war, convey lands,
and transact all affairs relating to the nation; binding
themselves on the part of their several towns, to abide by
and fulfil all his contracts and engagements. This paper
being signed and sealed by the pretended kings and chiefs,
and witnessed in due form, Malatche requested that a copy
of it might be sent over to the king of England, for his
sanction, and to have it put on record among the archives
of his great ally.
Bosomworth had thus accomplished an important ob-
ject. He had some time before married Mary Musgrove,
336
FAMILY TOURIST.
SAVANNAH.
the half-breed Indian already mentioned. He now drew
up a deed of conveyance in the common form, from Ma-
latche Opiya Meco, emperor of the Upper and Lower Creek
Nations, to Thomas and Mary Bosomworth, of the colony
of Georgia, "for, and in consideration of ten pieces of
stroud, twelve pieces of duffles, two hundred weight of
powder, two hundred weight of lead, twenty guns, twelve
pair of pistols, and one hundred weight of vermillion;
warranting and defending to the said Thomas and Mary, all
those tracts of land, known by the names of Hussoope,
or Ossabaw, Cowleygee or St. Catharine's, and Sapelo isl-
ands, with their appurtenances, &c., to the said Thomas
and Mary his wife, their heirs and assigns, as long as the
sun shall shine, or the waters run in the rivers, forever.
Signed on the 4th day of the windy moon, corresponding
with the 14th of December."
His next object was to induce Mary to claim to be the
elder sister of Malatche, and of having descended in a ma-
ternal line from an Indian king, who held from nature the
whole territories of the Creeks; and Bosomworth now per-
suaded her to assert her right to them, as superior not only
to the trustees, but also to that of the king.
Accordingly, Mary assumed the title of an independent
empress. A meeting of the Creeks was summoned, before
which she set forth her claims. The Indians became fired
through her eloquence, and escorted her towards Savannah
to prosecute her claim.
A messenger was despatched to notify the president and
council of the royal family's approach. On receiving this
intelligence, the council felt embarrassed. Mary was an
artful and eloquent woman; the English were few in num-
ber, and small their means of defence. The militia were
ordered under arms. Captain Noble Jones at the head of
a troop was despatched to prevent if possible their en-
trance into Savannah armed. Having met them, he or-
dered them to stop, and lay down their arms.
At first they
refused; but his determined appearance at length pre-
vailed, and they laid aside their arms, upon which Thomas
Bosomworth, in his canonical robes, with his queen by
his side, followed by the king and chiefs, marched into the
town.
The inhabitants were struck with terror at the sight of
FAMILY TOURIST.
337
SAVANNAH.
1
this ferocious tribe of savages. When they advanced up to
the parade, they found the militia drawn up under arms to
receive them, by whom they were saluted with fifteen can-
nons, and conducted to the president's house. Bosom-
worth being ordered to withdraw, the Indian chiefs, in a
friendly manner, were requested to declare their intention
in paying this visit in so large a body, without being sent
for by any person in authority: the warriors, as they had
been instructed, answered that Mary was to speak for
them, and that they would abide by whatever she said; that
they had heard that she was to be seat like a captive over
the great waters, and they were come to know on what ac-
count they were to lose their queen; that they intended no
harm, and begged that their arms might be restored to
them; and after consulting with Bosomworth and his wife,
they would return and amicably settle all public affairs.
To please them, their guns were returned, but strict orders
were issued to allow them no ammunition, until the council
should see more clearly into their dark designs. On the
day following, the Indians having had some private confer-
ences with Mary, were observed, with sullen countenances,
to march in a tumultuous manner through the streets, evi-
dencing a hostile temper, apparently determined on mis-
chief: all the men being obliged to mount guard, the wo
men and children were terrified and afraid to remain in the
houses by themselves, expecting every moment to be mur-
dered and scalped. During this confusion, a false rumor
was circulated, that they had cut off president Stephen's
head with a tomahawk, which so exasperated the inhabit
ants that it was with difficulty the officers could restrain
the troops from firing upon the savages: perhaps the exer-
cise of the greatest prudence was never more requisite to
save the town from being deluged with blood. Orders were
given to lay hold on Bosomworth, to whom it was insinu-
ated that he was marked as the first vicum in case of ex-
tremities; and he was carried out of the way, and closely
confined, upon which Mary, his beloved queen, became
outrageous and frantic, and threatened the thunder of her
vengeance against the magistrates, and the whole colony;
she ordered all white persons to depart immediately from
her territories, and at their peril to refuse; she cursed
Oglethorpe, and his fraudulent treaties, and, furiously
1
29
338.
FAMILY TOURIST.
SAVANNAH.
stamping her foot upon the earth, swore by her Maker,
that the whole globe should know that the ground she
stood upon was her own. To prevent any ascendancy by
bribes over the chiefs and warriors, she kept the leading
men constantly under her eye, and would not suffer them
to utter a sentence on public affairs, but in her presence.
The president finding no peaceable agreement could be
made with the Indians, while under the baleful influence of
their pretended queen, ordered her to be seized and con-
fined. To allay the storm of indignation excited by this, a
feast was made for the Indians, at which the evil designs of
Bosomworth were unfolded in a speech by the president.
This had a temporary effect. Even Malatche seemed satisfied.
But wishing to see Bosomworth and his wife alone for a few
minutes, the artful couple again seduced the aged chief,
who returned to the council full of indignation, insisting
on the rights of the queen. Upon this, the president rose,
and in a short but plain address, so set forth the imposi-
tions of Bosomworth and Mary, that the Indians said they
were satisfied—their eyes were opened, and they now of
fered to smoke the pipe of peace. Accordingly pipes and
rum were brought, and they joined hand in hand and
smoked together. Presents were distributed, and all ap
peared satisfied and happy.
But in the midst of this friendly interview, Mary, who
by some means had contrived to escape, rushed in like a
fury, and insultingly told the president that she would soon
convince him that the Indians were her people, and that he
had no business with them.
The president advised her quietly to retire to her lodg
ings, or he would send her to prison. Upon this Malatche
took fire- and swinging his arms, declared that no one
should touch the queen. The house was filled in a moment
with tumult; every Indian having his tomahawk in his
hand, and the president and council expecting nothing but
instant death. At this critical juncture, Captain Noble
Jones with his guard interposed, and required the Indians
to surrender. They did so with great reluctance. Mary
was conveyed to a safe place. Bosomworth was sent for;
but for a time treated the council with great indignity.
At length, through the interposition of Bosomworth's bro-
ther, the difficulty was settled. This rash and wicked
FAMILY TOURIST.
339
SAVANNAH.
man was forgiven, and the idle claims of Mary were relin
quished.
They were, however, afterwards renewed; Bosomworth
himself instituted a suit in England, founded upon his deed
from the Indians. This case was in the courts of Great
Britain twelve years. In 1759, a decision was made at the
court of St. James, granting to Bosomworth and his wife
the Island of St. Catharines. Bosomworth and Mary took
possession of the island. There, some time after, Mary
died, upon which Bosomworth married his chambermaid..
Finally, the remains of these two were deposited in the
same grave yard, on the island for which they had so long
contended.*
Like most other maritime towns, Savannah suffered du-
ring the Revolutionary war. In Dec., 1778, it fell into the
hands of the British. The American officer to whom, at
this time, the defence of Georgia was committed, was Gene-
ral Howe. His force consisted of about 600 regular troops,
and a few hundred militia; the British force consisted of
about 2000 men, who, under Lieutenant Colonel Campbell,
had embarked in November from New York, on board a
fleet, commanded by Hyde Park. With this great disparity,
it was impossible for the Americans to withstand the assail-
ants, and after a short but desperate, and, on the part of the
Americans, sanguínary struggle, the town and fort fell under
British power. Upwards of 600 Americans were killed;
38 officers and 415 privates were made prisoners. No less
than 48 cannon, 23 mortars, besides a considerable quantity
of ammunition, stores, provision, and also the shipping in the
river became the possession of the conquerors.
In 1779, a request was sent to Count D'Estaing, by Gen-
eral Lincoln, at this time commanding the American army
in the southern department, to assist in an effort to re-take
Savannah. D'Estaing with his fleet was in the West Indies;
but not being needed there, he listened to the proposal, and
soon after sailed for the coast of Georgia, with his fleet,
consisting of 20 sail of the line-two of fifty guns, and 11
frigates.
As soon as the arrival was known, General Lincoln, with
the army under his command, marched for Savannah; and
• M'Call's History of Georgia.
340
FAMILY TOURIST.
SAVANNAH.
orders were given for the militia of Georgia and South Caro-
lina, to rendezvous near the same place. The British to pre-
pare for their defence, employed great numbers by day and
night, in strengthening and extending their lines, while the
American militia, sanguine in the hope of expelling the enemy.
from their southern possessions, turned out with unusual
alacrity. Before the arrival of General Lincoln, Count
D'Estaing demanded a surrender of the town to the arms of
France. Provost asked a suspension of hostilities 24 hours,
for preparing terms; and the request was incautiously
granted. Before the stipulated time had elapsed, Lieuten-
ant Colonel Maitland, with about 800 men, after struggling
with great difficulties, arrived from Beaufort, and joined the
royal army at Savannah. The arrival of so considerable a
reinforcement of chosen troops, and especially the presence
of the officer who commanded them, in whose zeal, ability,
and military experience, much confidence was justly placed
by the army, inspired the garrison in Savannah with new
animation; and an answer was returned to the count, that
the town would be defended to the last extremity. The
zeal and ardor of both officers and men rose with the occa-
sion; and new defences were daily constructed under the
masterly direction of an able engineer, Captain Moncrieff.
On the morning of the 4th of October, the batteries of
the besiegers were opened with 9 mortars, 37 pieces of can-
non from the land side, and 15 from the water. It being at
length ascertained, that considerable time would be neces-
sary to reduce the garrison by regular approaches, it was
determined to make an assault. In pursuance of this de-
termination, on the 9th of October, while two feints were
made with the militia, a real attack was made on Spring
Hill battery, just as day light appeared, with two columns,
consisting of 3500 French troops, 600 continentals, and
350 of the inhabitants of Charleston. The principal of
these columns, commanded by D'Estaing and General Lin-
coln, marched up boldly to the lines; but a heavy and well
directed fire from the gallies threw the front of the column
into confusion. The places of those who fell being instantly
supplied by others, it still moved on until it reached a re-
doubt, when the contest became more fierce and desperate.
Captain Towse fell in defending the gate of his redoubt,
with his sword plunged in the body of the third assailant,
whom he had slain with his own hand, and a French and
FAMILY TOURIST.
341
SAVANNAH.
an American standard were for an instant planted on the
parapet; but the assailants, after sustaining the enemy's
fire fifty-five minutes, were ordered to retreat. Of the
French, 637, and of the continentals and militia, 241, were
killed or wounded. Immediately after this unsuccessful
assault, the militia almost universally went to their homes,
and Count D'Estaing, re-embarking his troops and artillery,
left the continent.
This assault is judged to have been unadvisable; but this
measure was forced on D'Estaing by his marine officers,
who remonstrated against his continuing to risk the French
fleet on a dangerous coast, in the hurricane season, and at
such a distance from the shore, as to be endangered by a
British squadron. "In a few days, the lines of the besiegers
might have been carried, by regular aproaches, into the
works of the besieged." Count Pulaski was mortally
wounded in this assault; and Congress resolved, that a
monument should be erected to his memory. He was a
Polander of high birth, who with a few men had carried
off king Stanilaus from the middle of his capital. The king,
after being some time a prisoner, made his escape; and
soon after declared Pulaski an outlaw. Thus proscribed, he
came to America, and offered his services to Congress,
which honored him with the rank of brigadier general,
Just before the siege of Savannah, an enterprise was
achieved by six Americans, remarkable for the address and
daring intrepidity, with which it was planned and executed.
Captain French, of the British army, with about one hun-
dred men, had taken post on the Ogeeche river, where were
also forty sailors on board of five British vessels, four of
which were armed, the largest mounting fourteen guns.
Colonel John White, of the Georgia line, with Captain El-
holm and four other persons, one of whom was the Colonel's
servant, after kindling at night a number of fires, exhibiting
the parade of a large encampment, and using other strata-
gems, peremptorily summoned the British commander to
surrender. Captain French, in order to save his men from
being cut to pieces, by a force which he supposed to be su-
perior to his own, surrendered (1st of October) without the
smallest resistance. Colonel White having thus far suc-
ceeded, pretended he must keep back his troops, lest their
animosity, already stifled by great exertions, should break
29*
342
FAMILY TOURIST.
SAVANNAH.
out, and indiscriminate slaughter take place in defiance of
his authority; and therefore he would commit his prisoners
to three guides, who would conduct them safely to good
quarters. This humane attention of White was thankfully
received. He immediately ordered three of his attendants
to proceed with the prisoners, who moved off with celerity,
anxious to get away, lest the fury of White's corps, believed
to be at hand, might break out, desirous as he was to re-
strain it. White, with the two men retained by him, re-
paired, as he announced to his guides and prisoners, to his
troops, for the purpose of proceeding in the rear. He then
employed himself in collecting the militia of the neighbor-
hood, with whom he overtook his guides and prisoners.
This affair, says Gen. H. Lee, in his memoirs, approaches
too near the marvelous to have been admitted by him, had
it not been uniformly accredited, and never contradicted.
FLORIDA.
ST. AUGUSTINE.
ST. AUGUSTINE, according to Colonel Williams, is the
oldest city in the present limits of the United States. It
was first settled by the Spaniards, under Pedro Mendez, in
1564. It is situate two miles back from the Atlantic
shore, near the southern point of a peninsula, nearly sur-
rounded by water; defended from the surf by Anastasia
Island, which is not high enough to obstruct the sea
breezes, or a view of the ocean. The situation is peculiar-
ly serene, healthy, and pleasant. The site was originally
a shell hammock, scarcely twelve feet higher than the sur-
face of the sea. The soil, although sandy, is rich in cal-
careous and vegetable deposites, finely calculated for horti-
cultural pursuits. The town is, in fact, embosomed in a
grove of orange trees.* Abundance of fresh water is
found near the surface of the ground, which, although it is
not so pure as that of the country, is used without any in-
convenience for all the purposes of drinking, cooking, and
washing. The climate of St. Augustine is probably equal
to any on earth. Snow is almost unknown, and frosts are
felt in one or two months only of the year, and many win-
ters pass without discovering a mark of frost.
In the sum-
mer season, the air is tempered daily by the sea-breezes,
while the land breezes render the evenings cool and pleas-
ant. Heavy rains are frequent during the summer months,
but from October to May, the air is usually temperate, and
the sky serene.
In form, the town is a parallelogram, fronting to the east,
on Matanzas sound, which spreads itself half a mile in
width between the town and Anastasia Island, forming a
harbor sufficiently capacious to contain a large fleet in per-
* 1834, before the great frost.
344
FAMILY TOURIST.
ST. AUGUSTINE.
fect safety. From the old magazine on the south to the
gate-way on the north side of the city, the distance is about
one mile, and from the Matanzas to the St. Sebastian's on
the west, is about three fourths of a mile. Not more than
one half of this extent is compactly built. It contains
upwards of three hundred houses, more than half of which
are built of shell-stone, called by the Spaniards coquina.
Most of the old houses are two stories high, the lower floor
of which is tabby;* in some instances the upper floor and
roof are of the same material. These are now generally
removed, on account of their great weight, from the upper
parts of the buildings. The principal streets cross each
other at right angles, but they are narrow, and many of
them crooked. A fine large square opens from the Matan-
zas into the eastern part of the town, in the centre of which
stands a monument, dedicated to the constitution of the
Spanish Cortez. On the west side of the public square,
where the old government house formerly stood, in the
centre of the botanic garden, enclosed by high walls, a neat
court house has been erected. It is two stories high; in
form of an L. It is built of coquina stone, and contains,
besides the hall of justice, and jury rooms, apartments for
all the public offices of the district. On the north stands.
a splendid catholic church, and the ruins of an old custom
house, which was burnt down in January, 1825. On the
south side are several elegant dwelling houses, and the new
Trinity church, a very neat edifice of the Gothic order. In
front of the harbor stands a neat market place; dwelling
houses and orange groves fill up the intervening spaces
round the square, which give it rather a rural than com-
mercial appearance.
Fort Mason stands at the north end of the town, direct-,
ly opposite to the entrance of the harbor, which it perfectly
commands. It is built after the system of Vauban, and is
* Tabby is formed by mixing a quantity of lime with the fine coqui-
na shell, cast on shore by the tide. These materials are with fresh wa-
ter mixed into a stiff mortar, and then spread from four to six inches
thick, either on the ground, or on a flooring of boards. It is then beat
with a heavy stamper, similar to that used by pavers, to smooth their
work. When beat till no more water appears on the surface, it is left to
dry. It is then in substance very similar to the coquina rock, except that
the surface, by beating, becomes very smooth.
:
FAMILY TOURIST.
345
1
ST. AUGUSTINE.
said to be a very good specimen of military architecture.
It is a trapezium) with bastions at each corner. The walls
are 21 feet high. The whole work is casemated, and
bomb-proof. The ditch is forty feet wide. The covered
way, glacis, ravelin and place of arms are entire, but the
water batteries are giving away to the tides, which are rap-
idly undermining its base, and require immediate repairs.
The fort is calculated to contain one thousand fighting men,
and formerly mounted seventy pieces of heavy ordnance.
They are at present dismounted. A small part of the fort
is still occupied as an arsenal; the balance is used as a jail
for criminals.
A sea wall seven feet high, and five feet thick, was
extended from the fort to the public square.
This
wall is now rebuilding, at the expense of $50,000,
under the superintendence of Mr. Daney, late of the army,
and will be extended in front of the whole city, to check
the inroads daily made by the tides. Great injury has al-
ready been sustained, by one or two eastern gales, for want
of this barrier.
In the south part of the town, fronting the Matanzas,
the barracks occupy an important situation. It is erected
on the ruins of an old pile of buildings, formerly con-
structed by the Franciscan order of Friars, as the head
quarters of their fraternity. The vessel which brought
their General and principal men from Cuba, was wrecked
on the coast, in sight of their dwelling, and the passengers
and crew all perished. Since that time, it has been occu-
pied as a barracks, successively by the Spaniards and British,
until it was destroyed by fire. Since the change of gov-
ernment, it has been rebuilt at an expense of twenty-five
thousand dollars. An extensive garden is attached to the
building, which affords at times, abundant vegetables for
the troops stationed there.
The city contains 1739 inhabitants, of which 498 are
males, 519 females, 151 colored persons free, and 571
slaves. Of this population, nearly one half are natives of
the United States, the balance are descendants of the Min-
rocan families introduced by Dr. Turnbull; Spaniards,
French, English, Greeks, and Italians, who are all rapidly
amalgamating into one people, and will, ere long, assume
a general national character. They are social and friendly
346
FAMILY TOURIST.
ST. AUGUSTINE.
in their manners, kind and hospitable to strangers, indus-
trious and frugal in their habits, fond of amusement, void
of intemperance and public spirit, but content with their
situation. The religion of at least one half of the inhab-
itants is Roman Catholic, the balance, who profess any
religion, are Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and Meth-
odists.
The market is rather scantily supplied with meat and
vegetables. Fish are abundant, of various kinds, and fine-
ly flavored. Fowls are rather dear and scarce.
Of schools there are few, and in the whole department
of education, there is great room for improvement. Schools
established on a liberal foundation, are needed; such would
enable the poor as well as the rich to receive instruction,
and above all, the children of the old inhabitants should be
encouraged to attend the same schools as the Americans,
that their habits and manners may the sooner become
united.
Directly behind the town, an inlet of salt water enters
from the southern marshes, and extends nearly to the north
ditch. It is called Mary Sanches Creek. The space be-
tween this and the Matanzas River, is divided into squares
of irregular dimensions. The western division, between
the creek and St. Sebastian's River, is laid off into lots of
different size, from two to twenty acres. Most of these are
covered with fruit trees, such as mulberry, plumb, peach,
fig, pomegranate, and oranges. Across the Creek, an ex-
cellent stone causeway is erected. The St. Sebastian's is
crossed by a bridge 500 feet long, and a causeway is ex-
tended over the marshes, about seven hundred yards. The
soil of the city and neighborhood is excellent for horticul
tural improvements, and much of it is cultivated in gar-
dens, as well as groves. The timber which was originally
abundant around the city, has in a long course of years,
been cut off to a considerable distance. Wood and fencing
materials are consequently scarce and dear. Most of the
lumber used here is brought from northern ports. This
renders building expensive. Notwithstanding this circum-
stance, the inhabitants are beginning to repair most of the
old dwellings, and to erect some new and elegant build-
ings. The Presbyterian church, in the south part of the
FAMILY TOURIST.
347
ST. AUGUSTINE.
town, has lately been inclosed, and finished in a plain but
neat style. A small Methodist church was built in 1813,
on Charlotte street.
St. Augustine has become a place of great resort for in-
valids, affected by pulmonary and bronchial complaints.
To this circumstance and the sale of oranges, the place
owes its prosperity. The accommodations for strangers
are rapidly improving, and it is believed, that in a short
time, persons of the first rank, will be under no necessity
for visiting Italy, or the south of France, for the improve-
ment of their health, as our climate is equally salubrious,
and the conveniences and luxuries of life may easily be
obtained, when it is known that they will be required.
In 1821, St. Augustine was visited with the yellow fever.
It broke out in several old buildings situated in the back
part of the city, which had for a long time been closed up,
their owners having retired to Havanna. On the cession
of the country to the United States, a sudden increase of
population occasioned these houses to be thrown open, and
rented to strangers. One of them was hired late in Octo-
ber to several American officers; three of them fell imme-
diate victims to the fatal disease. In some instanees, the
sickness commenced in vessels lying in the harbor, which
had brought fruit from Cuba. One of these had on the
voyage lost the Captain, and most of the crew by sickness.
Some early cases of fever were traced to other vessels.
In most cases, however, the sickness seemed to originate in
the place of its operation. Since that period, St. Augus-
tine has been distinguished as one of the most healthy
spots in the United States.
In the vicinity of St. Augustine, great attention is paid
to the cultivation of the orange. Indeed orange groves are
extending to every part of the eastern coast; 2,000,000 are
annually shipped from St. Augustine. Oranges form the
staple commodity of the country. The western and middle
part of the Territory are too cold for the successful produc-
tion of this fruit. The China orange tree requires a rich
sandy soil. It produces fruit in about seven years from the
seed. By engrafting, this period may be shortened two or
three years. The tree grows larger here than in the West
Indies. One hundred is as many as can grow profitably on
348
FAMILY TOURIST.
ST. AUGUstine.
an acre. When full grown, they will usually average 500 to
the tree, each year, and they are worth $7,50 per thousand
which would amount to 375 dollars per acre.
Some groves
produce much more than that. One tree in Mr. Alvarez's
grove has produced more than 6000 in one year.
A grove
is, on the whole, a valuable property. The care and atten-
tion necessary in pruning and manuring, bears a small pro-
portion to the labor necessary in raising crops. It is ne-
cessary to keep the head of the tree pruned often, so as to
throw the weight of vegetation to the extremity of the limbs.
No moss is suffered to grow on the bark. The ground
about them is kept clear of weeds and grass, and the roots
are annually manured. The frost of the winter of 1835, de-
stroyed all the China orange trees, and most other fruit trees
in Florida, as far south as the 28th degree of latitude.
South of that, the wild orange and lime groves were injured
but not destroyed.
A
Col. Williams thus describes the amusements of Florida,
in general, and of St. Augustine in particular. Balls are the
most common amusements of the Floridians.
The Patgo
of West Florida, is rather the introduction to a dance.
wooden bird is fixed on a pole and carried through the city,
by some slave; on presenting it to the ladies, they make an
offering of a piece of ribon, of any length or color that hap-
pens to suit their fancy, or convenience. This is fixed to
the bird, which soon becomes decked in a gaudy and abund-
ant plumage. A time and place is then set apart for the
fair patrons of the Patgo to assemble, who are usually gal-
lantly attended by their beaux, with rifles or fowling pieces.
The Patgo is set up at a proper distance, and shot at, the
fortunate marksman who first succeeds in striking it, is pro-
claimed king of the entertainment. The Patgo becomes
his property, by right of conquest, and is, by him, present-
ed to the fair lady of his choice, who by accepting the pres-
ent becomes queen of the festivities; his majesty then be-
comes entitled to the enviable privilege of paying the ex-
pense of the entertainment, over which he with his royal
consort presides.
The Posey dance, of St. Augustine, is introduced in a dif-
ferent manner, but results in the same amusement. The
females of a family, no matter what their rank or station in
FAMILY TOURIST.
349
ST. AUGUSTINE.
life may be, erect in a room of their house a neat little altar, lit
up with candles, and dressed with pots and festoons of flowers.
This is understood by the gentlemen as a polite invitation
to call and admire the taste of the fair architects. It is con-
tinued for several successive evenings; in the mean time, the
lady selects from her visiters, some happy beau, whom she
delights to honor, and presents him with a boquet of choice
flowers. His gallantry is then put to the test: should he
choose to decline the proffered honor, he has only to pay
the expense of lighting up the altar. But if he accepts the
full dignity offered him, he is king of the ball, which shortly
after succeeds, and the posey lass becomes queen, as a mat-
ter of course. The posey ball is a mixed assembly. People
of all ranks meet here on a level, yet so far as we have been
acquainted with them, they have been conducted with the
nicest decorum, and even with politeness and grace.
* Williams' " Territory of Florida."
*
30
+
LOUISIANA,
NEW ORLEANS.
NEW ORLEANS, the wet grave,* says the Modern Trav-
eller, where the hopes of thousands are buried,-for eighty
years the wretched asylum for the outcasts of France and
Spain, who could not venture a hundred paces beyond its
gates, without utterly sinking to the breast in mud, or being
attacked by alligators;-has become, in the space of some
twenty or thirty years, one of the most beautiful cities of the
Union, inhabited by 50,000 persons, who trade with half the
world. The view, (approaching the city from the interior,)
is splendid beyond description, when you pass down the
stream, which is here a mile broad, rolling its immense vol-
ume of waters in a bed, more than 150 feet deep, and, as if
conscious of its strength, appearing to look quietly on the
bustle of the inhabitants of man. Both its banks are lined
with charming sugar plantations, from the midst of which
rises the airy mansion of the wealthy planter, surrounded
with orange, banana, lime, and fig trees, the growth of a
climate approaching to the torrid zone.
In the rear you
discover the cabins of the negroes and the sugar houses,
and just at the entrance of the port, groups of smaller houses,
as if erected for the purpose of concealing the prospect of
the town. As soon as the steamboats pass these out-ports,
New Orleans, in the form of a half moon, appears in all its
splendor. The river, having run for four or five miles in a
southern direction, here suddenly takes an eastern course,
which it pursues for two miles, thus forming a semicircular
bend. A single glance exhibits to view the harbor, the
vessels at anchor, and the city, situated as it were at the
feet of the passenger. The first object that presents itself,
"Water is found two feet below the surface. Those who cannot
afford to procure a vault for the dead, are literally compelled to deposite
them in the water."
FAMILY TOURIST.
351
NEW ORLEANS.
is the dirty and uncouth backwoods flat boat. Hams, ears
of corn, apples, whiskey barrels, are stowed upon it, or are
fixed to poles, to direct the attention of the buyers. Close
by, are the rather more decent keel boats, with cotton, furs,
whiskey, flour. Next, the elegant steamboat, which by
its hissing and repeated sounds, announces either its arrival
or departure; sending forth immense columns of black smoke
that form into long clouds above the city. Further on are
the smaller merchant vessels, the sloops and schooners from
the Havanna, Vera Cruz, Tampico; then the brigs; and
lastly the elegant ships appearing like a forest of masts.*
The city of New Orleans occupies the left bank of the
Mississippi river, 105 miles by the channel above its mouth,
and by the course of the river 322 miles from Natchez,
1,005 from the mouth of the Ohio, 1,200 below the mouth of
the Missouri, 1,175 from St. Louis, 1,350 from Louisville,
1,500 from Cincinnati, 1,780 from Pittsburgh, and by post
road, 1,203 miles S. W. Washington. The site of the city
is on an inclined plane, the declivity falling very gently from
the margin of the river. Hence when the Mississippi is in
full flood, the surface of the water is from one to three feet
above the streets of the city; but at low water, it is from
seven to nine feet below them. To prevent constant inun-
dation, a levee or embankment fronts the city, similar to
that extending on both sides of the Mississippi, above and
below New Orleans; differing only in breadth and solidity.
The tides do not reach here; and the rise of the river, (which
is a mile in width opposite the city) during the highest floods
is about 12 feet above low water mark.
The city occupies an oblong area or parallelogram, ex-
tending 3,960 feet along the eastern bank of the Mississippi,
and 2,000 feet towards the swamp. This is the old city, or
New Orleans properly so called. Above the city are the
suburbs called Fauxburghs. These are St. Mary, Delor
Annunciation, Nuns, Lafayette, and Livauday; below the city
are those of Marigny, Daumois, Da Clovet and Washington.
In the rear of the city is also another, but detached suburb,
on Bayou St. John.
No one can observe the position of New Orleans, on a
* Modern Traveller.
352
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW ORLEANS.
map, and not be impressed with a conviction of the extraor-
dinary advantages which it possesses, as a commercial capi-
tal. The boat navigation above it is probably twice as great
as that of any other city on the globe. The Mississippi,
with its tributaries, affords a navigable steam boat commu-
nication through a fertile country of more than 20,000 miles;
numerous bayous communicate with other parts of the state;
and besides the natural channel of the river, it has a com-
munication by sloops and other small vessels with lake Pon-
chartrain, and the connected lakes; with the opposite Flori-
da shore, with Mobile, Pensacola, and the whole gulf shore,
east and west. "Not a few vessels, clear from the basin for
the Atlantic and Mexican ports. The basin is scarcely dis-
tant a quarter of a mile from the ship landing on the Missis-
sippi. A person on the basin wharf can see the masts of the
vessels, lying on the shore of the levee, and yet a vessel sail-
ing from the Basin, would have to sail through the lakes
along the gulf shore and up the Mississippi, some hundreds
of miles, to arrive at so little distance from her former posi-
tion. Even the commerce and shipping of the basin would
be sufficient for the support of a considerable city. There
is an incorporation to connect the lake with the Mississippi,
by a canal, directly from one to the other. A most neces-
sary and important canal is also contemplated, for connect-
ing Attakapas with the city. Nature has almost completed
the line of communication. At present the Bayous Pla-
quêmine and Lafourche, furnish that communication. Al-
though steamboats run between Opelousas and Attakapas,
by these routes and the Teche, yet the mouths of these Bay-
ous are liable to be choked with timber, and the navigation
is generally attended with some difficulty, and is moreover
circuitous. There are so many communications by water,
between New Orleans and the lower part of Louisiana, ac-
cessible by the smaller boats, that all of them are only known
to people who have been in habits for a long time of ex-
ploring them for the sake of finding new and shorter routes
to their destination."*
"The wooden buildings of which the city was formerly
in a great measure composed, have given place to buildings
of brick. The city, properly so called, and the Fauxbourg
* Flint's History and Geography of the Valley of the Mississippi.
FAMILY TOURIST.
353
ate.
NEW ORLEANS.
St. Mary, are compactly and substantially built. In the
city, the French and Spanish styles of building predomin-
The houses are stuccoed externally, and this stucco,
of a white or yellow color, strikes the eye more pleasantly
than the dull and sombre red brick. There can be no ques-
tion, but the American mode of building is more commo-
dious, solid, and durable; but the latter mode has the pre-
ference, in its general effect upon the eye. To an American,
viewing them for the first time, there is something fantastic
and unique in the appearance of the city streets, which wears
a resemblance to European, French and Spanish towns,
rather than American. The Fauxbourg St. Mary, and many
other parts of the city, are built after the American fashion,
and have nothing in their appearance different from an
Atlantic town.
"The city contains six complete squares; each square
having a front of 819 feet in length. Each square is di-
vided into 12 lots. Few of the streets, except canal street,
are more than 40 feet wide. The names of the principal
streets are Levee, Chartres, Royal, Burgundy, Dauphine,
Toulouse, &c. The public buildings are the Town House,
at the north-west corner of Chartres and St. Peter's streets;
the Hospital, standing in the suburb St. Mary, opposite the
square, between Dauphine and Burgundy streets; the Ca-
thedral church of St. Louis, in front of Orleans street, upon
Chartres street; the Convent of Ursuline nuns, upon Ursu-
line street, between Levee and Chartres streets; the Bar-
racks, upon Garrison and Levee streets; the Custom House,
in front of the square, between Canal and Levee streets;
the Market House, upon the Levee, in front of the square,
between St. Anne and Du Maine streets; Orleans Bank,
upon Conti, between Chartres and Royal streets; Louisiana
Bank, upon Royal, between Conti and St. Louis streets;
Planters' Bank, south-west corner of Conti and Royal
streets; Government House, north-west corner of Levee and
Toulouse streets; District Court of the United States, be-
tween Du Maine and Philippe streets; and the Water
Works of Levee street, in front of the square, between Ur-
suline and St. Philip streets. A very large and splendid
building is fitted up for the State Bank. The French
Theatre is in the city, and the American in the Fauxbourg
St. Mary. The Presbyterian church is also in this Faux-
bourg.
*ན ༔
30*
354
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW ORLEANS.
"The Cathedral stands at the head of a spacious square,
400 feet from the river. The building is of brick, extend-
ing 90 feet on the street, and 120 back of it. The roof is
covered, as are most of the French and Spanish houses,
with hollow, tile, and is supported by ten plastered brick
columns. It has four towers, of which one contains two
bells. It has an organ, and is finished within with great
massiveness and simplicity. It is an imposing fabric, and
the interior seems calculated to excite religious feeling.
Under its stone pavements are deposited the illustrious dead.
In the niches and recesses are the figures of the saints, in
their appropriate dress, and with those pale and unearthly
countenances, which are so much in keeping with the com-
mon ideas entertained of them. The walls are so thick,
that though in the very centre of business, you hear only a
confused whisper within, and are almost as still as in the
centre of a forest. You go but a few paces from the crowds
that are pressing along Levee street, and from the rattle of
carriages that are stationed near this place, and you find
yourself in a kind of vaulted apartment, and in perfect still-
ness. The tapers are burning, and some few are always
kneeling within in silent prayer. Images of death, of the
invisible world, and of eternity, surround you. The dead
sleep under your feet. You are in the midst of life, and yet
there reigns here a perpetual tranquillity. A new Catholic
church has been recently erected.
"The Presbyterian church is of brick, and is a very large
and handsome building. The Episcopal church is small,
but light and neat in its structure. The Mariners' church
is a respectable building, not yet completed. The prison
and the French theatre are very large, and externally disa-
greeable. The American theatre, in the Fauxbourg St.
Mary, is a neat and commodious building. The Charity
Hospital, though not a very beautiful building, has a moral
beauty of the highest order. It is probably one of the most
efficient and useful charities in the country. New Orleans
is exposed to greater varieties of human misery, vice, dis-
ease, and want, than any other American town. Here
misery and disease find a home, clean apartments, faithful
nursing, and excellent medical attendance. Under this roof
more miserable objects have been sheltered, more have been
FAMILY TOURIST.
355
NEW ORLEANS.
dismissed cured, and more have been carried to their long
home, than from any other hospital among us.
"The College is a respectable building, and has had am-
ple endowments; but has done little as yet for the literature
of the country. There is a convent of Ursuline nuns, whò
receive day scholars and boarders for the various branches
of rudimental education. The Female Orphan Asylum is a
most interesting charity, dating its efficient operations from
the late Mr. Poydras. It has commonly 70 or 80 destitute
female children, under sober and discreet instructresses, all
plainly and neatly clad, and constantly occupied, either in
acquiring the rudiments of education, or of needle work.
They are dressed in plain uniforms, and worship part of the
Sabbath day in the Catholic, and part in the Protestant
church. An institution of a similar character for boys, and
endowed also by the benevolent Poydras, is now in ope-
ration.
"There are a number of other charitable institutions in
this city, of respectable character; and when the epidemic,
yellow fever, visits it, the manner in which the inhabitants
bestow charity, nursing, shelter, and medical aid to the sick
is worthy of all praise. A Library, for the use of the poorer
reading young men of the city, has been instituted, and in
the extent of her efficent and useful charities, New Orleans
is not far behind her Atlantic sisters. There are fewer
churches in the city, than in any other town of the same
size in the United States. There are but three Catholic
places of worship, one Presbyterian, one Episcopalian, a
Mariners' church, a Baptist, and a Methodist place of wor-
ship. Very little observance of the Sabbath, as northern
people estimate it, is seen in this city. It is well known,
that the forms of the Catholic worship do not forbid amuse-
ments on the Sabbath."*
i
When the United States took possession of New Orleans
in 1803, the city contained 1000 houses, and 8000 inhabit-
ants. In 1820 the population amounted to 27,000; in 1821,
to 29,000; in 1822, to 32,000; in 1826, to nearly 40,000;
in 1830, to 48,500; but there are times in the year when
this number swells to upwards of 60,000.
* Flint's Valley of the Mississippi.
356
FAMILY TOURIST.
•
NEW ORLEANS.
Notwithstanding it is more than 100 miles from the sea,
the city is considered a sea-port, and "consuls from every
nation having commercial intercourse with it, reside there;
from England, Russia, Prussia, Denmark, Sweden, Ham-
burgh, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal, Sardinia,
and the South American Republics."
The population of the city is, of course, of the most
motley description, and of every complexion, from the
shades of brown and yellow to jet black. Americans from
every State, from Maine to Georgia, form about three eighths
of the population of the city and State; and among them
are some of the wealthiest families in Louisiana. The
French are still numerous. They include many respectable
merchants, lawyers, and physicians; but the greater part
are adventurers, who fill up the humble professions of dan-
cing-master, musician, hair-dresser, and the like. The
watchmen and lamp-lighters are Germans,-the unhappy
remnant of a numerous body of emigrants, who arrived from
Europe about sixteen years ago, destitute of the smallest re-
sources, and who, having lost more than half their comrades
during the passage, were sold as "white slaves," or, as they
are called, redemptioners," the moment they landed.
Hundreds of these people fell victims to the yellow fever
between 1814 and 1822; and their degrading habits of ine-
briety tend rapidly to thin their numbers. The fishermen.
are chiefly Spaniards. The free colored people consist.
partly of emancipated slaves; but chiefly Mulattoes, the off-
spring of the dissolute French Creoles.
(6
Heterogeneous as the population is, in manners, langua-
ges, and principles, they all agree in one point,-the pursuit
of money. Americans, English, French, Germans, Spaniards,
all come hither to make money, and to stay only as long as
money is to be made. The Yankee commission merchants,
who reside here during the winter, retire to the north in the
month of May. About half the inhabitants only, it is sup-
posed, are regularly settled here. The better American
families, as soon as they have amassed a fortune, answering
to their expectations, prefer removing to the north. These
circumstances will explain why New Orleans, one of the
wealthiest cities in the Union, is so far behind every other
in its public establishments.
((
During six months of the year, Louisiana affords a de-
lightful residence. In June, the heats become oppressive;
FAMILY TOURIST.
357
NEW ORLEANS.
not a breath of air is to be felt; the musketoes appear in
millions; and nothing can be more disagreeable than.
their buzzing sound and their painful sting,—except that
of the millipedes, which is still more painful. In July, the
heat increases. August, September, and October are dan-
gerous months in New Orleans. 'A deep silence reigns
during this season in the city. Most of the stores are shut
up; no one is to be seen in the streets during the day, ex-
cept negroes and people of color; no carriage, except the
funeral hearse. At the approach of evening, the inhabit-
ants pour forth to enjoy the air upon the Levee.' The yel-
low fever, however, has not made its appearance for several
years; and it is hoped that when the pestilential swamps
behind the city are drained, the city will become not less
healthy than other places in the same latitude. In winter,
the climate is extremely variable. In 1823, a severe frost
killed nearly all the orange trees. During some winters,
the thermometer has fallen to 16° or 15°, and the streets
have repeatedly been covered with snow, while the ponds
and bayous have been frozen. Other winters have been
as remarkable for their warmth; and no mean estimate
can give a correct idea of the uncertain and varying tem-
perature."
"Much has been said abroad," remarks the author of
the "Valley of the Mississippi," "in regard to the un-
healthiness of this city, and the danger of a residence here
for an unacclimated person, has been exaggerated. This
circumstance, more than all others, has retarded the in-
crease of the city. Unhappily, when the dog star is in the
sky, there is but too much probability, that the epidemic
will sweep the place with the besom of destruction. Hun-
dreds of unacclimated poor from the north, and more than
all, from Ireland, fall victims to it.
"The supply of the excellent water of the Mississippi,
by the water-works now in operation, is very inadequate.
It is contemplated to extend the means of supply. No city
in the Union can be furnished more cheaply and easily.
Were the supply equal to washing the streets in every direc-
tion, it would tend more to the preservation of the public.
health, in all probability, than any other conservative means
that could be employed; and it is a matter of surprise,
that such a simple and obvious measure has not already
358
FAMILY TOURIST:
NEW ORLEANS.
been adopted. It is believed, that every street, which has
the least inclination of descent, might be kept clean by the
healthy water of the Mississippi, at a less expense than
is requisite for watering Cincinnati. Very great improve-
ments have been recently made, and are constantly making,
in paving the city, in removing the wooden sewers, and re-
placing them by those of stone. The low places, where
the water used to stagnate, are drained or filled up. Tracts
of swamp about the town are draining, or filling up; and
this work, constantly pursued, will, probably, contribute
more to the salubrity of the city, than all the other efforts
to this end united.
The commerce of this city is immense, and constantly
increasing. There have been counted in the harbor, 1,500
flat boats at a time. Steamboats are coming and departing
every hour; and it is not uncommon to see 50 lying in the
harbor at a time. A forest of masts is constantly seen
along the levee, except in the sultry months. There are
often 5 or 6,000 boatmen from the upper country here;
and it is not uncommon to see 40 vessels advertised for
Liverpool and Havre. No place in the United States has
so much activity and bustle of commerce, crowded into so
small a space, in the months of February and March. Du-
ring the season of bringing in the cotton crop, whole streets
are barricaded with cotton bales. The amount of domes-
tic exports from this city exceeds twelve millions of dol-
lars a year, being greater than that of any other city of the
Union, except New York, and nearly equalling that. The
greatest items that make this amount, are sugar and cot-
ton.
"It is believed, that it will not be long before the great
and opulent city of New Orleans will commence, on a
scale commensurate with her resources and enterprise, a
system of reclaiming the immense swamps, in the midst of
which she is placed, by navigable canals.
"The facilities of getting a passage from this city either
to Europe, Mexico, the Atlantic cities, or the interior, are
very great. You need seldom remain many days, without
an opportunity to embark in any direction. Steamboats
are constantly advertising for Louisville, and all the differ-
ent points on the waters of the Mississippi and Ohio; and
a passage in the beautiful steamboats that now ply on these
waters, is both rapid, cheap, and delightful.
FAMILY TOURIST.
359
NEW ORLEANS.
"The market is ordinarily cheap and abundant; and by
seizing opportunities, the articles of life may he had as cheap
as in any other town in the United States. Corn, potatoes,
pork, and flour, are sometimes so low, as scarcely to pay
the cost of transportation from the upper country. The
productions of all climes find their way hither; and for
fruits and vegetables, few places can exceed it. On a plea-
sant March morning, perhaps half of the city is seen in the
market. The crowd covers half a mile in extent. The ne-
groes, mulattoes, French, Spanish, and Germans, are all
crying their several articles in their several tongues. In
the midst of a confusion of languages, like that of Babel,
un picalion, un picalion,' is the most distinguishable.
C
"This city necessarily exercises a great moral influence
over all the western country. There is no distinguished
merchant, planter, or farmer, in the Mississippi valley, but
what has made at least one trip to this place. Here they
witness acting at the French and American theatres. Here
they go to inspect, if not to take part in the pursuits of the
'roulette and temple of fortune.' Here they come from
the remote and isolated points of the west, to see the city
lions,' and learn the ways of men in great towns; and
they necessarily carry back an impression, from what they
have seen and heard. It is of conceivable importance to
the western country, that New Orleans should be enlight-
ened, moral, and religious. It has a numerous and respect-
able corps of professional men, and issues a considerable
number of well edited papers.
"The police of the city is at once mild and energetic.
Notwithstanding the multifarious character of the people,
collected from every country and climate; notwithstanding
the multitude of boatmen and sailors; notwithstanding the
mass of people that rushes along its streets, is of the most
incongruous materials, there are fewer broils and quarrels
here, than in almost any other city. The municipal and
criminal courts are prompt in administering justice; and
larcenies and broils are effectually punished without any
just grounds of the 'law's delay.' On the whole, the
morals of those people, who profess to have any degree of
self-respect, are not behind those of the other cities of the
Union."*
* Flint.
360
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW ORLEANS.
From New Orleans to the Balize or mouth of the Mis-
sissippi, is about 100 miles, as already stated. Here a
great number of pilots are stationed. From this wretched.
place, i. e. their station, says Captain Basil Hall, planted in
the midst of a boundless swamp, no firm land is in sight,
nor is there any within 50 or 60 miles of it. There are
about twenty buildings, six of them dwelling houses,
between which the intercourse is carried on exclusively by
means of rude log causeys or bridges laid over the slime
and water. It is impossible to walk ten yards in any direc-
tion, without sinking up to the neck in a mud-hole or quick-
sand; so that, for all the purposes of locomotion, the in-
habitants might as well be at sea. In the middle of this
half-drowned village, there stands "a rickety look-out
house," from the top of which an extensive view is com-
manded, indescribably dreary, yet not without interest.
"We could discover," says this traveller, "several of the
passes (or outlets), and great numbers of bayous, or natu-
ral canals, creeping among the marshes slowly to the sea,
which occupied about one third of the horizon on the
south. On the east and west, the marshes extended as far
as the eye could reach, bristling with roots, trunks, and
branches of trees. In the spring, when the freshes or
floods come down, they bring along with them millions of
trunks of trees, technically called logs, (owing to the falling
in of the river banks.)
"In February and the beginning of March, the quantity
of these logs is so great, that not only the river itself, but
the sea, for several miles off, is completely coated over with
them, and it requires some skill in the pilot to get through.
The whole ground, (if the loose, muddy soil can be so called)
appeared to be formed of layers of these logs, matted to
gether into a net-work, or rather a gigantic raft of rough
timbers, many yards, and perhaps fathoms, in depth, over
hundreds of square leagues. These enormous rafts, which
settle on the mud as the waters subside, are cemented to-
gether by fresh deposits. In a short time, a rank sort of
cane or reed springs up, which helps to keep them together.
This is called a cane brake; a wild, hopeless-looking, im-
passable marsh. These reeds, by retarding the flow of the
river, collect the mud of the next season, and by the pro-
cess of their own decay, lend their share to form the alluvi-
al soil of the Delta. Fresh logs, and fresh mud, and new
FAMILY TOURIST.
361
NEW ORLEANS.
crops of cane, go on forming for a certain course of years.
At length, a stunted shrub takes root, and grows up in these
slushy territories, the empire of the alligators, who delight
to flounder about in the creeks of bayous, which cut across
the Delta in every direction. When these trees grow up,
they collect more soil about them, and land somewhat firm-
er is concocted, as we advance from the region of swamps to
that of marshes. The intruder, man, now begins his opera-
tions, by banking out the stream, and taking the further
management of the soil into his own hands. The fertility
of such spots exceeds that of any other part of the world.
Of course, all the sea-shores or skirts of the Delta are unin-
habited, and must for a long time continue in a state of use-
less marshes, till fresh deposits raise the level a few feet more.
The lowest sugar plantation on the Mississippi, that I saw,
was 40 miles below New Orleans, or about 60 miles from
the sea.
And I should imagine, that a belt of uninhabitable
marsh from 50 to 100 miles in width, fringes the whole of
that part of the coast.”*
In his subsequent voyage up the Mississippi, when be-
tween 50 and 60 miles above New Orleans, this Traveller
had the satisfaction of witnessing one of those formidable
breaches in the Levee or embankment, which are called
crevasses.† "The river was tumbling through the opening
with a head or fall of four or five feet, in a tumultuous man-
ner, resembling one of the St. Lawrence rapids. This boil-
ing, or rather surf-like appearance-for it rose and fell in
snow white ridges or short waves-did not spread itself far
to the right or left, (which at first surprised me,) but gushed
nearly at right angles to the parent river, strait forward,
across the cultivated fields, into the forest growing in the
boundless morass lying beyond the cleared strips of land.
There was something peculiarly striking in this casual
stream,—a mere drop from the great Mississippi, which in
many other countries might almost have claimed the name
of a river,-leaping, and writhing, and foaming along, with
a sound exactly like that of breakers on a reef, through the
* Basil Hall's Travels.
+ Many crevasses are believed to have been caused by the holes of wa-
ter rats; for the soil is so loose, that if the water once gets vent, so as to
dribble through the smallest pipe, it is impossible to say of what magni-
tude the opening may become before morning.
31
362
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW ORLEANS,
middle of a village, among trees, over the tops of sugar-
plantations, and at last losing itself in a great cypress swamp.
"The Levee or embankment was completely carried
away at this place, for a distance of 100 or perhaps 150
yards. I could not help being surprised, indeed, that any
portion of these frail barriers ever stood at all, for they seem-
ed generally not more than two or three feet wide at top,
and ten or twelve at the base; and altogether so slender in
appearance, that I expected every minute to see fresh
crevasses formed. During the greater part of that day, the
surface of the water along which we were moving, could not
be less than six or eight feet above the level of the ground
on both sides. The district of country which lies adjacent
to the Mississippi, in the lower parts of Louisiana, is every
where thickly peopled by sugar-planters, whose showy hous-
es, gay piazzas, thrifty gardens, and numerous slave-villa-
ges, all clean and neat, gave an exceedingly thriving air to
the river scenery.'
""
During the last war with Great Britain, New Orleans
was the scene of a battle between the Americans and British,
which for its signal triumph on the one hand, and signal
defeat on the other, has rarely been equalled. It was un-
fortunately fought after the preliminaries of a treaty had been.
signed at Ghent-but the tidings of this mutual adjustment
of difficulties, which would have prevented such carnage and
saved many a gallant officer and veteran soldier, had not
reached the country. The above treaty was signed Dec.
24th, 1814, the battle was fought on the 8th of Jan. 1815.
Sometime previously the British had evidently been turn-
ing their attention towards New Orleans. Having intima-
tion of their design, Gen. Jackson, then commanding in
that vicinity, marched his troops upon New Orleans, where
he arrived on the 2d of December. Having reviewed a
corps of volunteers, the day of his arrival, he immediately.
proceeded to visit every post in the neighborhood, to give
orders for adding fortifications, and establishing defensive
works and out-posts, in every spot where the enemy might
be expected, as there was the greatest uncertainty where a
landing would be made; he mingled with the citizens and
infused into the greater part his own spirit and energy. By
his presence and exhortations, they were animated to exer-
tions of which before they were not supposed to be capable.
All who could wield a spade, or carry a musket, were either
FAMILY TOURIST.
36
NEW ORLEANS.
put to work upon the fortifications, or trained in the art of
defending them. The Mississippi, upon the eastern bank of
which New Orleans stands, flows to the ocean in several
channels; one leaving the main stream above the city, runs
east of it, and forms in its course Lake Ponchartrain, and
Lake Borgne. Early in December, the British entered this
channel with a force of about eight thousand men, a part of
whom had just left the shores of the Chesapeake, the remain-
der having arrived direct from England. A small squad-
ron of gun-boats, under Lieutenant Jones, was despatched
to oppose their passage into the lake. These were met by a
superior force, and after a spirited conflict, in which the
killed and wounded of the British exceeded the whole num-
ber of the Americans, they were compelled to surrender.
The loss of the gun-boats left no means of watching the
movements of the enemy, or of ascertaining where the land-
ing would be made. Orders were given, for increased vigi-
lance at every post; the people of color were formed into a
battalion; the offer of the Barratarians to volunteer, on con-
dition of a pardon for previous offences, if they conducted
themselves with bravery and fidelity, was accepted. Gen.
Jackson, after applying to the legislature to suspend the act
of habeus corpus, and finding that they were consuming these
extreme moments in discussion, proclaimed martial law, and
from that moment his means became more commensurate
with the weight of responsibility he had to sustain.
On the 22d, the British, having landed, took a position
near the main channel of the river, about eight miles below
the city. In the evening of the 23d, General Jackson made
a sudden and furious attack upon the camp. They were
thrown into disorder; but they soon rallied, and fought with
a bravery, at least equal to that of the assailants. Satisfied
with the advantage first gained, he withdrew his troops, for-
tified a strong position, four miles below New Orleans, and
supported it by batteries erected on the west bank of the river.
On the 28th of December, and the 1st of January, vigorous
but unsuccessful attacks were made upon these fortifications
by the English. In the mean time, both armies had receiv-
ed re-inforcements; and General Sir E. Pakenham, the Brit-
ish commander, resolved to exert all his strength in a com-
bined attack upon the American positions, on both sides of
the river. With almost incredible industry, he caused a
364
FAMILY TOURIST.
#
NEW ORLEANS.
canal, leading from a creek emptying itself into Lake Borg-
ne to the main channel of the Mississippi, to be dug, that he
might remove a part of his boats and artillery to that river.
On the 7th of January, from the movements observed in the
British camp, a speedy attack was anticipated.
This was
made early on the 8th. The British troops, formed in a
close column of about sixty men in front, the men shoul-
dering their muskets, all carrying fascines, and some with
ladders, advanced towards the American fortifications, from
whence an incessant fire was kept up on the column, which
continued to advance, until the musketry of the troops of
Tennessee and Kentucky, joined with the fire of the artil-
lery, began to make an impression on it, which soon threw
it into confusion. For some time, the British officers suc-
ceeded in animating the courage of their troops, making
them advance obliquely to the left, to avoid the fire of a bat-
tery, every discharge from which opened the column, and
mowed down whole files, which were almost instantaneous-
ly replaced by new troops coming up close after the first;
but these also shared the same fate, until at last, after twen-
ty-five minutes continued firing, through which a few pla-
toons advanced to the edge of the ditch, the column entirely
broke, and part of the troops dispersed, and ran to take
shelter among the bushes on the right.
The rest retired to the ditch, where they had been when
first perceived, four hundred yards from the American
lines. There the officers with some difficulty rallied their
troops, and again drew them up for a second attack, the
soldiers having laid down their knapsacks at the edge of
the ditch, that they might be less encumbered. And now,
for the second time, the column, recruited with the troops
that formed the rear, advanced. Again it was received
with the same galling fire from the musketry and artillery,
till it at last broke again, and retired in the utmost confu-
sion. In vain did the officers now endeavor, as before,
to revive the courage of their men; to no purpose
did they strike them with the flat of their swords, to
force them to advance: they were insensible of every
thing but danger, and saw nothing but death, which
had struck so many of their comrades. The attack had
hardly begun, when the British commander-in-chief, Sir
Edward Packenham, fell a victim to his own intrepidity,
while endeavoring to animate his troops with ardor for the
FAMILY TOURIST.
365
NEW ORLEANS.
assault. Soon after his fall, two other generals, Keane and
Gibbs, were carried off the field of battle, dangerously
wounded. A great number of officers of rank had fallen:
the ground over which the column had marched was strew-
ed with the dead and wounded. Such slaughter on their
side, with scarcely any loss on the American, spread con-
sternation through the British ranks, as they were now con-
vinced of the impossibility of carrying the lines, and saw
that even to advance was certain death. Some of the Brit-
ish troops had penetrated into the wood toward the extrem-
ity of the American line, to make a false attack, or to as-
certain whether a real one were practicable. These, the
troops under General Coffee had no sooner perceived, than
they opened on them a brisk fire with their rifles, which
made them retire. The greater part of those who, on the
columns' being repulsed, had taken shelter in the thickets,
only escaped the batteries to be killed by the musketry.
During the whole hour that the attack lasted, the Ameri-
can fire did not slacken for a single moment. By half after
eight in the morning, the fire of the musketry had ceased.
The whole plain on the left, as also the side of the river,
from the road to the edge of the water, was covered with
the British soldiers who had fallen. About four hundred
wounded prisoners were taken, and at least double that
number of wounded men escaped into the British camp;
and a space of ground, extending from the ditch of the
American lines to that on which the enemy drew up his
troops, two hundred and fifty yards in length, by about two
hundred in breadth, was literally covered with men, either
dead or severely wounded. Perhaps a greater disparity of
loss never occurred; that of the British, in killed, wound-
ed, and prisoners, in this attack, which was not made with
sufficient judgment, and which, besides, was embarrassed
by unforeseen circumstances, was upwards of two thou-
sand men; the killed and wounded of the Americans was
only thirteen!
The events of the day on the west side of the river pre-
sents a striking instance of the uncertainty of military cal-
culations. There the Americans were thrice the number
of their assailants, and were protected by intrenchments;
but they ingloriously fled. They were closely pursued,
31*
366
FAMILY TOURIST.
3
NEW ORLEANS.
until the British party received intelligence of the defeat of
the main army, withdrew from pursuit, and re-crossed the
river. They then returned and re-assumed possession of
their intrenchments. General Lambert, upon whom the
command of the British army had devolved, having lost
all hopes of success, repaired to his shipping. In his re-
treat he was not molested: General Jackson wisely resolv-
ing to hazard nothing that he had gained, in attempting to
gain still more.*
ì
*Hinton's United States.
KENTUCKY.
LEXINGTON.
LEXINGTON was one of the earliest settlements in Ken-*
tucky; in 1785, it had assumed the appearance of a vil-
lage, but its early growth was much impeded by Indian
warfare, so that in 1805, it contained but 50 houses, and
about 350 inhabitants. Its name was given to it by some
hunters, who were encamping on the spot on which the city
now stands, when the news of the battle of Lexington was
brought to them, upon which they immediately decided to
give it the name of that place, where the struggle for Amer-
ican liberty first commenced.
!
The town buildings, in general, are handsome, and some
of them are magnificent. Few towns in the West, or else-
where, are more delightfully situated. Its environs have a
singular softness and amenity of landscape, and the town
wears an air of neatness, opulence, and repose, indicating
leisure and studiousness, rather than the bustle of business
and commerce. It is situated in the centre of a proverbi-
ally rich and populous country. The frequency of hand-
some villas and ornamented rural mansions, impart the im-
pression of vicinity to an opulent metropolis. A beauti-
ful branch of the Elkhorn runs through the city, and sup-
plies it with water. The main street is a mile and a quar-
ter in length, and 80 feet wide, well paved; and the prin-
cipal roads leading from it to the country are McAdamized
to some distance. In the centre of the town is the public
square, surrounded by handsome buildings. In this square
is the market house, which is amply supplied with all the
products of the State. The inhabitants are cheerful, intel-
ligent, conversable, and noted for their hospitality to stran-
gers. The professional men are distinguished for their at-
tainments in their several walks, and many distinguished and
368
FAMILY TOURIST:
LOUISVILLE.
eminent men have had their origin here. The University,
with its professors and students, and the numerous distin-
guished strangers that are visiting here, during the summer
months, add to the attractions of the city. The people are
addicted to giving parties; and the tone of society is fash-
ionable and pleasant. Strangers, in general, are much
pleased with a temporary sojourn in this city, which conveys
high ideas of the refinement and taste of the country.
There are now much larger towns in the West; but none
presenting more beauty and intelligence. The stranger,
on finding himself in the midst of its polished and interest-
ing society, cannot but be carried back by the strong con-
trast, to the time, when the patriarchal hunters of Ken-
tucky, reclining on their buffalo robes around their eve-
ning fires, canopied by the lofty trees and the stars, gave it
the name it bears, by patriotic acclamation.*
The Transylvania University is located in Lexington, and
enjoys a high reputation among the collegiate institutions
of the West. It was founded in 1798, and re-organized in
1818. The buildings are on an eminence contiguous to
the town, and generally commodious. The several libra-
ries attached to the Institution contain 14,000 volumes.
There are several schools in the city, which are in deserv-
edly high reputation.
The other public edifices are, a handsome and spacious
Court House, a large Masonic Hall, and eleven Churches,
in which all the denominations of Christianity are repre-
sented. The State Lunatic Asylum is a spacious and very
commodious building. The population, in 1830, was
6,104.
LOUISVILLE.
This place began to be settled in 1778, at which time,
and for a few subsequent years, it was constantly harassed
by the Indians. In 1780, it was made a town by an act of
* Flint's Geography.
FAMILY TOURIST.
369
LOUISVILLE.
1
the Virginia legislature, it being then a part of that State.
In the following year, a fort was built and garrisoned, and
a check given to Indian depredations.
In a commercial point of view, Louisville is far the most
important town in the State. The main street is nearly a
mile in length, and is as noble, as compact, and has as much
the air of a maritime town, as any street in the western
country. It is situated on an extensive sloping plain, be-
low the mouth of the Beargrass, about a quarter of a mile
above the principal declivity of the falls. The three prin-
cipal streets are parallel with the river, and command fine
views of the villages and the beautiful country on the oppo-
site shore.
The public buildings are, a court house, jail, poor-house,
and work-house, powder magazine, marine hospital, city
school house, eight churches for the prevalent denomina-
tions of the country, Washington hall, Columbian inn, and
other respectable hotels, City Hall, United States Branch
Bank, house of Fire and Marine Insurance Company, Iron
Foundery, Jefferson Cotton Factory, five Steam Mills, Un-
ion Hall, and Theatre.
The Marine Hospital is a conspicuous and showy build-
ing. The free Public School House is a noble edifice, tak-
ing into view its object. It was commenced in 1829, as a
kind of model school for a general system of free schools;
and was built at an expense of 7,500 dollars. It is intended
to accommodate 7 or 800 pupils.
The position of this city is 38° 18′ north, and 5° 42′ west
from Washington. It contained in 1800, 600 inhabitants;
in 1810, 1,350; 1820, 4,012; 1830, 10,336; having more
than doubled its population within the last ten years.
·
The greatest fall in the Ohio is just below this city. In
high stages of water, the rocks and shallows are all covered,
and boats pass without perceiving them. But this stage of
water does not occur, on an average, more that two months
in a year, rendering it necessary at all other times, that boats
from the lower country should stop here. The falls equally
arrested boats from above. Consequently freights intended
for the country above were required, at a great expense of
time, delay, and factorage, to be unloaded, transported by
land round the falls, and reloaded in boats above. Large
370
FAMILY TOURIST.
LOUISVILLE.
steamboats from New Orleans, though belonging to the
upper country, were obliged to lie by through the summer
at Portland.
To remedy these inconveniences, the Louisville and Port-
land Canal round the falls has been completed. It over-
comes the ascent of twenty-two feet by five locks. The first
steam boat that passed through the canal, was the Uncas,
December 21, 1829.
It is two miles in length, and the excavation 40 feet in
depth. A part of this depth is cut from solid lime stone.
It is on a scale to admit steamboats and vessels of the largest
size. From the nature of the country, and the great differ-
ence between the highest and lowest stage of the work,
amounting to nearly 60 feet, it is necessarily a work of great
magnitude, having cost more than any other similar extent
of canal work in the United States. There are various
opinions, in reference to the bearings of this work upon the
future prosperity of Louisville. Great part of the important
and lucrative business of factorage will be superseded; and
as boats can ascend from Louisville to Cincinnati, with at
least as great a draft of water as is allowed by the depth of
the water from Louisville to the mouth of the Ohio, most of
the boats from the Mississippi, that used to be arrested at
the falls, will pass on to the country above. But other bear-
ings of utility to this place, not yet contemplated, will prob-
ably grow out of the increased activity, given by the canal,
to business and commerce. No axiom is better established
than that every part of the country, so connected as the
whole coast of the Ohio, flourishes and increases with every
other part. If the country above and below be flourishing,
so also will be Louisville. Besides, this important town has
intrinsic resources, which will not fail to make it a great
place. More steamboats are up in New Orleans for it
than any other; and except during the season of ice, or of
extremely low water, there seldom elapses a week, without
an arrival from New Orleans. The gun of the arriving or
departing steamboats is heard at every hour of the day and
night; and no person has an adequate idea of the business
and bustle of Louisville, until he has arrived at the town.
The county of which this town is the county seat, is one of
the most fertile, and best settled in the state. The town
FAMILY TOURIST.
371
t
LOUISVILLE.
was formerly subject to frequent attacks of endemic sick-
ness, in the summer and autumn, owing to stagnant waters
in its vicinity. The ponds and marshes have been in a
great measure drained; and the health of the town has im-
proved in consequence. It has been for some years nearly
as healthy as any other town in the same latitude on the
Ohio.*
1
* Flint's Geography.
ΟΗΙΟ.
CINCINNATI.
CINCINNATI, Sometimes called the "Queen of the West,"
is situated on the north shore of the Ohio, in latitude 39° 6'
30″ north, and in longitude 7° 24′ 45″ west from Washing-
ton; 450 miles distant from Pittsburgh by the course of the
river: 860 from New Orleans, and 850 from New York, by
way of the Erie and New York Canal.
Cincinnati occupies the site of old Fort Washington, and
the outlines of the city were marked in 1789. În 1795,
there were but 500 inhabitants, principally from New Eng-
land and New Jersey. As late as 1805, the number was
estimated at but 950. Since the peace of 1814, the city
has augmented with wonderful rapidity, and in 1830 con-
tained a population of about 30,000.
The position of Cincinnati is admirable, occupying "a
beautiful vale," says Mr. Flint, "twelve miles in circumfer-
ence, created by an elliptical sweep of the Ohio hills. Those
of them that have not been laid bare by the unsparing axe,
are beautifully wooded to their summits; and by the swell
and indentation of their waving outline, present the most
graceful and charming forms. From the summit of any of
these hills, the town spreads a panoramic map of exquisite
painting. The eye traces every street, with its smokes,
fixtures, and moving life, from which all the roughness of
inception, softened by distance, appears. The noble estab-
lishments, the handsome mansions, the extending masses of
buildings, the numerous manufactures, propelling their col-
umns of black smoke aloft, the boat yards, the bustling in-
habitants, with the hundred teams and drays, the Ohio,
winding along the southern limit, and itself enlivened by
passing crafts, and stately steamboats, rounding to the
shore, or departing from it, the villages of Newport and
Covington, with their showy houses and manufactories on
FAMILY TOURIST.
373
CINCINNATI.
the Kentucky bank of the Ohio, taken together, offer such
a picture of beauty, wealth, progress and fresh advance, as
few landscapes in any country can surpass. Its first settle-
ment was in 1789, but it was not until 1808, that a consider-
able part of the present town plot that surrounded Fort Wash-
ington, and belonged to the government, was sold in lots.
A more eligible position for a town can scarcely be
imagined. The chief area consists of two parallel plains,
the one elevated sixty feet above the other, and descending
to it by a gentle and graduated slope, affording admirable
facilities for washing the town by every considerable rain,
and sloping it to the eye in the graceful form of an ampithe-
atre, and at the same time furnishing it with every pleasing
variety of site for building. One of the chief beauties of this
city is obvious to every cyc, which, however, we have not
seen recorded. The streets crossing each other at right
angles, and being straight and uninterrupted, present vistas,
bounded by the wooded acclivities of the surrounding hills.
By a well known optical illusion, these swelling hill-sides,
seen through a vista, narrowing in apparent width, in pro-
portion to its distance from the eye, fill the angle of vision,
and preclude the perception of any distance between the
termination of the street and the commencement of the hills.
In consequence, through whatever street the beholder looks,
it seems to be closed by a gate of verdure, and to terminate
in a forest.
"Seven of the streets are sixty-six feet wide, and three
hundred and ninety-six feet apart, intersected by streets of
the same width and distance, at right angles. One entire
square, and the fraction of another, are reserved in central
parts of the city, for public buildings. The city buildings
cover an irregular area, nearest the form of a parallelogram.
The central parts are compactly built with houses and stores,
that would ornament any town. The most showy quarters
are Main, Broadway, and Fourth street, westward from its
intersection with Main. Pearl street nearly completed,
leading from the lower Market to Walnut street, is com-
posed of uniform buildings, terminated by a magnificent
Hotel, five stories high, and will add greatly to the beauty
of that part of the city. The public buildings are a court
house, jail, four market houses, one of them 500 feet in
length, the Bazaar, the Cincinnati College, the Catholic
Athenæum, the Medical College, for which a second spa-
32
374
FAMILY TOURIST.
་
CINCINNATI.
cious and commodious building is erecting, the Mechanics
Institute, Theatre, and a second one erecting, two Muse-
ums, the Hospital and Lunatic Asylum, and the Woodward
High School in the progress of erection. Some other public
buildings are in contemplation.
"Beside these, there are twenty-four churches, great and
small. Of these the Second Presbyterian church is the
handsomest, the exterior being of agreeable architecture,
and the interior decidedly beautiful. The Unitarian church
is a singularly neat one. The interior of the Catholic
church is striking. The first and third Presbyterian
churches are spacious buildings, as also a new Methodist
and Baptist church. Some of the other churches make a
respectable appearance.
"There are many fine blocks of stores on Front and Main
streets, and the eye is arrested by many beautiful private habi-
tations. Architectural taste is daily becoming more enlight-
ened and agreeable. The dull appearance of the brick walls is
giving way to more pleasing shades between white and green;
and a beautiful stucco, imitating marble and granite, is get-
ting into fashion. The number of substantial buildings
added annually to the city for three years past averages 450.
Of
"It has already become a great manufacturing town, and
is constantly becoming more so. Our limits preclude de-
tails; but all the substantial manufactures know in our coun-
try are carried on to a greater or less extent. The manu-
factures in iron are very great, particularly in the heavy
castings, and all sorts of machinery, driven by steam.
such establishments there are nine or ten, and some of
them on a great scale. The next most extensive article is
cabinet work. Steamboat building is a great item. Hatting
is pursued to a great extent. It is believed, that the city
contains at least forty different manufacturing establishments
driven by steam power. Being the importing and exporting
depot for more than a million inhabitants, this city transacts
an immense business, particularly in the retailing and manu-
facturing line. The imports, in which dry goods are the
principal items, exceed five million dollars. The amount
of exports, consisting of the various articles of produce, of
which pork is the chief, and of manufactures, of which iron
articles and cabinet furniture are the chief, probably exceeds
the imports. No town of its size in the U. States, produces a
more respectable show of all the different classes of mechan-
FAMILY TOURIST.
375
CINCINNATI.
ics, arranged under their respective standards on the fourth
of July. One hundred and eleven steamboats have been
built here; and at the rate of about fifteen a year for the last
three years. The city revenue of 1831 was 35,231 dollars,
and the expenditures 33,858."
The population of Cincinnati has increased within a few
years with wonderful rapidity. By an accurate enumera-
tion in 1831, the inhabitants were estimated at 30,000. A
late writer makes the population at this present time, Jan-
uary, 1839, not less than 50,000.
"Though the imperfect filling out of the magnificent
plan of the city, the cumbering of the streets with timber,
stone, bricks and mortar, and the inconvenience of actual
building, present an image of crudeness and immaturity, it
needs little spirit of prophecy to predict from the past to the
future, that this city, which will be shortly central to more
than two millions of inhabitants, which presents the greatest
variety of models in the theories and imagining of strangers.
from all parts of the world, which evolves the germs of
emulation and rivalry to a fault, and which abounds in pro-
visions, natural wealth, fuel, and all the materials of building,
and which is moreover a healthy town, will in the course of
a few years, vie in beauty and population with the first towns
in the Union.
"Cincinnati has been called, somewhat to the discompo-
sure of the sisterly feelings of Pittsburgh and Louisville, the
Queen of the West. Most young emigrants, who possess,
or imagine that they possess a latent copiousness of speech,
on first joining themselves to the citizens, woo their queen,
by an incense of puffing, vaunting her charms, beauty, and
bounty in solid columns. She, like other queens and beau-
ties, regards them by turning an ear long since sated and deaf
with flattery. We know not, but she may be equally cal-
lous to the short chapter of her faults-for faults she has.
In this town, as in New Orleans, there are but two chief
avenues to distinction; the one, wealth; the other the tal-
ent of gaining popular favor. The charities, which are only
nursed where the people are of one race, have been born,
baptized, reared, and inter-married, and had their whole.
lot of human vicissitudes, cast together, cannot be supposed
to put forth such abundant fruit, where society is continu-
376
FAMILY TOURIST.
CINCINNATI.
ally shifting by the unremitting accession of strangers;
where the morbid appetite of novelty fosters fickleness, and
precludes the chance of matured friendship, mellowed by
thorough acquaintance and ancient ties. Deep and endur-
ing remembrance of the passing guest is dispelled by the
heartless and hackneyed welcome prepared for the coming
one.
"Concurrence in broad views for the advancement oflit-
erature, or the great interests of humanity, cannot be ex-
pected in a city composed of a population collected from so
many different countries, and transplanting with them a
mass of inveterate prejudices. A noble foundation of the
present generation and the generations to come, in order to
be reared by the moral omnipotence of union and hearty
concurrence, must here achieve the impossible success of
uniting a score of religious sects, as many political ones,
and the antipathies of national and sectional jealousies.
"Hence, while the existing generation talks, and writes
about improvements in science and literature, it must be a
more fortunate generation, in which wealth, and the humble
arts of popularity are less estimated, and talents and merits.
more, which can expect to reap the fruits of high mental
cultivation, or cultivate literature to any considerable ex-
tent.
"Of competition in all the walks, this town has as much
as any other, and of emulation and rivalry, an ample share.
But these drawbacks, the almost inevitable results of cir-
cumstance notwithstanding, no town in the United States is
advancing in beauty and population with so much rapidity,
or promises such a sustained progress for twenty years to
come.
"The city contains a great number of excellent schools,
in which the standing and improvement of the pupils will
compare with the same circumstances in any other town in
the Union. Besides private schools, too numerous to be
named, there are twenty-seven teachers of the public free
schools, in which 2,700 children receive instruction. There
is as great a number of clergymen, physicians, and lawyers,
in proportion to the population, as in any other town."*
Cincinnati is distinguished above all other places in the
* Flint's Geography.
FAMILY TOURIST.
377
CINCINNATI.
union for its extensive pork establishments. Not less than
from 100,000 to 150,000 hogs are annually drawn in from
the surrounding country, and at some 10 or 12 establishments,
are slaughtered, dressed, and packed for market. The aver-
age time occupied in knocking down a hog, bleeding, scald-
ing, scraping, and stringing up, is about one minute and a
quarter. The largest and most extensive slaughter house in
the city is conducted by Mr. John W. Coleman. Six hun-
dred and fifty hogs have been dressed in a single day, at a
single establishment. Mr. Colinan had completely dressed
in a single day, at his four houses, 2,600. One hundred and
sixty men were employed, and the time occupied was eleven
hours. At several of the packing houses they are able to
receive the hogs from the slaughter house, cut them up, as-
sort the meat, pack, brine, and cooper 250 or 300 barrels of
pork in one day, and have it ready for shipment-and at the
same time prepare 200 kegs of lard.
Recently a house has been erected for the porking busi-
ness, by Messrs Pugh, Jones & Co. four stories high, 159
feet by 92, the largest establishment of the kind in the Uni-
ted States. It is erected on large massive stone walls and
supported by large double oak columns. On the canal side,
immediately adjoining the water, are three piazzas, one, 100
feet by 20, and the other two 62 by 20. There are two smoke
houses, one at each end, 40 by 30 each, in which 300,000lbs.
of meat can be smoked in each, at one time, with a room at
each end, 20 feet square, and containing four large kettles
in each for rendering lard, with a cellar under the whole,
paved with brick. In another establishment, conveniences
exist for smoking at one time 25,000 hams. The pork
from these establishments, finds its way into all parts of the
United States.*
32*
Baltimore Patriot.
1
1
MISSOURI.
ST. LOUIS.
Sr. Louis is the chief town of Missouri, and the largest
and most commercial place west of the Mississippi. It is
situated 18 miles, by water, below the junction of the Mis-
souri; 30 miles below that of the Illinois, 200 above the
Ohio, 1180 above New Orleans, and 897 from Washing-
ton. Mr. Flint thus speaks of it. "Nature seldom offers
a more delightful site for a town. In many respects, it re-
rembles that of Albany, in New York. It is on a kind of
second bottom, that rises gently from the water to a second
bank. The ascent to this is not at all precipitous. Having
surmounted this bank, an extensive plain opens to view. In
the immediate vicinity of the town, this plain is covered
with bushes and shrub oaks. Beyond is an extensive belt
of grassy plain, or naked prairie. The timber within nine
or ten miles, has been cut away for fuel. In summer, the
eye reposes with pleasure upon this sweep of verdure,
bounded on the verge of the horizon with forests. But in
winter the prospect is bleak and desolate. The eye always
dwells with delight upon the level bottom and the noble
forest upon the opposite shore of the river. In 1814 there
were but few American houses in the place. There were a
few stone houses covered with plaster. The circular stone
forts beyond the town, white with plaster and the hoariness
of age, together with the whiteness of the houses in gene-
ral, from the French fashion of annual whitewashing, gave
the town a romantic and imposing appearance, when seen
from a distance. With the exception of two or three aris-
tocratic establishments, when contemplated near at hand,
the houses were mean, frail, and uncomfortable establish-
ments. The streets were narrow and dirty, and it was, in
fact, a disagreeable town. A new impulse was given to
the town by American laws, enterprise, and occupancy.
Most of the houses that have been added within the last
FAMILY TOURIST.
379
ST. LOUIS.
ten years, have been of brick or stone.
cent structure.
Some of the pub-
lic buildings are handsome. There are two respectable
protestant churches. The catholic cathedral is a magnifi-
A spacious town house is a great orna-
ment to the city. The town has extended itself along
the hill, and some of the best houses are on that delight-
ful elevation. The houses, in 1820, were reckoned at
more than 600. By the census of 1830, it contained 2,503
free males; 1,889 free females; 1,668 slaves; 287 free
persons of color. Total, 6,694. The town was then sta-
tionary, or perhaps retrograde. But since that time, the
lead business has been re-animated by a protecting duty
upon foreign lead. The fur trade has received a new im-
pulse. The town has recovered from the shock caused
by the failure of its Banks. A healthy circulation has
been restored, and the town is now rapidly increasing in
business and population. In the year 1818, 100 houses
were added to the place. The principal street is more
than a mile in length. Three or four gazettes are printed
here. There is an Academy, a Catholic seminary, and
a number of respectable schools. The French have com-
municated to the people a taste for gardening; and there
are a number of very handsome gardens in and about the
town. Very few towns in the United States, or the world,
have a more mixed population. Among the original in-.
habitants, there is no inconsiderable sprinkling of Indian
blood. The American population predominates over the
French; and is made up from immigrants from all the
States. It is a central point in the Mississippi valley
for immigrants, and adventurers of every character. Mak-
ing due allowance for this circumstance, the people are
generally quiet and decent in their manners. Many ad-
venturers come here, and find themselves in a position to
claim a standing in society, which they have not been ac-
customed to possess. Hence the occasions for broils,
from supposed neglect, contempt, or questioning of char-
acter, are numerous; and fatal rencontres, denominated
affairs of honor,' are a bloody stain upon the character
of the place. There is a Presbyterian, Baptist, Method-
ist and Catholic Society in the town; and the institutions
of religion are beginning to have considerable effect upon
the manners and moral character of the people. Who-
ever observes the position of the town on the map, will
380
FAMILY TOURIST.
•
ST. LOUIS.
see, that it is very favorably situated to become a town
of supply of merchandize to a vast tract of country. In
the centre of the Mississippi valley, commanding the
trade of Missouri, the Upper Mississippi, and the Illi-
nois, the capital of a very extensive fur trade, and the
depot for as rich lead mines as are in the world, it must
necessarily become a large town. It has one obvious ad-
vantage over any town on the Ohio. Steamboats can come
to St. Louis from New Orleans, at the lowest stages of
the water. It is very common for travellers from the
Atlantic country, who are bound in the autumn to New
Orleans, to take passage from Cincinnati, across the coun-
try, to St. Louis, in order to avail themselves of the ad-
vantage of a direct passage to New Orleans in a steam-
boat. The lowness of the water in the Ohio, and the
difficulty of passing over the falls at Louisville, render
a direct steamboat passage from Cincinnati to New
Orleans, at that season of the year, an uncommon occur-
rence. A great number of keel boats and river crafts
of all descriptions, bound to all points of the boatable
waters of the Mississippi, are seen at all seasons, lying
in the harbor of St. Louis. Miners, trappers, hunters,
adventurers, immigrants, and people of all characters
and languages, with all kinds of views and objects, meet
here, and in pursuit of their various projects, scatter
hence to the remotest points of the valley. It still furnishes
a temporary home to desperate and abandoned characters,
who hope, in crossing the Mississippi, to fly beyond law
and conscience. The character of the permanent inhab-
itants is respectable. Good regulations of every sort are
advancing. The Sabbath is respected; and a wholesome
police is establishing. Such a stream of immigrants is
continually pouring in, and the people have so learned the
habit of distrust, that hospitality to strangers is not a char-
acteristic of the people."*
• Flint's Geography.
MEXICO.
VERA CRUZ.
. THE friends who accompany us in our peregrinations,
have one advantage over real travellers, on this "mundane
sphere,”—they can terminate their journey at any point they
please; and whether one hundred or a thousand miles dis-
tant, have only to close their "guide book," to find them-
selves at home. This suggestion, it is hoped, will induce
our friends to accompany us still longer. Our destination
is to other lands than our own. There are other human be-
ings besides ourselves, differing from us in their persons,
their dress, their manners, their modes of thought, their
habitations,—in short, in particulars, as the modern adver-
tisement runs, "too numerous to mention."
say,
It is not our intention to enter into a formal disquisition
upon the importance and uses of travelling. Suffice it to
that without a knowledge of mankind in other countries,
and under different circumstances from our own, gathered
either from personal knowledge, or through the recorded
observations of others, we shall fail of those enlarged and
liberal views, which the study of mankind is calculated to
impart, and put a lower estimate upon our own country than
what she deserves. No American ever travels abroad but
that sighs for the land of his birth, and gives the preference.
to its government, its laws and institutions, upon the whole,
over those of any and every country on the globe.
Will our readers then accompany us? Our immediate
destination is Mexico. From our present position, which
we will suppose to be New Orleans, we might proceed across
the country, taking Texas, which has of late been the thea-
tre of highly exciting scenes, in our route, but as our imme-
diate object is to look upon the crowded habitations, the
splendid edifices, and to listen to the busy hum of the popu
lous city, none of which she yet has, we shall enter Mexico
382
FAMILY TOURIST.
VERA CRUZ.
by a different route. About one thousand miles, or, perhaps
some one or two hundred less, in a south-westerly direction
from New Orleans, across the Gulf of Mexico, lies the city
of Vera Cruz,* rendered famous as being the place at which
Cortes first landed in 1519, and through whose enterprise
and astonishing daring, Mexico, or New Spain, became an
appendage to the crown of Castile.
We will suppose the voyage compassed, and that we are
already approaching the harbor of Vera Cruz. The city
itself, with its red and white cupolas, towers and battle-
ments, and the strong castle of St. Juan d'Uloa,† which com-
mands the port, having 300 pieces of cannon; it makes a
splendid appearance from the water. The city is situated
200 miles east by south of Mexico.
The port of Vera Cruz is the only one on this coast,
which can receive a man-of-war. It is easy of access, and
can accommodate about 100 merchant vessels, but very in-
´secure, being open to the much dreaded northerly winds;
while the holding-ground is so bad, that no vessel is deemed
secure, unless made fast to rings fixed for the purpose, in
* The name Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, or the rich town of the true
crop, was given to the place by Cortes, who landed his army at the time
of his invasion in 1519.
+ While these pages have been going through the press, this celebrated
castle, considered impregnable, has been nearly demolished by a French
fleet, under command of Rear Admiral C. Baudin. The port of Vera
Cruz had for some time been blockaded by the above fleet, growing out
of a misunderstanding between France and Mexico; and the latter power
refusing to accede to the terms of the former, orders were given to Admi-
ral Baudin to attempt the reduction of this castle. During the morning
of the 27th of November, the French squadron proceeded with three double
banked frigates, four sloops of war, as many brigs and bomb vessels, and
took their position abreast of the castle, about one mile distant. At half
past two in the afternoon the bombardment on the part of the French
commenced; and immediately the Mexican colors were hoisted on the
castle, and the fire promptly returned. The fire was continued on both
sides without cessation, till between four and five o'clock, when the bombs
from the French fleet took effect, spreading death and destruction in a few
minutes, throughout the castle. The bursting of a single bomb of 82 lbs.
destroyed the observatory and highest battery, this was soon followed
by another explosion in the lower battery, which, according to report,
dismounted 170 pieces of artillery, and buried in the ruins 300 men.
loss of the Mexicans was about 400; that of the French, four killed and
some 30 or 40 wounded. The castle capitulated on the morning of the
28th. The number of balls and bombs fired by the French squadron
was 8,173, and the consumption of powder 40,000 lbs.
The
FAMILY TOURIST.
383
+
VERA CRUZ.
the castle wall. Vera Cruz is the great sea-port of Mexico,
and the place through which almost all the trade between
that country and Europe and the United States is carried
on. The mole, or landing-place, is a low pier of solid ma-
sonry. "I had scarcely put my foot upon it," says Mr. Bul-
lock, "when I observed it was partially paved with pigs of
iron, each bearing the broad arrow of the king of England,
which I afterwards learned were part of the ballast of an
English frigate, left in order to enable her to return with a
larger quantity of specie. Thus the first step an Englishman
takes in New Spain, is upon what once was English prop-
erty." The city is beautifully and regularly built, and the
streets are so extremely neat and clean, that, on the first view
of the interior, the traveller is at a loss to account for its ex-
treme unhealthiness. But buzzards, and other birds of the
vulture species, may be observed hovering over the town,
and perching on the house tops; a sure indication that ani-
mal putrefaction is going forward. Mr. Bullock, (who
visited Mexico in March, 1823,) thus describes the appear-
ance of the city.
66
Many of the houses of Vera Cruz are large, some three
stories high, built in the old Spanish, or Moorish style, and
generally enclosing a square court, with covered galleries.
They have flat roofs, glass windows, and are well adapted to
the climate; most of them have balconies of wood in front,
and the interior arrangement is the same as in Old Spain.
The whole town, as well as the castle, is built of coral, and
the lime that forms the cement is of the same material; it is
used for the roofs and foot pavement, and it is so hard, that
in some places it receives, from friction, a polish like mar-
ble. There is one tolerably good square, of which the gov-
ernment house forms one side, and the principal church the
other. The foot-paths are frequently under piazzas, a great
accommodation to passengers, protecting them from the
sultry heat of the sun, and the heavy rains, which descend in
torrents in the wet season.
Sixteen cupolas or domes are counted from the sea, but
only six churches are now in use. Indeed, nearly all the
churches, monasteries, and nunneries here, have been
abandoned, and are fast falling into decay, since the place.
has been lost to the Spaniards. Nothing is more repulsive
to strangers accustomed to the bustle of European cities,
384
FAMILY TOURIST.
VERA CRUZ.
than the gloomy, death-like appearance of the place. Of
any other city it is considered a disgrace to say, that
grass
grows in the streets; but here it would be a compliment,
for no vegetation is to be observed even for miles around,
and fish is the only article of provision, not brought from a
distance. The only water fit to drink, is what falls from the
clouds, and is preserved in tanks; that from the castle and
the convent of Franciscans being the best. Though the
markets are tolerably well supplied by the Indians, living at
the hotels is expensive, and very uncomfortable. Provisions
are dear, with the exception of fish, which, as already stated,
is in abundance, and good. Some beautiful and curious
oysters are found here, the largest and finest flavored I ever
met with. Milk is scarcely to be had, as not a cow is kept
within many miles, and what is, perhaps, peculiar to Vera
Cruz, there is not a garden seen near it. The absence of
vegetation attests at once the poverty of the soil, and the in-
salubrity of the climate. I know not whether prejudice
may not have influenced my decision, but to me, Vera Cruz
appears the most disagreeable place on earth; and its char-
acter of being the most unhealthy spot in the world, natu-
rally makes the stranger shudder every hour he remains
within its walls, surrounded by arid sands, extensive swamps,
and savannahs, the exhalations from which are only re-
moved by strong winds." It is extremely subject to the
yellow fever, which generally commences its ravages when
the mean temperature rises to 75°. In December, January
and February, it generally disappears.
"Society here, as may be anticipated, is extremely con-
fined, and morality at a very low ebb. Few of the Euro-
pean merchants, whom the hopes of gain have allured to
reside here, are married. One class of the occupants will
excite some surprise in persons unacquainted with tropical
regions; I mean the carrion vultures. They are as tame
in the streets as domestic fowls; and, like the dogs from
the mountains at Lisbon, act as the scavengers of the place,
very speedily clearing away whatever filth may be left.
Their senses of smell and sight are very acute. While I
was preserving some fishes in an apartment at the top of the
hotel, the surrounding roofs were crowded with anxious ex-
pectants; and when the offal was thrown out, it was with
much contention greedily consumed. They are on good
terms with the dogs, and the two animals may frequently be
FAMILY TOURIST.
385
PUEBLA.
seen devouring the same carcass. They pass the night on
the roofs of the churches, where I have sometimes observed
several hundreds.'
Humbolt, who visited Vera Cruz in 1802, states the resi-
dent population, exclusive of the militia and sea-faring peo-
ple, at 16,000. Other and later authorities state the popula
tion at 30,000.
PUEBLA.
With this brief account of Vera Cruz, we shall satisfy
ourselves, and we trust our fellow-travellers, anxious to
press forward to the capital, distant about 200 miles north-
westerly. But as the common route is by Puebla, a hun-
dred and ten miles west by south from Vera Cruz, we shall
stop at this latter place, sufficiently to survey its objects of
highest interest.
Puebla, or to give it its full title, La Peubla de los Ange
les, is reckoned next to Mexico, Guanaxuato, and the Havan-
nah, the most considerable city in Spanish America, being
more populous, according to Humbolt, than Lima, Quito,
Santa Fe, or Caraccas. Its population, in 1803, was esti-
mated at 67,800; and although it appears to have declined
since that time, it still amounts, according to a census taken
in 1820, to 60,000. It was one of the few towns founded
by the Europeans. It was commenced in 1531. “The
site," says the author of notes on Mexico, "does credit to
the taste and judgment of its founders. It is built on the
south side of a hill, that is wooded to its summit. The sur-
rounding plain is cultivated with wheat, barley, Indian corn,
and all the fruits of Europe, and is highly productive. This
plain is surrounded by a chain of hills, presenting alternately
cultivated fields and luxuriant forests; and the view is ter-
minated by the volcanoes of Puebla, clothed in perpetual
snows." The city is compactly and uniformly built. The
streets, though not very wide, are straight, intersecting each
other at right angles, and are very ornamentally paved with
* Six Month's Residence in Mexico. By W. Bullock.
+ Notes on Mexico, by a citizen of the United States, (Mr. Poinsett.)
1
33
386
FAMILY TOURIST.
PUEBLA.
large stones in a diamond-shaped pattern; there are broad
foot-paths on each side, which are kept remarkably clean.
The houses are all of stone, spacious and commodious, gen-
erally of two stories, with flat roofs. The fronts of many
of them are inlaid with painted tiles, highly glazed like the
Dutch tile, some forming pictures, and having the appear-
ance of rich mosaic. Others have their fronts gaudily and
fantastically painted in fresco, similar to the houses of Ge-
noa. The bishop's palace is covered over in this way with
red tiles. Most of them have iron balconies in front, very
elegantly constructed. Every house has for the most part,
a square court, in the centre, with open galleries running
round it, the ballustrades of which are covered with porce-
lain pots of flowering plants, producing a most pleasing
effect. The apartments are spacious and lofty, with plaster-
ed walls, painted in distemper, the floors tiled much like
those of France, and uncovered: carpets are not in use, nor
are they necessary in this fine climate. Almost every sit-
ting room has a wax model of the Saviour, or of some saint,
or the picture of the Virgin of Guadaloupe, or of a Magda-
len, or of the Crucifixion; the frames are often of silver.
Most of the residences have a fountain of fine water, which
is conveyed in earthen pipes,-a great luxury in the warm
season. The family of the proprietor usually reside in the
upper story, the ground floor being occupied with shops,
ware houses, or offices, and the first story by servants.
*
But it is in the splendor of its churches and other reli-
gious edifices, and in the richness of their endowments, that
Puebla, according to Mr. Bullock, claims to take the first
rank among the cities of the Christian world. It contains
no fewer than sixty-nine churches, nine monasteries, thir-
teen nunneries, and twenty-three colleges; "the most sump-
tuous," says this traveller, "that I have ever seen. Those
of Milan, Genoa, and Rome, are built in better taste; but,
in expensive interior decorations, the quantity and value of
the ornaments of the altar, and the richness of the vestments,
they are far surpassed by the churches of Puebla and Mexi-
*This is a mode of painting in which the colors are mixed in some-
thing besides oil and water. When colors are mixed with size, whites
of eggs, or other unctuous or glutinous matter, and not with oil, it is said
to be done in distemper.— Webster.
FAMILY TOURIST.
387
PUEBLA.
co." The cathedral forms one side of the great square; on
the opposite side stands the cabildo, or town-hall; and the
sides are occupied with shops under arcades, the whole gau-
dily painted. The exterior of the cathedral has nothing
about it very ornamental, or remarkable, but its interior fur-
niture is rich beyond description. The high altar is striking-
ly splendid. Mr. Bullock describes it as a most superb
sanctuary of exquisite workmanship, and states, that it had
been but lately finished by an Italian artist, from Roman
designs, but executed in Mexico and of native materials. It
occupies a considerable part of the cathedral, and reaches
into the dome. "The platform which is raised some feet
above the level of the rest of the church, is inlaid with
marble of different colors. The interior of it is appropria-
ted as a cemetery of the bishops of Puebla. The walls are
of black and white marble, and the whole is vaulted with an
elliptic arch. The canopy which rests on this platform, is
supported by eight double marble columns, the effect of
which is destroyed by brass ornaments and gilded capitals.
The ceiling of the canopy is highly ornamented with stuc-
co and gold. The custodia is of variegated marble; the
front of embossed silver, and so constructed as to slide
down and show the Host to the congregation. The custo-
dia itself is surrounded by five bronze figures. In front of
this altar is suspended an enormous lamp of massive gold
and silver, very beautifully wrought. The pulpit near it is
cut out of a mass of carbonate of lime, which is found near
Puebla; it receives a high polish and is semi-transparent.
A row of lofty columns supporting the arches, runs round
the whole interior of the building. The sanctuaries are
numerous and are ornamented with a profusion of gilding,
and some bad paintings. In the midst of this splendor, mis-
erable, half-naked Indians are to be seen wandering about,
or kneeling at the shrine of some favorite saint, forming a
singular and painful contrast to the magnificence of the
temple.
The bishop's palace contains a tolerable library. The
room is 200 feet long by 45 wide, and is "well furnished
with books, mostly in vellum bindings." They are chiefly
Spanish, with a few in French, and one, Mr. Bullock says,
in English; but he gives no fuller account of it, than that
it is "the life of one of the kings of England." A Bible in
388
FAMILY TOURIST.
PUEBLA.
Spanish, with plates, was exhibited as a “great curiosity.”
One part of the library consists of controversial divinity,
but the perusal of this portion is prohibited even to the
clergy. There is also a very good collection of pictures in
this palace.
Among the other religious edifices visited by the English
traveller, he enumerates the church of San Felipe Neri, one
of the largest buildings in the city, with the magnificent
hospicio, attached to it, which contains some "excellent
paintings," and is "finished with solid silver and gold cru-
cifixes; the church of La Santo Spiritu, formerly belonged
to the Jesuit's College, a large building in good architectu-
ral taste; the church and monastery of St. Augustine, “one
of the first class, with a square, high raised, altar of silver,
ornamented with marble statues as large as life, and the sa-
cristy superbly decorated;" and the church and monastery
of St. Dominick, which have also their silver altar, and
near the rails are two dogs of the same metal, the size of
life, on pedestals of gold and silver." The dome of this
church is covered with painted and gilt tiles. The little
church of the convent of St. Monica, deserves also to be
mentioned, we are told, for the richness of its vaulted roof,
and walls encrusted with elaborate carvings; it also contains
a few pictures, statues, and silver ornaments.
<<
Puebla is governed by four alcaldes, and sixteen subor-
dinate magistrates. The police, Mr. Bullock says, seems
to be well regulated. That many of the inhabitants are weal-
thy, is attested by their equipages and retinues.
"Hand-
some carriages, drawn by mules richly caparisoned, and at-
tended by servants in showy liveries, parade the streets and
almedas, or public walks, particularly on Sundays and holy-
days; but the promenade is not worthy of so fine a city, and
loses much of its interest in the eyes of Europeans, by the
almost total absence of females, except such as are in their
carriages. Handsome hackney-coaches, drawn by mules,
stand ready for hire in the great square." There the mark-
et is held, which is well supplied with every article of food,
except fish, which must be obtained from a great distance,
and is sent enclosed in coarse paste pies, half-baked, to pre-
serve it. Poultry is plentiful and cheap, and the tropical
fruits are supplied from the ticrras calientes. Indeed the
[FAMILY TOURIST.
389
LA
CHOLULA.
necessaries, and most of the luxuries of life, may be obtained
at a reasonable rate.
Puebla was once celebrated for its manufactory of coarse
woollens; but this branch of industry has greatly fallen off.
The manufacture of glass, has of late been so much improv-
ed, that they are stated already to rival England, in the tex-
ture and color of their glass. Their coarse and red earth-
en-ware is also excellent, but their machinery is very rude,
and no clay fit for porcelain has hitherto been discovered
in the country. Soap is a considerable article of trade, being
sent from Puebla to most parts of Mexico. One class of the
inhabitants, Mr. Bullock omits to notice: like the capital,
Puebla has its lazzaroni. The custom of begging in the
streets existed in Mexico, before the conquest; and Cortes
speaks of the Indians begging like rational beings, as an
evidence of their civilization. "And in fact," remarks the
American, "it was the greatest he could have given: a peo-
ple in the hunter state, never beg or give in charity." In
times of scarcity, the old and infim are sometimes killed
from compassion.*
CHOLULA.
This city lies about 60 miles east of Mexico, and out of
the usual route from Puebla to the former place. In the
time of Cortes, it contained, according to his account,
40,000 houses, independent of the adjoining villages or
suburbs, which he computed at as many more. Its com-
merce consisted in manufactures of cotton, gems, and
plates of clay, and it was much famed for its jewellers.
and potters.
Cortes mentions that he counted more than
four hundred temples in and about the city.
The temple, however, which is the most ancient and
most celebrated of all the Mexican temples, lies to the east
of this city. It is now in ruins. The length of its base
is 1,423 feet, and its height 173. This base is almost
double that of the great pyramid of Cheops in Egypt. At
* Modern Traveller,-Mexico.
33*
390
FAMILY TOURIST.
MEXICO.
a distance, the appearance that it now assumes, is that of a
natural conical hill, wooded, and crowned with a small
church; but as the traveller approaches it, its pyramidal
form becomes distinguishable, together with the four sto-
ries into which it is shaped, although covered with vegeta-
tion, the prickly pear, the nopal, and the cypress. It ap-
pears to have been constructed exactly in the direction of
the four cardinal points. It is built of unburnt bricks and
clay, in alternate layers. In making the present road from
Puebla to Mexico, between twenty and thirty years ago,
the first story was cut through, so that an eighth part re-
mained isolated like a heap of bricks. In making this
opening, a square chamber was discovered in the interior
of the pyramid, built of stone, and supported by beams of
cypress wood. The chamber contained two skeletons,
some idols of basalt, and a number of vases curiously var-
nished and painted. No pains were taken to preserve the
objects; but it is said to have been carefully ascertained
that this chamber had no outlet. The ascent to the plat-
form is by a flight of 120 steps.
As our principal object in speaking of Cholula, was to
notice this curious and magnificent relic of antiquity, we
shall only further observe, that the city itself, owing proba-
bly to its proximity to Puebla, has greatly declined. It
still occupies, according to Mr. Bullock, a large space of
ground, and contains many regular and broad streets.
Humbolt states its population in 1802, at 16,000, while
the former traveller places it at 6,000.
But we will detain our companions no longer from a
more extended account, which we propose to give of the
ancient and celebrated capital of New Spain.
1
MEXICO.
Mexico, the next city to which we shall introduce our
fellow travellers, is the capital of a country, bearing the
same name. It is situated midway between the Gulf of
Mexico and the Pacific ocean. Latitude, 19° 26′ north.
FÀMILY TOURIST.
391
MEXICO.
Longitude, 90° 5' west. It has attracted much attention,
not only on account of the beauty of its situation, but the
interesting historical incidents, which, pertain to it. Its
history has the interest of romance. A rapid sketch of
this, before giving a description of modern Mexico, will
doubtless interest the companions of our wanderings.
The city appears to have been founded by the Mexicans,
in 1325, at which time it bore the name of Tenochtitlan.
It was originally built on a group of islands, in the lake.
Tezcuco, which lay in a delightful valley, 70 leagues in
circumference, and elevated more than 7,000 feet above the
level of the sea.
Only twenty-seven years after the discovery of the New
World by Columbus, that is in 1519, Cortes, a Spanish ad-
venturer, landed in Mexico, then called New Spain, and
in the following year, took possession of the city. His fleet.
consisted of eleven vessels, the largest of which was of
only 100 tons; three were of 70 or 80 tons, and the rest
were open barks. His army consisted of but 508 soldiers,
including sixteen horsemen, with ten small field-pieces,
four falconets, and 109 seamen, or artificers. Such was
the slender and ill-provided train, with which, says Dr. Ro-
bertson, Cortes made war upon a monarch, whose domin-
ions were more extensive than all the kingdom subject to
the Spanish crown.
Cortes landed at St. Juan de Ulloa, to which place he
gave the name of Vera Cruz. To the governor of the
province he announced himself as an ambassador from Don
Carlos of Austria, King of Castile, the greatest monarch
of the East; and that he was entrusted with proposals of
such moment, that he could impart them to none but the
emperor Montezuma himself; he therefore required them to
conduct him into the presence of their master. The Mexican
authorities could not conceal their uneasiness at this request;
but, to soften their refusal, they first ordered the presents to
be brought in, which they had prepared, with a view to con-
ciliate the good will of the strangers. They consisted of
fine cotton cloth, plumes of various colors, and ornaments
of wrought gold and silver. The display of these, served
only to stimulate in the Spaniards the lust. of conquest;
and when Teutile proceeded to dissuade Cortes from visit
ing the capital, he replied in a haughty and determined
1
392
FAMILY TOURIST.
MEXICO.
tone, that kings never refused to receive the embassies of
other princes; and insisted on their acquainting Montezu-
ma with his arrival. During this interview, some native
artists had been diligently employed in delineating upon
white cotton cloths, representations of the ships, horses,
artillery, soldiers, and every thing else belonging to the
strangers, which struck them as remarkable. Cortes, having
notice of this, and learning that these pictures were to be des-
patched to Montezuma, resolved to give further employment
to the skill of these painters, and to strengthen the impres-
sion made on the minds of these native chiefs, by the exhi-
bition of a sham fight. Mounting his horse, he ordered
the trumpets to sound an alarm, and the troops, forming
into two bodies, skirmished in a martial manner. The
Mexicans looked on in silent amazement, especially at the
agility with which the cavalry performed their evolutions;
for, "observing the obedient fierceness of those beasts,"
says De Solis, "they began to think there was something
more than natural in those men that managed-them. But,
when, at a signal given by Cortes, the fire-arms, and then
the artillery was discharged, some fell to the ground, others
fled, and those who had most presence of mind, affected
admiration to dissemble their fear." Cortes dismissed his
guests with some trifling presents. To Montezuma him-
self, he sent some glass, a Holland shirt, a cap of crimson
velvet adorned with a gold medal, and a tapestry chair.
Though the capital was 200 miles distant, the pictures and
presents were forwarded to the sovereign, and his answer
was returned, in a few days. Montezuma, it seems, had
couriers posted at convenient distances along the principal
roads, by which means intelligence was transmitted to the
capital with astonishing rapidity. His answer was a refusal
to allow of the nearer approach of the foreigners; but this,
too, was introduced with a conciliatory present to the Span-
ish general, expressive at once of the monarch's magnifi-
cence and his fears. It consisted of specimens of the
manufactures of the country; cotton stuffs, so fine and of so
delicate a texture, as to resemble silk; pictures of animals,
trees, and other natural objects, formed with feathers of
different colors most ingeniously disposed; two large cir-
cular plates, one of gold, representing the sun, the other of
silver, representing the moon; with a variety of golden or-
FAMILY TOURIST.
393
MEXICO.
naments, and precious stones. Cortes received all these
with an appearance of the profoundest respect, but, to the
consternation of the Mexicans, represented that, with every
wish to show his obedience to their monarch, it was impos-
sible for him to leave the country, consistently with his
duty to his own sovereign, until he had been admitted into
the presence of the prince, whom he had been appointed to
visit in his name.
The firmness, says Dr. Robertson, with which Cortes ad-
hered to his original proposal, should naturally have brought
the negociation between him and Montezuma to a speedy
issue, as it seemed to leave the Mexican monarch no choice,
but either to receive him with confidence as a friend, or to
oppose him openly as an enemy. The latter was what
might have been expected from a haughty prince, in pos-
session of extensive power. The Mexican empire, at this
period, was at a pitch of grandeur to which no society ever
attained in so short a period. Though it had subsisted, ac-
cording to their own traditions, only 130 years, its dominion
extended from the north to the south sea, over territories
stretching, with some small interruption, above five hundred
leagues from east to west, and more than two hundred from
north to south, comprehending provinces not inferior in
fertility, population, and opulence, to any in the torrid zone.
The people were warlike and enterprising; the authority of
the monarch unbounded, and his revenues considerable. If,
with the forces which might have been suddenly assembled
in such an empire, Montezuma had fallen upon the Span-
iards, while encamped on a barren, unhealthy coast, unsup-
ported by any ally, without a place of retreat, and destitute
of provisions, it seems impossible, even with all the advan-
tages of their superior discipline and arms, that they could
have stood the shock, and they must either have perished
in such an unequal contest, or have abandoned the enter-
prise.
As the power of Montezuma enabled him to take this
spirited part, his own dispositions were such as seemed
naturally to prompt him to it. Of all the princes, who had
swayed the Mexican sceptre, he was the most haughty, the
most violent, and the most impatient of control. Ilis sub-
jects looked up to him with awe, and his enemies with
terror. The former he governed with unexampled rigor,
394
FAMILY TOURIST.
MEXICO.
but they were impressed with such an opinion of his capa-
city, as commanded their respect; and by many victories
over the latter, he had spread far the dread of his arms, and
had added several considerable provinces to his dominions.
But, though his talents might be suited to the transactions
of a state so imperfectly polished as the Mexican empire,
and sufficient to conduct them while in their accustomed
course, they were altogether inadequate to a conjuncture so
extraordinary, and did not qualify him either to judge with
the discernment, or to act with the decision, requisite in
such a trying emergence.
From the moment that the Spaniards appeared on his
coast, he discovered symptoms of timidity and embarrass-
ment. Instead of taking such resolutions as the conscious-
ness of his own power, or the memory of his former exploits,
might have inspired, he deliberated with an anxiety and
hesitation, which did not escape the notice of his meanest
courtiers. The perplexity and discomposure of Montezu-
ma's mind, upon this occasion, as well as the general dismay
of his subjects, were not owing wholly to the impression
which the Spaniards had made by the novelty of their ap-
pearance, and the terror of their arms. Its origin may be
traced up to a more remote source. There was an opinion, if
we may believe the earliest and most authentic Spanish his-
torians, almost universal among the Americans, that some
dreadful calamity was impending over their heads, from a
race of formidable invaders, who should come from regions
towards the rising sun, to overrun and desolate their coun-
try. Whether this disquieting apprehension flowed from
the memory of some natural calamity, which had afflicted
that part of the globe, and impressed the minds of the in-
habitants with superstitious fears and forebodings, or
whether it was an imagination accidentally suggested by the
astonishment, which the first sight of a new race of men oc-
casioned, it is impossible to determine. But, as the Mexi-
cans were more prone to superstition than any people in the
new world, they were more deeply affected by the appear-
ance of the Spaniards, whom their credulity instantly repre-
sented as the instrument destined to bring about this fatal
revolution which they dreaded. Under those circumstan-
ces, it ceases to be incredible that a handful of adventu-
rers should alarm the monarch of a great empire, and all his
subjects.
FAMILY TOURIST.
395
MEXICO.
Notwithstanding the influence of this impression, when
the messenger arrived from the Spanish camp, with an ac-
count that the leader of the strangers, adhering to his
original demand, refused to obey the order enjoining him
to leave the country, Montezuma assumed some degree of res-
olution, and, in a transport of rage natural to a fierce prince,
unaccustomed to meet with any opposition to his will, he
threatened to sacrifice those presumptuous men to his gods.
But his doubts and fears quickly returned, and instead of issu-
ing orders to carry his threats into execution, he again called
his ministers to confer, and offer their advice. Feeble and
temporising measures will always be the result, when men
assemble to deliberate, in a situation where they ought to
act. The Mexican counsellors took no effectual measures
for expelling such troublesome intruders, and were satisfied
with issuing a more positive injunction, requiring them to
leave the country; but this they preposterously accompa-
nied with a present of such value, as proved a fresh induce-
ment to remain there.
The definitive orders of Montezuma at length were re-
ceived by a messenger, that the Spaniards should leave the
country. Cortes, however, had no intention of surrendering
an object, which addressed itself so strongly to his avarice
and ambition; and by cunning and artifice, for which he
was distinguished, roused his soldiers to such a pitch of en-
thusiasm, as to demand of him to be conducted towards the
capital of the empire.
Cortes did not allow his men time to cool, but immedi-
ately set about carrying his design into execution.
Proceeding from the coast where they landed, and in
their progress achieving an easy victory over the country
through which they passed, about the first of November
they came in sight of the vast plain of Mexico, in which
stood the capital of the renowned Montezuma.
"When
they first beheld this prospect," says Dr. Robertson, “one
of the most striking and beautiful on the face of the earth;
when they observed fertile and cultivated fields stretching
further than the eye could reach; when they saw a lake
resembling the sea in extent, encompassed by large towns,
and discovered the capital rising upon an island in the mid-
dle, adorned with temples and turrets; the scene so far
exceeded their imagination, that some believed the power-
ful descriptions of romance were realized, and that its en
396
FAMILY TOURIST.
MEXICO.
chanted palaces and gilded domes were presented to their
sight; others could hardly persuade themselves that this
wonderful spectacle was any thing more than a dream.
As they advanced, their doubts were removed, but their
amazement increased. They were now fully satisfied, that
the country was rich beyond any conception which they
had formed of it, and flattered themselves, that, at length,
they should obtain ample recompense for all their services
and sufferings."
per-
"When they drew near the city, about a thousand
sons, who appeared to be of distinction, came forth to meet
them, adorned with plumes, and clad in mantles of fine cot-
ton. They announced the approach of Montezuma him-
self, and soon after his harbingers came in sight. There
appeared first two hundred persons in a uniform dress, with
large plumes of feathers, alike in fashion, marching two
and two, in deep silence, barefooted, with their eyes fixed
on the ground. These were followed by a company of
higher rank, in their most showy apparel, in the midst of
whom was Montezuma, in a chair or litter, richly orna-
mented with gold, and feathers of various colors. Four of
his principal favorites carried him on their shoulders;
others supported a canopy of curious workmanship over
his head. Before him marched three officers with rods of
gold in their hands, which they lifted up on high at cer-
tain intervals, at which signal all the people bowed their
heads, and hid their faces, as unworthy to look on so great
a monarch. When he drew near, Cortes dismounted, ad-
vancing towards him with officious haste, and in a respect-
ful posture. At the same time, Montezuma alighted from
his chair, and, leaning on the arms of two of his near rela-
tions, approached with a slow and stately pace, his attend-
ants covering the street with cotton cloths, that he might
not touch the ground. Cortes accosted him with profound
reverence, after the European fashion. He returned the
salutation according to the mode of his country, by touch-
ing the earth with his hand, and then kissing it.'
Montezuma conducted Cortes to the quarters, which he
had prepared for his reception, and immediately took leave
of him, with a politeness not unworthy of a court more
refined. "You are now," says he, "with your brothers
in your own house; refresh yourselves after your fatigue,
and be happy until I return." The place allotted to the

ECC
GREAT SQUARE, MEXICO.
FAMILY TOURIST.
397
MEXICO.
Spaniards for their lodging, was a house built by the father
of Montezuma. It was surrounded by a stone wall with
towers at proper distances, which served for defence as well
as ornament; and its apartments and courts were so large,
as to accommodate both the Spaniards and their Indian
allies.
In the evening, Montezuma returned to visit his guests,
with the same pomp as in the first interview, bringing pres-
ents of great value not only to Cortes and his officers, but
even to the private men. A long conference ensued, in
the course of which Montezuma informed Cortes that it
was an established tradition among the Mexicans, that
their ancestors came originally from a remote region, and
conquered the pioneers now subject to his dominion; that
after they were settled there, the great captain who con-
ducted this colony, returned to his own country, promising
that at some future period his descendants should visit
them, assume the government, and reform their constitu-
tional laws; that, from what he had seen and heard of
Cortes and his followers, he was convinced that they were
the very persons whose appearance the Mexican traditions
and prophecies taught them to expect; that accordingly he
had received them not as strangers, but as relations of the
same blood and parentage, and desired that they might
consider themselves as masters in his dominions.
Nothing could have been more grateful to the crafty
Cortes, and he was not backward in improving this tradi-
tionary acknowledgment to his advantage, and so framed
his discourse as to strengthen the belief, which Monte-
zuma had formed concerning the origin of the Spaniards.
Several days were now employed in viewing the city;
the appearance of which, so far superior in the order of its
buildings, and the number of its inhabitants, to any place
the Spaniards had beheld in America, and yet so little re-
sembling the structure of an European city, filled them
with surprise and admiration.
In a letter addressed to the emperor Charles the fifth, in.
1520, Cortes thus describes it: "The great city of Te-
mixtitan (a corruption of the true name of Tenoctitlan) is
situated in the midst of the salt water lake, which has its
tides like the sea; and from the city to the continent there
are two leagues, whichever way we wish to enter. Four
34
398
FAMILY TOURIST.
MEXICO.
dikes lead to the city: they are made by the hand of man,
and are of the breadth of two lances. The city is as large
as Seville or Cordova. The streets, I merely speak of the
principal ones, are very narrow and very long; some are
half dry and half occupied by navigable canals, furnished
with very well constructed wooden bridges, broad enough
for ten men on horseback to pass at the same time. The
market-place, twice as large as that of Seville, is sur-
rounded with an immense portico, under which are exposed
for sale all sorts of merchandise, eatables, ornaments made
of gold, silver, lead, pewter, precious stones, bones, shells,
and feathers; delft-ware, leather, and spun cotton.
We
find hewn stone, tiles, and timber fit for building. There
are lanes for game, others for roots and garden fruits; there
are houses where barbers shave the head (with razors made
of obsidian;) and there are houses resembling our apothe-
cary shops, where prepared medicines, unguents, and plas
ters are sold. The market abounds with so many things,
that I am unable to name them all to your highness. To
avoid confusion, every species of merchandise is sold in a
separate lane; every thing is sold by the yard; but nothing
has hitherto been seen to be weighed in the market. In
the midst of the great square is a house, which I shall call
l'Audicucia, in which ten or twelve persons sit constantly
for determining any disputes which may arise respecting
the sale of goods. There are other persons who mix con-
tinually with the crowd, to see that a just price is asked.
We have seen them break the false measures, which they
had seized from the merchants."
The access to the city from the continent, was by three
great dikes or causeways, formed of stones and earth,
about thirty feet in breadth. That on the west extended a
mile and a half; that on the north-west, three miles; that
on the south, six miles. On the east, there was no cause-
way, owing to the great depth of the lake in that direction,
and the city could only be approached by canoes. In each
of these causeways were openings at proper intervals, through
which the waters flowed, and over these were laid beams of
timber covered with earth.
The city was adorned with numerous temples, one of
which, the Teacalli, or great temple of Mexitti, was par-
FAMILY TOURIST.
399
MEXICO.
ticularly distinguished. This was a truncated pyramid, 120
feet high, and 318 square at its base, situated in the midst
of a vast inclosure of walls, and consisting of five stories.
When seen from a distance, it appeared an enormous cube,
with small altars covered with wooden cupolas on the top.
The point where these cupolas terminated, was 177 feet
above the pavement of the inclosure. The material of which
the pyramid was built, is supposed to have been clay, faced
with a porous stone, resembling pumice-stone, hard and
smooth, but easily destructible. Humbolt considers this
edifice as bearing a strong resemblance in form to the tem-
ple or tower of Babel, which was dedicated to Jupiter Be-
lus. This temple was finished and dedicated in the year
1486, at which time, according to Torquemada, 72,324
human beings, who had been taken prisoners in war, were
sacrificed. The public buildings and houses of the nobles
were of stone; those of the common people were partly
constructed of wood, and partly of a spongy stone, light
and easily broken. The population of the city at the time
of the conquest by Cortes, is variously estimated from sixty
thousand to a million and a half. The former is the esti-
mate of Dr. Robertson.
Montezuma II., who was the reigning monarch, at the
time of the expedition of Cortes, and who held his court
within the city, was esteemed a person of great bravery, but
exceedingly fond of pomp and power. He was elected to
the throne in 1502. The ceremony of his coronation was
performed with greater pomp, than had ever before been
witnessed in Mexico. The altars streamed with the blood
of human victims offered in his barbarous sacrifices. The
pageantry of his royal household exceeded that of the prin-
cess of the east. Every morning six hundred feudatory
lords and nobles were required to pay court to him. "They
passed the whole day in the ante-chamber, where none of
their servants were permitted to enter, conversing in a low
voice, and waiting the order of their sovereign. The ser-
vants who accompanied these lords, were so numerous as to
occupy three small courts of the palace, and-many waited in
the streets. The women about the court were not less in
number, including those of rank, servants, and slaves. All
this numerous female tribe lived shut up in a kind of se-
raglio, under the care of some noble matrons, who watched
}
400
FAMILY TOURIST.
MEXICO.
over their conduct, as these kings were extremely jealous,
and every piece of misconduct which happened in the pal-
ace, however slight, was severely punished. Of these wo-
men, the king retained those who pleased him; the others
he gave away as a recompense for the services of his vassals.
All the feudatories of the crown were obliged to reside for
some months of the year at the court; and at their return to
their states, to leave their sons or brothers behind them as
hostages, which the king demanded as a security for their
fidelity; on which account they were required to keep
houses in Mexico.
The forms and ceremonials introduced at court, were
another effect of the despotism of Montezuma. No one
could enter the palace, either to serve the king, or to confer
with him on any business, without pulling off his shoes and
stockings at the gate. No person was allowed to appear
before the king in any pompous dress, as it was deemed a
want of respect to majesty; consequently, the greatest lords,
excepting the nearest relations of the king, stripped them-
selves of the rich dress which they wore, or at least covered
it with one more ordinary, to show their humility before
him.
All persons, on entering the hall of audience, and be-
fore speaking to the king, made three bows, saying at the
first, lord;" at the second, my lord ;" and at the third,
great lord." They spoke low, and with the head inclined,
and received the answers which the king gave them, by
means of his secretaries, as attentively and humbly, as if it
had been the voice of an oracle. In taking leave, no person
ever turned his back upon the throne.
((
The audience-hall served also for his dining-room. The
table was a large pillow, and his seat, a low chair. The
table-cloth, napkins, and towels were of cotton, but very
fine, white, and always perfectly clean. The kitchen uten-
sils were of the earthen ware of Cholula; but none of these
things were served him more than once, as immediately af-
terwards he gave them to one of his nobles. The cups in
which they prepared his chocolate and other drinks of the
cocoa, were of gold, or some beautiful sea-shell, or natu-
rally formed vessels curiously varnished. He had gold
plate, but it was used only on certain festivals, in the tem-
ple. The number and variety of dishes at his table

000
GLADIATORIAL SACRIFICE.
2K
FAMILY TOURIST.
401
MEXICO.
amazed the Spaniards, who saw them. The conqueror
Cortes says, that they covered the floor of a great hall, and
that there were dishes of every kind of game, fish, fruit, and
herbs of that country. Three or four hundred noble youths
carried this dinner in form, presented it as soon as the king
sat down to table, and immediately retired; and, that it
might not grow cold, every dish was accompaned with its
chafing-dish. The king marked, with a rod which he had
in his hand, the meats which he chose, and the rest were
distributed among the nobles, who were in the ante-chamber
Before he sat down, four of the most beautiful women of his
seraglio presented water to him to wash his hands, and con-
tinued standing all the time of his dinner, together with six
of his principal ministers, and his carver.
As soon as the king sat down to table, the carver shut the
door of the hall, that none of the other nobles might see
him eat. The ministers stood at a distance, and kept a
profound silence, unless when they made answer to what
the king said. The carver and the four women served the
dishes to him, besides two others, who brought him` bread
made of maize, baked with eggs. He frequently heard
music during the time of his meal, and was entertained
with the humorous sayings of some deformed men, whom
he kept out of mere state. He showed much satisfaction
in hearing them, and observed, that amongst their jests,
they frequently pronounced some important truth. When
dinner was over he took tobacco mixed with liquid' amber,
in a pipe or reed beautifully varnished, and with the smoke
of it put himself to sleep.
After having slept a little, upon the same low chair, he
gave audience, and listened attentively to all that was com-
municated to him, and answered every one by his ministers
or secretaries. After giving audience, he was entertained
with music, being much delighted with hearing the glorious
actions of his ancestors sung. At other times, he amused
himself with seeing various games played. When he went
abroad, he was carried on the shoulders of the nobles, in a
litter covered with rich canopy, attended by a numerous
retinue of courtiers, and wherever he passed, every person
stopped with their eyes shut, as if they feared to be dazzled
with the splendor of majesty. When he alighted from the
litter, to walk on foot, they spread carpets, that he might not
touch the earth with his feet.
34*
403
FAMILY TOURIST.
MEXICO.
The grandeur and magnificence of his palaces, houses of
pleasure, woods and gardens, were correspondent to this
majesty. The palace of his usual residence was a vast edi-
fice of stone and lime, which had twenty doors to the public
squares and streets; three great courts, in one of which was
a beautiful fountain; several halls, and more than a hun-
dred chambers. Some of the apartments had walls of mar-
ble, and other valuable kinds of stone. The beams were of
cedar, cypress, and other excellent woods, well finished and
carved. Among the halls, there was one so large, that, ac-
cording to the testimony of an eye witness of veracity, it
could contain three thousand people. Besides this palace,
he had others, both within and without the capital.
Mexico, besides the seraglio for his wives, there was lodging
for all his ministers and counsellors, and all the officers of
his household and court; and also accommodation for for-
eign lords, who arrived there, and particularly for the two
allied kings.
In
The great temple, to which allusion has already been
made, occupied the centre of the city, and was enclosed with
a wall of a square form, between which and the temple,
Cortes affirms, a town of five hundred houses might have
been built. Numerous priests were attached to this temple.
Their dress did not differ from that of the common people,
except a black cotton mantle, which they wore in the man-
ner of a veil upon their heads. The monastic priests were
clothed in black. They never shaved, but twisted their
beards with thick cotton cords, and bedaubed them with ink.
Among other services, which they performed, was that of
effecting their sacrifices, which consisted chiefly of human
'victims. In general the victims suffered death by having
their breasts opened; but others were drowned in the lake,
others died of hunger, shut up in the caverns of the moun-
tains, and some fell in the gladiatorial sacrifice. The usual
place of offering was the temple, in the upper area of which
stood the altar destined for ordinary sacrifices. The altar
of the greater temple of Mexico, was a green stone convex
above, about three feet high, as many broad, and more than
five feet long. A victim who was to be sacrificed, was ex-
tended upon the altar, four priests held his legs and arms,
and another kept his head firm with a wooden instrument,
made in form of a coiled serpent, which was put about his
FAMILY TOURIST.
403
MEXICO.
neck. The inhuman Topiltzin, or chief priest, then ap-
proached, and with a cutting knife, made of flint, dexter-
ously opened his breast, and tore out his heart, which, while
yet palpitating, he offered to the sun, and afterwards threw
it at the feet of the particular idol to which the sacrifice was
made. If the victim was a prisoner of war, the officer or
soldier to whom the prisoner belonged, carried the body to
his house, to be boiled and dressed, as an entertainment to
his friends. If the victim was a slave purchased for sacri-
fice, the proprietor carried off the body from the altar for
the same purpose.
The most celebrated sacrifice among the Mexicans was
that called by the Spaniards the gladiatorial. Only prison-
ers who were renowned for their bravery were permitted to
die by it. The prisoner was placed on a large round stone,
in figure like a mill-stone. He was armed with a shield and
a short sword, and tied by one foot. A Mexican officer or
soldier, better accoutred in arms, mounted to combat with
him. Usually a dreadful contest succeeded. If the pris-
oner was vanquished, he was carried, dead or alive, to the
altar of the common sacrifices, where his heart was taken
out, while the victor was applauded by the assembly, and
rewarded by the king with some military honor. If the
prisoner succeeded in conquering six different combatants,
he was granted his life, set at liberty, and returned with
glory to his native country.
The number of human victims, which were annually sa-
crificed on the altars of Mexico, and in different places of
the empire, is said to have amounted to 20,000. Some wri-
ters affirm that this number were sacrificed in the capital
alone. For many years the most bloody wars, the most in-
humane sacrifices and cannibal feasts, had disgraced the city
and empire, and had long cried to heaven for its avenging
justice upon the authors of these most awful crimes.
In
Cortes we seem to see the unconscious minister of the Di-
vine wrath upon the guilty Montezuma, his officers and
priests. Not that Cortes can be justified in the violent
methods to which he resorted; he obviously had no inten-
tion of fulfilling the Divine will and become the minister of
Heaven's vengeance, but however guilty he may have been,
we cannot fail to see that the retributions of the infinite
404
FAMILY TOURIST.
MEXICO.
God were just upon a king and people who were laden with
such guilt.
Cortes and his companions, according to the Abbe Clavi-
gero, discovered among the Mexicans various games and
feats, which were practised by way of amusement, and at
the same time to give agility to their limbs, and accustom
them to the fatigues of war. We shall notice but two which
are thus described by the above historian.
"The exhibition of the fliers, which was made on great
festivals, and particularly in secular years, was, though of
less public benefit, more celebrated than all others. They
sought in the woods for an extremely lofty tree, which, af-
ter stripping it of its branches and bark, they brought to
the city, and placed in the centre of some large square.
They cased the front of the tree in a wooden cylinder, which
on account of some resemblance in its shape, the Spaniards
called a mortar. From this cylinder hung some strong ropes.
which served to support a square frame. In the space be-
tween the cylinder and the frame, they fixed four other thick
ropes, which they twisted as many times round the tree as
there were revolutions to be made by the fliers. These
ropes were drawn through four holes, made in the middle of
the four planks of which the frame consisted. The four
principal fliers, disguised like eagles, herons, and other
birds, mounted the tree with great agility, by means of a
rope which was laced about it from the ground up to the
frame; from the frame they mounted one at a time succes-
sively upon the cylinder, and having danced there a little,
they tied themselves round with the end of the ropes, which
were drawn through the holes of the frame, and launch-
ing with a spring from it, began their flight with their wings
expanded. The action of their bodies put the frame and
cylinder in motion; the frame by its revolutions, gradually
untwisted the cords by which the fliers swung; so that as the
ropes lengthened, they made so much the greater circles in
their flight. Whilst these four were flying, a fifth danced
upon the cylinder, beating a little drum, or waving a flag,
without the smallest apprehension of the danger he was in of
being precipitated from such a height. The others who
were upon the frame (there having been ten or twelve per-
sons generally who mounted) as soon as they saw the fliers
in their last revolution, precipitated themselves, in order to

MEXICAN FEATS OF ACTIVITY. THE FLIERS.
FAMILY TOURIST.
405
MEXICO.
reach the ground at the same time, amid the acclamations of
the populace. Those who precipitated themselves in this
manner by the ropes, that they might make a still greater
display of their agility, frequently passed from one rope to
another, at that part where, on account of the little distance
there was between them, it was possible for them to do so.
The exercises also which, in some countries, are called
the powers of Hercules, were extremely common among
them. One man began to dance; another placed upright on
his shoulders, accompanied him in his movements; while a
third, standing upright on the head of the second, danced
and displayed other instances of agility. They placed also
a beam upon the shoulders of two dancers, while a third dan-
ced upon the end of it. The first Spaniards, who were
witnesses of these and other exhibitions of the Mexi-
cans, were so much astonished at their agility, that they sus-
pected some supernatural power assisted them, forgetting
to make a due allowance for the progress of human genius,
and assisted by application and labor.
Although Montezuma had in effect surrendered the city,
and also his dominions, into the hands of Cortes, as has al-
ready been noticed, the latter began to feel that his situa
tion was perilous. A single turn of circumstances might
expose both himself and his followers to ruin. His only
means of securing the advantage, which he had obtained,
seemed to lie in obtaining possession of the person of Monte-
zuma. This measure, however, startled the more timid of
his followers, but their objections were soon overruled by
the more pressing considerations of necessity. A pretext
for this act of hostility soon presented itself. Messengers
arrived from Vera Cruz, where Cortes had left a small gari-
rison, informing Cortes, that Qualpopoca, one of Monte-
zuma's generals, had attacked it, and had mortally wound-
ed the commander of the garrison with seven of his men.
*
On receiving this intelligence, mortifying and alarming to
Cortes, the latter, accompanied by several of his officers
sought an interview with Montezuma. Thirty chosen men
followed not in regular order, but sauntering at some dis-
tance, as if they had no object but curiosity. The remain-
der of his troops were ordered under arms, ready to sally out
on the first alarm. On being admitted to the presence of
406
FAMILY TOURIST.
CO.
MEXICO.
Montezuma, the Mexican attendants retiring as usual, Cor-
tes informed the monarch of the assault upon the garrison,
and demanded an explanation. Montezuma asserted his
own innocence, and as a proof of it gave orders instantly to
bring Qualpopoca, and his accomplices prisoners to Mexi-
Cortes replied that it would be more convincing proof
of the monarch's innocence, if he would remove from his pal-
ace, and take up his residence for a time in the Spanish
quarters. To this strange proposal, Montezuma, at first,
through indignation, could hardly reply, but at length he
haughtily answered, "That persons of his rank were not ac-
customed voluntarily to give up themselves as prisoners;
and were he mean enough to do so, his subjects would not
permit such an affront to be offered to their sovereign!
Cortes unwilling to employ force, endeavored alternately to
soothe and to intimidate him. The altercation became
warm, and having continued above three hours, Velas quiz
de Leon, an impetuous and gallant young man, exclaimed
with impatience, Why waste more time in vain? Let us
either seize him instantly, or stab him to the heart.' The
threatening voice and fierce gestures, with which these words
were uttered, struck Montezuma. The Spaniards, he was
sensible had now proceeded so far, as left him no hope that
they would recede. His own danger was imminent, the
necessity unavoidable. He saw both, and abandoning him-
self to his fate, complied with their request.
His officers were called. He communicated to them his
resolution. Though astonished and afflicted, they presum-
ed not to question the will of their master, but carried him
in silent pomp, all bathed in tears, to the Spanish quarters.
When it was known that the strangers were coveying away
the emperor, the people broke out with the wildest trans-
ports of grief and rage, threatening the Spaniards with im-
mediate destruction, as the punishment justly due to their
impious audacity. But as soon as Montezuma appeared,
with a seeming gayety of countenance, and waved his hand,
the tumult was hushed; and upon his declaring it to be
of his own choice, that he went to reside for some time
among his new friends, the multitude, taught to revere every
intimation of their sovereign's pleasure, quietly dispersed.
Thus was a powerful prince seized by a few strangers in
the midst of his capital, at noon-day, and carried off as a
prisoner, without opposition, or blood shed. History con-
FAMILY TOURIST,
407
MEXICO.
tains nothing parallel to this event, either with respect to
the temerity of the attempt, or the success of the execution.
Montezuma was received in the Spanish quarters, with
all the ceremonious respect which Cortes had promised.
He was attended by his own domestics, and served with his
usual state. His principal officers had free access to him,
and he carried on every function of government, as if he
had been at perfect liberty. The Spaniards, however,
watched him with the scrupulous vigilance, which was nat-
ural in guarding so important a prize, endeavoring at the
same time to soothe and reconcile him to his situation, by
every external demonstration as regards attachment. But
from captive princes the house of humiliation and suffering
is never far distant. Qualpopoca, his son, and five of the
principal officers who served under him, were brought pris-
oners to the capital, in consequence of the orders which
Montezuma had issued. The emperor gave them up to Cor-
tes, that he might inquire into the nature of their crimes, and
determine their punishment. They were formally tried by
a Spanish court-martial; and though they had acted no oth-
er part than what became loyal subjects and brave men, in
obeying the orders of their lawful sovereign, and in oppo-
sing the invaders of their country, they were condemned to
be burnt alive. The execution of such atrocious deeds is
seldom long suspended. The unhappy victims were instant-
ly led forth. The pile on which they were laid, was com-
posed of the weapons collected in the royal magazine for
the public defence.
Just before Qualpopoca was led out to suffer, Cortes
entered the apartment of Montezuma, followed by some of
his officers, and a soldier carrying a pair of fetters; and ap-
proaching the monarch with a stern countenance, told him,
that as the persons who were now to undergo the punish-
ment which they merited, had charged him as the cause of
the outrage committed, it was necessary that he likewise
should make atonement for that guilt; then, turning away
abruptly, without waiting for a reply, commanded the sol-
diers to clap the fetters on his legs. The orders were in-
stantly executed. The disconsolate monarch, trained up
with an idea that his person was sacred and inviolable, and
considering this profanation of it as the prelude of immedi
ate death, broke out into loud lamentations and complaints.
408
FAMILY TOURIST.
MEXICO.
His attendants, speechless, with horror, fell at his feet, bath-
ing them with tears; and bearing up the fetters in their
hands, endeavored with officious tenderness to lighten their
pressure. Nor did their grief and despondency abate, until
Cortes returned from the execution, and, with a cheerful
countenance, ordered the fetters to be taken off. As Mon-
tezuma's spirits had sunk with unmanly dejection, they now
rose into indecent joy; and with an unbecoming transition,
he passed at once from the anguish of despair to transports
of gratitude and expressions of fondness towards his deliv
erer.
The spirit of Montezuma was now not only overawed, but
subdued. During six months that Cortes remained in Mex-
co, the monarch continued in the Spanish quarters, with
an appearance of satisfaction and even tranquility. His
ministers and officers attended him as usual. The affairs
of the government were conducted in his name. But Cor-
tes was the real ruler of the empire, and he took every pre-
caution to strengthen and fortify his power. One thing
however was wanting to complete his security. He wished
to have such a command of the lake, as might insure a re-
treat, should the Mexicans suddenly arm themselves against
him, and break down the bridges or causeways, in order to
enclose him in the city.
In order to obtain this, without giving disgust to the em-
peror or his court, Cortes artfully influenced the curiosity
of the Indians with accounts of the Spanish shipping, and
those floating palaces that moved with such velocity on the
water, without the assistance of oars; and when he found
that the monarch himself was extremely desirous of seeing
such a novelty, he gave him to understand, that nothing was
wanting to his gratification besides a few necessaries from
Vera Cruz, for that he had workmen in his army capable
of building such vessels. The bait took with Montezuma;
and he gave immediate orders that all his people should as-
sist Cortes in whatever he should direct concerning the
shipping. By this means, in a few days, two brigantines were
got ready, full rigged, and equipped; and Montezuma was
invited on board, to make the first trial of their sailing, of
which he could form no idea. Accordingly he embarked
for this purpose, and gave orders for a great hunting upon
the water, in order that all his people might be diverted with
the novelty presented by the Spaniards. On the day ap-

5
COMMON SACRIFICE.
FAMILY TOURIST.
409
•
MEXICO.
pointed, the royal equipage was ready early in the morning;
and the lake was covered with a multitude of boats and ca-
noes loaded with people. The Mexicans had augmented
the number of their rowers on board the royal barges, with
an intention to disgrace the Spanish vessels, which they re-
garded as clumsy, unwieldy, and heavy. But they were
soon undeceived; a fresh gale starting up, the brigantines.
hoisted sail, to the utter astonishment of all the spectators,
and soon left all the canoes behind; while the monarch ex-
ulted in the victory of the Spaniards, without once consider-
ing that now he had effectually riveted his own chains.
Cortes having obtained this important point, next insisted
that Montezuma should acknowledge himself a vassal to
the crown of Castile. With this requisition, humiliating
as it was, Montezuma complied. But when Cortes attempt-
ed to alter the religion of the monarch, and his people, and
began to throw down the idols in the great temple, the
priests took up arms, and the whole city, at their instigation,
rose in defence of their gods. In order to appease the
mult, Cortes was obliged to desist from the attempt, and
soon after was informed by the emperor that his gods
manded that he and his followers should instantly depart
from the empire.
Several other circumstances united to render the situation
of Cortes critical and dangerous, and it was judged advisa-
ble both by himself and his officers to retire from the city.
This he now did, leaving a hundred and fifty men as a gar-
rison to guard the capital, and the captive emperor. Soon
after the departure of Cortes, Alvarado the commander of
the Spanish garrison attacked the inhabitants, during one
of their solemn festivals, in the very court of their great
temple, and massacred great numbers. This atrocious
outrage raised the whole population against them-their two
brigantines were seized and destroyed-their magazine of
provisions was reduced to ashes, and several of the Span-
ish soldiers were killed and wounded. Messengers were
immediately despatched to Cortes, who, at the head of his
Spaniards and an auxiliary force of two thousand Flasca-
laus, returned to the capital. The haughty conduct of Cor-
tes on his return, so exasperated the Mexicans, that they re-
newed the assault on the Spaniards with undaunted courage
and implacable ferocity. At every discharge of the Span-
ish artillery, multitudes of the Mexicans fell; but, at length

$35
410
FAMILY TOURIST.
MEXICO.
Cortes was obliged to retreat, and, moreover, was himself
wounded in the hand.
On renewing the assault the next morning, the Mexicans.
were grieved and astonished to behold their captive sovereign
advancing towards them, and to hear him exhorting them
to cease from hostilities. A sullen murmur of disapproba-
tion succeeded to his discourse, which at length broke out
into the most furious rage: flights of arrows and volleys of
stones were poured on the ramparts; and before the Spanish
soldiers appointed to guard Montezuma had time to cover
him with their shields, he was wounded with two arrows,
and a stone which struck him on the temple brought him to
the ground. On seeing their monarch fall, the Mexicans,
horror-struck, fled with precipitation. Montezuma, scorn-
ing to survive this last humiliation, tore from his wounds
the bandages which the Spaniards had applied to them, and
with Indian constancy refused all nourishment, till death
speedily terminated his sufferings.
The death of their captive rendered a retreat on the
part of the Spaniards, a measure indispensable. From
this time, for the following six months, the tide of fortune
appeared to turn against Cortes. His retreat was rendered
painful and hazardous by the exasperated Mexicans, who
in every possible manner annoyed him, and on several oc-
casions nearly succeeded in the utter destruction of him-
self and followers. In December, however, his prospects.
brightened. Accessions had been made to his numbers, so
that he still mustered 550 infantry, of whom four score
were armed with muskets or cross-bows, 40 horsemen, and
nine field-pieces. At the head of these, together with
10,000 Indians, he once more took up his march towards
Mexico.
On the death of Montezuma, the Mexicans had raised
his brother Quetlavaca to the throne, under whose direc-
tion those spirited measures were adopted, which had issued
in the expulsion of the Spaniards. Under his direction,
the capital and kingdom were put in a state of defence,
but in the midst of his sagacious arrangements, Quetla-
vaca was cut off by the small pox. In his stead, the Mex-
icans elected Guatimozin (Quauhtemotzin), his nephew,
and the son-in-law of Montezuma, who, by his bravery,
sufficiently justified their choice.
FAMILY TOURIST.
411
MEXICO.
On entering the Mexican territories, Cortes proceeded
to Tezcuco, the second city in the empire, situated on the
banks of the lake, about twenty miles from Tenochtitlan.
Here he established his head quarters, and proceeded to
attack successively several of the towns situated round the
lake, compelling them to submit to the Spanish crown, or
reducing them to ruins. In the mean while, several brig-
antines were preparing, with the ultimate design of making
an attack upon the capital itself. Siege at length was laid
to the place, and on the third of July, a general assault was
made with a view to take the city by storm. In this day's
action, however, Cortes was out-manoeuvred by the Mexi-
cans, and the route of the Spaniards was complete. While
endeavoring to save his men, Cortes himself was laid hold
of by some of the Mexicans, who were hurrying him off
in triumph, when two of his officers rescued him at the ex-
pense of their own lives; but he received several dangerous
wounds, before he could break loose.
The situation of Cortes was, for a time, dispiriting; but,
at length, for reasons not all explained, Indians to the
number of many thousands flocked to his standard, and
signally increased his force. In the mean while, the stores
which Gautimozin had laid up, were exhausted by the mul-
titudes, who had crowded into the capital to defend their
sovereign, and the temples of their gods; and the brigan-
tines rendered it almost impossible to convey to the be-
sieged any supply. Infected distempers now attacked the
crowded and famished population, and filled up the meas-
ure of their sufferings. Yet still, the haughty spirit of
the Mexican monarch rejected with scorn every overture
of peace; and every inch of ground was disputed with the
invaders, till three fourths of the city had been laid in ruins.
Not before then, was Gautimozin persuaded to attempt his
escape. To facilitate this measure, they endeavored to
amuse Cortes with overtures of submission; but Sandoval
had orders to watch every movement of the enemy. Ob-
serving some large canoes rowing across the lake with
extraordinary rapidity, he instantly gave the signal to chase,
and the swiftest-sailing brigantine soon overtook them, and
was preparing to fire, when at once the rowers dropped
their oars, while all on board, with loud cries, conjured him
to forbear, as the emperor was there. The Spaniards ea-
gerly seized their prize, who preserved a dignified compo-
412
FAMILY TOURIST.
MEXICO.
sure, and, when conducted to Cortes, manifested in his de-
portment, neither the sullen fierceness of a barbarian, nor
the dejection of the suppliant. The historians have put
into his mouth on this occasion, a speech breathing the
Roman heroism: "I have done what became a monarch.
I have defended my people to the last extremity. Nothing
now remains but to die. Take this dagger (laying his
hand on one which Cortes wore); plant it in my breast, and
put an end to a life, which can no longer be of use."
As soon as the fate of their monarch was known, the
resistance of the Mexicans ceased, and on the thirtieth of
August, after a seige of seventy-five days, Cortes took
possession of what remained of Tenochtitlan. But little
booty was found amid the ruins of the city. Under a sus-
picion that Gautimozin had large treasures concealed,
Cortes subjected the captive monarch and his chief favor
ite to torture for the purpose of forcing from them a dis-
closure. Overcome by the agony, the minister is said to
have besought his master for permission to reveal the se-
cret. Gautimozin sternly replied: "Am I reposing on a bed
of flowers?" And by this reproach, the favorite in silence
expired. Gautimozin was released from the torture, but
soon after, on a pretended charge of having secretly con-
spired to excite a revolt, he was hung upon a tree, and, ac-
cording to Humbolt, was hung by his feet to lengthen out
his torments.
Cortes took immediate measures to rebuild the capi-
tal, on a magnificent plan, and by the year 1524, such was
the concourse of native assistants employed by him, that
the new city numbered 30,000 inhabitants.
Having completed our account of the ancient Mexico,
with such historical incidents relating to it, as are most
interesting, we shall proceed to introduce our fellow travel-
lers to the modern Mexico.
Tenochtitlan was built, as has already been mentioned,
on a group of islands, in the midst of a lake. The present
city occupies nearly the same place with the ancient; yet,
owing to the diminution of the lake Tezcuco, its centre is
nearly 15,000 feet distant from that lake. The surround-
ing lakes appear to have been on the decrease, long before
FAMILY TOURIST.
413
MEXICO.
the arrival of the Spaniards, but since that period the
waters have dried up more rapidly, owing to several causes,
but chiefly to a deep cut or drain, by which the waters
which formerly flowed into the lake Tezcuco, have been
directed to another course.
Mexico," says Humbolt, "is undoubtedly one of the
finest cities ever built by Europeans in either hemisphere.
With the exception of Petersburgh, Berlin, Philadelphia,
and some quarters of Westminster, there does not exist a
city of the same extent, which can be compared with the
capital of New Spain, for the uniform level of the ground
on which it stands, for the regularity and breadth of the
streets, and the extent of the public places. The archi-
tecture is generally of a very pure style; and there are
even edifices of very beautiful structure. The exterior of
the houses is not loaded with ornament. Two sorts of
hewn stone are used, which give to the Mexican buildings
an air of solidity, and sometimes of magnificence. There
are none of those wooden balconies and galleries to be
seen, which disfigure so much all the European cities in
both the Indies. The ballustrades and gates are all of Bis-
cay iron, ornamented with bronze; and the houses, instead
of roofs, have terraces, like those in Italy, and other south-
ern countries.. However, it must be agreed, that it is
much less from the grandeur and beauty of the public.
buildings, than from the breadth and straightness of its
streets, and from its uniform regularity, its extent, and its
position, that the capital attracts the admiration of Euro-
peans."
Many of the streets, Mr. Bullock states, are nearly two
miles in length, perfectly level and strait, and with the ends
terminating in a view of the mountains that surround the
valley. The houses are, in general, of a uniform height,
most of them having three stories, each from fifteen to
twenty feet high. The fronts of most of the houses, like
those of Puebla, are painted in distemper, white, crimson,
brown, or light green; and owing to the dryness of the
atmosphere, they retain their beauty unimpaired many
years. Some have inscriptions upon them taken from
scripture, or stanzas addressed to the Virgin. Numbers of
houses are entirely covered with glazed porcelain in a va-
riety of elegant designs and patterns, often with subjects
35*
414
FAMILY TOURIST.
MEXICO.
from sacred history, giving the whole a rich and mosaic-
like appearance. The walls of the great stair-cases are
frequently covered in the same manner, and mixed with a
profusion of gilding, which, in contrast with the blue and
white porcelain, has really a splendid effect. The walls
of several of the churches are finished in the same manner.
The Plaza Major, or grand square, is one of the first that
is to be seen in any metropolis. The east side is occupied
by the cathedral; the north, by the splendid palace of the
viceroy; the south, by a fine row of houses, in the centre of
which is the palace of the Marquess de Valle (Cortes), now
called the Casa del Estado; and the west has a range of
buildings, with a piazza in front, consisting of many good
shops, public offices, granaries, &c. About the centre of
the square is a colossal equestrian statue of Charles IV., on
a pedestal of Mexican marble; said to be the finest specimen.
of casting in the new world.
The Cathedral, which stands on the ruins of the great
teocalli, or temple of the god Mexitli, is a somewhat hetero-
geneous edifice. The front is very singular. One part of
it is low, and of bad Gothic architecture; the other part,
which is of recent construction, is in the Italian style, and
has much symmetry and beauty. Its two handsome towers
are ornamented with pilasters and statues. "The interior
is imposing,-larger, loftier, and more magnificent than the
cathedral of Peubla. The distribution is the same, but the
great altar not quite so rich. The dome is bold, and is
painted with great taste. The sanctuaries contain some
tolerable paintings, and are neatly ornamented. On the
whole, this church would do credit to any city in Europe."
It is about 500 feet in length. "On entering," says Mr.
Bullock, "I felt something like disappointment, notwith-
standing the extent and magnificence of the interior. The
centre is nearly filled by the ponderous erections, which
entirely obstruct its otherwise fine appearance, and the high
altar is, as well as that in the cathedral of Peubla, too large
for the place it occupies. Like most of the churches in this
country, it is loaded with a profusion of massive carved and
gilt ornaments, pictures and painted statues. Many of the
smaller paintings appeared to be of value, and works of the
old Spanish and Italian masters; but they are so placed, and
ग
FAMILY TOURIST.
415
MEXICO.
in such an obscure light, that it is not possible to judge de-
cisively of their merit. There are in the apartments ad-
joining the cathedral, allegorical and sacred subjects, pic-
tures of a prodigious size, and of considerable skill in their
composition and design, though few of them are executed
by masters held in estimation in Europe.*
"The high altar and its appendages are enclosed by `a
massive railing, of great extent, of cast metal, said to have
been founded in China, from models sent from Mexico.
The figures which ornament it are very numerous, but of
poor execution and design. The metal, resembling brass,
is said to be of such value, on account of the gold it con-
tains, that a silversmith of Mexico is said to have made an
offer to the bishop to construct a new rail of solid silver, of
the same weight, in exchange for it.
"Divine service is celebrated here with great magnifi-
cence. Mass is regularly said every half hour, from day-
light till one o'clock, exclusive of the high mass, and other
occasional masses. In no place are religious ceremonies
observed with greater pomp, or splendor. The procession
which I saw from this cathedral, far exceeded, in order and
regularity, in the grandeur of the vestments, in the costli-
ness and value of the sacred ornaments, and in gold and
silver, any thing I ever witnessed. The processions of Rome,
or any other city of Europe, suffer much in the comparison."
Within the enclosure of the cathedral, (which is of stone
pillars and chains,) and sunk in the earth, so that the sur-
face alone is visible, is the remarkable stone called the
Stone of Sacrifices. It was found, together with a great
number of idols, and other remains of Aztec sculpture, in
December, 1790, in digging twenty or thirty feet deep, in
order to level the great square. It is of porphyry, about
nine feet broad, or twenty-five in circumference, of a cylin-
drical form. In the centre is a head in relief, surrounded
by twenty groups of two figures each, all represented in the
same attitude; and one of the figures is always the same,-
a warrior with his right hand resting on the helmet of a man,
who is offering him flowers in token of submission. The
other figure, supposed to be a vanquished warrior, wears
the dress of the nation to which he belongs, and behind him
is a hieroglyphic, denoting the conquered province. In the
* Notes on Mexico.
416.
FAMILY TOURIST.
MEXICO.
upper surface of the stone, there is a groove of some depth,
which is thought to have been designed to let the blood of
the victims run off.
:
The Palace, or Government-house, is described by Mr.
Bullock as a truly magnificent building. "It is nearly
square; its front measuring several hundred feet. In its
interior are four large square courts, round which most of
the public offices are distributed, together with the prison,
the mint, the barracks, and the botanic garden." The
mint, "the largest and richest in the whole world," and the
house of separation of the gold and silver, of the ingots and
auriferous silver, are among the chief objects of interest to
a stranger. The works of the mint consist of ten sets of
rollers, moved by sixty mules, to press out the bars to the
required size; fifty-two circular cutters; nine adjusting ta-
bles; twenty milling-machines and stamping-presses; and
five mills for amalgamating the filings and sweepings. Each
stamping-press is said to be capable of coining upwards of
15,000 dollars in ten hours, so that they are able to manu-
facture daily from 14 to 15,000 marcs of silver. The silver
produced in all the mines of Europe together would not suf-
fice; Humbolt states, to employ the mint of Mexico more
than fifteen days. The operations, however, are performed.
in a very awkward manner, and the machinery is very im-
perfect. "At present (1823), about 200 workmen are em-
ployed; but when the mines were in full operation, 400 men
were engaged, and 80,000 dollars per diem were coined
here, independently of what was done by the other mints."*
Humbolt has given a table of the annual coinage from 1690
to 1803 inclusive, from which it appears, that the total
amount of gold and silver which passed through the mint of
Mexico within that period, (114 years,) was 1,353,452,020
piastres, equal to 284,224,9247. sterling. Another table,
furnished by the author of "Notes on Mexico," giving an
account of the coinage of gold, and silver, and copper, from
1802 to 1821 inclusive, presents a total of 303,319,928
dollars.
The Botanical Garden, which occupies one of the courts
of the Viceroy's palace is very small, but it is extremely
* Humbolt.
!
FAMILY TOURIST.
417
MEXICO.
rich in rare and interesting productions. "Though situ
ated," says Mr. Bullock, "in the centre of a large and pop-
ulous city, every vegetable production seems in perfect
health and vigor. It affords to the stranger a most delight-
ful retreat from the mid-day sun, to the botanist, or admirer
of the works of nature, a treat not to be met with elsewhere
in New Spain, or perhaps in the world. It is handsomely
laid out in the Spanish fashion, with flagged walks, bordered
with elegant large pots of flowers. The walks are rendered
cool by the creeping plants that are trained over them.
They diverge from a large stone basin in the centre, con-
stantly supplied by a fountain with water, which, in small
rivulets, spreads itself over every part of this little paradise,
imparting freshness and life to thousands of elegant plants
and flowers, unknown to the eye of the European, but which
here, in a climate of eternal spring, in the open air, bloom
and send forth their fragrance without the assistance of man,
and produce a very different appearance from the dwarfish,
sickly exotics of our hot-houses, which, with every possible
care and attention, with difficulty linger a few years, with-
-out reproducing their species. Apples, pears, peaches,
quinces, and other European fruits flourish here, in com-
pany with bananas, avocatas, and the most delicious sapotas
I ever tasted. The celebrated hand-tree, which has excited
so much attention among botanists, is in great perfection.
here."
of nuns.
To describe all the public buildings in Mexico, would re-
quire a separate publication. An American gentleman.
counted one hundred and five cupolas, spires and domes,
within the limits of the city, and there are said to be fifty-six
churches, besides the cathedral.* "The convents are
thirty-eight in number; twenty-three of monks, and fifteen
The Franciscan convent is an immense establish-
ment, with an annual income of 21,0007., arising princi-
pally from alms. Its church is a fine one, and, as well as
the numerous apartments, courts and cloisters, of the mon-
astery, which form a perfect labyrinth, is covered with large
paintings, describing the miracles and life of the saint. The
church of San Domingo, which is attached to the Domini-
can monastery, is splendidly ornamented. The capitals of
*Notes on Mexico.
418
FAMILY TOURIST.
MEXICO.
the columns and the sanctuaries in the interior are richly
gilded, and the whole has an aspect of magnificence. The
convent is of great extent, and contains a numerous collec-
tion of pictures and statues. In the paved yard, or court, in
front of the church, we were shown a large flat stone, with
a square hole in its centre, in which, my informant told me,
was fixed the stake to which the victims of the Inquisition
were formerly fastened, previously to their being burnt.
The tribunal was, till its abolition by the ex-emperor, in
1820, under the jurisdiction of the Dominicans."
"The Palace of the Inquisition is on the opposite side of
the street, and near the place of execution. In this house,
persons accused of ecclesiastical crimes, were confined. İ
had been told, previously to my arrival in Mexico, of its
horrible subterraneous cells, in which the wretched captives
were imprisoned; but this must evidently have been an ex-
aggeration, as no subterranean places ever existed in the
city of Mexico, nor ever can exist, as, whenever the ground
is excavated, even for a few feet, water instantly springs up.
In the great square, while I was digging for the purpose of
taking a cast of the sacrificial stone, at only three feet, we
were obliged to employ persons constantly to lade out the
water. This palace is very elegant, and exhibits little or
no appearance of the purposes for which it was intended.
It was occupied as a polytechnical school at the time I was
in the city, but was then on sale.
"In front of the churches, and in the neighborhood of
them," adds this traveller, we saw an unusual number of
beggars; and they openly exposed their disgusting sores
and deformities to excite our compassion. No city in Italy
contains so many miserable beggars, and no town in the
world so many blind. This is, I think, to be attributed to
constant exposure, want, and the excessive use of ardent
spirits. Many are blind from the effects of the small pox,
which bofore the introduction of vaccination, raged fre-
quently in this country, and was a fatal disease.
The Hospital of Jesus, or de Los Naturales, founded by
Cortes, deserves to rank among the most interesting objects
in the capital. It is for the maintenance of children and old
people, and now unites two separate foundations.
"This
FAMILY TOURIST.
419
MEXICO.
establishment," says Humbolt," in which both order and
cleanliness may be seen, but little industry, has a revenue
of 250,000 francs (10,4707. sterling). In one of the rooms
are several family portraits, among which, one of the great
captain himself. Here, too, is shown "the identical em-
broidered standard, under which he wrested the empire from
the unfortunate Montezuma ;" also a massive mahogany
table which belonged to Cortes. In the chapel, a strong
iron-bound chest is exhibited, containing the bones of the
conqueror of New Spain. Mr. Bullock was allowed to in-
spect them, and he attentively examined, he says, the cra-
nium; but all he was enabled to infer from it, was, that the
person of Cortes must have been small.
1
Mr. Bullock gives a deplorable account of the present
state of the arts in Mexico. "Not one landscape or archi-
tectural painter," he says, "remains in this great city; and
the only few artists are those who copy religious subjects
for the churches, and some who attempt portraits, but they
are deplorably bad. The principal employment for the pen-
cil, seems to be in the decorations of coach-bodies, and the
heads of wooden bedsteads; and in the metropolis, a few
pictures of the Infant Saviour, the Virgin, Magdalen, St.
Joseph, St. Anthony, or St. Cuthbert; are the only produc-
tions of modern painters which are to be met with. Of the
myriads of pictures with which the churches, convents,
cloisters, &c. &c. are crowded, I saw few worth the expense
of removing. The churches and cathedrals may, amongst
the great numbers with which they are encumbered, have
some good ones, and I am inclined to think they have; but
the quantity of light admitted into these superb temples is
too little, even in the brighest day, to render it practicable
to discover their merits. They are lost to the world in the
sacred gloom that pervades the place. The public, too, are
prevented from a near approach by clumsy railings; but
from what information I was able to obtain by peeping
through, it appeared to me that some of the finest produc-
tions of the Italian and Spanish schools may be here buried
in oblivion."
We must not omit to notice the University and the public
library, although both the edifice and the collection are
pronounced by Humbolt to be unworthy of so great and an-
420
FAMILY TOURIST.
MEXICO.
cient an establishment. The university was founded in
1551. The building is very spacious, and the institution is
said to be well endowed: there have been as many as 200
students at one time, but there were in 1832 very few.
Besides the university, there are inferior and several large
schools under the direction of the regular clergy.
"Most of the people in the cities," says the American
Traveller, "can read and write. I would not be understood
as including the leperos; but I have frequently remarked
men clothed in the garb of extreme poverty, reading the
gazettes in the street. Of these there are three published
every other day in the week, which are sold for twelve and
a half cents apiece; and pamphlets and loose sheets are
hawked about at a reasonable rate. There are several book-
sellers' shops, which are but scantily supplied with books.
The booksellers have hitherto labored under all the disade
vantages of the prohibitory system of the Roman Catholic
church, but are now endeavoring to furnish themselves with
the best modern works. The few books to be found in the
shops are extravagantly dear. There are several valuable
private libraries; and many Creole gentlemen, who have
visited Europe, have a taste both for literature and the fine
arts. This is certainly more rare among those who have
never been out of their own country. The means of edu-
cation are more limited under the colonial system, and lib-
eral studies were discouraged. The Latin language, law,
theology, and philosophy, were taught in the colleges, and
only so much of the latter as the clergy thought might be
taught with safety. To give some idea of the influence of
this class in the city of Mexico, I will merely observe, that
there are five hundred and fifty secular, and sixteen hundred
and forty-six regular clergy. Humbolt says, that, in the
twenty-three convents of monks in the capital, there are
twelve hundred individuals, of whom five hundred and eighty
are priests and choristers; and, in the fifteen convents of
nuns, there are two thousand one hundred individuals, of
whom about nine hundred are professed nuns."
The children of the nobility and wealthy inhabitants are
principally taught at home. The places of public instruc-
tion in the greatest repute, are the Seminario and San Ilde-
fonza. Lancasterian schools were established in the capital
by the emperor; and his ex-majesty assured Mr. Bullock,
that it was his intention to extend them throughout the

MEXICAN FEATS OF ACTIVITY.
FAMILY TOURIST.
421
MEXICO.
provinces. "There are now," says this traveller, “three
or four daily papers (1823); but they contain very little
information; they are only just beginning to insert adver-
tisements gratis, in the same manner as they were in Eng-
land at the commencement of our newspapers."
The Almeda, or public promenade, situated on the north
side of the city, did not appear to this traveller worthy of
the other establishments. It is laid out in paved walks, di-
verging from different centres, with fountains and statues
"in very bad taste and worse execution." The roads are
wide enough to admit the passage of carriages, and it is
much frequented on Sundays and festivals. There is a
fountain in the centre supplied with water from the great
aqueduct leading from Sante Fe to the city. The water
is carried along in trenches, so as to water the plants and
trees, and is then discharged into the lake. This aqueduct,
which passes close by the Almeda, is 33,464 feet in length.
It is supported on arches of brick and stone, plastered over.
The springs of Santa Fe, are near the chain of mountains
that separate the valley of Mexico from the Lerma and To-
luca. Another aqueduct, 10,826 feet in length, conducts
the water of Chapoltepec to the city. The arches of this
aqueduct, 904 in number, are nine feet six inches apart;
the columns are four feet thick, and the width is about six
feet six inches. The column of water is two feet three
inches wide, and two feet deep.
<<
There is another drive or ride called the Pasco Nuevo,
a broad road, raised about three feet above the meadow
land that surrounds the city, and planted on both sides with
a species of willow, "a tall, stiff, conical tree, resembling
the Lombardy poplar." It is about two miles long, and
terminates suddenly near a bridge and gate, through which
passes the canal of Chalco. The American writer describes
it as he saw it, crowded with carriages; some whirling
rapidly along, and others drawn up round the open circle
in the middle of the road, where ladies amuse themselves
for hours, examining the equipages that roll by, and nod-
ding, smiling, and shaking their fans at their acquaintances
as they pass. This constitutes the afternoon's amusement
of the wealthy. The bodies of their coaches are large,
but of very good form, and well painted; a little too fine,
36
422
FAMILY TOURIST.
MEXICO.
as will be thought, when I add, that Guido's Aurora fre-
quently adorns the middle pannel. The carriage is very
clumsy; from the axle of the fore, to that of the hind
wheel, the distance is not less than twelve feet; and there
is, moreover, a projection of two or three feet before and
behind, on which are fastened the leathers that suspend
the coach. They are very easy vehicles to ride in."
Humbolt represents the city of Mexico as distinguished
for its excellent police. "The streets, for the most part,
have very broad pavements; and they are clean and well
lighted. These advantages are the fruits of the activity of
the Count de Revillagigedo, who found the capital extreme-
ly dirty." If in this respect, however, the police is good,
in our usual sense of the term it is far otherwise.
The
porter of our house," says the American citizen, "seeing
me go out in the evening, when I first arrived, without be-
ing armed, remonstrated on what he was pleased to call
my rashness; and on inquiry I found that it was deemed
imprudent to do so. I was told that robberies and assas-
sinations were frequent, and that not fewer than 1,200
assassinations had been committed since the entrance of
the revolutionary army into the capital. On looking over
the journals of the first junta, I perceive that these disor-
ders were a frequent subject of debate, and were attributed
to the soldiery. I'could not learn that any of them had
been detected and punished. The city, notwithstanding,
is lighted, and guarded by watchmen; the lamps are
furnished with reverberators, and many of the streets are
better lighted than those of New York or Philadelphia."
}
The population of the capital, in 1802, was estimated
by Humbolt at 137,000 souls; of whom 2,500 were Euro-
peans; 65,000 Creoles; 26,500 mestizoes (many of them
almost as white as the preceding classes); 10,000 mulat-
toes; and 33,000 copper colored natives. Of this num-
ber, nearly 3,000 were clergy, monks, and nuns. A sub-
sequent census made the population amount to 160,000
souls.
FAMILY TOURIST.
423
GUANAXUATO.
GUANAXUATO.
This city is situated 140 miles north-west of Mexico.
It was founded by the Spaniards, in 1543, and was invested
with the privileges of a city in 1741. Although it stands
nearly 7,000 feet above the sea, it is entirely screened from
view by the windings of a narrow defile, which leads into
the recesses of the mountain; and when the traveller at
length finds himself introduced into the city, he has no
idea of its extent, one part being so hidden from another,
that, viewed from the streets, it appears to be a small
town. It is only by ascending the heights on the opposite
side, that a view is gained of the whole valley, broken into
ravines, along the sides of which the town is built. Sur-
veyed from this point, the novelty of its situation strikes
the stranger with astonishment. In some places it is seen,
spreading out into the form of an amphitheatre; in others
stretching along a narrow ridge; while the ranges of hab-
itations, accommodated to the broken ground, present the
most fantastic groupes.
The streets are narrow, crooked, and winding, running
across open spaces, which cannot be called squares, for
they are irregular and of indescribable forms, most of them
filled with market stalls. They are spacious and well-built
of hewn stone, but the fronts are painted with the gayest
colors: light green is the favorite, but some are painted
white, green and red, which at the time the author of Notes
on Mexico visited Guanaxuato (1822) were the national
colors of Mexico.
According to Humbolt, the population of the city was
41,000; in the suburbs and mines surrounding it, 29,600 :
total, 70,600. But from a census taken in, May, 1822, the
inhabitants of the city appear to have amounted only to
15,379, and the total population only to 35,733; being a
diminution of one half.
Guanaxuato is chiefly celebrated for its gold and silver
mines, being the most productive in the world. The first
mine began to be worked in 1548, but for a considerable
time they attracted but little attention. From 1676 to
1803, they produced gold and silver to the value of
12,720,061 lbs. troy. In 1803, there were employed on the
424
FAMILY TOURIST.
GUANAXUATO.
works 5,000 workmen, 1,896 grinding mills, and 14,618
mules. There have been years so productive, that the nett
profit of the two proprietors of the single mine of Valen-
ciana amounted to the sum of £250,000 sterling. When
the proprietor began to work the vein of Guanaxuato
above the ravine of San Xavier, goats were feeding on the
very hill which ten years afterwards was covered with a
town of 7 or 8,000 inhabitants.
The inhabitants of the city are represented as lively,
intelligent, and well informed, besides being extremely hos
pitable and friendly. In common, however, with the in-
habitants of most mining districts, they are passionately
fond of gambling. The author whom we have already
quoted, represents the commandant of the city as a great
amateur of cock-fighting, and he remarks that he was not a
little annoyed one morning by the continual crowing of
more than a hundred cocks, the property of this worthy
person, which, tied by one leg, were arranged along the
pavement on both sides of the street: they were to be ex-
hibited at the ensuing Christmas. "In all the towns and
villages of Mexico," he says, "cock-fighting is the favor-
ite diversion of the people. Rich and poor, men and wo-
men, frequent the pits, and sometimes stake all they are
worth on the issue of a battle fought by two cocks armed
with shashers."
Guanaxuato is liable to two serious inconveniences from
its peculiarity of situation. During the rainy season, it is
exposed to injury from the violent torrents that rush from
the mountains down the barranca, or ravine in which the
city stands, in their passage to the plain of Celaya. Large
sums have been expended on works to restrain these tor-
rents within a channel, notwithstanding which, accidents
happen almost every year. On the other hand, the only
water in the city, is that which is contained in the cisterns
belonging to the wealthy inhabitants. About two miles
from the town, however, there are deep ravines, which, by
means of dams, are made to serve as reservoirs; the water
is brought into the city on the backs of asses, and sold at
six cents a load.
GUATEMALA.
•
GUATEMALA.
THE Country of which Guatemala is the capital was con-
quered by Pedro de Alvarado, an officer who accompanied
Cortes into New Spain, and who was sent by the latter to
take possession of Guatemala, and receive the subjection
of the native kings. Alvarado left Mexico, on the 13th of
Nov. 1523, accompanied by 300 Spaniards, and a powerful
body of Indian auxiliaries. The conquest, though less dif
ficult than that of Mexico, was not effected without consid-
erable blood-shed. The conquest may be dated from May,
1524, at which time a decisive victory was obtained.
In November, 1527,a city was commenced by Alvarado, de-
signed as the capital of the new government. It was situa
ted upon the skirt of the mountain called the Volcan de
Agua, about three leagues from the present city. This
continued to be the principal town till 1541, when it was
overwhelmed by a mountain torrent, which destroyed most
of the buildings, and a greater part of the inhabitants, among
whom was the widow of Alvarado. After this calamity, the
principal survivors resolved to remove the capital about a
league farther, where it would be more secure from inun-
dations from the neighboring hills. Here they founded the
city called Old Guatemala, or La Antigua, on the 22d of
October, 1541, and immediately proceeded to erect convents,
hospitals, churches, a university, and other public buildings.
This city stood in a delightful valley, shut in by mountains
and hills of perpetual verdure, and encompassed by mead-
ows and lands, which supplied pasturage to large herds of
cattle. Two rivers ran through the valley, and supplied the
gardens and meadows, the farms and country houses with
every convenience for irrigation. The climate was delight-
36*
426
FAMILY TOURIST.
GUATEMALA.
ful, and a perpetual spring presented its varied and perpetu-
al bounties.
But this city was destined to successive calamities more
disastrous, perhaps, than is recorded of any other city on
the globe.
In 1558, an epidemic disorder, attended with a violent.
bleeding at the nose, swept away great numbers of the in-
habitants. Four earthquakes, each of which seriously
damaged many of the principal buildings, occurred between
1565 and 1581. On the 27th of December, of this latter year,
the population was again alarmed by the volcano, which
began to emit fire; and so great was the quantity of ashes.
thrown out, and spread in the air, that the sun was entirely
obscured, and artificial light was necessary in the city at
mid-day. Processions were formed to implore the Divine
intercession; people confessed themselves aloud in the
streets, being persuaded they were on the point of suffering
some awful visitation of Providence. A northerly wind,
however, at last relieved them from their fears, by disper-
sing the ashes towards the Pacific Ocean, and again allow-
ing them to view the splendor of the sun. On the 14th of
January, 1582, the mountain vomited fire with great force
for 24 hours successively. "The years 1585-6 were dread-
ful in the extreme. On January 16tn, of the former, earth-
quakes were felt, and they continued through that and the
following year so frequently, that not an interval of eight
days elapsed, during the whole period, without a shock more
or less violent. Fire issued incessantly, for months togeth-
er from the mountain, and greatly increased the general con-
sternation. The most disastrous of these eruptions took place
on the 23d December, 1586, when the major part of the city
again became a heap of ruins, burying under them many of
the unfortunate inhabitants; the earth shook with such vio-
lence that the tops of the high ridges were torn off, and deep
chasms formed in various parts of the level ground!'*
From this time to 1651, the city was visited with pesti-
lence and earthquakes, which destroyed great numbers. On
the 18th of February, 1651, about one o'clock, afternoon,
a most extraordinary subterranean noise was heard, and
immediately followed by three violent shocks, at very short
intervals from each other, which threw down many build-
* Modern Traveller.
FAMILY TOURIST.
427
GUATEMALA.
ings, and damaged others; the tiles from the roofs of the
houses were dispersed in all directions, like light straws by
a gust of wind; the bells of the churches were rung by the
vibrations, masses of rock were detached from the moun-
tains; and even the wild beasts were so terrified, that,
losing their natural instinct, they quitted their retreats, and
sought shelter from the habitations of men. Among these,
a lion of great size and fierceness entered the city, on the
southern side and advanced into the middle of it; he tore
down a paper fixed against one of the consistorial houses,
and retreated by the streets on the north side. These shocks
were repeated frequently until the 13th of April.
"The year 1686 brought with it another dreadful epi-
demic, which, in three months, swept away a tenth
part of the inhabitants. Some of them died suddenly; oth-
ers expired under the most acute pains of the head, breast,
and bowels. No remedy was discovered, that could check
its destructive progress, although many of the deceased were
opened, to endeavor by that means, to come at the cause of
the disorder. So great was the number of the infected, that
there was not a sufficient number of priests to administer to
them the religious rites. The bells were no longer tolled
for the dead individually, and the corpses were buried en
massè in a common grave. From the capital, the pestilence
spread to the neighboring villages, and thence to the more.
remote ones, causing dreadful havoc, particularly among
the most robust inhabitants.
(6
:
Again, the year 1717 was memorable on the night of
August 27th, the mountain began to emit flames, attended
by a continued subterranean rumbling noisc. On the night
of the 28th, the eruption increased to great violence, and
very much alarmed the inhabitants. The images of saints
were carried in procession, public prayers were put up, day
after day; but the terrifying eruption still continued, and
was followed by frequent shocks, at intervals, for more than
four months. At last, on the night of September 29th, the
fate of Guatemala, appeared to be decided, and inevitable
destruction was apprehended to be at hand. Great was the
ruin among the public edifices; many of the houses were
thrown down, and nearly all that remained were dreadfully
injured, but the greatest devastation was seen in the church-
The inhabitants, from what they actually saw, and from
what their terrors suggested to them, expected the total sub-
es.
428
FAMILY TOURIST.
GUATEMALA.
version of the place; and nearly all sought refuge in the
villages adjacent. After this disaster, they solicited permis-
sion of the Government to remove to any other spot that
might be judged less exposed to the effects of the volcano;
but, by the time the council of the Indies transmitted a li-
cence for the removal, they had recovered from the panic,
returned to their dilapidated dwellings, had repaired a great
part of the city, and no longer thought of making the
transfer.
ເ But at length the day which was to seal the doom of
this ill-fated spot arrived, -the 13th of December, 1773.
As early as the month of May, some few slight shocks were
perceived; and on the 11th of June, a very violent one took
place. Its duration was considerable; many houses and
several churches were much injured during the whole of
the night, the shocks were repeated at short intervals, and
for some days afterwards, with less frequency. About four
o'clock on the afternoon of July 29th, a tremendous vibra-
tion was felt, and shortly after began the dreadful convul-
sion that decided the fate of the unfortunate city. It is dif-
ficult, even for those who were witnesses of this terrible ca-
tastrophe, to describe its duration, or the variety of its un-
dulation, so entirely did terror and the apprehension of im-
mediate annihilation, absorb all powers of reflection. For
several days these shocks continued, and sometimes in such
quick succession, that many took place in the short space
of fifteen minutes. On the 7th of September, there was
another, which threw down most of the buildings that were
damaged on the 29th of July; and on the 13th of Decem-
ber, one still more violent terminated the work of destruc-
tion."
It was now that the inhabitants, wearied with rebuilding,
resolved upon removing their situation from the volcanoes,
the prolific source of all their miseries. After several ex-
aminations, a part of the Valley of Mexico, ten leagues from
the site of their ruined city, was fixed upon, and here rose
the present, or New Guatemala, situated in latitude 14° 37'
north, and longitude 90° 30′ west-90 miles from the
Atlantic; 26 from the Pacific; and 400 from the city of
Mexico.
"The valley is watered," says Mr. Dunn in his "Gua-
temala," "by several streams and lakes, which conduce to
FAMILY TOURIST.
429
GUATEMALA.
its fertility, and the city is surrounded by numerous small
villages, which regularly supply its market with the va-
rious fruits and vegetables of the country. In point of sit-
uation it is certainly inferior to the old city. The scenery
is not so romantic, nor are the lands immediately adjoining
so well cultivated, yet still it is rich enough in natural beau-
ties to bear, in this respect, comparison with almost any.
other city in the world.
<<
Owing to the style in which the houses are built, it oc-
cupies a very considerable portion of ground, and appears
to an European eye, when viewed from a little distance,
much more populous and extensive than it really is. It
contains about sixty manazanes, or squares, of houses,
formed by the intersection of streets at right angles, which
vary in extent from 150 to 350 yards in front, and these are
arranged so as to form one large square. On each side of
the city, as the suburbs have increased, other houses have
been erected, without much regard to uniformity. The
streets are mostly broad, but wretchedly paved, with a con-
siderable declivity on each side, which forms a gutter
in the middle, so that after a heavy shower of rain, they
are almost impassable from the sudden stream of water;
at other times the sharp pointed and ill arranged pebbles
extort groans from the unhappy sufferer, who, in light
shoes, is doomed to undergo the miserable penance of pass-
ing over them.
"In walking through the city, the first thought that
strikes a stranger, is, that Guatemala is one of the dullest
places he ever entered. This melancholy appearance is oc-
casioned by the way in which the houses are built. Con-
sisting of only one story, and occupying a great deal of
ground, they present to the street only a series of white-
washed walls and red tiled roofs, with here and there a
window, carefully guarded by large bars of iron, and a
pair of massy folding doors, studded on the outside with
heavy nails, thus giving to it, at the best of times, more
of the appearance of a deserted than an inhabited city.
"The plaza, or market-place, is a square of about 150
yards each way, with a fountain in the middle, and be-
sides the daily market is occupied by numerous temporary
shops or stalls, and surrounded by buildings, offices and
430
FAMILY TOURIST.
GUATEMALA.
shops. Projecting piazzas form a covered walk on three
sides, under which trifling articles are exposed for sale.
The public buildings are numerous, and consist of an uni-
versity, five convents, four nunneries, a cathedral, four pa-
rish churches, and fifteen other churches or chapels of
minor importance; besides a treasury, mint, and other
government offices. Most of these are in a good style of
architecture, and some of them judiciously decorated. In
comparison with the churches of Puebla and Mexico, they
may possess few attractions, but remembering the circum-
stances under which they were built, they do credit to the
taste of those who superintended their erection.
"That which chiefly distinguishes Guatemala from the
other cities of the New World, is its numerous and beau-
tiful aqueducts and pilas for the regular distribution of
water all over the metropolis. From a fine spring, which
rises in the mountains, at one league and a half south-east
of the city, the stream is conducted by means of pipes into
no less than twelve public reservoirs, from which it is again
carried into every private house, regularly supplying, some-
times one, and oftentimes two or more pilas or stone baths
with excellent water. This aqueduct must have cost an
immensity of labor to complete, being brought in some
places over valleys, upon ranges of arches, and in others
under ground by means of tunnels.
*
"The public fountains and reservoirs are many of them
of superior workmanship, and ornament the streets in
which they are placed. Most of these have rows of troughs
connected with them, in which those of the lower classes,
who have not water in their houses, wash their linen. It is
amusing to see sometimes thirty or forty women busily em-
ployed in this manner, and most industriously rubbing the
piece of cloth they wish to clean, against a stone, a plan
which is universally pursued, although manifestly to the
speedy destruction of the article undergoing the operation.
But like many other good housewives, the Guatemalian
ladies have their prejudices, and will not be persuaded that
hot water is preferable to cold, and would remove the ne-
cessity of such rough treatment.
་
"The houses of the respectable citizens are well built,
and commodiously arranged. A description of one will
FAMILY TOURIST.
431
GAUTEMALA.
give an idea of the rest. Let us enter then at that great
folding door, looking like an inn gate, with blank walls on
each side. We open it and immediately find ourselves in a
large square court-yard, in the middle of which is an orange
tree in full bloom. All around it is a covered walk or
piazza, raised about a foot from the ground, the roof sup-
ported by wooden pillars. Under this piazza are seven or
eight doors, leading into different apartments, each one
having an interior communication with the rest, and all of
course on the ground floor, stairs being almost unknown in-
Guatemala. The first room will probably be a common
chamber, the next a sala or drawing-room, furnished with
ten or a dozen antique chairs, an old fashioned settee, with
a slip of mat before it for a carpet, and two small dressing-
tables, placed at an immense distance from one another,
each holding the image of a saint carefully inclosed in
glass. Three or four pictures will adorn the clean white-
washed walls, and two lamps, cased in silver, will be hang-
ing from a roof in which all the native beams are to be
seen, with here and there a straggling cob-web. The floor,
like that of all the rest of the rooms, will be paved with
red tiles, its cleanliness depending upon the civilization of
its owner.
"From hence we pass into a third apartment, probably
the chief bed-chamber, serving also for a daily sitting-room,
in which to receive visiters. It will contain a handsome
bed, a large mahogany wardrobe, a few chairs, and a cup-
board with glass doors, in which may be seen carefully ar-
ranged all the stock of china, from the blue wash-hand-ba-
sin down to the diminutive coffee-cup, till lately a more
valuble property than a similar service of silver. By the
side of the bed will hang an image of the Saviour on the
cross, under a little scarlet canopy, and on a small table in
another corner, will be placed St. Joseph, or the Virgin.
The two next rooms will have little furniture besides a bed,
a chair, and an image. We shall therefore pass on into the
comedor or dining-room, which will contain only one large
oak table (a fixture), and seven or eight common wooden
chairs. Next to this will be the cocina, in one corner a
large baking oven of an open shape, and in the middle of
the room a mass of solid brick work, three or four feet
high, containing six or seven cavities for small charcoal
fires, and conveniences for preparing the thousand different
432
FAMILY TOURIST.
GUATEMALA.
stews which are compounded in a Spanish kitchen. To
the right of this, will be an inner yard with its pila or cis-
tern of water, and further on, the stables,' with a second for
the use of the cattle. The remaining apartments will be
occupied according to the property or family of the owner,
and this is a fair description of a respectable house, letting
for a rent equal to about £80 a year, English money, in the
city of New Guatemala.
The immediate use of tobacco by both sexes is thus
noticed by Mr. Dunn. "In private or in public-alone or
in society, the Guatemalian must have his cigar, and the
lady her cigarrito.* His proudest accomplishment is to
strike a light with his pocket match, neatly cased in silver,
and present his lighted cigar to her genteelly, and she in
return permits him to spit in every corner of her room,
without molestation. A gentleman consumes daily from
fifteen to twenty puros, and a lady of moderate pretensions
to celebrity, fifty cigarritos. No business can be transact-
ed, no bargain made without exchanging the cigar, and
both in the streets and public places of amusement, the
ladies are to be seen smoking as composedly as in their own
houses."
The following amusing account is given by the same au-
thor, of the occupations of a domestic man during one day.
"At six he rises, and if it be one of their numerous feast
days, accompanies his wife to mass, at which, rich and
poor, master and servants, indiscriminately kneel without
distinction of rank or place. Returning about seven, they
take chocolate, which answers to our breakfast, with this
exception, that it is not made a social meal. Each one
enters the corridor at the hour most agreeable to himself,
and is then supplied with his cup of chocolate, made very
thick and sweet, which with a small loaf of bread, an egg,
a little fried meat, and a glass of clear spring water, serves
him till dinner.
"At this hour, during the warmer months, the habit of
bathing, for which the houses afford so many conveniences,
* A diminutive cigar, made by rolling a small portion of tobacco in
the leaf of maize; ten of these are esteemed equal to a common cigar,
called for the sake of distinction, purros.
FAMILY TOURIST.
433
GUATEMALA.
is very general, but in any other way the inhabitants appear
to have the greatest aversion to the application of water.
For weeks together the most respectable inhabitants never
wash their hands, faces or teeth, and the slighest sick-
ness serves as a pretext for delaying the operation as
well as that of shaving, frequently for months; so that you
have only to look at a gentleman's beard to know how long
he has had a cold, or to a lady's face to discover when she
last fancied herself indisposed.
"From ten to twelve are the usual hours for morning
calls, and receiving visits. These possess in general the
same characteristics as in other parts of the world. Friends
meet as lovingly, talk as scandalously, hate each other as
cordially, and lie as gracefully here, as in the most polished
cities of civilized Europe. The only points of difference
are, that the ladies shout out their observations in the high-
est rule of the gamut, becloud each other's beauties with the
fumes of tobacco, and part with an embrace as cordial as the
majority of modern English kiss. These parties generally
meet in the ladies' bed-room, the gentlemen dressed "
Inglesa," with coats cut any thing but anatomically, and
the ladies in black silk, with lace mantilla for the head,
splendidly worked silk stockings, and shoes almost diminu-
tive enough for the Empress of China.
6.6
a la
Modesty and prudery are here understood to be synony-
mous, and subjects are freely discussed in mixed parties, to
which common delicacy would seem to forbid the slightest
allusion.
"At one they dine on soup, rice, vegetables, and meat of
various kinds, cooked in as many different ways, with dul-
ces or sweet meats for a dessert, of which about 200 sorts
are prepared. Fish frequently appears towards the close of
the meal, and fruit is introduced before the cloth is drawn.
Scarcely any wine is drank. In many of the most respect-
able families it does not even make its appearance on the
table. The whole concludes with a recitation, miscalled a
thanks-giving.
"From the corridor each individual adjourns to his bed-
room, to take the siesta and digest his dinner. So universal
is the practice that from two to three the streets are deserted.
Old and young, masters and servants, are alike reclining on
beds and sofas. The very domestic animals at this hour
are to be seen stretching themselves in the sun, and, par-
37
434
FAMILY TOURIST.
GUATEMALA.
taking of the infection, "join the general troop of sleep."
Between three and four, things begin to revive, and first one
and then another, yawning, rubs his eyes, and strolls to the
clock to see how time has passed during his slumbers.
Towards four the corridor again becomes frequented for
chocolate, after which the occupations of the day are once
more resumed.
"Let us then take a walk into the street and see what is
passing there. The daily market is about over, and contains
only a few stragglers, buying at a cheaper rate the refuse of the
day's sales; ten or a dozen half naked Indians are basking
in the sun; three or four soldiers are reclining against the
pillars of the piazzas humming a revolutionary air; and a
little further on are two or three devoted catholics, most
devoutly kneeling before the image of a saint, and appa-
rently in a state of the most perfect abstraction. In a little
while the tinkling of a bell is heard, notifying the approach
of the Vaticum. Instantly high and low, poor and rich, are
on their knees; till, as its feeble sound dies in the distance,
one by one they rise and pursue their way.
"The costume of the street varies little from that of the
house. The ladies who in the morning are to be seen only
in black, now parade the streets in dashing silk gowns, and
without any covering for the head, while the fashionable
beaux lounge by their sides in printed cotton jackets and
Spanish cloaks, with one end carelessly thrown over the
right shoulder. The shops, although generally well supplied
with goods, possess no attractions. All are without win-
dows, and nothing is displayed; the open door-way being
half covered with cloth to keep out the sun.
(C
Returning to our temporary home, as the evening sets
in, we find the gentlemen just come back from an excursion
to the suburbs, on their pacing mules or horses; each rider
seated on a saddle rising three or four inches before and be-
hind, and armed with an enormous pair of silver spurs. Be-
fore the animal is a large skin of some shaggy coated animal,
hanging down to the heavy Spanish box stirrup, or still
heavier or indescribable one of iron, over which lies the
long taper end of the bridle, made of narrow slips of hide
twisted into a cord, and so long as to serve the purposes of
a whip. To this is affixed an enormous bit, under which
the poor beast writhes, and is effectually subdued.
66
By. about seven o'clock the last gleam of twilight has
FAMILY TOURIST.
435
GUATEMALA.
disappeared, and the servants enter with the lights, reciting
most devoutly the "Bendito," which may be thus translated,
"Blessed and praised be the holy sacrament of the altar for-
ever and ever." In another hour, the sala has assumed its
evening character; cloaks and swords occupy the corner of
the room—a small table at the farther end is surrounded by
a party busily employed at "monte," (a game of cards,)
amidst clouds of smoke,—and at the other end some lady,
regardless of the noisy tongues of the gambler, is playing a
popular air on a wretched marimba, or still worse piano,
accompanying it with her voice. The miserable light
yielded by two thin, long-wicked tallow candles, in massive
silver candlesticks, throws a gloom over the apartment,
strangely in contrast with the light hearted gayety of its occu-
pants. Formal parties are rare; friends drop in towards
the evening without ceremony, amuse themselves for an
hour or two, and retire generally without taking any kind of
refreshment.
"About ten o'clock the different members of the family
sit down to a supper, differing little from the dinner, eat
heartily of its various dishes, and with stomachs loaded to a
degree that would make most people tremble for fear of apo-
plexy, retire to bed, and in half an hour are all soundly
asleep. In the more religious families, recitations of about a
quarter of an hour in length, and mostly to the Virgin, are
practised on those evenings when there are no visiters.
C6
Marrying and giving in marriage here, as in other coun-
tries, is distinguished by peculiar customs. When the con-
sent of parents has been obtained, if the lover have no pre-
vious establishment, the parents of the lady place in it, at
their own expense, a handsome bed, and plentiful supply of
household linen. This having been done, the intended
bridegroom, on the day previous to the celebration of the
nuptials, sends to his future wife, dresses, jewels and orna-
ments, in proportion to his wealth. The ceremony is gene-
rally performed before day light on the following morning,
and all attendant expenses are paid by the parents of the
bride. The newly married couple then adjourn to the
house of the lady's father, where they reside for fifteen or
twenty days.
"The other rites of the church are conducted in the
same way as in other Catholic countries. Funerals are
436
FAMILY TOURIST.
GUATEMALA.
very expensive, owing not only to the number of individ-
uals who take part in the ceremony, but also to the splen-
did dresses in which bodies are interred. The wealthy
throw away considerable sums in the indulgence of fool-
ish vanity, and not unfrequently expend a sum equal to
£50 sterling upon the interment of a new-born infant.
"The most splendid funeral I witnessed in Guatemala,"
continues Mr. Dunn, was that of a rich Canonigo. The
friars of the different convents, two by two, led the proces-
sion, one bearing a massy silver cross, and the others
lighted wax candles, the canonigos and the doctors following
in their robes. After the bier, walked the priests and curas,
two by two, the chief of the state, the friends of the late
canon, and the principal military officers. Between the
house of the deceased and the place of interment, a dis-
tance of about 500 yards, were arranged at equal distances
in the street, four large tables covered with black cloth, and
holding six immense wax candles in massy silver can-
dlesticks. On each of these, the body, extended up-
on a splendid bier and clothed in the richest robes, was
placed. The procession formed around it, a mass was
sung, and holy water thrown upon the body by one of the
doctors, after which the whole moved on to the next rest-
ing-place, where the same formalities were observed. On
its arrival at the cathedral, the body was placed in the mid-
dle aisle, the members of the procession ranged themselves
on either side, with their lighted tapers,-crowds of spec-
tators knelt in front, and other crowds stood in silence be-
hind, as with one consent, every voice began to sing the
solemn mass. This imposing ceremony lasted for some
hours, after which the corpse was deposited in one of the
vaults below the cathedral.
"The lower orders bury in the 'Santo Campo,' or con-
secrated ground, behind the cathedral, where many simple
memorials to the dead have been erected. After the fune-
ral, an ‘almoneda,' something like an auction, takes place
of the goods of the deceased. The various articles of fur-
niture are arranged in the room, and ticketed with a small
paper, on which is written the lowest number of dollars for
which the article can be disposed of. An Indian is then
placed at the window near the street, proclaiming with a
loud voice the almoneda within. The public then en-
FAMILY TOURIST.
437
•
GUATEMALA.
ter to view the goods, and any one choosing an article at
the affixed price is permitted to take it, after it has been
publicly exposed to the offers of a higher bidder. If after
three days, any of the articles remain unsold, they are re-
ticketed at two thirds of the former price.
According to Mr. Dunn, the state of society in Guate-
mala is wretched in the extreme. "The pure and simple
sweets of domestic life, with its thousand tendernesses, and
its gentle affections, are here exchanged for the feverish
joys of a dissipated hour; and the peaceful home of love
is converted into a theatre of mutual accusations and re-
criminations.
Among the lower orders this loose and vicious life
leads to excesses, which, unrestrained by a vigilant police,
produce the most melancholy consequences. The men
generally carry a large knife stuck in the belt against the
back, and the women a similar one, fastened in the garter
of the stocking. These on every trifling occasion they
draw, and the result is often fatal. Not a day passes in
which some one or other does not stain his hands in the
blood of a fellow creature. On feast-days and on Sundays,
the average number killed is from four to five. From the
number admitted into the hospital of St. Juan de Dios,
it appears that in the year 1827, near 1,500 were stabbed in
drunken quarrels, of whom from 3 to 400 died. Of these,
probably fifty or sixty were assassinated secretly, without
having any opportunity of defence.
"The police, if such a thing can be said to exist, takes
notice of those events, and it would seem fabulous to re-
late, were it not confirmed by the most respectable testimo-
ny, that there is at liberty in Guatemala, at the present mo-
ment, more than one, of whom it is known that they have
murdered several individuals. The respectable inhabitants
defend themselves by carrying swords or pocket pistols in
the evening, and are rarely molested; while the lower or-
ders avenge the death of their relatives, by taking away the
life of the murderer, the first convenient opportunity.
"A circumstance of this kind occurred while I was re-
siding at Guatemala, very near to the house in which I
lived. About four o'clock in the afternoon, a poor man was
observed lying dead in the street, who had evidently been
·
37*
438
FAMILY TOURIST.
GUATEMALA.
murdered. For some time, no notice was taken of him;
at length he was carried by some passers-by to the hospi
tal, and it was immediately known that he had been killed
by a shoemaker, who resided near, and whose brother had
fallen some months ago, by the hand of the deceased. This
man had now absented himself, but no means were used
for his apprehension. A few shoulders were shrugged, a
few que bastimas' (what a pity!) uttered, and there the
matter ended. The shoemaker returned in a few days, re-
sumed his occupations, and remains still undisturbed, un-
less some other has in turn, passed him to his final account.
"The only offences noticed are political ones, and in
these cases the soldiers act as civil officers. Of their suit-
ability, one melancholy instance fell under my observation.
A lieutenant of infantry, and eight soldiers, were despatched
to take a man prisoner, who had committed some offence
against the state. They entered the room in which he was
sitting alone, about nine o'clock in the evening. He imme-
diately blew out the candle, and fired a pistol at the officer,
whom he wounded. The eight soldiers report that their
muskets missed fire: it is only known that in the confusion
the prisoner escaped, and has not since been heard of. A
suspicion having arisen a few days afterwards, that he was
concealed in Guatemala, a second detachment was sent to
capture him. The party mistook a discharged postman,
who was in the house, for their prisoner: the poor fellow
resisted with a sword, and was immediately killed. Not
content with passing five or six bullets through him, they
pierced him with their bayonets, in order to assure them-
selves of his death, and for this feat the leader of the de-
tachment was raised from a lieutenant to the rank of a cap-
tain. After this, no further search was made for the real
delinquent, and in two or three days the whole affair was
forgotten."
SOUTH AMERICA.
•
BRAZIL.
ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO.
THE city of St. Sebastian, now called, Rio, or Rio de Jan-
ciro, the capital of the empire of Brazil, is situated on the
western shore of the great bay from which it takes its name.
This bay was discovered on the 1st of January, 1531, by
Martin Alphonso de Souza, who supposing that the fine ex-
panse of water was only the estuary of some great river, like
the mouth of the Amazon, or Oronoko, called it Rio de
Janeiro, or River of January. This very improper name,
the bay and river retain, and also the city itself.
For many years, this fine harbor remained unnoticed, but
in the year 1558, Nicholas Villegaynon, a Frenchman, was
employed by the leaders of the Hugonots in France, to take
charge of a colony of their persecuted people, assigned to
settle at Rio. Two clergymen of that persuasion were se-
lected at Guiana, with fourteen students in divinity, to act as
pastors for the present, and supply future congregations, as
they should be wanted. There was, therefore, every reason
to hope, that the reformation would take root here, and in
process of time fill the south, as well as the north of the new
world, with a Protestant people. But Villegagnon seems
to have been utterly unworthy of his trust. He commenced
a persecution against these unfortunate men, who had left
their own country for conscience sake, till he drove many
of them from this place also. Some requested permission
to return to Europe, and he provided a vessel so badly found,
that they refused to embark, and were persecuted to death.
on the island.
Meanwhile the Portuguese, jealous of this encroachment,
and alarmed at the progress of these strangers of the new
440
FAMILY TOURIST.
ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO.
faith, sent an armament from Bahia to dispossess them.
Unable to make an effectual resistance, the colonists were
driven from their settlement, and their fortress was taken,
and demolished.
In 1567, Catharine, who governed the kingdom of Spain
as regent during the minority of Sebastiao, directed a city
to be built on the spot, where it now stands, and to be call-
ed St. Sebastian.
In 1808, the Royal family of Portugal, being obliged to
abandon Europe, in consequence of the invasion of their
country, took up their residence at Rio, where they contin-
ued till 1821. This circumstance conferred on the city,
great advantages, and contributed more than all other cau-
ses to its growth and prosperity.
The harbor of Rio, is one of the most capacious, com-
modious, and beautiful in the world. The immediate back-
ground of the city, is formed by beautiful green hills, cov-
ered with woods, and interspersed with villas and convents;
while the fore ground is enlivened by the vessels of all na-
tions. The bay contains nearly a hundred islands. From
either shore rise lofty and well-clad mountains, terminating,
in some places, in abrupt precipices of the wildest and most
romantic forms. At their base, white cottages and houses are
scattered amid patches of cultivation, and narrow valleys of
orange trees wind among the mountains. Every little emi-
nence has its church or its port; and innumerable boats.
flitting about the bay, and mingling with the shipping, add
animation and interest to the scene. The air is soft, the sky
generally cloudless, and every breeze bears over the calm.
waters the fragrance of the orange and the lemon. Such
is the glowing language in which modern travellers describe
the first appearance of the Brazilian capital.
Far more has been done for this beautiful portion of the
new world by nature, than by man. The style of architec-
ture in Rio is, in general, mean, resembling that of the old
part of Lisbon; and though this town has always ranked as
the most important in Brazil, or as second only to Bahia, at
the time that the latter was the seat of government, yet, it is
only since the emigration of the court, that it has assumed
the character of a European city. Some idea of what Rio
was, may be gathered from the improvements, which are
FAMILY TOURIST.
441
ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO.
pe-
mentioned by Mr. Luccock as having taken place at the
riod of his seccond visit to the capital in 1813, in the course
of the preceding five years. The city had been greatly en-
larged; the old streets greatly improved in cleanliness, and the
houses in neatness; the roads cleared and widened; and vil-
las and gardens had begun to adorn the vicinity. "An in-
crease of domestic comfort," he adds, "had arisen from the
establishment of a market for cattle without the city, and of
several markets for vegetables and fruit within it; from a more
abundant and regular supply of fish, and the more free use
of mutton; from greater care with respect to the quality of
meat, and the cleanliness of the places, where it was slaugh-
tered and exposed for sale. Craftsmen of different descrip-
tions had made their appearance; among them, so many
smiths, that it was no longer difficult to get a horse shod.
Mills for grinding corn had been much improved, and bread
was come more into use. Charcoal was manufactured, and,
for cooking, introduced into the houses. Nuisances were,
more readily removed, and even scavengers were now and
then seen in the streets."
The following amusing account is given of the state of the arts in
Rio, only so far back as 1808:
"All the arts were practised in the most formal and tedious way.
Every workman deemed himself initiated into some mystery, which none
but his own fraternity could comprehend. Carpenters have expressed
astonishment, when they have seen an Englishman take up a saw, and
use it with no less dexterity, and with greater speed than themselves.
There was as little difficulty in rivalling the skill of many workmen as
their execution. So ignorant and stupid were they, that it was frequent-
ly necessary to form them a rough model of the article, which they were
required to make, and go from shop to shop before one could be found
willing to undertake it. I have even been told, that what I wanted could
not be executed by human ingenuity, although it was, perhaps, one of the
most common instruments in domestic use. To this, white men, who
were mechanics, added another folly; every one of them thought himself
too much a gentleman to work in public, and that he would be degraded
if seen carrying the smallest burden, even the implements of his calling,
along the streets. The silly pride and formal self-importance which per-
vaded all ranks of Brazilian society, were, in this class of men singular-
ly absurd and ridiculous.
"An instance or two will best illustrate this trait of character. It was
necessary to open a lock, of which I had lost the key; and the skill requi-
site to pick it was so rare, that the master and waiter of the hotel, where
I then lodged, were greatly perplexed with my inquiries, at what place it
was to be found. At length they advised me to apply to an English car-
penter, who had been settled in Rio about two years, and employed sev
eral men, one of whom he requested to go with me,for then masters did
not venture to command;-assuring me that the man would execute what
442
FAMILY TOURIST.
ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO.
Among the nuisances which had been removed, were the
gloomy projections from the upper windows, called jealous-
ies, which have given way, by the king's command, for open
balconies. These jealousies were raised on platforms of
stone, two and a half feet broad, and extended to the top of
the window. They were formed of lattice work of a fanci-
ful pattern, divided into pannels, or compartments, some of
which were fitted up with hinges at the top, so as to form a
sort of flap, which when opened a little way, allowed persons
in the balcony to look down into the street, without being
seen themselves. They gave to the fronts of the houses a
dull, heavy and suspicious appearance. The ostensible
motive for their removal was to improve the appearance of
the city; the real cause was said to be an apprehension
that, sooner or later, these jealousies might become ambus-
cades for assassins, who unseen and unsuspected, might
thence discharge the fatal bullet.
I wanted. He detained me a long time, but to compensate for the delay,
made his appearance at last in full dress, with a cocked hat, shoe and
knee buckles, and other corresponding paraphernalia. At the door of the
house he still loitered, wishing to hire some black man to carry his ham-
mer, chissel, and another small instrument. I suggested that they were
light, and proposed to carry a part, or the whole of them myself; but this
would have been as great a practical solecism, as using his own hands.
The gentleman waited patiently, until a negro appeared; then made his
bargain, and proceeded in due state, followed by his temporary servant.
The task was soon finished, by breaking the lock, instead of picking it;
when the man of importance, making me a profound bow, stalked off
with his follower.
"Another anecdote of a similar spirit, appears among my notes. I
give it here, though its hero did not belong exactly to the class of mechan-
ics. I was on the eve of leaving Rio, and waiting with great anxiety for
a packet, being convinced that it must bring me information of the most
interesting kind. When it arrived, I waited upon the superintendent of
the post-office, and requested that the expected letter might be delivered to
me; but the bag had not yet got thither, and appeared to have met with
some unnecessary detention. I therefore posted away to the British con-
sul's office, and there learned that it had been sent from thence a consider-
able time before. Going down the stairs, I observed the Portuguese ser-
vant standing at the door, with a small parcel in his hand, of whom I in-
quired whether that was the mail from England; he replied that it was,
and that he had been long waiting to hire some one to carry it after him
to the post-office, which was about two hundred yards distant. I was in
no humor at that time to bear with such pompous folly, and after uttering
some hasty abuse, which had been better spared, snatched the parcel from
his hand and carried it off at a pace seldom witnessed in a Brazilian city,
the man following, and muttering all the way, 'os Ingleses sao diabos,'
'the English are devils,' I was readily admitted at the office and favored
with the expected letter.-Notes, &c.
FAMILY TOURIST.
443
ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO.
To pursue the description of the capital: the streets,
which are straight and narrow, are paved with granite, and
are now provided with a raised pavement for the foot pas-
sengers; but they are very sparingly lighted, and hardly
more than a few hours in the night, by the lamps placed be-
fore the images of the Virgin. The houses, which are gen-
erally of two stories, and low and narrow in proportion to
their depth, are, for the most part, built of blocks of granite :
the upper story, however, is often of wood. The thresholds,
door-posts, lintels, and window frames, are of massy granite,
or felt-spar, brought from Bahia, in a state ready for use.
The roofs are universally covered with semitubular tiles.
The lower story is commonly occupied by the shop and
warehouse; the second, (and third if there be one,) by the
family apartments, to which there are long and narrow pas-
sages taken from the ground floor, and communicating with
the street. In the outskirts of the town the streets are un-
paved, and the houses are of only one floor, low, small, and
dirty, with the doors and windows of lattice-work, opening
outward to the annoyance of passengers. The rents of hous-
es are nearly as high as they are in London.*
>
t
The houses are all numbered, says Walsh, in a more con-
venient manner than ours. The odd numbers are marked
on the right hand side, and the even on the left: the passen-
gers being always supposed to have his face towards the
palace. This greatly abridges inquiry, as you always know
the side of the street on which the house you want is to be
found. Formerly, the only light afforded to passengers at
night proceeded from the tapers burning before the shrines
of saints at the corners of streets. Lamps, however, are now
sufficiently numerous, and the town is as well provided as
most cities on the continent of Europe.
Among the annoyances, observes this same traveller,
which tease a stranger in the streets of Rio, is the everlast-
ing creaking of carts. The wheels are heavy blocks of
wood, fixed to the extremities of a thick axle, and they turn
both together. The extensive friction of the large revol-
ving surface, which is never greased, against the shafts of
the machine carrying a heavy load, not only increases the
difficulty of draught, but causes a creaking sound, quite in-
tolerable to unused ears. Every proprietor of a vehicle, of-
* Notes on Rio de Janeiro, &c. by John Luccock.
444
FAMILY TOURIST.
ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO.
fending in this way, is liable to a fine of six milreis; but they
will not prevent by any precaution, for they say the bullocks
will not draw kindly without the noise they are accustomed
to; and as this is a general prejudice, no one will exact the
fine, except the Emperor himself, who is anxious to put an
end to the absurd nuisance. He always stops the creaking
cart, levies the penalty, and puts the amount into his
pocket.*
Churches and convents are almost the only public build-
ings in Rio, that deserve notice. Among the former, those
of Da Candelaria, S. Francisco, and Sta-Paula, are in the
best style of architecture; but that of Nossa Senhora da Glo-
ria, is the most striking from its situation.
"The Cathedral," says Mr. Luccock, "in point of rank
the first religious edifice in Rio, is situated on a lofty and
pleasant hill, south of the town. It occupies a spot cele-
brated in the history of Brazil, and is very properly dedi-
cated to St. Sebastian. The church, which seems to have
been erected at two different periods, is a low, plain, sub-
stantial building, of an oblong form, with two small turrets,
but without windows. The entrance is from the east, and
fronts the altar. Within, the walls are whitewashed, unor-
namented, and dirty. The altar, also, is as plain as the
church; and the whole evinces that it has profited little by
any predilection of the great or wealthy. The orchestra is
at the east end, and is awkwardly crowded towards the ceil-
ing. Around are traces of considerable foundations much
overgrown with brush-wood." None of the churches have
either any fine paintings or works of sculpture, but only rich
gilding. The religious establishments comprise three mon-
asteries, Benedictine, Franciscan, and Carmelite; a Fran-
ciscan nunnery; a nunnery of Theresans; an hospice, of the
almoners of the Holy Land; a misericordia, with its hos-
pital; a foundling hospital, founded in 1738; (which, within
sixty years from that period, received nearly 5000 infants ;)
and a recolhimento for female orphans born in wedlock and
of white parents, where they remain till they are portioned
off in marriage from the funds of this munificent institution;
together with some smaller monastic and charitable insti-
tutions.
"The royal palace skirts the beach, and is seen to great
* Walsh's Brazil.

RIO JANEIRO.
FAMILY TOURIST.
445
66
•
ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO.
advantage from the principal landing-place, which is within
sixty yards of the doors. It is small, ill constructed, and
inconvenient. The palace of the Bishop, which stands on
a high hill north of the city, is superior to that of the royal
family. The custom-house is a miserable building. The
inns are abominably bad. The new mint, the naval and
military arsenals, are called magnificent buildings, but they
present a very poor appearance to the eye of a European.
Though, in proportion to the size and wants of the city,
Rio has but a scanty supply of water, there are several pub-
lic fountains, and new ones are continually being erected.
The aqueduct by which these fountains are supplied, is a
noble work, and is described by Dr. Von Spix, as the purest
piece of architecture of which the city can at present boast.
It was completed in the year 1740, and is an imitation of
the one at Lisbon, erected by John V. "It consists," Mr.
Luccock says,
"of two walls about six feet high, arched
over, with sufficient space for workmen to enter it occasion-
ally, and pass through its whole length. At suitable inter-
vals there are openings for the admission of light and air.
Within is laid the canal, about eighteen inches wide,
twenty-four deep, and three miles long. It commences at
the bottom of the lofty conical peak of the Corcovado,
where the waters flowing from that mountain are collected
into a covered reservoir, and thence conveyed into the
canal. Their course from the summit is through deep and
shady woods, and the canal is defended from the sunbeams;
and thus, until they reach the city, little of their freshness is
lost."
"
The manners of the people of Rio, though not polished,
are kind and cordial. Mr. Walsh thus describes the minis-
try and other distinguished Brazilians, whom he met at the
house of the Austrian plenipotentiary. They were men
generally of low stature, and had not the least appearance
or pretension of a similar class in Europe. The greater
number had been engaged in business, and being men of
opulence when the separation of the countries took place,
naturally stepped into those situations formerly occupied by
strangers of rank from the parent country. They were
men of the plainest manners, laughing, good-humored, and
accessible, like common council-men at a London feast.
Their dress, however, was rich and expensive; and some
38
446
FAMILY TOURIST.
ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO.
of them, wore large golden keys, attached like small swords
to their sides, intimating that they performed the office of
chamberlain to his majesty.'
>>
Shortly after, Mr. Walsh had an opportunity of seeing
the ladies, who composed the beau monde of Rio, dancing
waltzes and quadrilles. They, like the men, were of re-
markably low stature, with sallow complexions, and dark
eyes and hair. The latter was dressed remarkably high,
and ornamented with various productions of the country;
among these were the shells of a very beautiful species of
beetle, of a rich, vivid green, more bright and lustrous than
the finest emerald. They danced well, and their manners
were very affable and unaffected."
66
"The shop-keepers of Rio," adds the same writer, are
rather repulsive in their address, and so little disposed to
to take trouble, that a customer is often induced to leave
the shop by the careless way in which he is treated. They
are very fond of sedentary games of chance, such as cards
and draughts, and often engage at them on their counters.
I have sometimes gone in at those times to purchase an ar-
ticle, and the people were so interested in their game,
that they would not leave it to attend to me, and sell their
goods. They are, however, honest and correct in their
dealings, and bear good moral characters. Their charity is
boundless, as appears by the sums expended on different ob-
jects by the brotherhoods, which they form. They are, as
far as I have heard, generally speaking, good fathers and
husbands, and their families are brought up with strictness
and propriety. It is pleasing to see them walking out to-
gether, the corpulent parents going before, and the children
and domestics following in their orders. The women are
fond of black, wear no caps, but a black veil is generally
thrown over their bare heads, which hang down below their
bosom and back; and as it is generally worked and spotted,
it makes their faces look at a little distance as if they were
covered with black patches. They always wear silk stock-
ings and shoes, and are particularly neat and careful in the
decorations of their feet and legs, which are generally small
and well-shaped. The boys of this rank are remarkably
obliging; when I saw anything among them that seemed
curious, and I expressed a wish to look at it, they always
pressed it on my acceptance with great good nature, and
seemed pleased at an opportunity of gratifying me.
FAMILY TOURIST.
447
1
ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO.
"The Brazilians in any difficulty or danger, make vows
to perform certain acts, in token of their gratitude to Provi-
dence if they are extricated. These vows they religiously
keep, and they are sometimes productive of great unhappi-
ness. The patrona, or master of a boat, in which I used to
cross the bay, was a remarkably good-looking man. He
was once overtaken by a storm in the same place, and made
a solemn vow, that if he reached the shore, he would marry
the first disengaged woman he met. He faithfully kept his
word; connected himself with a person he knew nothing
about, who proved to be a vile character, and his domestic
comforts are forever embittered.
"They are not indisposed to hospitality, and they con-
stantly accept invitations from strangers, but seldom ask
them in return. This arises from the exceeding deficiency
of their domestic economy. A Brazilian never keeps a store
of anything in his house; but even those of the highest rank
send to a neighboring vender for whatever they want, in the
smallest quantities, and only when they want it. They
never purchase more at a time than a pint of wine, or a few
ounces of sugar or coffee, and this, they say is, because if
they laid in a store, it would be impossible to prevent their
slaves from getting at, and consuming it. When the slave
goes for the article, he takes up anything he can lay his
hand on to carry it in. I have often seen one of them re-
turning from a venda with a china tureen full of charcoal
under his arm, and a silver cup on his head holding a few
loose candles.
"The avocations of barbers are also very various.
various. They
vend and prepare tortoise-shell to make combs. They bleed
and draw teeth as usual, and so far are only employed in
business connected with their calling, as barber-surgeons.
But besides that, they exclusively mend silk stockings, and
are remarkable for the neatness with which they sole and
vamp them. I never passed a barber's shop that I did not
see him, when not otherwise engaged, with a black silk
stocking drawn on one arm, and his other employed in
mending it. They are, besides, the musicians of the coun-
try, and are hired also to play at church doors during festi-
vals. All persons who compose the bands on these occa-
sions are barbers. Over the middle of every shop is an
arch, on which are suspended the different articles for sale.
In a barber's shop, the arch is always hung round with mu-
448
FAMILY TOURIST.
ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO.
sical instruments. This association of trades was formerly
the usage in England, when the lute and cithern was always
found in a barber's' shop, to amuse the customers of better
condition, who came to be trimmed, as they are now pre-
sented with a newspaper; or sometimes to alleviate the pains
of a wound, which the barber, in his avocation of surgeon,
was probing and dressing. But the remains of those cus-
toms which have entirely gone out in Europe, still linger in
America, among the descendants of those who originally
brought them over.
"It is highly creditable to the citizens of Rio, that no
native beggars are ever seen in their streets.
The only per-
sons of that class I ever was accosted by, were foreign
sailors, particularly English and North Americans, who
often attacked me, complaining rudely that they were out
of employment; they had all the appearance of being
worthless, intemperate fellows, whose poverty was their
own fault. All the natives in distress are fed and clothed
by the different brotherhoods of citizens, or by the con-
vents; and it is a pleasing sight to see the steps of reli-
gious edifices filled, at stated times, with poor people dis-
abled by age or infirmity, and the good Samaritans walk-
ing among them, distributing food and raiment as they
require it.
"It is also to be commended, that no women of bad
character are ever seen in the streets, either by day or night,
so as to be known as such. The decency and decorum of
this large town, in this respect, is particularly striking to
those who have been accustomed to the awful display of
licentiousness, which besets them in the streets and public
places of Paris and London.
"The post-office is held immediately under the hall of
the chamber of deputies, and is part of the same building.
The post leaves Rio every ten days, for the different re-
mote places in the interior. Mail coaches are of course
unknown, but I have frequently met the post on the
road. It is carried by two negroes, with poles in their
hands, and a long portmanteau strapped across each of
their backs. They travel on foot, at the rate of a league or
four miles an hour. They proceed without any guard, and
with a feeling of such perfect security, that I have seen
their portmanteaus of letters lying by the road-side, with-
FAMILY TOURIST.
449
ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO.
out any one to watch them, while they themselves had
gone to some distant raucho or escuda to get refresh-
ment, yet I never heard that the mail had been robbed.
"When it arrives at the post-office in Rio, the letters are
not sent abroad, except to mercantile houses, which pay a
certain sum for the advantage; other letters are advertised.
The office is a large hall, on the ground floor, and is hung
round with boards, on which are written the names of
places from which letters come, at the head of a column;
and underneath, the names of persons to whom they are ad-
dressed. The columns are numbered; and when a person
expects a letter, he applies, not to the office, but to the
board, and if he finds his name there, he takes the number
opposite to it, which he presents at the office; and he gets,
not a letter directed to his address, but one correspondent
to the number he asks for, which is often for another per-
son. When any mistake arises, and he gives his name, a
parcel of letters is presented to him, and he takes which he
pleases:
"The administration of justice in Brazil is perhaps the
greatest grievance under which the people labor; and the
emperor's frightful picture of it, in recommending it to the
consideration of the Chambers, was not exaggerated. The
judges have but a small stipend of abont three hundred
milreis, and they expend an income of ten thousand; the
difference is made up by the most notorious and undis-
guised bribery, in which there is no delicacy used, and lit-
tle concealment practised. A respectable merchant in-
formed me, he had just gained an important but hopeless.
suit, by bribing the judge who tried it with an English car-
riage, and he was not ashamed to drive about in this public
proof of his corruption. There is one tribunal, however,
to which the people have access, which is above the suspi-
cion of such mercenary influence, and that is the throne of
the emperor himself. On every Saturday morning a public
levee is held, where the humblest individual in society may
in person claim redress. The only qualification required
for admission is, that the applicant shall come in with a
cocked hat. If he cannot command one, he leaves such
as he has behind him at the door, and boldly approaches
the throne, where he is heard and redressed.
38*
450
FAMILY TOURIST.
ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO.
"Some very extraordinary scenes take place on these
occasions. I shall mention one of the many, which I
heard. A well-known character, of considerable rank and
consequence, had become enamored of the wife of a Juiz
da Fora, who rejected his addresses. Shortly after, her
husband was assassinated, and this act was attributed to
him, who supposed her attachment to her husband had
stood in the way of his illicit suit. Under this impression,
the widow immediately repaired to court to seek redress
at this public levee. As soon as she was admitted, she
threw herself at the feet of Dom John VI., told her story,
and demanded justice, which the monarch immediately
promised her. Engaged at this time in very embarrassing
affairs, the king overlooked the circumstance, and for-
got his promise; when the widow appeared before him
again in deep mourning. Struck with this circumstance,
he now confirmed his assurance with an oath, that she
should have justice; but the friends of the accused being
at that time about the person of the king, it is supposed
his attention was again turned purposely from the subject.
A third time the widow appeared, and taking from under
her veil a shroud, she displayed and shook it before him,
told him, in the bitterest language, he must soon come to
wear it, and bade him call to mind what was the punish-
ment reserved in the next world for perjured sovereigns,
who denied justice to their subjects. The well-meaning,
but timid monarch, was deeply affected by this denuncia-
tion, and in great horror of mind, assured her of immedi-
ate redress; but the widow died in a very short time after;
Dom John was recalled to Portugal, and the affair was never
investigated.
"The police are a large body dressed like soldiers, with
blue jackets and cross-belts of buff leather, and resemble
exactly the gen-d'armes of France. They are not distin-
guished either for temperance or proper conduct, and they
are the only natives I ever saw drunk. If an outrage is
committed, they seize, not the man who perpetrated it, who
generally has time to escape, but the person they find near-
est the spot, who is only accidentally passing. A man was
ridden over by a horse, just at our door, and brought into
the hall in a dangerous state. The police came up and
FAMILY TOURIST,
451
ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO.
seized a gentlemanly person, who was walking by at the
time. It was in vain he pleaded he could not ride over the
man, for he had no horse. He was, nevertheless, dragged
off to the police-house.
"Some curious circumstances attend the execution of a
criminal here. When he is condemned, he is taken under
the protection of the irmandade of the misericordia, and
placed by them in a capella for three days, where he is vis-
ited by persons, who provide all comforts and conveniences
for his unfortunate situation; and among other things,
they prepare for him a shirt. The number eleven is a pro-
verbial offence, when applied to an individual, both at Lis-
bon and Rio. At the former, to say of another, that he is
a man de onze lettras, is an insult, because the name of a
very odious character is spelled with eleven letters. At the
latter, it is regarded as equally offensive to say, he is a man
de onze varas, 'of eleven ells,' as it implies a man con-
demned to an ignominious death; the last preparation for
which is, putting on his shroud or shirt of eleven yards.
The irmandade also provide the cord by which he is exe-
cuted. This last they sometimes immerse in some strong
acid, by which it is corroded, and rendered so incapable of
supporting a weight that it fréquently breaks before the
criminal is dead. When this happens, they step in, wave a
standard over the body, and claim it as their right. This
is admitted, and they are allowed to bear it away, and so
frequently restore suspended animation.
"There are many persons in Rio, who realize considerable
income by taming refractory slaves. A shoe-maker of this
class lately purchased two. He was a man of the most un-
relenting severity, and treated them so cruelly, that they fell
on him one evening in his shop, with their knives, and kil-
led him. There was something in the affair, that interested
the irmandade to so great a degree, that in a fit of mistaken
mercy, they offered the widow eight contos, if she would
not prosecute the slaves. The attachment of women in
Brazil to the memory of their husbands is proverbially strong;
so she rejected every offer, and surrendered the assassins to
justice. In all executions, it is the practice for the execu-
tioner to stand on the ladder above the criminals; and when
the clergyman comes to the sentence in the creed, "I be-
lieve in Jesus Christ," the ladder is turned, the hangman
leaps on the culprits neck, and they swing off together. On
452
FAMILY TOURIST.
ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO.
this occasion the rope, which had been previously prepared,
immediately broke, with the double weight, and both fell to
the ground. The irmandade now stepped in, waved their
flag, and demanded the body. The juiz, who presided, was
a determined man; he told them to take the body if they
pleased, as it was their right, but first he would order the
head and hands to be chopped off. As this would totally
defeat their object, they declined removing the man, and he
was again hanged up, taken down apparently dead, and lay
beside the gallows, while the sentence of the law was execu-
ted on his companion; but before this was concluded, ani-
mation returned, and he was observed to kick and struggle
on the ground. He was again, therefore, tied up till life
was entirely extinct; and is perhaps the only person on re-
cord, who was thus executed three times for the same of
fence.
The Brazilians were greatly shocked at this; and when
the widow, who was reduced to poverty by her husband's
death, went to solicit alms to purchase prayers for the repose
of his soul, she was very coldly received by every one.
They forgot her disinterestedness, in refusing a large sum
to compromise the murder of her husband, they only re-
membered her unchristian feeling of revenge, they said, on
his murderers.
"The commerce of Rio, has increased with unexampled
rapidity. When first opened to the enterprise of foreigners,
many articles were exported, without any regard to their
adaptation to the climate or the wants of the people. Mr.
Walsh thus notices some of the ludicrous mistakes which
were made by commercial men. "A large supply of warm
blankets, warming-pans to heat them, and, to complete the cli-
max of absurdity, skates, to enable the Brazilians to enjoy
wholesome exercise on the ice, in a region where a particle
of frost or a flake of snow were never seen, were shipped to
Rio. However ridiculous and wasteful this may seem, the
articles were not lost. The people did not suffocate them-
selves with woollen coverlets, where they sometimes found
a cotton sheet too heavy and warm, they did not lay the
blankets, therefore, on their own beds, but in the beds of
their auriferous rivers, and lavras, or gold washings. Here
the long elastic wool entangled and intercepted the grains of
gold that came down, till they became saturated, and so lit-
FAMILY TOURIST.
453
ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO.
erally converted the blanket into a Golden Fleece. They
had formerly used hides with the hair on, for the same pur-
pose, and when the supply of blankets was exhausted, they
returned to hides again. In the same way they applied the
warming pans to the uses of their engenhos, or sugar house:
they knocked off the lids, and the bottoms made excellent
skimmers, to collect the scum on the surface of the boiling
sugar. Even the apparently hopeless and inconvertible
skate, was turned to a useful purpose. Then, as well as
now, there was nothing in the country so scarce as wrought
iron, for shoeing mules and horses, and though perradors
or smiths are to be met at every sancho, perraduras, or shoes,
are seldom to be had. When the people, therefore, found
they could not use these contrivances on their own, they
applied them to their horses' feet'; and many an animal
has actually travelled on English skates, from Rio to
Villa Rica. Such of them as were of well tempered steel
were hammered into facas, or knives; and a gentleman told
me, he found the iron of a skate in its original shape, form-
ing the latch of a door in a village in the interior.
"Next to the manufactured goods, flour is the great arti-
cle of importation to an infant state, as incapable hitherto
of growing the one as of making the other. From eighty to
ninety thousand barrels of flour are annually consumed at
Rio and its dependencies, which are almost exclusively sup-
plied from the United States. Dried fish also is consumed
in great quantities, as the great article of food in Lent, and
on fast days, and nearly the whole of it is sent by the Eng-
lish from the banks of Newfoundland. Bees-wax from the
coast of Africa, for different religious purposes, is in im-
mense demand, but it is generally brought in Brazilian
ships. Soap is also much prized, that of the country being
of a very vile quality, and generally like soft yellow clay.
These, with Russian canvass and cordage, Swedish iron,
Catalonia wine, the great consumption of the people, and
India goods, form the principal imports."
The great exports of the country are coffee, sugar, hides,
horns, tobacco, cotton, and ipecacuanha.
Coffee is gathered twice in the year, in February and Au-
gust, and comes to market in greatest abundance and of the
best quality from July to December. It is purchased from
the planters by a class of intermediate traders, who pack it
in bags, containing five arrobas, or 160lbs., and is thus sold
454
FAMILY TOURIST.
BAHIA.
to the merchant; full confidence is placed in the weight, as
no instance has occurred when it was found defective, and
the custom house receives the duty without re-weighing.
This is certainly creditable to the honesty of the Brazilians.
In 1828, there were 58,871,360lbs. exported.
Two qualities of sugars are known; one from Campos, in
the north, the other from Santos in the south. They are
brought in coasting vessels, in boxes weighing about 2000lbs.
and deposited in trapixes, or public stores; a large quantity
is also made in the district of Rio. In 1828, there were
19,126 cases, 465 boxes, and 13,867 barrels exported.
Hides and horns come from Rio Grande, and the flat
llanos on the shores of the Rio de la Plata. On the vast
and fertile Campos of Brazil, there are none either wild or
tame. In 1828, 208,277 hides, and a proportionable quan-
tity of horns were exported.
It is at present impossible to obtain an accurate estimate
of the people of Rio. Before the arrival of the king, it is
thought by some not to have exceeded 50,000 souls. Mr.
Walsh estimates the number at 150,000, of whom two thirds
at least are blacks. In this estimate Mr. Henderson in his
recent work on Brazil concurs. Mr. Mawe estimates the
whole population at 100,000.
BAHIA.
The city of St. Salvador, better known by the name of
Bahia, is, with the exception of Rio, the largest and most
flourishing city in Brazil. It stands on a bay of the same
name, which contains above a hundred islands. Many of
these are cultivated and inhabited. Perhaps the whole
world does not contain a livelier or more splendid scene
than this beautiful bay, spotted with islands, swarming with
vessels of all sizes, from the smallest canoe to the largest
merchantman, and echoing to the sounds of music and fes-
tivity. It is a place of great trade. In 1816, five hundred
nineteen vessels entered the bay, and four hundred eighty-
one left it. Of the articles of export, sugar is the first in
importance, tobacco second, and cotton, third. Other arti-
FAMILY TOURIST.
455
BAHIA.
cles are rum, rice, coffee, whale-oil, hides, tallow and wood.
It is said that full 800 launches and smacks of different sizes
arrive daily, bringing vegetables, upon which the people
chiefly subsist. The coffee is not esteemed so fine as that
of Rio. The bananas are the finest in America.
Including its suburbs Bahia extends four miles from North
to South, and its population is estimated at above 100,000,
more than two thirds of whom are mulattoes or negroes,
the proportion of slaves, to use Mr. Southey's expression,
being fearfully great.
According to Mr. Lindley, Bahia stands on the right side
of the bay, where the land, at a small distance from the shore,
rises steeply, to a high ridgy hill, on the summit of which
the city is erected, with the exception of a single street that
ranges parallel to the beach: from the inequality of the
ground and the plantations interspersed, it occupies a con-
siderable space. The buildings are chiefly of the seven-
teenth century, ill constructed, and, from the slightness of
the materials, rapidly decaying, which diminishes the effect
of many of them that once were sumptuous. As in all
Catholic cities, the churches are the most distinguished
edifices, and those on which the greatest attention and ex-
pense were originally lavished; the cathedral is large, but
falling into ruins; while the college and archiepiscopal
palace (or rather house) adjoining, are kept in thorough re-
pair they were all, at the period of their erection, spacious
buildings, and have a proud station on the summit of the
hill, commanding the bay and surrounding country. The
grand church of the ex-jesuits is by far the most elegant
structure of the city. It is composed entirely of European
marble, imported for the purpose, at an immense cost, while
the internal ornaments are superfluously rich: the rails of
the altar are of cast brass, the whole of the wood-work is
inlaid with tortoise-shell, and the grand chancel, and seve-
ral other communion recesses (diverging from the side
aisles), with their respective altars, are loaded with gildings,
paintings, images, and a profusion of other decorations.
The streets are confined and narrow, wretchedly paved,
never cleaned, and therefore disgustingly dirty. The backs
of several of them are receptacles of filth, which, exposed to
so extreme a heat, would effect severely the health of the
1
456
FAMILY TOURIST.
BAHIA.
inhabitants, but for the salubrious air that prevails, in con-
sequence of the elevated situation of the place.*
Things appear not to have been much improved in 1821,
nearly twenty years later, when Bahia was visited by an in-
telligent female traveller. Mrs. Graham landed at the ar-
senal or dock yard. "The street into which we proceeded
through the arsenal gate," she says, "forms, at this place,
the breadth of the whole lower town of Bahia, and is, with-
out exception, the filthiest place I ever was in. It is ex-
tremely narrow; yet, all the working artificers bring their
benches and tools into the streets. In the intestices be-
tween them, along the walls, are fruit-sellers, venders of
sausages, black puddings, fried fish, oil and sugar cakes, ne-
groes platting hats or mats, caderas (a kind of sedan-chair)
with their beavers, dogs, pigs, and poultry, without partition
or distinction; and as the gutter runs in the middle of the
street, every thing is thrown there from the different stalls,
as well as from the windows, and there the animals live and
feed! In this street" (called the Praya) "are the ware-
houses and country-houses of the merchants, both native and
foreign. The buildings are high, but neither so airy nor
so handsome as those of Pernambuco."+
The society of Bahia has been deemed superior to that of
Rio. "In their intercourse with foreigners," says Mr.
Lindley, "far less hauteur is seen in Bahia than in any other
part of the coast." Nothing, however, can be much more
degraded than the state both of manners and morals. With
regard to the former, we shall here avail ourselves of Mrs.
Graham's lively narrative: she is describing a tour of morn-
ing visits. "In the first place, the houses for the most part,
are disgustingly dirty. The lower story usually consists of
cells for slaves, stabling, &c.; the staircases are narrow and
dark, and at more than one house, we waited in a passage,
while the servants ran to open the doors and windows of the
sitting-rooms, and to call their mistresses, who were enjoy-
ing their undress in their own apartments. When they ap-
peared, I could scarce believe that one half were gentle-
women. As they wear neither stay nor bodice, the figure
becomes almost indecently slovenly after very early youth;
and this is the more disgusting, as they are very thinly clad,
* Lindley's Authentic Narrative.
+ Graham's Journal.
FAMILY TOURIST.
457
BAHIA.
1
wear no neck-handkerchiefs, and scarcely any sleeves.
Then, in this hot climate, it is unpleasant to see dark cot-
tons and stuffs, without any white linen, near the skin;
hair black, il combed, and dishevelled, or knotted unbe-
comingly, or, still worse, en papillote, and the whole person
bearing an unwashed appearance. When, at any of the
houses, the bustle of opening the cobwebbed windows and
assembling the family was over, in two or three instances, the
servants had to remove the dishes of sugar mandior, and
other provisions, which had been left in the best rooms to
dry. There is usually a sofa at each end of the room, and
to the right and left, a long file of chairs, which look as
if they never could be moved out of their place. Be-
tween the two sets of seats is a space which, I am told, is
often used for dancing; and, in every house, I saw either at
guitar or piano, and generally both. Prints and pictures,
the latter the worst daubs I ever saw, decorate the halls
pretty generally; and there are besides, crucifixes and other
things of the kind. Some houses, however, are more neatly
arranged. One, I think belonging to a captain of the navy,
was papered, the floors laid with mat, and the tables orna-
mented with pretty porcelain, Indian and French; the lady,
too, was neatly dressed in a French wrapper. Another
house, belonging to one of the judges, was also clean, and
of a more stately appearance than the rest, though the in-
habitant was neither richer nor of higher rank. Glass
chandeliers were suspended from the roof, and handsome
mirrors were intermixed with the prints and pictures. A
good deal of handsome china was displayed round the room;
but the jars, as well as the chairs and tables, seemed to form
an inseparable part of the walls."
The gentlemen dress as in Lisbon, with an excesss of em-
broidery, and spangles on their waistcoats, and lace on their
linen, and their shoe and knee buckles often of solid gold.
But, at home, these gala clothes are laid aside for a gown or
thin jacket, or merely a shirt and drawers. The usual dress
of the ladies is a single petticoat over a chemise, the latter
generally of the thinnest muslin, much worked and orna-
mented, and so full at the bosom as to drop over the shoul-
ders on the slightest movement. "This violation of femi-
nine delicacy," says Mr. Lindley, "appears the more
disgusting, as the complexion of the Brazilians is in general-
39
458
FAMILY TOURIST.
BAHIA.
very indifferent, approaching to an obscure tawny color.
Stockings are scarcely ever used; and during the rainy
season, which is to them cold, they shuffle about in a pair of
slippers, dressed in a thick blue and white cotton wrapper,
or a woollen great coat faced with shag. When attending
mass, a deep black silk mantle, worn over the head, con-
ceals the transparent costume beneath. On some public
occasions and visits of ceremony, a few ladies of rank adopt
the European dress." This has probably come more ex-
tensively into vogue. In a large party of well dressed
women whom Mrs. Graham met, she had great difficulty,
she says, in recognizing the slatterns of the morning.
"The Senhoras were all dressed after the French fashion :
corset, fichu, garniture, all was proper, and even elegant,
and there was a great display of jewels." Education is at
the lowest ebb. The men, Mrs. Graham says, divide nearly
their whole time between the counting-house and the
gaming-table. "Of those who read on political subjects,
most are disciples of Voltaire; and they outgo his doctrines
on politics, and equal his indecency as to religion." There
is a considerable number of English residents at Bahia, who
have a chapel and a chaplain, which, together with a hos-
pital for English sailors, are supported by a contribution
fund. "They are hospitable and sociable among each other,"
says Mrs. Graham, "and often dine together; the ladies love
music and dancing, and some of the men gamble as much
as the Portuguese. Upon the whole, society is at a low,
very low scale here among the English."
The chief amusements of the citizens, says Mr. Lind-
ley, are the feasts of the different saints, professions of
nuns, sumptuous funerals, the holy or passion week, &c.,
which are all celebrated in rotation, with grand ceremonies,
a full concert, and frequent processions. "On such oc-
casions, the streets are swept and strewed with white sand
and flowers; the windows are illuminated; and the pro-
cessions, lighted by a great number of tapers borne by the
faithful, move onward, to the sound of bells and fire-works,
towards the church prepared for their reception. The bu-
rials are conducted likewise at night, by the light of torch-
es and flambeaus. Music forms an important part of these
religious festivities. The Portuguese are a musical peo-
ple, and the negroes also are passionately fond of music.
FAMILY TOURIST.
459
VILLA RICA.
The" city wayts" are all negroes, and they have always a full
band ready for service, which finds constant employ from
public or private devotion." "Every Portuguese," re-
marks Mr. Southey," has his saint, every saint has his day,
and on every saint's day, some of his votaries summon the
musicians to celebrate the festival, and accompany them to
the church or chapel of the idol, frequently by water." "It
is also a custom," Mr. Lindley says, "with the European
merchant-ships to have music on their arrival, at depart-
ure, and on the first day of taking in cargo, which repeat-
edly gives us a little concert, and sounds charmingly from
the water. These musicians are trained by the different
barber-surgeons of the city, who are of the same color, and
have been itinerant musicians from time immemorial. Nu-
merous as these swarthy sons of harmony are, they find
constant employment, not only as above mentioned, but
also at the entrance of the churches on celebrations of fes-
tivals; where they sit playing lively pieces, regardless of the
solemnities going on within."
VILLA RICA.
Villa Rica, or, as it is now named, says Dr. Walsh, Ci-
dade Imperiale do Ouro Preto, the capital of Minas Ge-
raes, is situated 150 miles north of Rio Janeiro. It was
founded in 1711. It occupies two hills and part of the
circumjacent valley or hollow. The streets leading from
the lower part of the city to that on the high ground, are
all paved, and are connected by four stone bridges. The
principal street runs for nearly two miles in a straight line,
along the slope of the Morro. Mr. Luccock describes the
first view as very attractive. "It looks like an assemblage
of well-built white villages, perched upon salient points of
the northern hill. On a nearer approach, it is discovered
that these objects are only some of the churches and pub-
lic buildings, and that the dwelling houses lie in the hol-
lows between them." The houses are built of stone, two
stories high, and covered with tiles; the greater part are
460
FAMILY TOURIST.
VILLA RICA.
white-washed, indicating the prevalence of lime in the
neighborhood. Of 2,000 houses which the place con-
tains, one-fifth, it is supposed, may be good ones; the rest
are slightly built. The public fountains, fourteen in num-
ber, are scattered through the town: they are, in general,
noble structures, and are supplied with an abundance of
pure water. The public buildings are not without a claim
to splendor, some of them having, Mr. Luccock says, a real
air of grandeur unknown in other cities of Brazil. In
front of the governor's palace, which is situated on the
highest projection of the hill, is a group of which the in-
habitants are particularly proud, formed by the town-house,
the theatre, and the prison. The palace commands a fine
view, embracing almost the whole town; before it is an
open space, surrounded by a sort of parapet, on which a
few brass swivels are mounted on carriages, to serve as
cannon. In one of the lower parts of the town stands the
treasury, attached to which are the mint and custom-house.
There are ten churches, (two of them parish churches,)
several of which are richly ornamented, and contain paint-
ings and images. One of the most richly furnished is
built without windows, and the effect produced by the light
of lamps only, during a splendid day, with an almost ver-
tical sun, is described as very singular.
Villa Rica is one of the most singularly situated places
on the face of the earth. "Nothing less powerful than the
love of gold," observes Mr. Luccock, "could have raised a
large town on such a spot." The environs, unlike those of
opulent towns in general, exhibit few signs of cultivation :
not an acre of good pasture, nor an inclosure of any kind,
is to be seen. Yet, though hidden in a narrow defile, and
surrounded by mountains and unfruitful, stony campos, it
has always been a favorite spot, to which not only Paulistas,
but Portuguese, have resorted in great numbers. No other
town in the interior of Brazil, according to Dr. Von Spix,
has so brisk a trade. Almost every week, large convoys set
out with the productions of the country, cotton, hides, mar-
malade, cheeses, precious stones, bars of gold, &c. ; bring-
ing back, in exchange, from the capital, salt, wines, cali-
coes, handkerchiefs, hams, iron-ware, and new negroes, to
be employed in gold-washing, &c.
FAMILY TOURIST.
461
VILLA RICA.
Almost all kinds of trade are carried on here; the prin-
cipal are saddlers, tinmen, and blacksmiths; there are like-
wise manufacturers of gunpowder, hats, and pottery.
There are no goldsmiths, that trade being prohibited.
From the steepness of the streets, wheel-carriages would
be almost as useless here as in Venice. As a substitute for
them, a large vehicle like a sedan is used, carried by mules,
instead of men: the workmanship is very clumsy. Owing,
perhaps, in some measure to the temperate climate, the
people of this country are represented by Mr. Luccock as
advanced a few steps in industry beyond most of their
countrymen. They spin and weave wool, worsted, and cot-
ton; but their manufactories are purely domestic; their
implements and modes of using them, of the oldest and
most unimproved description. Perhaps when the rage of
mining is over, this district may become more wealthy from
commercial establishments, of which these are the embryo,
than from all the gold which has ever been collected.
This, however, will be thought by some an extravagant esti-
mate of the value of manufactures, when it is known that,
in little more than a hundred years, according to the entries
at the smelting-house of Villa Rica, this place alone has
sent into circulation more than two millions of pounds troy
weight of gold. When to this mass is added what has been
issued from other places, may it not naturally be asked,-
Where is it now?"
4
The population of Villa Rica is stated by Dr. Von Spix
(1818) at 8,500 souls; a very low number in proportion to
the number of the houses, on the supposition that all are
occupied. Mr. Mawe, however, states, that when he visited
the place in 1808, "of the above 2,000 habitations, which
the town contained, a considerable proportion was unten-
anted; and the rents of the rest were continually lower-
ing. Houses were to be purchased at one half their real
value for instance, a house built a few years ago at £1000
cost, would not now sell for more than £500."* This trav-
eller, however, strangely overrates the population, when he
makes it amount to 20,000. According to Mr. Luccock's
representation, the numbers must be continually fluctuating.
* Mawe's Travels in Brazil.
39*
462
FAMILY TOURIST.
VILLA RICA.
When the town becomes " dangerously full of vice and
wretchedness," a curious expedient is stated to be resorted
to, for throwing off the scum of the population. “A re-
port is circulated, that a remote spot has been discovered
in the woods, which is rich in the precious metal. The
restless and adventurous soon become clamorous to resort
to it; they assemble in crowds, and, under a leader of their
own choice, proceed towards these new and unequalled
mines. Some of them, tired of what seems useless travel-
ling, halt by the way, and settle in different places. Others
advance to the spot, or that which is supposed to be so, find
its riches greatly exaggerated, yet remain there, and, ere
long, call the country their own. Thus Villa Rica is re-
lieved, and new colonies are established. A scheme of
this sort was set on foot in 1812, when about a thousand
people departed in search of a 'golden league,' which
some unknown traveller had seen, two months' journey to
the westward.”
The appearance and manners of the Villa Ricans, in
general, are described by this traveller as extremely unpre-
possessing. The greater part of the population, he says,
consists of blacks and mulattoes. Mr. Mawe says, there
are more whites than blacks, but he probably includes some
of mixed blood among the former. Dr. Von Spix states
that there is a considerable proportion of Portuguese. The
men capable of bearing arms in the comarca, are divided
into two regiments of auxiliary cavalry, fourteen compa-
nies of local militia of whites, seven of mulattoes, and four
of free negroes. No monks are allowed to have a perma-
nent residence here, the foundation of convents within the
mining districts being expressly interdicted, under the ad-
ministration of Pombal, and the prohibition is said to be
even now partially enforced.
Mr. Mawe describes the climate of Villa Rica as de-
lightful; "perhaps equal to that of Naples." The ther-
mometer, in the heat of summer, never rises above 82°
(Fahrenheit) in the shade, and rarely falls below 48° (M.
Von Eschwege says, not below 54°) in the winter: the
usual range is from 64° to 80° in summer, and from 54° to
70° in winter. The greatest heats prevail in January.
Owing to its great elevation, however, the temperature is
subject to great alterations in the same day, and thunder-
FAMILY TOURIST.
463
VILLA RICA.
storms are frequent. During the cold months, June and
July, the sugar and coffee plantations are liable to be in-
jured by night-frosts. The winds blow from various direc-
tions, and are never accompanied by great heat, but fre-
quently by thick fogs, which envelope the summits of the
neighboring mountains. Mr. Mawe says, the dews and
mist are often so dense, as not to subside till the forenoon
is advanced. As might be expected, therefore, the prevail-
ing diseases are stated by Dr. Von Spix to be catarrh,
rheumatism, inflammations of the throat and lungs, and
violent colic. The negroes are subject to elephantiasis.
The climate of the whole capitania is favorable to Euro-
pean fruits. The gardens of Villa Rica are laid out, Mr.
Mawe says, with great taste, and, from the peculiarity of
their construction, present a curious spectacle.
"As there
is scarcely a piece of level ground even ten yards square on
the whole side of the mountain, the defect has been reme-
died by cutting spaces one above another, at regular dis-
tances, and supporting them by low walls, the top of one
being on a level with the base of that next above it. An
easy flight of steps leads from one level to the other.
These terraces seemed to me the very kingdom of Flora,
for never did I before see such a profusion of delicate
flowers. Here were also excellent vegetables of every
kind, such as artichokes, asparagus, spinach, cabbage, kid-
ney-beans, and potatoes. There are many indigenous
fruits, which might be much improved by a better system of
horticulture. The peach appears to be the only exotic
fruit which has been hitherto introduced; it flourishes
amazingly. I have frequently seen the branches of the
trees so loaded as to require perpendicular support. Yet
the market of Villa Rica was but ill supplied, notwithstand-
ing the fertility of the district around it. Pulse and vege-
tables for the table were scarce; even grass was
article in great demand, and milk was as dear as it is in
London. Poultry sold at from 3s. 6d. to 4s. 6d. per
couple. Beef of a tolerable kind, but by no means good,
might be had at 11d. per pound. Pork was very fine;
mutton was utterly unknown. Tallow was exceedingly
dear, and candles were more than double the price at which
they sell in England."* This was in 1808.
*Mawe's Travels, cited by Modern Traveller.
an
464
!!
FAMILY TOURIST.
PERNAMBUCO.
1
PERNAMBUCO.
This city is inferior in commercial importance only to
Rio, and Bahia. It is situated on the Atlantic, in lat. 8° 14′
S. and longitude, 35° 15′ W. Mr. Southey calls it the
Tripoli of the New World. What is commonly called Per-
nambuco, comprehends the city of Olinda, and the town of
Recife. This is a singular spot, situated on several sand-
banks, divided by salt water creeks, and the mouths of two
fresh water rivers, connected by three bridges, and divided
into as many parts;-Recife, properly so called, where are
the castles of defence, the dock-yard, and the warehouses
of the traders; St. Antonio, where are the government-house
and the two principal churches, one for the white, and one
for the black population; and Boa Vista, where the richer
inhabitants live among the gardens, and where convents,
churches, and the bishop's palace, give an air of importance
to the very neat town around them.
The town of Recife, as it appeared to Mr. Koster in 1810,
is described as follows:
"A narrow, long neck of sand stretches from the foot of
the hill upon which Olinda is situated, to the southward.
The southern extremity of this bank expands, and forms the
site of that part of the town particularly called Recife, as
being immediately within the reef. There is another sand-
bank, also of considerable extent, upon which has been
built the second division, called St. Antonio, connected.
with that already mentioned, by means of a bridge. The
third division of the town, called Boa Vista, stands upon the
main land to the southward of the other two, and is joined
to them also by a bridge. The Recife, or reef of rocks,
runs in front of these sand banks, and receives upon it the
principal force of the sea, which, at the flow of the tide,
rolls over it, but is much checked by it, and strikes the
quays and buildings of the town with diminished strength.
The greatest part of the extent of sand between Olinda, and
the town, which remains uncovered, is open to the sea, and
the surf there is very violent. Buildings have only been
raised within the protection of the reef. The tide enters
between the bridges, and encircles the middle compartment.
On the land side, there is a considerable expanse of water,
FAMILY TOURIST.
465
two towns.
PERNAMBUCO.
having much the appearance of a lake, which becomes nar-
rower towards Olinda, and reaches to the very streets of
that place, thus facilitating the communication between the
The view from the houses that look on to
these waters, is very extensive and very beautiful: their op-
posite banks are covered with trees and white-washed cot-
tages, varied by small open spaces and lofty cocoa trees.
"The first division of the town is composed of brick
houses, of three, four, and even five stories in height. Most
of the streets are narrow, and some of the older houses in
the minor streets are of only one story in height, and many
of them consist only of the ground floor. The streets of
this part, with the exception of one, are paved. In the square
are the custom house, in one corner, a long, low, and shab-
by building; the sugar-inspection, which bears the appear-
ance of a dwelling-house; a large church, not finished; a
coffee house, in which the merchants assemble to transact
their commercial affairs; and dwelling houses. There are
two churches in use, one of which is built over the stone
arch-way leading from the town to Olinda, at which a lieu-
tenant's guard is stationed. The other church belongs to
the priests of the Congregaçam da Madre de Deos. Near
to the gateway, above mentioned, is a small fort, close to
the water-side, which commands it. To the northward is
the residence of the post admiral, with the government tim-
ber yards attached to it; these are small, and the work go-
ing on in them is very trifling. The cotton-market, ware-
houses, and presses, are also in this part of the town.
"The bridge which leads to St. Antonio has an arch-way
at either end, with a small chapel built upon each; and at
the northern arch is stationed a sergeant's guard of six or
eight men. The bridge is formed in part of stone arches,
and in part of wood: it is quite flat, and lined with small
shops, which render it so narrow that two carriages cannot
pass each other upon it.
"St. Antonio, or the middle town, is composed chiefly of
large houses and broad streets; and if these buildings had
about them any beauty, there would exist here a certain de-
gree of grandeur; but they are too lofty for their breadth,
and the ground floors are appropriated to shops, warehouses,
stables, and other purposes of a like nature. The shops
466
FAMILY TOURIST.
1
PERNAMBUCO.
are without windows, and the only light they have is admit-
ted from the door. There exists as yet very little distinc-
tion of trades: thus, all descriptions of manufactured goods
are sold by the same person. Some of the minor streets
consist of low and shabby houses. Here are the governor's
palace, which was in other times the Jesuits' convent; the
treasury; the town hall and prison; the barracks, which are
very bad; the Franciscan, Carmelite, and Penha convents,
and several churches, the interiors of which are very hand-
somely ornamented, but very little plan has been preserved
in the architecture of the buildings themselves. It comprises
several squares, and has to a certain degree, a gay and lively
appearance. This is the principal division of the town.
"The bridge which connects St. Antonio with Bọa Vista
is constructed entirely of wood, and has upon it no shops,
but is likewise narrow. The principal street of Boa Vista,
which was formerly a piece of ground overflowed at high wa-
ter, is broad and handsome: the rest of this third division
consists chiefly of small houses, and as there is plenty of
room here, it extends to some distance in a straggling man-
ner. Neither the streets of this part of the town, nor of
St. Antonio, are paved. A long embankment has likewise
been made, which connects the sand-bank and town of St.
Antonio, with the main land, at Affogados, to the south and
west of Boa Vista. The river Capibaribe, so famous in Per-
nambucan history, discharges its waters into the channel
between St. Antonio and Boa Vista, after having run for
some distance in a course nearly east and west.
"Some few of the windows of the houses are glazed, and
have iron balconies; but the major part are without glass,
and of these the balconies are enclosed with lattice-work;
and no females are to be seen, excepting the negro slaves,
which give a very sombre look to the streets. The Portu-
guese, the Brazilian, and even the mulatto women,in the mid-
dle ranks of life, do not move out of doors in the day time.
They hear mass at the churches before day-light, and do
not again stir out excepting in sedan chairs, or in the eve-
ning on foot, when occasionally a whole family sally forth
to take a walk."
Olinda does not answer to the beauty of its first appear-
ance, and Mr. Koster was much disappointed on entering it,
although still, he says, the city, has many beauties, and the
view from it is magnificent. The streets are paved but are
FAMILY TOURIST.
467
PERNAMBUCO.
much out of repair. Many of the houses are small, low, and
neglected, and the gardens very little cultivated indeed,
the place has been deserted for the Recife. It is, however,
the residence of the bishops, and the site of the ecclesiaști-
cal court, the seminary, (a public college, established by the
Jesuits, intended principally to prepare students for the
church,) several convents, and five churches; therefore, it
is by no means desolate, though its general aspect betrays a
degree of neglect. This was in 1810. Mrs. Graham found
the city, in a melancholy state of ruin. All the richer in-
habitants, she says, have long settled in the lower town.
The revenues of the bishopric being now claimed by the
crown, and the monasteries suppressed for the most part,
even the factitious splendor, caused by the ecclesiastical
courts and inhabitants, is no more. The very college where
the youths received some sort of education, is nearly ruin-
ed, and there is scarcely a house of any size standing. Olin-
da is placed on a few small hills, whose sides are in some
directions broken down so as to present the most abrupt
and picturesque rock scenery. These are embosomed
in dark woods that seem coeval with the land itself.
Tufts of slender palms, here and there the broad head
of an ancient Mango, or the gigantic arms of the wide-
spreading silk-cotton tree, rise from out the rest in the
near ground, and break the line of forest. Amidst these,
the convents, the cathedrals, the bishop's palace, and
the churches, of noble, though not elegant architecture,
are placed in stations which a Claude, or a Poussin might
have chosen for them. Some stand on the steep sides
of rocks, some on lawns that slope gently to the sea shore:
their color is grey or pale-yellow, with reddish tiles, except
here and there, where a dome is adorned with porcelain tiles
of white and blue.*
The three compartments of the town contained, in 1810,
above 25,000 inhabitants, and was increasing rapidly; new
houses were building wherever space could be found.
Olinda contained about 4,000 inhabitants, making, accord-
ing to Mr. Koster's estimate, a total of about 30,000. But
according to the last census, says Mrs. Graham, who visited
* Olinda, when burnt by the Dutch in 1631, is said to have contained
2,500 houses, and about 25,000 inhabitants. It was made an Episcopal
city in 1676, but has continued to decline as Recife has risen in prosperity,
so that in 1810 the population had sunk to 4,000, and is now still less.
468
FAMILY TOURIST.
PERNANBUCO.
Pernambuco in 1821, the population (including Olinda) was
70,000, of which not above a third are whites: the rest are
mulattoes and negroes. The mulattoes are, generally speak-
ing, more active, more industrious, and more lively than
either of the other classes. They have amassed great for-
tunes, in many instances, and are far from being backward
in promoting the cause of independence in Brazil. Few
even of the free negroes have become very rich. A free ne-
gro, when his shop or garden has repaid his care, by cloth-
ing him and his wife each in a handsome black dress, with
necklace and armlets for the lady, and knee and shoe buck-
les of gold, to set off his own silk stockings, seldom toils
much more, but is quite contented with daily food. Many
of all colors, when they can afford to purchase a negro, sit
down exempt from further care; they make the negroes work
for them, or beg for them, and, so as they may eat their
bread in quiet, care little how it is obtained.
COLOMBIA.
BOGOTA.
THIS city, which, during the reign of the Spaniards in
South America, was more commonly called Santa Fe, but
since the independence of the country, Bogota, is situated on
a spacious and fertile plain, on the most easterly ridge of the
Andes, in latitude 4° 10' north, and longitude 73° 50′, at an
elevation of upwards of 8000 feet. It was founded by Que-
sada, in 1538, who built twelve huts in honor of the twelve
apostles, on the skirts of the two mountains called Mont-
serrat and Guadaloupe. It was created a city in 1548. It
was formerly the capital of New Grenada. From its ex-
treme boundaries it extends about a mile in length, and in
its widest part about half a mile in breadth. The streets are
generally narrow, but regular; all of them are paved, and
the principal ones have footpaths. "When seen from the
mountains at the back, the city has a very pretty effect.
The streets built at right angles, present an appearance of
great regularity, and have a stream of water constantly
flowing down the middle; there are also several handsome
public fountains. Great as is the extent of the city, the
churches and convents cover nearly one half the ground.
Many of the convents are in part, and others wholly deserted,
since the Revolution. The ground that some of them cover
is immense." There are nine monasteries and three nun-.
neries.
In respect to the public buildings, and indeed to the
houses generally, elegance has been obliged to be sacrificed
to solidity, on account of earthquakes, to which the city is
liable. The architecture of some, however, is handsome.
The cathedral is a fine looking building; but its magnifi-
cence is not so great as the treasures it possesses are valua-
ble. "One statue of the Virgin alone, out of the many
40
470
FAMILY TOURIST.
BOGOTA.
which adorn the altars, is ornamented with 1,358 diamonds,
1,295 emeralds, 59 amethysts, one topaz, one hyacinth, 372
pearls, and its pedestal is enriched with 609 amethysts; the
artist was paid 4,000 piastres for his labors."
The palace, the ancient residence of the viceroys, now
occupied by the president of the republic, is nothing more
than a house with a flat roof. Its dependencies are two ad-
joining houses much lower, but ornamented with galleries.
The palace of the deputies is a large house situated at the
corner of a street, the ground floor of which is let out in
shops for the selling of brandy. Across the street is the
palace of the senate, which is still more simple than that of
the representatives. The mint is a large plain building.
The principal streets are the Calle Real, and the San
Juan de dios. The former has a footway on both sides of
the road, and is well paved; and, as there are no carts, or
vehicles of any description, the traffic being hitherto carried
on exclusively by mules, it does not requre frequent repair.
The ground floors of the houses are occupied by shops, with
one story above, each habitation having a large wooden
balcony, painted green. These two streets, which lead to
the alameda, are the chief resorts of the loungers and fash-
ionables of Bogota. At one extremity of the Calle Real is
the principal Plaza, where the daily market is held.
"This spacious square is paved in the usual excellent style
throughout, and the method of paving in compartments, by
lines of stones on the edge, and the compartment filled with
pavement of round stones, though it was not intended for
the purpose, becomes of some use in the apportionment
of space to the dealers in various commodities; there are
neither tables, chairs, stools, counters, or chests visible in
this square; all commodities are displayed on the naked
pavement, or, where the articles require it, on coarse cloths
spread upon the space regulated. Here are seen the manu-
factured products of all parts of the globe, Japan and China,
India, Persia, France, England, Germany, Italy, and Hol-
land; and, though last, not least, the United States, or their
favorite America del Norte. On different platforms, appor-
tioned out by proper officers, or clerks of the market, or
deputies of the alcades, are seen piles of every kind of cot-
ton, woollen, silk, and linen manufactures; calicoes of In-
dia and England, the silks of Asia, Italy and France; the
1
FAMILY TOURIST.
471
BOGOTA.
coarse linen fabrics of Russia, Saxony, Şilesia, and Hol-
land; the finer linens of England, Ireland, France, and
Holland; the broad coarse checks of Germany, and their
English successful imitations.
"In other parts of the plaza, fruit and vegetable produc-
tions of every description, were placed in piles on the pave-
ment, or in capacious or small baskets.
Another part was
appropriated to fowls of various kinds, &c.
"But it is in the Calle Real, that the richest and finest
commodities are exposed for sale, in spacious shops, which
occupy the ground floor of all the houses on both sides of
that busy street. Here the finest jewelry, cutlery, milline-
ry, and clothing for both sexes are collected, and from
thence dispersed over all the countries west, south, and east,
for some hundred miles, and beyond Quito. Native crys-
tals, the topaz of various hues from Brazil, the emeralds of
the country in deeper or paler tints, wrought and rude,
the diamonds, and rubies, and amethysts of Asia, glitter
along side the artificial gems of Paris; and the fine wrought
gold filagree of the native workmen, which rivals that of
the eastern Archipelago."*
In the neighborhood of Bogota are some very agreeable
walks, which, although shaded by willows, and ornament-
ed by rose-trees and the beautiful cardamindum, are little
frequented; the preference being given to a few select
streets, the trottoirs of which offer a commodious prome-
nade, as from them, gentlemen on horseback may be seen
traversing the town at full gallop. The greater part of
these horsemen are bedizened with gold, and glittering in
military uniforms; some with round hats ornamented with
plumes of feathers, others with cocked ones, and a still
greater number wearing shakos and helmets. Although
their own appearance is upon the whole striking, that of
their horses, which resemble Norman poneys, is so wretch-
ed as to lessen the effect considerably,
The general routine of the day at Bogota, commences
with mass, which is attended by females and old men. The
men, in general, we are told, do not give themselves much
trouble on this score, unless they have some particular ob-
ject in view, more attractive than devotion. The greater
*Duane's Visit to Colombia.
472
FAMILY TOURIST.
BOGOTA.
part of the day, the ladies lounge on their sofas. At half
past five, they attend the almeda, whence they return to
receive visits till between nine and ten o'clock, at which
hour they retire. Tertulias, or evening parties, balls,
masquerades, and the numerous religious processions, are
their chief amusements.
The capital is at present full of priests, monks, and cler-
gy, in consequence of a decree abolishing all monasteries,
which did not contain above a certain number, and direct-
ing their inhabitants to reside in Bogota. This is consid-
ered as a stroke of policy, having for its object not merely
to apply the revenues of the suppressed monasteries to the
exigencies of the state, but to bring the clerical body more.
immediately under the eye of Government, and counteract
the more easily their disposition to political intrigue. It is
not easy, M. Mollien says, to say what are the political
opinions of the inhabitants of Bogota. Like all those who
reside in capitals, they are oppositionists, because they see
the machine of government too near; but, after having
given the revolutionary impulse, this capital will, for the
future, receive it from the provinces.
The population of Bogota is said to have amounted, in
1800, to 21,464 inhabitants, exclusive of strangers and
beggars, whose residence was not known. The births ex-
ceeded the deaths in the same year, by 247. The present
population is estimated at from 30 to 35,000 souls. There
exists a difference of opinion as to the superior eligibility
of the site of the two capitals-Bogota and Caraccas. The
author of Letters from Colombia gives his decided opinion
in favor of the former. The climate here is more congen-
ial to English constitutions, and is favorable to great bodily
exertion. The extreme rarity of the atmosphere, however,
owing to the great elevation of the plain, is at first very op-
pressive to strangers, occasioning a difficulty of breathing,
and an unpleasant sensation at the chest. After a few days,
this subsides. The seasons here are divided into rainy and
dry, forming two winters and two summers.
The dry sea-
son begins with the solstices; the wet, with the equinoxes,
varying ten or fifteen days. March, April, May, Septem-
ber, October, November, are each reckoned winter months,
during which fall almost incessant rains. The mornings,
FAMILY TOURIST.
473
BOGOTA.
from day-break to eight o'clock, are then piercing cold, the
thermometer frequently down to 47°, though it in general
keeps between 58° and 63°. In summer, during the warm-
est time, it varies from 68° to 70°. June, July, and Au-
gust are showery. N. N. W. winds invariably bring storms.
But, during the dry season, the heavens are for the most
part beautifully serene and unclouded, and the dews are so
light, that the usual lounge of the inhabitants is by moon-
light. Upon the whole, the climate may be salubrious. Ep-
idemics are unknown, and the diseases to which the na-
tives are subject, are attributable to other causes than the
air.*.
As the Cataract of Tequendama excites the curiosity of
all visiters to Bogota, our fellow tourists will of course
expect us to show them this celebrated work of nature.
This we shall do with the assistance of a very compe-
tent guide, whose services we have already had occasion
to use.
"No painting," says Colonel Duane, "can convey any
adequate idea of this extraordinary work of nature; and,
however circumstantial a verbal description may be, the
idea of what is there seen cannot be but imperfectly ex-
pressed. I am not at all surprised, that none of the de-
scriptions I had read of this cataract, conveyed to my
perceptions any thing like what it really is. It cannot
be seen with advantage at one place; contiguous to the first
bound of the river, the basin above, and the roll of the
flood over the perpendicular steep upon the vast platform,
are all clearly visible; but the whole volume of the stream
tumbling to the deep can only be partially and imperfectly
seen there. We took another station on the north side of
the chasm, so that the sun's beams, then about eleven
o'clock, crossed the line of the cataract obliquely; from
this point we could see about a third of the descending
volume of water; but we could not perceive the bottom.
While we stood in this position, this sublime object was
never perhaps seen to more advantage. The water was dis-
colored by the yellow earth over which it flowed; and
when the torrent dashed upon the forty feet platform be-
neath it, the cloud of vapor, as it rose, illumined by the
* For other particulars respecting Bogota, see · Universal Traveller.”
40**
474
FAMILY TOURIST.
BOGOTA.
blaze of an ardent sun, gave an incessant glow of brilliant
golden glory. Description by no means conveys a suffi-
cient idea of the object: it seemed a halo with a disk of
floating transparent gold, of perhaps twenty feet diame-
ter, the exterior vapor exhibiting prismatic shades inces-
santly changing, renewing in new forms, and on the outer
verge condensing in drops, which fell in showers like tears.
The mind is beguiled, and time passes unfelt in the inten-
sity of admiration and awful sublimity of this spectacle,
which on every aspect presents new beauties and astonish-
ment. Returning to the verge of the cataract, I was in-
duced to place myself on my breast to look into the chasm,
and I succeeded, with new emotions of admiration. Those
who are reputed to have measured the depth, which is by
no means difficult, have differed from three to eight feet;
but the average of the computation gives 164 or 165 feet,
which, as far as my eye is competent to judge, I believe to
be near the true depth. I leaned over the perpendicular
wall-It is to all appearance a wall of regularly wrought
and horizontally laid and ranged gray grit stone-and I
could see the foam of the torrent agitate the basin below,
where the rocks, rounded on their tops by the beating of
the waters, were seen as if emerging from the waves of
foam, like the play of otters, while the stream of the tor-
rent itself, brilliant in its own action, appeared reduced to
the size of the spout from a fire-engine.
"But sublime as these views truly are, with the forests
rising on each side, from the crevice, into lofty sloping
hills, perhaps the most extraordinary peculiarities are yet
to be noticed. I know no mode by which the idea of its
character and figure may be conceived, but that of the
reader forming to himself the idea of a gap or opening in
the face of a mountain 200 feet high, and about 60 feet
broad, at the foot of which a flood of 10 or 15 yards broad
gushes through the gap, at the height of more than 7,000
feet above the ocean, rolling over rugged precipices till it
unites with the river Tocayma, one of the tributaries of the
Magdalena. This is the aspect at the debouch in the val-
ley below. Ascending then to the point from which the
Funza thus issues, and entering the crevice from its west or
open end, and groping along the rocky and difficult side of
this gap; the overhanging trees no longer cover the space;
but a lane, if I may so call it, of three-fourths of a mile
FAMILY TOURIST.
475
CUMANA.
long, formed by two walls, perpendicular and parallel, in-
duces the surprised spectator to ask if these walls be not
the work of art? if man with the chisel and the hammer,
the trowel, the level, and the plumb-line, have not wrought
them? Those walls stand parallel, and distant about 50
feet, and about 170 feet perpendicular height, as uniformly
fair on their faces as the best masonry of the Capitol.
Their summits are only the feet of the forests, and the
stream that has tumbled as it were from the great store-
house of the heavens, starts from the body of the foam, as
if frighted by its own noise.
"But there is still another extraordinary feature of those
walls. In looking over the lofty brink from above, I could
discern, by a dark light-glimmer, that the volume of the
water, in its plunge over the mound, on the table of its first
bound, left a space arched, or the quarter of an arc be-
neath; at the second bound, the arching was not so for-
ward; either the impulse was not so great behind, or its
own gravity brought it, after a curve of about a sixth of the
circle, headlong down, keeping its volume, but casting out
its brilliant spray, and, forming, by its action on the air, a
never-ceasing shower, the more aeriform vapor rising in
clouds, and making a play of sunbeams, with alternately
refracted and suppressed prismatic lights over the abyss be-
low. The opportunity of seeing behind and beneath the
column of the cataract, exposes the structure of the wall
over which it pours; and adds, by the regularity of its form,
to the wonders of this place. It is, like the sides, perpen-
dicular, and meets the sides, forming as exact rectangles as
any architectural structure.'
*(
CUMANA.
This city is the most ancient of all in Terra Firma, hav-
ing been built in 1520, by Gonzalo Ocampo. It was at
first called New Toledo. It is situated in the northern
* Duane's Visit to Colombia.
476
FAMILY TOURIST.
CUMANA.
part of Colombia, near the mouth of the Gulf of Cariaco,
about a mile from the Caribbean Sea. Its latitude is 10°
28′ north; longitude 66° 30′ west of Paris. The whole of
the Gulf of Cariaco is 35 miles long, and 68 miles broad.
The port of Cumana is capable of receiving all the navies
of Europe. The climate is very hot. From the month of
June to the end of October, the temperature usually rises
to 90° and even 95° during the day, and seldom descends to
80° during the night. The sea breeze, however, tempers
the heat of the climate. From the beginning of November
to the end of March, the heats are not so great; the ther-
mometer is then between 82° and 84° in the day time, and
generally falls to 77° and even 75° in the night. There
is scarcely ever any rain in the plain in which Cumana is
situated, though it frequently rains in the mountains.
The river Mananzares surrounds the city on the south and
west, and separates the town from the suburbs, which are
inhabited by the Guayquerias Indians. Authorities differ
as to the number of inhabitants. M. Dupons makes them
in 1802, to amount to 24,000, of whom a large proportion
were white creoles. When M. Levaysse was there in 1807,
the inhabitants had increased to 28,000; and at the end of
1810, he says they numbered 30,000.
The town of Cumana contains two parish churches (one
of which was erected in 1803), two convents, Franciscan
and. Dominican, and a theatre, constructed on the same
plan as that of Caraccas, but much smaller. Bull-baiting,
cock-fighting, and rope-dancing, are, however, the favorite
amusements. Four years ago," says M. Lavaysse, "there
was no town-clock in Cumana. While M. Humbolt was in
this town in 1830, he constructed a very fine sun-dial there.
When a stranger passes by this dial, in company with a
Cumanese, the latter never fails to say: 'We owe this sun-
dial to the learned (sabio) Baron de Humbolt.' Iremark-
ed that they never pronounce the name of this illustrious
traveller, without adding that epithet to it, and they speak
of him with a mingled sentiment of admiration and regard.
This town has no public establishments for the education
of youth; it is, therefore, astonishing to find any know-
ledge among its inhabitants; yet, there is some informa-
tion disseminated among many of the Creoles of Cumana.
They are but seldom sent to Europe for their education: the
FAMILY TOURIST.
477
CUMANA.
most wealthy receive it at Caraccas, and the greater num-
ber under schoolmasters, from whom they learn the Span-
ish Grammar, arithmetic, the first elements of geometry,
drawing, a little Latin, and music. I have remarked con-
siderable talents, application, and good conduct in their
youth, and less vivacity and vanity than among those of
Caraccas. Not being so rich as the latter, the Cumanese
are brought up with principles of economy and industry;
there are no idlers among them; in general, they are in-
clined to business. Some apply themselves to the mechanical
arts; others, to commerce. They have also a great par-
tiality to navigation and trading with the neighboring colo-
nies of other nations; and by their activity and prudence,
they make considerable profits with small capitals. Their
articles of exportation are cattle, smoked meat (tassajo),
and salted fish, which commodities they have in great abun-
dance."
The inhabitants are distinguished for their politeness
towards each other and hospitality towards strangers.
There is not so much luxury among them as at Caraccas;
their houses, however, are tolerably well furnished. They
are very abstemious. Those dinners and festivals which
form one of the charms of society in Europe, and which
in the British and French colonies, are repeated almost
every day from the first of January to the last of Decem-
ber, are unknown to the inhabitants of Cumana and the
other provinces of Venezuela.
The mode of catching ducks and other aquatic birds.
practised by the Indians of Cariaco, is not a little amusing
to the stranger, though not peculiar to this part of the New
World. The natives leave calabashes continually floating
on the water, that the birds may be accustomed to the sight
of them. "When they wish to catch any of these wild
fowl, they go into the water, with their heads covered, each
with a calabash, in which they make two holes for seeing
through. They thus swim towards the birds, throwing a
handful of maize on the water from time to time, of which
the grains scatter on the surface. The birds approach to
feed on the maize, and at that moment the swimmer seizes
them by the feet, pulls them under water, and wrings their
necks before they can make the least movement, or, by
their noise, spread an alarm among the flock. The swim-
mer attaches those he has taken to his girdle; and he gen-
478
FAMILY TOURIST.
CUMANA.
erally takes as many as are necessary for his family. Many
have no other trade, in the neighborhood of some large
towns, and daily take multitudes of these birds, which they
sell at a low rate, though they are very good food."*
The
All the houses of Cumana are low and slightly built, the
frequent earthquakes to which the town is subject, com-
pelling the inhabitants to sacrifice architectural beauty, to
personal security. The violent shocks felt in December
1797, threw down almost all the edifices of stone, and ren-
dered uninhabitable those which were left standing. No
steeple or dome attracts from afar the eye of the traveller,
but only a few trunks of tamarind, cocoa, and date trees,
rise above the flat roofs of the houses. Earthquakes were
very frequent during the sixteenth century; and according
to the traditions preserved at Cumana, the sea often inunda-
ted the shores, rising from fifteen to twenty fathoms. The
inhabitants fled to the Cerro de San Antonio, and to the
hill on which the small Franciscan convent now stands ;
and "it is even thought," Humbolt adds, "that these fre-
quent inundations induced the inhabitants to build that
quarter of the town which is backed by the mountain, and
stands on a part of its declivity." The elevation of the pre-
sent town above the sea-level is only fifty-three feet.
year 1796 was a fatal one to the colonists. A drought had
prevailed for fifteen months, when, on the 21st of October,
in that year, the whole of the houses were overthrown in
the space of a few minutes by horizontal oscillations of the
earth, and the shocks were hourly repeated during fourteen
months. The remembrance of that day was still perpetua-
ted, at the beginning of the present century, by a solemn re-
ligious procession. "In several parts of the province, the
earth opened and threw out sulphurous waters. These ir-
ruptions were very frequent in a plain extending towards
Casanay, two leagues to the east of the town of Cariaco,
known by the name of the tierra hueca, (hollow ground,)
because it appears entirely undermined by thermal springs.
During the year 1766 and 7, the inhabitants of Cumana en-
camped in the streets, and they began to rebuild their houses,
when the earthquakes took place only once a month! What
occurred at Quito, immediately after the great catastrophe
of the 4th of February, 1797, took place on these coasts.
* Lavayss'.
FAMILY TOURIST.
479
CUMANA.
While the ground was in a state of continual oscillation, the
atmosphere seemed to dissolve into water.
The rivers were
swollen by these sudden torrents of rain; the year was ex-
tremely fertile; and the Indians, whose frail huts easily re-
sist the strongest shocks, celebrated, from ideas of old su-
perstition, with feasting and dances, the destruction of the
world and the approaching epoch of its regeneration.*
Another remarkable earthquake took place in 1794, char-
acterized by the same horizontal oscillations. But the fatal
one of December 1797, was attended, for the first time at
Cumana, by a vertical motion, or raising up of the ground.
More than four fifths of the city were then entirely destroyed.
The shock was attended by a very loud subterraneous noise,
resembling the explosion of a mine at a great depth. Hap-
pily, it was preceded by a slight undulating motion, which
gave warning to the inhabitants to escape into the streets,
and a small number only perished of those who had assem-
bled in the churches. Half an hour before the catastrophe,
also, a strong smell of sulphur was perceived near the hill
of the Franciscan convent; and at this spot, the subterra-
neous noise, which seemed to proceed from S. E. to N. W.,
was heard the loudest. At the same time, flame issued from
the earth on the banks of the Manzanaces, near the hospi-
tio of the Capuchins, and in the Gulf of Cariaco.
The earthquakes of Cumana are connected with those of
the West India Islands; " and it has even been suspected,"
Humbolt says, "that they have some connexion with the
volcanic phenomena of the Andes." The eruption of the
volcano of Guadaloupe, on September 27, 1797, was follow-
ed, on the 4th of November, 1797, by a destructive earth-
quake in Quito, in which nearly 40,000 natives perished,
and on the 14th of December, by the great earthquake of
Cumana. During eight months, the inhabitants of the east-
ern Antilles, were alarmed by shocks. On the 30th of
April, 1812, the volcano of St. Vincent's, which had not
emitted flames since 1718, broke forth anew, and the irrup-
tion was preceded by repeated earthquakes during eleven
months. The total ruin of the city of Caraccas occured on
the 26th of March preceding, and violent oscillations were
felt both on the coasts and in the islands. "Several facts,"
continues the learned writer, "tend to prove, that the caus-
* Humbolt.
480
FAMILY TOURIST.
BARCELONA.
es which produce earthquakes have a near connexion with
those that act in volcanic eruptions. We learned at Pasto,
that the column of black and thick smoke which, in 1797,
issued for several months from the volcano near this shore,
disappeared at the very hour when, sixty leagues to the
south, the towns of Riobamba, Hambato, and Tacunga were
overturned by an enormous shock."
:
BARCELONA.
This city lies it lat. 10° 7 N; long. 67° 4′ W. about a
league from the sea, and twelve leagues in a straight line
west of Cumana. From this place is exported great part
of the produce of Llanos, consisting of salted provision, ox-
en, mules, and horses, for the West India islands, especially
Cuba. The situation of Barcelona is particularly advanta-
geous for this trade, as the animals have only three days'
journey from the Llanos to the port, while it requires eight
or nine days to cross the mountains to Cumana. In the
years 1799 and 1800, no fewer than 30,000 mules are com-
puted to have been shipped for the Spanish, English, and
French islands, of which 8,000 were embarked at Barcelo-
na, 6,000 at Puerto Cabello, 3,000 at Carapano, and the
remainder at Coro, Burburta, and the mouths of the Guaripi-
che and the Orinoco. During the peace of Amiens, there
were exported, M. Lavaysse states, from the port of Barce-
lona in one year, 132,000 oxen, 2,100 horses, 84,000 mules,
800 asses, 180,000 quintals of smoked beef (tassago) 36,-
000 ox hides, 4,500 horse hides, and 6,000 deer skins.
Barcelona was founded by Don Juan Urpin in 1634, prior
to which the chief place in the district was the town of Cu-
mangoto, situated two leagues higher up the river, which is
now only a miserable village. Though it enjoys a consider-
able trade, and contains some opulent houses, the town is
badly built; the houses are of mud, and, in general, very
meanly furnished. The streets are unpaved; they are con-
sequently filthy, during the rains, while, in fine weather, the
dust is intolerable. It contains one church, a Franciscan
hospital, and (in 1807) a population of 15,000 persons, of
whom about half were whites.
FAMILY TOURIST.
481
CARACCAS.
CARACCAS.
We shall precede our account of Caraccas with a brief
notice of its port, La Guayra. It is a road-stead, open to
the north and east, and slightly sheltered to the west by
Cape Blanco. But for this cape, it would have no preten-
sions whatever to be called a port; and as it is, those pre-
tensions are very slight. Vessels anchor in from six and
seven to five-and-twenty and thirty fathoms, according to
their distance from shore, with a bottom generally of
white sand. The worm is very destructive to the bottoms
of such vessels as are not coppered. There is almost con-
stantly a swell, which is sometimes so violent as to prevent
all intercourse with the shore for several days together; and
the lading is at all times taken in with difficulty.
"It is a
singular spectacle," says an English traveller with whom we
shall now join company, "when the air is perfectly calm,
to see upon the beach a continued line of high breakers,
which succeed each other incessantly, and descend with a
roaring which is heard far up the valleys. On account of
this surf, the wharf of La Guayra, which is of wood, and up-
wards of 160 feet in length, stands in need of continual
repair."*
The town is irregularly and badly built, the lower street
in a line parallel with the beach, and most of the others
stretching up the side of the mountain, at the foot of which
the town is built, and along the high bank of a ravine in
which flows a small stream. After heavy rains this becomes
for a short time an impassable torrent, and has sometimes
even overflowed its lofty banks, to the great danger of the
lower part of the town. The only public building of any
consequence is the custom-house, which is large and com-
modious. The church has nothing in it remarkable; "nor
is there, indeed," adds Mr. Semple, "in the whole place,
an object worthy of detaining the traveller a single hour."
This gentleman visited La Guayra in 1810. Two years
after, the earthquake which visited Caraccas, reduced La
Guayra to little better than a heap of ruins; and according
to the statement of a recent traveller, it had not recovered
Semple's Sketch of Caraccas.
41
482
FAMILY TOURIST.
CARACCAS.
so lately as February, 1823, from the effects of the dire
visitation. It is described as presenting a most dismal as-
pect, and the coast was covered with wrecks. A violent
swell from the north-east had, in the preceding month, cast
on shore every vessel that was lying off the port, except
one, and no fewer than fourteen hulks were then on the
beach.* Yet the commerce carried on with La Guayra is
considerable, and, as this writer states, is daily increasing
both with Great Britain and North America.
The road from the port to Caraccas, resembles the pas-
sages over the Alps. It is infinitely finer," Humbolt says,
"than that from Honda to Bogota, or from Guayaquil to
Quito, and is even kept in better order than the ancient
road from Vera Cruz to Perote. With good mules, it re-
quires but three hours to ascend, and only two to return.
With loaded mules or on foot, the journey occupies from
four to five hours. The elevation of Caraccas is but a third
of that of Mexico, Quito, or Bogota; and among all the
capitals of Spanish America which enjoy a cool and de-
licious climate in the midst of the torrid zone, Caraccas
stands nearest to the coast." For the first mile, the road
continues along the shore to Macuta (or Maiquetia), a neat
and pleasant village, where most of the wealthier inhabitants
of La Guayra, have houses. Here, the mountains recede
a little from the shore, leaving a small opening, better
adapted, Mr. Semple says, for the situation of the port than
the rude spot on which it has been built. The road then
turns to the left, and ascends to a considerable height,
through a deep clay or rich mould, which, in rainy weather,
would be impassable, were not the road in many places
paved. In the steepest parts, it ascends by zigzags, but is
sometimes so narrow that two loaded mules cannot pass
each other, and the banks are high and steep on each side.
"Wo betide the traveller," says Mr. Semple, of whose de-
scription we shall now avail ourselves, "who in these pass-
es, meets a line of mules loaded with planks, which stretch
transversely almost from side to side. He must either turn
about his horse's head, or pass them with the utmost cau-
tion, at the risk of having his ribs cncountered by a long
succession of rough boards, which, at every swerve of the
mules, scoop out long grooves in the clayey banks.
* Letters from Colombia.
FAMILY TOURIST.
483
CARACCAS.
"We continued constantly to ascend. On the road was
the stone body of the statue of a saint, on a miserable low
sledge, which had been with great difficulty brought thus
far, when the project seemed to have been abandoned in
despair, as it continued here for several months. The
head, we were informed, had already reached Caraccas,
where it was impatiently waiting the arrival of the body to
be joined to it, and reared on high as an object of venera-
tion to surrounding multitudes. The stoppage of this
statue marked the increasing difficulties of the ascent. From
clay, the road changed in many parts to rugged rock, which
appears not merely to have been thus purposely left, but to
have been formed in its present state. At the height of
about a thousand feet, we begin to breathe already a lighter
and cooler air; and, turning back, enjoy the view of Ma-
cuta and the coast beneath our feet. We see the white
breakers. along the shore and hear their noise, which now
sounds like a hollow murmur among the woods, which be-
gin to crown the steeps. Opposite to us is a high and steep
hill, covered with vegetation, and all the deep hollow be-
tween is dark with trees. Here and there spots are cleared
away, plantations are formed, and the experienced eye can
distinguish the various hues of the fields of coffee, sugar, or
maize. We pass also from time to time, two or three mis-
erable huts, where the muleteers are accustomed to stop
and refresh themselves. In this manner we continue to
ascend, the mountains still rising steep before us, till we ar-
rive at a drawbridge over a deep cut made across the nar-
row ridge upon which we have been advancing. On each
side are deep valleys, clothed with tall trees and thick un-
derwood, through which is no path. This point is de-
fended by two or three guns and a few soldiers, and forms
the first military obstacle to the march of an enemy. In its
present state, it is by no means formidable, but a very little
care might render it so. Having passed this, the steepness
increases, so that the mules, and even the foot traveller,
can proceed only by erossing obliquely from side to side;
and even that is attended with difficulty after rain or heavy
dews, on account of the smooth round stones with which
the road is paved. But the great and enlivening change ex-
perienced in the state of the atmosphere, removes all diffi-
culties. Never, within the tropics, had I before breathed
so pure and so cool an air. Instead of the stifling heat of
484
FAMILY TOURIST.
CARACCAS.
the coast, where the slightest exertion was attended with
profuse perspiration, I walked fast for joy, and thought my-
self in England. It was four o'clock in the afternoon when
I left La Guayra, and it was now become dark, when I
reached La Venta (the inn), a poor house, but well known
upon the road as being about half way between Caraccas
and the Port. It is situated at the height of about 3,600
English feet above the level of the sea, at which elevation
the heat is never oppressive. Here, having supped and
drunk large draughts of delicious cold water, I repaired to
sleep, unmolested by heat or musketoes. Being still warm
with my walk and my supper, I cared little that the frame
on which I lay down was unprovided with a single article of
covering; but, about midnight I awoke, shivering with
cold, and astonished at a sensation so unexpected. At three
o'clock, it being a fine moonlight morning, we resumed our
journey, having still a considerable distance to ascend,
although the worst of the road was now past. In an hour,
we had passed the highest point of the road, and proceeded
along an uneven ridge of two or three miles before begin-
ning to descend towards the valley of Caraccas. On the
summit of the highest hill above the road is a fort, which
completes the military defences on the side of La Guayra.
This fort is visible only from certain points somewhat dis-
tant, as we wind close round the base of the hill on which
it stands, without seeing any vestiges of it. When we had
passed the ridge, and were descending towards Caraccas,
the day began to dawn. Never had I seen a more inter-
esting prospect. A valley upwards of twenty miles in
length, enclosed by lofty mountains, unfolded itself by de-
grees to my eyes. A small river, which runs through the
whole length of it, was marked by a line of mist along the
bottom of the valley; while the large white clouds, which
here and there lingered on the sides of the hills, began to
be tinged with the first beams of light. Beneath my feet
was the town of Caraccas, although only its church towers
were visible, rising above the light mist in which it lay buried.
Presently the bells began to chime, and I heard all their
changes distinctly, although, following the windings of the
road, I had still four miles to descend, whilst, in a straight
line, the distance did not appear more than one.
the foot of the hill is a gate, where a guard, and officers
are stationed, to examine the permits for merchandise, and
At
FAMILY TOURIST.
485
CARACCAS.
sometimes the pasports of strangers. Within this is an
open space, before reaching the town, which we en-
tered about six o'clock. After passing the first row of
houses, I was struck with the neatness and regularity of
most of the streets, which were well paved, and far superior
to any thing I had yet seen in the West Indies. In the
principal posada (inn), kept by a Genoese, I found every
accommodation that could be reasonably expected. And,
indeed, for some days, the constant sensation of refresh-
ing coolness in the mornings and evenings, as well as
throughout the night, was of itself a luxury which seemed
to have all the charms of novelty, and left no room for petty
complaints.
Caraccas, or as it is called at length, Santiago de Leon.
de Caraccas, is situated in latitude 10° 36′ north; longi-
tude 67° 4' west: at an elevation of nearly 2,500 feet
above the level of the sea, at the entrance of the plain of
Chacao, which extends above twenty miles east and west,
and varies from six to seven in breadth. It is watered by
the river Guayra. The ground on which the town is built
slopes regularly down to the Guayra, which bounds it on
the south; the custom-house being 400 and the Plaza
Mayor nearly 200 feet above the bed of the river. The de-
clivity is not so rapid as to prevent carriages from going
about the town, but the inhabitants make little use of
them.
The city is built in the Spanish fashion; the streets,
which are in general a hundred yards wide, crossing at right
angles, divide the whole town into square portions called
quadras, which here and there are left to form open squares.
The Plaza Mayor has the cathedral on the east side, the
college on the south, and the prison on the west; but it is
disfigured by ranges of low shops, which form a sort of
inner square. Here is held the fruit, vegetable, and fish
market, where the banana, the pine-apple, and the sapa-
dillo, are mingled with the apple, the pear, and the potatoe,
the product of every zone, with the fish peculiar to the
tropical seas. Caraccas contains eight churches, three
convents, two nunneries, three hospitals, and a theatre that
will contain from 15 to 18,000 persons. The pit, in which
the seats for the men are separate from those allotted to the
female part of the audience, is left uncovered, and there
41*
486
FAMILY TOURIST.
CARACCAS.
may be seen at once the actors and the stars. Nothing,
as may be supposed, can be more contemptible than the
performances. The cathedral is heavily built and badly
planned; it is 250 feet long by 75 broad, and its walls are
36 feet high. Four ranges of columns, six in each range,
without beauty or proportion, support the roof; but, to
compensate for the inelegance of the architecture, the
brick steeple contained the only public clock in the city.
The most splendid church, in point of the richness of its
ornaments, was that of Alta Gracia, built at the expense
of the people of color, as that of La Candelaria was by
the Islenos from the Canaries. The church of the Domi-
nicans boasts of a curious. "historical picture," represent-
ing the Virgin suckling the sainted founder of their order,
a gray-beard monk, to whom a physician had prescribed
woman's milk for a violent pain in his breast. Besides
the two nunneries of Conception and Carmel, there is a
much more useful institution for the education of young
females, belonging to the congregation of Las Educandas.
The college, the only public institution for the education.
of young men, was founded by the Archbishop of Antonio
Gonzales d'Acuna, so lately as 1778, and was erected into
a university, by permission of the Pope, in 1792. In this
university, reading and writing are first taught. Three Latin
professors teach enough of that language to enable their
scholars to read mass and study Dunn Scotus. A professor
of medicine lectures on anatomy, &c., by aid of a skele-
ton and some preparations in wax. Four professors are
occupied in teaching theology, and one the canon law.
One is charged with the exposition of the Roman law,
the Castilian laws, the code of the Indies, and "all other
laws;" and finally, there is a professor of vocal church
music. "The routine of education," says Mr. Semple,
"is such as may be supposed to have been in Spain two
hundred years ago; a few common Latin authors, cate-
chisms, and the Lives of Saints, being the chief studies.”
In 1807, the population amounted to 47,228 persons,
of all colors; of whom, according to M. Dupons,
"the
whites formed nearly one-fourth, the slaves a third, the In-
dians a twentieth, and the freed persons the rest. M.
Humbolt, however, states that, of 45,000 persons, which
the best informed inhabitants believed it to contain in 1800,
""
FAMILY TOURIST.
487
CARACCAS.
18,000 were whites, and 27,000 persons of color. The
census of 1778 had made the number amount to nearly
32,000. Since then, it had continued to increase; and in
1810, the city contained, according to M. Lavaysse, 50,000
souls; the population of the whole province being 496,772.
Such was about the number, when, by the great earthquake
of the 26th of March, 1812, 12,000 inhabitants were buri-
ed under the ruins of their houses; and the political com-
motions which succeeded that catastrophe, have reduced
the number of inhabitants to less than 20,400 souls. More
than half the town is now in ruins. The houses of Carac-
cas, says a recent traveller, once so rich in the costli-
ness of their furniture and decorations, can now barely
boast of the commonest articles of convenience; and it is
with the utmost difficulty that a table, chair, or bedstead,
can at present be procured. That part which is nearest
the mountain, presents a continued mass of ruins. For the
full space of a mile, the streets are overgrown with weeds,
and are entirely uninhabited."
"C
"On approaching the guard-house of the barrier, to pay
the toll exacted from travellers, I was struck," says another
writer,
"with the wretchedness of its appearance, the filth
which surrounded it, and the squalid figures of the sol-
diery, whose small stature, dirty, ragged clothing, half-pol-
ished muskets, and lack of shoes and stockings, afforded
the most convincing proofs of the exhausted and miserable
state to which the intestine war had reduced this fine coun-
try. From this barrier, the road lies along the ridge to the
entrance of the town, where the first objects that attracted
my attention, was a church on my left, which had been shat-
tered by the earthquake. The walls only of the nave stood
erect, although split in some places, and partly concealed
by the wild vegetation, which, in this country, seems ever
ready to take advantage of the desertion of any spot to
recover it from human usurpation. The central tower had
not entirely fallen, but stood deeply rent from the top, in a
leaning position, threatening destruction to all within its
reach. Many similar scenes of dilapidation characterized
this part of the town, roofless and shattered walls, leaning
with various degrees of inclination, being met with at every
step. A little further on, symptoms of renovation appear,
in a few houses which are building; and at length, on
488
FAMILY TOURIST.
•
CARACCAS.
reaching the southern part, few traces of the calamity are
seen, the houses generally remaining entire, with merely
occasional flaws in the walls. These are chiefly built of
sun-dried clay or mud (tapia) beaten down between wood-
en frames. The roofs are of tile, and the walls white-
washed."
In 1812, this city, by an awful convulsion, was over-
whelmed. As early as December, 1811, a shock had been
felt at Caraccas; but the inhabitants rested from that time
in security till the 7th and 8th of February, 1812, when
the earth was day and night in perpetual oscillation. A
great drought prevailed at this period, throughout the pro-
vince. Not a drop of rain had fallen at Caraccas, or for
ninety leagues round, during the five months which pre-
ceded the destruction of the capital. The 26th of March,
the fatal day, was remarkably hot, the air was calm, the
sky unclouded. It was Holy Thursday, and a great part
of the population was assembled in the churches. Nothing
seemed to presage the calamities of the day. At seven min-
utes after 4 in the afternoon, the first shock was felt; it was
sufficiently powerful to make the bells of the churches toll;
it lasted five or six seconds, during which time the ground was
in a continual undulating movement, and seemed to heave up
like a boiling liquid. The danger was thought to be past,
when a tremendous subterranean noise was heard, resem-
'bling the rolling of thunder, but louder, and of longer con-
tinuance than that heard within the tropics in time of
storms. This noise preceded a perpendicular motion of
three or four seconds, followed by an undulatory movement.
somewhat longer. The shocks were in opposite directions,
from north to south, and from east to west. Nothing could
resist the movement from beneath upward, and the undu-
lations crossing each other. The town of Caraccas was
entirely overthrown.
Thousands of the inhabitants, (between 9 and 10,000)
were buried under the ruins of the houses and churches.
The procession had not yet set out, but the crowd was so
great in the churches, that nearly 3 or 4,000 persons were
crushed by the fall of their vaulted roofs. The explosion
was stronger towards the north, in that part of the town
situate nearest the mountain of Avila and the Silla. The
churches of La Trinidad and Alta Gracia, which were more
FAMILY TOURIST.
489
CARACCAS.
than 150 feet high, and the naves of which were supported
by pillars of twelve or fifteen feet in diameter, left a mass of
ruins scarcely exceeding five or six feet in elevation. The
sinking of the ruins has been so considerable, that there
now scarcely remain any vestiges of pillars or columns.
The barracks, called El Quartel de San Carlos, situate fur-
ther north of the church of the Trinity, on the road from
the custom-house de la Pastora, almost entirely disappeared.
A regiment of troops of the line, that was assembled under
arms, ready to join the procession, was, with the exception
of a few men, buried under the ruins of this great edifice.
Nine tenths of the fine town of Caraccas were entirely de-
stroyed. The walls ofthe houses that were not thrown down
as those of the street San Juan, near the Capuchin Hos-
pital, were cracked in such a manner, that it was impossible
to run the risk of inhabiting them. The effects of the
earthquake were somewhat less violent in the western and
southern parts of the city, between the principal square and
the ravine of Caraguata. There the cathedral, supported
by enormous buttresses, remains standing. Estimating at
9 or 10,000 the number of the dead in the city of Caraccas,
we do not include those unhappy persons who, dangerously
wounded, perished several months after for want of food,
and proper care. The night of Holy Thursday presented
the most distressing scene of desolation and sorrow.
thick cloud of dust, which, rising above the ruins, darken-
ed the sky like a fog, had settled on the ground. No shock
was felt, and never was a night more calm or more serene.
The moon, nearly full, illuminated the rounded domes of
the Silla, and the aspect of the sky formed a perfect contrast
to that of the earth, covered with the dead, and heaped with
ruins. Mothers were seen bearing in their arms their chil-
dren, whom they hoped to recall to life. Desolate families
wandered through the city, seeking a brother, a husband,
a friend of whose fate they were ignorant, and whom they
believed to be lost in the crowd. The people pressed along
the streets, which could no more be recognized but by long
lines of ruins. All the calamities experienced in the great
catastrophe of Lisbon, Messina, Lima, and Riobamba, were
renewed on the fatal day of the 26th of March, 1812. The
wounded, buried under the ruins, implored, by their cries,
the helps of the passers-by, and nearly two thousand were
dug out. Never was pity displayed in a more affecting
A
490
FAMILY TOURIST.
CARACCAS.
manner; never had it been seen more ingenuously active,
than in the efforts employed to save the miserable victims
whose groans reached the ear. Implements for digging and
clearing away the ruins were entirely wanting; and the peo-
ple were obliged to use their bare hands to disinter the liv-
ing. The wounded, as well as the sick, who had escaped
from the hospitals, were laid on the banks of the small river
Guayra. They found no shelter but the foliage of trees.
Beds, linen to dress the wounds, instruments of surgery,
medicines, and objects of the most urgent necessity were
buried under the ruins. Every thing, even food, was want-
ed during the first days.
Water became alike scarce
Some,
in the interior of the city. The commotion of the earth
had choked up the springs that supplied them; and it
became necessary, in order to have water, to go down
to the River Guayra, which was considerably swelled; and
then, vessels to convey the water were wanting. There re-
mained a duty to be fulfilled toward the dead, enjoined at
once by piety, and the dread of infection. It being impos-
sible to inter so many thousand corpses, half buried under
the ruins. Commissaries were appointed to burn the bo-
dies; and, for this purpose, funeral piles were erected be-
tween the heaps of ruins. This ceremony lasted several
days. Amid so many public calamities, the people devoted
themselves to these religious duties, which they thought
were the most fitted to appease the wrath of Heaven.
assembling in procession, sung funeral hymns; others in a
state of distraction, confessed themselves aloud in the streets.
In this town was now repeated what had been remarked in
the province of Quito, after the tremendous earthquake of
1797; a number of marriages were contracted by persons,
who had neglected for many years to sanction their union
by the sacerdotal benediction. Children found parents by
whom they had never till then been acknowledged; restitu-
tions were promised by persons, who had never been accus-
ed of fraud; and families who had long been enemies, were
drawn together by the tie of common calamity. If this feel-
ing seemed to calm the passions of some, and open the heart
to pity, it had a contrary effect on others, rendering them
more rigid and inhuman. In great calamities, vulgar minds
preserve less goodness than strength. Misfortune acts in
the same manner as the pursuits of literature and the study
of nature, their happy influence is felt only by a few, giv-
FAMILY TOURIST.
491
CARACCAS.
ing more ardor to sentiment, more elevation to the thoughts,
and more benevolonce to the disposition.
This catastrophe, which spread desolation over the city,
and buried thousands in less than a minute beneath the
earth, was not confined to Caraccas. Several considerable
towns and villages shared in the calamity. In La Guayra
the number of the dead exceeded 4,000. The shock was
felt in the kingdom of New Grenada, as far as Santa Fe de
Bogota, 180 leagues from Caraccas. Fifteen or eighteen
hours after the great catastrophe, the ground remained tran-
quil. The night, as we have already observed, was fine and
calm, and the commotions did not re-commence till after the
27th. They were then attended with a very loud and long
continued subterranean noise, (bramido.) The inhabitants
of Caraccas wandered into the country; but the villages and
farms having suffered as much as the town, they could find
no shelter till they were beyond the mountains of Los Te-
ques, in the valleys of Aragua, and in the Llanos or Sa-
vannas. No less than fifteen oscillations were often felt in
one day. On the 5th of April, there was almost as violent
an earthquake as that which overthrew the capital. During
several hours, the ground was in a state of perpetual undu-
lation..
From the beginning of 1811, to 1813, the west area, lying
between the parallels of 5° and 36° N., and the meridians.
of 29° and 89° W., was shaken by almost simultaneous
commotions, the effect of subterranean fires. On the 30th '
of January, a sub-marine volcano appeared near the island
of St. Michael, one of the Azores, where the sea was sixty
fathoms deep. This new islet was at first nothing more than
a shoal. On the 15th of January, an eruption, which last-
ed six days, enlarged its extent, and elevated it to the height
of fifty fathoms above the sea. This new land, of which
formal possession was taken in the name of the British
Government, was 900 toises in diameter. It received the
name of Sabrina Island,—a name not less ominous than ap-
propriate: Sabrina has again descended "to Amphitrite's
bower."-the island has been again swallowed up by the
occan.*
* Humbolt.
492
FAMILY TOURIST.
NEW VALENCIA.
NEW VALENCIA.
This city stands about three miles west of the lake of
Valencia, a beautiful sheet of water, 1,300 feet above the
level of the sea, and extending 30 miles long, and about 12
broad. It is said to resemble Loch Lomond in the num-
ber of small islands scattered over its bosom, amounting
to twenty-seven. But the mountains around it have not
the wild and rugged character of those which border the
Scottish lake.
(<
The city of New Valencia is twelve years older than
Caraccas, having been founded in the year 1555, by Alon-
zo Diaz Morena, as a station on which to advance on the
valley of Caraccas. It was at first dependent on Burbu-
rata, which is now nothing more than a place of embarka-
tion for mules. Its advantageous position, as a centre of
communication between Puerto Cabello and the inland
towns, has raised it into a place of considerable importance.
At the time of Humbolt's visit, the population was only be-
tween six and seven thousand souls; but, in 1810, it
amounted to upwards of 10,000. "The inhabitants," says
M. Lavaysse,
are nearly all Creoles, the descendants of
ancient Biscayan and Canary families. There is great in-
dustry and comfort in this town. It is as large as a Euro-
pean town of 24,000 souls, because the greater part of the
houses have only a ground-floor, and many of them have
gardens. Fifty years ago, its inhabitants passed for the
most indolent in the country. They pretended to be de-
scended from the ancient conquerers, and could not con-
ceive it possible for them to exercise any other function
than the military profession, or to cultivate the land, with-
out degrading themselves. Thus, they lived in the most
abject misery, on a singularly fertile soil. Their ideas have
since completely changed; they have applied themselves to
agriculture and commerce, and the grounds in the neigh-
borhood-are well cultivated. Valencia is the centre of a
considerable trade between Caraccas and Puerto Cabello."
Humbolt states, that, when he was there, many of the
whites, especially of the poorer sort, would forsake their
houses, and pass the greater part of the year in their little
FAMILY TOURIST.
493
NEW VALENCIA.
plantations of indigo and cotton, where they might ven-
ture to work with their own hands; "which, according to
the inveterate prejudices of that country, would be a dis-
grace to them in town." The industry of the inhabitants
was beginning to awake, and the cultivation of cotton had
considerably augmented, since Puerto Cabello had been
opened, as a puerto mayor, to vessels direct from the moth-
er country.
There is nothing striking, according to Mr. Semple, in
the appearance of the town. Some of the streets, he says,
are tolerably well built, but the houses are mostly low and
irregular, and the principal church, which stands on the
eastern side of the great square, is by no means equal to
that of La Victoria, either in its size or its proportions.
The streets are very broad; the dimensions of the plaza
mayor are excessive:" and, the houses being low, the
disproportion between the population and the space which
the town occupies, is still greater than at Caraccas. The
author of Letters from Colombia thus describes the appear-
ance which it presented in 1823, at the time that it was the
head quarters of the patriot army investing Puerto Cabello.
There were then about two thousand troops in the town,
among whom were most of the English who had survived
the several campaigns. "The entrance to the town is by
a good bridge of three arches, built of stone and brick,
and described as the best by far of any in the Republic.
The Glorieta attached to it, is a large circular seat, enclo-
sing an area where the inhabitants meet in the evening for
dancing and festivity. This is, in fact, the only public prom-
enade. Of the few benefits bestowed on the country by
the Spaniards, this is one. The bridge and Glorieta were
erected by Morales, not many years since. The town con-
tains many large houses, the best of which are occupied by
the military a greater number are in ruins, presenting a
further memento of the ravages committed by the earth-
quake. The population is not proportioned to its present
size. In this, as well as in respect to its resources, the pro-
longed and harassing war has left behind it most melan-
choly memorials."
It has been regretted, and "perhaps justly," Humbolt
says, "that Valencia was not made the capital, instead of
Caraccas, under the colonial government. Its situation,
}
42
494
FAMILY TOURIST.
PUERTO CABELLO.
in a plain, on the banks of a lake, recalls to mind the posi-
tion of Mexico. When we reflect on the easy communica-
tion, which the valleys of Aragua furnish with Llanos, and
the rivers that flow into the Oronoco, and recognise the
possibility of opening an inland navigation, by the Rio
Pao and the Portuguesa, as far as the mouths of the Ori-
noco, the Cassiquire, and the Amazon,-it will appear,
that the capital of the vast provinces of Venezuela would
have been better placed near the fine harbor of Puerto Ca-
bello, beneath a pure and serene sky, than near the unshel-
tered road of La Guayra, in a temperate, but constantly
foggy valley. Situated near the kingdom of New Grenada,
and between the fertile corn lands of La Victoria and Bar-
quesimeto, the city of Valencia ought to have prospered;
but, notwithstanding these advantages, it has been unable
to maintain the contest with Caraccas, which, during two
centuries, has drawn away a great number of its inhab-
itants."
"The advantages of the situation have one draw-back,
however, in the incredible number of ants which infest the
spot where Valencia is placed. Their excavations resemble
subterraneous canals, which, in the rainy season, are filled
with water, and become very dangerous to the buildings,
by occasioning a sinking of the ground. To set against
this, there is an opening (abra) in the cordillera of the
coast, in the meridian of Valencia, by which a cooling
sea-breeze penetrates into the valley every evening: the
breeze rises regularly two or three hours after sunset."
PUERTO CABELLO.
Puerto Cabello is, next to Carthagena, the most impor-
tant fortified place on this coast. It stands in latitude 10°
28′ north; longitude 69° 10′ west. The town is quite mod-
ern. The port, Humbolt says, is one of the finest in the
world: art has had scarcely any thing to add to the advan-
tages which the nature of the spot presents. It is thus de-
scribed by the English Traveller: "Puerto Cabello stands
FAMILY TOURIST.
495
PUERTO CABELLO.
upon a small neck of land, which has been cut through,
and thus formed into an artificial island. A bridge crosses
this cut, and affords entrance to the original city, which is
small, but tolerably well built and fortified. The harbor is
formed by a low island to the north-west, and banks covered
with mangrove trees, which shelter it on every side. It is
deep and capacious. An excellent wharf, faced with stone,
allows vessels of a large burden being laid close along side
of it; and as they can be easily and securely fastened to
the shore, anchors are here seldom necessay. To this cir-
cumstance, in which it resembles the harbor of Curacoa,
Puerto Cabello is said to owe its name, as implying that
vessels may there be secured by a single hair. The isl
and is strongly fortified; and the batteries, being low and
mounted with heavy cannon, are capable of making a good
defence. Towards the land, the works are not so strong,
and the whole is within reach of bomb-shot from the first
heights to the southward of the town; some of which are
fortified.
"This harbor and La Guayra form a striking contrast.
Here vessels lie, as in a small smooth lake, while the waves
break high upon the outside of the island and along the
shore. In return for this, the worm makes great ravages in
the bottom of such ships as are not coppered. In no part
of the world is it more destructive; and a small vessel, left
unattended, in a very few months, would founder at her
moorings from this cause alone.
"The plain in which Puerto Cabello stands, is bounded
on the south by mountains, and on the north by the sea,
and is no where more than two miles in breadth. To the
west, a small river descends from the mountains, and emp-
ties itself into the sea. To the south-east of the town, the
flats are annually flooded by the rain; and the exhalations
from them are very probably the cause of the destructive fe-
vers which so frequently rage here in the summer and autumn
months. Few strangers can then visit this port with impu-
nity or at least without great danger; and there have been
instances of vessels losing the greater part of their crews
in a very short time. This, however, has not prevented
the rapid increase of the place, which was originally con-
fined within the works upon the small peninsula, out of
which no houses were for some time allowed to be built.
At first, low huts were erected, under the express condi-
496
FAMILY TOURIST.
PUERTO CABELLO.
tion of being demolished in case of an enemy's approach;
and in a long interval of years, during which no hostile
force appeared, these huts were gradually enlarged and
increased. The suburbs now exceed the town in popula-
tion and extent, but still retain their low and mean appear-
ance, and are subject to the original stipulations in case
of danger. A great proportion of the houses have no
upper story; and the population being almost entirely col-
ored, a stranger is more apt to consider the whole as a
large Indian village, than as part of a European settle-
ment.
"About a league to the westward of Puerto Cabello, is
the small bay of Burburata, used as a port previously to the
establishment of the former. The road to it leads across
the marshy plain of Puerto Cabello, to the sides of the hills,
along which it winds for some time, until it again crosses
a sandy flat, and brings us to the opening of the valley of
Burburata. The bottom of this valley is level, or very gen-
tly sloped towards the sea, and consists of a deep, rich mould,
every where covered with banana trees, mimosas, triplaris,
and plantations of sugar, coffee, and cocoa. The latter are
easily distinguished by the tall erithrynas which shade the
cacao theo broma, and are covered with clusters of red flow-
ers. As they rise with a straight stem, they permit a free
circulation of air beneath, while their tufted tops effectually
exclude the scorching rays of the sun. Houses and clusters
of huts are scattered about among the trees, and a kind of
church marks what may be considered as the centre of the
village of Burburata. A small stream serves to irrigate the
numerous plantations. The population is entirely a colored
race, in which is a great proportion of Indian blood. The
air of the valley is moist and hot; and snakes abound in the
luxuriant herbage which every where covers the soil. One
of these crossed my path, and another, large and yellow with
dark spots, lay basking beneath a bush, into which he glided
on my approach. Mountains, covered with wood, enclose
this fertile flat on every side, except a small opening to-
wards the sea. Here, lower down, was formerly the principal
port on the coast. Vessels drawing ten or twelve feet of
water can anchor in a bight near the shore; the bottom is
a fine white sand; and Burburata is still the chief port from
which the mules, horses, and cattle of Venezuela, are ex-
ported to Jamaica and other islands of the West Indies,”
FAMILY TOURIST.
497
MARACAIBO.
MARACAIBO.
Maracaibo, or Nueva Zamora situated on the left bank
of the lake, at six leagues from the sea, was founded in 1571.
It stands in the midst of a sandy plain, without any stratum
of vegetable earth, in lat. 10° 30′ N., long. 74° 6′ W. of
Paris. This climate is intensely hot, and during July and
August, almost insupportable, the air feeling as if it issued
from a furnace; yet it is reckoned healthy, because there
prevail no epidemic complaints. The south wind, however,
which sometimes blows in August and September, is much
dreaded, and is called El Virason, (the arrow,) on account
of its insalubrity. Violent storms are frequent. The thun-
der is dreadful, and the lightning frequently strikes and con-
sumes houses, ships, and every thing that attracts it. The
deluges of rain which sometimes attend these tempests, pro-
duce rapid torrents which injure the town. The inhabit-
ants have remarked, that, when these storms do not occur,
earthquakes, still more dreadful, are likely to happen in-
stead. The population in 1801, was computed to be 24,000,
including about 2,000 Spanish refugees from St. Domingo.
The slaves were calculated not to exceed 5,000; and the
freed blacks were very few, but the trades were chiefly car-
ried on by them. The only water is that of the lake, which
is by no means bad in quality, except when the strong breez-
es of March and April, drive up the water of the sea; and
the rain water collected in cisterns and jars. For upwards
of twenty leagues towards the serrania, (or mountain ridge,)
there is no other water for even the cattle, than the rain wa
ter preserved in the wells, dug for that purpose. Depons
draws a very favorable picture, in some respects, of the char-
acter of the inhabitants.
"The habit," he says, "which the citizens of Maracai-
bo contract from their infancy, of sailing, on the lake,
whether for pleasure, fishing, or the transport of the articles
its southern borders produce, gives them, at a very early
period, a taste for navigation. Soon finding in this place
no means of indulging in the practice of it, they repair in
crowds to Puerto Cabello, Guayra, and the other ports, where
a more active navigation serves at the same time to give
them employment, and gratify their ambition. They per-
42*
498
FAMILY TOURIST.
MARACAIBO.
form with equal ability, coasting, or longer voyages. In
those intervals, when war suspends their commercial enter-
prises, they embark on board privateers. But, whatever line
they pursue, they never belie the reputation they possess, of
being as good soldiers as sailors. The neighborhood of the
lake, in the waters of which they exercise themselves in their
early years, renders them as excellent swimmers, as expert
divers.
"Those who resist the attractions of the sea, raise herds
of cattle, or take care of those of their fathers. Nothing
better evinces their aptitude for this species of occupation,
than the immense number of beasts, with which the savan-
nas of Maracaibo are covered. The principal ones are those
of Jobo, Ancon, Palmares, and Cannades. I ought to men-
tion, that there is more merit in raising cattle in the savan-
nas of Maracaibo, than in any other place in these provin-
ces, because, having neither rivers nor ponds that never dry
up, drought occasions the death of many, in spite of the
precautions they take, in cases of this sort, to drive them
towards those parts where they can with convenience water
them.
"But what does more honor to the inhabitants of Mara-
caibo, is their singularly lively wit, their application to lit-
erature, and the progress they make, notwithstanding the
wretched state of public education among them. While the
Jesuits were charged with the instruction of youth, their
schools produced individuals, who spoke Latin with an ele-
gance and fluency rarely met with; possessing perfectly the
art of oratory, and masters of the rules of poetry; writing
their language in a style as remarkable for its purity as the
boldness of its ideas, and the order and perspicuity with
which they were presented; in a word, endowed with every
qualification that constitutes the man of letters.
The ex-
pulsion of these learned preceptors took from the youth of
Maracaibo every means of instruction.
"Notwithstanding the barrenness of resources, which ed-
ucation finds at Maracaibo, we there see young persons so
favored by nature, that the slightest elementary instruction
at once developes in them all the faculties which, in Europe
do not manifest themselves until after long study, and the
care of the best teachers. What adds to the singularity of
the phenomenon is, that this excess of natural genius fre-
quently becomes prejudicial to the tranquillity of the fami-
FAMILY TOURIST.
499
MERIDA.
lies of Maracaibo; for it is enough for many of these young
men to know the conjugation and government of the verbs
to be able to write pieces; whose subtilty would appear to
the knavish advocate, better than the productions of the
counsel, who establishes his reasons on the principles of the
civil law. Such suits as should never have been instituted,
or which the tribunals would instantly have decided,
become interminable and ruinous, by the sophisms with
which these scriblers envelope in darkness, causes the most
simple and clear. This disease, very prevalent at Maracai-
bo, is by no means a stranger to other Spanish territories.
The penal laws which the legislature has been forced to en-
act, to lessen the number of these imps of chicane, whom
they call pendolistas (quick writers,) prove that the evil is
general enough.
"In allowing that the inhabitants of Maracaibo have ac-
tivity, courage, and genius, we have nothing more to say in
their favor. They are reproached with having very little
regard to their word, and with thinking themselves not
bound by their signature, until after they have in vain en-
deavored to release themselves from it.by law. Their repu-
tation in this respect is so well established, that all stran-
gers whom business draws to Maracaibo, say, it is much
better to form connections of interest with the women than
with the men, because they alone have there that good faith
and firmness, which, in every other part, is the peculiar
heritage of the men.
"Since the course of description has led me to speak of
the women of Maracaibo, I ought not to let it be unknown,
that they are, in their youth, paragons of modesty; in mar-
riage, faithful wives, and excellent mothers of families.
Affection for their husbands, the cares of their households,
and the education of their children, are the objects which
divide all their moments, and occupy all their solicitude."
MERIDA.
This city is commonly considered about half way be-
tween Caraccas and Bogota, and indeed it comes but only
500
FAMILY TOURIST.
MERIDA.
ten leagues from an equal distance, being 160 leagues from
the former, and 150 from the latter. Next to Caraccas,
this was by far the largest city in Venezuela. At least two
thirds of it are now in ruins, the effect of the same awful
convulsion of nature that desolated the capital. From
12,000 persons, the number of inhabitants in 1804, the
writer supposes that the population is now reduced to prob-
ably not more than a fourth of that number. "The dis-
tance is nearly 500 miles, and yet the convulsion was simul-
taneous. Merida, in proportion to its size, has suffered
more than Caraccas: with the exception of two streets, at
least a mile in length, it presents an unvaried picture of
ruin and desolation. Before the calamity of 1812, it pos-
sessed five convents and three parish churches at present,
only one of the former remains, the Dominican, which,
since the abolition of religious orders by the decree of
Congress, has been converted into the cathedral. A convent
of nuns of the order of St. Clara, still, however, exists;
there is also a hospital and a public college, in which sixty
students are instructed in Spanish, Latin, Natural Philoso-
phy, and Theology." The site of this city, the writer* rep-
resents as the most delightful spot the imagination can
paint. "What might not be made of it," he says, "if peo-
pled by European families of enlightened ideas, and with
sufficient capital to rebuild and beautify the city as its situ-
ation deserves!" Seated on an elevated table-land, three
leagues in length, and one in breadth, surrounded by three
rivers, it unites with extraordinary felicity the three choicest
gifts of nature,—a fertile soil, a temperate climate, and
beauty of situation. Within view of the city, the land
yields cocoa, coffee, and cotton, maize, plantains, and the
tropical fruits, wheat, barley, and potatoes. In the vale of
the Chama, at the foot of the mountains, the temperature
is between 89° and 90° Fahrenheit, while immediately
fronting the town, the summits of the mountains rise into
the region of perpetual snow. The ascent to the city,
from the valley, is by a very steep, abrupt, and narrow pass.
Having gained the summit, you are almost immediately in
the city, which commences at the eastern extremity of the
plateau, covering at least half a square league. On the
north, south, and east, the sides of the mountain are per-
* Letters from Colombia.
FAMILY TOURIST.
501
MERIDA.
pendicular, having at their base the rivers Macujum, Albar-
regas, and Chama. To the west, the table-land tends
slightly to an inclined plane. On every side, tower chains
of lofty mountains: those to the south are the highest, and
their snowy summits are seen rising out of a zone of dark
green forests. In the immediate vicinity of the city, there
is a great deal of land on the Mesa, which might be con-
verted into beautiful gardens and pleasure grounds. The
mean temperature here is from 67° to 70°. The city is
regularly laid out, like all the Spanish towns, the streets
intersecting each other at right angles, each having in the
centre a clear stream of running water. The abundance
of mountain rivulets presents every facility for mills, and
other species of machinery; and should it be found practi-
cable to render the Chama navigable, the city would enjoy,
from its proximity to Lake Maracaibo, almost the advan-
tages of a maritime situation. The excessive insalubrity of
that part of the lake where the Chama falls into it, is as-
signed, however, in Alcedo's Dictionary, as the reason why
the difficulties of the river navigation have not been over-
It is indeed impossible, we are told, to pass two
hours at the place without catching a fever, the malignity
of which generally proves fatal." Yet, how unhealthy so-
ever the shores, the influence of the malaria could hardly
extend to the craft on the waters. It remains, too, to be
ascertained, whether this is uniformly the case, or only dur-
ing the hottest season, or, possibly, when, in the season of
drought, the waters of the lake may retire, and leave a
marshy tract uncovered. Butcher's meat is good and cheap
at Merida, being supplied from Varinas and Pedraza. In
the vicinity, according to Alcedo, there are gold mines, but
they are not worked. The greatest drawback on the natu-
ral advantages of the situation, is its liability to earth-
quakes, from which it has repeatedly suffered; but this
fearful condition of prosperity attaches to it only in com-
mon with Caraccas, Valencia, and Bogota, with Guate-
mala and Lima, with Smyrna and Aleppo."
come.
502
FAMILY TOURIST.
CUCUTA.
CUCUTA.
Rosario De Cucuta will ever be famed in the annals of
Colombia, as the town in which the first general congress
was held, and where the constitution was formed. In 1820,
the deputies of Venezuela and New Grenada assembled
here their session, which lasted three months, was held in
the sacristy of the parish church. "At present," adds the
writer, "there is nothing to commemorate this important
event; but the church in which it took place, is by far the
neatest, and in the best preservation, of any we have hith-
erto seen; the architecture is somewhat in the Moorish
style, and would do honor to a country more advanced in
the arts. It is kept in the nicest order,—the least respect
that can be paid to its important history. Amidst a quan-
tity of trash, it contains a Madonna and child, painted by
a Mexican artist of the name of Paez, and evidently copied.
from Raphael's Madonna del Pesce, which surpasses what
one might expect from a South American artist. It is the
offering of the late archbishop of Caraccas, and was paint-
ed in 1774. The appearance of the town is extremely
pleasing. Surrounded by rich haciendas, in excellent cul-
tivation, it stands, as it were, in the midst of a delightful
garden. The perspective at the extremity of each street,
terminates in a beautiful vista, with high mountains in the
back-ground. The town, which is not large, is neat and
well built. It has not suffered from the earthquake. The
houses, though not large, have a clean appearance. The
streets are paved, and have a current of water running
through the middle. The inhabitants appear to be very
fond of dancing. Every evening, they assemble in the
square, to the number of fifty or sixty, and figure away
with great animation, to the most deafening music, by
the light of paper lanterns, and the glare of innumera-
ble segars. The chief instruments are calabashes filled
with Indian corn, which are rattled to the thrumbing of
guitars."*
"This scanty information is all that we are able to fur-
nish respecting this interesting spot, the Washington of the
* Letters from Colombia,
FAMILY TOURIST.
503
TUNJA.
Colombian Republic; for this little town, the very name of
which does not occur in Alcedo's dictionary, is understood
to have been fixed on as the future capital of Colombia,
under the name of THE CITY OF BOlivar. The depart-
ment itself to which it belongs, (it is in the province of
Pamplona,) has received the appellation of Boyaca, in com-
memoration of the memorable victory gained in the field
of Boyaca, in the province of Tunja, where the Spanish
cause in New Grenada received its death blow from the
hands of the Liberator, aided by his brave British auxilia-
ries. Its central situation, and, perhaps, its very inaccessi-
bility, appear to have recommended it, in the first instance,
as the Congress city. The idea of founding a capital as a
monument of the National Independence, is a magnificent
one. By a decree, however, dated the 8th of October,
1821, the Congress at Cucuta directed its sittings to be
transferred to Bogota, reserving for happier days to raise
the city of Bolivar."*
TUNJA.
This provincial capital, founded in 1539, was, at one time
one of the most opulent cities in the Kingdom, and its in-
habitants boasted of being descended from the first conquer-
ors. The province of Tunja, (bounded on the south by
that of Bogota, on the west by the River Magdalena, which
divides it from Mariquita, on the east by Casanare, and on
the north, by Pamplona,) formed, prior to the conquest, the
kingdom of Hunzusta, whose zaques (or sovereigns) were
independent of the monarchs of Bogota and Zipa. Though
generally of a cold and dry climate, it is fertile in grain and
has yielded tobacco of excellent quality; it abounds also in
saltpetre, on which account the only government powder
manufactories were established here; and it was celebrated
for its gold mines and emeralds. The city is seated on an
eminence in the same valley in which the Indian capital
* Modern Traveller.
504
FAMILY TOURIST.
TUNJA.
was placed; and it is seen at a considerable distance, sur-
rounded with stony heights and swampy meadows. Our
traveller* was much disappointed on a nearer examination
of the town. There is little worthy of notice except the
churches and convents. The architecture of these edifices
is of the simplest, frequently of the rudest kind. The por-
tal to the parish church of Santiago is, however, an excep-
tion; it is carved in stone, and is of tolerable execution.
None of the religious orders appear to have been sup-
pressed at Tunja. The monks, our traveller says, shewed
with alacrity all that was to be seen in their respective mo-
nasteries, the ornaments of which consist chiefly in a profu-
sion of images and gilt work, very rich and gaudy, and a
great number of pictures, the larger part mere trash, but
some few of merit. Besides these institutions, there have
lately been established here a public college called the
Colegia de Boyea, in which the higher classes are taught
philosophy, mathematics, and divinity, and, for the poor of
the town, a school on the Lancasterian plan. The latter
was struck with the regularity with which it is conducted,
and the fine appearance of the youths, sixty in number, several
of whom had made considerable progress. There is a salt-
petre manufactory here, which formerly employed more
than 200 persons. The earth from which the salt is extract-
ed is found in abundance in the vicinity, but the propor-
tion of the mineral is only one per cent. The temperature
of the air at Tunja, was found very pleasant, varying from
58° to 70°; but, in taking exercise, the whole party experi-
enced an oppressive sensation at the chest from the rarity
of the atmosphere. Alcedo says, the climate is dry and cold,
being continually refreshed with winds, but healthy. There
is a deficiency of fuel and water: the only supply of the
latter is conveyed by an aqueduct from the height command-
ing the city. It is reckoned 54 miles N. N. E. of Bogota.
At two leagues from Tunja, on the road to the capital of
New Grenada, is the memorable field of Boyaca. The whole
of this tract of country is bare and open. The Spaniards
had their centre in the plain, protected in front by a small
river and ravine, their right occupying a rising ground, be-
yond which was the bridge of Boyaca, defended by the ar-
* Author of Letters from Colombia.
FAMILY TOURIST.
505
CARTHAGENA.
tillery. Here it was that their position was first forced by
the English troops, who gained the bridge, and charged up
to the mouths of the guns, all of which were taken, togeth-
er with the Spanish general Barreira, his staff, and a great
number of prisoners.
CARTHAGENA,
In November, 1822, M. G. Mollien, a French Traveller,
already known to the public by his travels in the interior
of Africa, landed at Carthagena. The port is a magnificent
one. The bay is one of the largest and best on the whole
coast, extending two leagues and a half from N. to S. ; it has
capital anchorage, though the many shallows at the entrance.
require a careful steerage, and being completely land lock-
ed, is so smooth, that vessels ride here as on a river. The
bay abounds with fish and excellent turtles. Sharks are so
numerous as to render bathing highly dangerous, and they
have been known to attack even boats. The Indian name
of the place was Calamari, which signifies, we are told by
Alcedo, the land of cray-fish. The city is built on a small
peninsula, originally a sandy island, but now connected with
the continent by an artificial neck of land. It has a suburb,
called Xiximani, almost as large as the city, built on an-
other island, and communicating with it by means of a
wooden bridge. Both the city and the suburbs are surround-
ed with strong fortifications of free stone. At a short dis-
tance from the town, on the main land, is a hill command- -
ing these fortifications, on which is a strong fort. This
eminence, which is about 150 feet high, communicates on
the east with a range of more elevated hills, terminating in
a summit 550 feet above the sea, on which stands the Au-
gustinian monastery of Nuestra Senhora de la Popa. The
height of La Popa is not fortified, which, says Capt. Coch-
rane, is unaccountable, as it has several times been the cause
of the fall of Carthagena, without almost a single shot being
fired. The Colombians have now some idea of fortifying it.
I found lying there a large brass eighteen pounder that had
been brought by Morillo, and the remains of a fascine and
1
43
506
FAMILY TOURIST.
CARTHAGENA.
mud battery erected by Bolivar, when he attacked Cartha-
gena. Had Admiral Vernon landed a few cannon, and had
them dragged here by a body of seamen, he must have cap-
tured the place, as the possessors of this point will always
be masters of the city. On the summit, at the western ex-
tremity, is the Augustin convent of Neustra Senhora de la
Popa, which was formerly very rich. I saw the room where
Bolivar was sitting during the siege, when a shot entering
at the window, shattered the shutter, passed over his head,
struck the wall, bounded back, and then, striking the side
wall, bounced out at another window, without doing Bolivar
any injury. The monastery is now almost in ruins, and is
tenanted by one solitary friar, who occasionally makes a
little money by letting one or two rooms to people who wish
to enjoy cooler air than that of the town, which would be
insufferable were it not for an almost constant sea breeze.
The town produces by no means a pleasing impression,
in contrast with the cheerful seaports of the United States,
from which the French Traveller had recently sailed. Car-
thagena in fact, he says, presents the melancholy aspect of
a cloister. Long galleries, short and clumsy columns,
streets narrow and dark, from the too great projection of
the terraces, which almost prevent the admission of day-
light; the greater part of the houses dirty, full of smoke,
poverty-stricken, and sheltering beings still more filthy,
black, and miserable;—such is the picture at first present-
ed by a city adorned with the name of the rival of Rome.
However, on entering the houses, their construction, singu-
lar at first sight, appears afterwards to be well contrived,
the object being to admit the circulation of fresh air. The
rooms are nothing but immense vestibules, in which the
cool air, unfortunately so rare, might be respired with the
utmost delight, were it not for the stings of thousands of
insects, and for the bats, whose bites are not only more
painful, but are even said to be venomous. A table, half a
dozen wooden chairs, a mat bed, a large jar, and two can-
dlesticks, generally compose the whole stock of furniture
of these habitations, which are built of brick, and covered
in with tiles. Two sieges which Carthagena has under-
gone, have ruined the resources of a majority of its inhab-
itants.
FAMILY TOURIST.
507
CARTHAGENA.
Carthagena is very strong, and of vast extent. Nine
thousand men, at least, would be required to defend it at
all points. The immense cisterns contained within its walls,
are justly objects of admiration; and the water preserved
in them is excellent. Carthagena is, therefore, rather a
fortified than a commercial town, and will entirely cease to
be the latter, when it is no longer the entrepôt of Panama.
At a distance of 200 leagues from the equator, its temper-
ature is hot and unhealthy, and the yellow fever makes fre-
quent ravages there. The population of Carthagena,
about 18,000 souls, is, for the most part, composed of peo-
ple of color, the greater proportion of whom are sailors or
fishermen. Many keep shops for the sale of mercery or
eatables, others follow useful trades: they display a nascent
industry, which, to prosper, requires, perhaps, only encour-
agement and emulation. Their shell-works are beautiful.
They are skillful jewelers, good carpenters, excellent shoe-
makers, tolerable tailors, indifferent joiners, blacksmiths
rather than whitesmiths, masons destitute of all ideas of
proportion, and bad painters, but impassioned musicians.
The dangers of the sea, and an industry often praised and
always well paid, have inspired the people of color with a
pride which often gives occasion for complaint. Their pet-
ulance and vivacity form a singular contrast with the indif-
ference and mildness of those who are called whites, so
that notwithstanding their idleness, they appear active and
laborious. The contraband trade is exclusively confined
to them, and the heartiness with which they engage in it, is
a reproach to those whose duty it is to put a stop to the
illicit traffic.
The women of color, the offspring of negresses and white
men, are tall, and much more agreeable than the mulattoes
of our Antilles, who are generally too corpulent: daugh-
ters of the Indians and negroes, their physiognomy pos-
sesses greater delicacy and expression. If, on the one
hand, the races become more enervated under the tropics
as they become fairer, on the other, their personal appear-
ance is improved. Thus it is, that the female mulattoes
are very inferior in beauty to the whites, and lose much
when seen near them, which often happens with the Span-
iards, in whose churches there are no privileged places, as
in those of the United States. With the Spaniards, all
pray to God in common, without regard to color; and an
508
FAMILY TOURIST.
CARTHAGENA.
insurrection would doubtless be the consequence, should
the following notice be officially affixed to the church-doors:
To-day instruction for men of color.
Carthagena was founded by Pedro de Heredia, in 1533.
It was made an episcopal city in 1534. Owing to its fine
situation, it soon attracted the attention of foreigners, par-
ticularly the French. It was sacked by a Corsican pirate
in 1544. In 1583, Sir Francis Drake, after pillaging it,
set it on fire, but it was rescued from the flames by a ran-
som of 120,000 ducats, paid him by the neighboring colo-
nies. It was invaded and pillaged a third time, by the
French, in 1697. In the year 1741, it was invested by the
English, under admiral Vernon and Sir Charles Ogle, who
succeeded in destroying the forts; but, owing, as it is said,'
to a misunderstanding between the naval and military com-
manders, and a mortality among the troops, the enterprise
was precipitately abandoned with considerable loss. It has
suffered much in the revolutionary contest. The climate is
very hot, especially during the rainy season, which lasts
from May to November, and is attended by a continued suc-
cession of tempest and thunder storms. The streets have
then the appearance of rivers, and all the cisterns and
tanks are filled, to which the inhabitants are indebted for
their only supply of sweet water. From December to April,
the weather is fine, and the heat is tempered by north-east
winds. The black vomit is almost as fatal here to stran-
gers as at Vera Cruz. The inhabitants are very subject to
leprosy. Bats are so numerous, that they cover the streets
in an evening, in clouds, and there is not a house in which
these nocturnal visiters are not found. Beetles, centipedes,
scorpions, niguas, and morcielagos, are among the insect
annoyances of the place; besides which, Alcedo mentions
the culebrilla, which breeds under the skin, causing a swell-
ing, which often terminates in gangrene, and produces con-
vulsions. Merchandise is very liable to be destroyed by the
moth. The inhabitants have in general a very unhealthy
appearance, and yet, there are said to be many instances of
longevity. It stands in latitude 10° 26' north; longitude
75° 26' west.
•
BOLIVIA
CHUQUISACA.
CHUQUISACA is the capital of Bolivia. It was formerly
called La Plata (the silver river), or Charcas, being the
capital of Los Charcas, an extensive province, comprehend-
ing all the south-east part of Peru. According to Alcedo,
it stands in latitude 19° 31' south; 290 leagues from Cuzco.
The population is variously estimated. According to Mr.
Miller, it contains 18,000 souls. It was founded in 1539,
by one of Pizarro's captains. It stands in a small plain,
surrounded with eminences, which defend it from the in-
clemency of the winds. The climate is mild, but, during
the winter, dreadful tempests are not unusual, and the rains
of long continuance. The city is supplied with water from
several public fountains by means of aqueducts. The best
houses are only one story in height, but roomy, with delight-
ful gardens. There is a large and handsome cathedral,
adorned with fine furniture and some beautiful paintings;
there are also, besides another parochial church, five mo-
nastic establishments, all spacious buildings with splendid
churches, a conventual hospital, three nunneries, and a
royal university. Latitude, 19° 30′ south. Longitude,
west, 66° 46',
POTOSI.
Potosi is situated about 15,000 feet above the level of the
sea in the province of Porco, in lat. 19° 51′ and long. 60°
same mountains. People are constantly employed as lake
43*
510
FAMILY TOURIST.
POTOSI.
-
31' of Cadiz. Upon the accidental discovery of its min-
eral riches in 1545,* it became a mine-station, but was at
length made a town, and afterwards the capital of the in-
tendency. In 1611, Potosi contained 150,000 inhabitants,
a great part of whom were miners. In 1825, owing to the
check given to the working of the mines and the shocks sus-
tained by the wealthy establishments during the Revolution,
the population is said to have been reduced to 8000.
The traveller, on approaching Potosi, from whatever
side he may come, emerges from deep mountain ravines,
and discovers the town at the foot of the celebrated argentife-
rous Cerro, which is a conical hill about three leagues in
circumference at the base. Its summit is more than 2000
feet above the town, and consequently 17,000 feet above the
level of the sea. It appears to be of volcanic origin, and
its sides are marked with spots of various hues, such as dark
green, orange, grey, and red. Above 5000 mine mouths or
levels have been opened on the mountain. Of these, only
fifty or sixty are now worked. The rest are stopped up, are
inundated, or have fallen in. The upper portion of the
mountain is so completely honey-combed, that it may be con-
sidered as nearly worked out. The lower part, above one
third of the cone, has hardly been touched, in consequence
of the number of springs which impede the workings.
The surrounding country is also metalliferous. Silver of
great fineness abounds in a hill called Guayna Potosi, (Young
Potosi,) close to the Cerro, but which cannot be worked,
on account of numerous springs being met with at no great
distance from the surface. The ore is pulverized in mills,
worked with overshot wheels, turned by streamlets conduc-
ted from lakes or pools in the mountains, from one to ten
miles distance from the city. The most considerable of
these lakes are formed by dams built across the ravines.
The water is sparingly let out by a sluice, in the day-time,
but never at night, and sometimes not oftener than twice a
week, according to the supply. Some of the larger pools.
are fed by tributary ones, situated in higher recesses of the
* The story told respecting their discovery, is, that an Indian, who was
pursuing some wild goats up the mountains, on coming to a very steep
part, laid hold of a small shrub to assist him to climb up; the shrub gave
way from its roots, and discovered a mass of fine silver among the clods.
FAMILY TOURIST.
511
POTOSI.
keepers, to attend to the sluices, and to repair damages. In
very dry seasons, it has happened, that a scarcity of water
has caused the mills to stand still. This inconvenience
might be obviated, if the channels were paved, and the lakes
properly cleaned out.
The town of Potosi is built on uneven ground. It has a
spacious square in the centre. The government house, the
town house, and the jail, under the same roof, occupy one
side; the treasury, and government officers another; a con-
vent and an unfinished church the third; and private resi-
dences the fourth. Extensive suburbs, once tenanted by
Indians and miners, are now without an inhabitant, and the
vestiges of the streets are all that remain.
Among the most remarkable public edifices is the mint,
substantially built of stone, upon a plan admirably adapted
to the purposes for which it was designed. It cost 1,148,-
000 dollars, including the machinery. It contains spacious
apartments for the superintendent, and a few of the princi-
pal officers.*
The climate of Potosi is disagreeable. The rays of the
sun are scorchingly hot at noon, while in the shade, and at
night, the air is piercingly cold. The country for three
leagues around is so completely barren, that a blade of vege-
tation is not to be seen, with the exception of a plant called
quinuali, which is a remedy against the puna, (difficulty of
respiration.)
The market of Potosi is one of the best supplied in South
America, though some articles of great consumption are
furnished from very distant provinces. Wine, brandy, and
oil are brought from the Puertos Intermedios, and flour from
Cochabambia. Mules, asses, and Llamas are the only means
of transport. The necessaries, as well as the luxuries of life
are exorbitantly dear. Formerly, many Indian families
took up their abode in huts and caves near the mines on the
Cerro, and descended to the town only on a Saturday night,
*The first mint was built in 1572; the present edifice in 1751. Up to
the latter date, the money coined at Potosi, consisted of flat, angular pie-
ces of silver or gold, bearing the Spanish arms, and a figure denoting their
value. They are often called Buccaneer dollars, and are the "pieces of
eight," frequently mentioned in the history of those marine freebooters.
The annual coinage has, in the most productive years, amounted to five
millions of dollars in silver, and to 36,800 doubloons in gold.
512
FAMILY TOURIST.
POTOSI.
to receive their wages, and to purchase a weekly supply of
provisions. Many of these often remained to squander their
earnings in dissipation, drunkenness, or gambling; and pass-
ed great part of the night playing the guitar, and singing
at the doors of the tippling shops.
A singular custom, which probably originated in the in-
dulgence of early mine-owners still prevails. Between Sat-
urday night and Monday morning, the Cerro literally be-
comes the property of such persons as choose to work upon
their own account. During, that time, the boldest master
would not venture to visit his own mines. They who thus
take possession are called caxchas, and generally sell the
produce of Sunday to their own masters. Independently of
the ore thus abstracted, the caxchas did considerable mis-
chief by neglecting the proper precautions as they excava-
ted. If they met with a more than usually rich vein in the
course of the week, it was passed over and cunningly reserv-
ed for the following Sunday. Very strong measures were
therefore taken to abolish the custom; but every effort proved
unsuccessful. The caxchas defended their privilege by force
of arms, and by hurling down large stones upon their as-
sailants. So watchful are they, that it once happened that
fifteen or twenty llamas, richly laden with silver ore, were
seized on the descent, because they had left the mine after
the hour at which the caxcha privilege commenced.
ther llamas nor drivers were ever heard of again.
Nei-
Although Potosi was the last town in Peru that became
independent, it was the first to raise a monument to its libe-
rators; for, previously to Bolivar's arrival in 1825, an obe-
lisk, sixty feet high, was erected in the principal square.
Besides the preceding cities there are others which in this
connexion may be briefly noticed.
LA PAZ, situated in lat. 16° 29′ S. is distant from Potosi
350 miles by the road, and contains, according to Holmes,
20,000 inhabitants. It lies in a ravine, so deep, narrow, and
steep, that it is quite concealed from the view of the travel-
ler, till he arrives almost directly over it. He sees, of a sud-
den, as he is proceeding, a vast gulf at his feet, in the bot-
tom of which appears a town very regularly built, as it seems,
with packs of cards. "The coup d'oeil of La Paz, conveys
precisely this idea, the red tiled roofs and white fronts of
FAMILY TOURIST.
513
POTOSI.
the houses answering admirably for hearts and diamonds,
whilst the smoked roofs and dingy mud walls of the Indian
ranchos answer equally well for spades and clubs. Through
this fairy town may be faintly seen, winding with occasional
interruptions, a silver thread, marked with specks of frothy
white, which, upon approaching, proves to be a mountain.
torrent, leaping from rock to rock, and sweeping through
the valley. In casting an eye farther round, you perceive
squares and patches of every. shade of green and yellow;
fruit and vegetables, and crops of every kind, in all their
stages, from the act of sowing to that of gathering in, trees
bearing fruit, and at the same time putting forth buds and
blossoms, and the whole scene teeming with luxuriance and
beauty. Yet on raising the eyes from the lap of this fruit-
ful Eden, they rest on the widest contrast in the realms of
nature. Naked and arid rocks rise in mural precipices
around; high above these, mountains beaten by furious tem-
pests frown in all the blackness of sterility; higher still, the
tops of others, reposing in the regions of eternal snow, glis-
ten with undiminished splendor in the presence of a tropi-
cal sun.
After a descent of three miles, you reach the bot-
tom of the ravine; and instead of finding La Paz built on a
flat, as you supposed from the summit overhanging the
abyss, you find it really built on hills with some of its streets
extremely steep. The torrent which waters the ravine is a
head branch of the mighty Beni, or main stream of the
Maranon; and in falls of rain, forces along huge masses of
rock, with large grains of gold. It is the great emporium
of Peru, as all the merchandise from the Pacific is conveyed
thither, then carried off by merchants, great and small, to the
towns and villages in the interior.
OROPEZA, or Cochabamba, is the capital of the rich and
fertile district of Cochabamba, and is so called from the
gold found in its vicinity. It lies in a fertile valley, near
the source of the Rio Grande, the head branch of the Ma-
deira. The district being the very granary of Bolivia, this
city drives a great trade in grain, fruits, and vegetables ;
and contains 17,000 inhabitants, amongst which are many
rich and noble families.
ORURO was once a place of note, with 8,000 inhabitants,
but now reduced to less than one half, from the destruction
514
FAMILY TOURIST.
ORURA.
of the tin and silver mines in its vicinity, which formerly
supported a brisk and extensive commerce, but now nearly
extinct from want of those resources, which were absorbed
by the all-consuming evils of civil war. The tin mines
were long famous, and those of silver were once among the
most productive in Peru. But, of late years, being aban-
doned, they have filled with water, which they have neither
machinery to employ, nor money for applying any other
method to carry it off. Here were many families of enor-
mous wealth. Rodriguez, the late head of one of these,
was proprietor of a famous silver mine in the vicinity, so
productive, that he discarded from his house all articles of
glass, delft, or crockery ware, and replaced them by others.
made from the silver of his mine. Utensils of the most
common use, as well as those of luxury and ornament, such
aspier-tables in the principal apartments, frames of pictures
and of mirrors, footstools, pots, and pans, were all of sil-
ver. Said a native to Semple, who was there in 1827,-
'Do you see that trough in the court yard?' (pointing to a
very large stone trough for watering mules and other ani-
mals)—' I do assure you that Rodriguez had two of much
larger size for the same purpose, of pure and solid silver;
and before the revolution, there were three or four houses
in Oruro, that could boast of having quite as much.' Oruro
is 180 miles north of Potosi, in a barren and level plain,
bounded west by the snow-covered Andes."*
* Goodrich's Universal Geography.
PERU
LIMA.
LIMA, the capital of Peru, was founded by Pizarro, in
1535. It is situated on the western coast, about two
leagues from the ocean, and 30 from the Cordilleras: lati-
tude, 12° 2' south; longitude, 76° 58' west. It stands in
the midst of the spacious and delightful valley of Rimac,
the name of an idol formerly worshipped by the Peruvians,
and supposed to have been corrupted by the Spanish pro-
nunciation into Lima. A river of the same name passes
close by the city on the north, watering the valley by nu-
merous canals, and falling into the sea near Callao. This
latter is the port of Lima. On approaching the anchorage
at Callao, the numerous spires and domes of Lima are
seen to the left of the town of Callao, giving to the city an
air decidedly oriental. The prospect, at sunset, Mr. Miller
tells us, is particularly interesting: for, when twilight has
already thrown the landscape of the plain into deep shade,
the domes of the city are still gilded by the departing sun;
and when these are also become shrouded in darkness, the
peaks of the mountains continue for some time to be illu-
mined by his lingering beams.
Callao was itself formerly a city, and a place of some
beauty. But at present the houses make but an indifferent
appearance, being only about twenty feet high, divided into
two stories, with mud walls and flat roofs. The ground
floors form a row of small shops, open in front, and the up-
per stories an uncouth corridor. The slightness of their
construction is sufficiently explained by two circumstances:
the frequency of earthquakes, and rain being unknown.
The city of Callao (for such was the title conferred upon it
516
FAMILY TOURIST.
LIMA.
in 1671) was entirely destroyed by the earthquake of 1746,
which laid three-fourths of the capital in ruins. By that
terrible convulsion, upwards of 3,000 people are said to
have perished at Callao alone. The city stood at a short dis-
tance to the southward of the present town; and on a calm
day, the ruins may yet be seen under water, at that part of
the bay called the Mar Braba (rough sea), where a sentry
is placed on the beach, for the purpose of taking charge of
any treasure that may be washed ashore, which not unfre-
quently happens. In Alcedo's Dictionary, it is stated, that,
of 3,000 inhabitants, only one man was left to record the
dreadful catastrophe. Mr. Stephenson, however, became
acquainted with an old mulatto, who was one of the three
or four who were saved. He told me (says Mr. S.) that he
was sitting on some timber, which had been landed from a
ship in the bay, at the time that the great wave of the sea
rolled in, and buried the city; and that he was carried,
clinging to the log, near to the chapel, a distance of three
miles. The island of San Lorenzo is said to have been
separated from the main land by this convulsion. It is
between two and three miles in circuit, the soil mere sand
and black rock.
From Callao to Lima is six miles, and a good road. But
two miles, however, of this road has been finished as it was
begun. Commencing at a noble gateway at the entrance
of the city, it has a double row of lofty willows on each
side, shading the foot-walk. A small stream of water runs
by each walk, irrigating the willows, and nourishing num-
berless weeds and flowers. This promenade is also fur-
nished with stone benches every hundred yards; and at
about every mile is a large circle formed of walls of brick
and stone, four feet high, with stone seats around it, for
carriages to turn in with greater ease than on the road. It
was the intention of the Viceroy to carry the road down to
Callao in the same style; but only the carriage road is fin-
ished, which has a parapet of brick on each side to keep
together the materials. Half way between the port and the
city stands a very neatly built chapel, with a small cloister
attached to it, dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
the protectress of seamen. Near it, is a house at which
are sold good brandy and wine, which is the more frequent-
ed of the two. On approaching the city, the soil improves;
FAMILY TOURIST.
517
LIMA.
large vegetable gardens and fields of lucern and maize are
seen; and close to the city walls are extensive orchards of
tropical fruits, all irrigated by canals from the river Rimac.
The gateway is a tripple arch of brick, stuccoed, with cor-
nices, mouldings, and pillars of stone. The dilapidated
insignia of the crown of Spain, over the gate, now serve as
an emblem of the fall of its empire.
Immediately on passing the gateway, the stranger is
struck with the contrast which the interior of the city pre-
sents to the grandeur of the approach and distant view.
He finds himself in a long, dirty street of low houses, with
small shops, having their goods placed on tables at the
doors,—no glass windows, no display of articles of com-
merce,—the people of all colors, fron the black African to
the white and florid Biscayan. In some parts of the city,
however, are to be seen a number of smart shops, exhibit-
ing a rich display of French silks and jewelry, and British
goods of every description. The English costume is now
quite prevalent in Lima, mingled with the French; while
the fair Limeñas have a dress peculiar to themselves. Eve-
rywhere, the streets are full of bustle; and when a church
procession or some other object of interest draws together
the various classes of the population in some of the public
squares, the groupes which are formed, present altogether a
motley and extraordinary appearance, well described by Mr.
Mathison. "Priests, in rich sacerdotal vestments; friars,
of various orders, Franciscan, Benedictine, Dominican,
and others, many of whose portly persons and ruddy coun-
tenances belie the austerity of their profession; men
dressed up as nuns, with black veils and masks, selling lit-
tle waxen images of the Virgin; women of all classes,-
some in shawls and hats, others with the showy saya (petti-
coat) and black silk manto, so put on as carefully to con-
ceal the face and expose the person; blacks and mulat-
toes, male and female; and Indians, whose squalid, hide-
ous features bear no resemblance to the pictures which
imagination is wont to draw of their ancestors, 'the gentle
children of the sun;' loaded mules and asses, with their
attendant peons, just arrived from the port; country creoles
of both sexes, on horseback, mounted and equipped alike;
carriages (here termed valencins) made and painted in the
Spanish fashion, and filled with smartly dressed ladies, their
black servants, and postilions, bedecked in the most taw-
44
518
FAMILY TOURIST.
LIMA.
dry liveries; cavaliers of all nations, and patriot officers in
gay uniforms,-some on foot, courting the attention of the
fair beholders, others showing off the paces of their pran-
cing steeds; venders of ice and chica (a favorite Peruvian
drink); beggars, imploring alms in the name of the Virgin
and all the saints of the Romish calendar;-these, and other
innumerable objects, during the procession, and for some
hours afterwards, contribute to enliven and diversify the
scene."*
The great square of Lima is on an elevation of 480 feet
above the sea. The figure of the city is described by Al-
cedo as triangular. Mr. Stevenson says, it approaches to
a semicircle, having the river for its diameter. It is two
miles long from east to west, and one and a quarter broad,
from the bridge to the wall. It is, for the most part, divi-
ded into squares (quadras), of which there are 157; and
there are said to be 355 streets, all built at right angles, and
generally about twenty-five feet wide. Those running east.
and west, have a small stream of water flowing down them;
and the Rimac passes through a part of the town. On the
other side of the river is the suburb of San Lazaro, which
is inhabited by the less respectable part of the community.
Lima is stated to contain nearly 4,000 houses, four large
monasteries, with numerous dependent convental and colle-
giate establishments, fifteen nunneries, and four beaterios
and a population, in 1810, of 87,000 souls.
The city received from Pizarro the name of Los Keyes,
or the city of Kings. It is surrounded (except towards the
river) with a wall of sun-dried bricks, about ten feet thick
at the bottom, and eight at the top, forming a beautiful
promenade round two thirds of the city. Its average height
is twelve feet, with a parapet of three feet. It is flanked
with thirty-four bastions, but without embrasures. There
are seven gates, and three posterns, which are closed every
night at eleven, and opened at four, A. M. This wall of en-
closure, rather than of defence, was built by the Viceroy,
the Duke de la Palata, in 1685, and repaired in 1808. At
the south-eastern extremity of the city is a small citadel,
called Santa Catalina, in which are the artillery barracks
and a military depôt.
* Matthison's Visit to Brazil, Chili, and Peru.
FAMILY TOURIST.
519
LIMA.
The plaça mayor or principal square, has, on the eastern
side, the cathedral, a very handsome pile; to the north of
which is the sagrario, or principal parish church, having a
very beautiful façade: and adjoining it is the archiepiscopal
palace, which surpasses in appearance every other building
in the square. Green balconies run along the front, on
each side of an arched gateway leading into the patio; but
the lower part is disgraced with a row of small shops, the
nearest one to the sagrario being a pulperia (grog-shop).
Under the area of the cathedral, which is ten feet above the
level of the square, there is also a range of shops. On the
north side is the Viceroy's palace, the lower part of which
is in like manner concealed by a range of shops and stalls;
and over these runs a long gallery with tiers of seats for the
accommodation of the inhabitants when there is any fête
in the square. At the north-western corner is a gallery for
the family of the Viceroy, which, on days of ceremony, was
fitted up with green velvet hangings. The south side of
the square is formed by a row of private houses, but with an
arcade or piazza in front, occupied with the shops of dra-
pers and mercers. On the north side is the cabildo, or
town-hall, a building very much in the Chinese style; and
under it is the city gaol. In the centre of the square
is a beautiful brass fountain, erected in 1653, the wa-
ter of which is the best in Lima; and at all hours of the
day, water-carriers are busily employed in conveying it
to all parts of the city. In this square is held the principal
market.
The interior of the cathedral is very rich. The walls and
floor are of good free-stone, and the roof, which is beauti-
fully pannelled and carved in compartments, is supported by
arches springing from a double row of neat square pillars
of stone work. All these, on festivals, are covered with
hangings of crimson velvet, fringed with the richest gold
lace; but in Passion-week, purple velvet hangings are sub-
stituted. The high altar has a most magnificent appear-
ance. It is of the Corinthian order; the columns, cor-
nices, and mouldings are cased with pure silver; and over
it is a celestial crown of silver gilt; the sacrorium in the
centre is richly ornamented with chased silver-work. The
custodium is of gold delicately wrought, and enriched with
520
FAMILY TOURIST.
LIMA.
a profusion of diamonds and other precious stones: from
the pedestal to the points of the rays, it measures seven
feet, and is too heavy to be lifted by a person of ordinary
strength. The front of the altar table is of embossed sil-
ver, very beautiful. The front of the choir is closed by
tastefully wrought palisades of iron, gilt, with large gates of
the same. The stalls are of carved cedar. There are two
organs of fine tone, and the choral music is very good. On
grand festivals, the coup d'œil is very imposing. The high
altar is then illuminated with more than a thousand wax
tapers. The large silver candelabra, each weighing up-
wards of a hundred pounds, the superb silver branches and
lamps, and the splendid service of plate on the left of the
altar, have a most magnificent effect.
The archbishop, in his costly pontifical robes, is seen
kneeling under a canopy of crimson velvet, with a reclina-
tory and cushions of the same material. A number of
assisting priests, in their robes of ceremony, fill the pres-
bytery; next to which, leading towards the choir, are seats
covered with velvet, on the left for the officers of state and
the corporation, on the right for the judges, who attend in
full costume. In the centre, in front of the altar, a state
chair covered with crimson velvet was appropriated to the
Viceroy, when he attended in state, having on each side,
three halberdiers of his body-guard; while behind him
stood his chaplain, chamberlain, groom, the captain of the
body-guard, and four pages in waiting. Three times dur-
ing mass, one of the acolites used to descend from the
presbytery with a censer, and bow to the Viceroy, who
stood up amid a cloud of smoke: the acolite bowed as he
retired, and the Viceroy again knelt down.
At the back of the high altar is a chapel dedicated to St.
Francis Xavier, in which are effigies of two archbishops in
white marble, kneeling. This chapel is the vault where the
archbishops of Lima were formerly buried; but it is now
closed, and the bodies of the primates are at present car-
ried to the Pantheon, the common burial-place, where the
first corpse interred was that of Archbishop La Reguera,
which was exhumed for the purpose.
The interior of the Sagrario is very splendid. The roof
is lofty and beautifully pannelled, and in the centre is a cu-
FMILY TOURIST.
521
LIMA.
pola resting upon the four corners formed by the intersec-
tion of the cross aisle. The part of the high altars are splen-
didly carved, varnished and gilt. Great part of the high al-
tar is cased with silver, and the custodium is of gold,
richly set with diamonds and gems. The foot is incased
with silver.
The parish churches of Lima, have nothing to recom-
mend them to particular notice. Of the conventual church-
es, those belonging to the principal houses are remarkably
rich. That of San Domingo, about 100 yards from the
plaça mayor, is truly magnificent, and its tower is the lofti-
est in the city. It is about 180 feet high, built chiefly of
bajareque (wood work and plaster.) The roof of the church
is supported by a double row of light pillars painted and
gilt, the ceiling is divided into pannels by gilt mouldings,
and the large central pannels exhibit some good paintings
in fresco. The high altar is ornamented with Ionic col-
umns varnished in imitation of marble, with gilt capitals and
mouldings. At the foot of the presbytery, on the right,
stands the silver altar of our Lady of the Rosary. This al-
tar, Mr. Stephenson says, exceeds any other in Lima, both
in richness and effect. It is entirely covered with pure sil-
ver. Its elegant fluted columns, highly finished embossed
pedestals, capitals, and cornices, some of them doubly gilt,
are superb. In the centre of the altar is the niche of the
Madonna, of exquisite workmanship: the interior contains
a transparent painting of a temple, the light being admitted
to it by a window at the back of the altar. The effigy is
gorgeously dressed; the crown is a cluster of diamonds and
other precious gems, and the drapery is of the richest bro-
cades, laces, and embroidery; the rosary is a string of large
pearls of the finest orient. Such is the abundance, or rather
profusion, of drapery, that the same dress is never continued
two days together throughout the year.
Before the niche, fifteen large wax tapers are continually
burning in silver sockets; and in a semicircle before the al-
tar are suspended by massive silver chains, curiously wrought,
fourteen large, heavy lamps, kept constantly lighted, with
olive oil. Besides these, are, similarly suspended, eight fan-
cifully wrought silver bird-cages, whose inmates, in thrilling
notes, join the pealing tones of the organ and the sacred
chants of divine worship. Four splendid silver chandeliers
hang opposite the altar, each containing fifteen wax tapers;
44*
522
FAMILY TOURIST.
LIMA.
below are ranged six heavy silver candelabra, six feet high,
and six tables cased in silver, each supporting a large silver
branch with seven tapers; also four urns of the same pre-
cious metal, filled with perfumed spirits, which are always
burning on festivals, and emit scents from the most costly
drugs and spices; the whole being surrounded with fuming
pastillas, held by silver cherubim. On those days when the
festivals of the Virgin Mary are celebrated, and particularly
at the feast of the Rosary, the sumptuous appearance of this
altar exceeds all description: at that time, during nine days,
more than a thousand tapers blaze, and the chanting and
music of the choir are uninterrupted. At the celebration
of these feasts, many miracles are pretended to be wrought
by the Madonna, and many absurd legends are related from
the pulpit.
On the left of the high altar stands one dedicated to Saint
Rose; it is highly ornamented, and has a large urn contain-
ing an effigy of the saint, in a reclining posture, of white
marble and good sculpture. On each side of the church are
six altars, colored and varnished in imitation of different
marbles, lapis lazuli, &c. with gilt mouldings, cornices, and
other embellisments. The choir is over the entrance at the
principal porch; it is capacious, and has two good organs.
The music belonging to the church, is all painted on vellum
by a lay brother of the order and some of the books are
ably done. Three of the cloisters are very good; the prin-
cipal one is elegant; it has two ranges of cells, and the pil-
lars and arches are of stone, of fine workmanship. The
lower part of the walls is covered with Dutch tiles, exhibiting
sketches from the life of St. Dominick, &c. Above are
large indifferently executed paintings of the life and mira-
cles of the tutelary saints: they are generally concealed by
pannelled shutters, which are opened on holidays and festi-
vals. At the angles of this cloister are small altars, with
busts and effigies, most of them in bad style. The lower
cloisters are paved with freestone flags; the upper ones with
bricks. Some of the cells are richly furnished, and display
more delicate attention to luxury, than rigid observance of
monastic austerity. The library contains a great number
of books on theology and morality. On the wall of the stairs
leading from the cloister to the choir, is a fine painting of
Christ in the sepulchre. The rents of this convent amount
to about 80,000 dollars annually. Belonging to this order.
FAMILY TOURIST.
523
LIMA.
is the sanctuary of Saint Rose, she having been a beata or
devotee of the order. In the small chapel are several
relics of the saint.*
We shall not attempt a minute description of the churches,
chapels, convents and hospitals of Lima. They are quite
numerous, and in some of the former there is great display
of ornaments and paintings. Some of the latter are said to
be beautiful.
The University of Lima, was founded in 1749 by a bull of
Pius V. It is a handsome building, with several good halls
and an extensive library. Besides the University there are
several colleges-the royal college of San Carlos, founded
by the Jesuits for secular studies; the college Del Principe,
where young Indian caciques are educated for the church;
the medical college of San Fernando, the college of San
Toribio, an ecclesiastical seminary; and a nautical acade-
my in what was the palace of the Viceroy. The respective
costumes of the collegians are not a little singular. The
dress of the students of San Carlos, is a full suit of black,
with a cocked hat and dress sword: that of Del Principe is
a full suit of green with a crimson shoulder ribbon, and also
a cocked hat; that of San Fernando, is a full suit of blue
with yellow buttons and collar trimmed with gold lace; and
that of San Toribio, an almond-colored gown (called the
opa,) very wide at the bottom, and made like a poncho, with
a scarf of pale blue cloth, and a square bonnet of black cloth.
The preceding description, for which we are indebted to
the volumes of Mr. Stevenson, will give an idea of what Li-
ma was in the days of its wealth and pride, when it was the
richest city of South America. This traveller arrived in
that city, in 1811, during the viceroyalty of Abascal; and
during his stay there, the act of the Cortes was received,
abolishing the Inquisition. A short time before, he had
been cited before that dread tribunal for rashly engaging in
a dispute with a Dominican friar; he had now the opportu-
nity of paying a second visit, under very different circum-
stances, in company with some friends who had obtained
the Viceroy's permission to explore the empty den of the
monster. His account of the visit must not be suppressed.
"The doors of the hall being opened, many entered,
* Stevenson's Twenty Years Residence in South America
524
FAMILY TOURIST.
LIMA.
who were not invited, and seeing nothing in a posture of de-
fence, the first victims to our fury, were the tables and chairs:
these were soon demolished; after which some persons laid
hold of the velvet curtains of the canopy, and dragged them
so forcibly, that canopy and crucifix came down with a hor-
rid crash. The crucifix was rescued from the ruins of in-
quisitorial state, and its head was discovered to be movea-
ble. A ladder was found to have been secreted behind the
canopy, and thus the whole mystery of this miraculous im-
age became explained: a man was concealed on the ladder
by the curtains of the canopy, and by introducing his hand
through a hole, he moved the head, so as to make it not
consent or shake dissent. In how many instances may ap-
peals to this imposture have caused an innocent man to own
himself guilty of crimes he never dreamed of!
Over-
awed by fear, and condemned as was believed by a
miracle, falsehood would supply the place of truth; and
innocence, if timid, confess itself sinful. Every one was
now exasperated with rage, and 'there are yet victims in
the cells,' was universally murmured. A search! a search!'
was the cry, and the door leading to the interior was quickly
broken through. The next we found was called del secreto :
the word secret stimulated curiosity, and the door was in-
stantly burst open. It led to the archives. Here were
heaped upon shelves, papers containing the written cases of
those who had been accused or tried: and here I read the
name of many a friend, who little imagined that his con-
duct had been scrutinized by the holy tribunal, or that his
name had been recorded in so awfnl a place. Some who
were present, discovered their own names on the rack, and
pocketed the papers. I put aside fifteen cases, and took
them home with me; but they were not of great impor-
tance, Four for blasphemy, bore a sentence, which was
three months' seclusion in a convent, a general confession,
and different penances-all secret. The others were accu-
sations of friars, solicitantes in confessione, two of whom I
knew, and though some danger attended the disclosure, I
told them afterwards what I had seen. Prohibited books in
abundance were in the room, and many found future own-
To our great surprise, we met with a quantity of
printed cotton handkerchiefs. These, alas! had incurred
the displeasure of the Inquisition, because a figure of Re-
ligion, holding a chalice in one hand, and a cross in the
ers.
FAMILY TOURIST.
525
LIMA.
other, was stamped in the centre: placed there, perhaps,
by some unwary manufacturer, who thought such a devout
insignia would insure purchasers, but who forgot the hein-
ousness of blowing the nose or spitting upon the cross.
To prevent such a crime, this religious tribunal had taken
the wares by wholesale, omitting to pay their value to the
owner, who might consider himself fortunate in not having
his shop removed to the sacred house. Leaving this room,
we forced our way into another, which, to our astonishment
and indignation, was that of torture. In the centre stood a
strong table, about eight feet long and seven feet broad; at
one end of which was an iron collar, opening in the middle
horizontally, for the reception of the neck of the victim;
on each side of the collar were also thick straps with buck-
les, for inclosing the arms near to the body; and on the
sides of the table were leather straps with buckles for the
wrists, connected with cords under the table, made fast to
the axle of an horizontal wheel; at the other end were two
more straps for the ankles, with ropes similarly fixed to the
wheels. Thus it was obvious, that a human being might be
extended on the table, and, by turning the wheel, might be
stretched in both directions at the same time, without any
risk of hanging; for that effect was prevented by the two
straps under his arms close to the body; but every joint
might be dislocated. After we had discovered the diaboli-
cal use of this piece of machinery, every one shuddered,
and involuntarily looked towards the door, as if apprehen-
sive that it would close upon him. At first, curses were
muttered, but they were soon changed into loud impreca-
tions against the inventors and practisers of such torments;
and blessings were showered on the Cortes for having abol-
ished this tribunal of arch tyranny. We next examined a
vertical pillory, placed against the wall; it had one large
and two smaller holes; on opening it, by lifting up the one
half, we perceived apertures in the wall, and the purposes
of the machine were soon ascertained. An offender hav-
ing his neck and wrists secured in the holes of the pillory,
and his head and hands hidden in the wall, could be flogged
by the lay brothers of St. Dominick without being known
by them; and thus any accidental discovery was avoided.
Scourges of different materials were hanging on the wall;
some of knotted cord, not a few of which were hardened
526
FAMILY TOURIST.
LIMA.
with blood; others were of wire chain, with points and
rowels like those of spurs; these, too, were clotted with
blood. We also found tormentors, made of netted wire,
the points of every mesh projecting about one eighth of an
inch inward, the outside being covered with leather, and
having strings to tie them on. Some of these tormentors
were of a sufficient size for the waist, others for the thighs,
the legs, and arms. The walls were likewise adorned with
shirts of horse-hair, which could not be considered as a very
comfortable habit after a severe flagellation; with human
bones, having a string at each end, to gag those who made
too free a use of their tongues; and with nippers, made of
cane, for the same purpose. These nippers consisted of
two slips of cane, tied at the ends; by opening in the mid-
dle when they were put into the mouth, and fastened behind
the head, in the same manner as the bones, they pressed
forcibly upon the tongue. In a drawer were a great many
finger screws; they were small semi-circular pieces of iron,
in the form of crescents, having a screw at one end, so that
they could be fixed on the fingers, and screwed to any de-
gree, even till the nails were crushed and the bones broken.
On viewing these implements of torture, who could find an
excuse for the monsters, who would use them to establish
the faith which was taught, by precept and example, by the
mild, the meek, the holy Jesus! May he who would not
curse them in the bitterness of wrath, fall into their merci-
less hands! The rack and the pillory were soon demol-
ished; for such was the fury of more than a hundred per-
sons, who had gained admittance, that, had they been con-
structed of iron, they could not have resisted the violence
and determination of the assailants.. In one corner stood a
wooden horse, painted white: it was conceived to be ano-
ther instrument of torture, and was instantly broken to
pieces; but I was afterwards informed, that a victim of the
Inquisition, who had been burnt at the stake, was subse-
quently declared innocent of the charges preferred against
him; when, as an atonement for his death, his innocence
was publicly announced, and his effigy, dressed in white,
and mounted on this horse, was paraded about the streets
of Lima. Some said, that the individual suffered in Spain,
and that, by a decree of the inquisitor-general, this farce
was performed in every part of the Spanish dominions,
FAMILY TOURIST.
527
LIMA.
where a tribunal existed. We proceeded to the cells, but
found them all open and empty they were small, but not
uncomfortable as places of confinement. Some had a small
yard attached; others, more solitary, had none. The last
person known to have been confined was a naval officer, an
Andalusian, who was exiled in 1812 to Boca China.”
Lima has a general cemetery called the Pantheon, situ-
ated on the outside of the walls; it is sufficiently large to
contain all the dead bodies for six years without removal:
when this becomes necessary, the bones are taken out of
the niches, and placed in the osariums. Many of the rich
families have purchased allotments for family vaults, hav-
ing their names inscribed above. The building is a square
inclosure, divided into several sections; in the walls are
niches, each sufficient to hold a corpse; and the divisions
are also formed by double rows of niches, built one above
another, some of them eight stories high, the fronts being
open. The walks are planted with many aromatics and
evergreens. In the centre is a small chapel, or rather altar
with a roof: its form is octagonal, so that eight priests can
celebrate mass at the same time. The corpse is put into
the niche with the feet foremost: if in a coffin, which sel-
dom happens, except among the richer classes, the lid is
removed, and a quantity of unslacked lime being thrown
on each body, its decay is very rapid. For the conveyance
of the dead, several hearses of different descriptions, are
provided, belonging to the Pantheon: they are not per-
mitted to traverse the streets after twelve o'clock in the
day.
Before the establishment of this cemetery, all the dead
were buried in the churches, or rather, placed in vaults, ma-
ny of which had wooden trap-doors, opening in the floors;
and, notwithstanding the plentiful use of lime, the stench.
and other disgusting effects were sometimes almost insuf-
ferable. When the first nun was to be carried to the Pan-
theon, great opposition was made by the sisterhood; but
the Viceroy sent a file of soldiers, and enforced the inter-
ment of the corpse in the general cemetery.
At the entrance of the burying ground is a chapel, deco-
rated with an image of our Saviour, in the sepulchre, large as
life, and so painted, Mr. Mathison tells us, as to excite in-
describable horror. English feelings cannot be easily recon-
528
FAMILY TOURIST.
LIMA.
ciled to the mode of burial here adopted; and the loathsome
effluvia is quite sufficient to deter from any lengthened.
"meditations among the tombs." Another very offensive
practice, which is very common, is that of bringing the bo-
dies of poor people, whose friends cannot afford the expen-
ses of a coffin and regular conveyance, and throwing them
unceremoniously over the walls of the cemetery, where they
lie until the persons in attendance are prepared to bury them.
In the morning, a number of corpses may be often seen ex-
posed to full view in this way, as if they were no better than
dead dogs or cats.*
Lima has been proverbially distinguished for the luxury,
and dissipation of its citizens, although, as to the degree of
vice that prevails, testimonies differ. Lieutenant Brand,
who visited Lima in 1827, says, "The Priests in Lima are
disgusting. Many have I seen absolutely drunk in the
streets; and I wish this was the worst thing I have to say of
them. In their processions, I have witnessed scenes shock-
ing to human nature. In carrying the Virgin Mary through
the streets, twelve females, supposed to be Virgins, are se-
lected to carry frankincense before her. These women are
now generally female slaves of the most abandoned descrip-
tion. These women as they proceed before the Virgin, are
screaming and hallooing with all their might, at the same
time throwing up the incense to her. The priests are sing-
ing psalms, and I have seen them, in many of these proces-
sions, absolutely drunk while singing their psalms, and be-
tween every verse, laughing and talking with the women.
On the arrival of the Virgin at the church, the scene becomes
more like a riot than a religious procession. Being once in
a church when a procession entered, I could not imagine
what in the world was the matter, such screaming, halloo-
ing, hooting, and roaring as I never heard in my life, were
set up, immediately the Virgin made her appearance. The
boys outside were huzzaing and throwing fire-works within,
which occasioned a scene of tumult impossible to describe.
When this uproar had subsided a little, a beautiful deep
toned organ vibrated through the many aisles of the mag-
nificent Santo Domingo, and the finest sacred music I ever
heard, was chanted by the choir of singers. Between each
cadence, had a pin dropped, it might have been heard
* Mathison's Visit, &c.
FAMILY TOURIST.
529
LIMA.
throughout the crowded church, which but a minute before,
was all uproar and confusion. Alas! as I came away, Í
could not but think, what a mixture of frenzy, bigotry, and
mockery of religion was all this !"*
As regards the deference of the people for the clergy, and
their reverence for the rites of the church, a considerable
change has been produced by the Revolution. From hav-
ing formerly submitted to the most absurd bigotry and su-
perstition, even so far as to kneel in the streets to a priest
passing, some of the rising generation are inclined to scoff
at religion, and ridicule the priesthood. There is, probably,
not more infidelity or irreligion than before, but it can now
more openly discover itself.
"The general aspect of the houses in Lima," remarks
Mr. Stevenson, "is novel to an Englishman on his first
arrival. Those of the inferior classes have but one floor,
and none exceed two. The low houses have a mean appear-
ance, too, from their having no windows in front. If the
front be on a line with the street, they have only a door ;
and if they have a small court yard (patio,) a large, heavy
door opens into the street. Some of the houses of the rich-
er classes have simply the ground-floor: but there is a patio
before the house, and the entrance from the street is
through a heavy-arched doorway, with coach-house on one
side; over this is a small room with a balcony and trellis
windows opening to the street. Part of these houses have
neat green balconies in front, but very few of the windows
are glazed. Having capacious patios, large doors, and or-
namented windows, besides painted porticos and walls,
with neat corridors, their appearance from the street is ex-
ceedingly handsome. In some, there is a prospect of a gar-
den through the small glazed folding doors of two or three
apartments this garden is either real or painted, and con-
tributes very much to enliven the scenery. The patios in
summer have large awnings drawn over them, which pro-
duce an agreeable shade; but the flat roofs, without any
ornaments in front, present an appearance not at all pleasing.
If to this we add the sameness of the many dead walls of the
convents and nunneries, some of the streets must naturally
look very gloomy.
:
"The outer walls of the houses are generally built of
* Brand's Journal of a Visit to Peru.
45
530
FAMİLY TOURIST.
LIMA.
adobes as far as the first floor, and the division walls are al-
ways formed of canes, plastered over on each side: this is
called quincha. The upper story, is made first of a frame
work of wood; canes are afterwards nailed or lashed with
leather thongs on each side the frame work; they are then
plastered over, and the walls are called bajareque. These
additions so considerably increase their bulk, that they
seem to be composed of very solid materials, both with re-
spect to the thickness which they exhibit, and the cornices
and other ornaments which adorn them. Porticoes, arches,
mouldings, &c. at the door ways, are generally formed of
the same materials. Canes bound together and covered
with clay, are substituted also for pillars, as well as for other
architectural ornaments, some of which being well executed
and colored like stone, a stranger, at first sight, easily sup-
poses them to be built of the materials they are intended to
imitate. The roofs, being flat, are constructed of rafters
laid across and covered with cane, or cane mats, with a lay-
er of clay, sufficient to intercept the rays of the sun, and to
guard against the fogs. Many of the better sort of houses
have the roofs covered with large, thin baked bricks, on
which the inhabitants can walk. These asoteas (as they
are called) are very useful, and are often overspread with
flowers and plants in pots: they also serve for drying clothes
and other similar purposes. Among the higher classes, the
ceilings are generally of pannel work, ornamented with a
profusion of carving; but among the lower, they are often
of a coarse cotton cloth, nailed to the rafters, and white-wash-
ed, or painted in imitation of pannel work. In several of
the meaner, however, the canes or mats are visible.
"Some of the churches have their principal walls and pil-
lars of stone; others of adobes and bajareque. The towers
are generally of the latter work, bound together with large
beams of Guayaquil wood; the spires are commonly of wood
work, cased over with planks, and painted in imitation of
stone, with mouldings, cornices, and other ornaments,
either of wood or stucco. In large buildings of every de-
scription, there is generally a great proportion of timber,
keeping up a connexion from the foundation to the roof;
thus, there is less danger from the shocks of earthquakes,
than if they were built of brick or more solid materials; for
the whole building yields to the motion, and the foundation
FAMILY TOURIST.
531
LIMA.
being combined with the roof and other parts, the whole
moves at the same time, and is not so easily thrown down."
The streets of Lima are paved, but badly lighted, and are
patrolled by watchmen who vociferate "Ave Maria purissi
ma! Viva la Patria!" and a serene, or cloudy sky. The
shallow stream of water, two feet in width, which runs
through the centre of the principal streets, contributes much
to carry off impurities. In the less frequented parts of the
city, however, the eye is offended by unsightly proofs of the
total inattention of the police to general cleanliness. Lieu-
tenant Brand describes Lima as the dirtiest city in South
America. The servants who are principally slaves, will
come to the stream of water that runs through the middle,
and wash fish, leaving the entrails on the sides rotting in
the sun, until they are devoured by immense birds called
turkey buzzards, that are constantly to be seen devouring
the various nuisances with which the streets are infested.*
Lima enjoys one of the most delightful climates in the
world. To persons, at least, who have been accustomed to
the scorching sun and suffocating heat of Bahia, on the op-
posite side of the continent, or to those of Carthagena, the
mild and equable climate of Lima, Mr. Stevenson says, is
as surprising as it is agreeable. The heat of the sun in
summer, is mitigated by a canopy of clouds which con-
stantly hangs over Lima; and although not perceptible
from the city, yet, when seen from an elevated situation in
the mountains, they appear somewhat like the smoke float-
ing in the atmosphere of large towns where coal is burned.
During the winter months, from April or May to Novem-
ber, damp fogs (called garuas) almost constantly prevail,
which chill the air, and moisten the ground sufficiently to
render the pavement slippery; and during the other part of
the year, they take place at the changes of the moon.
These mists arise with the morning breeze, which blows
from the westward; and in the middle of the day, during
the summer, they are dissipated by the sun's power. In
* Lieutenant Maw, on the other hand, says, the principal streets are
clean, and appeared to be swept every morning. Lieutenant Brand,
was sadly annoyed by the prevailing uncleanness. The men of Lima,
he describes as dirty and indolent beyond all others in South America,
smoking from morning till night; and the public offices, he always found
filled with smoke and the floors disgustingly dirty.
532
FAMILY TOURIST.
LIMA.
the evening, a south-easterly land breeze brings them again
forward. During the winter months, the sun is often ob-
scured for several succeeding days. While the valley of
the Rimac is thus kept in the most fertile state by these wet
fogs, the rain falls with great violence in the neighboring
sierra, accompanied with much thunder. This peculiarity
of climate is confined to those parts of Lower Peru where
the Cordilleras approaches the Pacific. At Guayaquil, on
the contrary, where the distance between the mountains
and the sea is considerable, the rains are heavy, and mists
of rare occurrence.
.
Although Lima is free from the terrific visitation of
storms, it is subject to the still more dreadful phenomena of
earthquakes. Shocks are felt every year, particularly after
the mists disperse, and the summer sun begins to heat the
earth. They are commonly felt two or three hours after
sunset, or a little before sunrise; and their direction has
generally been from south to north. The most violent have
taken place at intervals of about fifty years. Those which
have produced the most disastrous consequences at Lima, oc-
curred in the years 1586, 1630, 1687, 1746, and 1806. It
has been remarked, says Mr. Stevenson, that the vegetable
world suffers very much by a great shock. The country
about Lima, and all that range of coast, were particularly
affected by that which happened in 1678. The crops of
wheat, maize, and other grain, were entirely destroyed; and
for several years afterwards, the ground was totally unpro-
ductive. At that period, wheat was first brought from
Chili, which country has ever since been considered the
granary of Lima, Guayaquil, and Panama. Mr.Caldcleugh,
adverting to this current statement, suggests as a probable
explanation of the phenomena, that the streams and springs
may be affected by the motion of the earth, so that certain
localities may be rendered sterile which were previously
fertile, while others may have gained in the same ratio.
The climate of Lower Peru, he remarks, owing to the heat,
could never have been very favorable to the growth of
wheat. It is remarkable that the great earthquake of 1687
and 1746 were succeeded by rain; and after the violent
shock of 1806, the streets of Lima were almost inundated
for several days, a circumstance which must have completed
the ruin and terror of the inhabitants,
FAMILY TOURIST.
533
LIMA.
}
The majority of the men of Lima, says Mr. Miller, have
the appearance of being feeble and emaciated. These
physical effects are certainly not attributable to climate
alone, but may be ascribed also to the general dissolute-
ness which characterized the old regime: in proof of
which, those who have latterly grown to maturity, showed
themselves, during the campaigns, to be hardy, enterprising,
and infinitely superior to their predecessors, who had been
taught to cringe to Spanish satraps, and to familiarize their
minds with every species of meanness. Hence, the dupli-
city, dishonesty, shameful political inconsistency, and total
want of public spirit, evinced by some few who have attain-
ed office since the overthrow of the all-debasing European
despotism. From the rising generation in Peru, higher
expectations may be formed. The youth generally possess
great natural vivacity as well as talent, and are impelled by
an honest ambition to render themselves useful to their
country. The climate of Lima seems to be favorable to
the quickening of the intellectual faculties.
The traveller who has given the most favorable account
of the people of Lima, (although he is not very partial,
and scarcely just towards the old Spaniards,) is Mr. Steven-
son. A créole of Lima, he says, partakes in many respects
of the character of an Andalusian: he is lively, generous,
and careless of to-morrow; fond of dress and variety; slow
to revenge injuries, and willing to forget them. Of all his
vices, dissipation certainly is the greatest. His conversa-
tion is quick and pointed. That of the fair sex is extreme-
ly gay and witty, giving them an open frankness, which some
foreigners have been pleased to term levity, or something a
little more dishonorable, attaching the epithet immoral to
their general character. This traveller chivalrously defends
the ladies of Lima against this imputation; asserting that
the female creoles are generally kind mothers and faithful
wives; that conjugal and paternal affection, filial piety, be-
neficence, generosity, good nature, and hospitality, are the
inmates of almost every house. The testimonies and opin-
ions of foreign visiters are to be received with caution,
whether they incline to a favorable or an uncandid view of
the state of society. But there is a well known proverbial
description of the Peruvian capital, which will probably be
thought to have some truth for its foundation. Lima has
been styled "the heaven of women, the purgatory of hus-
45*
534
FAMILY TOURIST.
LIMA.
bands, and the hell of asses. The first expression is ex-
plained as referring to the power the ladies exercise, and
the consideration they enjoy: the second does not favor the
representation, that conjugal happiness is very general.
With regard to the personal attractions of the Limeñas,
our authorities equally differ. Lieutenant Brand repre-
sents their walking dress as indelicate and disgusting; and
he would infer from their very costume the extreme laxity
of morals. We shall give Mr. Stevenson's account of this
singular costume.
The walking dress of the females of all descriptions,
is the saya y manto. The former is a petticoat of velvet,
satin, or stuff, generally black or of a cinnamon color,
plaited in very small folds, and rather elastic; it sits close
to the body and shows its shape to the utmost possible ad-
vantage. At the bottom, it is too narrow to allow the wear-
er to step forward freely, but the short step rather adds to,
than deprives her of a graceful air. This part of the dress
is often tastefully ornamented round the bottom with lace,
fringes, spangles, pearls, artificial flowers, or whatever may
be considered fashionable. Among ladies of the higher
order, the saya is of different colors,-purple, pale blue,
lead color, or striped. The manto is a hood of thin black
silk, drawn round the waist, and then carried over the head;
by closing it before, they can hide the whole of the face, one
eye alone being visible; sometimes they show half the face,
but this depends on the choice of the wearer. A fine
shawl or handkerchief, hanging down before, a rosary in
the hand, silk stockings, and satin shoes, complete the cos-
tume.
"The hood is, undoubtedly, derived from the Moors;
and to a stranger, it has a very curious appearance; how-
ever, I confess that I became so reconciled to the sight,
that I thought, and still think it, both handsome and gen-
teel. This dress is peculiar to Lima; indeed, I never saw
it worn any where else in South America. It is certainly
very convenient; for, at a moment's notice, a lady can,
without the necessity of changing her under dress, put on
her saya y manto, and go out; and no female will walk in
the street in any other in the day time. For the evening
promenade, an English dress is often adopted; but in gen-
eral, a large shawl is thrown over the head, and a hat is
worn over all. Between the folds of the shawl, it is not un-
FAMILY TOURIST.
535
LIMA.
common to perceive a lighted cigar; for, although several
of the fair sex are addicted to smoking, none of them.
choose to practice it openly.
"When the ladies appear on public occasions, at the thea-
tre, bull circus, and pascos (promenades,) they are dressed in
the English or French costume; but they are always very
anxious to exhibit a profusion of jewelry, to which they are
particularly partial. A lady in Lima would much rather
possess an extensive collection of precious gems, than a gay
equipage. They are immoderately fond of perfumes, and
spare no expense in procuring them. It is a well known
fact that many poor females attend at the archbishop's gate,
and, after receiving a pittance, immediately purchase with
the money aqua rica, or some other scented water. Even
the ladies, not content with the natural fragrance of flowers,
often add to it and spoil it by sprinkling them with lavender
water, spirits of musk, or ambergris, and often by fumiga-
ting them with gum benzoin, musk, and amber, particular-
ty the mistura, which is a compound of jessamine, wall-flow-
ers, orange flowers, and others, picked from the stalks.
Small apples and green limes, are also filled with slices of
cinnamon and cloves. The mixture is generally to be found
on a salver at a lady's toilett. They will distribute it
among their friends, by asking for a pocket handkerchief,
tying up a small quantity in the corner, and sprinkling it
with some perfume, expecting the compliment that it is
most delicately seasoned.'"*
"The custom of wearing these veils, or going tapada (as
it is called,) which the Spaniards adopted from the Moors,
has been interdicted in Spain, under heavy penalties, by re-
peated edicts, but always without effect; and in 1609, an
attempt was made to enforce the prohibition at Lima, but
the Viceroy discouraged it as impracticable. The ladies,
Mr. Caldcleugh tells us, advance many substantial and un-
answerable reasons for not changing this custom. The
sun scorches their faces, and they would be prevented from
visiting the sick, and performing charitable actions without
publicity. The freedom allowed by it, another traveller
assures us, is almost unbounded. They live in fact, when
abroad, in a perpetual masquerade, nothing affording them
more amusement than to deceive their acquaintance, by
* Stevenson's Twenty Years Residence.
536
FAMILY TOURIST.
>
CUSCO.
passing themselves off as strangers, or to watch their move-
ments, and listen to their conversation, unobserved. At
public places, and on occasions such as that above describ-
ed, they permit any gentleman of genteel exterior to address
them, and converse, without previous introduction. They
even stop at the windows of rooms on the ground floor, and
converse with, or pay gentlemen visits in their own houses,
two or three of them together; but, in that case, always
without discovering themselves, and checking any attempt
to remove the silken mask, which would, indeed, be imme-
diately resented as an unpardonable insult.*
CUSCO.
Cusco or Cuzco, the most ancient city of Peru, is situa-
ted amid the Andes, on the skirts of various mountains, 184
leagues from Lima, and 290 from Buenos Ayres.
Most of the houses are of stone They are well construct-
ed, laid out in regular proportions, and covered with tiles
of a bright red color. The apartments are spacious and
finely decorated; the mouldings of the doors are gilt, and the
other ornaments and furniture are in a style corresponding to
the elegance of the buildings, and the good taste for which
the inhabitants are so generally noted. The population of
this city is estimated by Alcedo, at 26,000, it having suf-
fered greatly by a pestilence in 1720. But Mr. Miller states,
that in 1825, it contained above 40,000 inhabitants. Three
fourths of the inhabitants are stated to be Indians, who are
occupied chiefly in the manufacture of baize, cotton, and
leather, likewise of ordinary cloth, and a kind of linen used
chiefly as clothing by the poor, saddles, floor-carpets, gal-
loon of gold, silver, and silk parchment, and other prepara-
tions from various skins. The natives, who are of an ingen-
ious disposition, are also said to have a taste for painting,
and to excel in the arts of embroidery and engraving. They
are, in general, a very diligent, industrious people.
Cusco is an episcopal city, and its bishop is suffragan to
the archbishop of Lima. The members of the cathedral
chapter, besides the bishop, are five dignitaries, viz. the dean,
* Mathison's Visit.
FAMILY TOURIST.
537
CUSCO.
arch-dean, chanter, rector, and treasurer; two canons by
competition; a magistrate and penitentiary: three canons by
presentation; and two prebendaries. The cathedral is a
large, rich, and handsome edifice, built entirely of stone.
It is smaller than that of Lima, but is by some preferred to
it, in point of the architecture.
The city of Cusco, as it is the most ancient, so, in point
of extent, it is still the second in the viceroyalty of Peru,
being only inferior to Lima, and so little inferior, that as the
latter may be called the maritime capital of that viceroyal-
ty, the former may be considered as its inland metropolis.
Proudly situated amongst the surrounding Andes, and boast-
ing of an origin that reaches back to a remote antiquity, it
may justly lay claim to the dignity of a capital. Its north
and west sides are surrounded by the mountain of the for-
tress, and others, called by the general name Sanca; on the
south it borders on a plain, in which there are several beau-
tiful walks. The fortress which gives its name to the moun-
tain, situated towards the north and the west of the city, is
still to be traced in its ruins. These occur in the heights
contiguous to the northern part of the city, and are the re-
mains of the famous fort built by the Incas for their defence.
Their design when they erected this edifice, appears to have
been to inclose the whole mountain with a prodigious wall
of such construction, as might render the ascent of it ab-
solutely impracticable to an enemy, at the same time that it
might be easily defended from within. This wall was en-
tirely of freestone, and, like all the other works of the In-
cas, was strongly built, being particularly remarkable for its
dimensions, and the magnitude of the stones of which it is
composed, as well as the art with which they were combined.
The stones, which form the principal part of the work, are
indeed of such vast size, that it is difficult to conceive how
they could have been brought thither from the quarries, by
the bare strength of men, unassisted by the use of machines.
One of them which is still lying on the ground, and which
seems not to have been applied to the use intended, is called
La Cansado, or the troublesome, in allusion probably to the
labor with which its removal was effected. The interstices
between those enormous masses were filled with smaller
stones, which are so closely joined, that a very narrow in-
spection is necessary for perceiving that the whole is not a
single block of stone. It may well appear surprising, how
538
FAMILY TOURIST.
Cusco.
materials so vast and shapeless, and of so irregular a super-
ficies as those which enter into this building, could be knit
together, and laid one upon another with such nicety, inde-
pendently of the use of mortar or any other combining sub-
stance; and yet more without the knowledge, on the part of
those by whom the building was erected, even of iron or
steel, or the simplest mechanical powers. The outward
wall of this fortress is still standing, but the internal works,
which consist of apartments and two other walls, are for the
most part in ruins. A subterranean passage of singular
construction, led from the fortress to the palace of the In-
cas. In these the walls were cut very crooked, admitting
for a certain space only one person to pass at a time, and
this sideways, while shortly afterwards two might pass
abreast. The egress was by a rock worked in the same nar-
row manner on the other side; the whole being upon a plan
which, by enabling a single person to defend himself with
ease against a great number, seemed well calculated to af-
ford security against any sudden assault. The whole of
these ruins, together with the fragments of a pavement of
stone built also by order of the Incas, and which led to the
place where Lima now stands, are certainly no mean mon-
uments of ancient art. The baths also, of which the one is
of cold, and the other of warm water, are not undeserving
of attention.
Cusco is, in point of antiquity, coeval with the empire of
the Incas. It was founded by the first Inca, Manco Capac,
(i. e. rich in virtue,) as the seat and capital of his empire.
This prince is supposed to have reigned in the 12th or 13th
century. It was in the month of October, 1534, that Don
Francisco Pizarro entered this city, and took possession of
it in the name of Charles V. emperor and king of Spain.
This was followed by a siege on the part of Inca Manco,
who laid great part of it in ashes, but, without dislodging
the Spaniards. Manco Capac was crowned here with the
permission of Pizarro; but having been afterwards defeat-
ed by the Spaniards, he retired to the mountains, and is
supposed to have died about the year 1553. The commerce
of Cusco consists chiefly of the very large quantity of
sugar made in the neighboring jurisdictions, the inhabitants
of which have many sugar plantations.*
* Edinburgh Encyclopædia.
FAMILY TOURIST.
539
AREQUIPA.-TRUXILLO.
AREQUIPA.
Arequipa is the capital of a province of the same name.
It is a large and well-built city, containing from 30,000 to
40,000 inhabitants. It stands in a plain, watered by the
Chile, about 20 leagues from the coast, in latitude 16° 16′
south; longitude 72° west. It is about 217 leagues south-
east of Lima, and 60 south-west of Cusco. At a distance
of six or eight miles east of the city is a conical mountain,
the base of which may be about five leagues in circumfer-
ence; on the summit is a crater, which throws out smoke,
unaccompanied by flame or cinders. A column of thin va-
por was issuing from the volcano during the whole time
the patriots occupied Arequipa; this had continued for some
time. The mountain, being part of the foreground of the
Andes, does not appear very lofty to the eye; but some
Englishmen who climbed it, spent two days in making an
excursion to the summit; a task which has seldom been
accomplished, owing to the difficulties of the ascent. The
river Chile flows through the city, and is crossed by a hand-
some stone bridge. The walls of the cathedral, the con-
vents, and churches, and even of the houses, are of stone,
and of great thickness, in order to provide against great
earthquakes, which are very frequent, and sometimes very
destructive. Four times, Ulloa states, by these dreadful
convulsions, the city has been laid in ruins. The first oc-
curred in 1582; the second, accompanied with an eruption.
of the volcano, in February, 1600; the third, in 1604; and
the fourth, in 1725. Besides these, the earthquakes of
1687, 1732, 1738, 1785, and 1819, were scarcely less vio-
lent.
TRUXILLO.
The city of Truxillo is situated in latitude 8° 6' south,
about half a league from the sea, in the valley of Chimu.
It is surrounded with a wall of sun-dried bricks, about five
feet thick, and ten in height, with a parapet above it, and
fifteen bastions. There are five gates, leading to as many
540
FAMILY TOURIST.
TRUXILLO.
•
roads. The circumference of the city is about a league
and a half. The streets are broad, and cross at right an-
gles, with a plaza mayor in the centre, according to the
universal plan of Spanish towns. Few of the houses are
more than one floor in height, owing to the frequency of
earthquakes. The best are built, like those of Lima, with
an interior patio, the principal rooms being spacious and
lofty, with ceilings of red cedar richly carved. There is
an alameda, or promenade, forming part of the Huanchaco
road. Besides the cathedral, there are three parochial
churches, and eight or nine conventual churches, there be-
ing four monasteries, a college (formerly belonging to the
Jesuits), a hospital of Our Lady of Bethlehem (Bethlem-
ites), and two nunneries. The women, in their dress and
customs, follow very nearly those of Lima. Great numbers
of chaises are seen here; there not being a family of
credit without one, as the sandy soil is very troublesome in
walking. The population is under 9,000 souls. Several
British merchants, and some North Americans, are among
the residents.
BUENOS AYRES.
BUENOS AYRES.
"(
are
BUENOS AYRES was founded in 1534. It received its
name on account of the salubrity of. its climate. It is sit-
uated on the western shore of the Plata, about 200 miles
from its mouth. Its population exceeds 60,000.
It ex-
tends north and south about two miles, including the sub-
urbs, and is in general about half a mile wide, rather
more in the centre. The streets are straight and regular,
unpaved in the middle, but with raised footpaths on each
side. "The houses," observes Mr. Brackenridge,
pretty generally two stories high, with flat roofs, and, for
the most part, plastered on the outside; which, without
doubt, at first improved their appearance; but by time and
neglect, they have become somewhat shabby. There are
no elegant rows of buildings, as in Philadelphia, or New
York; but many are spacious, and all take up more ground
than with us. The reason of this is, that they have large
open courts, or verandas, both in front and rear, which are
called patios. These patios are not like our yards, en-
closed by a wall or railing; their dwellings, for the most
part, properly compose three connected buildings, forming
as many sides of a square; the wall of the adjoining house
making up the fourth. In the centre of the front building
there is a gate-way, and the rooms on either hand, as we
enter, are in general occupied as places of business, or
merchants' counting-rooms; the rear building is usually
the dining-room, while that on the left, or right, (as it may
happen,) is the sitting-room or parlor. The patio is usu-
ally paved with brick, and sometimes with marble, and is a
cool and delightful place. Grape vines are planted round
the walls, which in the proper season are loaded with fruit.
46
542
FAMILY TOURIST.
BUENOS AYRES.
The houses have as little wood as possible about them;
both the first and second floor having brick pavements; fire
engines are therefore unknown; and to the conflagrations
which so often devastate our large cities, the people are
enitre strangers. There are no chimneys but those of
kitchens. At all the windows, there is a light iron gra-
ting, which projects about one foot.
"But little attention is paid to the cleanliness of the
streets; in one of the front streets, where there was no
pavement, I observed several mud-holes; into these, dead
cats and dogs are sometimes thrown, from too much indo-
lence to carry them out of the way. The side-walks are
very narrow, and in bad repair; this is better than at Rio
Janeiro, where there are none at all. I observed, however,
as I went along, a number of convicts, as I took them to
be, engaged in mending the bad places already mentioned.
In these particulars, I was very much reminded of New
Orleans; in fact, in many other points, I observed a strik-
ing resemblance between the two cities. I can say but little
for the police, when compared to our towns; but this place
manifests a still greater superiority over Rio Janeiro; and
many important improvements, that have been introduced
within a few years past, were pointed out to me. I should
like to see, however, some trouble bestowed in cleaning
those streets that are paved, and in paving the rest, as well
as in freeing the fronts of their houses from the quantity of
dust collected, wherever it can find a resting place."
"But it is time to speak of the inhabitants of the city,
and of the people who frequent it. And here, whether illu-
sion or reality, I shall not take upon me to say,- but cer-
tain it is, I had not walked far, before I felt myself in a
land of freedom. There was an independence, an ingen-
uousness in the carriage, and an expression in the counte-
nances of those I met, which reminded me of my own
country; an air of freedom breathed about them, which I
shall not attempt to describe.
"I saw nothing but the plainness and simplicity of repub-
licanism; in the streets, there were none but plain citizens,
and citizen soldiers; some of the latter, perhaps, showing
a little of the coxcomb, and others exhibiting rather a militia
appearance, not the less agreeable to me on that account.
FAMILY TOURIST.
543
BUENOS AYRES.
In fact, I could almost have fancied myself in one of our
towns, judging by the dress and appearance of the people
whom I met. Nothing can be more different than the
population of this place from that of Rio. I saw no one
bearing the insignia of nobility, except an old crazy man,
followed by a train of roguish boys. There were no
palanquins, or rattling equipages; in these matters there
was much less luxury and splendor than with us. The
females, instead of being immured by jealousy, are permit-
ted to walk abroad and breathe the air. The supreme
director has no grooms, gentlemen of the bedchamber,
nor any of the train which appertains to royalty, nor has
his wife any maids of honor; his household is much more
plain than most of the private gentlemen of fortune in our
own country; it is true, when he rides out to his country
seat, thirty miles off, he is accompanied by half a dozen
horsemen, perhaps a necessary precaution, considering the
times, and which may be dispensed with on the return of
peace; or perhaps, a remnant of anti-republican barbarity,
which will be purged away by the sun of a more enlight-
ened age; indeed, I am informed, that the present director
lives in a style of much greater simplicity than any of his
predecessors.
"If I were to stop here, however, I should not give a faith-
ful picture of the appearance to a stranger, of the popula-
tion of Buenos Ayres; the mixture of negroes and mulattoes,
is by no means remarkable, not as great, perhaps, as in
Baltimore; and the proportion of military, such as we might
have seen in one of our towns during the last war, with the
exception of the black troops, which, in this city constitute
a principal part of the regular force. But there are other
figures, which enter into the picture, and give a different
cast to the whole from any thing I have seen. The modern
European and North American civilization, and I will add
South American, which differs but little from the others,
was set off by a strange mixture of antiquity, and aboriginal
rudeness. Buenos Ayres may very justly be compared to
the bust of a very beautiful female, placed upon a pedestal
of rude unshapen stone. Great numbers of gauchos, and
other country people, are seen in the streets, and always on
horseback; and as there prevails a universal passion for ri-
ding, the number of horses is very great. The European
544
FAMILY TOURIST.
BUENOS AYRES.
mode of caparisoning is occasionally seen, but most usual-
ly the bridle, saddle, &c. would be regarded as curiosities.
by us. The stirrups of the gauchos are so small, as to ad-
mit a little more than the big toe of the rider, who makes a
very grotesque figure with his long flowing poncho. This
is a kind of striped cotton, or woollen rug, of the manufac-
ture of the country, fine or coarse, according to the purse of
the wearer, with nothing but a slit in the middle, through
which the head is thrust, it hangs down perfectly loose, re-
sembling somewhat, a wagoner's frock. In rain, it answers
the purpose of a big coat, and in hot weather, is placed on
the saddle. It is also used for sleeping on, as the Indians
do their blankets. It is possible, after all, that this singulari-
ty of dress, may not make any great difference in the man.
There is nothing remarkable in the complexion of features,
excepting when there happens to be a little dash of the In-
dian. There is more of indolence, and vacancy, (if I may
use the word,) in the expression of their countenances, and
an uncouth wildness of their appearance; but it must be re-
membered, that we also of the north, are reproached by Eu-
ropeans for our carelessness of time, and our lazy habits.
These gauchos, I generally observed clustered about the
pulperias, or grog-shops; of which there are great numbers
in the city and suburbs; these people frequently drink and
carouse on horseback, while the horses of those that are
dismounted, continue to stand still, without being fastened,
as they are all taught to do, and champing the bit. These
carousing groups would afford excellent subjects for Flem-
ish painters. The horses, though not of a large size, are
all finely formed; I do not recollect a single instance, in
which I did not remark good limbs, and head, and neck.
The gauchos are often bare footed and bare legged; or, in-
stead of boots, make use of the skin of the hind legs of the
horse; the joint answering the purpose of a heel, and fur-
nishing a very cheap kind of suwarrow.
"Besides the clumsy carts of which I have before spoken,
and the class of people which I have just described, my at-
tention was much attracted by the appearance of the great
ox-wagons, used with the trade in the interior. They are
of an enormous size, and are the most clumsy contrivance
imaginable. Five or six of these in a line, are sometimes
seen groaning along the street, the wheels making a noise.
like the gates on the hinges of Milton's pandemonium. The
FAMILY TOURIST.
545
BUENOS AYRES.
wagoners use no tar to prevent them from making this harsh
noise, as they say it is music to the oxen.
These are, in
general, uncommonly large, and the finest that I ever saw.
Their yokes, in proportion, are as ponderous as the wagon,
and in drawing, nothing is used but the raw hide strongly
twisted. In fact, this is the only kind of gears, or traces,
used for all descriptions of carriages. To each of these
enormous wagons there are, generally, at least three drivers.
One sits in the wagon, with a long rod or goad in his hand,
and above his head, suspended in slings, there is a bamboo
or cane, at least thirty feet in length, as supple as a fishing.
rod, so that it can, occasionally, be used to quicken the
pace of the foremost pair of oxen, which are fastened to the
first by a long trace of twisted hide. The interval between
the different pairs of oxen, is rendered necessary by the diffi-
culty of crossing small rivers, whose bottoms are bad, and
which are subject to sudden rises. Another driver takes his
seat on the yoke, between the heads of the second pair of
oxen, being also armed with a goad, with its point turned
backwards; there was something extremely ludicrous to me
in the appearance of this last, and nothing but a folded sheep
skin to sit upon; yet content, or rather inanity, was pictured
in his countenance. Besides these two, there is a third on
horseback, armed in the same manner. If such an exhibi-
tion were to pass through one of our streets, with its slow
and solemn movement and musical groanings, I doubt not
but it would attract as much attention as half a dozen ele-
phants.
As I
"As this is the fruit season, a great number of people were
crying peaches up and down the street, on horseback, with
large paniers made of the raw hide of oxen, on each side.
Milk in large tin canisters, was cried about in the same way,
and as they were carried in a tolerable trot, I expected every
moment to hear the cry changed to that of butter.
moved along towards the great square, a part of which is
the principal market place, (immediately in front of the cas-
tle, or government house,) there appeared to be a great
throng of people. I met some priests and friars, but by no
means as many as I expected, and nothing like the number I
met at Rio Janeiro. There are, perhaps, fewer monasteries
and convents in Buenos Ayres, than in any Spanish town in
the world. But as things are very much judged of by com-
46*
546
FAMILY TOURIST.
BUENOS AYRES.
parison, it is highly probable that if I had not touched at the
place before mentioned, and had come directly here from one
of our cities, I should have considered the number of regu-
lar and secular clergy, very considerable. It must be con-
stantly kept in view, that in order to judge of these people
fairly, we are to compare them with Spanish or Portuguese,
and look at what they have been, not to the state of things
in the United States. The dress of the seculars when in
their canonicals, is like that of the episcopal clergy, except
that they wear a broad quaker hat. The monks and friars
are easily distinguished by their habit of coarse cloth or
flannel, girt round the waist, and with a cowl or hood be-
hind. In speaking of the Catholic clergy, we, who know lit-
tle about them, are very much in the habit of confounding
these two classes. They are very different, both in charac-
ter and appearance. The seculars are, necessarily, men of
education, and living and mingling in society, participate
in the feelings of the people, and cannot avoid taking
part in temporal affairs. The monks, on the contrary, are
gregarious; not dispersed through the society, but shut up
in their convents and monasteries, and not permitted to
mingle in the affairs of the world. From the first, it is nat-
ural to expect liberality and intelligence, as well as from
other christian clergy; but in the latter, it would not be
surprising to find superstition and ignorance.
"On approaching the market place, as it was still early
in the day, I found that the crowd had not entirely dispersed.
There is no market house or stalls, except in the meat mar-
ket, situated on one corner of the square, which fronts on
the plaza. Every thing offered for sale, was spread on the
ground. I can say but little in favor of the appearance of
cleanliness; dirt and filth appeared to have a prescriptive
right here. One who had never seen any other than a Phi-
ladelphia market, can form no idea of the condition of this
place. To make amends, it is admirably supplied with all
the necessaries, and delicacies, that an abundant and fruit-
ful country can afford. Beef, mutton, fowls, game, &c. with
a variety of excellent fish, were here in great plenty, and for
prices, which, in our markets, would be considered very
low. Beef, particularly, is exceedingly cheap, and of a su-
perior quality; it is the universal dish; chiefly roasted.
Absolute want is scarcely known in this country, any more
FAMILY TOURIST.
547
BUENOS AYRES.
than with us. As I passed by the hucksters' stalls, they pre-
sented a much richer display than any I had been accus-
tomed to see. Here apples, grapes, oranges, pomegranates,
peaches, figs, pine-apples, water melons, were mingled in
fair profusion.
"The plaza, or great square, is at least twice as large as
the state house yard in Philadelphia, and is unequally divided
into two parts, by an edifice long and low, which serves as a
kind of bazaar, or place of shops with a corridor on each
side the whole length, which often serves as a shelter for
the market people. At these shops, or stores, which are
pretty well supplied, they can make their purchases, without
the trouble of wandering through the town. The space be-
tween this and the fort, is that appropriated for the market.
The opposite side, which is much larger, is a kind of place
d'armes; and fronting the building just spoken of, and which
intercepts the view of the fort, there is a very fine edifice
called the cabildo, or town house, somewhat resembling
that of New Orleans, but much larger. In this building the
courts hold their sessions, and the offices are kept. The
city council, or cabildo, also sits here, and business of all
kinds relating to the police, is here transacted. Near the
centre of the square, a neat pyramid has been erected, com-
memorative of the revolution, with four emblematic figures,
one at each corner, representing justice, science, liberty and
America, the whole enclosed with a light railing.
"The shops, or stores, as far as I observed, in my peram-
bulations through the city, are all on a very small scale,
and make no show, as in our towns. There are but few
signs, and those belonging chiefly to foreigners; such as
sastre, lotero, sapatero, &c. de Londres; tailor, bootmaker,
shoemaker, from London. The greater part of the trades,
which are now flourishing here, particularly hatters, black-
smiths, and many others that I might enumerate, have been.
established since the revolution; the journeymen mechan-
ics are chiefly half Indians and mulattoes. The wages
of an American or English journeyman, are higher than in
any part of the world: fifteen hundred or two thousand
dollars per annum, I am told, are very commonly given.
There are other squares through the town, besides the one
already mentioned, in which the markets are held. There
548
FAMILY TOURIST.
BUENOS AYRES.
are also large yards, or corrals, which belong to the city,
and are hired to individuals for the purpose of confining
droves of cattle. I observed several large wood yards, in
which there were immense piles of peach limbs, tied into
bundles or fagots, together with timber and fire-wood
brought from Paraguay, or the Brazils.
"The day after we arrived was Sunday, and the streets
were crowded with people. I was very frequently remind-
ed of my old place of residence, New Orleans, with the
exception that the proportion of colored people is compara-
tively very small, but amongst the lower classes I remarked
a great many of Indian extraction; this was discoverable
in the complexion and features. The inhabitants generally
are a shade browner than those of North America; but I
saw a great many with good complexions. They are a
handsome people. They have nothing in their appearance
and character, of that dark, jealous, and revengeful dispo-
sition, we have been in the habit of attributing to Spaniards.
The men dress pretty much as we do; but the women are
fond of wearing black, when they go abroad. The fashion
of dress, in both sexes, I am informed, has undergone great
improvement, since their free intercourse with strangers.
The old Spaniards, of whom there are considerable num-
bers, are easily distinguished by their darker complexion,
the studied shabbiness of their dress, and the morose and
surly expression of countenance; this arises from their be-
ing treated as a sort of Jews, by those whom they were
wont to consider as greatly their inferiors. They are also
distinguished by not mounting the blue and white cockade,
which is universally worn by the citizens of the Republic.
The same number of Chinese, could scarcely form a class
more distinct from the rest of the community. There can
hardly be a greater affront to an Americano del Sud, than
to call him a Spaniard. A young fellow told me, in a jest-
ing way, that the monks, friars, and Spaniards, were gene-
rally old, and would soon die off, which he said was a great
consolation.
"I went round to several of the churches, of which there
are ten or fifteen, throughout the city. I shall not trouble the
reader with a description of them, as by referring to books
he can learn their names, and the years in which they were
founded. All I shall say, is, that those I saw, were immense
masses of buildings, particularly the cathedral, which of
FAMILY TOURIST.
549
BUENOS AYRES.
itself covers almost a whole square. The internal decora-
tions are generally rich and splendid, and the pomp of cath-
olic worship is displayed here, pretty much as it is in other
parts of the world. My attention was more attracted by
the crowds of beautiful women, going and coming to the
churches, and the graceful elegance of their carriage.
They walk more elegantly than any women I ever saw.
They are seen usually in family groups, but according to
the custom of the country, seldom attended by gentlemen.
There are usually a few beggars about the church doors,
all blind, or decrepid with age. I am informed, there are
two convents in the city, but I did not go to see them, as I
was told the nuns were all old and ugly.'
*
* Brackenridge on South America.
CHILE.
SANTIAGO.
SANTIAGO DE CHILE, the capital of Chile, originally call-
ed New Estramadura, was founded in the year 1541, by
the famous Pedro de Valdivia. It is situated in a pleasant
and extensive plain, elevated, according to Caldcleugh, 2951
feet above the level of the Pacific. The plain is watered by
the river Maypo, and Maypocho. The port of Santiago is
Valparaiso, on a bay of the Pacific, 90 miles distant, in a
southerly direction. The lat. of the capital is 33° 16′ S.
long. 69° 48′ W. Travellers represent it to be one of the
finest cities in South America, in point of " structure, con-
venience and healthfulness," but as to local situation it is
inferior to Lima and Buenos Ayres. Its distance from the
ocean must be a serious inconvenience. Valparaiso, its
port, has an excellent harbor; but its great distance and
through a country uneven, must render intercourse between
the two places difficult. It is a more regularly built city
and more cleanly than either the above, but neither so ele-
gant or imposing.
"The Plaza or great square," says Mr. Caldcleugh,
"stands nearly in the middle of the city; it occupies the
space of a whole quadra. The buildings on the north-west
side are the directorial mansion, the palace of government,
the prison, and chamber of justice. On the south-west side
stands the cathedral and the old palace of the bishop, now
occupied by the Estado Mayor; on the south-east side are a
number of little shops, under a heavy looking piazza, while
the story above is divided into private dwellings and gam-
bling houses: the north-eastern side is wholly occupied by
private residences, among which is the English hotel.
"The palace is a handsome, capacious building of two
stories, arranged round a large quadrangle; the lower range
contains the armory, treasury, and some other public offi-
FAMILY TOURIST.
551
1
SANTIAGO.
鲁
​ces; the upper story contains the great hall of audience,
the offices of the ministers of state, war, finance, and the
tribunal of accounts. The Directorial residence is on the
ground floor; it consists of a handsome suit of rooms, well
furnished. The presidio is a building of two stories, the
lower being occupied as a prison; the upper contains the
offices and halls of the court of justice, and of the munici-
pal corporation, or cabildo. These edifices are built in the
orninary bad style of Moorish architecture. The palace is
by far the best specimen of architecture, and is the most im-
posing. All these buildings are of brick, plastered and
white-washed, the pedestals of the pilasters alone being of
red porphyry.
"The cathedral is the only stone building in the city.
Its front was never half finished, but, judging from the wing
that is completed, the design must have been of the better
order of Moorish architecture; it is ornamental, but heavy.
It is built of a kind of lime-stone quarried from the hill of
San Domingo, in the Chenita suburb. Notwithstanding
the genial climate, the stone is fast shivering to decay, though
it is quite a new structure. The bishop's palace is a heavy,
decayed building; and the houses before alluded to, with the
piazzas, are so dilapidated from age, that apprehensions are
entertained that they will fall or be overthrown by the first
earthquake that happens. In the centre of the square is an
ornamental fountain of brass, furnished with water by a
subterraneous aqueduct, immediately from the river. The
town is chiefly supplied with water carried hence for sale,
in barrels of ten gallons, two of which are a mule's load: it
is sold at a medio, or three pence the barrel.
"The Consulado is a spacious building: it stands in front
of the Jesuits' church, and is built of brick, plastered and
white-washed. Here, the Consulado, or commercial tribu-
nal, meets, and the senate and the national congress also
hold their sittings. On one side of a small space in front of
the Consulado, is the theatre, which is externally a misera-
ble building; on the other side is the custom house, a large
and very capacious building, the lower story being occupi-
ed as custom-house warehouses, the upper story, by the
custom-house and other public offices. The Mint is the
largest building in the city; it occupies a whole quadra,
and is situated in the Coneda, its front facing a shabby
street. It consists of three quadrangular courts, round
552
FAMILY TOURIST.
SANTIAGO.
which the offices and salas are arranged. The façade in
front consists of a series of heavy pilasters, surrounded with
a rude cornice, having above it a long, ponderous baln
trade of bad workmanship; in the centre is a large arched
portico, or entrance gate, with massive pillars close to the
wall on each side supporting nothing; the whole is of plain
brick, and presents a paltry appearance. In the centre of
each side of the front quadrangle, whence the principal en-
trance doors and passages lead to the other part of the build-
ing, are two lofty massive pillars, projecting some distance
from the doorway, and supported upon tall thin pediments;
they have nothing above them but a piece of cornice, of no
greater width than their diameters, which cornices form a
projecting extension of the architecture of the door way. It
is a very ugly and heavy structure, yet, the Chilinos point.
out the Mint as the great ornament and boast of their city,
fancying there does not exist in the world, any building
equal to it. A foreigner who visits South America, if he
wishes to keep on good terms with the natives, must forget
all he has left behind him in Europe, and bring his taste to
a level with that of the Creoles. Compared, therefore, with
the present skill of the Chilenos, the Mint is a master-piece
of brick-layer's work, among a people accustomed to build
with scarcely any other materials than irregularly shaped
sun-dried bricks, cemented together with mud. The Mint,
as well as the other public buildings, were constructed by
brick-layers sent out from Spain for the express purpose.
The brick-work of the house is good, but the design and
arrangement are as bad as can be well conceived.
"The town and suburbs are divided into five parishes.
The canadilla belonging to Saint Isidore, one division of
the city, and chuchunco forming the parish of St. Ann;
another portion of the city belongs to St. Paul; the western
chimba forms that of Estampa; the eastern chimba, St Fran-
cis. All the parish churches are mean structures, but those
of the convents present some of the best buildings in the
city: that of San Domingo, in the street of that name; that
of the Jesuits, which is remarkable for its curiously formed
painted exterior: its tower is constructed altogether of tim-
ber, the better to resist the shocks of earthquakes, which
have frequently overturned the steeples of the churches.'
*Caldcleugh's Travels in South America.
""*
Sammul Sinsey



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6 PT
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A4 Page 6543210
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ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, ONE LOMB
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