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Hoboken. It was a fine clear day. We therefore passed over to Long Island to the Brooklyn heights, to see the packets for England and other ports making sail in the Bay. I never witnessed a more animating scene, On our return through New York we were surprised to observe the streets more crowded than at any former period. We afterwards found, that it is usual for people of all descriptions to call at each other's houses, were it but for a moment, on the first day of the year. Cold meat, cake, confectionaries, and wines, are laid out upon a table, that all who call may partake; and it seems the general understanding, that such a one's friends as do not call upon him on the first day of the year are not very anxious to continue his acquaintance. There must be limitations to the rule, but I never could get them well explained; and there is no doubt, that the practice, as I have stated it, is very general. The confectioners make great seed-cakes at the period of Christmas and new year. They are thought such curiosities, that advertisements are issued, and people go to see them on the day before they are cut. One of them at Palmer's, the confectioner's, weighed 1500 pounds.

The winter of 1829-30 continued free from severe frost until after the middle of January 1830. Soon afterwards, the thermometer fell a few degrees below the freezing-point; then all hands were set to work in order to have the ice-houses filled with that article which is so indispensable in a warm climate. The ice-house attached to the boarding-house where we

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were living contains thirty tons of ice; and, as no ice is admitted into an ice-house here which is not perfectly clean and clear, so that a lump of it may be put into a glass of water or a bottle of wine, as much care is necessary in selecting the ice perfectly pure from the ponds, as in packing it in the ice-house. The people were all alert and employed. Messrs Stevens have immense depots of ice, both here and at Albany, for their steam-boats on the Hudson river.

In crossing the ferry, I became acquainted with Mr Scott, overseer of a farm near New Durham, about five miles from Hoboken. He was in the habit of taking cattle for his master to New York. He told us that he considered himself very lucky in coming to this country. He was unable to pay his passage until two years after he arrived from England, eight years ago. As soon as he discharged that debt, he married a young woman from the same county, (Somersetshire,) who had come out unmarried. He asked us to come and visit his house, and see how comfortable they were, which we accordingly did, and found every thing as he had represented. This family have the necessaries of life in abundance, and are laying up a considerable sum every year, how much he did not mention, neither did he mention his wages exactly. Mr Scott told us that they had plenty of animal food every day,—three cows kept for them, three swine, and a garden. They have three children, and complained of no annoyance but what arises from the heat of the weather. Their Somersetshire dialect made their language more unintel

ligible to us than that of any other persons whom we had seen in the United States.

The month of January 1830 was remarkable for dry weather, to so great a degree, that the streets of New York, especially Broadway, were regularly watered,—the dust could hardly be kept down. At length, about the twenty-fifth day of that month, the frost became intense, and the communications from New York to Philadelphia and to Albany, by water, were stopped.

JOURNEY TO THE SOUTH.

35

CHAPTER III.

Journey to the South-Frankford-Colonel Burn-Visit to HimTerrapins Canvass-back duck-Its excellence-Philadelphia Market-Mansion-house at Philadelphia-Stage to Baltimore-Colonel Mechia-Hominie-Passage of the Susquehannah-Baltimore— Statue of Washington-Journey to Washington with three Cherokee Indians Gadesby's Hotel-The Capitol-Pictures in the Great Rotundo, Painted by Colonel Trumbull-Colonel Trumbull's Imprisonment in the Tower-Benjamin West's Intercession for him with George the Third-The King's Courteous Answer to Mr West— Supreme Court of the United States-President's House-Permanent Committees of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker Debates in the House of Representatives-Period allotted to them-Silence maintained-No" Hear, Hear,"-Mr Foote's Motion-Speakers in Congress-Mr Clay-Mr Webster and Mr Hayne-Mr Berrian-Mr Wirt-All Members conversant with Business Inconvenience of Secretary of State not being in Congress Character of Mr Webster-Mr Hayne-Mr Berrian-Mr WirtMr Livingstone-Mr Rowand-Colonel Johnson-His Report on the subject of the Conveyance of the Mail on Sundays—Mr Madison's Paper on Religious Freedom-Mr Cambreling-His Report on the Tariff Laws-Customs of Congress-Divine Service every Sunday in the House of Representatives-Mr Kennedy, Theological Bookseller from Scotland-Mr Kennedy's Brother a Senator in Maryland, formerly a Member of the British Convention-Sermon by Mr Durbans-President Jackson present-Visit to Mr Smith, the Registrar of the Treasury-Visit to the President-Details-Visit to the Secretary at War, and to Mr Lewis, the Auditor of the Treasury

-Chateaubriand's Account of his Interviews with General Washington-Theatre at Washington-Mr Jonathan Elliott's Book-storeHis Civility-Library of the House of Representatives—Dugald Stewart's Letter to Mr Jefferson-Mr Jefferson's Library-Destruction of the Library and Public Buildings at Washington by the British-Sir George Cockburn-Details of the Devastation-Opposite Conduct of Louis the Fourteenth-Destruction of State PapersDestruction of Mr Gales's Printing Establishment by Sir George Cockburn-Meditated Revenge by the Americans-Newspaper called the Banner of the Constitution-Roman Catholic Seminary and Society of Nuns near Washington-One of Prince Hohenlohe's Miracles performed at Washington-Details-Patent Office at Washington-Settlement of American Blacks at Liberia-Colonization Society Mr Innes's Account of it—Mr Clay's Account of it-President Nott's Opinion that Slavery cannot longer exist in the United States-Canal between the Chesapeake and Ohio Rivers-Waiters in the Hotel at Washington-Men of Colour not to be trusted-Different Conduct of the White Servants in the United States-Anthracite Coal.

January and February 1830.

On the 29th January, I set out on a long projected expedition to Charlestown, New Orleans, the Mississippi and Ohio. My first day's journey by the stage took me to Frankford,—a nice village a few miles from Philadelphia, where I had the pleasure of staying a day or two with Colonel Burn, an American by birth, but who had been long in Britain, being possessed of landed property in Scotland. His manners and mode of living were as much British as American. He commanded the American cavalry in the last war; but had now retired, and lived very hospitably at Frankford. Colonel Burn was kind enough to give me a letter to a friend of his at Charleston, which was of great use to me. He mentioned to me, what I had never heard

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