A SCAMPER THROUGH THE NORTH AND WEST.

I now returned to New York, in order to start for Boston by the New York Central Railway. I travelled in a Wagner drawing-room car. On each of the main lines a contractor, generally either Pullman or Wagner, supplies drawing-room and sleeping-cars. There is not much difference between the contractors' cars; there seemed rather a want of variety. The railway seemed to be well managed, and the country, as we went out of New York, much like what I had seen before in the other direction. We ran along the shore across the estuaries and harbours, and then passed through Providence and other New England places, where there seemed to be much population and traffic, and all the signs of a manufacturing district. It was dark before I got to Boston, where I went to the Brunswick Hotel, which I found comfortable, but very expensive-a good deal more so than the New York hotels.

Next morning I did part of Boston. It seemed a fine, substantial town, with good stone buildings and churches. After breakfast I took a steamer to Nahant, a small wateringplace, frequented by the Boston people, where I made the acquaintance of a delightful family, from among whom a distinguished member of the late Liberal Administration was almost in the act of taking to himself a wife, who will be a great acquisition to our country. I was pleased with this little American watering-place and the style of life there. The cottages seemed to be real cottages, with verandahs and creeping flowers and all sorts of pretty things. I was the more glad to see this, as I had not time to go to Newport, the fashionable seaside watering-place of the New York and New England people. I am told that it is really a beautiful place, and that many of the rich Americans have very fine houses of their own there. In short, I gathered that the place must be much superior to any of our watering-places-putting aside Brighton, which is a great town, and not a wateringplace, and as ugly as Newport is said to be pretty. Americans seem to go to the seaside a good deal more than we do; it is almost a necessity to them in the hot summer months, when the sea-breezes seem wonderfully to temper the heat. In point of society Newport seems to stand far above any

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other place; but I gather that there is a great want of occupation for men. The season only lasts through the summer. The famous Saratoga is an inland place, and has, I under stand, become far less select than Newport. In the latter part of the season, however, Saratoga has become a great resort for politicians' and their families. All sorts of conventions are held there; and it might be a very likely place at that time for visitors who want to learn something of American politics and institutions from very able men- -and many of the American politicians' are very able men. Boston I was kindly and hospitably admitted to the Somerset Club, a very comfortable institution. Clubs have become very much an American institution; I found them at all the considerable towns that I visited, and the members are always most kind in admitting strangers. Thus admitted one has both many social advantages and the run of English books and magazines; sometimes even English newspapers, and that is a great treat, for throughout the United States there is nothing so difficult as to get an English newspaper of any sort or kind. I sometimes suffered for weeks together from a sort of news-famine;' that is, as regards everything excepting the sensational paragraphs telegraphed to the American papers.

Boston and Boston Common and all about them have been so often described that I need not dwell upon the place. I shall only say that I found the character which it has for English-like people and English-like hospitality and kindness fully maintained. I went out by tram to Cambridge, to see the Harvard College there. The students have rooms. in college, but are not compelled to dine there, and their discipline altogether does not seem to be very strict. Boston Free Library is a wonderful institution-by far the largest in the world, I believe and said to be very successful. All over New England the free library is a great institution; but I found that in Pennsylvania and other parts of the country they do not seem to see the advantage in the same light. I am told that almost all the mills and manufacturing establishments in New England are joint-stock concerns. They are said to be successfully managed, and to be afflicted by few frauds. They continue to divide about 5 per cent. even in bad times. They say that the best and most thrifty working people are Irish and French Canadians. Americans are

neither so strong nor so industrious; they want to live by the head, and not by the hand. I think, however, that this chiefly applies to the non-agricultural Americans. The American farmer is a very good, hard-working man.

There are a large number of distinguished literary men resident in and about Boston and Cambridge. The wealth of the Boston people is also large. So, combining brains and money as it does, no wonder it is a pleasant place. _The climate, however, is, I believe, very cold in winter. I was only able to glance at the place, and must hope to return to it another time.

These Eastern cities have a great advantage in using only anthracite coal, which burns without blacks; and so, from a combination of climate and coal, they are very clean and bright.

I left Boston for the West by the early express train through Massachusetts. The country seemed hilly, and not very fertile, but pretty and pleasant-looking, with many villages and factories. Connecticut, I am told, is a good agricultural country; Maine is also a good farming State. At present all is excitement in Maine, on account of the majority given to the Greenbackers. General Butler, the great Greenback hero, is stumping Massachusetts, and alarming all the solid, old-fashioned people. I saw him on the stump-a wild-looking man. As we got on Massachusetts becomes quite highland and picturesque. The highland country seems to be of much the same character all the way from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico; the only difference is that in the Southern States there is a large belt of flat, swampy country between the hilly country and the sea; whereas in New England the hills come down almost to the sea. As we pass through Massachusetts and get into the New York State, approaching Albany, the country becomes more flat and agricultural. Beyond Albany are the 'Sandy Plains-poor and sandy, but well settled. Hereabouts was the old Dutch settlement. Further on, the sandy plains change suddenly for a fertile and green country, near Schenectady; and from here up the Valley of the Mohawk is the finest country in the New York State, and the seat of the great cheese manufacture. The cheese is all made on the factory system, the factories generally being on a very large scale. The milk is raised by the farmers around, who bring

it to the factories, where it is made into cheese. I stopped at Schenectady a very nice country town-with the appearance of which I was much pleased. It is an American habit to line the streets of country towns with fine trees. They are very shady and pleasant; and there seemed to be a great abundance of fine healthy young people, especially girls, about. This first specimen of an American country town very favourably impressed me. There is here one of the many excellent colleges which abound in America. I was very pleasantly entertained by Dr. P- and his wife, very pleasant and intellectual people. We drove a long way through the country. It seemed a good, quiet, agricultural district. The most prominent crop at this moment is what is called broom-corn,' out of which brooms are made; a very large quantity of it is raised in America. I cannot conceive how the world can consume so many brooms. The Mohawk and its Valley are really beautiful. In the evening I met a fine old lady, the widow of a great Abolitionist, and heard many stories of the Underground Railway,' and the ways by which the Northern people enabled many slaves to escape into Canada. I also met one of the largest farmers about. He has nearly 300 acres, and seemed a very intelligent man. I was soon quite at home with him. He might have been a good Scotch farmer. He said almost all the farmers own their own land. There is a very strong opposition to any renting system under a landlord. A good many large properties came down from former times under Dutch and English grants; but the proprietors found it difficult to hold them as rented estates; in fact, he said, in the case of one proprietor in that part of the country who tried to do so, and to maintain and enhance his rents, a good deal of burning took place. He says, however, that occasional short leases. are not objected to. He raises and fattens much stock, and that seems to be a very growing industry. He himself goes in for pedigree stock, to sell. The average farms hereabouts are from 100 to 150 acres. Some of the Mohawk Valley land is extremely valuable. He talks of values about equal to moderate English prices for land. There is an unusually fine apple crop this year, and apples are selling almost absurdly cheap.

I have had a good deal of talk about religious sects in merica. All seem agreed that Americans of different per

suasions do not hate one another on account of religion. My informants much doubted black students being equal to white ones as they grow up. There are none at the College here, but there are at several Northern colleges.

From Schenectady I took the night-train for Niagara, via Buffalo. I met a man who had been visiting one of the famous Agapemones which is upon this line. IIe said that they affect to raise human stock on scientific breeding principles; but the whole thing he thought very disgusting. In the morning we found ourselves in the country near Rochester. It seemed flat and more agricultural than pastoral. From thence there seemed to be a considerable ascent, and then very flat again towards Buffalo. Passing Buffalo we ran down Niagara River to the Falls. There seemed to be very many orchards in this part of the country, principally apples and peaches. I stayed, at the Falls, at the International Hotel, upon the American side. The Clifton Hotel, on the Canada side, has by far the best view; but then Goat Island and the best points for seeing the Falls from near can only be approached from the American side, and it is a long way from the Clifton; so I think it is best to stop on the American side and go over to see the view from the other side. I crossed by the ferry under the Falls. It is quite easy, and there is no danger or difficulty; but I was advised not to give in to the people who bother one to go down behind the Falls. I told by many that the only result is to encounter a great deal of wet spray and a great deal of mud, and that there is nothing to repay one for it all. All the rest I did in quite the correct way; but the Falls have been so often described that I need not go over it all. They certainly are a very fine and unique thing. It would not do to travel in the country without seeing them. One day is amply sufficient, if the sightseer is active. From the other side I went a little way into Canada. It seemed a pleasant country. The population near the border is a good deal mixed; but I am told that more Americans come to the Canadian than Canadians go to the other side. The taxation is now much lighter in Canada. I returned by the fine Suspension Bridge -saw a good many Indian women, who sat and knitted, and apparently are part of the show, but they did not beg. They look more fair and squat and Mongolian-like than I had expected. The village of Niagara is full of shops for the sale

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