town in carriages, gigs, or on horseback, for an hour or two before sunset, which, at the longest day, is at half-past seven. They drive and ride very fast, and the number of carriages of all descriptions, on the various outlets of the city, especially towards the beautiful parts of the island, is such as I never saw but in London or its immediate vicinity. They seldom or never think of driving out a few miles without stopping to smoke a cigar, and having a small tumbler of spirits and water, or some such mixture, for which the price is from three halfpence to sixpence Sterling, according to the rank of the house, and the quality of the liquor.

The bustle, however, of this house is always over before or very soon after sunset, and we are not in the slightest degree subjected to noise or intrusion. The landlord told me of his having collected sixty dollars in threepences Sterling, one evening since we came here, but even on that evening the business was over before sunset, and not a straggler remaining half an hour afterwards. Near as we are to New York, and within 300 yards of the high road, there is neither a shutter nor a bar to a window in the house. Clothes are laid out to bleach all night without the slightest fear of their being carried off.

CHAPTER XVI.

Journey to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington-To Philadelphia by Steam-Boat and Stage-Arrangement as to Stages-Market and Market-Place of Philadelphia-Cleanness of the City-United States Bank-Girard's Bank-State-House-Philadelphia Water-Works— Miss Wright's Lectures-Rejoicings at Philadelphia on the News of the Emancipation of the Irish Catholics-Charles Carroll-Naval Yard, Philadelphia-Description of the " Pennsylvania" Ship of War-American Naval Tactics-Commodore Bainbridge His civility-American Naval Officers-Captain Hall's Character of them— Progress of their Navy-Commodore Decatur's Letter-Opinion of the British Navy by the Americans-Mr Noah's Account of his Capture by our Fleet-Sir Philip Durham's reception of him-Correctness of Narration recommended to Journalists-Washington Irving's Opinion of English Publications on the Subject of America— Joseph Buonaparte's House and Grounds-General Washington's surprise of the British Forces there and at Princeton-From Philadelphia by Steam-Boat and Stage-The Independence" SteamBoat-Bay and Harbour of Baltimore-City Hotel-Arrangements of the Hotel-Washington's Monument-British invasion of Baltimore-Loss of the Inhabitants-Monument to their MemoryChurches at Baltimore-Roman Catholic Cathedral-Mercantile Classes Public Works-Chesapeake and Ohio Canal-Railway from Baltimore to the Ohio-From Baltimore to Washington by the Stage-Entrance to the City-Capital-Chamber of Representatives Senate-Supreme Court-Devastation at Washington by the British now repaired-Mount Vernon-Bridge over the Potomac Details of Mount Vernon-From Washington to Annapolis-State

House Hotel at Philadelphia-Use of Tobacco-Mansion-House Hotel-Mr Head.

May 1829.

BEING uncertain at this time whether I should remain much longer in this country, I resolved to make a rapid trip to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, that I might make sure of having a peep of the seat of government, and of the most populous part of the country, before I quitted it. Accordingly, on the 2d May, I set off for Philadelphia, distant about ninetyfour miles from New York, all by steam-boat, except about twenty-seven or twenty-eight miles by stage, from New Brunswick to Trenton, in New Jersey. The part of this journey by steam-boat is very pleasant -the boats are good—and the scenery diversified,—but the road across New Jersey is very indifferent, and the general appearance of the soil of inferior quality. The arrangement for the stages on leaving the steam-boat is very well managed in this way. Supposing that there were fifty-four passengers in the boat going to Philadelphia, the captain or the clerk assembles them on board, and he gives each a ticket for a particular stage, numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, &c. Nine passengers are allowed to each stage, so that six stages are necessary for fifty-four persons. The captain or clerk makes the arrangement at pleasure, unless there are parties of persons who wish to be together in the same stage. In case there are, he makes the arrangement to suit the passengers. As soon as this arrangement is made, and the passengers have got their tickets, they see their

baggage marked with chalk, according to the number of the stage in which they are to travel. The whole baggage belonging to No. 1 is allotted to one porter, who has it carried to the stage No. 1, and so on, so that when the boat stops, the passengers are perfectly ready to take their places in the stage to which they are allotted, and, before they are all seated, the baggage is removed, and the stage is ready to drive off. Twenty or thirty stages are sometimes required to convey the whole passengers when they are very numerous. The arrangement, however, is made with equal facility, as the contractors are bound to carry the passengers from place to place within a fixed period, and keep an immense establishment. The passage-money from New York to Philadelphia is at present four dollars, besides the expence of the two meals, which cost half a dollar each. In the steam-boat on the Delaware, we had the sweet-potatoe, very mealy, and very good, which does not thrive well much farther north than Philadelphia. It is raised in great perfection in Virginia. The market of Philadelphia is reckoned the most abundant in the United States, and is remarkable both for the variety and excellence of provisions. The market-place is a covered building in the middle of Market Street, and is of great length. There is nothing handsome about the building, but it is of considerable antiquity. It is said that more animal food, in relation to the number of inhabitants, is consumed in Philadelphia than in any other city in the world. The general practice there, and through

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out the United States, is to partake of animal food three times a-day.

On reaching Philadelphia, I found the vegetation much farther advanced than in the neighbourhood of New York, the peach tree in blossom. There is a

great air of neatness, and of almost peculiar cleanness, about the city itself; but the extreme regularity of the streets is tiresome. The steps of the outer stairs of a great part of the houses are of white marble, and the tops of the outer railings of brass, and both, as well as the windows, are not only cleaned every morning, but made bright with a degree of care which I never before witnessed. The streets are very generally shaded with trees, a very desirable luxury in this hot climate.

The United States Bank is of beautiful marble, a plain Grecian building, with an imitation of the portico of the Parthenon, which is frequently adopted in the public buildings lately erected in the United States. Mr Girard's Bank is also an imposing structure; but the State-House, from whence the declaration of independence in 1776 was promulgated, is the most interesting building in this city. It is abundantly plain, and is situated in Chesnut Street, which is the fashionable street of Philadelphia, and is surmounted by a small cupola, in which there is a clock illuminated at night. The suburbs of the city towards the Schuylkill river are very beautiful, and the number of handsome villas is great.

The works for supplying Philadelphia with water, close to the city on the Schuylkill, are extensive, and