Chapter I: Part 1

Travels Through the States of North America,
and the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada,
During the Years 1795, 1796, and 1797, Vol. I.

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+TRAVELS+

THROUGH THE STATES

OF

+NORTH AMERICA+,

AND THE

PROVINCES OF

UPPER AND LOWER CANADA,

DURING

THE YEARS 1795, 1796, AND 1797.

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BY +ISAAC WELD+, JUNIOR.

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SECOND EDITION.

ILLUSTRATED AND EMBELLISHED WITH SIXTEEN PLATES.

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+IN TWO VOLUMES+.

+VOL. I+

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+LONDON+:

PRINTED FOR JOHN STOCKDALE, PICCADILLY.

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1799.

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+PREFACE+.

AT a period when war was spreading desolation over the fairest parts of Europe, when anarchy seemed to be extending its frightful progress from nation to nation, and when the storms that were gathering over his native country[1] in particular, rendered it impossible to say how soon any one of its inhabitants might be forced to seek for refuge in a foreign land; the Author of the following pages was induced to cross the Atlantic, for the purpose of examining with his own eyes into the

Footnote 1:

Ireland.

truth of the various accounts which had been given of the flourishing and happy condition of the United States of America, and of ascertaining whether, in case of future emergency, any part of those territories might be looked forward to, as an eligible and agreeable place of abode. Arrived in America, he travelled pretty generally through the states of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and New York; he afterwards passed into the Canadas, desirous of obtaining equal information as to the state of those provinces, and of determining from his own immediate observations, how far the present condition of the inhabitants of the British dominions in America might be inferior, or otherwise, to that of the people of the States, who had now indeed thrown off the yoke, but were formerly common members of the same extensive empire.

WHEN abroad, he had not the most distant intention of publishing his travels; but finding on his return home, that much of the matter contained in the following letters was quite new to his friends, and being induced to think that it might prove equally new, and not wholly unacceptable to the Public, he came to the resolution of committing them to print: accordingly the present volume[2] is now offered to the world, in an humble hope, that if not entertaining to all readers, it will at least be so to some, as well as useful to future travellers.

Footnote 2:

The first edition was printed in one quarto volume.

IF it shall appear to any one, that he has spoken with too much asperity of American men and American manners, the Author begs that such language may not be ascribed to hasty prejudice, and a blind partiality for every thing that is European. He crossed the Atlantic strongly prepossessed in favour of the people and the country, which he was about to visit; and if he returned with sentiments of a different tendency, they resulted solely from a cool and dispassionate observation of what chance presented to his view when abroad.

AN enthusiastic admirer of the beauties of nature, the scenery of the countries through which he passed did not fail to attract a great part of his attention; and interspersed through the book will be found views of what he thought would be most interesting to his readers: they are what he himself sketched upon the spot, that of Mount Vernon, the Seat of General Washington, indeed, excepted, for which he is indebted to an ingenious friend that he met in America, and the View of Bethlehem. He has many more views in his possession; but he thought it better to furnish his Publisher with a few only, in hopes that the engraving from them would be well executed, rather than with a great many, which, had they been given, must either have been in a style unworthy of the public eye, or else have swelled the price of the volume beyond the reach of many that may now read it. Of the resemblance which these views bear to their respective archetypes, those alone can be judges who have been spectators of the original scenes. With regard to the Cataract of Niagara, however, it must be observed, that in views on so small a scale no one must expect to find a lively representation of its wonderful and terrific vastness, even were they executed by artists of far superior merit; the inserting of the three in the present work is done merely in the hope that they may help, together with the ground plan of the precipice, if it may be so called, to give a general idea of the position and appearance of that stupendous Cataract. Those who are desirous of becoming more intimately acquainted with it, will soon be gratified, at least so he has been given to understand by the artist in whose hands they at present are, with a set of views from the masterly pencil of Captain Fisher, of the Royal British Artillery, which are allowed by all those who have visited the Falls of Niagara, to convey a more perfect idea of that wonderful natural curiosity, than any paintings or engravings that are extant.

FINALLY, before the Reader proceeds to the perusal of the ensuing pages, the Author will just beg leave to apprize him, that they are the production of a very youthful pen, unaccustomed to write a great deal, far less to write for the press. It is now for the first time that one of its productions is ventured to be laid before the public eye. As a first attempt, therefore, it is humbly hoped that the present work may meet with a generous indulgence, and not be too severely criticised on account of its numerous imperfections.

Dublin,
20th December 1798.

-------------------------------------------

+ERRATA+.[3]

+VOL+. I.

Page 205 line 10, for 60° read 6°.
Page 381 line 7, dele there.

+VOL+. II.

Page 18 line 28, for take, read take on.
Page 23 line 14, for houses, read storehouses.
Page 171 line 4 of the note, dele not.

Footnote 3:

These corrections have been applied to these two volumes.

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+CONTENTS+

To +VOLUME + I.

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+LETTER + I.

_Arrival on the Coast of America.—Trees page 1
the first Object visible.—Description
of the Bay and River of
Delaware.—Passengers bound for
Philadelphia not suffered to land till
examined by the Health
Officers.—Arrival at
Philadelphia.—Poor Appearance of the
City from the Water.—Plan of the
City.—Wharfs.—Public and private
Buildings.—Some Account of the
Hospital, and of the Gaol_

+LETTER + II.

_Population of Philadelphia.—Some page 20
Account of the Inhabitants, their
Character and Manners.—Private
Amusements.—Americans lose their Teeth
prematurely.—Theatrical Amusements
only permitted of
late.—Quakers.—President’s Levee and
Drawing Room.—Places of public
Worship.—Carriages, what Sort of, used
in Philadelphia.—Taverns, how
conducted in America.—Difficulty of
procuring Servants.—Character of the
lower Classes of People in America_

+LETTER + III.

_Journey to Baltimore.—Description of page 31
the Country about
Philadelphia.—Floating Bridges over
the Schuylkill, how constructed.—Mills
in Brandy-wine Creek.—Improvement in
the Machinery of Flour Mills in
America.—Town of Wilmington.—Log
Houses.—Bad Roads.—Fine Prospects.—How
relished by
Americans.—Taverns.—Susquehannah
River.—Town of Baltimore.—Plan of the
Town.—Harbour.—Public and private
Buildings.—Inhabitants.—Country
between Baltimore and
Washington.—Execrable Roads_

+LETTER + IV.

_Foundation of the City of page 49
Washington.—Not readily agreed to by
different States.—Choice of the Ground
left to General
Washington.—Circumstances to be
considered in chusing the Ground.—The
Spot fixed upon central to all the
States.—Also remarkably advantageously
situated for Trade.—Nature of the Back
Country Trade.—Summary View of the
principal Trading Towns in the United
States.—Their Prosperity shewn to
depend on the Back Country
Trade.—Description of the Patowmac
River.—Its Connection with other
Rivers pointed out.—Prodigious Extent
of the Water Communication from
Washington City in all
Directions.—Country likely to trade
immediately with Washington.—Situation
of Washington.—Plan of the
City.—Public Buildings.—Some begun,
others projected.—Capital President’s
House.—Hotel.—Stone and other building
Materials found in the
Neighbourhood.—Private Houses and
Inhabitants at present in the
City.—Different Opinions respecting
the future Greatness of the
City.—Impediments thrown in the Way of
its Improvement.—What has given rise
to this_

+LETTER + V.

_Some Account of Alexandria.—Mount page 90
Vernon, the Seat of General
Washington.—Difficulty of finding the
Way thither through the
Woods.—Description of the Mount, and
of the Views from it.—Description of
the House and Grounds.—Slaves at Mount
Vernon.—Thoughts thereon.—A Person at
Mount Vernon to attend to
Strangers.—Return to Washington_

+LETTER + VI.

_Arrival at Philadelphia.—Some page 96
Observations on the Climate of the
Middle States.—Public Carriages
prevented from plying between
Baltimore and Philadelphia by the
Badness of the Roads.—Left Baltimore
during Frost.—Met with American
Travellers on the Road.—Their
Behaviour preparatory to setting off
from an Inn.—Arrival on the Banks of
the Susquehannah.—Passage of that
River when frozen over.—Dangerous
Situation of the Passengers.—American
Travellers at the Tavern on the
opposite Side of the River.—Their
noisy Disputations_

+LETTER + VII.

_Philadelphia gayer in the Winter than page 104
at any other Season.—Celebration in
that City of General Washington’s
Birth Day.—Some Account of General
Washington’s Person and of his
Character.—Americans dissatisfied with
his Conduct as President.—A Spirit of
Dissatisfaction common amongst them_

+LETTER + VIII.

_Singular Mildness of the Winter of page 109
1795-6.—Set out for
Lancaster.—Turnpike Road between that
Place and Philadelphia.—Summary View
of the State of
Pennsylvania.—Description of the Farms
between Lancaster and
Philadelphia.—The Farmers live in a
penurious Style.—Greatly inferior to
English Farmers.—Bad Taverns on this
Road.—Waggons and Waggoners.—Customs
of the latter.—Description of
Lancaster.—Lately made the Seat of the
State Government.—Manufactures carried
on there.—Rifle Guns.—Great Dexterity
with which the Americans use
them.—Anecdote of Two Virginian
Soldiers belonging to a Rifle
Regiment_

+LETTER + IX.

_Number of Germans in the Neighbourhood page 120
of York and Lancaster.—How brought
over.—White Slave Trade.—Cruelty
frequently practised in the carrying
it on.—Character of the German
Settlers contrasted with that of the
Americans.—Passage of the Susquehannah
between York and Lancaster.—Great
Beauty of the Prospects along the
River.—Description of York.—Courts of
Justice there.—Of the Pennsylvanian
System of Judicature_

+LETTER + X.

_Of the Country near York.—Of the Soil page 131
of the Country on each Side of the
Blue Mountains.—Frederic-town.—Change
in the Inhabitants and in the Country
as you proceed towards the
Sea.—Numbers of Slaves.—Tobacco
chiefly cultivated.—Inquisitiveness of
the People at the
Taverns.—Observations
thereon.—Description of the Great
Falls of the Patowmac River.—George
Town.—Of the Country between that
Place and Hoe’s Ferry.—Poisonous
Vines.—Port Tobacco.—Wretched
Appearance of the Country bordering
upon the Ferry.—Slaves
neglected.—Passage of the Patowmac
very dangerous.—Fresh Water
Oysters.—Landed on a deserted Part of
the Virginian Shore.—Great Hospitality
of the Virginians_

+LETTER + XI.

_Of the Northern Neck of Virginia.—First page 145
settled by the English.—Houses built
by them remaining.—Disparity of
Condition amongst the
Inhabitants.—Estates worked by
Negroes.—Condition of the
Slaves.—Worse in the Carolinas.—Lands
worn out by Cultivation of
Tobacco.—Mode of cultivating and
curing Tobacco.—Houses in
Virginia.—Those of Wood
preferred.—Lower Classes of People in
Virginia.—Their unhealthy Appearance_

+LETTER + XII.

_Town of Tappahannock.—Rappahannock page 158
River.—Sharks found in it.—Country
bordering upon Urbanna.—Fires common
in the Woods.—Manner of stopping their
dreadful Progress.—Mode of getting
Turpentine from
Trees.—Gloucester.—York Town.—Remains
of the Fortifications erected here
during the American War.—Houses
shattered by Balls still
remaining.—Cave in the Bank of the
River.—Williamsburgh.—State House in
Ruins.—Statue of Lord
Bottetourt.—College of William and
Mary.—Condition of the Students_

+LETTER + XIII.

_Hampton.—Ferry to Norfolk.—Danger in page 169
crossing the numerous Ferries in
Virginia.—Norfolk.—Laws of Virginia
injurious to the Trading
Interest.—Streets narrow and dirty in
Norfolk.—Yellow Fever
there.—Observations on this
Disorder.—Violent Party Spirit amongst
the Inhabitants.—Few Churches in
Virginia.—Several in Ruins.—Private
Grave Yards_

+LETTER + XIV.

_Description of Dismal Swamp.—Wild Men page 178
found in it.—Bears, Wolves,
&c.—Country between Swamp and
Richmond.—Mode of making Tar and
Pitch.—Poor Soil.—Wretched
Taverns.—Corn Bread.—Difficulty of
getting Food for
Horses.—Petersburgh.—Horse Races
there.—Description of Virginian
Horses.—Style of Riding in
America.—Description of Richmond,
Capital of Virginia.—Singular Bridge
across James River.—State House.—Falls
of James River.—Gambling common in
Richmond.—Lower Classes of People very
quarrelsome.—Their Mode of
Fighting.—Gouging_

+LETTER + XV.

_Description of Virginia between page 193
Richmond and the Mountains.—Fragrance
of Flowers and Shrubs in the
Woods.—Melody of the Birds.—Of the
Birds of Virginia.—Mocking Bird.—Blue
Bird.—Red Bird, &c.—Singular Noises of
the Frogs.—Columbia.—Magazine
there.—Fire Flies in the Woods.—Green
Springs.—Wretchedness of the
Accommodation there.—Difficulty of
finding the Way through the
Woods.—Serpents.—Rattle-Snake.—Copper-Snake.—Black
Snake.—South-west, or Green
Mountains.—Soil of them.—Mountain
Torrents do great Damage.—Salubrity of
the Climate.—Great Beauty of the
Peasantry.—Many Gentlemen of Property
living here.—Monticello, the Seat of
Mr. Jefferson.—Vineyards.—Observations
on the Culture of the Grape, and the
Manufacture of Wine_

+LETTER + XVI.

_Of the Country between the South-west page 209
and Blue Mountains.—Copper and Iron
Mines.—Lynchburgh.—New London.—Armoury
here.—Description of the Road over the
Blue Mountains.—Peaks of Otter,
highest of the Mountains.—Supposed
Height.—Much over-rated.—German
Settlers numerous beyond the Blue
Mountains.—Singular Contrast between
the Country and the Inhabitants on
each Side of the Mountains.—Of the
Weevil.—Of the Hessian Fly.—Bottetourt
County.—Its Soil.—Salubrity of the
Climate.—Medicinal Springs here.—Much
frequented_

+LETTER + XVII.

_Description of the celebrated Rock page 220
Bridge, and of an immense
Cavern.—Description of the Shenandoa
Valley.—Inhabitants mostly
Germans.—Soil and
Climate.—Observations on American
Landscapes.—Mode of cutting down
Trees.—High Road to Kentucky, behind
Blue Mountains.—Much
frequented.—Uncouth, inquisitive
People.—Lexington.—Staunton.—Military
Titles very common in America.—Causes
thereof.—Winchester_

+LETTER + XVIII.

_Description of the Passage of Patowmac page 239
and Shenandoah Rivers through a Break
in the Blue Mountains.—Some
Observations on Mr. Jefferson’s
Account of the Scene.—Summary Account
of Maryland.—Arrival at
Philadelphia.—Remarks on the Climate
of the United States.—State of the
City of Philadelphia during the Heat
of Summer.—Difficulty of preserving
Butter, Milk, Meat, Fish, &c.—General
Use of Ice.—Of the Winds.—State of
Weather in America depends greatly
upon them_

+LETTER + XIX.

_Travelling in America without a page 256
Companion not pleasant.—Meet two
English Gentlemen.—Set out together
for Canada.—Description of the Country
between Philadelphia and New
York.—Bristol.—Trenton.—Princeton.—College
there.—Some Account of
it.—Brunswick.—Posaik
Water-fall.—Copper Mine.—Singular
Discovery thereof.—New
York.—Description of the
City.—Character and Manners of the
Inhabitants.—Leave it abruptly on
Account of the Fevers.—Passage up
North River from New York to
Albany.—Great Beauty of the North
River.—West Point.—Highlands.—Gusts of
Wind common in passing
them.—Albany.—Description of the City
and Inhabitants.—Celebration of the
4th of July.—Anniversary of American
Independence_

+LETTER + XX.

_Departure from Albany.—Difficulty of page 274
hiring a Carriage.—Arrival at
Cohoz.—Description of the curious Fall
there of the Mohawk
River.—Still-water.—Saratoga.—Few of
the Works remaining there.—Singular
Mineral Springs near Saratoga.—Fort
Edward.—Miss M‘Crea cruelly murdered
there by Indians.—Fort Ann, wretched
Road thither.—Some Observations on the
American Woods.—Horses
jaded.—Difficulty of getting
forward.—Arrive at
Skenesborough.—Dreadfully infested by
Musquitoes.—Particular Description of
that Insect.—Great Danger ensues
sometimes from their Bite.—Best
Remedy_

+LETTER + XXI.

_Embark on Lake Champlain.—Difficulty of page 288
procuring Provisions at Farms
bordering upon it.—Ticonderoga.—Crown
Point.—Great Beauty of the
Scenery.—General Description of Lake
Champlain and the adjacent
Country.—Captain Thomas and his
Indians arrive at Crown
Point.—Character of Thomas.—Reach St.
John’s.—Description of that
Place.—Great Difference observable in
the Face of the Country, Inhabitants,
&c. in Canada and in the
States.—Chambly Castle.—Calashes.—Bons
Dieux.—Town of La Prarie.—Great
Rapidity of the River Saint
Lawrence.—Cross it to
Montreal.—Astonishment on seeing large
Ships at Montreal.—Great Depth of the
River_

+LETTER + XXII.

_Description of the Town of Montreal.—Of page 309
the public
Buildings.—Churches.—Funeral
Ceremonies.—Convents.—Barracks.—Fortifications.—Inhabitants
mostly French.—Their Character and
Manners.—Charming Prospects in the
Neighbourhood of the Town.—Amusements
during Summer.—Parties of Pleasure up
the Mountain.—Of the Fur Trade.—The
Manner in which it is carried
on.—Great Enterprise of the North West
Company of Merchants.—Sketch of Mr.
M’Kenzie’s Expeditions over Land to
the Pacific Ocean.—Differences between
the North West and Hudson’s Bay
Companies_

+LETTER + XXIII.

_Voyage to Quebec down the St. page 331
Lawrence.—A Bateau preferable to a
Keel Boat.—Town of
Sorelle.—Ship-building
there.—Description of Lake St.
Pierre.—Batiscon.—Charming Scenery
along the Banks of St. Lawrence.—In
what respects it differs from the
Scenery along any other River in
America.—Canadian Houses.—Sketch of
the Character and Manners of the lower
Classes of Canadians.—Their
Superstition.—Anecdote.—St. Augustin
Calvaire.—Arrive at Quebec_

+LETTER + XXIV.

_Situation of the City of page 341
Quebec.—Divided into Upper and Lower
Town.—Description of each.—Great
Strength of the Upper Town.—Some
Observations on the Capture of Quebec
by the English Army under General
Wolfe.—Observations on Montgomery’s
and Arnold’s Attack during the
American War.—Census of Inhabitants of
Quebec.—The Chateau.—The Residence of
the Governor.—Monastery of the
Recollects.—College of the
Jesuits.—One Jesuit remaining of great
Age.—His great Wealth.—His Character.
—Nunneries.—Engineer’s Drawing
Room.—State
House.—Armoury.—Barracks.—Market-place.—Dogs
used in Carts.—Grandeur of the
Prospects from Parts of the Upper
Town.—Charming Scenery of the
Environs.—Description of Montmorenci
Water Fall.—Of La Chaudiere Water
Fall_

+LETTER + XXV.

_Of the Constitution, Government, Laws, page 361
and Religion of the Provinces of Upper
and Lower Canada.—Estimate of the
Expences of the Civil List, of the
Military Establishment, and the
Presents to the Indians.—Salaries of
certain Officers of the Crown.—Imports
and Exports.—Taxes._

+LETTER + XXVI.

_Of the Soil and Productions of Lower page 379
Canada—Observations on the Manufacture
of Sugar from the Maple-tree.—Of the
Climate of Lower Canada.—Amusements of
People of all Descriptions during
Winter.—Carioles.—Manner of guarding
against the Cold.—Great Hardiness of
the Horses.—State of the River St.
Lawrence on the Dissolution of
Winter.—Rapid Progress of Vegetation
during Spring.—Agreeableness of the
Summer and Autumn Seasons_

+LETTER + XXVII.

_Inhabitants of Lower Canada.—Of the page 399
Tenures by which Lands are held.—Not
favourable to the Improvement of the
Country.—Some Observations
thereon.—Advantages of settling in
Canada and the United States
compared.—Why Emigrations to the
latter Country are more
general.—Description of a Journey to
Stoneham Township near
Quebec.—Description of the River St.
Charles.—Of Lake St. Charles.—Of
Stoneham Township_

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+LIST + OF + PLATES. +

──────
VOL. I.

Map of the NORTHERN STATES of America _Page_ 1

Plan of the CITY of WASHINGTON 81

View of MOUNT VERNON, the Seat of 92
General Washington

American STAGE WAGGON 27

View of the Natural ROCK BRIDGE in 221
Virginia

View on the HUDSON RIVER[_N.B._] 268

View of the COHOZ FALL 275

Map of UPPER and LOWER CANADA 305

Plan of the CITY of QUEBEC 342

View of CAPE DIAMOND, from Wolfe’s Cove, 346
near Quebec

CANADIAN CALASH or MARCHE-DONC 306

_N.B._: In some of the Impressions, by mistake, called “View of the Patowmac River from Mount Vernon.”

VOL. II.

An Eye Sketch of the FALLS of NIAGARA 118
View of the HORSE-SHOE FALL of NIAGARA 118
── Lesser FALLS of NIAGARA 118
General View of the FALLS of NIAGARA 121
View of BETHLEHEM, a MORAVIAN Settlement 355

------------------------------------------------------------------------

_PART_ of the
UNITED STATES _of_ NORTH AMERICA.

Click on the map for a higher resolution version.
]

------------------------------------------------------------------------

+TRAVELS+

THROUGH THE STATES OF

+NORTH AMERICA+.

---------------------

+LETTER + I.

_Arrival on the Coast of America.—Trees the first Object
visible.—Description of the Bay and River of Delaware.—Passengers
bound for Philadelphia not suffered to land till examined by the
Health Officers.—Arrival at Philadelphia.—Poor Appearance of the City
from the Water.—Plan of the City.—Wharfs.—Public and private
Buildings.—Some Account of the Hospital, and of the Gaol._

MY DEAR SIR, Philadelphia, November, 1795.

OUR passage across the Atlantic was disagreeable in the extreme. The weather for the most part was bad, and calms and heavy adverse gales so frequently retarded our progress to the westward, that it was not until the fifty-ninth day from that on which we left Ireland, that we discovered the American coast. I shall not attempt to describe the joy which the sight of land, a sight that at once relieved the eye from the uninteresting and wearisome view of sky and water, and that afforded to each individual a speedy prospect of delivery from the narrow confines of a small trading vessel, diffused amongst the passengers. You, who have yourself made a long voyage, can best imagine what it must have been.

The first objects which meet the eye on approaching the American coast, south of New York, are the tops of trees, with which the shore is thickly covered to the very edge of the water. These, at a distance, have the appearance of small islands; but as you draw nearer they are seen to unite; and the tall forest rising gradually out of the ocean, at last presents itself in all its majesty to your view. The land which we made was situated very near to the bay of Delaware, and before noon we passed between the capes Henlopen and May, which guard the entrance of the bay. The capes are only eighteen miles apart, but within them the bay expands to the breadth of thirty miles. It afterwards becomes gradually narrower, until it is lost in the river of the same name, at Bombay Hook, seven leagues distant from the Atlantic. The river Delaware, at this place, is about six miles wide; at Reedy Island, twenty miles higher up, it is three miles wide; and at Philadelphia, one hundred and twenty miles from the sea, one mile wide.

[Sidenote: SHORES OF THE DELAWARE.]

The shores of the bay and of the river Delaware, for a very considerable distance upwards, are low; and they are covered, like the coast, with one vast forest, excepting merely in a few places, where extensive marshes intervene. Nothing, however, could be more pleasing than the views with which we were entertained as we sailed up to Philadelphia. The trees had not yet quite lost their foliage, and the rich red and yellow tints which autumn had suffused over the leaves of the oaks and poplars appeared beautifully blended with the sombre green of the lofty pines; whilst the river, winding slowly and smoothly along under the banks, reflected in its glassy surface the varied colours of the objects on shore, as well as the images of multitudes of vessels of various sizes, which, as far as the eye could reach, were seen gliding silently along with the tide. As you approach towards Philadelphia, the banks of the river become more elevated; and on the left hand side, where they are much cleared, they are interspersed with numberless neat farm houses, with villages and towns; and are in some parts cultivated down to the very edge of the water. The New Jersey shore, on the right hand side, remains thickly wooded, even as far as the city.

Vessels very commonly ascend to Philadelphia, when the wind is favourable, in twenty-four hours; but unfortunately, as our ship entered the river, the wind died away, and she had to depend solely upon the tide, which flows at the rate of about three miles only in the hour. Finding that the passage up to the city was likely therefore to become tedious, I would fain have gone on shore far below it; but this the captain would not permit me to do. By the laws of Pennsylvania, enacted in consequence of the dreadful pestilence which raged in the capital in the year 1793, the master of any vessel bound for that port is made subject to a very heavy fine, if he suffers any person from on board her, whether mariner or passenger, to go on shore in any part of the state, before his vessel is examined by the health officer: and any person that goes on shore, contrary to the will of the master of the vessel, is liable to be imprisoned for a considerable length of time. In case the existence of this law should not be known on board a vessel bound for a port in Pennsylvania, it is the business of the pilot to furnish the matter and the passengers on board with copies of it, with which he always comes provided. The health officer, who is a regular bred physician, resides at Mifflin Fort, four miles below the city, where there is a small garrison kept. A boat is always sent on shore for him from the ship. After having been tossed about on the ocean for nine weeks nearly, nothing could be more tantalizing than to be kept thus close to the shore without being permitted to land.

[Sidenote: PHILADELPHIA.]

Philadelphia, as you approach by the river, is not seen farther off than three miles, a point of land covered with trees concealing it from the view. On weathering this point it suddenly opens upon you, and at that distance it looks extremely well; but on a nearer approach, the city makes a poor appearance, as nothing is visible from the water but confused heaps of wooden storehouses, crowded upon each other, the chief of which are built upon platforms of artificial ground, and wharfs which project a considerable way into the river. The wharfs are of a rectangular form, and built of wood; they jut out in every direction, and are well adapted for the accommodation of shipping, the largest merchant vessels being able to lie close alongside them. Behind these wharfs, and parallel to the river, runs Water-street. This is the first street which you usually enter after landing, and it does not serve to give a stranger a very favourable opinion either of the neatness or commodiousness of the public ways of Philadelphia. It is no more than thirty feet wide; and immediately behind the houses, which stand on the side farthest from the water, a high bank, supposed to be the old bank of the river, rises, which renders the air very confined. Added to this, such stenches at times prevail in it, owing in part to the quantity of filth and dirt that is suffered to remain on the pavement, and in part to what is deposited in waste houses, of which there are several in the street, that it is really dreadful to pass through it. It was here that the malignant yellow fever broke out in the year 1793, which made such terrible ravages; and in the summer season, in general, the street is found extremely unhealthy. That the inhabitants, after suffering so much from the sickness that originated in it, should remain thus inattentive to the cleanliness of Water-street is truly surprising; more especially so, when it is considered, that the streets in the other parts of the town are as much distinguished for the neatness that prevails throughout them, as this one is for its dirty condition.

[Sidenote: PHILADELPHIA.]

On the level plot of ground on the top of the bank which rises behind Water-street, the city of Philadelphia was originally laid out, and it was intended by the founder that no houses should have been erected at the bottom of it; however, as there was no positive law to this effect, the convenience of the situation soon tempted numbers to build there, and they are now encroaching, annually, on the river, by throwing wharfs farther out into the stream. In another respect also the original plan of the city was not adhered to. The ground allotted for it was in the form of an oblong square, two miles in length, reaching from the river Schuylkill to the Delaware, and one mile in breadth. Pursuant to this scheme, the houses were begun on the Delaware side; but instead of having been carried on towards the Schuylkill, the current of building has kept entirely on one side. The houses extend for two miles nearly along the Delaware, but, on an average, not more than half a mile towards the Schuylkill: this is to be attributed to the great superiority of the one river over the other. All the houses built beyond the boundary line of the oblong square are said to be in the “Liberties,” as the jurisdiction of the corporation does not extend to that part of the town. Here the streets are very irregularly built, but in the city they all intersect each other at right angles, according to the original plan. The principal street is one hundred feet wide; the others vary from eighty to fifty. They are all tolerably well paved with pebble stones in the middle; and on each side, for the convenience of passengers, there is a footway paved with red brick.

The houses within the limits of the city are for the most part built of brick; a few, and a few only, are of wood.

In the old parts of the town they are in general small, heavy, and inconvenient; but amongst those which have been lately erected, many are to be found that are light, airy, and commodious. In the whole city, however, there are only two or three houses that particularly attract the attention, on account of their size and architecture, and but little beauty is observable in the designs of any of these. The most spacious and the most remarkable one amongst them stands in Chesnut-street, but it is not yet quite finished. At present it appears a huge mass of red brick and pale blue marble, which bids defiance to simplicity and elegance. This superb mansion, according to report, has already cost upwards of fifty thousand guineas, and stands as a monument of the increasing luxury of the city of Philadelphia.

As for the public buildings, they are all heavy tasteless piles of red brick, ornamented with the same sort of blue marble as that already mentioned, and which but ill accord together, unless indeed we except the new Bank of the United States, and the presbyterian church in High-street. The latter building is ornamented with a handsome portico in front, supported by six pillars in the Corinthian order; but it is seen to great disadvantage on account of the market house, which occupies the center of the street before it. The buildings next to these, that are most deserving of notice, are the State House, the President’s House, the Hospital, the Bettering House, and the Gaol.

[Sidenote: PHILADELPHIA.]

The State House is situated in Chesnut-street; and, considering that no more than fifty-three years elapsed from the time the first cabin was built on the spot marked out for the city, until it was erected, the architecture calls forth both our surprise and admiration. The State House is appropriated to the use of the legislative bodies of the state. Attached to this edifice are the congress and the city-halls. In the former, the congress of the United States meets to transact business. The room allotted to the representatives of the lower house is about sixty feet in length, and fitted up in the plainest manner. At one end of it is a gallery, open to every person that chuses to enter it; the stair-case leading to which runs directly from the public street. The senate chamber is in the story above this, and it is furnished and fitted up in a much superior style to that of the lower house. In the city hall the courts of justice are held, the supreme court of the United States, as well as that of the state of Pennsylvania, and those of the city.

The president’s house, as it is called, was erected for the residence of the president, before the removal of the seat of the federal government from Philadelphia was agitated. The original plan of this building was drawn by a private gentleman, resident in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, and was possessed, it is said, of no small share of merit; but the committee of citizens, that was appointed to take the plan into consideration, and to direct the building, conceiving that it could be improved upon, reversed the positions of the upper and lower stories, placing the latter at top, so that the pilasters, with which it is ornamented, appear suspended in the air. The committee also contrived, that the windows of the principal apartments, instead of opening into a spacious area in front of the house, as was designed at first, should face towards the confined back yards of the adjoining houses. This building is not yet finished, and as the removal of the seat of government to the federal city of Washington is so shortly to take place, it is most probable that it will never be occupied by the president. To what purpose it will be now applied is yet undetermined. Some imagine, that it will be converted into a city hotel; others, that it will be destined for the residence of the governor of the state. For the latter purpose, it would be unfit in the extreme, the salary of the governor being so inconsiderable, that it would not enable him to keep up an establishment suitable to a dwelling of one-fourth part the size of it.

[Sidenote: PHILADELPHIA.]

The hospital, for its airiness, for its convenient accommodation for the sick and infirm, and for the neatness exhibited throughout every part of it, cannot be surpassed by any institution of the kind in the world. The plan of the building is in the form of the letter H. At present but one wing and a part of the center are finished; but the rest of the building is in a state of forwardness. It is two stories high, and underneath the whole are cells for lunatics. Persons labouring under any disorder of body or mind are received into this hospital, excepting such as have diseases that are contagious, and of a malignant nature; such patients, however, have the advice of the attending physicians gratis, and are supplied with medicine from the hospital dispensary.

The productive stock of this hospital, in the year 1793, was estimated £.17,065 currency; besides which there are estates belonging to it that as yet produce nothing. The same year, the legislature granted £.10,000 for enlarging the building, and adding thereto a Lying-in and Foundling hospital. The annual private donations are very considerable. Those that contribute a certain sum have the power of electing the directors, who are twelve in number, and chosen yearly. The directors appoint six of the most skilful surgeons and physicians in the city to attend; there is also a surgeon and apothecary resident in the home. From the year 1756, when it was built, to the year 1793 inclusive, nearly 9,000 patients were admitted into this hospital, upwards of 6,000 of whom were relieved or cured. The hospital stands within the limits of the city, but it is more than a quarter of a mile removed from any of the other buildings. There are spacious walks within the inclosure for such of the patients as are in a state of convalescence.

The Bettering House, which is under the care of the overseers of the poor, stands in the same neighbourhood, somewhat farther removed from the houses of the city. It is a spacious building of brick, with extensive walks and gardens. The poor of the city and neighbourhood are here furnished with employment, and comfortably lodged and dieted. During the severity of the winter season, many aged and reduced persons seek refuge in this place, and leave it again on the return of spring. Whilst they stay there, they are under very little restraint, and go in and out when they please; they must, however, behave orderly. This institution is supported by a tax on the town.

[Sidenote: PHILADELPHIA.]

The gaol is a spacious building of common stone, one hundred feet in front. It is fitted up with solitary cells, on the new plan, and the apartments are all arched, to prevent the communication of fire. Behind the building are extensive yards, which are secured by lofty walls. This gaol is better regulated, perhaps, than any other on the face of the globe. By the new penal laws of Pennsylvania, lately enacted, no crime is punishable with death, excepting murder of the first degree, by which is meant, murder that is perpetrated by wilful premeditated intention, or in attempts to commit rape, robbery, or the like. Every other offence, according to its enormity, is punished by solitary imprisonment of a determined duration. Objections may be made to this mode of punishment, as not being sufficiently severe on the individual to atone for an atrocious crime; nor capable, because not inflicted in public, of deterring evil-minded persons in the community from the commission of offences which incur the rigour of the law; but on a close examination, it will be found to be very severe; and as far as an opinion can be formed from the trial that has been hitherto made by the state of Pennsylvania, it seems better calculated to restrain the excesses of the people than any other. If any public punishment could strike terror into the lawless part of the multitude, it is as likely that the infliction of death would do it as any whatsoever: but death is divested of many of his terrors, after being often presented to our view; so that we find in countries, for instance in England, where it occurs often as punishment, the salutary effects that might be expected from it are in a great measure lost. The unfortunate wretch, who is doomed to forfeit his life in expiation of the crimes he has committed, in numberless instances, looks forward with apparent unconcern to the moment in which he is to be launched into eternity; his companions around him only condole with him, because his career of iniquity has so suddenly been impeded by the course of justice: or, if he is not too much hardened in the paths of vice, but falls a prey to remorse, and sees all the horrors of his impending fate, they endeavour to rally his broken spirits by the consoling remembrance, that the pangs he has to endure are but the pangs of a moment, which they illustrate by the speedy exit of one whose death he was perhaps himself witness to but a few weeks before. A month does not pass over in England without repeated executions; and there is scarcely a vagabond to be met with in the country, who has seen a fellow creature suspended from the gallows. We all know what little good effect such spectacles produce. But immured in darkness and solitude, the prisoner suffers pangs worse than death a hundred times in the day: he is left to his own bitter reflections; there is no one thing to divert his attention, and he endeavours in vain to escape from the horrors which continually haunt his imagination. In such a situation the most hardened offender is soon reduced to a state of repentance.

[Sidenote: PHILADELPHIA.]

But punishment by imprisonment, according to the laws of Pennsylvania, is imposed, not only as an expiation of past offences, and an example to the guilty part of society, but for another purpose, regarded by few penal codes in the world, the reform of the criminal. The regulations of the gaol, are calculated to promote this effect as soon as possible, so that the building, indeed, deserves the name of a penitentiary house more than that of a gaol. As soon as a criminal is committed to the prison he is made to wash; his hair is shorn, and if not decently clothed, he is furnished with clean apparel; then he is thrown into a solitary cell, about nine feet long and four wide, where he remains debarred from the sight of every living being excepting his gaoler, whose duty it is to attend to the bare necessities of his nature, but who is forbidden, on any account, to speak to him without there is absolute occasion. If a prisoner is at all refractory, or if the offence for which he is imprisoned is of a very atrocious nature, he is then confined in a cell secluded even from the light of heaven. This is the worst that can be inflicted upon him.

[Sidenote: PHILADELPHIA.]

The gaol is inspected twice every week by twelve persons appointed for that purpose, who are chosen annually from amongst the citizens of Philadelphia. Nor is it a difficult matter to procure these men, who readily and voluntarily take it upon them to go through the troublesome functions of the office without any fee or emolument whatever. They divide themselves into committees; each of these takes it in turn, for a stated period, to visit every part of the prison; and a report is made to the inspectors at large, who meet together at times regularly appointed. From the report of the committee an opinion is formed by the inspectors, who, with the consent of the judges, regulate the treatment of each individual prisoner during his confinement. This is varied according to his crime, and according to his subsequent repentance. Solitary confinement in a dark cell is looked upon as the severest usage; next, solitary confinement in a cell with the admission of light; next, confinement in a cell where the prisoner is allowed to do some sort of work; lastly, labour in company with others. The prisoners are obliged to bathe twice every week, proper conveniencies for that purpose being provided within the walls of the prison, and also to change their linen, with which they are regularly provided. Those in solitary confinement are kept upon bread and water; but those who labour are allowed broth, porridge, puddings, and the like: meat is dispensed only in small quantities, twice in the week. Their drink is water; on no pretence is any other beverage suffered to be brought into the prison. This diet is found, by experience, to afford the prisoners strength sufficient to perform the labour that is imposed upon them; whereas a more generous one would only serve to render their minds less humble and submissive. Those who labour, are employed in the particular trade to which they have been accustomed, provided it can be carried on in the prison; if not acquainted with any, something is soon found that they can do. One room is set apart for shoemakers, another for taylors, a third for carpenters, and so on; and in the yards are stone-cutters, smiths, nailers, &c. &c.

[Sidenote: PHILADELPHIA.]

Excepting the cells, which are at a remote part of the building, the prison has the appearance of a large manufactory. Good order and decency prevail throughout, and the eye of a spectator is never assailed by the sight of such ghastly and squalid figures as are continually to be met with in our prisons; so far, also, is a visitor from being insulted, that he is scarcely noticed as he passes through the different wards. The prisoners are forbidden to speak to each other without there is necessity; they are also forbidden to laugh, or to sing, or to make the smallest disturbance. An overseer attends continually to see that every one performs his work diligently; and in case of the smallest resistance to any of the regulations, the offender is immediately cast into a solitary cell, to subsist on bread and water till he returns to a proper sense of his behaviour; but the dread all those have of this treatment, who have once experienced it, is such, that it is seldom found necessary to repeat it. The women are kept totally apart from the men, and are employed in a manner suitable to their sex. The labourers all eat together in one large apartment; and regularly, every Sunday, there is divine service, at which all attend. It is the duty of the chaplain to converse at times with the prisoners, and endeavour to reform their minds and principles. The inspectors, when they visit the prison, also do the same; so that when a prisoner is liberated, he goes out, as it were, a new man; he has been habituated to employment, and has received good instructions. The greatest care is also taken to find him employment the moment he quits the place of his confinement. According to the regulations, no person is allowed to visit the prison without permission of the inspectors. The greatest care is also taken to preserve the health of the prisoners, and for those who are sick there are proper apartments and good advice provided. The longest period of confinement is for a rape, which is not to be less than ten years, but not to exceed twenty-one. For high treason, the length of confinement is not to be less than six nor more than twelve years. There are prisons in every county throughout Pennsylvania, but none as yet are established on the same plan as that which has been described. Criminals are frequently sent from other parts of the state to receive punishment in the prison of Philadelphia.

So well is this gaol conducted, that instead of being an expense, it now annually produces a considerable revenue to the state.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

+LETTER + II.

_Population of Philadelphia.—Some Account of the Inhabitants, their
Character and Manners.—Private Amusements.—Americans lose their
Teeth prematurely.—Theatrical Amusements only permitted of
late.—Quakers.—President’s Levee and Drawing Room.—Places of public
Worship.— Carriages, what sort of, used in Philadelphia.—Taverns, how
conducted in America.—Difficulty of procuring Servants.—Character of
the lower Classes of People in America._

MY DEAR SIR, Philadelphia, November.

PHILADELPHIA, according to the census taken in the Year 1790, contained 42,000 people. From the natural increase, however, of population, and the influx of strangers, the number is supposed now to be near 50,000, notwithstanding the ravages of the yellow fever in 1793, which swept off 4,000 people. The inhabitants consist of English, Irish, Scotch, Germans, French, and of American born citizens, descended from people of these different nations, who are of course by far the most numerous class. The inhabitants are for the most part engaged in some sort of business; a few, and a few only, live without any ostensible professions, on the fortunes which they themselves have raised; but these men are not idle or inattentive to the increase of their property, being ever on the watch to profit by the sale of lands, which they have purchased, and to buy more on advantageous terms. It would be a difficult matter to find a man of any property in the country, who is not concerned in the buying or selling of land, which may be considered in America as an article of trade.

[Sidenote: PHILADELPHIA.]

In a large city, like Philadelphia, where people are assembled together from so many different quarters, there cannot fail to be a great diversity in the manners of the inhabitants. It is a remark, however, very generally made, not only by foreigners, but also by persons from other parts of the United States, that the Philadelphians are extremely deficient in hospitality and politeness towards strangers. Amongst the uppermost circles in Philadelphia, pride, haughtiness, and ostentation are conspicuous; and it seems as if nothing could make them happier than that an order of nobility should be established, by which they might be exalted above their fellow citizens, as much as they are in their own conceit. In the manners of the people in general there is a coldness and reserve, as if they were suspicious of some designs against them, which chills to the very heart those who come to visit them. In their private societies a _tristesse_ is apparent, near which mirth and gaiety can never approach. It is no unusual thing, in the genteelest houses, to see a large party of from twenty to thirty persons assembled, and seated round a room, without partaking of any other amusement than what arises from the conversation, most frequently in whispers, that passes between the two persons who are seated next to each other. The party meets between six and seven in the evening; tea is served with much form; and at ten, by which time most of the company are wearied with having remained so long stationary, they return to their own homes. Still, however, they are not strangers to music, cards, or dancing; their knowledge of music, indeed, is at a very low ebb; but in dancing, which appears to be their most favourite amusement, they certainly excel.

[Sidenote: PHILADELPHIA.]

The women, in general, whilst young, are very pretty, but by the time they become mothers of a little family they lose all their beauty, their complexions fade away, their teeth begin to decay, and they hardly appear like the same creatures. In a few instances only it would be possible to find a fine woman of the age of forty, who has had a large family. The sudden decay of the teeth is a circumstance which has engaged the attention of the faculty; both men and women, American born, losing them very generally at an early age. Some ascribe it to the great and sudden changes in the weather, from heat to cold; but negroes, who are exposed to the same transition of climate, are distinguished for the whiteness and beauty of their teeth; and the Indians also, who are more exposed than either, preserve their teeth in good order. Others attribute it to the immoderate use of confectionary. Of confectionary, the Americans in the towns certainly make an inordinate use; but in the country, where the people have not an opportunity of getting such things, the men, but more generally the women, also lose their teeth very prematurely. Most probably it is owing to the very general use they make of salted provisions. In the country parts of America in particular, the people live upon salted pork and salted fish nearly the whole year round.

It is only within a few years past, since 1779, that any public amusements have been suffered in this city; the old corporation, which consisted mostly of the Quakers, and not of the most liberal minded people in the city, having always opposed the establishment of any place for the purpose. Now, however, there are two theatres and an amphitheatre. Little or no use is made of the old theatre, which is of wood, and a very indifferent building. The new one is built of brick, and neatly fitted up within; but it is hardly large enough for the town. A shocking custom obtains here, of smoking tobacco in the house, which at times is carried to such an excess, that those to whom it is disagreeable are under the necessity of going away. To the people in the pit, wine and porter is brought between the acts, precisely as if they were in a tavern. The actors are procured, with a very few exceptions, from Great Britain and Ireland; none of them are very eminent performers, but they are equal to what are usually met with in the country towns of England. The amphitheatre is built of wood; equestrian and other exercises are performed there, similar to those at Astley’s. Dancing assemblies are held regularly every fortnight through the winter, and occasionally there are public concerts.

During summer, the people that can make it convenient retire to country houses in the neighbourhood of the town, and all public and private amusements cease; winter is the season for them, the Congress being then assembled, and trade not being so closely attended to, as the navigation of the river is then commonly impeded by ice.

[Sidenote: PHILADELPHIA.]

The president finds it necessary, in general, to come to Philadelphia preparatory to the meeting of congress, and resides there during the whole of the session. Once in the week, during his stay in the city, he has levees, between the hours of three and four in the afternoon. At these he always appears himself in a court dress, and it is expected that the foreign ministers should always attend in the same style; this they constantly do, excepting the French minister, who makes a point of going in dishabille, not to say worse of it. Other persons are at liberty to go as they think proper. Mrs. Washington, also, has a drawing room once every week. On this occasion the ladies are seated in great form round the apartment, and tea, coffee, &c. served[4].

Footnote 4:

Whether the levee is kept up by the present president, or not, I have
not heard. Many objections were made to it by the democratic party
during the administration of General Washington, as being inconsistent
with the spirit of a republican government, and destructive of that
equality which ought to reign amongst the citizens of every class.

Philadelphia is the grand residence of the Quakers in America, but their number does not bear the same proportion now to that of the other citizens which it did formerly. At present they form about one fourth only of the inhabitants. This does not arise from any diminution of the number of Quakers, on the contrary they have considerably increased, but from the great influx into the city of persons of a different persuasion. Belonging to the Quakers there are five places for public worship; to the Presbyterians and Seceders six; to the English Episcopalians three; to German Lutherans two; to the Roman Catholics four; and one respectively to the Swedish Lutherans, Moravians, Baptists, Universal Baptists, Methodists, and Jews. On a Sunday every citizen appears well dressed; the lower classes of the people in particular are remarkably well clothed. This is a great day also for little excursions into the country.

[Sidenote: PHILADELPHIA.]

The carriages made use of in Philadelphia consist of coaches, chariots, chaises, coachees, and light waggons, the greater part of which are built in Philadelphia. The equipages of a few individuals are extremely ostentatious; nor does there appear in any that neatness and elegance which might be expected amongst a set of people that are desirous of imitating the fashions of England, and that are continually getting models over from that country. The coachee is a carriage peculiar, I believe, to America; the body of it is rather longer than that of a coach, but of the same shape. In the front it is left quite open down to the bottom, and the driver sits on a bench under the roof of the carriage. There are two seats in it for the passengers, who sit with their faces towards the horses. The roof is supported by small props, which are placed at the corners. On each side of the doors, above the pannels, it is quite open, and to guard against bad weather there are curtains, which are made to let down from the roof, and fasten to buttons placed for the purpose on the outside. There is also a leathern curtain to hang occasionally between the driver and passengers.