Part 1 (2/2)

Mr Birkbeck thus describes the mode in which _towns_ _are formed_ in America On any spot, (says he,) where a few settlers cluster together, attracted by ancient neighbourhood, or by the goodness of the soil, or vicinity to aproprietor perhaps finds, in his section, what he deeood site for a town: he has it surveyed, and laid out in lots, which he sells, or offers to sale by auction When these are disposed of, the nen assumes the name of its founder: a store-keeper builds a little fraoods; and then a tavern starts up, which beco house of the store-keeper, as well as the resort of the traveller Soon follow a blacksmith, and other handicraftsmen, in useful succession A school-ion, beco community Thus the town proceeds, if it proceed at all, with accuhbourhood Hundreds of these speculations ins and thrives, as population increases around favourite spots The town being established, a cluster of inhabitants, however small it hbourhood: redundancy of supply is the consequence, and this deable streams, and thus an effectual and constantsurplus of produce Such are the ele mass of commerce which may, hereafter, render this one of the most ih the Americans boast of the freedom which they personally enjoy, they, most inconsistently, allow the importation and employment of _slaves_; and, with such unjust detestation are these unhappy beings treated, that a negro is not permitted to eat at the same table, nor even to frequent the same place of worshi+p, as a white person The white _servants_, on the contrary, esteem themselves on an equality with their masters They style themselves ”helps,” and will not suffer themselves to be called ”servants” When they speak to their masters or mistresses, they either call them by their names; or they substitute the term ”boss,” for that of master All this, however, is a difference ree of feeling, nor are they at all more considerate in their conduct towards this class of society, than the inhabitants of other nations Indeed the contrary is very often the case Most persons, in Ae their servants by the week, and no enquiry is ever made relative to character, as is customary with us

The _constitution_ of the United States guarantees freedom of speech and liberty of the press By law all the inhabitants are esteeth of the country is in the militia; and, whenever this is ee, is compellable either to bear arms, or to pay an equivalent to be excused from this service Trial by jury is to be preserved inviolate A republican foruaranteed to all the states, and hereditary titles and distinctions are prohibited by the law With regard to religion, it is stipulated that no law shall ever be passed to establish any particular forion, or to prevent the free exercise of it; and, in the United States, no religious test is required as a qualification to any office of public trust

In _coress of the States has been rapid beyond exaes of excellent harbours, extensive inland bays, and navigable rivers, the Americans assert that their trade is not fettered by es of any description Goods or h the whole country free of duty; and a full drawback, or restitution of the duties of in port, in the course of the year in which they have been ihly honourable employment; and, in the sea-port towns, all the wealthiest members of the community are merchants Nearly all the materials for manufactures are produced in this country Fuel is inexhaustible; and the high wages of the manufacturers, and the want of an extensive capital, alone prevent the Alish in trade The produce of cultivation in America is of almost every variety that can be narain; apples, pears, cherries, peaches, grapes, currants, gooseberries, pluetables

Lees, and tropical fruits are raised in the southern States

Hops, flax, and hemp are abundant Tobacco is an article of extensive cultivation in Virginia, Maryland, and soar are staple commodities in several of the states The northern and eastern states are well adapted for grazing, and furnish a great number of valuable horses, and of cattle and sheep; and an abundance of butter and cheese

It will be possible to describe nearly all the most important places within the li, in succession, the narratives of different travellers through this interesting country In so doing, however, it may perhaps be found requisite, in a few instances, to separate the parts of their narrations, for the purpose of ement will not often occur

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Statistical, political, and historical account of the United States

Second Day's Instruction

UNITED STATES CONTINUED

_An account of New York and its vicinity From Sketches of America by_ HENRY BRADSHAW FEARON

Mr Fearon was deputed by several friends in England, to visit the United States, for the purpose of obtaining inforrating from their native country, to settle in A of August, 1817

Here every object was interesting to hiht on board the shi+p the newspapers of theIn these, many of the advertiseularity One of theentle is allowed in the theatre” Several sailing boats passed, with respectable persons in thee straw hats, turned up behind At one o'clock, the vessel was anchored close to the city; and a great number of persons were collected on the wharf to witness her arrival Many of these belonged to the labouring class; others were of the e straw hats prevailed, and trowsers were universal The general costume of these persons was inferior to that of land: their whole appearance was loose, slovenly, careless, and not remarkable for cleanliness The wholesale stores, which front the river, had not theand narrow, and each was drawn by one horse The hackney-coaches were open at the sides, an arrangee was about one fourth higher than in London

This city, when approached from the sea, presents an appearance that is truly beautiful It stands at the extreme point of Manhattan, or York island, which is thirteen , and from one to two miles wide; and the houses are built from shore to shore Vessels of any burden can come close up to the town, and lie there in perfect safety, in a natural harbour formed by the _East_ and _Hudson's rivers_ New York contains 120,000 inhabitants, and is, indisputably, the most important coh which Mr Fearon passed, to a boarding-house in State-street, were narrow and dirty The _Battery_, however, is a delightful walk, at the edge of the bay; and several of the houses in State-street are as large as those in Bridge-street, Blackfriars, London At the house in which Mr Fearon resided, the hours of eating were, breakfast, eight o'clock; dinner half-past three, tea seven, and supper ten; and the whole expence of living ahteen dollars per week

The _street population_ of New York has an aspect very different fro feature of it is formed by the number of blacks, many of whoenerally in white muslin, with artificial flowers and pink shoes Mr Fearon saw very feell-dressed white ladies; but this was a tis of Balston and Saratoga, places of fashi+onable resort, about 200 miles from New York

All the native inhabitants of this city have sallow complexions To have colour in the cheeks is here considered a criterion by which a person is known to be an English men are tall, thin, and solemn: they all wear trowsers, and reat coats

There are, in New York, many _hotels_; some of which are on an extensive scale The City Hotel is as large as the London Tavern The dining-room and soardless of expense The _shops_, or stores, as they are here called, have nothing in their exterior to recommend them to notice: there is not even an attempt at tasteful display In this city the linen and woollen-drapers expose great quantities of their goods, loose on boxes, in the street, without any precaution against theft This practice, a proof of their carelessness, is at the same time an evidence as to the political state of society which is worthy of attention Great masses of the population cannot be unemployed, or robbery would be inevitable

There are, in New York, s, built of red painted brick, which gives them a peculiarly neat and clean appearance

In Broadway and Wall-street, trees are planted along the side of the pave, in which the courts of law are held Most of the _streets_ are dirty: in many of them sawyers prepare their wood for sale, and all are infested with pigs

On the whole, a walk through New York will disappoint an Englishman: there is an apparent carelessness, a laziness, an unsocial indifference, which freezes the blood and disgusts the judghted, will please more than one at noonday The shops will look rather better, but the lishman: their cold indifference may be mistaken, by theht and observation will ever concede to thenified feeling

[There is, in New York, a see_ This institution was originally nae,” and was founded in the year 1754 Its annual revenue is about 4000 dollars