Ishuree Dass, "A Brief Account of a Voyage to England and America" (1851) (Full text)
A
BRIEF ACCOUNT
OF A
VOYAGE
TO ENGLAND AND AMERICA.
BY
ISHUREE DASS,
(OF FUTTEHGURH.)
ALLAHABAD:
PRINTED AT THE PRESBYTERIAN MISSION PRESS.
Rev. Jos. WARREN, Sup't.
1851.
DEDICATION
TO THE
HONORABLE JAMES THOMASON, Esquire,
Lieut. Governor of the N. W. Provinces.
May it please your Honor,
Graciously to condescend and accept from the humble Author,
this really unworthy publication, as a trifling tribute of high res-
pect, great esteem, and sincere thanks for all your Honor's hearty,
energetic, and constant desires, exertions, and plans to meliorate
the mental, moral, and national condition of his benighted countrymen.
Auspicious was the day for the North-West when its govern-
ment came into the hands of a Ruler, who, being possessed of a
thorough knowledge of the habits, customs, manners, and charac-
ter of its inhabitants, was fully competent to devise and carry out
schemes calculated for the substantial good of the country under
his management and protection.
Your Honor's earnest endeavors and wise plans to educate the
country and make it happy, are so publicly known and fully appre-
ciated, that, it would be an utter presumption in the humble Au-
thor to make an attempt at a description of them. May he, how-
ever, be allowed to say, that few Governors have taken a like in-
terest in the promotion, by every possible means, of the happiness
of the subjects under their government; and few have had that
intimate acquaintance with, and thorough knowledge of the con-
dition and character of their subjects, and of the means calculated
to render them happy, which your Honor possesses.
The illiterate are perhaps not fully aware of the immense bene-
fits, which your Honor so graciously wishes to bestow upon them;
but the educated and the enlightened do well appreciate them,
and tender their most hearty thanks to your Honor for your kind
exertions.
That all your Honor's endeavors may be rendered successful by
God's help for the good of the country, and that your Honor may
be blessed with a long, healthy, and prosperous life, is the sincere
and unceasing prayer of your Honor's most humble, devoted, and
obedient servant,
Futtehgurh, 24th March, 1851.
ISHUREE DASS.
LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS.
Names of Subscribers.
No. of Cop. taken.
The Hon'ble James Thomason, Esq., Lt. Governor N. W. P.,.. 6
W. H. Tyler, Esq. C. S.,..
Major A. Tucker, C. B.,..
Major J. H. Craigie, C. B. 20th N. I.,. .
Rev. J. J. Carshore, D. D.,
G. D. Raikes, Esq. C. S.,
P. G. Lay, Esq. K. G. Regt.,..
Rev. J. L. Scott, A. M.,
Lieut. J. Doran, 24th N. I.,. .
J. B. Lind, Esq.,
Rev. Gopee Nauth Nundy,
C. Sutherland, Esq..
W. H. DeGruyther, Esq.,
Mr. J. E. Macklin,..
"Wm. Baker,
J. D'Silva,..
"E. Bickers,. .
"C. Cawood,..
J. W. Cawood,. .
"R. Anderson,
Moonshee Dabee Purshaud,..
Lalla Joy Kishun,
H. C. Tucker, Esq., C. S.,
P. Carnegy, Esq.,
Baboo Russick Lall Mittre,
S. J. Becher, Esq. C. S.,..
J. Sutherland, Esq.,..
J. S. Clarke, Esq., C. S.,. .
Lalla Chotye Tewary,
Mr. Alex. Martin,
Mr. P. Niblett...
..
..
Baboo Oma Churun Biswass,..
66
Ishuree Parshaud Dichhit,
Moonshee Usghur Hoosein,..
Mr. J. Reynolds,
Baboo Omes Chunder Bose,..
H. S. Reid, Esq. C. S.,..
Major Lennox,..
Rev. J. MacCullum,..
Moonshee Buldeo Bukhsh,
Lalla Hoolass Roy,..
C. Raikes, Esq. C. S.,..
Mr. J. Darby,..
H. H. The Maharajah Dhuleep Singh,..
J. S. Login, Esq. M. D.,..
J. C. Jones, Esq.,
Names of Subscribers.
John Anthony, Esq.,
E. Gray, Esq....
Philli
W. E. Phillips Esq.,..
E. T. Dudman, Esq.,
C. Blunt, Esq....
Jno. Rebello, Esq....
Edward T. Bovais, Esq.,..
R. O'Connor, Esq.,..
Henry Harcourt, Esq.,
W. E. Phillips, Esq.,
J. Carter, Esq... .
P. B. Reid, Esq.,
No. of Cop. taken.
R. Gordon, Esq., (Senior.)
W. E. Gordon, Esq.,
C. M. Gordon, Esq.,
Francis B. Pearson, Esq. C. S.,
J. Eede, Esq.,..
A. Martin, Esq.,
A. D'Monte, Esq.,..
J. P. Ledlie, Esq.,..
Rev. A. H. Seely, A. M.,
Genl. Sir W. Richards,
R. W. B. Dorrett, Esq.,
E. E. Wilmot, Esq.
Lalla Bhajan Lall,..
Lalla Goorsahai,
Baboo Ishory Parshaud Nundy.
W. P. Walker, Esq.,
J. Palmer, Esq.,
T. M. Castoms, Esq.,
Mr. J. J. Shepherd.
Moonshee Meer Kasim Auly.
N. D'Rozario, Esq.
R. L. C. Matcluchon, Esq...
Baboo Modhoo Shoodun Seal
Baboo Shambhoo Chunder.
Mr. Ramsay.
Capt. H. H. Say...
Brigadier J. Parsons, C. B.,..
Lieutenant T. Hook.
Captain F. A. Close.
Captain R. W. Elton.
Lieutenant W. Alexander.
Captain W. Hawkins.
W. Guise, Esq.,
PREFACE.
THE writer of the following pages has, for some time, been travel-
ling abroad; and deeming that a short account of what he has seen
and heard would be interesting to some, and entertaining to others,
he takes the liberty of submitting this humble volume to their pe-
rusal.
He is a native of the Upper Provinces; and before becoming a
Christian belonged to the original agricultural class; it is said ori-
ginal, because in the present age people of all trades and castes
have taken that employment into hand, which, in days of yore, was
exclusively followed by a certain portion of the community.
Having, by an afflictive dispensation of a wise Providence, lost
his parents in early childhood, he was, by European instrumentality,
put under the fostering care of CHAS. MADDEN, Esquire, a bene-
volent and pious gentleman in the Medical Service of the Honorable
Company. He was with him about five years; after which period,
that gentleman having been removed to a very distant locality, a
separation was rendered unavoidable. He was next placed under
the protection of Rev. H. R. WILSON, a Missionary, with whom he
was up to the period of his approximating to adult age. It was
this gentleman, who had the extreme kindness to take him to Eng-
land and America for better education and information. Here he
might mention also, that his education has almost been entirely
formed under the private tuition of his respective guardians, who,
he is extremely thankful to say, have always paid the strictest at-
tention to both his mental and moral improvement.
These pages are principally intended for such of the Native
community as possess an acquaintance with the language of the
British; and it is hoped they will, in some measure at least, be use-
ful to them. But fearing that they (that is, his Native readers)
might not be pleased to afford him due encouragement, he has had
an eye to that part of the European Public also, who feel an in-
terest in the progress of Native Education; and this is the reason
that in his relation he has confined himself more to generals and
less to particulars, which latter perhaps would have been more use-
ful to Natives. He acknowledges he has nothing new or useful to
communicate to Europeans, and had he been sure of an extensive
native patronage, he would have been glad to relieve them from
the task of going through these unpretending pages. However,
'he trusts he may safely say, that though they will find nothing
novel or useful in this brief account, still it will probably help
them to beguile a couple of leisure hours.
He is fully conscious of the innumerable faults which this little
work contains; but the principal of them may be summed up un-
der the following heads :-viz. The extreme plainness of language,
accompanied with a very small stock of words; the simple turn of
thought displayed; and the lack of extensive information. The
first is, in a measure, owing to English not being his mother-
tongue; the second, to a lack of sufficient cultivation of mind; and
the third, to a want of a minuter observation at the period of his
travelling. But his earnest and respectful request to his gentle
readers is, that they may be favourably inclined towards him, and
cover all his faults and errors with the mantle of kindness, forbear-
ance, and charity.
A BRIEF ACCOUNT
OF A
VOYAGE TO ENGLAND AND AMERICA.
CHAPTER I.
COMPARATIVELY few of my countrymen have visited foreign
lands. They have however, gradually, begun to break those iron
chains that have bound them for centuries; and judging from what
is going on at the present day, it is highly probable that, after a
quarter of a century more has rolled on, many more will burst their
bonds, and gain knowledge and information by a personal observa-
tion of what is passing in distant countries. Those of my country
men, who are still tenacious of their old ways, will not I hope, take
umbrage at this anticipation, as it proceeds from a sincere desire
for India's temporal and spiritual welfare.
I sailed from Calcutta in the Tudor, a large English vessel, bound
for London, on the 16th February, 1846. But before I proceed
further with my narrative I shall, for the sake of those of my na-
tive readers who belong to the Upper Provinces, endeavour in a
few words to give a brief description of the ship in which I em-
barked and the seamen that manned her. This I have considered
the more necessary, as some, who have never visited the "city of
Palaces," entertain some absurd ideas with regard to shipping; and
I hope, the good Bengalese, who may almost be said to be born
and brought up on board ships, will not contemptuously laugh at
my most simple and unpretending description.
History tells us, we had ships before European nations touched
our shores; deified heroes have used some in their warfare. But
we may easily conjecture what they were by seeing one of the pre-
sent day. The strictly native ships that I have seen floating about
Calcutta are such rude, clumsy, and unwieldy masses that they
scarcely deserve the name.
The Tudor, then commanded by Captain Lay, carried 1200 tons,
(or about 33,600 maunds,) was newly built, and sailed well; she
was a three decker; the lowest deck was for the cargo, and the
two upper ones for passengers.
The cabins on the upper deek (eight in number) were the most
comfortable and expensive; those on the second deck, were above
forty in number, less convenient, and consequently their passage
money consisted of a smaller sum.
This vessel, like every other large one, had three masts at regu-
lar distances from each other, which were called the Mainmast,
Foremost, and Mizenmast. The aft or hinder part of the ship
was occupied by the passengers and her officers, and the forepart
by the sailors and some of the live stock; in this part also was the
Cook's department. All these were on the first and second decks,
the third being entirely taken up by the cargo, for which it was
intended.
The crew, that manned her, consisted of about thirty five able
seamen with two or three apprentices; one boatswain (a petty offl-
cer) with his two mates; a carpenter and his mate; a cook, a ba-
ker, a butcher, and a steward with four cuddy servants; (the cud-
dy was the public room, where the passengers sat and ate; and
cuddy servants were those who waited at table); a Captain with his
four Officers; and four midshipmen. These last were young men,
who had come out to learn the art of navigation; the Captain had
received five hundred Rupees for each of them from their parents
for one voyage.
There were three watches in this ship, (as there are in every
other.) The third Officer had the first watch, which commenced
at eight o'clock both morning and evening, and ended at twelve.
The second Officer had the second watch from twelve to four; and
the chief Officer the last one from four to eight. Each of them
always had a midshipman with him, who were both generally in
the hinder part of the ship. The midshipman's duty was to strike
the bell, to give word to the next Officer about his watch, and to
run backwards and forwards on errands. The Officer on watch
walks about on the poop, (or the roof of those cabins that are in
the hindermost part of the vessel), and constantly looks at the
compass to know the direction in which the ship is going. His
attention is always turned to the wind, and when it veers even
a little, he orders the sails to be put in as favorable a position
as possible, or rather as his knowledge of navigation allows him
to do.
There is always a watch of the sailors on deck, and whenever
the whistle of the Boatswain sounds, they get ready to put in exe-
cution the orders of their Officer on watch.
When I first saw the sailors, they looked more like wild men
than civilized beings, and appeared ferocious when compared with
our poor boatmen ; but by seeing them frequently I began to have
a better opinion of them. They are well known to be a hardwork-
ing and daring race; and did their character in other respects a-
gree with this, it would be all the better for them. Their morning
fare consisted of tea, dry and course biscuit, and saltmeat; in the
middle of the day, they had dry bread, potatoes, saltmeat, some-
time pea soup, and every second day some kind of pudding. The
evening meal also consisted of the same dry bread and tea. But
at the time of their being in any port they were indulged with
fresh provisions. On the whole, their fare seemed suited to their
iron-strength like bodies and hard way of leading life.
There is an indisposition called sea sickness, which many of my
readers have never experienced. It falls to the lot of almost all
those, who venture to ride the waves of the "mighty deep." I
have never undergone it myself; and cannot therefore speak of it
with any degree of positiveness; but it is said to be dreadful by
those who have known it by experience. Indeed, it must be so,
when it brings the stoutest man on board a ship to the same level
with the weakest person that breathes there. It is a sickness (if
it may be called by this name) that, instead of exciting our sympa-
thies towards the sufferer, makes us laugh at him.
The ship being one of the largest size, there was a great parti-
cularity about her, as the custom is in all respectable vessels.
The strictest attention was paid even to the coiling of ropes and
other minor duties, both in the cuddy and out of it; and any neg-
lect that came under the observation of the Captain was punished
by his severe threat or otherwise, as the case required. The deck
was scrubbed with a species of earth called holy-stone, and every
part of the ship was well washed.
As the Tudor left Calcutta rather late in the season, she could
not secure a sufficient member of passengers. There were now
five of them; of whom two were ladies. Had there been more,
we should in all probability have spent the passage more agreeably;
but with so few, the ship had comparatively a lonesome appear
ance.
Their manner of passing time was as follows. In the morning
they used to walk about for exercise till breakfast, which took
place at 9, A. M. From this time to the middle of the day, they
were accustomed to read, talk, and walk about. At 12 o'clock,
those who wished, partook of some lunch, which consisted of bis-
cuit and wine. Dinner was on the table at 4, P. M. A quarter
of an hour before the exact time, the bugle sounded to give notice
to all to get ready; when it was on the table, it sounded again,
which brought the passengers to it. This meal consisted of almost
all those things that one could have ashore, as a good supply of
every necessary and luxury was laid up. They sat at table till ab.
out 5 o'clock, and, after that, rose up to walk about. Supper, which
consisted of tea, biscuit of different sorts, and some other things,
was on the table when it was nearly dark. We may say, in plea-
sant weather the evening was the best part of the day, as at this
time, the band (for we had one on board) was almost always or-
dered to play, and all the passengers were out to amuse them-
selves, some on deck and others on the poop; and the sailors be-
ing freed from their daily toil, were accustomed to enjoy them-
selves in various ways.
Besides the cuddy passengers, we had some insane soldiers too
on board, who were being sent to England for the benefit of their
health; most of them had nearly recovered, but one was at times
very wild; this wildness, however, was supposed by some to have
proceeded from his ill temper rather than from a deranged head.
For a considerable period after our sailing from Calcutta, we did
not meet with any thing striking or remarkable; but there were
times during this passage, when we had high winds and gales, which
made the sea as boisterous as I could have wished to witness.
There have been instances in my voyage, when I have seen the
"mighty deep" in all its fury and excitement. These scenes, ac-
companied with thunder, lightning and rain, have been awfully
sublime. When the ship is impelled by a steady breeze, her sail-
ing is what may be termed beautiful; at such times she is gliding
on smoothly, and there is little around you, to put you into unusual
inward stir; but when the breeze is turned into a strong wind, or
gale, or storm, then the beautiful is lost (almost always quite imper-
ceptibly) into the sublime. This appears to be the highest kind of
sublimity that one could witness. You behold the ocean in the
greatest commotion and rising "mountains high," hear the "voice
of many waters" and the angry roar of thunder, and see the vivid
flash of lightning. At times like this, what is the largest ship
compared with these mighty elements which contend with each
other. When there are "voices, and thunderings, and lightnings,
and earthquakes," a vessel (even of the largest size) is as a light leaf
tumbling about on the bosom of the ocean; she seems to be lost in
nothingness in comparison with these irresistible elements that play
above, beneath, and round about her. Were it not for the particu-
lar providence of the Almighty in such circumstances, the slightest
stroke of a heavy sea, would hurl her down to the bottom to rise
no more.
However, taking another view of the sailing of a ship, it affords
us a sort of pleasure. When the wind is high and the sea exceed-
ingly rough, a vessel sails at a furious rate and with a great noise.
The rough sea by the high waves, which rise in her path, impedes
her course in a great measure, so that she has to struggle with the
sea in making her way through them; but even then, large ships
in general, run about ten miles an hour. Now consider the ship
in the light of a mighty monster, struggling with the still mightier
elements of destruction to make her way; and when you see that
all around you is a vast and boundless expanse of troubled water,
land at the distance of thousands of miles, the high winds wrest-
ling with the powerful waves, and, if all this were not enough to
terrify impotent man, the worm of the dust, you hear the thunder
mingling its terrible peals with the loud and awful roar of the
wind, as well as of the waves, and now and then the flash of light-
ning from the dark angry clouds dazzling your eyes; yet when
you see the ship, with all this dreadful scenery about her, nobly
making her way through the rough and troubled sea and going on
at the rate of ten miles an hour, safely arrive at its "desired ha-
ven," say, is not this also sublime !
The Captain, at the time of our leaving Calcutta, had not as far
we knew, designed to touch at the Cape; but afterwards he chang-
ed his mind. Our passage from Calcutta to this place had been
unusually pleasant; but the weather about the Cape is well known
to be boisterous and stormy; the sea that washes these shores has,
doubtless, been instrumental in the destruction of innumerable ships
and lives. As far as some trouble and a little delay were concern-
ed, we also had our share; but at length on the 19th of April, we
reached the Cape, which had been the theme of universal talk for
a number of days. Our flags were hoisted up long before we
reached the Port: and the Medical Examiner was soon on board..
Almost immediately after our arrival here, the ship was surround-
ed by small boats in which people came from ashore for various
purposes :-some to satisfy their curiosity; some as suppliers of
the necessaries wanted; some to invite passengers to their respec-
tive lodgings; while others had come to see whether they could
find any employment as sailors. No one was prevented from com-
ing on board; and some, that happened to find their acquaintances,
remained on board to a late hour. I must confess that, I looked
on most of these visitors as untameable wild men; which character
of theirs might very properly be attributed to the vagrant life that
they always lead. I can say, I never found any difficulty in dis-
tinguishing this class from the better sort.
On the evening of our arrival no body went ashore; but on the
next day the Captain, with his lady and some others, set his feet on
terra firma. The day when I landed was a disagreeable one, which
circumstance left a very unfavourable impression on my mind, with
regard to the Cape. The weather was wet, the streets muddy,
and the town had an aspect of uncleanliness about it; but of
course I form no conclusive opinion from this. The houses and
shops, and the make of streets and side paths I afterwards found
to be like those of England. The population was a mixed one,
composed of Europeans and Africans. The ship was to remain
here only for a short time; I had no opportunity, therefore, of mak-
ing even a short tour in the interior, and consequently my obser-
vations regarding it must be exceedingly limited.
From the very day that I reached the Cape, I had a great curio-
sity to see some of the miserable and long oppressed children of
Ham in their own land. At last I saw alongside the ship a small
boat, in which were an old man and a boy, who had brought some
fruit for sale; so I gratified my curiosity by closely observing their
peculiarities. I did this to a greater advantage however, when I was
ashore. A great number of them were busy on the wharf. The
first impression that they make on one is unfavourable to them;
but this gradually wears off by seeing them oftener. I shall not
trouble my readers with a description of their features, &c. as
they are generally known. I am inclined to believe they are
a dirty race. The costume of the Cape Africans is somewhat like
that of the English; but this holds true with regard to only those,
who live in the colony; because others, who inhabit the interior,
apart from all foreign influence, must have every thing original
about them. The Colony Africans are said to be of the Christian
religion; but before knowing this, I had the curiosity to ask some
of them, whether they were Mahommadans, but they not under-
standing me, I enquired again, whether they believed in the Qurán,
to which they answered, there was plenty of corn there; I asked
them again whether they were Christians; but they pointed to a
house and said, a European of that name lived there. These
were poor Inbouring men, and of course very illiterate; their Eng-
lish was broken, because their present mother tongue is Dutch,
which they have derived from their former masters.
The same inscrutable designs of Providence, which are to be met
with elsewhere, appear to view here also; for with the exception
of the two ancient celebrated nations, that is, the Egyptians and the
Carthaginians, Africa has always been sunk in the grossest barba-
rism. From what account of certain of their tribes travellers and
missionaries give, it is no wonder that some, who give no credence
to Revelation, should take them for the connecting link between the
brute and the human creation. However, from the signs of the
times and the evident developement of certain prophetical writings,
we may, I believe, safely conclude, that their deliverance from the
chains of barbarism and ignorance draweth nigh.
The most unfavourable thing, that appears to be a preventive to
the temporal comfort and happiness of this race, is, the general ex-
treme dryness of their climate and the barrenness of their soil.
Were this not the case, they might live with a measure of comfort,
as far as their temporal support is concerned. But we believe
every difficulty of this kind will yield, when revolutions and refor-
mations will take place in their moral and spiritual world; when
the divine power will descend to make the wilderness and the so-
litary place glad, and cause the desert to rejoice and blossom as
the rose.
Our stay in this part of the world was very short; we had ar-
rived here, as I said before, on the 19th of the month, and left it
after about a week. The Captain had got all that he required,
and also six more passengers.
After leaving the Port we soon fell in with the Trade Winds.
Of this second part of my passage Englandwards I have nothing
particular to relate. It took about two months, in which time it
was quietly accomplished. I had long been curious to see the
English shore, and this I did on the 25th June, and among other
things had a sight of the noted place in English History where Ju-
lius Cæsar landed with his troops to invade England. The Cap-
tain with some of the Passengers left us before we quite arrived
at our place of destination. Shortly after, a steamer was engaged
to tug us up, and in due time, the noble Tudor, after making her
way through a vast multitude of ships, dropped anchor in the East
India Docks.
CHAPTER II.
THE ship arriving in the Port, we landed after the Custom House
Officer had examined the things that we were to take with us.
The newly arrived vessel in London does not stand in the middle
of the river as they do in Calcutta; but the wharf is made in such
a convenient way, that they come in entire contact with the shore,
and people wishing to land have only to step over a plank of a few
feet in length, which is placed there only for greater safety, as the
ship on account of the water is in constant motion, and now and
then moves back a foot or two, at which time if any person were
to step between her and the shore, he would be crushed to death
immediately.
The evening that we reached this place was of necessity one of
great bustle and confusion. The sailors and servants after the
performance of their duties left the ship, which now presented a
somewhat desolate and solitary appearance. A coach (a great ma-
ny of which are always present at such places for the conveyance
of passengers) was soon to be seen at the side of the vessel. We
with our things got into it, which was ordered to be driven to
Charter House square. This place was at some distance, and it
took us about half an hour to reach it.
London was of course quite new to me, and before arriving here
I had very naturally a great curiosity to see it; but it was some-
what strange that when I reached the place, and as I was being
driven through part of it the first evening, I felt no unusual ex-
citement, or was not extraordinarily aroused at the sight of the
new things about me.
We arrived at Charter House square after some time, and then
I became somewhat desirous to know how we should be able to
put up. We entered the Hall of the Boarding House, and a man
servant as well as a female, with some young ladies, presented
themselves to our notice. The accommodations were good; and
an old lady with her daughters was the manager of the place.
The old gentleman, the Master of the house, had been rendered
unable to attend to his household duties by disease; but his defi-
ciency was made up to a very great degree by his wife and his
daughters, which latter were now completely formed for this busi-
ness.
Though our present residence was placed nearly in the centre of
the city, it was extremely quiet; oue of the reasons of which
might be that the house was an enclosed one, and no public street
or place could be seen from it. The room that was assigned to
me was on the highest story, and looked on the back part of the
house. This circumstance rendered the place to me more solitary
than would have been the case had I been accommodated in a
lower story, where I could have perceived more signs of life.
Very near to my room was an old monastery; the sound of the
bell, which was of a strange kind, and which came to my ears very
frequently, made me believe so; and upon enquiry I found that to
be really the case; besides the somewhat awful stillness that
reigned in the back part of the place easily gave it such an ap-
pearance, and any one could have taken it to be in some measure
Like those deep solitudes and awful cells,
Where heavenly pensive contemplation dwells.
The Charter House School also was quite near me, and from my
room I used to see the students play on the ground which belong-
ed to the School. The Institution called the Charter House (and
after which the square in which I lived was named) is an Asylum
for the benefit of those who had formerly stood high or at least
respectable in the world, but by adverse circumstances have been
brought down almost or even entirely to the verge of ruin. Chris-
tian charity has provided for them this Refuge, where they might
pass the rest of their days in peace and quietness, without being
exposed to the further miseries of life, or cast upon the cold cha-
rities of a selfish world. At the time of my being there a former
Lord Mayor of London was one of its inmates. They have, I be-
lieve, a certain allowance of food and clothing per day and year,
servants to attend them, and religious privileges for their spiritual
benefit. Once, while I was boarding in the present house, the old
gentleman or the master of the Boarding House mentioned above
took me to their Chapel; and truly there was an air and appear-
ance of something that told me that its attendants were not at
present in their best and happiest state; the sight was not so
pleasing as that of a village congregation altogether composed of
poor and labouring people would be.
During my residence here, I was in the constant habit of walk-
ing about and amusing myself with the novel sight of extensive
shops and houses and various sorts of people. The shops are built
very neat and beautiful, and have glass doors through which things
are exposed to the view of passengers in streets. Among the
members of the family were two lads, who often had the kindness
to take me about and shew me places which they thought were
calculated to please me. Among other wanderings was an excur-
sion in a Steam-boat on the Thames. The river is constantly pli-
ed by a great many of these water vehicles, on which people go
about for amusement; from the number of passengers and the
fare that they have to pay (which is only one penny), it would ap-
pear that the proprietors of these boats derive no small profit from
them. They are almost always literally crowded with people; at
which there is no wonder, when we remember that London is a
world in itself. At this time the Parliament was in session, and
crossing the river I happened to be near the Houses of Parliament
just as they were assembling. There was a vast concourse of peo-
ple about the place eying the Magnates of the land with intense
curiosity as they were passing along; among others was also the
Duke of Wellington, the famous Warrior; at the moment of mak-
ing his appearance and entering in the whole crowd ran after him
with a great noise (which consisted of loud cheers); but they were
prevented from going in by Policemen who were standing at the
doors.
Now we had been here about a fortnight; after this time we found
it necessary to change our residence on two accounts, which were,
the general unhealthiness of the place, (for being in the centre of
the city there was here no great circulation of air), and the ex-
tremely high charges of the old lady, the manager of the house;
she seemed inclined to get as much money from my guardian as
possible; for in the short space of two weeks or rather twelve
days, he was obliged to pay her £22 for five adults and two youug
children.
Our second accommodation was at Hackney, which was much
healthier. The house in which we took quarters was a private
one, and belonged to a maiden lady; she was genteel and pious,
and tried her best to make us comfortable, in which attempt she
was quite successful. Here I passed my time more pleasantly
than I had done in the Charter House Square. Being in London
for about two months, and somewhat anxious to know as much of
it as I could, I was accustomed to spend the greater part of my
time in taking long walks, which were principally directed to the
city; but still I must confess, that I did not exert myself sufficient-
ly, or I should have become better acquainted with many things of
which I could have now given a better account to my countrymen.
I shall, however, mention here some of the most prominent things
that for a longer or shorter time occupied my attention and
thoughts in the "great city."
Near the place where we had our lodgings was a College belong-
ing to a dissenting body, and intended entirely for those young
men who were pious, and had thoughts of entering in the minis-
try. It might more properly be called a school, for though the
course of instruction imparted was (as far as circumstances allow-
ed) similar to that pursued in the higher seminaries of learning,
yet the number of students was very small, and the means too li-
mited to suffer the institution to assume a more important and
respectable air and position. The President or Principal of the
Seminary was an old and erudite gentleman, well known in the
religious and learned world; he is also a respectable Author. Du-
ring my being there I paid him two or three visits; the first time
that I called upon him was in the evening; before I had reached
his house and while I was yet at some distance the old gentleman
ran to me, and shaking me by the hand, said, "God has formed all
nations of the same blood" and shewed his gladness to see me.
The examination of his College took place while I was yet in
London; and I attend that of one of the classes. There were
present about eighteen gentlemen, all of whom took great interest
in the exercises before them. Two Essays also were read; one on
Metaphysics, and the other on the character of the Apostle St.
John. The former was believed to be the more finished and ta-
lented.
During my residence in London, the great Temperance Con-
vention was held. I was present at one of their public meetings,
which took place in a Theatre for want of a better accommodation.
Several hundred people attended it; and representatives were pre-
sent from various parts of Christendom, even from America. The
room was almost full to suffocation; several speeches were deliver-
ed by delegates and remarks were made by others also, the ten-
or of which was, that the blessed work in which they were engaged
was quite cheering, on account of the success with which they had
met. The addresses were in general interesting, but I thought
there was a great sameness in them, insomuch that the Chairman
was often obliged to check the speakers. The usual acclamations
of applause were made to deliverers of speeches after they had
done speaking and were about to retire from the stage. But all
of these speakers did not seem equally accustomed to their task;
for I remember an elderly man who, after saying a few words,
hastily and abruptly retired from the stage, and this in such a
manner, that he seemed to have forgotten his way. The World's
Temperance Convention continued for several days, but this was
my first as well as last attendance there.
Before I left India, I had never thought that the Temperance
cause had attracted so much of the attention of Europeans and
Americans. My impression is that the evil of drunkenness is more
common in the West than in these parts; or at least that in this
country people do not drink to that excess which would lead to
the ruin of their families; -whereas instances of this kind have
been, and I believe still are, quite numerous in the West. To pre-
vent as much as possible that indescribable misery, which is the
consequence of intemperate drinking, many philanthropic men
have formed themselves into societies. These bodies do all their
best to pursuade drinkers to flee from the demon, and induce ma-
ny of them to sign a paper with a solemn promise that they will
never any more taste any intoxicating liquor. Of course, there are
many failures, that is, some people through the force of either
strong temptation or habit break their promise; but notwithstand-
ing this, the societies have found their work highly cheering and
encouraging, and thousands of confirmed drunkards have thorough-
ly been reclaimed and made the instruments of restoring peace,
comfort and happiness to their families.
About this time also was held the Evangelical Alliance, which
consisted of all denominations of Christians that agreed in all the
fundamental doctrines of the Bible. Its great and sole object was
to maintain peace and harmony between the different persuasions.
The cause was certainly very noble, and such an one as had never
taken place since the commencement of the world; and it was no
wonder that it attracted the attention and engaged the interests of
all in the Metropolis, as well as in the country, and generally of all
Christian lands. Certain articles embracing all the fundamentals
of the Christian Religion were drawn up, and it was a necessary
condition that all those who were desirous of taking part in the
Alliance should agree to them.
This meeting also continued for a number of days, and had res-
pectable representatives and delegates from all parts of Christen-
dom. I attended it only once; this one was of a public nature
and was held in Exeter Hall, a very spacious building, where large
meetings on all important occasions generally take place. All at-
tendants (including the fair sex too) were obliged to pay a shilling
for their admittance, which sum, considering the multiplicity of
auditors, must have swelled itself to a large amount. The house
was entirely full, and was said to be roomy enough for about four
thousand people; but had I not known that the place could not
hold a greater number I should have been tempted to swell it to
six thousand. Here I believe the number of delegates, amongst
whom were laymen also, and those too of great distinction, con-
sisted of about three hundred. All these had their place on the
stage, opposite to the seats, and was a venerable looking body.
The meeting that I attended took place on the 26th August; it
commenced at 10, A. M. and continued to 3, P. M. A great ma-
ny addresses suited to the occasion were delivered by the reprcsen-
tatives, whose order of speaking was appointed beforehand. The
speeches that I heard here were much more interesting and of a
graver nature than those that were given in the World's Temper-
ance Convention; and the meeting also was, I believe, much great-
er in numbers as well as superior in respectability. The room was
so crowed and the heat at times so great that it was very unplea-
sant; and it must have in an especial manner been so to the fair
and delicate beauties that had the pleasure to attend the meeting.
There were a vast number of these flowers, in all the rich and
great variety of silks, which, however, were nothing compared
with their original and personal loveliness and grace. They would
have done honour to any assembly, and they did so to this Alli-
ance.
The meeting had continued now for several hours, and the close-
ness of the room, accompanied with my slacking curiosity in what
was going on began somewhat to fatigue me, and I was glad when
it broke up about 4, P. M. But I should mention here that be-
fore the Meeting came to an end, I had formed an acquaintance
with a gentleman that was sitting close to me. He expressed his
gladness to see me, who being a foreigner from a heathen country
had made a profession of the same faith to which he and his coun-
trymen belonged. We did not converse much within the walls,
but had enough of words between us to make us acquainted with
each other. After coming out of the building, he desired me to
go with him and take some refreshment in a place of public enter-
tainment, (because his home was at a great distance from here ;)
I consented to his request; but even after this he would not let
me go on my way, which shewed the interest he had taken in me.
The greater part of that afternoon I was with him; he took me to
St. Paul's Cathedral, and to a neighbouring printing establish-
ment, to shew me the operations of the place. Though he was
not acquainted with the head of the Press, yet the latter did not
make any objection to my being there, but kindly allowed me to
see what I saw worth witnessing. After I had been here, he took
me to the Depository of the London Religious Book and Tract So-
ciety, and presented me with a small but interesting and useful
book, to serve as a momento of the Christian acquaintance, that we
had formed at the meeting of the Evangelical Alliance.
In the evening we again took supper in a public house. I must
here observe that these places are of great comfort to people; you
only want an appetite, and then step into one of them with some-
thing in your pocket, and there you have every thing that you require
to kill hunger. It is an extremely convenient thing for England,
as well as other christian countries, that no unmeaning aud false
system of caste operates there. The waiters, (who in small places
are always females) are very polite and attentive to their boarders.
Many of them are very beautiful and young too, and one would be
inclined to think it a great pity that these pretty creatures should
be subjected to such drudgery; creatures! who were they trans-
ferred to any part of Asia would form precious ornaments in the
palaces of kings and monarchs. They are to be found in all sorts
of shops, and generally follow the various trades of their fathers,
at least so long as they are not married.
But to return to my gentleman. After we had finished our
supper it was almost evening, and as both of us had to go some
distance we now thought of parting. For some length our way
lay in the same direction, therefore we walked together; during
which time the gentleman asked me many questions, and earnestly
requested me to write to him as soon as I was able. At last the
place came where we were to part, and my sincere friend after a
great many kind wishes left me, and I went on my short journey
to the place where I was lodging.
It is well known that London is a wonderful city: the town be-
ing so, it follows that there must be many things in it that partake
of this quality; but I sincerely regret that my knowledge of these
wonders is extremely limited and defective. Though I was here
about two months, and in the constant habit of going out, yet my
visits were almost entirely confined to streets and to the outside of
things. I saw only five or six places, and even those very curso-
rily. I shall here say a few words about one or two things that I
came across in the proud Metropolis; and first about the British
Museum.
This is a most noble and grand institution, and does great ho-
nour to the English nation; I shall make some hasty remarks
about it. I was here twice; but what could one see in such a short
space of time? To view it with care and observation would re-
quire months and months. Besides, to see all the curiosities with
advantage, one must be possessed of an extensive range of learn-
ing. Here indeed is a wonderful collection of all the curious,
rare, and scientific things from all parts of the world; and for the
information of my fellow countrymen I shall take notice of some
of them.
It opens on certain days of the week, when any one older than
ten years of age can be admitted free of charge. When I entered
at both times I had no guide with me, and therefore proceeded as
it came into my mind at the moment. The first things of any
importance that I saw on the first day, aud which left a lasting
impression on my mind, were the dark, venerable sculptures of
Egypt, and also the statues of some of the Roman orators. And
what overwhelming masses some of the former were! And how
expensive and troublesome must it have been to transfer them to
England from their original land. They lead us back in imagina-
tion to the remotest periods of antiquity, and it is this circum-
stance that invests them with an awful veneration. They afford
us a very fit object for contemplation :-think of the person into
whose mind it came at first to have them made, or of the artist
who himself was the original planner of them, and of the hands
that have carved them. That man must have eaten and drank,
talked and walked, and worked and lived like ourselves; he has
died also; and now where are his remains! His workmanship
we see here; but to what part of the world is that dust carried
that shaped the clumsy and rough mass into regular form! If
scattered over the world to what various uses, or to what forms
has it been converted? or, if hid in the Egyptian grave, tell us
whereabouts does that form lie, that we may render him our tri-
bute of praise for that workmanship of his, which has continued to
exist thousands of years after his being laid in his long home!
Some of them were so enormously bulky that I wondered how
they could have been safely transferred all over this distance. Of
course all were not complete: a few were disfigured. I regret
that I did not take down notes of the various particular statues,
as thus I might have been enabled at present to write on them
with more satisfaction, and the reader also would have perused
these pages with greater pleasure.
The statues of the Empress of the world also lead us back to
the period when her mighty orators flourished in all their glory,
and led their fellow citizens by the ear.
Here also I witnessed the mummies, one of the wonders of their
age. There was a large and extensive apartment, in which these
things were placed in regular order in the middle. They were
many in number, and were kept with the greatest possible care.
The embalmed bodies were tightly wrapped up in pieces of cloth,
and were put up in wooden cases, the head and face being outside.
The latter did not appear to me natural but rather as painted, and
I have since found this was really the case. We all know how-
ever, that time must have had a great effect upon them; they
were quite dry, and appeared apt to raise dust by any motion to
which they were subjected, and looked as if they were very light.
The boxes (or wooden cases in which they were originally put up,
are by their preservers carefully laid away in glass cases. Embalm-
ing the body, so as to keep it for thousands of years, was a mosr
wonderful art peculiar to the Egyptians. These also form exceed-
ingly fit objects for contemplation; infinitely better than their
statues that we have just noticed. Here we might possibly see
the identical tenement of that soul that was the planner and ma-
ker of some of those mighty things that amaze us at the present
day. Here might be the body that was instrumental in the pro-
duction of Pyramids, &c.; it must have been nourished by food
and drink; it must have felt hunger and thirst; suffered pain and
fatigue; and undergone sickness and suffering in the prosecution
of the work that was to last to this day. What times were those
in which he lived? (and what times are these in which he now
sleepeth in the Museum of a Land, the thought of which could
never have come into his mind!) What centuries of human toil
and suffering, anarchy and despotism, and revolutions of all sorts
have passed in the world since he has been laid in his last home :-
"And thou hast walked about-how strange a story!-
In Thebes's streets three thousands years ago!
When the Memnonium was in its glory,
And time had not begun to overthrow
Those temples, palaces and piles stupendous,
Of which the very ruins are tremendous!
"Tell us for doubtless thou canst recollect, -
To whom should we assign the Sphinx's fame?
Was Cheops, or Ciphrenes architect
Of either Pyramid that bears his name?
Is Pompey's Pillar really a misnomer?
Had Thebes a hundred gates, as sung by Homer?
"Perchance that very hand now pinioned flat,
Hath hob-o-nobbed with Pharoah, glass to glass;
Or dropped a half penny in Homer's hat;
Or dropped thine own to let Queen Dido pass :
Or held, by Solomon's own invitation,
A torch at the great Temple's dedication.
"I need not ask thee if that hand, when armed,
Has any Roman soldier maul'd and knuckled?
For thou wert dead, and buried and embalmed,
Ere Rom lus and Remus had been suckled:-
Antiquity appears to have begun
Long after thy primeval race was run.
"Since first thy form was in this box extended,
We have, above ground, seen some strange mutations ;-
The Roman Empire has begun and ended;
Now worlds have risen,-we have lost old nations,
And countless kings have into dust been humbled
While not a fragment of thy flesh has crumbled.
"Didst thou not hear the pother o'er thy head
When the great Persian conqueror, Cambyses,
Marched armies o'er thy tomb, with thundering tread,
O'erthrew Osiris, Orus, Apis, Isis,
And shook the Pyramids with fear and wonder,
When the gigantic Memnon fell asunder?
"If the tomb's secrets may not be confessed,
The nature of thy private life unfold :-
A heart hath throbbed beneath that leathern breast,
And tears adown that dusty cheek have rolled.
Have children climbed those knees, and kissed that face?
What was thy name and station, age and race?"
Here were birds also of every colour, size, and description, and
of every region and clime too; a truly vast and praise-worthy col-
lection, calculated to excite in us the admiration of that Being,
whose providence extends even to the minutest creature that exists
in the universe. Numbers of these were of the most extraordina-
ry tint and plumage. Also snakes and serpents of all sizes were
to be seen, even the most monstrous, which in their life-time must
have been a terror to all creatures round about them, whether
brute or human; they were coiled upon shelves. Minerals and
animals of all sorts were to be found here; among other kinds of
the latter I came across a rhinoceros too, on whose body marks
of bullets, that most probably proved fatal to him, were still visi-
ble. But amongst the greatest curiosities was the skeleton of a
very large and mighty beast of the kind of the elephant. Such
skeletons as this are believed to be found embedded in ice in some
extremely cold regions in the north; this must be one of that
species of which mention is made in the book of Job. In short
this Museum is the greatest collection of all the curious, rare,
scientific and great things that one could wish to witness. To
see all of them carefully, minutely, and advantageously would re-
quire an attention of several months. Hundreds of volumes might
be written on the innumerable things in the institution; but what
single person would be found competent to the mighty task?
When the Museum is opened it is crowded by people of all sorts;
but with the greatest advantage by students in various branches,
scattered about in different parts of the building, and engaged in
the study of those things in which they feel especially interested.
I saw also the Mansion House, with a few other places. But
the greatest wonder of modern civilization that I had the pleasure
of witnessing in the Metropolis, was the Thames Tunnel. It is a
glory to the British nation, and a great monument of English en-
terprise and perseverance therein, and of complete success too.
This Tunnel is a passage under the bed of the river, after which
it is called. Of course it is dug deep, and there are a great many
steps that lead to the bottom of the passage. These steps are on
both sides of the river. The roof of the Tunnel is a double arch
supported by columns in the middle; it is always wet and damp,
as it must be, considering the volume of water that rolls above it.
The passage is quite dark, and they are consequently obliged to
have lights there burning continually. I have heard there were
many failures at the commencement of the work, and partial ones
too after its completion; but it would appear that now people do
not apprehend any danger from it, as they have several shops in
the passage. In these shops they sell fruit, toys, and many other
trifling things. It is amusing to think of yourself walking in this
passage, while large ships are sailing over your head at the height
of only a few feet. The cost in the bringing about of such a stu-
pendous and unheard of thing must have been enormous. But
the proprietors of it have doubtless made a great deal of money;
it would seem that a vast number of visitors attend it daily, since
the charge for each person is not more than an English penny.
It was in this city for the first time that I saw gas used for the
production of light. It is conveyed to houses from the place
where it is made in iron pipes under ground. These pipes are
made to run up to the very place in the wall where gas is wanted
to be burned; the arrangement about it is so complete that no
inconvenience takes place. By the way, I might mention here,
that houses in cities are supplied with water in the same way.
Both of these plans tend very greatly to the comfort of people.
London, according to an account that I have seen, is eleven miles
long, eight miles broad, and thirty miles in circumference. It has
between ten and twelve thousand streets, squares, courts, &c.; about
one hundred and fifty six thousand houses and public edifices; and
its population amounts to between one and a half and two millions.
I was exceeding struck at the great cleanliness which the city
manifested; its population must be taken into consideration, and
it is this circumstance that makes the cleanliness very wonderful.
There are a great many sweepers' carts going about the place and
gathering the dirt from every part of the town. And the streets
of it are not like those of any city of this country, (where in large
places people are apt to be crushed under carriages or horses, or
are sure to have a good deal of filth attached to their shoes if
they walk), but they are regularly and neatly made up of stone.
In the middle, which is intended for carriages and horses, these
stones or rather pieces of them are of a rough kind; but on both
sides of the streets there are nice, clean, and excellent paths.
These side paths are made up of smooth slabs of stones compactly
put together, and united by small pieces of iron attached to them.
People walking here are not in danger of being run over by carri-
ages, but go on quietly without having to look behind them to see
what sort of a thing is coming upon them.
I was greatly struck at the grandeur which the West manifested,
and its extreme cleanliness and neatness was also astonishing;
insomuch that this part seemed to have been made rather by ma-
gic than human instrumentality. The people living in this great
style would appear to be happy; but to be really so, they must be
possessed of that "one thing needful," or the salvation of their
souls, without which blessings often prove judgments.
Here let me mention that walking is quite common in these
parts, and that even with the delicate and fair sex. When they
go to visit a friend, or a shop, or some other place, that may not
be at a considerable distance, they only take up their umbrellas
(which are always carried about on account of the extreme change-
ableness of weather) and start off. The multitude of passengers
in the principal streets is so great that people are often obliged to
make their way by, in a measure, pushing against each other.
There is a sort of pleasure in walking in a clean path, with clean
people, and decent and neat houses on both sides of the street.
But at the same time riding in a certain conveyance is very cheap.
There are omnibuses running about the principal streets. These
conveyances have their names on their sides as regularly as ships
have. They leave their destinations at certain times, and run to
an appointed distance, and then return, carrying passengers at
both times. When they start they generally (that is, when they
are not full) go slowly for the sake of procuring passengers; but
when they have got a certain number they trot off; and any who
are desirous to get in have to call out to a man that stands behind
the coach, and this man stops the driver by a string or something
that is attached to him; because the noise occasioned by the rat-
tling of wheels on the rough pavement would not allow him to be
heard. The fare that passengers have to pay is uniformly a six-
pence. Be the distance what it may, whether long or short, six-
pence is the settled sum. If you once get in and ride six or seven
miles, or only a few yards, this amount is sure to go out of your
pocket; and any one that is able to pay it may obtain a passage,
without any distinction of rank or social position.
Considering its immense population the order and peace that
reigns throughout the city is also great, the reason of which is the
vigilance that is kept up by Government. There are Policemen
walking about in almost every corner of all streets; they are al-
ways on the alert, and would seize the first person that makes the
least disturabnce. These Policemen are supported by a collection
of taxes from the inhabitants.
It appeared that the people who came under my observation
(which, however, in this country was exceedingly limited) were
happy. Of course there was no chance of any cruelty in the city,
where people are generally their own masters. They work and
get wages, and seem contented and happy with their lot. This
remark has reference to the lower classes of people; for their su-
periors are decidedly happy, at least so far as the comforts and
conveniences of this life can render them so.
Before I reached England and had seen much of the English
people, my idea of the lower classes of this nation was formed (and
very naturally too) from the English soldiers and sailors, but more
especially the latter. At my first seeing them, I considered them
as a set of wild men-that could never be throughly tamed. But
in this I was most happily disappointed. In England I found
them, that is, the lower classes, as tame and as quiet as lambs.
They were always kind to me, and at times manifested a desire to
help me in any way in their power. On account of my short stay
in the country, they never had any great occasion of obliging me :
but now and then, when I used to walk about the streets and miss-
ed my way, they very kindly gave me all necessary directions to
find my lodgings; and once when I had been wandering a long
time without success, one of them left his work and came with me
to some distance to direct me. Shop-keepers also were always
very polite; whenever I entered one of these places, the men often
asked me where I came from, what I wanted, &c. Here I might
mention, that persons wishing to have their child taught a cer-
tain trade, put him in a shop to apprenticeship for a certain num-
ber of years, which time is generally long enough to make him a
competent business man in that trade. He gets no wages, but on
the contrary is paid for by his parents; his provisions however are
supplied by his master.
A description of London and all that it contains, as well as a
relation of the manners and customs of the people, requires a much
abler person than I can ever pretend to be; and the subject also is
sufficiently extensive to fill many volumes. My remarks about it
have now come to a close. But before I conclude altogether, let
me mention also, that during my residence in Hackney, I had
formed an acquaintance with several pious people, who were always
extremely kind to me. On week days they were accustomed to be
engaged in their respective secular callings; but I used to see some
of them every sunday afternoon; also visited their sunday school
(where the children were always glad to see me and hear some-
thing from me.) When here, I used also to attend one of their
Chapels, where lay Missionaries preached.
Now we had been here about two months; and the time had
arrived that we should depart from London; we therefore made
preparations to leave England, and in the latter part of August
sailed for America.
CHAPTER III.
I left the English Metropolis on the 29th August. The ship in
which we were to sail was called the Hendrik Hudson, and was
lying in St. Catherine's docks; which place was at a great distance
from the one in which I had been residing. She was the first
American ship that I had ever seen; and I was curious to know
something of her internal construction as well as her navigation
and management at sea. The real cabins of this ship were on the
upper deck, while those in the steerage were only temporary. The
make of these cabin, was entirely different from that of those which
I had seen in the English vessel: they were much smaller, but
double; and here the passengers were provided with beddings,
light and other things that are generally necessary; but passengers
in English vessels have generally to supply themselves, except in
the overland steam ships. The public room was built lengthwise
of the ship, and was very roomy, which accounted for the extreme
closeness of the cabins. They must be oppressive in summer.
When I reached the ship, I saw there a great crowd which kept
constantly increasing. There were a great many cabin passengers,
who doubtless had their friends on board to see them, perhaps for
the last time on the shores of England. Some others also, who
had taken their passage in the steerage, had thought of bettering
their condition in the new land. Besides these two classes of
passengers, there was a great number of emigrants too; about
half of whom were Germans.
What continual and important changes does the Almighty cause
to take place in this world! What mortal sight could have fore-
seen the yet promising results of the pregnant discovery of Colum-
bus! Most of those hills and valleys where the red man built his
hut and exercised his wild nature are now occupied by the civilized
European, and are the receptacles of all those masses of human
beings, many of whom have no habitation and means of subsis-
tance in their native lands. This circumstance shows us again
how small and apparently weak may be the commencement of a
mighty and grand work in the administration of God with regard
to this world :-America is discovered by Columbus, (discouraged
by his countrymen,) when found, made use of only for the gratifi-
cation of their avaricious propensities. After some time religious
persecution drives certain people to take refuge in its wilds; others
follow their example, and thus a large population is by degrees
formed, which in course of time assumes the importance and power
of a nation, and vindicates this character by force of arms. Re-
garding this country, we may very reasonably expect greater things
in future by judging from the past without prejudice.
This was the first occasion upon which I ever met with a Ger-
man; and so far as cleanliness of body and dress were concerned
they did no great honour to their countrymen. (I must except
one or two ladies from this remark.) Being on board ship might
plead for them to some extent; but does not wholly excuse them;
because there were Englishmen too in the same steerage and walk
of life, who had a manifestation of cleanliness and neatness about
them. Some of the Germans wore long boots, extremely soiled
inexpressibles as well as coats, the pockets of which were stuffed
with tobacco cases and snuff boxes. Indeed, they seemed unable
to live with any degree of comfort without these last mentioned
things. Their short pipes almost continually stuck in their
mouths, which showed they must have laid up a good supply of
the useless weed. I must, however, say they were always kind
and polite enongh to offer their snuff boxes to their fellow passen-
gers. Among this party, however, was a young lady who was de-
cidedly cleanly, and really beautiful; and were beauty always the
standard by which to judge and raise the fair sex, she would
doubtless have deserved a better position and society.
But what astonished me greatly was the case of a young English
lady, who had set out for the new country, without having any
friend on board, and what was still more surprising without any in
the place where she was to land. They lived, she said, at the dis-
tance of hundreds of miles from New York, and she was to travel
all this way before she could have their aid and protection. In-
dependence of circumstances might help a lady to a very great ex-
tent, as in that case, she generally belongs to the higher walk of
life, where she can easily purchase aid and comfort, and where
there is no great exposure to extreme insult and chance of success-
ful imposition. But only think of a young woman setting out
friendless and without large pecuniary aid to cross the Atlantic
with a promiscuous crowd of probably questionable moral charac-
ter; and after landing to be thrown without any immediate pro-
tector on the wide American theatre, exposed to every difficulty and
hardship. Indeed, it is astonishing to think what great calami-
ty can that be which forces them to submit to all these inconve-
niences and trials. The English law has been very humane in
providing for emigrants a comfortable extent of place; but it is
sad to mention that the purse of American Captains or their Mas-
ters has not made any provision or arrangement for female Emi-
grants with regard to certain things. There is no privacy for
them; they live in a promiscuous crowd, and in their more deli-
cate conditions generally have no one to whom they could look up
for aid; should they be disabled by rough weather, or enfeebled
by illness, or oppressed by other painful events, some of them
have no friends from whom they could derive help or ask aid with
any degree of confidence. It might not always be in the power
of commanders of vessels to ameliorate their condition; but I am
inclined to believe in most cases it is, if they are only disposed to
make some exertion in their behalf. The emigrants had put up
their own provisions, and paid the Captain only for the passage.
On board this ship there was nothing like that appearance of
cleanliness and particularity, which is the glory of even a middle-
sized English vessel. Perhaps the greater part of the dirtiness of
the deck might have been attributed to the circumstance of having
emigrants on board; but I was given to understand this is more
or less the case with every American ship.
The Captain was stout and lusty, and seemed very sensible and
conscious of the plenitude of his power. He was said to be "scien-
tific;" but as I heard this from one who could not be considered
an authority, perhaps it does not deserve much credence. I am
however inclined to believe he was a man of a better education
than that American Captain, who when near Calcutta is said to
have ordered his Steward to "kill a pumpkin" for the respectful
entertainment of the Pilot.
As for Officers, properly speaking he had only one; for the se-
cond mate, as far as mere appearance went, looked not much bet-
ter than the mate of an English Boatswain; and I have great
doubts whether he had a respectable knowledge of navigation.
The truth seems to me that he was trying to live; and after
picking some information regarding the points of the compass,
course of winds, and shifting of sails, he was promoted to his pre-
sent rank; and I must say to his credit, that in ordinary weather
he discharged his duties quite satisfactorily.
The chief Officer, a relation of the Captain, was young, stout and
rather brown. I did not know much of his nautical talents; but
I am dispossd to believe the knowledge of navigation of most of
those American Captains, who run backwards and forwards be-
tween the two countries, is rather limited when compared to that of
those who trade with distant lands. Of course, there must be
clever and scientific sailors among them too, as they trade with
every part of the world; but my remark regards the majority of
only those whose run is so confined as just said.
Here were some Africans too;-but they were in the capacity
of cuddy servants. I had often seen this race before, but not in
the bondage of slavery; and the simple fact of seeing them in an
American vessel strongly reminded me of that baneful practice,
which is still a reproach to certain parts of the new country
These servants were either liberated or were the descendants of
such. The man that held the Office of steward was rather hand-
some; the butler a true African in his features; and the cook
looked somewhat like a son Anak, with a huge body and tremen-
dous long arms; which perhaps caused him some difficulty in
balancing himself on deck in rough weather; his mate also was a
real child of Ham. All these were faithful and punctual in the
discharge of their duties, and were kindly treated by the Captain.
Those that have crossed any ocean must know that time has
often hanged heavy upon them at sea. It was so with us. There
may be entertaining books and agreeable company; still there are
seasons when these avail not. Books are not always inviting, and
fellow passengers are sometimes disposed to be retiring; this is
especially the case when the weather is rough, wet, and unplea-
sant, which is generally calculated "to damp the rising spirit of
conversation" and drive us into our berths, there to throw us into
reflective moods, the results of which are as lasting as the weather
that occasioned them.
The Atlantic is generally much more boisterous than either the
Pacific or the Indian; still nothing of importance or worthy of
particular remark took place for about three fourths of our pas-
sage. Now and then we might speak a vessel, see a fish or a bird
hovering round the ship, or have a squall; yet nothing could des-
troy that sameness of life, which is the chief complaint of a lands-
man that has to pass a few days at sea. But at last we were
caught in something which was well calculated to rouse and excite
us.
I had formerly read of storms at sea; but had never been able
to form any correct idea of them; and indeed it is impossible for
landsmen to do so. However, I had in this passage an opportu-
nity, and a dreadful one too, of forming a clear conception of their
awful character. On the morning of the 19th September we en-
countered a most dreadful tempest. Landsmen are generally like-
ly to exaggerate things of this kind, that they witness at sea; but
I give it this epithet on the testimony of sailors; of those who
have had numberless opportunities of seeing the "wonderful
works" of God connected with the mighty deep. Even the oldest
seamen said they had not witnessed any thing like it for a number
of years. To give my readers some faint idea of its severity I
have only to mention the extreme danger into which a large Ame-
rican steamer fell, which used to run between the two countries.
The storm continued with her three days, and completely disabled
her. She had about three hundred souls on board. When the
Commander as well as others saw that there was left no further
hope for the preservation of life, but inevitable death stared them
in their faces, they all assembled in the cuddy to prepare them-
selves for the solemn change that seemed before them; some mi-
nisters who were on board administered the holy sacrament of the
Lord's supper, and gave exhortations suited to the occasion. The
storm however abated after some time, and they managed some
how or other to take the disabled steamer into the harbour of New
York. This tempest overtook us opposite the banks of New-
foundland, and continued troubling us for about twenty four hours.
It is impossible for those who have not witnessed a scene like it to
form a correct idea of it by mere description. A hurricane on
land, uprooting trees, unroofing houses, and carrying destruction
before it is sufficiently dreadful; still in this case we have some-
thing to stand upon; we have a prop on which we can keep our-
selves steady. But this is denied us when the mighty winds o
the Omnipotent are let loose to play on the awful deep. At such
times the scene is grand and terrible beyond description. The
storm was all the day raging like thunder; the sea was almost li-
terally rising "mountains high;" the ship was continually lashed
by the angry waves, and was rocking like a leaf; the masts (espe-
cially the largest) strained and almost bent at the amazing and
fearful force of the wind. In fact, these were the mighty works
of God, and this seemed to have been the stage whereon it had
pleased the Almighty to manifest in some degree the fulness of his
infinite power. It is at times like this that we fully feel the force
of that exclamation of the devout prophet, -" What is man that
Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that Thou visitest
him?" At such times the Deity seems to be holding direct com-
munication with man, and the deliverance that He vouchsafes is al-
most miraculous; for He commands-"Peace, be still," and the
raging winds immediately retire to their destined places; also the
troubled bosom of the ocean is calm :-"Then they cry unto
Thee, and Thou deliverest them out of all their troubles." The
storm raged the whole day most dreadfully; on it were the
thoughts of all centred; and the troubled and labouring ship was
*continually rolling from side to side. The poor emigrants had no
opportunity to cook any thing; the steerage passengers were in
no better condition; and the cabin passengers were content with
what could be had. It was midday I think, and the children ei-
ther had done their dinner, or were at it, when lo, a most tremen-
dous sea beat in, and gave the vessel such a violent shock, that
in an instant put her on her beams. I believe I shall never for-
get that concussion. I thought we were all going to the bottom;
almost all the females uttered a loud shriek. A great part of that
sea found its way into the steerage, where it made a sort of basin;
all the huge boxes that were not well fastened got adrift and be-
gan to move about, and the danger arising from them was so great
that any one falling in among them would most probably have
been crushed to death. A life boat on the lee side (or the side to
which the wind blew) was carried away by the irresistible sea and
never seen any more; and this, though it was fastened with strong
cordage. Part of the bulwarks also shared the same fate, several
persons were knocked down and severely hurt. Oh! what a test
that was for the sincerity of atheist! The whole scene was so aw-
fully sublime and exceedingly terrible! There was nothing be-
tween death and us but a few planks. How resigned and safe
must that person feel at such a time who has made his peace with
God! whose heart is not disturbed and disquieted in any way by
the elements of destruction that rage about him; for he fully
knows and believes that all these mighty powers are always ready
to obey the least intimation of the will of Him whom he serves;
that not even a single hair of his head falls to the ground without
his Heavenly Father's knowledge, and that all things work toge-
ther for the good of them that 'love Him.
To what heights has modern civilization risen, that can frame
and build ships of such an enormous strength, that can generally
resist the fury of the severest storms!
Let me also remark here, that our best thanks and highest
praises are due to the poor, laborious, daring and hardy seamen,
who are always exposed to these hardships and dangers; and who
minister to many of our wants and luxuries often unthought of
and unthanked.
The storm continued violent the whole day, and heavy seas
were constantly beating in, so that it was extremely unsafe to go
out on deck even for a short time. Even standing at the cuddy
door under the poop was sometimes attended with danger; and
I feel strongly inclined to mention here the case of a young man
who had a very narrow escape from death in this very place. At
the cuddy door was a hatch, (or passage to the steerage) a descent
of about ten or twelve feet. This young man and myself were
standing near this hole, when a furious sea beat over the bul-
warks; my companion thought it was coming upon him, and for
safety stepped back without ever thinking that the hatch was be-
hind him; when, lo! the very instant down he went headlong! I
was horror struck and made no doubt of his death; it was dark
underneath, and I could not see whether or not there was any life
in him yet; but a man in the steerage raised him up, and I to my
great joy found that he was still alive though dreadfully hurt.
The tempest kept thundering till late in the night, and I could
not get any thing like quiet and comfortable sleep, partly on ac-
count of the violent motion of the ship, and partly by reason of
her dreadful creaking. However, in the morning we to our great
comfort and consolation found that the storm was passed. We
seemed to have commenced a new life; the morning was pleasant
and calm, though perfect tranquility had not yet been restored to
the bosom of the deep; it still continued heaving which caused
the ship to pitch very disagreeably.
When the storm was quite over the ministers on board held one
or two prayer meetings with the emigrants in the steerage. After
this we had no more trouble, but proceded quietly on to the end
of our passage; and on the 4th October, Sunday, the Hendrik
Hudson dropped anchor in the harbour of New York.
CHAPTER IV.
I was quite delighted at the sight of the new land, new to me in
two respects, viz. first by discovery, and secondly by my being a
foreigner here from another continent. Here and there were seen
on the shore very white houses, which I had not often come across
since I left India; for it is a well known fact that the damp wea-
ther as well as smoke of London do not allow the houses to re-
main white.
Of course on the morning of our arrival in the harbour of New
York there was a great bustle on board. Many had that day cast
their eyes on their new home, on which certainly their thoughts
had long been centred. This place of landing was already occu-
pied by a multitude of vessels, so that our ship did not come in
contact with or even very near to the shore: and consequently it
was no easy matter to set our foot on dry land; and the ladies
especially had to contend with this difficulty. In order to get on
shore it was necessary to climb over a great many ships; and a
lady in very delicate health was so tired by this exercise that she
fainted. However, after due preparations we landed, and again
on account of my excitement I took no particular notice of my
setting my foot on land, though this had been the most desired
thing as long as I was on board.
I with my friends got into a conveyance, (a number of which
were to be seen at the place), and was for some time driven through
a long and narrow street, then into a broad one, and was at last
brought to the door of one of the principal American Hotels.
I have not much to say about the Hotel, except that it was ex-
tensive and could accommodate a very great number of travellers.
The boarders received notice of their meals by the strange noise
of an instrument that seemed to have been made of bronze, and
looked somewhat like a gong. In the hall there was a great num-
ber of bells, which were attached to the various rooms by means
of wires. The person that was in want of attendance had only to
pull the wire in his room, which gave the domestics instant no-
tice, and one of them immediately ran up to the room. The ser-
vants were always required to be attentive and punctual in mi-
nistering to the wants of boarders. The master himself was gene-
rally in the hall or near it, and often kept a look after the bells.
My first impression of New York was not favorable, which I
think was partly owing to the mixed nature of the population.
Africans dressed for work in soiled clothes presented themselves
to my view walking in the streets. This circumstance marred in
a great measure that pleasure which I should have received from
novelty had the case been otherwise. This was a mixture, and
one of a peculiar sort; it apparently destroyed the oneness of the
American nation. Perhaps the idea of slavery, which is generally
connected with the sight and even the name of an African, had
some part in producing this unfavorable impression.
In extent and population New York was a large city for a new
country; though nothing to be compared with London, and in-
deed in population not even with Calcutta. However it is a place
of extensive traffic; and the buildings and streets as well as puh-
lic offices do great credit to those who laid its foundation and
brought it to its present respectable condition. This shows us
again what is in the power of man to accomplish, if he only has a
spirit of industry and perseverance to inapel him. New York, like
every comparatively new city, would certainly go on increasing in
extent and population, had it only an opportunity to make its way;
but it is an island, and cannot well extend beyond the natural
boundaries that have been set to it..
I was here only two or three days, and then with my friends set
out for Philadelphia, a distance of about a hundred miles. Our
conveyance was to be by the railroad carriages.; therefore we re-
sorted to the depot or railroad station in the morning after break-
fast. I had once been in the railroad carriages in London; but
they were of a very common kind, and I could not take much no-
tice of their particular parts. However, those of London are con-
fessedly the better and the most swift; and the Americans them-
selves make this admission. I saw at the Depot as is usual a
great crowd; most of them were passengers, but some had come
only to visit their friends or transact business. I should have
mentioned that before reaching the Depot we had to cross a broad
river in a huge steamer full of all sorts of people. This doubtless
was one of the best of the American trains, as it ran between two
large and populous cities, that is, New York and Philadelphia,
and generally carried passengers of a respectable class. These
carriages (like all others) were built somewhat in the fashion of
the upper part of a palanquin carriage; the wheels were much
smaller: and the seats inside (most of which were covered with
velvet) were placed in short double rows, each of which had room
enough for two persons. These seats had a narrow walk in the
middle through which passengers and managers could walk back-
wards and forwards. The engine, as might be expected, was put
at the head of the train; and was often supplied with water from
a canal that ran along the road.
Railroad trains go with various degrees of rapidity; and to give
the reader some idea of the swiftness of the train in which I was
going, I shall only mention the distance which it went and the
time it took to accomplish it. New York, as I said before, was at
the distance of a hundred miles from Philadelphia. About twenty
miles of this distance we were to go in a steamer. The train left
the Depot at 9. A. M. and arrived at the end of its course about
3. P. M;-so it passed over the distance of eighty miles in six
hours, which after all was not creditable to it. The carriages
would however have gone with greater rapidity had it not been
attended with danger. Those that wish to engage their passage
in the carriages have to buy tickets at the Depot Office, which
they do a little before the carriages leave the place. When the
train is fairly started and all the passengers have taken their
seats, one of the men connected with the establishment goes
round to see whether all passengers have got tickets, which are
shewed to him as he passes on. When the course is nearly finish-
ed he goes round again and collects them. Passengers may be
picked up on the way also.
As I was quite a stranger in the country my attention was
chiefly drawn to the scenery through which we were passing.
America is well known to be the most extensive of the four quar-
ters of the globe; a great part of it is not occupied by any human
being; these portions are towards the West. But even in those
parts that are called states there are vast tracts which are not in-
habited and not even cultivated, which shows the population to be
exceedingly thin, compared to the immense extent of land which
they own. Most of the country through which we were travelling
for the greater part of the day presented a wild aspect. I do not
remember seeing much cultivation; but by this we must not un-
derstand that extensive agriculture is not carried on. Here and
there we came across a few houses, or a barn, or a cottage, but
there was no town or village to be seen. The railroads are quite
a different thing from those meant for carts and pedestrians, which
was the reason that we did not see many human beings in this
route. Perhaps the poorest of the people adopt the mode of pe-
destrian travelling, for when cost for boarding and lodging which
a pedestrian traveller must pay, and the weariness and pain that
he must undergo, are taken into consideration, travelling by the
railway is perhaps the better; because what is lost in money is
gained in time and comfort.
After a run of about six hours we reached the steamer about 3
P. M. It was a huge one, and could carry an immense number
of passengers.
A very kind looking and polite gentleman introduced himself
to me, and took me all over the steamer to show me every thing
about her. I went into the lower deck and there saw a great num-
ber of passengers making havoc among some eatables. (This was
their dinner.) Several tables were set, and I believe all of them
were occupied, and servants were running about to minister to
their wants. The cooking department of this steamer must have
been a large establishment, that could prepare food for such a
multitude, and that even when the steward was not certain of
their number. Every person that went on board was not obliged
to take his dinner there, but all those could who were desirous of
doing so. Sofas and other furniture were to be seen in this apart-
ment (which was very extensive) and it had a neat and comforta-
ble appearance. A great many passengers were sitting on the
deck under the shadow of the poop; they were probably of vari-
ous denominations, as one of them asked me whether I was an Uni-
versalist; he himself was one. (Perhaps I had better inform most
of my native readers that the term Universalist means one who
believes in the salvation of all mankind, of whatever denomination
or religion they may be in this world.) Many were on the poop
enjoying the refreshing breeze which was blowing over the river.
I went with the forementioned gentleman to have a view of the
machinery of the steamer. It was ponderous. I had seen steam-
boats in London too, but never was on any that was of such an
enormous size, and consequently had no opportunity of seeing
the strongest and heaviest machinery. What a glory steam car-
riage is to modern civilization! We may be carried on bearers,
horses, elephants, or camels; still these are creatures that live and
feel, undergo fatigue and pain, and are sensible of every difficulty
and inconvenience that we meet with; and this circumstance des-
troys to a very great degree that pleasure we might otherwise ob-
tain. But what sense of feeling and pain have iron and copper
rods, water and steam, fire and coal, and timber? The same holds
true with regard to the sailing of a ship; there are the sails, the
water, the timber and the wind, all incapable of suffering, and
therefore may be used night and day for years without any anxie-
ty on our part with regard to their comfort. They are indeed the
mighty creatures of God that thus serve us!
The time that the steamer took in reaching Philadelphia was not
long. This city is said to be the most beautiful one in the Union.
It is built in squares, and has streets that run parallel to eacls
other. They have various sorts of tres planted in them, and
each street is called after the particular kind of tree found in it,
which in some measure makes it easy for a stranger to find a par-
ticular place.
We left Philadelphia on the second day of our arrival for Harts-
ville, a small place of a few houses, where some friends were to be
seen. No steam carriages left for that direction, so we took our
passage in a coach. We started from the city of "Brotherly
love" about 3 P. M. and continued running till dark. The scen-
ery through which we passed looked extremely fresh, and gave
out a most sweet and healthful scent. The greater part of the
country seemed to be under cultivation, and as there was no town
or even a small village on the way, a perfect quiet and stillness
pervaded it. The scenery was the more grateful as it was autumn,
at which time Nature in these parts revels in all her various
rich productions and enjoyments. We arrived in Hartsville after
dark; our baggage followed us shortly, and was brought in by
our mutual help; for with the exception of a single African girl
there were no servants here. But of this we shall speak in the
sequel.
The aspect of the cou country here was exceedingly solitary and
quiet. Out of a house scarcely any human voice was to be heard;
and indeed there were but few houses in this place, and of the in-
mates of even these few dwellings I almost saw nothing. The
men were probably engaged in some out of door employment, and
the females were busy in their houses; even in the mornings and
evenings I did not see much of them. Perhaps a situation like
this might answer well for a student, and one whose temper is of
a melancholy cast; but not for one who likes company and can-
not live without it.
After I had been here two or three days a gentleman from a
small place called Abington came over and took me to his house,
which was at the distance of about seven miles from Hartsville.
We started for his house in the evening and arrived there about
eight o'clock. There were some ladies of the family sitting in the
parlour; among them were the wife and daughter of the gentle-
man. They were all very kind to me and did all in their power
to make me feel comfortable and at home. The houses of which
Abington consisted were scattered over a great extent of the coun.-
try. The scenery at this place was much better than that at
Hartsville, and here was not the same dull and dry appearance
which I had found at the other place. On the eastern part of the
village was a forest, which was inviting for reflective walks. Here
the country was more undulating, the population more extensive,
and the people social and kind; I must say, however, I was here
for a fortnight, which gave me more opportunities of becoming
acquainted with some of them. The house in which this gentle-
man lived was two stories high, (besides the cellar which every
dwelling has), and here I perceived more signs of comfort and
prosperity than I had in the house which I had just left.
Once while living with this gentleman I had an occasion to go
with him to Philadelphia, a distance of about fourteen miles.
Here by the way, I must mention that the horses of this country,
as well as those of England, are much stranger than those of India.
The horse that carried us to Philadelphia was perhaps a little lar-
ger than a pony, and it carried three of us almost on a continual
trot to, and back from, the city of "Brotherly love" the very same
day; so he must have gone about fourteen coss, a run which
would greatly tire and perhaps injure many of our horses. We
left Abington in the morning and arrived at the city (if my memo-
ry serves) between ten and twelve o'clock, when we passed
through the market, which was built in the middle of the street.
After being here we went to a sort of hotel, where any meal
could be obtained. There was a great number of small tables to be
seen in the room; and the things that were required were brought
in small trays, which were set on the table before the persons that
ordered them. The breakfast consisted of either tea or coffee (ac-
cording to taste), two or three slices of bread and a little butter-
This was the only meal that we took here. After this we went to
purchase some necessary clothing for the approaching winter for
myself, which was one of the reasons of our coming to the city.
After being at Abington for a fortnight, I started for Easton,
where La Fayette College was, in company of three friends. The
population in the country through which we passed was as usual
thin and scattered. This way of living may have its advantages,
but I greatly doubt whether it adds to convenience about many
things which are to be had, and that readily only in a collected
population. I believe, as far as comfort and convenieuce are con-
cerned, those people are the best situated, who to some degree live
near each other, and also are adjacent to some city or large town,
where they can easily get those comforts of life, without which
they would seem to live in a barbarous or strange country. Not-
withstanding this scattered way of living they appeared happy.
Quietness and peace seemed to have pervaded their dwelling pla-
ces. The country presented a new, fresh, and happy appearance;
and the scenery as we were approaching Easton was gradually be-
coming extremely romantic.
How dark and mysterious are the counsels of Providence that
reserved this portion of the globe in almost all its original beauty,
grandeur, and glory! I confess it is beyond my power to describe
the beauties of Nature in these parts. With the exception of the
height of the hills (for this region was extremely hilly) it seemed
to have been almost in every respect like that of the Himmalaya
mountains, which I have had the pleasure of seeing.
The cupola of the College was visible for some time before we
reached Easton, where we arrived at dark, and alighted from the
coach at the door of a gentleman of the town.
Easton is a place of about seven thousand inhabitants. It
belongs to the state of Pensnylvania, and is one of the best small
places that I have ever seen. It is not so large and populous as
to present the noise, bustle, and tumult of a city; but at the same
time has people enough to make it look like a social place; and
though I had not formed an extensive acquaintance here, yet I
believe the people to have been polite and kind. The houses were
neat, large, and comfortable. Here were also a great many shops
of all the articles and things that added to their comfort. In the
middle of the town was the Court House, which gave it a degree
of beauty. The place is very advantageously situated by nature;
because, besides the extremely beautiful scenery that environs it,
Easton is surrounded by three runs of water, which are called the
Delaware, the Lehi, and the Bushkill. The two former are rivers
and the latter a brook.
As there were not rooms enough in the house of the foremen-
tioned gentleman for the accommodation of all, I was after supper
taken to the College building. I had to run up a flight of about
two hundred wooden steps, (for the College was built on a high
hill), and then was introduced to the Vice President of the Institu-
tion, who lived in a part of the main building, to insure a better
'behaviour from the students. This gentleman had a large family,
all of whom were living with him; his oldest son, who had gradu-
ated in this College, was a tutor here. The study of the Vice Pre-
sident was between my apartment and that part of the College to
which the students had general access. This circumstance or ar-
rangement saved me great disturbance, which I would have other-
wise received from students, as curiosity might have led them to
constantly call upon me and hold long conversations on India and
other subjects. But those with whom I had acquired a more in-
timate acquaintance were accustomed to see me here. I am high-
ly thankful to say that the Vice President with his family was ex-
ceedingly kind to me, and had I been his own son he could not
have treated me better.
The College building, including that part which was under the
'floor, was, (if I remember right) five stories high; and had rooms
sufficient in number for the majority of students; some of the
rest lived in town, as they had parents or friends there, and the
others through economy boarded in farm houses. There was in
connection with this College an Academical Department too,
which was at a few yards from the main building; and the refec-
tory also was built at some distance from it. The Academy was
intended to prepare students for the College, and gave instructions
in the principles of Greek, Latin, and Mathematics and the ele-
ments of English literature, and numbered about thirty scholars.
This college had been lately built, and its establishment was not
so large as that of some others. However there were materials
enough for those who were in any way inclined to cultivate their
minds; for, as my readers know well, it is not the fact of gradua-
ting in a celebrated college that improves the mind; but industry,
which in every age and clime has crowned the head of the labori-
ous with the laurels of fame; and students of such a college might
by industry and perseverance rise to the highest summit of cele-
brity and be equal (and in some cases even superior) to the sons
of more famous Institutions. The number of Professors in this
college was not large, and did not even meet the wants of the
Institution; the evident cause of which was the lack of adequate
funds.
On account of my ignorance of the ancient languages I was not
prepared to enter College Proper, as it was called. I studied
therefore in the Academical Department, which was under the care
of a Principal. The instructions given here were pretty much
confined, I saw, to the will of students or to that of their parents,
whenever they happened to be in town. There was a large class
of Latin Grammar; another of Latin Reader; a third of Cæsar's
Commentaries; some were studying Virgil; a large class also
studied Algebra, and a few students Geometry; and the attention
of some was entirely devoted to the acquirement of the English
language and some elementary studies.
The study of languages is delightful, if the taste lie in that di-
rection. For the study of Greek and Latin (besides English) one
must be possessed of ample time and means; but to us Natives
a good knowledge of the tongue of our Governors is of the utmost
importance; since through it we can obtain almost all the know-
ledge in the world, both useful and curious. After a respectable
acquaintance with English is had, Latin I believe may be studied
with great advantage, as it will tend to perfect the knowledge of
the former. Next to the language of the Romans, in point of im-
portance, may lie the Greek tongue. But we have seen some na-
tive students thrust into the study of Greek and Hebrew before
they could write a correct letter in English. These tongues may
possibly be of use in certain cases; but only when accompanied
with a good knowledge of English. But studying them without
this looks like a pitiable waste of time and labour; cripples
in a great measure the future active usefulness of students thus
trained; and makes them necessarily dependant upon certain
bodies.
The hours of study, recitation, recreation, &c., in the college at
Easton, which was called after La Fayette, were as follows. The
gong struck at five, A. M. to give notice to students to be ready
for breakfast, to which they were called at seven o'clock, by the
striking of a gong, by which every thing was conducted. At eight
all assembled in the chapel for morning worship, the President or
in his absence the Vice President leading in it. After worship
the exstudents went to their recitation; but the students of the
"College Proper" were called to recite at nine, and continued do-
ing so till ten, studied from ten to eleven, and recited again from
eleven to twelve. At noon the gong called us to dinner, which
took about three quarters of an hour. The hours of recreation
extended from this time to two, P. M. when all had to retire to
their rooms for study, at which they continued till four, P. M.
After this recitation came on and continued till five o'clock.
Then the gong struck again for worship, at which time, both
morning and evening, all the Professors were expected to be pre-
sent. Worship being over we had supper, and after supper recre-
ation to seven, P. M., when the gong again called us to our stu-
dies; and we kept to our books, or rather were ordered and sup-
posed to do so till nine, after which those who chose were allowed
to retire.
The refectory consisted of a long room with three long tables,
at which the students sat according to the seniority of the classes.
A Tutor daily, and one of the Professors occasionally, ate here to
keep a watch over the behaviour and conversation of students.
The morning meal consisted of coffee, tea, potatoes, sometimes
meat cooked with this vegetable and bread and butter; the dinner,
of meat, potatoes, one or two other vegetables, bread and butter, and
for desert a pudding, pie, or a tart, and sometimes apples; and for
supper we had tea, bread and butter. I cannot call to mind whe-
ther we had any thing else. But by this account we must not judge
of the fare of private families, who certainly live better. The reason
of the poor fare of students was the want of sufficient funds which
I have mentioned before. However no limit was set to the quantity
with which we were supplied. But poor as the fare of La Fayette
college was, I thought it was much better than what I saw served
in the celebrated Princeton Theological seminary. Our victuals
were mostly dressed by females, who also washed our clothes; and
there were one or two men that waited at table.
The recreation of students consisted in differents sorts of sports,
and in taking walks in the beautiful scenery that encircles Easton.
Their greatest amusement and exercise was in ball playing, which
was certainly calculated to make them strong and healthy; and
in winter in throwing snow balls against each other. Hitting with
these balls was sometimes mutual, and at others not; but I never
accompanied them in this exercise, and they were always polite
enough, even the wildest of them, never to strike me intentionally
with any snow.
Before arriving here and becoming acquainted with the state of
things, I had somewhat a dread of college. Some how or other
I had imbibed an impression that in a college every thing was
carried on with the strictness, severity, and dulness of the convent
of Mount Sinai. I had thought a college was something like a
prison, and the Professors strict and severe jailors. But after a few
days I became entirely accustomed to a college life, and I thought I
could comfortably live all my days in that state with the usual in-
tervals, which intervals are indeed quite necessary; for I must say
that a college life is a very retired one, and a seminary of learn-
ing is no good place to study human nature, however advantage-
ous it may be in other respects. I was, therefore, quite delighted
at the expiration of the winter session to lay aside my books for
a time, and see large and populous cities, the promiscuous crowds
of which have a multiplicity of business to mind about which has
no connection with books; and I was also pleased to mix in com-
pany, where I could refresh my mind with a hearing and seeing of
other things than those to which I had for some months been
continually devoting my time and attention.
Neither was a college life so laborious as I had thought, be-
cause during two days in the week (including Sunday) we did not
study. Saturday was the time for general recess, except that in the
morning some of the students used to deliver orations in the cha-
pel before all the students and some of the Professors; and the
rest of the day was spent in walks on the hills, or in the town, or
in other amusements.
The course of instruction in vogue in this college was as follows:-
First Term.
Livy and Latin exercises.
Freshmen Class.
Second Term.
Odes of Horace.
Græca Minora, completed.
Græca Majora, commenced.
Classical Literature, (Eschen-
burg's Manual.)
Algebra.
Græca Majora and Greek exer-
cises.
Classical Literature.
Plane Geometry, (Davies, Le- Algebra completed.
gendre.)
Solid and spherical Geometry.
First Term.
Sophomore Class.
Second Term.
Cicero de Officiis.
Horace Satires and Epistles.
Æschines de Corona.
Classical Literature.
Plane Trigonometry.
Geometrical Constructions.
Spherical Trigonometry.
Analytical Geometry.
Demosthenes de Corona.
Classical Literature.
Blair's Rhetoric.
Analytical Geometry.
Surveying.
Tacitus.
First Term.
Junior Class.
Edipus Tyrannus (Sophocles,)
Differential and Integral calculi,
(McArtney's.)
Navigation and Nautical Astro- |
nomy.
Chemistry.
Mental Philosophy.
Second Term.
Cicero de Oratore.
Euripides Medea.
Optics, (Brewster's.)
Mechanics.
Descriptive Geometry.
Parker's Logic.
Philosophy of Taste.
Elocution.
Second Term.
Linear Perspective.
Senior Class.
First Term.
Juvenal.
Longinus.
Astronomy.
Natural Philosophy.
Chemistry.
Moral Philosophy.
Evidences of Christianity,
(Alexander.)
Civil Engineering.
Latin and Greek Revision.
Political Economy, (Wayland.)
Constitution of the United.
States.
Review of studies.
There were in connection with this college two literary socie-
ties, one named after Washington their great General, and the
other after Franklin their celebrated Philosopher. It was optional
with the students to become a member of either society. At the
time of their being taken in they were sworn before the President
of the society to be faithful in studying the welfare of the
body of which they were members. The exercises and the inter-
nal management of the two societies were a secret to each other,
and however friendly the students of the two bodies were, they by
no mears divulged their secrets.
Both of them used to meet on Friday after dinner, and sat till
evening, and consequently on this day the afternoon recitations
and other daily exercises were omitted.
A short time after the ringing of the bell the meeting was
opened with prayer, and the roll called. Those who had been
absent the preceding week had to give their excuses or reasons;
if the President thought them satisfactory, they were accepted;
but if otherwise the absentees were fined; after which those who
desired leave asked for it; and if the business was considered suf-
ficiently urgent their request was granted. The exercises that
- were performed in these meetings were the delivery of speeches,
debate, and reading of compositions. The President appointed a
certain number of students for these exercises the preceding week;
this number might have been about eighteen. The apartment in
which they met was large and pretty roomy; its floor was covered
with cloth; and it had seats on two sides. One of the other two
sides was occupied by the President, the Vice President, and the
Secretary; they sat on a kind of platform in chairs. The oppo-
site side of this place had that stage on which the speaking and
reading exercises were performed.
The exercises of the meeting commenced with the delivery of
speeches. The President called out the first person on the list,
who proceeded to the stage and with a bow to the chief officer be-
fore him began to deliver his oration. After one had done, another was called out till all the speakers were heard. Those of the
students who wished to make any remarks were allowed to do so.
These remarks were generally on action, tone of voice, pronoun-
ciation of particular words, presence of mind, &c. These remarks
being over, optional speaking came on, and similar criticisms were
made on these orations too. New speakers wanted a great pre-
sence of mind to keep themselves up and look respectable; some
of them were at times almost frightened to death, as the saying
is; and some of the older students too, or those who had been
accustomed to the delivery of orations, now and then looked em-
barassed, for which they almost always got a smile or laugh from
every side of the Hall.
Reading of compositions followed the delivery of orations. The
readers were called out as on the list; they proceeded to the
stage, where after a bow (as in the preceding instance) they began
to read their compositions. After all had done reading, remarks
were made on the subject, the composition of the pieces, and on
the mode of reading them, &c. When all these pieces had been
read, anonymous compositions came on, which were put some
time during the week in a box intended for that purpose; the
writer being unobserved at the time of putting it in. A person
was appointed by the chief officer to read these compositions,
which were mostly of a burlesque kind, and most of them excited
roars of laughter throughout the room. All of these pieces were
handed to the President, and afterwards corrected by a set Com-
mittee of students.
Debate followed the reading of compositions. One half of the
number was to speak on the affirmative of the question, and the
other half on the negative, as they were appointed by the Presi-
dent. In this case, the speakers did not go to the stage, but de-
bated standing in their respective places. The chief officer of the
meeting called out the first speaker on the affirmative side, then
one on the negative to refute him. The time that each was allow-
ed to speak was a few minutes, and whenever he exceeded the
limit he was ordered by the President to take his seat. This was
the most interesting and rousing exercise, and the curiosity and
attention of all was turned to the various abilities of speakers on
both sides of the question. When the appointed persons of the
debate had done speaking for a certain time, optional debate came
on, in which the time allowed to each speaker was much longer
than in the other case, and all the speakers were of some ability.
As soon as one speaker had done his part, or was ordered to take
his seat, three or four sometimes at once rose up, and cried out
"Mr. President, I am on the floor; Mr. President, I am on the
floor;" but the President soon silenced them. It was the chief
officer's duty also to check the speakers whenever they wandered
from their subject or did not speak "to the point." After the
disputarts had exhausted their oration funds, or the time was al-
most over, the merit of the question was decided by a vote of ma-
joriry.
The principal points of the laws of the Franklin society (of
which I was a member) were, not to go in the hall with boots on,
as these things tended to injure the floor cloth, but slippers were
to be used instead; not to spit on the floor for the same reason ;
not to interrupt the speaker or go before him; not to cross the
room but to go round; not to whisper or talk; always to speak
to, and of each other as became gentlemen; and a few others of
like import. An abuse of these laws was punished by fines, the
sums of which were moderate. The attending such meetings may
be called a recreation; in fact it was so; there might be a short
embarrassment to some speakers or readers, but in the end even
these speakers joined in the fun whenever there was any. All the
students, as usual, were young, and there was a great deal of
merriment going on. Though we had these laws, yet they did
not prevent us from being happy; and sometimes mischiefs on
a smaller scale were carried on by some of the wilder students.
Such societies, I deem, are of great advantage, and help in a
very great measure to expand the youthful mind, and fit it for the
active stage of life. They are of especial use in such countries as
England and America, where the form of Government allows peo-
ple to take an active part in the legislative department.
The officers of the society of which I was a member were as
follows:-viz. A President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Trea-
surer, and a Librarian. They were chosen at certain periods from
among the students of ballot. The President in the meeting was
always required to be treated with great respect, and his sentence
and orders were irresistible at the time, though an appeal lay af-
terwards to the society.
There was also a large Library attached to each of the societies,
the works of which they consisted were of all desrriptions, and
most of them valuable. I cannot speak of the Washington socie-
ty with any degree of certainty; but I believe in all its principal
operations it resembled the Franklin body. The Library of the
latter was open on every Saturday, when each student was allowed
to take two books. His name and the number of the books were
put down; and he could keep them with him more than a week
if he wished.
The advantages for improvement in a College of the West are
great beyond measure; in fact, the student constantly lives in a
literary and scientific atmosphere, and what knowledge one would
obtain in four years elsewhere he would acquire in a twelve month
in a College, if he have only inclination to help him.
America being a new country, and the acts performed on her
stage comparatively recent, the people are always talking of what
their great men have done. Thus after entering on my studies at
La Fayette College my ears were continually assailed with the
sounds of America, Republicanism, Liberty, Washington. I heard
the last being called the "greatest man in the universe." I asked
a student what meaning they attached to the word universe; he
replied, they meant only this world.
V. CHAPTER.
I was at Easton till the close of the winter session, that is till
the end of March. An examination of all classes takes place at
the end of every session; this trial occupies about a week. At
the examination all the Professors and the Board of Trustees are
present; and other literary gentlemen who wish to be there are
admitted. Some students who dread to be examined leave Col-
lege a little before the proper time; but by doing so, they cannot
wholly evade their dreaded object; for they have to undergo a
trial at the commencement of the next session, and if they be not
able to sustain it they are not allowed to pass to a higher class,
or are not permitted to pursue their studies with their more diligent classmates.
At the end of this winter term two literary exhibitions took
place; one was the senior class exhibition; the other that of the
Franklin Literary Society. The senior class consisted of about
sixteen students; they delivered original orations on two succes-
sive nights in one of the churches of the town; the President of
the College presided on the occasion, and the audience was large
and attentive. The speeches also of the orators were satisfactory.
The exhibition of the Franklin Literary Society also took place
in one of the churches. There were four speakers, and two rea
ders of Essays; these speeches and compositions were original;
and there was one select speaker, that is, his speech was not ori-
ginal, but selected out of one of the books containing orations.
On this occasion too the exercises were interesting; and the church
was full.
When the examination was over, and the President had duly
dismissed the College, I left Easton for Princeton (a small place
near Philadelphia) in company with two students; one a Senior,
and the other a Junior. The home of the latter lay between Eas-
ton and Princeton; so he was to leave us on the way. The senior
student had kindly invited me to go over with him to his friends,
and spend a few days with them. I accepted the invitation at
the time, but afterwards had reason to change my mind and route,
so that I did not succeed in availing myself of his kindness.
There was no railroad from Easton, but a boat was about to
leave the place for part of the way; and we once thought of en-
gaging our passage in it; but it was not quite ready to sail just at
the time when wanted. A stage coach left at midnight, and to
journey in it was somewhat inconvenient, so we thought of walk-
ing, but at the same time intended to take it leisurely so as not
to fatigue ourselves.
We left the place on the morning of the 17th March. It had
snowed a little during the night, but the morning was as pleasant
and delightful as we could have wished for; the air also was quite
refreshing; and the prospect through which we had to travel ex-
tremely grateful. For sometime we had a river on our left, flow-
ing gently by the side or at the foot of a high hill, which had be-
gun to be covered with verdure, as spring was setting in. The
scenery was exceedingly beautiful; we were walking for most part
of the day in a very romantic valley. Here and there you might
see a solitary house or barn, but like a large and propulous place
there was none.
It is highly pleasing to took on Nature in its wild and unculti-
vated state, in its virgin condition, free from all those pollutions
which necessarily attend cities of great population. Here you
would see high hills and low valleys, and there a small brook or
stream gently making its way among the rugged rocks and the
pleasing foliage; all of which make a sight always grateful to the
eyes. With a few necessaries of life one not ambitious of worldly
honor, riches, and pleasure, might well spend his life in this ex-
tremely romantic abode. There was here many a hill,
"whose hoary sides
With thicket overgrown, grotesque and wild,
Access deny'd; and overhead upgrew,
Insuperable height of loftiest shade,
Cedar, and pine, and fir, and branching palm;
A sylvan scene; aud as the ranks ascend
Shade above shade, a woody theatre
Of stateliest view."
And the following lines may almost be descriptive of many a
view that I have seen in this land.
"Thus was this place
A happy rural seat of various view;
Groves, whose rich trees wept od'rous gums and balm;
Others, whose fruit burnished with golden rind
Hung amiable, Hesperian fables true,
If true, here only, and of delicious taste :
Betwixt them lawns, or level downs, and flocks
Grazing the tender herb, were interposed,
Or palmy hillock; or the flow'ry lap
Of some irriguous valley spread her store,
Flow'rs of all hue, and without thorn the rose :
Another side, umbrageous grots and caves
Of cool recess, o'er which the mantling vine
Lays forth her purple grape, and gently creeps
Luxuriant: meanwhile murm'ring waters fall
Down the slope hills, dispersed; or in a lake,
That to the fringed bank with myrtle crown'd
Her crystal mirror holds, unite their streams.
The birds their choir apply; airs, vernal airs,
Breathing the smell of field and grove, attune
The trembling leaves."
The road that we took was not much frequented; so to meet
now and then with somebody was quite pleasing. We had to
pass through several dense forests, which had roads cut through
them. Now and then we would stop on the summit of a high
hill and turn our faces towards Easton, to have a look at the cupo-
la of the College; but this was only for a few hours. In the
forenoon we met with one or two schools, and a few villages.
It was about the middle of the day, when we stopt at a country
inn for refreshment. These inns are scattered all over the coun-
try, and are very convenient to travellers, as they can take any
meal in them, and stop for the night also if necessary. Our din-
ner was on the table half an hour after the landlord had received
notice; his wife and daughter had done their best to get it ready
as soon as possible. The table was set in the public room, which
had a stove also, the weather being somewhat cloudy and damp.
The dinner served on the table consisted of a plateful of what
they call buckwheat cakes (which are common in America, and are
delicious when eaten warın just from the pan with butter spread on
them; warm ones were constantly brought in,) one or two kinds
of meat, pickles and some other things which I cannot call to
mind now; and for a second course we had a tart. We ate our
dinner heartily after the walking exercise that we had in the fore-
noon.
Just as we had finished our meal, it began to rain, which damp-
ed our prospects with regard to our further journey. Happily,
however, it stopt hard raining after some time; and we left the
country inn to go on our way.
About 5, P. M. we came to another tavern where we put up for
the night. This house of accommodation was two stories high,
and had about four rooms on each floor. At first we sat in the
outer room, where a worshipper of Bacchus was our companion.
Fire was soon made, however, in an adjoining apartment, which
might be called a dining room; so we gladly parted with our dis-
agreeable companion and removed to it.
Supper was ready after some time, of which we partook quite
heartily after our day's journey. I do not remember the exact
amount that was paid for our fare; but it was moderate.
This tavern like many others was in a quite isolated situation;
there was nothing like a town or village to be seen near it, which
shows what great security the people here enjoy, high way robbe-
ry being very uncommon in this part of the world. But this is
very different from our country, where even in cities people walk-
ing about at night with something valuable in their pockets are
not quite safe in certain parts; while security is quite precarious
while travelling abroad. These remarks, however, with regard to
both countries must be understood with certain limitations. In
populous cities, as well as at stations where people take or change
carriages, there is no want of the "light fingered gentry," and pas-
sengers are obliged to be extremely careful of their watches and
other contents of their pockets; but notwithstanding the careful-
ness of passengers, the pickpockets often succeed in their kindness
to disburden them of their watches and other light things that
they may happen to have with them. Once, while I was there, a
gentleman, at a station, in a large crowd, lost paper money to the
amount of about three hundred rupees; this took place in spite of
the conductor of the carriages' calling out several times to warn
his passengers of the presence of pickpockets in the crowd. I
myself once when travelling, saw one of these men, who just at
that time had deprived somebody of something; he tried to es-
cape in the carriages, but was noticed and taken up by the pro-
per officers. Thus there is picking of pockets and cheating to
a certain extent; but as far as my knowledge reaches I do not be-
lieve there is any high way robbery or burglary; and if there be
any, it is only in certain parts of the country. But even this
would be nothing, compared with what there is in India. This
peaceful and secure state of America may be attributed to the im-
mense extent of land, and the smallness of the population. La-
bour is high, but provisions are cheap; and the man who has any
inclination to exert himself a little can earn enough to support
himself and his family very comfortably. But to return to our
tavern.
Beds were provided for us in a room on the upper story, in
which though there was no fire yet we passed a comfortable night.
In the morning we took our breakfast here, and after settling our
accounts with our host left the place for the further prosecution
of our journey. It had been very cold during the night; the
ground was therefore frozen quite hard, which made it somewhat
painful to walk. After some time when the sum was high enough
it thawed; so the badness of the road went to the other extreme;
that is, from being too hard, it became too soft, and we were
troubled with this softness the whole day; our feet stuck fast
with the mud, and we had to carry some pounds of it upon our
boots almost to the end of our journey. To avoid this trouble
we were very often obliged to climb over fences and walk in the
grassy fields.
Notwithstanding all our unpleasantness in this respect, we were
very frequently greatly cheered by seeing nature in all her virgin
beauty and loveliness, and original grandeur; and I almost envied
the people, who free from all the noise and bustle of the world,
quietly spent their days in these American paradises. I have of-
ten thought, if those who live in these delightful sceneries had
secured the salvation of their immortal souls they were almost in
that place of everlasting bliss which is the aim and highly desired
object of all mankind.
The Junior parted with us today about noon, as his home lay
on this side of Princeton; and the Senior and myself after dinner
went on our way.
This afternoon, to save a great round, we crossed several fields
and hills, and arrived at Princeton about 5, P. M. This is a
small place, and forms the seat of an old college and a Theologi-
cal seminary; and the students of these two Institutions very
probably make more than half the population of the town.
After taking some refreshment and talking with some of the
students for a while, I retired and slept soundly, as I was greatly
tired by the inconvenient walk of the day. The next morning I
was introduced to some other students who shewed me great
kindness. One of them took me to his Lecture room, where I
saw one of the old Professors sitting and delivering a lecture on
Pastoral Theology. After a short time two or three of the stu-
dents read something either out of a book or a manuscript which
bore on the same subject. While the Professor was delivering
his lecture, I saw most of the students occupied in taking notes
of his theme. Of these notes they make a great use afterwards,
as they consult them whenever necessary, and by going over them
make a review of their seminary studies. After returning from
this lecture I was introduced to the family of a highly talented
and worthily famous Theological Writer. He himself was not at
home, but I saw his lady and children, who were extremely ob-
liging to me.
The next day being Sunday, I attended service in the seminary
chapel, where one of the old Professors preached. Here I saw an
African, who was a candidate for the ministry and studied in the
seminary. This circumstance may look strange. Those Africans,
however, who are students in Divinity in a Theological seminary,
do not meet with that treatment which they would receive in
other places; they may be treated with coldness and reserve, but
not with any outbreaking unkindness; because in this case piety
tames the wildness of the passions; or at least all the students
are supposed to be pious, and are therefore obliged to be very
cautious with regard to their conduct; else they would fall under
condemnation of the seminary laws. But in a college African
students (at least those born in America) would be almost conti-
nually treated with extreme insult and roughness, since in this
case the majority of students are not professors of religion, and
are therefore utterly regardness of consequences in this respect.
There was in this town (as I suppose there is in almost every
town) a separate place of worship for the black population; and
this African minister asked me whether I would attend their
church that day. I gave my consent, and at the appointed time
went over with him. The Preacher was a white man, (a seminary
student I believed him to have been.) The congregation was not
large; the circumstance of the day's being wet and uncomfortable
may have prevented some from attending. When I entered the
house they were constantly coming in, and in their gait and ad-
dress both men and women shewed an importance which certainly
belonged to another station in life; which greatly amused me.
This was very excusable however, as at this time they were out of
the sight of their masters (falsely so called), and were for a short
time within this small place their own lords; and might very na-
turally give vent to those airs and appearances which are always
repressed while in the presence of their unlawful owners.
Princeton has the oldest college in the country, upon which
marks of cannon balls, that were fired in the revolutionary war are
still to be seen; and some hundreds of yards from the town one
of their greatest battles is said to have been fought. A student
shewed me the plain, where this battle took place, as well as an
old farm house, which was struck by a ball, also another house on
the plain to which one of their wounded Generals was removed
at the time. Another circumstance that renders this small place
one of interest to the American is, that it has the largest Theolo-
gical seminary in the country.
It was now a hundred years since the establishment of the
Princeton college, and they were in consequence about to have a
centennial celebration, at which all those who had ever graduated
in the college and were living and could possibly attend were to
be present; there was therefore a great influx of people to the
town. All the graduates were also to have a dinner on the occa-
sion. There were about four or five hundred present, and they
were to sit at the table according to their seniority. This dinner
however was a mere nominal thing, for some of them could not
get hold of any thing better than a piece of bread; some of them
could get no knives, and others no forks; but the old men who
were sitting at the head of the table fared better, as they had by
right of their seniority every thing provided for them. However,
it was a social assembly, and the circumstance of meeting old fel-
lows graduates after a long lapse of years must have gladdened
their hearts and encouraged them in their exertions to do good to
their country by every means in their power.
On the day appointed for the grand meeting or the celebration,
the principal exercises commenced at 9, A. M. and continued to
3, P. M. The meeting was held in the Presbyterian church, and
consisted of a vast number of people; indeed, of as many as the
place could hold. The lower floor of the church was in an espe-
cial manner reserved for the graduates, of whom there was a num-
ber sufficient to occupy the whole space. There was a great as-
semblage of black coats, clergymen, lawyers, and physicians, and
professors of different "ologies." The seats in the gallery were
occupied by the fair sex, so that the vast majority of men who
had come as spectators had to stand all the while either in the
gallery or in the hall.
At the commencement of the exercises they sung a hymn com-
posed for the occasion, after which a prayer was offered and the
business of the day commenced. At first the graduates of the
present year received their diplomas; then a few addresses were
delivered by some of the older graduates. One of these addresses
was in Latin; I do not remember whether there was one in
Greek. All these addresses were respectable and satisfactory to
the assembly. An account or history of Princeton college was
also compiled and read by one of the Doctors of Divinity. A band
was hired which played at intervals. The meeting broke up at
three o'clock, when all retired to take their afternoon meal.
They were to meet again in the evening, and I heard some peo-
ple had entered the church some hours before the exact time with
the view of securing convenient seats. As the exercises of the
morning were not particularly interesting to me, and as I was
quite tired by the long services of the day, I did not attend in the
evening; besides the weather was rainy and uncomfortable. This
bustle and hurry continued for two or three days, after which most
of them left the town for their homes.
I was at this place twice, and in my second visit spent here
about six weeks. In my whole stay in America I never met with
any other place the people of which were so remarkably reserved
as those of Princeton. Every family seemed to live for itself; at
least as far as my knowledge extends. One of the principal reasons
for this extreme reserve seems to be that the town was the seat of
two Seminaries of learning, both of which contained a great number
of students, and had the Princetonians been in any way inclined to
receive visitors or guests they would have had too many, and would
perhaps have been continually pestered by them. There were two
or three families however with whom I became acquainted, and
these I was accustomed to visit now and then, and was always re-
ceived by them with the greatest kindness.
The scenery round about Princeton was somewhat beautiful,
and in the afternoons I often used to have long walks about the
place; sometimes alone, and at others with some one or other of
the students. There was a brook as well as a canal about the
place, which formed the evening resort of many a young man and
lad of Princeton, and I too have paid them many a visit.
On Monday my friend and myself were to leave the place.
This day too was wet and unpleasant. We were to take the car-
riages for Philadelphia, which were at the distance of about a mile
and a half from the town. As it was wet to walk we took
coaches; my friend went a little before, and I followed him in a few
minutes. In the coach that carried me were three or four other
passengers. One of them was a clergyman, to whom I was intro-
duced at the time of my stepping into the coach. He had his
wife with him, a very amiable and beautiful young lady. One of
the other gentlemen in the coach began to converse with me
without the least reserve; he asked me about myself, India, &c.;
and at his request I repeated something in Hindoostanee, the
sound of which was quite amusing to the whole company. We
soon took carriages at the station and arrived at Philadelphia
about 12 o'clock.
While in this city I had some occasion to call on two or three
ladies, living in one family, and having a Female Boarding School.
They were very kind to me, and one of them took me over the
whole school, and shewed me some of their exercises in composi-
tion, algebra, &c. &c. which I thought were creditable to them.
After a while all of them were called into one room, where one of
the mistresses very kindly made them sing one or two short
hymns for me, with which I was quite pleased, and to make some
return I repeated something in Ordoo, which must have amused
them.
It is highly pleasing to see a female of an enlightened and
christian country take an active part in any conversation; she is
not tied down by custom and ignorance; she has no occasion to
be bashful in, and retire from, the society of the opposite sex.
Her mind and body are free from the chains of ignorance and sla-
very; she is on an equality with man, and feels at home in the
place, conversation, and company in which she may happen to
fall. But these are advantages to which Hindoo women are
strangers; not being educated the minds of many of them differ
little from that of a child; shut out from the company and con-
versation of men, where perhaps they could pick up a vague and
general knowledge of things, they are left to the talks and cares
of their own persons and domestic concerns.
We are aware, that some steps have been taken by some in
Calcutta to better their condition; but we may still say that here
is an untrodden field for the philanthropist. Of course, the diffi-
culties in the way are most formidable and apparently insur-
mountable; they are rooted in the prejudices of the nation, which
prejudices have been gaining strength from the period at which
comparative civilization darted its first ray on mankind. How-
ever, the education of Hindoo females is within the bounds of
possibility. And was there ever any thing of this character that
could for any remarkable time resist the efforts of human industry
and perseverance? We trust the sincere and hearty endeavours of
Government in behalf of the male population will exert a salutary
influence on the females; and we may yet hope to see the time
when Hindoo women, instead of being slaves to their husbands,
will be their helpmeets.
It was here that I was obliged to change my former course of
journeying. I parted with my college friend and made prepara-
tions to proceed to Winchester, which was situated in the state of
Virginia. I left the city of Brotherly Love with a friend to whom
I had been introduced. The carriages were for a good distance
drawn by horses; this distance was mostly through the city and
places where there was much of walking about, and of course,
this being drawn by horses was intended to prevent accidents.
At length we reached the place where horses were to be exchang-
ed for steam, and then went on in good earnest. It was still rainy
and the travelling of this night any thing but agreeable. This
train was to carry us to Baltimore, which is a large place, and it
was very late before we arrived at it.
Before reaching this place we had to cross a very broad river,
in a huge steamer; but on account of a high and contrary wind
and other circumstances this crossing took a long time. In this
steamer there were large tables covered with all sorts of refresh-
ments for sale.
After we had crossed the river we again got into the carriages,
which also had a great impediment from ice; since this thing had
covered the rails the wheels could not move on easily. At last we
reached Baltimore very late in the night and walked to a Hotel,
where after warming myself at a large blazing fire and taking
some refreshment I retired to rest.
I left Baltimore the next morning after breakfast in company
with another friend. We went on travelling till about one o'clock,
when we came to a place called Harper's Ferry, where we took a
hasty dinner. The aspect of the country during the former part
of the day had been very beautiful, but now it was exceedingly so.
This Harper's Ferry is one of the most enchanting places that
could be seen any where. Here were ridges of lofty hills covered
with verdure, with a brook of crystal water running amongst them.
We had this brook with us a considerable way. In the state of
Virginia too I did not see much of population, though it is said to
be one of those states that were peopled before the others. In this
day's travelling I passed through another state also called Mary-
land; in fact Baltimore is in Maryland. This, I believe, is one
of the free states, that is, people living in this part of the Union
have no slaves.
Virginia is a slave state, and it is common to see two or three or
even more slaves in most families. Some of the farmers have as
many as four or five hundred to work on their farms.
After an almost whole day's run we arrived at Winchester ab-
out 5, P. M. My kind friends here were expecting me, and one
of them very obligingly came to the station to take me to his re-
sidence, where I got a few minutes after my arrival in the town.
The kindness that I experienced here was the greatest with
which I had ever met. With a single exception all the members
of this family were ladies, and with one of them I had been cor-
responding for years; and the friendship the foundation of which
was thus laid was strengthened and matured by our seeing each
other face to face. The state of my health at the time of my ar-
rival in Winchester was any thing but good; however, under the
fostering care of this family I had soon the happiness of becoming
healthy and strong. Their kindness was of such a degree that I
can never be sufficiently thankful for it. My mind which had for
some time been in a very dormant and stupid state was now
roused, and in a very great measure partook of the happiness, so-
ciality and excitement which pervaded this family. This excite-
ment was caused by a recent arrival of relations from this country.
Before leaving India I had often read of the "pleasant fireside"
and the long "winter evenings," but as might be expected had
never been able to form any correct idea of what they were. I
had seen firesides in Easton at college, but did not find in them
any other particular pleasure, but what was derived from the con-
sciousness of sitting in a warm and comfortable room, secure from
all the wintry blasts and storms that roared and raged out of
doors. But here I discovered the real import that was attached
to this phrase. Though I arrived in Winchester in the latter part
of March, yet it was extremely cold, and here were therefore in a
measure "long winter evenings" and a "pleasant fireside" too,
where I have sat and spent some of the sweetest hours of my life.
Here the ladies and I were accustomed to sit, often to a late hour
in the night, conversing upon a multiplicity of subjects, among
which that of love (a theme so common in the west) was by no
means omitted.
Winchester, one of their oldest places, is in the state of Virginia,
which by the Virginians is generally said to have been peopled by
the nobility, or at least the gentry and other respectable classes
that originally emigrated from England. Washington is said to
have once passed through the principal street of this town with
his army, which I believe is considered a circumstance worthy of
particular remembrance. Though the country round about Win-
chester is not hilly, yet it is sufficiently undulating to make the
scenery appear beautiful, and in some places even small hills co-
vered with verdure rise to view. The dreariness and desolateness
of winter were fast disappearing when I left college, but now that
spring had really set in, and was soon to be succeeded by summer,
nature had begun to attire herself in her best clothing, and being
here pretty long and having ample time at hand (for I had not
gone back to college, though the summer session had already
commenced in the latter part of April) I was daily in, the habit of
taking long walks in the scenery that surrounds the town, and
enjoying the sweet smell of the precious crops, and the sight of
the flowery clover, which latter is a species of fodder sowed on
purpose for horses and cows. My principal seat of retirement
was a place called Dovedale. This situation was beautiful and
somewhat romantic; the aspect of it was undulating, and here
and there eminences like small hills raised their heads; the great-
er part of the place was covered with small cedar trees, and wild
flowers of various hues and sizes improved the lap of nature.
Here doves were to be seen too; and to render the place as at-
tracting and pleasing as possible, herds of innocent sheep fearless.
of wolves might be seen grazing the soft, sweet and fresh grass.
Dovedale was a very appropriate name for it; here there seem-
ed to be a great number of these birds; and their moaning, which
I sometimes heard, was of a melancholy and affecting nature.
The place was quiet and retired, and the foot of man seldom
crossed that way. Every circumstance about the situation was
calculated to help to serious thought and meditation, and did not
this objection, that is, "a propensity to compose is not always
most readily found where the poets have fixed its residence,
amidst groves and plains and the scenes of pastoral retirement.
The mind may be there unbent from the cares of the world, but
it will frequently at the same time be unnerved from any great
exertion: it will feel the langour of indolence; and wander with-
out effort over the regions of reflection," contained in The man of
feeling hold true, authors would find it a capital place for undis-
turbed thought.
Natives of Winchester had heard of the arrival of a foreigner
from a distant country; and the curiosity of some, especially
of the fair sex, was somewhat excited. Those that had any
acquaintance with the family with whom I lived called to gratify
this propensity; and most of them were surprised that I could
speak English, or that I did not manifest any signs of savageness
about me. For the majority, or I may say all, the Americans have
a very poor and ridiculous idea of India. They consider it in a
manner out of the world, and therefore put me questions which
might have better suited a Traveller from the Moon. Indeed, this
ignorance which reaches even the educated and the learned is most
strange. Perhaps a great reason of it is that they have no time
to spare to study about a country that lies at such a distance from
them, and with which they have no other connection than that of
traffic. However, even this circumstance ought to be quite a
sufficient inducement to know more about a land which is by no
means one of the smallest and the least important in the world.
Their evident indifference with regard to this knowledge may
easily be seen by glancing over a Geography of their own compi-
lation, where you will almost invariably find that nearly three
fourths of the book is taken up with a description of their own
country, while the remaining one fourth is made to answer for the
three most ancient and remarkable portions of the globe. In a
Geography of theirs which I have at hand, and which is doubtless
among their best, the description of America occupies 133 pages,
while only 41 pages are devoted to Europe, 26 to Asia, and 22 to
Africa; and it is no wonder that the fund of information relating
to foreign countries, of which American youth are possessed, is so
exceedingly limited. It must be admitted that it is the duty of a
inan to know first and fully about his own country, because igno-
rance in this respect would be unpardonable; and it is very pro-
per for American Geographers to be so minute and particular in
the description of their native land; still, they might devote a
few pages more to the foreign countries of the other portions of
the globe, which might give their rising generation a more res-
pectable knowledge of the old continent. The above mentioned
Geography condescends to take notice of Hindoostan in the fol-
lowing terms: (I transcribe the larger type, which is considered
the most important; besides this there are eight or nine observa-
tions in small type.)
"Hindoostan is the most beautiful country in Asia, and has
been famous in all ages for its civilization, valuable productions,
and for its wealth and extensive manufactures.
"Hindoostan is mostly a level country, and is distinguished
for its numerous rivers and the general fertility of its soil, which
produces two crops in a year.
"The climate in the northern parts is mild and healthy; in the
south it is warm, and the heat is often oppressive.
"Almost every variety of production is found here; the most
important are rice, cotton, wheat, sugar, indigo, opium, tobacco,
millet, and various kinds of fruit."
This is some of the most important information that American
youth in Academies receive relative to this country; and it was
no wonder sometimes very silly questions were put to me by per-
sons who would feel greatly insulted if they were to be considered
as possessed only of a slender education. For instance, I was
asked whether we had cows, sheep, vegetables, &c., &c. A gen-
tleman, (a Doctor of Divinity) once happened to see some coarse
and common stuff that the poorer classes of this country use for
clothing and made the remark that the natives had made consi-
derable progress in the arts. He very probably thought that
Missionaries had taught us to mauufacture the stuff. It seems
that their ignorance about this country is in some measure volun-
tary, since this Geography (with others I believe) speaks in ex-
press terms in favour of the long continued civilization and exten-
sive manufactures of India, and in a note says in set terms,
"They (Hindoos) are the most ingenious manufacturers of mus-
lins, silks, shawls, &c." Their ideas of the Hindoos are most
certainly derived from their own Indians; and when they speak
of savage and uncultivated life they almost always allude to the
"red man of the West" and whenever they think of India they
very probably picture to their minds a country covered with jun-
gle or lying waste and barren, miserable and moveable huts, na-
tives dressed in bear and lion skins, aud adorned with ornaments
of bone, and beset with large herds of wild horses and ferocious
animals. Once while I was travelling in the carriage, some Ame-
ricans that were sitting near me were curious to know what coun-
try I belonged to; on being told by one, who had been conversing
with me for a short time, that I was from Hindoostan, one of
them observed that I "did not manifest any signs of savageness
about me" which I overheard, and thus came to know his idea of
the natives of this country. What is more strange, is, that some
of those of their countrymen who have visited this land do not
seem inclined to remove this ignorance. For instance, one who
had paid a visit to India was asked by a countryman of his what
kind of house he lived in here: the reply was in a house " of
mud." Now this was very far from being a proper reply; it must
have given the enquirer an impression that we had nothing but
vile and miserable huts. In a sense, our very bodies are made of
G
mud, and so are all the royal palaces in the world; still we know
the difference that people make when speaking of a hut and a
respectable house. In my opinion, the houses used in this coun-
try by Europeans and Americans are more decent, comfortable,
durable, and costly than the one in which this question was put
and the reply given. Sweeping remarks also were made regard-
ing natives, &c.
In course of time I became (through the introduction of the fa-
mily) acquainted with many of the citizens, some of whom often
invited me to their houses and always shewed me great kindness.
CHAPTER VI.
I shall now say something about the domestic manners of the
Americans. The houses in America (as well as in England) are
almost always built in rows, and not irregularly and confusedly
as they are generally in this country. Those that are in cities are
almost always of the same number of stories, and there is nothing
in their outward appearance which would enable you to distin-
guish one from another. If you are a stranger in the place and
wish to find any particular house, you have only to look at the
brass plate (one of which is attached to every door) and see the
number or name which it may have engraved upon it. The num-
ber of rooms that a house generally contains is about eight, large
and small including those of the upper story too; in them every
thing might be seen that tends to comfort or convenience.
Whenever you go on a visit to any one, you give one or two raps
at the door; a maid servant almost always makes her appearance,
and with a salutation (seldom neglected) politely leads you to the
parlour, offers you a seat, and then hastily runs up stairs to give
word to her master or mistress, (but the former is generally out
on business.) In the meanwhile you have time to have a perfect
survey of the parlour, which you see adorned with chairs, tables,
sofas, stands, large looking glasses, perhaps a few curiosities on
the mantlepiece, and almost every thing that comfort, convenience
or fashion suggests. After a few minutes you hear the sound of
footsteps, which are generally those of the maid servant who is
come to tell you that her mistress will be with you in a short
time. At length the lady herself makes her appearance, but you re-
ceive some previous notice of this by the rustling noise which her
dress makes as she gently and slowly walks down the stairs and
reaches the parlour door. If you are acquainted with each other
you shake hands, (this custom, however, is not so very common
in some parts of America) but if utter strangers you only bow;
and after being seated talk of the great coldness or heat of the
season as the case might be, and other subjects follow in succes-
sion. If you happen to put up with the family (you are at pre-
sent supposed to be a foreigner) you have better opportunities of
becoming acquainted with its state and internal management;
which to their credit it must be said is always respectful and
honorable. If the family be pious, they have worship in the
morning before breakfast. The fact of a whole domestic circle
having the fear of God is extremely pleasing; this piety shines
with the most brilliant lustre in females; and I have often
thought with others that the quiet and innocent walk of life of a
pious wife, sister, daughter, or mother is the strongest and most
convincing proof of the truth of the christian religion. It is the
internal proof and moral evidence of the Bible, and its effect on
the hearts of its believers, that has pierced through the obdurate
hearts of many unbelievers; and religion in all its loveliness and
beauty must be seen in a pious female, who is generally free from
all those blots and stains which disfigure it more or less in the
opposite sex.
When the family worship is over they walk to the breakfast
table, which is either on the first or second floor. The mistress
of the family always sits at the head of the table, and the master
opposite to her, as that is the lowest place; in the absence of the
wife, the oldest daughter (if she be of age) takes her place. The
things that they mostly have at this meal are tea, coffee, fish,
(but not always) meat of some kind or other, bread, butter, buck-
wheat cakes, cakes of the Indian meal, eggs and sometimes fried
potatoes, &c. Almost all the tea that I tasted in America was
most miserable, and had not the least flavour, and if it were not
for the mere name's sake, you might as well have a tea of mango
leaves; but it seemed that the Americans in general were not
aware of its extremely inferior qualities, or else that they were not
ble to get any better.
In America Indian corn is very plentiful; the grain is larger
and has more nourishment than what we have in this country.
I was at first surprised to see people in affluent ciruumstances eat
of the cakes made of its flour, for here none but the economical
agriculturing classes and the poorest part of the population use
it. In America horses also are fed on it; and I am inclined to
believe more of this grain is raised than of any other.
For dinner they generally have meat of some kind or other,
sometimes boiled but oftener fried potatoes and other vegetables,
rice now and then, bread, butter, pickles, &c. for a second course
pudding of some kind, and in the summer have berries eaten with
cream and sugar; have ice creams also now and then. For sup-
per they mostly have tea, meat, preserves eaten with milk, cakes,
&c.
This account of their meals is of course not to be understood
without exceptions, and perhaps very numerous; for in 'America
also there are the rich, the gay, the voluptuous, and the great,
and the provisions of their tables do certainly at least in some res-
pect differ from that of those whose income is limited, or who have
large families to support, or those whom religion has taught to
lay a curb upon their appetites. However, what I have said
might I believe answer for the main body of the American gentry,
or if they object to this term (as certainly on their republican
principles they ought to) of those who are possessed of adequate
means to live comfortably and respectably in a higher than ordi-
nary sense.
The provisions in America are much cheaper than in England,
though dear when compared with those of our own country; in
fact, we have reason to believe, no country in the world is so
highly favored with temporal blessings as India is; and were the
inhabitants only better all would live much more comfortably.
Wealth in America seems more equally divided than in any other
portion of the globe; generally speaking you do not see here ex-
tremes of poverty or wealth as in most ancient countries, and it is
likely that this state of comparative equality will continue so long
as the land is not overcharged with population. At present the
inhabitants are very few in number when compared with the vast
extent of land which America contains. The country is fresh,
and the climate of the greater part of it very healthy; the people
(excepting those in the West, which is being newly populated)
can get all the necessaries, comforts, and luxuries of life; there is
safety and security in the greater part of it, so that when every
thing is taken into consideration, a sense of great comfort and
happiness pervades the whole land; which the Americans will
most likely enjoy so long as their numbers do not exceed conve-
nient limits.
But what is extremely attracting is an American country life at
a convenient distance from some large city. Here scenery is ge-
nerally most beautiful, and highly improves the site of the dwell-
ing; and the situation is so tranquil with the accompaniment of
every thing that renders life comfortable, that we would not ex-
change it with all the wealth, grandeur and honor of any land.
These are also excellent retreats for lovers and new married cou-
ples, where without any disturbance and anxiety (which might for
a season be suspended) they can enjoy their fill of love.
As I have by degrees come to this important suhject which is
quite common in the West, I may be allowed here to say a few
words about American ladies and similar subjects.
Though in extremely, cold countries summer is a very desirable
and agreeable season, yet Winter is by no means without its ad-
Gg
vantages, one of the greatest of which is, the opportunity of ad-
dressing young ladies. This seems to be one of the principal
times for the younger portion of the community to fall in love,
or to confirm it if already formed. The state of society al-
lows people of both sexes to mix indiscriminately, and thus gives
young bachelors and maidens an excellent opportunity of choosing
their own partners for life by a long acquaintance with, and know-
ledge of, their disposition, accomplishments, standing in society,
and perhaps of the purse too. They go out in driving parties on
snow in a sort of vehicle that has no wheels, and is drawn by
horses; it moves on smoothly and makes no noise, little bells are
therefore attached to horses to give people notice of their ap-
proach; and it is at this time generally that the young men pay
their addresses to their sweethearts, and by assiduous attention
and courting win the affections of these "Angels from the skies."
Females are highly respected, and the attention paid to young
ladies seemed to me extraordinary; and the familiarity with which
unmarried people of the opposite sexes often treat each other is
strange, at least it seemed so to me, who was a foreigner from a
country where people have gone to the other extreme regarding
females. But I must say that this familiarity is confined only to
conversation. Beauty is much talked of, and every young lady
believes herself to be favored with this grace. This however is
by no means peculiar to ladies of any particular country; gene-
rally speaking females of every clime are more or less prone to
this disposition.
It would be an unpardonable crime, however, to deny that there
is Beauty and Grace in America; and we do not see any good
reason why there should not be, since the greater part of the race
is one with that of England. In the land of "Liberty" also there
are innumerable beings, who, as a famous English writer says, are
like the porcupine and "shoot an arrow" at us "from every part
of their body;" beings who if they had only wings would almost
be converted into angels, and the greatest philosophers might be
imposed upon by them. There is grace of body, of manners, and
of mind, and every thing that can help to make them as enchant-
ing and fascinating as possible. But there is a natural disadvan-
tage to them (though even this does not materially affect them)
that is, the colour of the majority of them is inclined to be pale
and sallow; it seems that they have not enough of blood, and
want that beautiful rosiness and ruddiness of cheeks, which is the
inheritance of English ladies. The climate doubtless has its part
in producing this; however, as I have just said, this circumstance
does in no remarkable degree injure them. They are beautiful,
notwithstanding, and their "arrows" shot at the opposite sex go
with as great a force and effect as those of the handsomest women
of any other country.
While in America, I attended two marriage ceremonies; one at
Easton and the other at Winchester. Invitations are sent before-
hand, and the ceremony generally takes place in the house of the
parents of either the bride or bridgroom. People begin to assem-
ble a little before the ceremony is performed; and all the ladies
appear in white dresses. When all have assembled and the pro-
per time has arrived the new pair emerge from an adjoining room,
the bridgroom leading his modest and blushing bride. As they
come into the room they do not sit down, but all the people
standing up the minister begins to perform the rite. He first of
all asks the assembled people the usual question, whether any one
has any objections to the joining of the new couple. No body as
usual makes any objection; then the minister puts the couple the
customary questions, to which each of them assent by a nod of
his and her head. The questions asked and answered the ring is
put on by the bride's maids who are unmarried young ladies, and
are meant to attend the bride. When the ceremony is over the
new pair are congratulated upon their new connection, and a hap-
py life is wished them. The ladies of the assembly move first to-
wards the bride, shake hands with her and kiss her; after which
the gentlemen move forwards and shake hands with her, and the
nearest relations of the bride and those gentlemen that are old
and particular friends of the young lady have the privilege of
kissing her; and if the minister who performs the ceremony be
aged he is the first one to press his lips upon those of the bride.
I never witnessed a marriage of this sort in India, and was not
acquainted with the custom of congratulating by shaking hands
with the new pair; I made therefore an unintentional mistake in
not going forward to meet the bride and the bridegroom. After
marriage they sometimes have dinner, at others only sweetmeats,
cakes, &c. The ceremony is performed in a very short time,
which does not give it so much importance as it ought to have.
The minister in both instances of marriage that I witnessed spoke
only a few words, asked a few questions, pronounced the binding
words, and thus completed the ceremony. Since this rite is so
important as to affect us through life it should always be per-
formed with due gravity and solemnity. Sometimes people get
Magistrates to join them; while I was at Abington, a young man
and woman came to the minister, with whom I was living, for
marriage; but he was out and continued so till late in the night;
the young people waited for him long, but at length their patience
gave way, and they went away very probably to the Magistrate,
for I do not remember seeing them at the house again.
Young ladies here do not tell their age; I am not fully aware
from what this objection originates; perhaps from a wish not to
make their age known should it verge on womanhood; as to be
called a young lady is highly pleasing to them: a discovery of their
comparatively great age might prevent people from calling them
so. Being once in company with two ladies that were sisters, and
unacquainted with this custom, I asked the young lady how old
she was, at which she smiled and said "ladies here do not tell
their age;" the elder lady rejoined that she might make it known
to me as I was a foreigner, and might consequently form an ex-
ception; but she would not tell me by any means.
Another thing that struck me, and which I think is rather car-
ried to excess, is the custom of kissing. This act may give ex-
pression to the strongest affection, and often may be of use, but
when there is a great deal of it, it becomes meaningless, as then
it makes "too much of a good thing." Old clergymen, when a
young lady is unmarried and related to them, or even introduced,
have always the privilege of kissing her; but it is a question whe-
ther the young ladies are any way flattered by this, or whether
they like it. From what I have heard I am inclined to believe
they would rather not have old and rough lips come in contact
with their young and soft ones.
Before leaving India I had heard that there were in America
more females than males, and were not the stubborn truth that,
young ladies meet with no great difficulty in obtaining husbands,
in our face, I would be led to believe the saying to its fullest ex-
tent; for in almost every family that I saw or lived with there
were many more daughters than sons. I must however say that
I was at times inclined to believe the chances of marriage for
some young ladies were very small, which was perhaps owing to
their retired way of living or having few acquaintances to push
them out into public notice.
The marriage of females in England and America (as in all cold
climates I suppose) does not take place at such an early age as it
does in most eastern countries; and it is nothing unusual to see
a female of twenty eight or thirty still called a young lady or a
Miss. Their bodies do not lose their vigour and freshness of ap-
pearance for a great number of years; but in this as well as in
every other eastern country women a few years after marriage
reckon themselves among those that were once young.
Old maids are beings that are unknown in this quarter of the
world; they are however by no means uncommon in England and
and America. We do not fully know the reason why some
women subject themselves to this strange, unsocial like, dry and
perhaps uncomfortable way of leading life. In some cases it may
arise from ugliness, with no recommendation to any man; some-
times it may originate from independence of circumstances, ac-
companied perhaps with a selfish desire to enjoy alone the afflu-
ence which may have fallen to one's lot. As there are old maids,
there must consequently be old bachelors too; but it is a question
whether the majority of them are happy beings.
I was utterly surprised to find at times that some females of the
West too were not altogether free from the chains of superstition;
I could mention instances, but it is not necessary. It seems the
lot of the majority of women of every climate to be subject (not-
withstanding the highly superior privileges of some) to certain
most unnecessary fears. It may be a curious field to study the
mental constitution of the two sexes;-their different capabilities
of acquiring knowledge and susceptibility of being subject to cer-
tain infirmities: whether the mind of the female is constitutionally
inferior in power to that of the male is a question that is perhaps
not yet fully decided. When we consider the mutual effect which
the mind and body have on each other, we cannot but come to
the conclusion that the body of the female materially affects the
mind and bears it down by many of those infirmities from which
the opposite sex is created free. If the incapability of the female
mind were not to be attributed to the weakness of constitution,
then we must infer that in the spiritual world too these minds
that are tabernacled here in female tenements would be inferior in
power to those that were embodied in male forms, which opinion
(supposing the female to have time and opportunity for cultiva-
tion) seems altogether untenable.
We shall now say a few words about servants or "help" as
Americans call them. In the northern states where slavery is
abolished white servants are generally employed; but they are
rather scarce. Here and in England as is well known no system
of caste operates, and the same servant will attend to every duty.
You meet with a male servant now and then for some out of door
work, as gardening and driving; but for inside work, as cooking,
sweeping, washing clothes, taking care of things, &c., females are
employed. They are industrious, and one of these servants an-
swers well for a family whose number is not great. They always
live in the family, that is, are provided with a room either in the
cellar or garret, are supplied with victuals also and their salary is
generally about £ 10 or one hundred rupees a year, which is paid
to them either quarterly or half yearly. But those who are pos-
sessed of a sufficient command of means have more servants than
one; this is the case with the English nobility, perhaps some of
the gentry, and the inhabitants of the southern states of the Uni-
on where slavery is not yet abolished.
In numberless families however, where the household duties
are numerous, and means do not allow the keeping of more ser-
vants than one, the young ladies of the family (if any belong to
it) attend to some of them, and to their praise be it said, they do
this most cheerfully. These young, delicate, and beautiful crea-
tures submit themselves to the drudgery of the family, and to the
service of many a perhaps worthless man, who possibly has no bet-
ter recommendation than a very distant connexion or a slight ac-
quaintance with the family. In the morning after the people
have been up and done breakfast many an accomplished young
lady goes round to the different apartments of the house, making
beds, sweeping rooms, and attending to other necessary duties.
They often take charge of the duties of the kitchen also, which
as every one knows must be any thing but desirable in summer.
The hot season may not be so oppressive as it is in this country,
but sometimes it is hot enough, especially in some of the southern
states. This is generally the case however in the north, where sla-
very is prohibited. On account of the cheapness of land, by
which the poor part of the white population can easily support
themselves servants are scarce, and those that are to be found are
believed to be saucy and ask high wages. These remarks I be-
lieve are not applicable to England.
But in the south, where slavery is not yet abolished, and which
are therefore called slave states, they experience no difficulty with
regard to "help." Here there are about the house generally a
number of these domestics, who sometimes belong to the master
or mistress of the family, and at others are hired for a certain num-
ber of years. Their wages of course go to fill the pockets of their
original masters, and I believe he provides them with clothing;
but their food they receive from him whom they serve. The Ame-
ricans call them by the queer appellation of "Uncle" and "Aunt,"
which is perhaps used for politeness' sake. I have the impression
that they are faithful and willing servants, and in those slave fami-
lies that I visited appeared to be treated with kindness. They
would however rather be free, as an old woman said, whom I ask-
ed, whether she felt her position comfortable, and whether or not
she would prefer freedom. My observation of them however was
very limited, and I regret that I had no opportunity of going fur-
ther into the interior of the southern states for the sake of more
carefully inspecting their condition.
Though Virginia is a slave state, yet some Africans live here
who have been liberated. One of them who lived in Winchester
and called himself a Methodist preacher once came to ask me to
attend their next religious meeting. The poor man was conscious
of the great contempt with which his race was treated by the
white people, and did not therefore come into the parlour or
where the ladies of the family were sitting, but humbly went into
the kitchen and there waited to see me. Having newly arrived
in that part and being rather unaware of the custom of not receiv-
ing Africans inside the house, I called him in the room where we
generally sat and offered him a chair. But the two or three la-
dies of the family who were sitting there seemed thunderstruck at
this; one of them I believe immediately left the room, another
did so after a few seconds: the third however continued there a
little longer and condescended to speak one or two words to him;
but this was very probably for my sake, as she also went out
after a little; and I was afterwards asked not to receive an Afri-
can in the house.
The boarding system is very common in the West. This prac-
tice may not appear strange for bachelors and unmarried ladies
living at a distance from their homes; but married people also
find it expedient and frugal to adopt the same course. One
would suppose that a married couple would find it necessary to
have a whole house to themselves and a servant of their own;
but many families live comfortably as well as economically the
other way. They take two or three rooms in a house, pay a cer-
tain sum to the family for their victuals, and thus disburden
themselves of many cares that are incidental to house keeping.
However, a family appears more important by having a house and
other things of its own. Taking boarders seems to be a profitable
thing as many families do this, and especially those old or widow-
ed females who have no certain resource of livelihood.
The form of government in vogue in America is well known to
my readers. A few days after my landing in America I had an
opportunity to witness one of their elections, which very likely was
that of the President. There were a great many of the country
people assembled in a place called the Post office. At these elec-
tions sometimes some of their ordinary and low orators deliver
speeches in favour of that candidate for the presidentship whom
they prefer; at these times there is generally a great concourse of
all sorts of people, especially of the vulgar, and I am given to un-
dertand that outbreaks at times occur in these mobs on account
of their difference of opinion. Such meetings take place through-
out the country, and the election is made hy ballot. Sometimes
there may be at first more candidates for the office than one, but
by degrees they are brought down to two, and the contest bet-
ween the election of these two is generally sharp. Here the party
spirit rages to a great height and people are always fighting and
writing against each other, insomuch that those who are engaged
in the conflict seem incapable of enjoying any peace of mind.
The President, their chief officer, gets a yearly salary of about
fifty thousand rupees, the greater part of which he is very proba-
bly obliged to spend in keeping a respectable appearance before
his friends, and foreigners of distinction that may be about him.
H
The salaries of inferior govornors and officers are proportionably
lower.
Education is held in high estimation in America, and the lower
classes of this country are in general believed to be better inform -
ed than the same class in European countries. There are small
schools all over the land in which children receive instruction in
those branches that are likely to be of use to them in after life.
But it is strange to say that many of those who have better op-
portunities, that is, those who study in colleges do not properly
improve their privileges. It would be nothing uncommon to find
persons, graduates of colleges, who have not much improved by
being in a higher seminary of learning; the reason of which ap-
pears to be that the rules for admission though regularly formed
are not strictly adhered to, and the examination through which
they have to pass is not sufficiently scrutinizing; more especially
when there is a great number of students to be examined and the
examiners are in a hurry to get over their task. They pass
through college quietly, and when by happy accidents get up to
the Senior class and have finished their terms, they are called
Masters of Arts and obtain long and flourishing diplomas in at-
testation thereof. However, this title has nearly ceased in Ame-
rica to have its real import; and such ought to be the case when
some of these Masters of Arts are unable to demonstrate a pro-
blem in Euclid or do a sum in Algebra or even in Arithmetic, and
cannot write a correct letter in English which is their mother
tongue. Making these remarks myself would of course be ex-
treme presumption, which would be aggravated by my utter igno-
rance: but I have heard this from men who are well able to give
an opinion on the subject. The fact of a multiplicity of colleges
and the cheap rates at which good education by industry is attain-
able may possibly make American youth slight the privileges they
can enjoy. These remarks of course regard only that class of
students that neglect their studies.
There appears to be something like a want of strictness in some
of what are called the learned professions also. It is well known,
it is no easy matter in England for clergymen to be dubbed D. D.
But quite different is the case in America: the land is almost full
of Doctors of Divinity. Perhaps one of the easiest ways to have
this title is to write a tolerably sized pamphlet or book on a reli-
gious subject, or as an English Writer says, to "make a fuss on
the Greek particle." There are many colleges in the land, all of
which have the power of conferring this title; many clergymen
have very probably friends in these Institutions, who exert their
interest to procure for their friends the epithet of D. D.: while I
was at Easton I heard that a clergyman had written to a student
to endeavour to get him dubbed D. D. With many however,
as may be expected, the title has ceased to have any value; and
on this plea one of them at the period of my being in the country
went so far as to reject it when it was desired to be conferred on
hım unasked.
In the Medical department also students obtain a diploma for
practice, and title of M. D., after a study of two years, and my
impression is that some of them are scarcely possessed of any
knowledge of Greek and Latin; whereas in England all Medical
students that lay claim to any respectability are required to be
scholars in these languages, and are not honored with the title of
M. D. till after a practice of many years. However, there are
learned men among them too in every department who support
the character of their nation.
Books in America are extremely cheap; almost innumerable
presses are at work, and a great deal of information is diffused
among the people by means of newspapers.
The population of the country is fast increasing, as there is
every year a great influx of emigrants from the various countries
of Europe. Some of these emigrants, I hear, are from among the
most valuable and hardworking classes of England; but the vast
majority of them are perhaps the refuse of the older countries.
My impression is that such are especially the Irish and German
emigrants; however, I may be mistaken. This great influx of
masses from the European continent is likely to give the Ameri-
cans some work and perhaps anxiety, as they have to take care
that all those who cross the Atlantic to form a part of their popu-
lation entertain uniform opinions with regard to the form of go-
vernment.
My remarks about America have now drawn to a close; and in
the end I most cheerfully say that the Americans are an enterpris-
ing, energetic, and industrious nation, and should they continue
to have for some ages more that spirit which has thus far impelled
them, America will in course of time be a most glorious country.
I had left India with an intention to improve in my studies, but
after my being in America for a few months, weakness of eyes
compelled me to lay aside my books, and in consequence I made
preparations to return to my native land much sooner than I had
expected to do.
About this time also two American gentlemen and a lady were
to embark for India. Having long waited for an opportunity we
at last met with a vessel bound for Calcutta. This was the Coro.
mandel, an English ship, commanded by Captain Penber. She
already had her cargo on board from England, but had come to
America with emigrants, and was now proceeding to India. I in
company with the two American gentlemen and the lady got on
board on 11th August, and after a long and tedious passage of
more than five months had, on the 21st January, 1848, the great
pleasure of setting my feet on terra firma in the City of Palaces.
FINIS.