are 398 locks; a long tunnel, passing under a very elevated ridge; walling unusually frequent along the whole line; extensive portions of deep-cutting in rocky ground; and side cutting predominating from one end of the canal to the other.

This communication, by which the difficulty of crossing the Alleghanies will be obviated, and which will bring into contact districts separated by physical obstacles, is an undertaking without any equal, either in relation to the immensity of its construction, or probably to the prodigious political and commercial advantages which will result from it; connecting, as it will do, the great western country of America beyond the Alleghany ridge, with the north-eastern section of the American continent.

The waiters at the hotel at Washington are men of colour; many, or all of them, slaves. Maryland, and all the states to the southward on the Atlantic coast of the United States, are slave-holding states; but in Maryland, as well as in the district of Columbia, one-half of which formerly belonged to Virginia, and the other half to Maryland, a district of 100 square miles, of which Washington is the capital, slavery appears in the mildest form. At least I saw no instance of harshness to the slaves, nor did I see them treated in any way different from the free men of colour. It is always convenient for a stranger at a hotel where the servants are men of colour, to have one of them attached to him, for waiting at table, brushing his clothes, shoes, &c. He will be rendered sufficiently attentive, and even ob

VOL. II.

sequious, by giving him a very trifling douceur on entering the house, and promising him a compliment on going away, provided he does his duty. I attended to this direction on placing myself in Mr Gadesby's hotel. Jesse was the name of the slave who attended me, and a very good servant he was, and expressed great gratitude for some little attention I had it in my power to show him during a severe but short illness he had. I gave him, on coming away, a douceur quite equal to his services, but I found, after leaving Washington, that he had appropriated to himself three pairs of shoes,—the whole of my stock. stock. He had offered to assist me in packing my portmanteau, but I did not avail myself of his assistance until I had put up everything but the shoes, which I gave him to stuff into the top of it, before he closed it for me. Instead of putting them into the portmanteau, he must have very dexterously put them in his pocket, for they were not to be found when I reopened the portmanteau. The people of colour are undoubtedly sadly addicted to pilfering, which is not to be wondered at, considering their total want of education, and the sad treatment which they receive from the whites. I am bound, however, to say, that I always felt myself at ease respecting any little articles I might leave in the room, when the servants, whether male or female, were white Americans. This testimony to their honesty I can bear, after travelling through almost every part of the United States. The white servants never forget the respect due to themselves, and consider it a

thing quite as likely, that the guest should pilfer from the waiter, as the waiter from the guest.

The weather, although the thermometer was never so low as zero, was piercingly cold during the whole period I remained at Washington; and there was a fall of snow, the only one I saw this winter, but not a heavy one. The rooms in the hotel were quite overheated with Anthracite coal of Pennsylvania.

CHAPTER IV.

Journey to the South by Stage-Alexandria-Major Lomax-Breakfast at Occoqua-Mr May, a South Carolinian-His Account of Mr Stanley-Abundance of Provisions in Virginia-Dinner at the Merry Oaks Richmond in Virginia-Eagle Hotel there-Coloured people confined to the House after Eight o'clock at Night-Change of Temperature in going Southward-Evergreen Shrubs-Situation of Richmond-The River James-The Capitol-Legislature in Session -Mr Forbes, a Scotch Gentleman, the Founder of the Library in the Capitol-Law respecting the Free Men of Colour-Prejudices against them-Bill to prevent the Circulation of Seditious Writings-Effects of Slavery-Petersburgh-Anecdote of La Fayette-Mail-Stage to the South-Virginian Legislator-Enter North Carolina-Pass the Roanoke Traffic in Slaves-Provisions not so Good-Soil of North Carolina-Gold Mines-Raleigh-Canova's Statue of Washington— How Obtained-Pride of India Tree-Presbyterian Church at Raleigh Mr Gales-The Episcopalian Church-Thermometer above 70° on the 21st February-General Daniel-Fayetteville-Uncomfortable Stage-Travelling in the Night-Seven Ferries to Charleston -Stop at a Plantation-Change of Manners-Slaves-Rice Plantation-Dreadful Punishment of Slaves-their broken LanguageIntercourse between Male and Female Slaves-Mail-Stage driven by White Men-Manners of the Drivers-Unhealthiness of the Climate -Crops in the Southern States-History of the Rice CultivationCotton Swampy Land in South Carolina-Boiled Rice and Hominie-Feeding of Hogs-Cross the Black River-GeorgetownPassengers in the Stage-Planter's Account of his Slaves-Some of

-

his Children wait at Table-others Sold-Road from Georgetown to Charleston-Evergreen Oak-Ferry over Cooper's River.

February and March 1830.

THE ice on the rivers having put an end to all travelling by steam-boats in this neighbourhood, I was obliged to make the first part of my journey to the south by land to Richmond, the seat of legislature for Virginia. Stage arrangements being little resorted to here, where steam conveyance has entirely taken their place, they are very inconvenient. We got no farther than Alexandria, seven miles from Washington, on the first afternoon, travelling in a long coach, which carried eighteen within and eight without. On arriving at the hotel, I immediately inquired for and bespoke a singlebedded room, and got it. I have never hitherto had any difficulty in having a single-bedded room when travelling alone in the United States. But the suspension of steam-boat travelling during the severe frost increases the stage travelling so much, that I was not without fears of being consigned at this place to one of the public bed-rooms, where six or eight people sleep on bedsteads without curtains, which give the rooms quite the appearance of an hospital. Next morning before daylight, the stage started with four of her passengers. I did not join in the conversation until after the daylight allowed me to have a peep at them; but I had hardly made my voice be heard, when one of them said, "I think you are a Scotchman ;" and on my replying in the affirmative, he rejoined, "you have reason to be proud of your country, for there are the bravest