all the States to the southward on the Atlantic coast of the United States, are slave-holding States; butin Maryland, as well as in the district of Columbia, the 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 obsequious, 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. He had offered to assist me in packing my portmanteau, but I did not avail myself of his assistance until I had put up every thing 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, as I have every reason to sup

pose, have very dexterously put them in his pocket, for they were not to be found when I re-opened 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 XXII.

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-SevenFerries to Charleston -Stop at a Plantation-Change of Manners-Slaves-Rice Plantation-Dreadful Punishment of Slaves-their broken Language— Intercourse 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 the neighbourhood of Washington, I was obliged to make the first part of my journey to the south by land to Richmond, the seat of legislation for Virginia. Stage arrangements being little resorted to here, since steam conveyance has 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 single-bedded 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 bedrooms, where six or eight people, or even a greater number, sleep on bedsteads without curtains, which gives 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 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 soldiers, and the best writers in the world." The gentleman who addressed me proved to be Major Lomax of the United States' army, a companion so agreeable, that I was very sorry to lose him when we stopped at Richmond. We breakfasted this morning at Occoqua, where, besides many other good things that were set before us, there was the finest brace of roasted canvas-back ducks I had ever seen. We all did justice to the very excellent breakfast, Major Lomax setting us a good example, by eating one of the canvas-back ducks, and part of the other.

Occoqua is a famous point for those ducks. Major Lomax bought some from the hotel-keeper, to carry forward with him to Virginia, at a shilling sterling a-piece.

Soon after breakfast we were joined by Mr. May, a South Carolinian, who has lately settled as a lawyer at New York, and had a very pleasant journey together. Wevery soon escaped from the region of frost and snow; but the roads of Virginia are proverbially bad, and we found them so. Mr. May had formerly been a member of the House of Representatives in South Carolina, and told me, that Mr. Stanley, now a promising member of the British House of Commons, (secretary for Ireland, 1832), was present when he introduced a bill in the legislature of South Carolina, which was carried, declaring it murder to kill a slave. I fear this bill will be but nugatory, while the evidence of slaves is not received in a court of justice; and also, because this law declares, that the offence shall be only considered