CHAPTER II.

The Bay, Harbour, and City of New York-City Hotel-ClimateFacilities of intercourse with the interior-River Hudson-Erie Canal-Long Island Sound, &c.-Population and Trade of New York-Steam Navigation-Situation of New York on Manhattan IslandBroadway-City Hall-Frequent fires-The Battery-Merchants' Exchange-Post-Office-Churches-Theatres-Hackney CoachesManners-Dress-Custom-House-Accommodation at Hotel-Provisions-Breakfast-Supply of Water-Language-NewspapersAdvertising-Lotteries-Republican Customs.

From 23d August to 28th August. SANDYHOOK is about eighteen miles from New York. We had hardly got within it, when a light-looking small boat, belonging to some of the newspaper offices, came along side, and exchanged some New York papers, just published, for the latest English papers in our pos

session.

I had heard much of the beauty of the approach to New York from the sea; but the reality altogether exceeded my expectation. It is undoubtedly one of the most magnificent scenes in the world. I know of no more happy disposition of land and water, nor such variety of marked and pleasing features anywhere on the shores or rivers of the British islands. Neither the Bay of

Dublin, nor the Isle of Wight, nor the Firths of Forth or Clyde, present the works of nature on a grander scale, or in more varied and interesting aspects. That boldness of character which lofty hills and mountains produce is alone awanting. The hills which bound the prospect in three or four directions are nowhere above four or five hundred feet in height.

Within Sandyhook, the channel passes through the outer harbour of New York, called Rariton Bay, from one of the great rivers, which discharges itself into it. The bay is skirted by Long Island, and by the shores of New Jersey and Staten Island. About five miles from New York, Long Island and Staten Island approach each other within less than a mile, forming a strait called the Narrows, from the northern part of which the sea view is splendid,-commanding the harbour, or inner bay of New York, above twenty miles in circumference, with its islands and indented shores; and above all, in the centre of the bay, the Island of Manhattan, on the nearest, the southern part of which is placed the city of New York, surrounded by its shipping. Half a dozen of rivers, which in other countries we should call arms of the sea, viz. the Hudson, navigable for above 180 miles, the Rariton, Long Island Sound, the Passaic, the Hackensack, pour their waters into those bays, the shores of which, and of the islands, are covered with ornamented villas and with orchards. The sun was setting as we darted through the inner bay, decorated with the lightest and most graceful description of sailing boats we had ever seen; it had just

set when our voyage was completed. The feelings of all the passengers, even of those to whom it was not new, were highly excited by such an exhibition of the beauties of nature, in such an evening, and at the most favourable moment for enjoying it. Words cannot express the delight with which a picture like this is seen by those who understand it. "Who can paint like Nature?"

Much of the city itself is not visible from the water, —the island on which it is built consisting of undulating, but not in any part of it of elevated, ground. Still the spires of the churches make a brilliant appearance; gilded by the setting sun, and towering among the trees which shade the streets, and amongst the masts of the ships, surrounding the city on all sides, but the north. The situation of the city projected into the bay, on the southern part of the island, is a very remarkable one. The island, which is twelve or thirteen miles long, by one and a-half broad, has all the appearance of a narrow promontory, open to the sea on all sides but the north, on which it is separated from the adjoining country by the Haerlem river, over which there are long wooden bridges.

As soon as we reached the wharf on the east side of· the city, several gentlemen from the Custom-house stepped on board to seal up the doors of the cabins, until the baggage be examined, and to see that the necessary articles to be taken on shore immediately, contain nothing for which any duty is chargeable.

Hackney coaches, here called hacks, were in waiting,

and conveyed us, i. e. the party in the ladies' cabin, who had agreed to remain together for a few days, and our friend who accompanied us, to the city hotel, situated in Broadway, the principal street of New York. There are two entrances to this great hotel; the one for the American, and the other for the European side of the house. We are accommodated in the latter, which we find well attended to by an English waiter, formerly at Brookes's Club-House, London.

We had hardly got out of the ship, when we were sensible of a prodigious change of temperature. In the ship, the thermometer had seldom been higher than 70 of Fahrenheit. Here it had been for some days at 90,– a degree of heat which is uncommon at any time in this part of the United States, and more especially so late in the season. We were anxious, in so fine an evening, to see something of New York, and sallied forth. But our enjoyment was not of long duration, for the heat was so overpowering, that we were soon forced to return. Nothing could be more gay than the appearance of the streets, especially Broadway, the favourite promenade, which is what Queen Street formerly was in Edinburgh in summer evenings, and what Bond Street or Regent Street now is in London; and the shops, here called stores, many of them very handsome, and lighted with gas, crowded with the population, whom the excessive warmth had kept in the house during the day, also arrested our attention.

We have now spent four days in the city, endeavouring to see those objects that are pointed out as best

Its

worthy of a traveller's attention; but the weather continues so exceedingly sultry, that we have resolved to discontinue the necessary exertion, and to set out, without delay, on a tour to the northern part of the State of New York, and to the Falls of Niagara. I must content myself, therefore, at present, with noticing what struck us as most remarkable, or as differing much from what we had been accustomed to see, in our peregrinations through the metropolis of the New World. situation has been most happily chosen; in nearly the most central position of the shores of this great continent, with a harbour safe and deep, and of unlimited capacity, comprehending, as it does, the mouth of the Hudson itself,-unrivalled in its facilities of intercourse with the interior parts of the country, not merely by means of its sounds and rivers, but of its recently constructed canals, which, by the exertions of the late governor of this state, De Witt Clinton, were completed and brought into full operation three years ago. The Erie Canal, which will immortalize the name of Clinton, begins at that point in the River Hudson, about 160 miles to the northward of New York, where the river becomes no longer navigable for vessels of great size. The canal is above 360 miles long, affording communication to Lake Erie, which is elevated 568 feet above the Hudson at low water, and of course to Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior, the most extensive repository of fresh water on the globe. The successful execution of this great work has led to splendid continuations of the system of water communication, espe