CHAPTER V.

Journey from Albany to Auburn, in the State of New York.-Stage to Schenectady-Passengers-Road-Dinner at Schenectady-CanalBoat on Erie Canal from Schenectady to Utica-The Johnson Family on the Mohawk-Mrs Grant's Account of them-Of her own Travelling in this Country about 1760-Little Falls of the Mohawk River -Soil-Cultivation-Maple Sugar-Passengers in Canal-Packet— Election of President of United States-Coffee-House-Hotel at Utica -Tea and Supper-Situation of Utica-Trenton Falls.-Stage from Utica to Auburn-Appearance of the Country-Farm-Houses Vernon-Onandaga-Tea and Supper at Auburn-Account of Rochester-Situation of Auburn-Newspapers-Mrs Grant's and Chateaubriand's Account of their Travelling in this Country at former periods.

From 30th August to 1st September. THE number of locks on the first part of the Erie Canal is so great, that travellers generally prefer going by the stage to Schenectady, about fifteen miles distant from Albany. Accordingly, we took seats in the stage, and a huge coach of elliptical shape, hung low on strong leathern belts, and drawn by four horses, awaited us at the door of the hotel, on the morning of 30th August. The coach is somewhat wider than a six seated English stage-coach, and is much longer, so that there is sufficient space for a seat in the middle, and accom

modation for nine inside passengers. The door is placed as in English coaches. The driver's seat is so low, that his head is pretty much on a level with the top of the coach. There is only room for one outside passenger, who sits on the same seat with the driver. The baggage is placed not very securely at the back of the coach, within leathern aprons, which are buckled or tied up with ropes or chains. The top of the coach is fixed on a frame, but the leathern curtains all around the carriage may be rolled up in fine weather, to afford air, and allow the country to be seen. The old-fashioned stages, of which some are even yet in use, contained four seats, the driver having his place on the front bench, and all the passengers entering in a very inconvenient way by the fore part of the carriage, and sitting with their faces to the front, which was open.

The stage had been sent to our hotel in the first place on the morning when we left Albany. We were afterwards driven about the town to pick up the remaining passengers, the practice being universal to call at the residences of the passengers, to receive them and their baggage. Having been told that the people of this country are very subject to sickness in the stages, and, on that account, anxious to sit with their faces to the front of the carriage, we took possession of the front, or foremost, nearest to the driver's seat, as being the least popular, with our faces to the back of the carriage. The Chancellor of the State was the first passenger, after we set out, for whom we called. He placed himself in the most distant seat, but gave it up to a family, con

sisting of two ladies and children, whom we picked up' at Cruttenden's, in the upper part of the town, which is the chief hotel at Albany. The ladies were from Providence, in Rhode Island, and on an excursion of pleasure to Niagara. There is no such thing as postchaise travelling in any part of the United States. Journies are usually performed either in the four-horse stages, or in steam-boats; but on most of the roads of very great resort, extra stages may be obtained, which may be regulated, as the passengers incline, as to the time they are to be on the road. In general, however, the travelling of this country by land is performed in the regular stages, it being the ordinary custom of the country for all descriptions of persons to travel by the same conveyance, and, while travelling, to eat together. The present President of the United States, Mr Adams, whose private residence is near Boston, travels to Washington, the seat of the government, by steam-boat, and the regular stage.

People going short journies, of course, make use of their own carriages. The close carriage of Britain is rarely seen, but barouches and gigs are common; and small waggons, and dearborns, which are a light, fourwheeled carriage, on springs of wood, with a moveable seat, frequently covered on the top, are in general use.

The road on which we were driven to Schenectady was in many parts rough, and not well engineered, but wide; and there were rows of large Lombardy poplars on each side of a great part of it: The soil sandy, and by no means fertile; the orchards not productive; the

wood chiefly oak, cedar, and pine,—the greater part of pine. The driver stopped twice on the way to give water to his horses, on account, I presume, of the heat of the weather; and the ladies from Providence also got water for themselves and their children, always asking, before they tasted it, whether the water was good? The persons waiting at the doors of the hotels on the road, for every the most trifling inn, or house of public entertainment, is styled a hotel,—very civilly handed tumblers of water to the passengers, without payment of any kind. The conversation of the passengers was far more unrestrained than it probably would have been, with foreigners,—more especially the chief judge of the state, one of the party,-in an English stagecoach; nor did the judge presume in the slightest degree on his high official situation.

We reached Schenectady about twelve o'clock, and found the usual arrangement was, that the passengers should dine here, before embarking in one of the canal packets at two o'clock. The low land on the bank of the Mohawk, where Schenectady is situated, is good. The town contains a college, at which about 200 young men are educated: The whole population about 4000. The Mohawk Indians, who are now extinct, possessed the fine district of country in this neighbourhood, and to the westward, on the banks of the Mohawk.

The ringing of a bell summoned us to dinner about one o'clock, and about twenty people assembled, consisting of the ladies who had accompanied us, and the boarders. The system in all the country inns or hotels

is to have breakfast, dinner, and tea, at fixed hours, which are announced by the ringing of a hand-bell. At those hotels there are generally boarders, consisting of many of the merchants, and merchants' clerks, doctors, &c. in the place. Some of them only board; others board and lodge, at rates from two and a-half dollars to three and four dollars a week. Mechanics generally live in the same way, at houses somewhat of an inferior kind, at a lower rate,—a dollar and a-half to two dollars a-week. The innkeepers do not like to have the trouble of preparing separate meals, unless where absolutely necessary, and fix the hours of the meals, so as to suit the passengers in the stages as far as possible. Dinner was abundant, consisting of fish, roast-beef, boiled lamb, broiled chickens, potatoes, squash, beet-root, green cabbage unboiled, cut down like pickled red cabbage, in vinegar; apple-pye, pudding, cheese, melted butter, cold butter, pickled cucumbers. The table literally covered with dishes. Brandy was on the table: very little used. No wine, nor any liquid, but water. The waiters were men of colour. No payment was made to them, nor to the driver of the stage. Half a dollar for each person was the charge for dinner.

The canal passes the door of the hotel. We embarked in the packet at two P. M.; and, though it did not appear to us to be in all respects a desirable mode of conveyance, we had no reason to regret our preferring, it to the stage for the first part of the journey, on account of the very interesting district through which