to by a good-looking young man, from the west of Fifeshire in Scotland, whose name was John Boswell, to give him, or procure for him, a letter of recommendation to a ship-builder in New-York. I had never seen him before, as far as I knew ; but I had been acquainted with his father, a very respectable person in his line, farm overseer to the late Mr. Mutter, of Annfield, near Dunfermline. Boswell's story was this:-He had been bred a ship-carpenter, had married, and was the father of two children. Finding his wages of about 2s. or 2s. 6d. per day insufficient for the maintenance of his family, he commenced being toll-keeper, but did not succeed in his new profession. He had, therefore, brought his wife and children to New-York, being possessed only of a small sum of money, and of some furniture, a fowling-piece, &c. He had made application, immediately on his arrival at New-York, some weeks previously, for employment, but no one would receive him into his ship-building yard, in which there is much valuable property, without attestations of his character for honesty and sobriety. He accidentally heard of my being in the neighbourhood, and applied to me to give him such attestations. Knowing nothing previously of this young man but what I have mentioned, it was impossible for me to comply with his request; but I gave him a letter to a gentleman in the neighbourhood of New-York, who might, I thought, be of use to him, stating exactly what I knew of him. Workinen in the ship-building line were at this period plentiful, and months followed before any opening occurred for employing Boswell. In the mean time his finances were exhausted, and he had been obliged to part with some of the property he had brought with him. He was beginning to wish himself well home again when an offer of work was made to him. I happened to be at New-York on the very day when this occurred, and remember well the pleasure which beamed in his eyes when he told me of the offer, and asked me what wages he should propose. My advice to him was to leave that matter to his master, after he had been at work for a week, and showed what he could do. The next time I saw Boswell he was in the receipt of two dollars a day for ten hours' work, and of as much more at the same rate per hour, if he chose to be longer employed. His gains-for he told me that he could live at half the expense which it cost him to live in Scotland, although his family here had animal food three times a day-soon enabled him to have a comfortable well-furnished house, where I again and again saw his family quite happy, and in which he had boarders. I sent for him to Hoboken, where I was then

living, two or three days before I left New-York in the month of April, 1831, that I might learn if I could be the bearer of any communication to his friends in Scotland. He came over to me with a better suit of clothes on his back and a better umbrella, than, I believe, I myself possessed. He only wished, he said, his friends to know how well settled he now was. He had earned on the preceding day almost as much as he could earn at the same business in Scotland in a week; and he hoped in less than twenty years to make a fortune, and return to Scotland.

I have mentioned the whole particulars of this case, because it contains information which may be useful to many. I had reason to know, before I left New-York, that Boswell was an excellent workman,-industrious, honest, and sober. He told me that he never drank much whiskey in his own country, and that he would take far less of it at New-York, where, though it was much cheaper, it was of very inferior quality. Certificates of good character are very requisite for all emigrants to the United States, but especially for mechanics and labourers; and they should either be procured from magistrates or from clergymen, no matter to what sect they belong. I need not add, that it is most important to obtain recommendations, where they can be got, to some respectable individual at the port where the emigrants first of all arrive.

CHAPTER XXXV.

Visit to Hyde Park, Dr. Hosack's magnificent Seat on the Hudson, which every Foreigner should see-Dr. Hosack's Manner of addressing his Servants-Sailing Vessels on the Hudson-Captain Hall's Declaration, that North America is an unpicturesque CountryCaptain Hall at no pains to see the most interesting Scenes within his reach-Staten Island, Hellgate, Mount Vernon, &c.-Mrs. Trollope's Authority directly opposed to Captain Hall's-Reasons why she must be in the right-Works of Nature on a magnificent Scale on this Continent-Flushing in Long Island-Botanic Garden and Nurseries there-Protected by Sir William Erskine during the Revolution-Price of evergreen Shrubs there-Camp-meeting of People of Colour near Flushing-Price of Peaches and Melons-Mr. Poinsett, late Minister of the United States to Mexico-His Observation respecting the Eastern States of America-Mr. Ferrall's Charge against Mr. Poinsett unfounded-Extract from one of Mr. Poinsett's

Diplomatic Papers-Mr. Feirall's and Mr. Alexander Baring's Views as to the Acquisition of Texas by the United States-Mr. Ferrall's Opinion, that Animosity towards Britain pervades America, unfounded-The right of Search, the only Point of Contention, and which should be arranged in quiet Times-Outrages committed by British Ships of War, as detailed in the Eleventh Chapter of Captain Hall's Fragments, which every Englishman ought to read-The British Name a Passport in the United States-Return to Mr. Van Boskerck's Boarding-house at Hoboken-Celebration of the French Revolution of July, 1830, at New-York, on 26th November, 1830Order and Decorum of the People, the Procession consisting of above one hundred thousand Persons-No Disturbance-No AccidentProdigious Display of individual Wealth-Enthusiasm of the People -Erroneous Notion of Mrs. Trollope, that the People are indifferent as to the political Condition of any Nation but their own-Rejoicings in the United States on account of Catholic Emancipation in Britain -Remarkable Persons attending the Procession, Mr. Monroe, Enoch Crosby, Anthony Glean, David Williams-Severe Winter-Sleighing at New-York-Young Burke at the Park Theatre-No Grounds for Mrs. Trollope's Remark as to the Rudeness of Persons in the Theatre-Illness and Death of Mr. Van Boskerck, our Landlord, at Hoboken-Details of his Funeral-Voyage from New-York to London in the President Packet ship-Severe Storm on the 24th and 25th April-Hint not to prefer a Ship on her first VoyageContrary Winds-Made the Voyage from 17th April to 25th May, when we landed at Deal.

Summer and Autumn of 1830, and Winter of 1830, and Spring of 1831, till 25th May.

I LEFT Mr. Anderson's house for two or three days in the beginning of July to pay a visit, which I had long projected, to Dr. Hosack, at his magnificent seat on the Hudson, where I was most kindly received by himself and his amiable family. He lives very much in the same style as an English country gentleman of large fortune, possessing every luxury and comfort which wealth, and the knowledge how to make use of it, can bestow. His mansion-house is large, elegant, and wellfurnished; but it is not my object to describe a place laid out and embellished as a fine residence and fine grounds in England are, or to tell the readers of these pages of the size of Dr. Hosack's rooms, of his eating or drawing-rooms, his excellent library, his billiard-room, or his conservatory, of his porters' lodges, his temples, his bridges, his garden, and the other et ceteras of this truly delightful domain which he has adorned, and was, at the time when I was there, adorning with great taste and skill, and without much regard to cost. The splendid terrace over the most beautiful of all beautiful rivers, admired the more the oftener seen, renders Hyde Park, as I think, the most enviable of all the desirable situations on the river. Dr.

Hosack has now retired from practice as the first physician in New-York. His activity is, however, unabated. He takes great delight in superintending his numerous workmen, and the management of his place and farm. He has 800 acres adjoining to his house, all, I believe, in his own occupation, and is taking great pains to obtain the best breeds of cattle and sheep. I saw many good specimens of the Tees-Water breed. His park contains deer and a few Cashmere goats, which are particularly handsome. In short, this is quite a show-place, in the English sense of the word, which every foreigner should see on its own account,-on account of the great beauty of the natural terrace above the river, and the charming and varied views from it, as well as on account of the art with which the original features of the scene are advantageously displayed.

Persons in the situation of Dr. Hosack's family differ so little in their mode of living and manners in the United States, in Britain, and on the continent of Europe, that there are no striking points of discrimination. In the United States all go to bed earlier and rise earlier, and, of course, breakfast and dine at earlier hours. I neither saw a tobacco pipe nor a cigar while I remained at Dr. Hosack's house, nor were spirituous liquors of any kind upon the table. The greatest hospitality was shown me; and I have cause to regret that circumstances prevented me from availing myself of it frequently.

or

I observed that Dr. Hosack, in speaking to his workmen, never addressed them by their Christian name alone, but always in this way: "Mr. Thomas, be so good as do this," "Mr. Charles, be so good as do that.' It would not be easy for an Englishman of rank or great fortune to form his mouth so as to give his orders to his servants in similar terms; but the more equal diffusion of wealth, and greater equality of condition, which prevail in this country, put the sort of submission of inferiors to superiors, to which we in Britain are accustomed, quite out of the question in the free part of the United States, and undoubtedly render the mass of the people far more comfortable, contented, and happy.

The sailing vessels on the Hudson are extremely beautiful in form. They have no foresail, merely a jib and main-sheet, bleached as white as a table-cloth by the sun. The Americans may perhaps with some justice be accused of want of taste, in the sense in which the British generally understand the term. But I suspect that in naval architecture, in the form of their ships, and boats of all descriptions, in their adaptation

for sailing with speed, and their clean and handsome appearance, we ought to admit that they excel all other nations.

Dr. Hosack's grounds are so very charming, and the views from them so picturesque and striking, that I cannot help wishing that Captain Hall had seen Hyde Park Terrace before he declared "North America to be the most unpicturesque country to be found anywhere." This seems to me a most rash assertion, proceeding from an individual who merely had time to traverse the vast territory of the United States, about as large as Europe, in one line to the south and one to the north. What should we think of an American traveller who had journeyed from London to Newcastle by the east, and had returned from Carlisle by the west road, declaring England to be an unpicturesque country!-and yet he would be far better entitled in that case to deliver an authoritative opinion on the subject of England than the gallant officer on the subject of America; for he would have travelled in two directions through England, which is not so considerable in point of extent as several of the separate states of America. But Captain Hall had, in fact, admitted himself to be incapable of giving an opinion upon this subject worthy of any consideration. He tells us in one part of his book, that "there are few things so 'fatiguing as fine scenery,' "" and in another, that "the most picturesque object in every traveller's landscape is the Postoffice," he acted accordingly; and has confirmed the truth of his remarks, so far as he is concerned, by omitting to take the trouble to visit the most interesting scenes easily and daily for a long period within his reach. It does not appear from his book that he ever was on Staten Island, to enjoy the views from it, though the most diversified and beautiful in America, and daily in his power. He passed through Hellgate in the dark, and never returned to see it, though one of the most singular scenes of that description in the world, within much less than an hour's drive of New-York; and although he was long at Washington, he left it without seeing Mount Vernon, which was within an hour and a half's drive of him, because, as he states, the steamboat did not pass the place at a convenient hour. It would have been absurd to point out these omissions, which are merely a sample of many that might be noticed, were it not to prove that, notwithstanding Captain Hall's opinion is expressed in terms so peremptory, it is not entitled to any weight. Well might Mrs. Trollope ask, "Who is it that says America is not picturesque ? I forget, but surely he never travelled from Utica to Albany," This is a