made very angry, when the Yellow fever was raging there, by the arrival of some Yankee schooners, laden with nests of wooden coffins, which had been sent out upon speculation for the reception of the sick Carolinians.

The New Englanders are the best seamen in the United States, and perhaps in the world. The sea indeed appears to be their element, and all the towns on the coast are actively engaged in com. merce of different kinds. Many of their vessels go every year on whaling expeditions into the Pacific. They think nothing of a voyage round Cape Horn, and often sail up the North West coast even to Behring's Strait.

Nantucket, a small island on the coast of Massachusetts, is inhabited entirely by persons engaged in the Whale fishery, some of whom have amassed considerable wealth. It is said that at their balls, no one can ask a young woman to dance, who has not, with his own hand, driven the harpoon into a whale.

"Pass by the other parts, and look at the manner in which the people of New England have of late carried on the whale fishery. Whilst we follow them among the tumbling mountains, and behold them penetrating into the deepest frozen recesses of Hudson's Bay and Davis's Straits, whilst we are looking for them beneath the Arctic circle, we hear that they have pierced into the opposite region of polar cold, that they are at the

antipodes, and engaged under the frozen serpent of the south. Falkland Island, which seemed too remote and romantic an object for the grasp of national ambition, is but a stage and resting-place in the progress of their victorious industry. Nor is the equinoctial heat more discouraging to them than the accumulated winter of the poles. We know that while some of them draw the line and strike the harpoon on the coast of Africa, others run the longitude, and pursue their gigantic game along the coast of Brazil. No sea that is not vexed by their fisheries; no climate that is not witness to their toils. Neither the perseverance of Holland, nor the activity of France, nor the dexterous and firm sagacity of English enterprise, ever carried this most perilous mode of hard industry to the extent to which it has been pushed by this recent people-a people who are still as it were in the gristle, and not yet hardened into the bone of manhood.” *

This splendid eulogium on the enterprise of the New Englanders is not undeserved; and paints in glowing colours that activity, which since the time of Burke has continued to increase, and which so strongly characterises the people of those States.

* Burke's speech on conciliation with America.

CHAPTER XXVII.

EDUCATION.

THERE is nothing that is more worthy the attention of a traveller than the system of education pursued in the whole of the United States, and particularly in New England. Classical learning may perhaps be rather too much neglected, though this is much better than the exclusive attention that is paid to it in the public Schools of England; for I am sure I do not exaggerate, when I say, that out of ten boys leaving Eton, not more than one, in my time, could solve the simplest question in the rule of three, and many not even a sum in compound multiplication.

Dr. Franklin has very properly observed, that classical learning should be taught when the mind is more mature, and when this learning can be obtained at half the labour usually bestowed upon it. Our English system is a remnant of the venerable old Monkish Institutions: for when the English supposed that Latin was the only language which the Almighty understood, it was of course proper for every good Christian to be able at least to read it. But times have altered strangely;

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nous avons changé tout cela ;" and the Deity condescends now to pay just as much attention to our prayers as ever, although we may address him in the unclassical dialects of Yorkshire or Somerset,

It would be amusing to trace the orthodox system of education which is inflicted upon our English youth. No sooner does the boy after much labour and many tears acquire a little knowledge of Latin, than he is set down invitâ Minervâ to write verses in that language. "Poeta nascitur, non fit;" yet a boy incapable of writing Latin verses, is looked down upon with the utmost contempt, by the erudite masters and the more happily gifted pupils. Indeed the writing nonsense verses, which precedes that of writing others erroneously called sense, is no doubt a highly intellectual employment, and amply deserving a year's labour-the time usually devoted to it! But after all, what is produced by these young verse smiths and bard mechanicians?" A few copies of tolerable verses are indeed given to the world in the Musæ Etonenses; but it is unfair to judge of the produce and cultivation of a whole farm, from a few flowers picked up in the corner of one of the fields.

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Though in the United States the number of schools of the higher order is comparatively few, and though the system pursued is by no means perfect, yet every day a rapid improvement is taking place. The Masters are not, as in England, bigoted to any particular system, but are anxious to adopt any obvious improvements, in order that their method of education may correspond with the advance of knowledge, and with the wants of an enlightened people,

But Schools for the common people are of greater importance than those for the rich; and hence the Americans, and the New Englanders in particular, are worthy of the highest admiration. I took some pains to obtain information on this subject; and should have been tempted to have given my own observations in my own words, had I not seen an article in a late number of the North American Review, that contains information which I can corroborate from my own inquiries. I shall there fore make some copious extracts from it, being well aware that the learned reviewer has put the subject in a much stronger and clearer light than I could.

In the system of laws of the colony of New Haven (now part of Connecticut), published in the year 1656, the following are the provisions for children's education.'

"It is ordered that the deputies for the particular court in each plantation within this jurisdiction, for the time being, or, where there are no such deputies, the constable, or other officers in public trust, shall from time to time have a vigilant eye over their brethren and neighbours within the limits of the said plantation: that all parents and masters do duly endeavour, either by their own ability and labour, or by improving such schoolmaster or other helps and means as the plantation doth afford, or the family may conveniently provide; that all their children and apprentices, as they grow capable, may through God's blessing obtain at least so much