SKETCHES OF AMERICA.

VOYAGE IN THE SHIP WASHINGTON FROM ISLE OF WIGHT.— CELEBRATION OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE ON BOARD.

SANDY HOOK.

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DEBATING SOCIETY. OFF FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE PEOPLE AND OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK. MRS. BRADISH'S BOARDING-house. COMMODORE ROGERS. CONVERSATION AT DINNER. SUSPICION OF CORRUPTION IN THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS. PRICES OF ARTICLES, AND RENT

OF SHOPS.

MY DEAR FRIENDS,

New York, August 9th, 1817.

I EMBRACE the first opportunity of communicating my safe arrival in this land of liberty, which I am enabled to do by the politeness of Sir James Yeo, who sails to day in the Southampton frigate. We landed here on Wednesday the 6th instant. You are aware that the vessel in which I sailed is the Washington, Captain Foreman, which left London the 4th of June. I went on board at the Isle of Wight on the 14th, and we proceeded on our course the following day. The cabin was crowded, having nineteen passengers, amongst whom were Mr.

B

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PASSENGERS.

POLITICAL LIBERTY.

or (according to American etiquette) The HONOURABLE John Quincey Adams, (late ambassador at the Court of St. James's, but now Secretary of State,) his lady and family: the gentlemen were chiefly Americans. You will be somewhat surprised to learn that Mr. George Washington Adams (eldest son of the Secretary) and myself were the only warm friends of political liberty; a subject which, of course, often came under discussion. All were its advocates in some limited or refined sense; but we stood alone in wishing its extension to England, to unfortunate Ireland, to France, to the European Continent generally, and to the brave South Americans. I delivered the letters of introduction, with which Alderman Wood and others favoured me, to Mr. Adams; and wish to acknowledge the polite attentions which, in consequence, I received from him. My passagemoney was forty guineas, exclusive of wines, &c.

A sea-life was to me in every particular novel,

and not of that class denominated pleasing. Sickness, the usual lot of fresh-water sailors, was my companion. It was extreme for eight days, and did not take its final leave for fifteen : indeed I had but little appetite the whole of the passage. The weather has been boisterous for the season; though I believe we were not in imminent danger except upon one occasion, arising from neglect in not taking in sail. The

GALE. "4TH JULY."

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wind blew a tremendous gale, which the ship, in consequence, was not so well prepared to withstand as she might and ought to have been. My fears were extreme: there was but the turn of a hair between us and eternity. I prayed fervently to that Being, who is the God of the sea as well as the God of the land, and who has protected me throughout my life.

The 4th of July is a great American day, being the anniversary of their declaration of independence. It was kept on board with, I presume, its usual sanctity-by good eating and drinking. I felt warm in the cause, viewing that declaration as the common property of the friends of freedom. Several songs were sung. Two by the mate were the most remarkable: they were the evident production of seventeen hundred and seventy-six; their allusions being to those occurrences which peculiarly belonged to the first stages of the revolution. The toasts were also indifferent. I was not gratified with even an approach to the old English sentiment of Civil and religious liberty all over the world."

In the steerage there were thirteen passengers. They paid twelve pounds each, and had to find themselves in every thing but water. Among these was a Mr. Davis, an ingenious, clever man. He organized a debating society, which was held in the steerage twice a week, "weather per

44H "DEBATING SOCIETY." NEW YORK BAY.

mitting.” Young Mr. Adams and myself frequently attended their sombre discussions. Upon one occasion the question was, "Which is the best form of government, a democracy or a monarchy ?" It was strongly contested on both sides, and at length determined in favour of the former by the casting vote of the chairman, who was seated in presidential state on a water-cask.

On the 5th of August, the sound of "LandO!" from the topmast, though communicated by the gruff voice of a hardy son of Neptune, sounded in my ears "most eloquent music." In the evening we stood out to sea, being too near shore. On the morning of the 6th I was called up at four o'clock. We were off the Jersey shore, which was crowded with small craft. We soon made Sandy Hook, the entrance into the bay, and thirty miles from the city of New York. The busy scene around me, the consciousness that I was about to be relieved from the worst of prisons, the serenity of the morning, and the extreme beauty of New York bay, conveyed impressions which mock description. Every object was to me an interesting one: first our pilot, his stature, his manners, his dress, were all at this time objects of my attention; though under other circumstances I should have viewed them with entire indifference. He brought us the newspaper of the morning. Many

NEWSPAPER.

LANDING.

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of the advertisements had to me the character of singularity. One announcing a play, terminated with, "Gentlemen are informed, that no smoking is allowed in the theatre." A newsman from the "Evening Post," and a custom-house officer, were our next visitors. Several sailing boats passed with gentlemen, many of them wearing enormously large straw hats, turned up behind. At one o'clock we anchored close to the city. A boy procured us two hackney coaches, from a distance of about a quarter of a mile. I offered him an English shilling, having no other small coin in my possession. He would not take so little; "For as how I guess it is not of value. I have been slick in going to the stand right away." This was said with a tone of independence, which, although displeasing to my pride, was not so to my judgment. Mr. Adams satisfied the young republican by giving him half-a-dollar, (2s. 3d.) There was no sense of having received a favor in the boy's countenance or manner; a trait of character which, I have since learned, is by no means confined to the youth of America. A simple "I thank you, Sir," would not, however, derogate from a free man's dignity; but I shall not be too fastidious. We must not expect every thing; and, after all, even cold independence is preferable to warm servility. Another question, and one of leading importance, suggested itself to me on