Travels Through North America, During the Years 1825 and 1826. v. 1-2

On the following day I paid my respects to the President, and gave him the medals which Mr. Cornelissen at Ghent had confided to my care. One silver medal was from the Botanic Society of Ghent, with an appropriate inscription for the President; the other a bronze medal, which had been struck in the year 1823, in honour of the Haerlem jubilee on the discovery of the art of printing; both were sunk by the skilful artist Mr. Braemt, at Brussels. In the evening I saw the President again, who honoured with his presence a party at Mr. Walsh’s. I had first the intention of leaving here to-day with the steam-boat for Baltimore, but the arrival of the President changed my resolution, as I wished to attend with him the anniversary, which was to be celebrated on the 24th of October, and then to travel in his company to Baltimore.

In order to celebrate the day on which William Penn landed in the year 1683 in America, which was the origin of the state of Pennsylvania, those who respect his memory have established a society, which celebrates the 24th of October as a public festival. At this time the celebration consisted of a public oration in the University and a public dinner. Mr. Vaux called for me at twelve o’clock to go to the oration. The building of the University of Pennsylvania was originally intended as a dwelling for President Washington, who declined the present, and it was then used for the University. A great number of people had collected in one of the lecture rooms; they seated me within the tribune whence the orator was to speak; the President, who entered soon after me, was led to the same place, and received with loud and warm acclamations. The oration was delivered by a lawyer, Mr. Charles Ingersoll; it contained rather a statistic account of the state of Pennsylvania than of the landing of William Penn; this the Quakers did not like, although the oration was well conceived and generally admired. The orator mentioned a particular fact, which, as far as I know, is unknown in Europe, viz. William Penn mentions in one of his writings, of which I had already seen the original in the library of the Philosophical Society, shown to me by Mr. Vaughan, that by an act of Charles II. this land was given to William Penn, and his Majesty, in honour of Penn’s father, Admiral Penn, called it Pennsylvania; he, William Penn, had proposed the name of New Wales, but the king did not sanction this name; Penn then offered to the secretary of the king twenty guineas, if he would persuade the king to call the country merely Sylvania; but even this proposition did not succeed; the name of Pennsylvania was very unpleasant to him; for they would think it great vanity in him, although he was very far from being vain. In his observations concerning the manufactures of Pennsylvania, the orator went now and then too far. He said, for instance, that nowhere, not even in Europe, are better carriages made than in Philadelphia, although the carriages of this place are not the very best nor the most convenient. The school establishments, however, he pointed out in a too indifferent light, and confessed complainingly that in the northern states they were farther advanced than here; he particularly observed that the University of Pennsylvania was in a poor condition. He also complained of the dissipation of the lower classes. This oration was much applauded; the audience likewise exhibited their respect to the President as he retired.

I sat next to Judge Peters, a venerable gentleman of eighty-two years of age, who was secretary of war during the revolution; moreover, I was introduced here to Mr. Washington, nephew of the hero, and Judge in the Supreme Court of the United States. He is the heir of his uncle, and possessor of Mount Vernon, where his ashes rest. After the oration I inspected the anatomical cabinet of the University; it is not a rich collection, but has some interesting articles, viz. two wax figures of full size, which can be taken to pieces; also a collection of human skulls, among which I remarked particularly the flattened skulls of two Peruvian Indians, and also a skeleton of a Creek Indian; many samples of fractured and badly cured human bones, and many curious bones; parts of the human body, injected or preserved in alcohol, &c.

At four o’clock, P. M. I drove with Mr. Vaux to the Masonic Hall, where the dinner was to be given. About seventy persons, mostly gentlemen of my acquaintance, were present. The President of the United States sat on the right of Judge Peters, who was president of the dinner, and sat in William Penn’s chair; I sat on the left of this worthy old gentleman, and on my left was the orator of the day, Mr. Ingersoll. Behind Judge Peters’s chair was William Penn’s portrait, painted in oil, and under that was a copperplate of his well known treaty with the Indians. The vice-president of the table was Mr. Duponceau, a Frenchman who has resided in this country forty-seven years, and during the revolution was adjutant to Baron Steuben; he is a lawyer, and pleads very well in the English language. This gentleman possesses a rare talent for languages, and has a particular fondness for the German. Gœthe’s Faust is his favourite work, and as I agreed with his taste, we entertained ourselves for a long time with Faust, alternately reciting our favourite passages. The first health that was drank, was naturally that of the President of the United States; his excellency rose, and in a short speech thanked them heartily; as my health was drank, I also rose, excused my imperfect knowledge of the English, and begged permission to thank them in the French language, wherein I could express myself better and more fluently. I then spoke a few words from the bottom of my heart, expressing the sincere interest I take in the happiness and welfare of this country; I congratulated the society on the pious feelings with which they celebrate the memory of their ancestors, and particularly of that excellent man who laid the foundation of this great community; these would be the best security for their future prosperity. I expressed my gladness at being present on this occasion, to witness their animated sentiments, thanked them, feeling fully for the kind reception I had met with, and told them that this festival, which was still more valuable on account of the presence of the chief magistrate of this great nation, would never fade from my memory, and that I hoped to leave behind me friends in the new world when I should have returned to the old. I concluded with wishes of blessings and happiness. It appeared to me that my plain address was not unkindly received. The president retired at eight o’clock, and I remained until ten. Among the commonly called volunteer toasts, the following were drank: “Weimar, the native country of letters!” I rose and said, that to this toast I could only answer by a modest silence, as it was worthy to be answered by a learned man from Weimar, and unfortunately I could not pretend to be one. When young, I had left home for a military school, to run my career in the chances of war, so that the sciences did not enter my door. I therefore, gave them in reply, the following toast: “Pennsylvania, the asylum of unfortunate Germans!” This toast was received with great applause. The venerable Judge Peters26 sung a song, which he composed the preceding evening, with a great deal of vivacity, and every one was merry and lively.

The society have their laws written on parchment, bound in a very elegant volume. This book was placed before the president and myself, to sign; we signed it, and by this means became honorary members of this respectable society.

CHAPTER XII

Baltimore

On the 25th of October, I made several farewell visits, and went on board the steam-boat Baltimore at twelve o’clock, to leave the dear Philadelphia to which I had become so much attached. Mr. Tromp had set out several days before, to meet the Pallas at Norfolk. The President of the United States came on board of the steam-boat soon after, in company of several gentlemen from town. At the steam-boat wharf, a crowd of citizens had assembled once more to see the respected chief of their government, who is justly venerated by all intelligent men. When the boat started, the crowd, consisting of well-dressed individuals, cheered the president, who remained a long time uncovered. We descended the Delaware about forty miles. This river becomes very large; the shores are flat, and apparently well cultivated. The president had the kindness to converse a long time with me.

I was here introduced to a Mr. Sullivan, from Boston, who seemed to be much esteemed by the president, and Captain Maclean of the garrison of Halifax, who was travelling for his pleasure.

I also met with Mr. De Salazar, ambassador from Colombia, with his secretary, Mr. Gomes, and the Mexican consul, Mr. Obregon: I had already made the acquaintance of these gentlemen in New York. Their interesting conversation, and the moderation of their views gave me much pleasure.

We arrived at New Castle between four and five o’clock; this is a well-built little town, situated on the right shore of the river, in the state of Delaware, whence it is sixteen miles to Frenchtown by land, where the Chesapeake steam-boats receive the passengers.

The president being in one of the stages, the drivers went on more rapidly than customary. The road was in general sandy, and ran through woods; we did not perceive any villages, as it soon became dark, and the interesting conversation respecting the scenery ceased. Frenchtown is a little place, which was burnt and plundered during the last war, by the British Admiral Cockburn. We went on board the steam-boat Constitution. This boat was very spacious, and furnished with beds, the machinery, however, made a great noise, and produced a jarring motion.

The night was beautiful; the moonlight and the woody shores of the river, produced a very fine effect. I remained a long time on deck in conversation with Captain Maclean; no rest could be obtained in bed, as, in addition to the noise of the machinery, six horses trampled just above me on deck, and a German mechanic, who was unable to sleep, talked to himself, near me. We arrived very early next morning at Baltimore. After our arrival, the president took a carriage for Washington, which is only thirty-six miles distant. The greater part of the travellers remained in bed until between six and seven o’clock. I went through the somewhat solitary but regular streets to the hotel, called the Indian Queen, where lodgings had been prepared for me. Here I had the pleasure to meet Sir Michael Clare and his lady; shortly after my arrival, I received the visit of Mr. Huygens, son to the Chevalier Bangemann Huygens, ambassador from the Netherlands, at Washington, officer of our artillery, and attached to the legation. His father had the politeness to place this young gentleman at my disposal. As soon as I was established in the hotel, I went out in company with Sir Michael, in order to see the curiosities of the city. The town is of a regular construction, and contains, as I was assured, seventy-five thousand inhabitants. Great projects are formed for increasing its prosperity; these projects, however, have been somewhat stopped by some considerable failures. This place has increased with almost incredible rapidity; in the year 1752, there were only ten houses. The streets are wide, with foot-walks, some of them are planted as in Philadelphia, with poplar trees. The city seems tolerably animated; I saw a very great number of negroes in the streets. The state of Maryland is the first on which I set my foot where the slavery of negroes is legally maintained. Farther to the south, this state of things is every where common. I merely mention the fact; it does not belong to me to give opinions on so delicate a subject. Still my journey convinced me of the truth of the old observation, that inaccurate judgments are easily formed respecting things not sufficiently known, which we have neither seen nor examined ourselves. We first visited the Washington Monument, situated on a hill. It is, or rather will be, erected by the state of Maryland; it consists of a column of white marble one hundred and sixty feet high, it is to be adorned with bas-reliefs of bronze, representing scenes from the life of the hero. On the top of the column is to be placed the colossal statue of this great man. But the requisite funds are wanting; and therefore these ornaments are not yet finished. We ascended the column by a spiral staircase of two hundred and twenty-six steps, but did not enjoy a fine prospect, on account of the misty atmosphere. We visited another monument, erected to the memory of the citizens who fell in the defence of Baltimore on the 12th of September, 1814. On a pedestal stands a column representing a bundle of staves. The names of the fallen citizens are inscribed on the ribands which unite them. On the top is the statue of victory; at the four corners of the pedestal, griffins. We remarked several fine public buildings, among which, some churches were very distinguished. The handsomest is the Catholic cathedral, the dome of which, is similar to that of the Roman pantheon. The interior of this church is richly ornamented, and contains several fine paintings, the greater part of which, arrived during the French revolution. The handsomest among them is a descent from the cross, by Gulein, in Paris, which, according to an inscription, was presented to the church by Louis XVIII. at the request of Count Menou. It is to be regretted that its size does not permit it to be placed over the altar. It was suspended near the entrance. King Charles X. is said to have promised the companion to this piece. I was introduced in the church to the archbishop of Baltimore, M. Maréchal,27 who is the Catholic primate of the United States. He is a native of France, and has resided in the United States since 1792, whither he first came as a missionary. He is spoken of as a man of much spirit and activity. His exterior is of great simplicity; he is of small stature, and animated. When he first addressed me, with his book under his arm, I took him for a French teacher, but he very soon presented himself to me as the archbishop.

The state of Maryland contains the greatest number of Catholics, with the exception of the state of Louisiana and Florida, where the Catholics, on account of their wealth have some influence. Not far distant from the cathedral is the Unitarian church, tastefully ornamented on the exterior with columns, and surmounted by a dome. The English Episcopal church is likewise not far distant; it has a colonade at the entrance, but a spire without the least taste. The front of the church is ornamented with two statues, of the Saviour and Moses, by an Italian sculptor, (still living here,) Mr. Capellano. It is reported that the inhabitants of Baltimore being very much scandalized at the horns of Moses, the artist was obliged to take them off. Certain it is, that the Moses on this church does not wear these ornaments. We saw another building of recent construction, called the Athenæum, which was built by subscription. We found there a small library and reading room for American and English newspapers, and a concert room. Finally, we went to a large building called the Exchange. A few hours after this promenade, Sir Michael and Lady Clare set out for Now York, whence they intended to embark for Jamaica. To them I was indebted for an introduction to Dr. Macauley, a respectable physician, whose acquaintance was the more agreeable to me, as I found him to be an accomplished man. In his company I rode to Fort M‘Henry; this fort is situated two miles from Baltimore, at the latter extremity of the isthmus formed by the eastern and western arms of the Patapsco, which empties into the Chesapeake Bay. This fort was rendered interesting by the repulse of an attack made by the British the 12th of September, 1814, by water; this well-sustained defence contributed much to the safety of Baltimore. The English disembarked their troops on the eastern shore of the Patapsco – these were to attack the city by land, meanwhile the fleet was to bombard, and to take Fort M‘Henry. The landed troops, whose general, Ross, was killed, met with such resistance from the citizens that they were compelled to retire with considerable loss; the attack on Fort M‘Henry had no better success. The English bomb-ships were anchored too far from the fort to allow the shells to do much mischief. Not being able to obtain any advantage from this side, they embarked troops in boats the following night, which, by aid of the darkness, passed the fort, and entered the western branch of the Patapsco. But they were discovered in time, and repelled by the batteries situated above the fort. The fort itself is very small, and ill-shaped; a pentagon with five little bastions, where at most but three large guns can be mounted; in front of the entrance is a little ravelin which defends nothing. There is no counterscarp; the ramparts are sodded. The fort is separated from the land by a wall, which might rather prove injurious than advantageous. Near the water’s edge there is a battery which can contain more than fifty guns for firing over the beach. There are also some furnaces for heating cannon balls. It was this battery which offered the greatest resistance to the British. It contained heavy guns formerly belonging to a French man of war, which were served by American sailors. One thousand five hundred men stood in this narrow space, without a single bomb-proof building in the fort, not even the powder-magazine, and notwithstanding, not more than thirty men were killed and wounded. Since that time, the engineers have erected bomb-proofs on each side of the gate, as well as a bomb-proof powder-magazine, and a bomb-proof roof over the pump. The fort is in a decayed condition, and is to be abandoned on account of its unimportant situation. The engineers intend to construct new fortifications several miles farther off in the Chesapeake Bay. Moreover, the situation of this fort is so unhealthy that the garrison leave it during the summer. From this spot there is a fine view of both branches of the Patapsco, on whose shores the trees in their autumnal dress of variegated leaves presented a very handsome appearance. On returning, we ascended one of the hills commanding the city, where we enjoyed a beautiful prospect. An observatory situated here, announces the arrival of ships in the bay by signals.

Dr. Macauley showed me the medical college, constructed at the expense of the state of Maryland, a spacious and handsome building, decorated with a portico. It contains an amphitheatre, sky-lighted rotunda for anatomical lectures, a semi-amphitheatre for chemical lectures, to which are joined a laboratory and a cabinet with philosophical apparatus. The anatomical cabinet did not appear to be very rich, as the school is yet in its infancy. I remarked a female wax figure representing a rupture of the uterus, and several human embrios, abortions, and monsters. I saw likewise a considerable collection of minerals, among which I saluted as an old acquaintance, a basaltic column from the giant’s causeway in Ireland. Seven professors lecture in the medical college; the lectures are delivered during four months, from November to the end of February. Near to the college is an infirmary belonging to this institution, where the sick are nursed by an order of religious women called sisters of charity.

The Baltimore Museum was established by the second son of the same artist, C. W. Peale, who founded the Philadelphia Museum. His sons were destined from their cradle to become artists, as their Christian names are Rafaelle, Rubens, Titian, &c. One of the saloons of the museum is occupied by the paintings of Rembrandt Peale. He succeeds very well in some of his copies; for instance, King Lear braving the tempest, from West; perhaps he is less successful in his originals, especially in his full length equestrian portrait of Napoleon. Several paintings in miniature, by Miss Peale, niece of C. W. Peale, are tolerably good.

The museum is not so extensive as that of Philadelphia; still it contains some very interesting objects, which however, I had not time to examine sufficiently in detail. The museum is arranged in two stories of the buildings; the first contains various quadrupeds and birds, I perceived a specimen of the duck-bill animal from New South Wales. The birds are all indigenous, and are described in Wilson’s Ornithology. The collection of American insects and butterflies is very handsome; among them are several centipedes, large scorpions, and the mammoth spider from South America, which kills the humming bird. These insects are well preserved in frames of white plaster. The plaster is cast on moulds, the insect is put into the cavity, and fastened by pins stuck in the plaster while it is sufficiently hot to destroy the moths which may have entered the cavity; finally, they are hermetically secured beneath watch crystals. There is also a handsome collection of Indian antiquities, weapons and other objects; among these arms were a great number of arrow-heads of flint, such as I had seen among the Tuscaroras; farther, a great number of toys, and other trifles; a skeleton of the mastodon, but not so complete as the one in Philadelphia, forms part of this museum; the large teeth are missing, but the lower jaw bone28 is particularly well preserved; two weeks previous to my visit it had fallen down along with the chain by which it had been suspended from the ceiling, and had broken in two.

There is also here, a very handsome collection of minerals. It is to be regretted that so many rare things are not better arranged, and separated from mere trifles. The city library was founded by subscription; it contains about fifteen thousand volumes; I asked to see Humboldt’s splendid work on Mexico; the library does not contain any thing very remarkable. Mr. Thomas, a Friend, one of the philanthropic public characters to whom I was introduced by Mr. Vaux, of Philadelphia, conducted me to a steam-mill, situated near the basin. It seems to me that such a mill is well worth imitating, especially in Flanders, where running water is so scarce. The machine which moves the wheels was made by Bolton and Watt, of Soho, in England, and is of sixty horse-power. This mill has eight pair of stones, of which there are commonly but four worked at a time; most of the work, which in general is done by men, is performed by machinery connected with the steam-engine; a long and horizontal chest leads from the interior of the mill to the wharf, where the vessels with grain lie; from the vessel, the wheat is poured in one of the extremities of the chest, or rather channel, along whose whole length a spiral screw runs, which by turning brings the grain to a large reservoir in the mill. By another piece of machinery the wheat is conveyed to the upper part of the house and thrown into a wire cylinder, where it is perfectly fanned, and is thence conducted to the hoppers; the flour falls into a common reservoir, whence it is conveyed to a bolting machine. The fine flour passes through a trough to a place where it is spread by a horizontally revolving rake, to be cooled; after this it runs by a spout to the ground floor, where it is packed in oaken barrels. A workman fills the barrel with a shovel, pushes it on an iron ring forming part of a scale, to weigh it, underneath a wooden block, which acted upon by a lever presses the flour into the barrel; this block, after being sponged in the common way, is again ready for immediate use. Two hundred barrels of superfine flour can be furnished daily by this mill, which works night and day; twelve workmen are sufficient to attend to all the operations. The owner said he could do with fewer, but was unwilling to dismiss them. The engine has three boilers, one is unemployed, to be cleaned and to be in reserve in case of an accident; from the roof of the mill there is a fine prospect over the city and harbour.

Mr. Thomas, who is one of the trustees, accompanied us to the Alms-house, nearly three miles distant from town, which was erected four years ago, at the expense of the state of Maryland. The house consists in a centre building, composed of the dwelling of the superintendent, office, and store-house; farther off are two insulated wings, the one for the men, the other for the females and children. The latter are brought to the Alms-house by their parents, or they are the children of disorderly parents taken up by public authority. Several of the paupers are intrusted with the care of these unfortunate creatures; two schoolmasters, who, by drunkenness, had been reduced to beggary, and lived as paupers in the house, taught them to read and write. I observed, with regret, that they were both armed with whips. The poor sleep in large airy rooms, the sick excepted, who are in separate infirmaries situated in the wings of the building; each one has a separate bed. Some infirm females only were in separate apartments, where three or four occupied one room. Each wing has three stories and one under ground, containing the kitchen, the wash-house, and bake-house; the bread used here is white and very good. Their meals are excellent: four times a week they have meat, twice vegetables; and on Fridays, as there are many Catholics, herrings. The building contains two large court-yards, with all the shops necessary for several mechanics, a large kitchen garden and all its dependencies of husbandry. It is situated on an elevated ground of cleared woods, a considerable number of acres of land appertaining to it, are cultivated by the poor. They are employed according to their strength and capacity, particularly in working for the house and in making their clothes. All the articles not used by the establishment are sold. Every poor person on entering the house, is shorn, takes a bath, and is clothed. For his clothes he becomes a debtor to the establishment, and cannot be dismissed until he has paid for them by his labour. The directors decide at this time if such a person is able to make his living in an honest manner, and resolve upon his discharge. Those who conduct themselves ill in the house are punished by solitary confinement. If they are sick on entering the house, two physicians, who are attached to the establishment, visit them daily and alternately; four students, also, from the medical college lodge in the house, and two of them are constantly present. For lunatics there are appropriate cells on the ground-floor.