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

The next morning, at three o’clock, we left our airy lodgings and went eighty-six miles to Fayetteville. During the day we travelled through a thick forest, and did not meet with a single village; we saw some lonely plantations of corn and cotton. During several days we saw different species of birds, unknown to me, especially a great many large vultures, called buzzards, the shooting of which is prohibited, as they feed upon carrion, and contribute in this manner to the salubrity of the country. We crossed the Neuse, a rather wide river, in a narrow and clumsy ferry-boat. On the banks of this river, are many ever green trees and bushes. The oak trees are here not very high, but there is a great variety of them: thirty-seven species are enumerated; chesnut and nut trees are not so numerous; we were told they were common only in mountainous countries. At a short distance from Fayetteville, where we arrived about nine o’clock, P. M., we crossed Cape Fear river, by a long covered bridge, consisting of hanging lattice work, of which I saw a very good model in the patent-office at Washington. As I was very much fatigued with the uncomfortable travelling, I intended to stay one day in Fayetteville, a flourishing place of about four thousand inhabitants. But I was told that no opportunity would occur sooner than three days for Charleston. Therefore I resolved to continue our journey next morning. A new difficulty now arose; the mail stage going directly to Charleston, had only two horses, and could not take my baggage, whilst the mail for the above city passing through Columbia, South Carolina, drives four. Although the first was the direct road, and the second a circuitous one, I resolved to take the latter.

On the 8th of December, at three o’clock in the morning, we set out from Fayetteville, and travelled for fifty-seven miles to Cheraw, in the state of South Carolina, where we arrived at seven o’clock in the evening. Our travelling company was increased in Fayetteville, by Mr. Davis from Columbia, a young gentleman very well educated. The weather was pretty cold, but not rainy. The way continued still through forests, and was very sandy. We saw little interesting, except the vegetation. We discovered new plants progressively as we advanced to the south, for instance, jessamines and a tree hitherto unknown to me, called pride of China, melia azedarach, which is generally seen near the houses; there were also gum-trees. We crossed several rivers, the most considerable of which were the great and the little Pedee, near Cheraw. In this place I met with Commodores Bainbridge and Warrington, and Captain Biddle; these gentlemen were appointed commissioners by the government, to determine a place for a naval establishment on the Gulf of Mexico, becoming every day of greater importance to the United States. They came from Pensacola to Savannah by sea, whence they went to Washington by land. Commodore Warrington, however, was to return to the Gulf of Mexico, where he commanded the station. I was very much pleased with their acquaintance and spent the evening with them. On the 6th of December, at three, A. M. we left Cheraw and went to Camden, sixty-eight miles. We continually rode through a thick wood. It had frozen very hard the preceding night, and the cold continued still in the morning; but the sun appeared, it grew warmer, and the day became very fine, as in spring. The increasing blue of the sky, indicated that we were rapidly advancing towards the south. The plants were much the same, but the magnolias of different kinds, became gradually larger. Our meals showed us that we were in a country, were rice is cultivated.

Black creek and two branches of Lynch’s creek were the most considerable streams. The country on these creeks, on account of their evergreen vegetation pleased me very much. The ground was sandy, and we went very slowly on. We breakfasted and dined in solitary frame houses, which stand upon pillars built of bricks, and permit the air to pass under them, the walls of these buildings are so thin and disjoined, that the daylight finds access every where. At the openings for windows, there is nothing but shutters. It would be a good speculation to establish a glass manufactory in this country, where there is such a want of glass, and a superabundance of pine trees and sand. About eight o’clock in the evening we reached Camden, a flourishing place, where we found a very good abode. The nights were very clear; some time since I saw quite new constellations, whilst the old ones disappeared by degrees.

On the 7th of December, at three o’clock in the morning, we set out in severe cold weather for Columbia. The road was as on the preceding days, but the country grew more hilly, the sand more yellow, and mingled with clay. We crossed the Wateree river in a small boat with much difficulty. We reached the river by break of day. The driver often blew his horn, nevertheless we had to wait about half an hour for the ferry-boat. At last it came, manned by two negroes. But scarcely was the carriage in it when another misery began. We were sitting on a bench, and the negroes were obliged to work for half an hour before we were again afloat. Finally, we reached the opposite shore, but the negroes were so awkward, that they took more than a quarter of an hour, to place the boat in such a situation as to permit the carriage to get out. We reached Columbia about one o’clock in the afternoon, and took lodgings at Clark’s hotel, a large but merely tolerable house. We were obliged to content ourselves with the narrowness of our lodgings, for the legislature of the state was just assembled in that place, and all the houses were full. It is only forty years since the city was laid out; it contains four hundred inhabitants, is situated very pleasantly upon an eminence, below the confluence of Saluda and Broad rivers which form the Congaree by their junction. The town is built very regularly, contains a great number of brick houses, and its streets, crossing each other at right angles, are one hundred feet broad; though not paved, they are provided with large side-walks, and rows of pride of China trees. In the surrounding gardens of many elegant private houses, I saw a great number of evergreen trees, mostly laurels, and also some pretty high yucca gloriosa, which they call here palmetto. In Columbia there are many well-provisioned stores, and there seemed to be a great deal of life in the place. At the common table where many of the deputies were dining, I made acquaintance with a Mr. Washington, from Charleston, to whom I had letters from Baltimore. He made me immediately acquainted with several of the members of the legislature. The governor of the state, Mr. Manning, sent me his compliments by Mr. Butler, his aid, and invited me to an evening party. Towards the evening Mr. Washington, a distant relation of the president, and son of Colonel Washington, distinguished in the revolutionary war, accompanied me to see Judge Desaussure, one of the principal men of this city and state, to whom also, I had letters, and found in him a respectable old gentleman. His father was a native of Lausanne, in Switzerland, and uncle of the celebrated naturalist Desaussure. I met at his house a large company of gentlemen, who had dined there, and became acquainted with the governor, a very fine man. After the company had retired, Judge Desaussure accompanied me to one of his step son’s, Colonel Blanding, civil engineer, who has the reputation of being a man of great knowledge. The habit of chewing tobacco, practised by several of the gentlemen, and in which they indulge even when in the society of ladies, appeared remarkable to me. The society was numerous, and composed of many ladies; I became acquainted with two Professors of Columbia College, Messrs. Henry and Nott; the first is acquainted with the French and German languages, he has translated Niebuhr’s Roman History into English. Mr. Nott studied in England and France, resided for some time in Ghent, and married a lady of Brussels. From Mr. Blanding’s house we went to the governor’s, where again a large company was assembled to a ball. No other dances but cotillions were danced, in the manner of the tedious German quadrilles; the band consisted of negroes. The governor, who in this state is elected for two years, and his lady, did the honours exceedingly well; he introduced me to all present, gentlemen and ladies. The acquaintance I made with a Frenchman, Mons. Herbemont, was very interesting to me; he has been an inhabitant of the United States for more than forty years, was formerly Professor of Botany in Columbia College, and now lives upon his income. The company remained together until the evening.

On the next morning I received visits from Messrs. Desaussure and Herbemont, who came with the design of showing me the few curiosities of the city. We went at first to see the water-works, which provide the whole city with water. In a hollow place there is a basin, or rather a reservoir, to which several fountains have been conducted. From this reservoir the water is pumped by means of a steam-engine having two horse-power, and driven into the city, which is situated one hundred and thirty feet above it. The water is distributed in the different parts of the town by pipes, which are in the middle of the streets. At different places the tubes are provided with fire-plugs, constructed according to the plan of Mr. Blanding.

Afterwards we went to see the state-house, a large wooden building, which will probably in a few years be replaced by one of stone. In one of the halls of the state-house, the senators, forty in number, were assembled under the presidency of Mr. Johns; in another were the hundred and twenty representatives: the speaker was Mr. O’Neil. The halls are very plain. The senators as well as the representatives, sit in a semicircle, and the speaker in a more elevated place in the middle. During my presence, the debates in both chambers were on no interesting subjects, therefore I did not stay long. In the senate chamber hung two pictures of no great excellence, by an artist of Charleston: the battle of Eutaw in the revolutionary war, under General Greene, and the defence of the lines at New Orleans, by General Jackson. In a few days an interesting object was to be taken into consideration, namely, the question if the government of the United States have the right to lay out canals and public roads in the different states of the union, or not! Reasonable men conceive that the government must have the power to execute such works; on the other hand, the short-sighted, from certain envy between the states, dispute this right with the government. The jealousy between the states seems to take the upper hand. The state of South Carolina intended to make a public road, leading from Charleston westwards to the state of Tennessee; this road would have passed for some miles through the state of North Carolina, the state of North Carolina opposed its execution, under the pretext that the road would not bring sufficient profit to the last state, although the two first states would have executed it at their own expense. The true reason of this opposition is said to be that the advantage of that road to the state of South Carolina, was grudged by the other states.

From the state-house we went to Columbia College; it is an university, but has neither medical nor theological faculties. There are six professors. Dr. Cooper is the president, with whom I became acquainted last summer in Boston: on his return home, he was taken sick in Richmond.

The number of students was one hundred and twenty, who live in two large buildings, opposite each other; between them is the house of the President, and on both sides the houses of the professors. We paid a visit to Mr. Vanuxem, Professor of Natural History. He showed us the collection of minerals belonging to the college, but not so interesting as the collection of minerals of South Carolina, made by him last summer. There were several fine tourmalines, emeralds, pyrites containing gold; a new kind of metal called Columbian, asbestus and different specimens of primitive rocks. There was also pure gold from North Carolina, which was only discovered about six years ago. When at Cheraw, I was willing to make an excursion to the gold mine, but it would have taken me a couple of days. I was told, gold is found in a slime, which is dried up and then sifted, the gold dust remaining in the sieve. But miners are expected from Germany, and at their arrival, they will begin a regular exploration. It is said, that at present the company has a profit of twenty dollars a week. I visited also the library, which was not considerable, and did not contain any thing remarkable. On this occasion I made acquaintance with a Mr. Elliott, who had published a Flora of the state of South Carolina; he extolled the botanical treasures of that state. A small observatory was shut up; perhaps they would not show it to me, because there were but few instruments.

In Mr. Herbemont’s garden, we saw some very interesting plants and trees; magnolias, gardenias, pomegranate and other fruit trees, which he had grafted in a very singular manner one upon another; date palm trees and fig trees, raised from kernels, and a great number of evergreen laurel trees.

A mile from the city, on the left bank of the Congaree river is a canal three miles in length, to avoid some rapids, which are in the river. This canal has four locks, and the difference of the level of the water above and below them, is thirty-six feet. Two are built of granite, which is obtained close to the canal. Several blocks have been blown up, to make way for the canal. The other two are of brick, and the mason work appeared to me to have been well executed. They were just building a wooden bridge over the Congaree, in order to lead to Augusta; the bridge was to be supported by eight piers of stone. They are made of granite without any lime or cement.36 The exterior stones were chiseled and connected with cramp-irons. The undertaking was contracted for at seventy thousand dollars.

Not far from the bridge are several cotton plantations belonging to the wealthy family of Taylor. On one of these fields the harvest was just making by fifty-eight negroes of both sexes. They take the cotton by hand from the capsules, look at it, that no withered leaves may be attached to it, and throw it into bags, which are hanging before them; afterwards they shake the cotton from the bags into baskets which are prepared for that purpose. These negroes made a very disagreeable impression upon me, especially when some of the women asked Mr. Herbemont for some chewing tobacco. I saw here some fine oak and pine trees, the latter are very abundant in all the woods we lately passed through. They have extremely long leaves; the young shoots particularly have a fine appearance. The leaves are more than a foot in length, and the shoot looks like the bunch of horse-hairs on the caps of the Prussian grenadiers. On the trees hangs a long moss-like plant called Spanish beard. They pick up this plant, put it into water, to rot the grayish bark, and employ the black fibres which then make their appearance, like horse-hair, for making mattresses, which are even exported to Europe. Finally, we saw several aromatic and medicinal herbs, for instance, the monarda punctata, the juice of which, mixed with that of an onion, is said to be very efficacious in gravel complaints.

The Lunatic Asylum of Columbia is situated in an open place out of the city. It consists of a principal building adorned with a portico of six columns. In this building are lodgings for the inspectors, offices, and rooms for persons of moderate fortune. Two wings are connected with the principal building, and form obtuse angles with it, each of them is three stories high, in which the lunatics are placed. By degrees, as the income of the establishment increases, other wings will be built, and the whole will form an octagon. There is on the principal building a spire, from which is a very extensive view, though you see nothing else but woods. The distempered in mind will find here many conveniences when the buildings are completed: namely, good rooms, gardens, and walking places on balconies, inclosed with high walls.

A Catholic chapel in Gothic style has been built in Columbia by subscription, but the amount collected, being not sufficient, a lottery has been opened to obtain the deficiency! Next to the chapel is a theatre, which likewise is unfinished by the undertaker, on account of insufficiency of funds.

At Professor Henry’s, a very agreeable society assembled at dinner. At that party I observed a singular manner which is practised; the ladies sit down by themselves at one of the corners of the table. But I broke the old custom, and glided between them: and no one’s appetite was injured thereby.

I spent one evening at a ball given by Mr. Taylor, a rich proprietor, at one of his plantations. I found there a numerous and splendid society. But the music was of a singular kind; for the blacks, who two days ago played very well at the governor’s, were now drunk, and could not make their appearance. This was the reason that the whole music consisted of two violins and a tamborine. This tamborine was struck with a terrible energy. The two others scraped the violin, in the truest signification of the word; one of them cried out the figures, imitating with his body all the motions of the dance. The whole of it amused me much; for the rest, I was astonished at the great plainness of the house. Besides the first room, there were three rooms open, which had white walls, and were without window-curtains.

END OF VOL. I

VOL. II

CHAPTER XV

Journey to Charleston, and Residence in that City – from the 11th to the 19th of December, 1825

On the 11th of December, we were prepared before five o’clock to travel in the mail stage from Columbia to Charleston, one hundred and twenty miles distant. Unfortunately, our coachman had, the evening before, involved himself in a quarrel with a watchman, who attempted to arrest his sable Dulcinea, and given him a stab with a knife. It was feared that the watchman, who was the father of a family, would die. The coachman was immediately taken into custody. We were, consequently, obliged to remain till seven o’clock, since the contractor of the mail stage was unable to find another white driver sooner, and according to law, no negro could convey the United States’ mail.

Our company was very pleasant; I especially remarked a Mr. Bacott, from Charleston, and young Mr. Ramsay, as being well-informed men. Three miles below Columbia, we crossed the Congaree in a wretched boat, and on the right bank of the river, passed through a little place called Granby, which formerly had been a German settlement, called Saxe-Gotha. The road was, without exception, sandy, swampy, and at times hilly. The stage travelled very slowly, and for the greater part of the way, I left it behind, being on foot. It was nearly a continued forest, composed mostly of pine and oak trees, from which the Spanish moss hung in such quantities, that the appearance was far from agreeable. The number of the magnolia, kalmia, and gardenia trees increased, and also of the yucca gloriosa, which until now were situated principally in the neighbourhood of the dwellings. We also saw more live oaks here, of which the timber is uncommonly excellent for ship-building, because it does not rot, and cannon-shot in striking it produce no splinters. Towards evening, we passed the village of Orangeburg, with wooden houses. We supped in a solitary house, and at the same time met the mail stage coming from Charleston, in which we took seats. It had been built for General La Fayette, and was named the La Fayette stage. We proceeded through the whole night: the day had been pleasant, the night, however, was extremely cold: I suffered considerably, as I sat upon the coach-box, where I always took my seat, for the advantage of free air and prospect.

We travelled during the forenoon of the 12th of December, constantly through a forest. The number of live oaks increased, and they were really beautiful. The solitary fan-like macaw trees, which we took notice of, were small. The yuccas multiplied every moment. The last place before reaching Charleston, was Dorchester. We then passed by an old church, nearly in ruins, called St. Andrews, which has survived since the time of the English government. It stands in the midst of a venerable church-yard, under lofty live oaks and hickories, with palmettoes and macaw trees growing between the graves. The whole had a picturesque aspect. The plantations succeeded each other more frequently, presented a more agreeable appearance, and every thing showed marks of the proximity of a large city. At length, in the afternoon, we left the continued forest, and entered upon an open swampy district. Charleston extended before us. The city, distinguished as a seaport, lies upon a tongue of land, formed by the rivers Ashley and Cooper: we crossed the Ashley to reach the city. A causeway, constructed of fascines, passes through the swamp to the ferry. The river is three-quarters of a mile broad; we crossed it in an eight-horse team-boat. A wooden bridge, which formerly crossed the river here, was destroyed by a severe storm, and never again rebuilt. Upon the right bank, in the vicinity of Charleston, an entirely novel spectacle expanded itself to my view. The houses of the suburb, were, for the most part, surrounded by gardens, in which orange trees, with most splendid ripe fruit, monthly roses in full bloom, and a variety of other flourishing plants displayed themselves. The greater part of the habitations have piazzas and spacious balconies. Upon the walls and columns run creeping vines, we took notice of a great number of passion flowers. I felt delighted with this southern climate.

Charleston has a population of forty thousand inhabitants, about twenty-five thousand of these are free. The city is regularly built, the streets cross each other at right angles. The smallest streets are paved, all have brick side-walks. The paving-stone is imported from the northern states, on this account it is an expensive article, and the paving of the streets can only be gradually effected. In the suburb we passed through a street which was a log causeway. The principal part of the houses are, it is true, built of wood, and all are, as I am told, covered with shingles, on account of the frequent prevalence of severe tempests; the more recent are, however, of brick, and in very good taste. I took up my abode in Jones’s Hotel, a well supported and finely situated house, whose host was a mulatto. I had the pleasure to meet here with Colonel Wool, inspector-general of the army, with whom I became acquainted in Washington. I moreover made acquaintance with Mr. Bee, an elderly gentleman who had travelled much, to whom I had letters; also the late governor of the state, Mr. Wilson, with his young and accomplished lady, from New York, who, besides her native language, spoke French, German, Spanish, and Italian, and understood Latin and Greek; lastly, Major Massias, army paymaster.

A severe catarrh obliged me to remain at home a whole day. The weather was also unpleasant and stormy; Fahrenheit’s thermometer had fallen to twenty degrees, which degree of cold is here extremely uncommon. In the meantime, I received visits from a number of the distinguished inhabitants: from Dr. Tidyman, whom I had known in Philadelphia; from Mr. Lowndes, to whom I had introductory letters; from Dr. Johnson, mayor of the city; from Messrs. Pitray and Viel, French merchants; from the Marquis De Fougères, French consul; from Mr. Bacott, with whom I had arrived yesterday, and from Major Massias. Some extremely interesting strangers were also in the hotel, so that I did not lack entertainment. The following was related to me: – Some years previous, the negroes of the country engaged in a conspiracy to murder all the white males, and spare none but the females. This design was found out, and it was discovered that the original projectors were free negroes out of the limits of the state, who travelled in the northern section of the union, and in part were become Methodist preachers. They had returned home and preached freedom to the slave population. Since that period the legislature of this state has adopted very severe precautionary laws against free negroes and mulattoes. One of them is, that no individual of this description, if he have once left the state, shall be permitted to return. The wife of our host, Jones, found herself in this predicament. She had undertaken a voyage to New York, her native city, and now dared not to attempt a return. On this account, I was informed, had I brought a free black servant with me, he would have been taken from me, and put in custody till I should have left the state, or I must deposit a considerable security for him.