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

The manner that the work is conducted, cannot be clearly explained without a drawing. The scaffold, upon which the workmen stand who are employed in digging out the earth, consists of thirty-six small boxes, lying in three rows above each other. This scaffold is at the end of the tunnel, and rests exactly against the earth to be taken away. There are three men in each box, one to break the ground with a pick-axe, the other to shovel it out of the box, and the third to throw it on a cart, in which it is carried into the pit, whence it is raised in the buckets. For the safety of the workmen, cross-timbers are used to prop up the earth that is to be dug out. The first workman, on beginning his excavation, removes the upper beam and hacks out the earth behind it; which done, he takes away the second beam, and removes the second tier of earth, then the third, &c. If sufficient earth, about a foot wide, has been dug away from behind the first box, then the two boxes adjoining, begin the same operation. During this time the masons are not idle; for they continue working in the same proportion at the vault which has to support the earth above the tunnel. When, however, all the earth before the whole scaffold has been taken away, it is moved forward by means of steel screws. Both above and below the scaffold there are iron plates, with sharp edges, to facilitate the moving of it. On this plan the work proceeds at the rate of two feet in twenty-four hours; it is hoped that it would be completed in two years time; they have been over a year already working at it. I regret very much my not having met with Mr. Brunel, who is likewise the inventor of the block-machine at Portsmouth, and other very useful engines.

In Leicester square there were two fine panoramas; one representing the city of Edinburgh, and the other that of Mexico;77 the former panoramic view was taken from Caltonhill, and I recognized every place, owing to my having been there three years previous. In beholding the second, I regretted anew that my affairs during the last winter did not permit me to undertake a journey to Mexico. The beautiful blue sky reminded me of the happy days I passed in New Orleans, and I recognized the lofty Andes from the description, which I have so often read of them. Mexico deserves, if I am to judge from the panorama, to be called the city of palaces, as it is generally styled. In order to give an idea of the manners of the people, the artist gives a representation of the circus on the great square during the time of a bull-fight, and not far from it a procession.

At Regent’s place a diorama was to be seen. You are conducted into a pretty dark round saloon, and you perceive there, through a square hole, a painting that is lighted in a manner which cannot be discovered. The painting represents a church in Scotland called Rosslyn chapel. You seem to be at the entrance of the church, and you see that the sun darts his beams from the side and causes multifarious shades, on account of the bushes and trees in front of the windows of the church. In the rear of the church you see a small door, leading to a yard, planted with underwood, and in the back ground, a Gothic building. By and by the sun disappears, and you perceive by the effect of light, that a storm is approaching; then you see the effect of rain, and after this disappears, you enjoy the finest sunshine. The illusion is so perfect, that you seem to hear the rain. In the interior of the church several objects are represented with the greatest accuracy, viz. a part of a scaffold, to which ropes are attached, a basket with tools, &c. The Gothic pillars of the church display a particularly handsome view.

After having contemplated this painting for a considerable time, a signal is given with a bell. The floor on which the spectators stand, turns to another opening through which you have a view of the city of Rouen, in France. Now the same effects of light as in the other piece are displayed, and you imagine yourself to be in the place, which is represented to your sight. But the first piece made the best impression on me. The finest part of this diorama is the representation of interior parts of buildings.

I was delighted at the fine view of the newly-finished buildings of Regent’s park, the construction of which was begun during my visit three years ago. This new quarter consists of palaces. At Mr. Ackermann’s store I enjoyed a sight of the greatest variety of fancy articles. It is only to be regretted that the works published at his establishment are so very expensive. I had the pleasure of becoming personally acquainted with Mr. Ackermann, this venerable philanthropist is plain in appearance, but is very interesting in his conversation. He spoke much with me about my happily finished travels, and invited me to his country-seat; but I was obliged to decline this invitation on account of the short time which remained at my disposal. I next visited the store of another German, a cutler and manufacturer of surgical instruments, Mr. Weiss; he is a native of Rostock, but already more than thirty years established in this city, and particularly in making surgical instruments, he is said to be the first manufacturer in England. He showed me several apparatus and instruments, among which there was one for removing a stone, without the necessity of performing the operation of cutting. He showed me the cast of a stone as large as a chesnut, which had been extracted from the bladder of a man, without any cutting operation. Moreover, he showed me a poison pump of his own invention, by means of which, poisons that have been swallowed, may be extracted from the stomach. This machine consists of a brass tube which contains the pump; to this is attached a long tube of elastic gum, which terminates in a sack of the same substance provided with holes. This tube is passed through the throat into the stomach, and when the sack has entered the stomach, the poison is pumped through the flexible tube into the brass one. By turning the handle of the pump the gum tube is closed; then it is forced down again, by means of which another valve on the other side of the brass tube opens, and to this another elastic tube is attached, through which the extracted poison is ejected. Then the handle is turned a second time, which closes this valve and opens the first one, leading to the tube that is fixed in the stomach, and the operation is continued until no poison is left in the stomach. Mr. Weiss told me, that some weeks ago, by means of this instrument, his son had saved the life of a girl, who had taken a considerable dose of arsenic in a fit of amorous desperation.

The English nobility give, at certain times, in the British institution, Pallmall street, a public exhibition of their collections of precious paintings. Just now there was the king’s collection of paintings from his palace, Carlton-house, because they were about to demolish this palace, and in its place erect an edifice after the model of the Parthenon at Athens, which is calculated to contain the works of English artists. This is a fine idea, and certainly encouraging for the artists of this nation, but it is a pity that it causes the destruction of this elegant palace. The British institution is a building which consists of three large halls, and which receive their light from above. The collection mostly contained paintings of Flemish artists, some English, and a few Italian and French. There were seven pieces by Rubens, amongst which I particularly noticed his own likeness and that of his first wife, finished in the same manner as those in the collection of Mr. Schamp at Ghent, and at Warwick Castle; besides these, a landscape with figures, representing the history of St. George, with the portraits of Queen Henrietta Maria and Charles I. for whom it was done. Seven paintings by Vandyk, among which the portraits of Charles I. in three views, which his lady had sent to the statuary Bernini at Rome, to finish the bust of the king therefrom. A sketch, studies of horses and horsemen, of remarkable value, and a full-size portrait of Gaston de France, and two portraits of Queen Henrietta Maria, which, like that of her unfortunate husband, I might call unavoidable, because it is to be found almost in every collection of paintings in England. I found seven pieces by Rembrandt, among which were several excellent portraits, and his own; they were all easily distinguished by his particular colouring. Fourteen paintings by Teniers, collections of people; small portraits; a view of the towns of Holland, and a couple of landscapes, one of which represents likewise, the artist, his wife, and his gardener; a real ornament to this collection. One of these pieces, representing a village festival, had been on the artist’s harpsichord. I admired two other pieces, in the same style, by J. Ostade, and seven by A. Ostade; six by Jan Steen. One of the latter, very excellently finished, represented an elderly man, just rising from bed, who is listening to the reproaches of a young girl, for his niggardliness; she holds forth to him a trifle of money, and an old woman is urging him to be more generous. Four effects of light, by Schalken, and a portrait by Holbein, are likewise worthy of attention. Nine pieces by Wouverman are easily distinguished by the white horses, representing skirmishes and country scenes. Seven pictures by Mieris are to be known by their fine keeping. Three pieces are by G. Douw, one by Slingelandt, and five by Metzu. A landscape by Ruisdael, and two by Hobbema, attracted my particular attention, as well as eleven pieces by Vandevelde, representing sea-pieces, landscapes, and views of several cities of Holland; two of the latter are finished by him and Vanderheyden jointly; I observed likewise, four very fine pieces by Vanderwerff, one of them representing the Roman Mercy, the other a concert, the third Lot with his daughters, and the fourth two children.

The collection is likewise rich in paintings of animals; there are four capital works by G. Potter, one of them representing two hogs, as true as if they were living. A piece by Hondekoeter, representing a chicken, belongs likewise to this class, as well as ten pieces by Cuyp, in which the landscapes are very well finished. Among these I enjoyed particularly a camp-scene with a horseman in the fore-ground, engaged in currying his horse. Six very good pieces, by Berghem ought not to be omitted, nor a handsome sea-piece by Buckhuizen, with a view of Briel in the back-ground.

Besides these pieces, there is a good collection of other paintings of the same school, but it would lead me too far, to mention them all. From other schools there are but a few and of less value. A landscape with sheep, by Titian; Christ taken down from the Cross, by Michael Angelo and Venusti, and another piece by Gonzalez. Among the paintings of modern times, I found the portrait of Garrick and his wife, by Hogarth; a domestic scene, by Greuze, and several pieces of an Italian painter, Zeffani. One of them, which has become more generally known by the copperplate of Bartolozzi, represents the Royal Academy of London, and the other the Gallery of Florence, with the portraits of several Englishmen of note, who sojourned at that time in Florence. By the same artist I saw two pieces, representing the interior of two royal palaces, with the children of George III. and their mother. These tasteless pieces, compared with the before-mentioned elegant paintings, make an unpleasant impression. I saw eight pieces by Sir Joshua Reynolds, among which his own portrait and two full-size portraits of the Portuguese Chief Marshal Count von der Lippe, and of the English General Marquis of Granby. These two pieces are masterly works, and full of expression. You distinguish in the countenance of Count von der Lippe and in his whole posture, his profound and enterprising spirit, and in the features of Lord Granby his great benevolence, which procured him in the army the name of the soldier’s friend. The features of the count excite respect, while those of the lord claim your attachment. I was much less pleased with the historical pieces of Sir Joshua. The most handsome of the newer paintings was undoubtedly the interior of the choir of a Capuchin chapel by the French painter Granet. The expression of the countenances of the monks is unparalleled; in some you see piety, in others listlessness; another couple make sport of the exceeding piety of a monk, kneeling in the middle of the hall; the countenance of a young, tall, stout monk, is the personification of fanaticism. Near the altar stands a monk in the sacerdotal habit, with two choristers and tapers in their hands, the monk singing a hymn. The light is very well executed; it enters through a large window in the back ground, and makes a fine effect on the bare crown of the head and the gray beard of the priest. I think this piece one of the finest of the whole collection. I saw here a great many gentlemen and ladies, and it is said to be fashionable to visit this splendid gallery in the afternoon.

On the 26th of July, (the anniversary of the day on which I first landed on American ground at Boston,) I went to the custom-house for the purpose of taking passage for Ostend on board the steam-boat Earl of Liverpool, Captain Peak, which was laying there at anchor. At the custom-house I was quite surprised. I expected to see the splendid, newly-erected palace for the offices of the custom-house, the same which, three years ago, I had admired so much, and instead of it, found nothing but ruins. They said that the foundation had not been well enough examined upon which the custom-house had been built by contract; the building cracked, the large, splendid hall was near falling down, and in order to prevent this accident, they were obliged to demolish the centre building; both wings of the building were yet supported by beams, but they soon will have to demolish them likewise, in order to build an entirely new house. The gentleman who made the contract to have the house built, lays the blame of this bad work upon the architect, and he upon a commission, under whose control he acted.

The Earl of Liverpool, of one hundred and thirty tons, with two engines, left London at eleven o’clock, A. M., and on the next morning at six o’clock I landed at Ostend. At four o’clock, P. M. I proceeded by the way of Bruegge to Ghent. During this journey I remembered an observation which I had heard frequently in America, that upon an American visiting Europe for the first time, nothing makes a greater impression than the old monuments, which trace the time past for many centuries, and which are a proof of the prosperity and good taste of preceding generations. I found this observation perfectly true, by my own feelings on returning from America, which exhibits none but new objects, and has nothing but a bustling present struggling for future improvement.

On the 28th of July, at four o’clock, P. M., I arrived at Ghent.

THE END

1

For the benefit of my readers who are not military, I subjoin the names of offices in our navy, and their correspondence in rank with army offices: —

2

A Netherland merchant ship, employed to carry troops to the East Indies, whose wretched condition was not discovered until she was in the main ocean, and was obliged to make for Plymouth for repairs.

3

For minute description of this hospital, see Dupin.

4

[This manuscript is perhaps one of the most curious specimens of calligraphy extant. Without the aid of a microscope it is almost impossible to discover that it is not a printed work, so extremely uniform and accurate is every letter. We believe it was originally prepared for the celebrated Dr. Richard Meade of London.] – Trans.

5

[This “lady” is now one of the editors of a newspaper, published in the western country, devoted to the especial debasement of the human race. She has kindly undertaken to enlighten the Americans by endeavouring to convince them that religion is a cheat, chastity a dream, and all who adhere to the pure precept of the gospel of our Saviour, fools!] – Trans.

6

The expenses of public instruction, with the exception of Harvard University, are defrayed by means of a school tax, granted by the representatives of the state of Massachusetts, to which every inhabitant of the state is obliged to contribute. This praiseworthy arrangement exists also in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. In the last state, moreover, those parents who neglect to keep their children at school, are fined five dollars for every absent child, which sum goes into the school treasury.

7

[Most probably to evade a law against “nine-pins.”] – Trans.

8

[The harvest having occurred in July.] – Trans.

9

[Recently deceased.] – Trans.

10

[Since, unfortunately for his country, deceased.] – Trans.

11

[It was designed and executed in Paris.] – Trans.

12

[Improved by having a number of Shark’s teeth placed in its mouth and throat.] – Trans.

13

[This ornament of human nature, died in the year 1827.] – Trans.

14

Commodore of the navy-yard.

15

[This unwarrantable and exasperating usurpation of extending CHAINS across the public highways is not attempted by all religious sects. Through the good sense of congregations it has been entirely relinquished in some of our cities. That it is productive of more dislike to churches and churchmen than of any other result, is a truth which will one day be profoundly felt.] – Trans.

16

[Blacks are shipped as seamen in the navy of the United States, where they stand on the same level with white seamen.] – Trans.

17

[The duke, it will be recollected, was rather above six feet in height.] – Trans.

18

Here is one of the bills.

Sir,

The enclosed Federal Republican Ticket, is earnestly recommended to you for your support, This Day. Our opponents are active – Danger threatens – Every vote is important – One may be decisive. Be therefore on the alert – vote early for your own convenience, and the public good. Bring your friends to the poll, and all will be well. The improvement of the city is carefully regarded – good order and tranquillity abounds – general prosperity is every where apparent. Then secure by your vote This Day, a continuance of the present happy state of things.

Our mayor is independent, faithful, and vigilant: —Who will be mayor if we fail!!! Think on this and hesitate no longer, but vote the whole of the enclosed ticket.

(Naturalized citizens will please to take their certificates with them.)

Tuesday, October 11th, 1825.

19

[This surprise originated from the almost universal mistake of considering the elbow of animals as a knee. The anterior extremities of animals are in all respects analogous to those of the superior extremities of man; hence the second joint from the shoulder blade uniformly bends backward like the human elbow. It is not longer ago than the year 1810, that the present Sir Everard Home, whose pretensions as a comparative anatomist are well known, almost quarrelled with Mr. Peale, in presence of Sir Joseph Banks and Dr. Heavisides, for insisting upon the similarity of the anterior limbs of animals to the human arm!] – Trans.

20

[The Vandalia, recently launched.] – Trans.

21

[“Thou,” in German, is only used in addressing individuals of the lowest degree.] – Trans.

22

This took place on the banks of the Delaware, in Kensington, near Philadelphia. The elm tree was struck by lightning, a few years ago and destroyed.

23

[Both sides of this question are warmly and ably defended by philanthropists of high character and unquestionable benevolence. The reader will find in the late correspondence between Roscoe and Mr. Roberts Vaux, of Philadelphia, the arguments urged for and against the system.] – Trans.

24

[Perhaps, had his highness known that this picture was long exhibited and admired in London by amateurs and artists, who certainly are somewhat accustomed to seeing good pictures, he would not have pronounced so decidedly from a very cursory examination. There is nothing, however, which the Duke of Saxe-Weimar says concerning the fine arts, in these travels, to entitle his opinion on paintings to any authority.] – Trans.

25

[The library of the American Philosophical Society is one of the most valuable collections in the United States, and is richer in the Transactions of other learned societies than any in our country. The Duke states in the original that books are not lent from this library, which is so erroneous that we have not repeated it in the translation. Members of the society enjoy a free use of the books, and literary men properly recommended are always able to obtain advantageous access to the library.] – Trans.

26

[Recently deceased.] – Trans.

27

[Since deceased.] – Trans.

28

[This is the only perfect lower jaw of the mastodon ever found, and the lover of Natural History must regret the extreme carelessness of the proprietor or superintendent of the Baltimore Museum, which has allowed so valuable a specimen to be mutilated. The London Medical Society was once in treaty for this jaw bone, at the price of three hundred guineas.] – Trans.

29

The Duke of Leinster’s Palace served as the model for this building; that, however, is one story higher.

30

[Since deceased. His place is supplied by Dr. Thomas P. Jones, of Philadelphia.] – Trans.

31

Since dead.

32

[Since dead.] – Trans.

33

He had commanded the militia when Governor of Virginia.

34

[“Let it never be forgotten that a part of the quarrel of the Americans with the government of Great Britain, arose from the determination of the former not to tolerate the farther importation of slaves; an importation absolutely forced on them by England, in consideration of the vested rights of the Royal African Company!!! With an admirable grace does England upbraid America with tolerating slavery, – a curse by her inflicted on her colonies.” —London Literary Chronicle, June 7th, 1828.] – Trans.

35

She left an only son by her marriage with Rolf, who settled himself in America, and had two daughters. From these are descended the families of Randolph and Robinson, and from these the family of Claiborne, consequently the two eldest children of Mrs. Grymes, Charles and Sophrone are descendants of the unfortunate Indian princess. In the two families, Randolph and Robinson, the eldest son is named Powhattan, and the eldest daughter Pocahontas. At New Orleans I became acquainted with a member of the Robinson family who had formerly been governor of Louisiana.

36

Because they would be obliged to bring it from the northern states at a great expense.

37

Accommodation is here so difficult to procure, that the senators are obliged to sleep three upon one mattress laid upon the floor: their food consists, it is said, almost without exception of salted pork.

38

In this part of the country, they have either feather beds or moss mattresses; if these latter are old, the moss clots together, and it is like lying on cannon-balls.

39

[This is the same corps which the Philadelphians extol so highly, that one might almost suppose them equal to the artists of the Theatre Français, if, unfortunately, one visit to the theatre, did not completely dispel the illusion!] – Trans.