On arriving at Baltimore, I found that so woful was the condition of the
road between this city and the capital, that, although the distance is
but thirty-seven miles, and that there remained full three hours of
daylight, still no regular stage would encounter, until morning, the
perils of the road.
I thereon made an agreement with two gentlemen,--one of whom was an
excellent and learned judge, on some State business; and the other a
Philadelphia merchant, escorting his daughter, and a pretty young lady
her friend, on a visit of pleasure to Washington,--that we would
together engage an extra coach for our party; and, instead of starting
at the monstrous hour of five in the morning, set out at half-past
eight, when, with the advantage of a light load and good horses, we
might reasonably hope to reach our destination before dark.
This was done accordingly: an extra, or exclusive carriage, to hold six
inside, was contracted for with the proper authorities, and chartered to
Washington city, to start between eight and nine next morning, for the
sum of twenty-five dollars, or about six pounds sterling.
With the punctuality for which these people are distinguished throughout
the States, our carriage drove up to Barnum's door at a few minutes
after eight; and, breakfast being despatched, our party was seated
fairly, with all the luggage built up on the permanent platform which
graces the rear of these machines, within the time appointed: a very
creditable event, when it is considered there were two young ladies of
the party.
The air was mild as in May, and there being a goodly promise of
sunshine, I resigned my share of the inside to my servant Sam,--the very
pink of brown gentlemen in appearance, besides being a pattern of
good-breeding; and seeing something unusually knowing in the look of our
waggoner, mounted the box by his side, uneasy though it was; for never
was anything worse contrived for comfort than the outside of a Yankee
stage-coach,--except, perhaps, the inside of an English mail.
Mr. Tolly, whose acquaintance I now made, let me record, was the only
driver I ever met in America who took up his leather, and packed his
cattle together, with that artist-like air, the perfection of which is
only to be seen in England.
The coachmen are not here, as with us, a distinct class, distinguished
by peculiar costume, and by characteristics the result of careful
education and exclusive habits; but might be taken for porters, drovers,
or anything else indeed,--being men who have followed, and are ready
again to follow, a dozen other vocations, as circumstances might
require: they are nevertheless, generally, good drivers, and, uniformly,
sober steady fellows.
Mr. Tolly, however, one might see at a glance--despite the disadvantages
of his toggery, plant, and all his other appointments--was born to look
over four pair of lively ears; and had Fortune only dropped him in any
stable-loft between London and York, there would not have been a cooler
hand or a neater whip on the North road.
About a mile from the city we came upon the country turnpike; and of
this, as I now viewed it for the first time, any comprehensible
description is out of the question, since I am possessed of no means of
illustrating its condition to English senses;--a Cumberland fell,
ploughed up at the end of a very wet November, would be the Bath road
compared with this the only turnpike leading from one of the chief
sea-board cities to the capital of the Union.
I looked along the river of mud with despair. Mr. Tolly will pronounce
this impracticable after the night's rain, thinks I; but I was mightily
mistaken in my man: without pausing to pick or choose, he cheered his
leaders, planted his feet firmly, and charged gallantly into it.
The team was a capital one, and stuck to their dirty work like terriers.
Some of the holes we scrambled safely by would, I seriously think, have
swallowed coach and all up: the wheels were frequently buried up to the
centre; and more than once we had three of our cattle down together all
of-a-heap, but with whip and voice Mr. Tolly always managed to pick them
out and put them on their legs again; indeed, as he said, if he could
only see his leaders' heads well up, he felt "pretty certain the coach
must come through, slick as soap."
Mr. Tolly and myself very soon grew exceedingly intimate; a false
reading of his having at starting inspired him with a high opinion of my
judgment, and stirred his blood and mettle, both of which were decidedly
game.
Whilst smoking my cigar, and holding on by his side with as unconcerned
an air as I could assume, I, in one of our pauses for breath, after a
series of unusually heavy lurches, chanced to observe, by way of
expressing my admiration, "This is a real _varmint_ team you've got hold
on, Mr. Tolly."
"How did you find that out, sir?" cries Tolly, biting off about a couple
of ounces of 'baccy.
"Why, it's not hard to tell so much, after taking a good look at them, I
guess," replied I.
"Well, that's rum any how! but, I guess, you're not far out for once,"
answers Mr. Tolly, with a knowing grin of satisfaction: "sure enough,
they are all from Varmont;[7] and I am Varmont myself as holds 'em. All
mountain boys, horses and driver--real Yankee flesh and blood; and they
can't better them, I know, neither one nor t'other, this side the
Potomac."[8]
I found my _hirgo_ was thrown away, but did not attempt an explanation,
and became in a little time satisfied that this odd interpretation of my
compliment had answered an excellent purpose; for my companion became
exceedingly communicative, and most indefatigable in his exertions. More
plucky or more judicious coachmanship, or better material under leather,
I never came across in all my journeyings. About half way we bade adieu
to my Varmont friend, to my great regret.
Wearied with my rough seat, which the companionship of Mr. Tolly had
alone rendered endurable so long, I now got inside; the Philadelphia
gentleman succeeding to the vacancy on the box.
I did my best to draw my fair companions into a little chat, but found
my _vis-a-vis_--the daughter of my successor outside--most
impracticable; a monosyllable was the extent of her exertion: whilst her
companion, who was a lively, intelligent-looking girl, and very pretty
withal, was necessarily chilled by the taciturnity of her senior. I note
this as being an unusual case, since, when once properly introduced, the
ladies of America are uncommonly frank and chatty, and evince an evident
desire to please and be amiable; which is creditable to themselves, and
to strangers is both flattering and agreeable.
In the good old judge, whom I had the honour of meeting often after, I
found one of the most amusing and intelligent companions a man could
desire to rumble over a villanous road with, and for a couple of hours
we made time light, when our day's journey had well-nigh terminated in
an adventure that might have been attended with ugly consequences.
Although the road for this stage was something less bad, our driver was
not a Tolly; in avoiding some Charybdis or other, he let his leaders
slip down a bank about eight feet deep, whither, but for the good temper
and steady backing of the wheel-horses, we should have followed: as it
was, we managed to pick out our cattle, and got off with a couple of
broken traces. These being duly cobbled, away we scrambled again, I
resuming my seat on the box; the last occupant having become most
heartily sick of his elevation.
About the end of nine hours' hard driving, the high dome of the Capitol
showed near; and the city toll-gate, situated about a mile from this
magnificent building, was opened. The prospect was, notwithstanding, yet
sufficiently uncheery; a steep hill lay in front, having a road that
looked like a river of black mud meandering about one side of it--the
other side was seamed with various tracks made by the vehicles of bold
explorers, who, like ourselves, had been doubtful about facing the
regular road--the counsel of a well-mounted countryman, who reported
that he had just passed the wrecks of two coaches on the turnpike,
decided us to eschew it, and boldly try across country.
We all alighted, except the ladies; and acting as pioneers, pushed up
the hill, breasting it stoutly. It was very well we took this route;
for, having at last safely crowned it, we beheld on our right the two
coaches that left Baltimore three hours before us, hopelessly pounded in
the highway, regularly swamped within sight of port; for the Capitol was
not over three or four hundred yards from them.
The passengers were all out, most of them assisting to unharness and
unload, that, by combining both teams, they might extricate their
vehicles one at a time.
Here, within the shadow of the Capitol, I was struck with the gloomy and
unimproved condition of the surrounding country. Except our caravan, not
a living thing moved within sight--all was desert, silent, and solitary
as the prairies of Arkansas.
The great avenue once entered upon, the scene changed, and we rattled
along briskly over a well Macadamized road. The judge we set down at the
top of the Capitolinean hill, where his honourable brothers held their
head-quarters; my other companions had rooms secured at Gadsby's, where
we next halted; but to my inquiries here, I was answered, "All quite
full." They advised me, at the same time, to try _Fuller_, which I
thought waggish enough: however, after driving about a mile farther down
the avenue, I found at Mr. Fuller's hotel rooms taken for me by a
considerate friend, and had to congratulate myself now and henceforward
on being the best-lodged errant _homo_ in the capital of the United
States.
The windows of my sitting-room, I perceived, commanded a view the whole
extent of the avenue; but, for the present, I limited my speculation to
the dinner that was soon placed before me, and which a fast of eleven
hours had rendered a particularly desirable prospect.