_Narrative of_ MR. WELD'S _Excursion from Philadelphia to
Washington_.
On the 16th of November, 1795, Mr. Weld left _Philadelphia_ in one of
the public stage-waggons. The country around this city was well
cultivated, and abounded with neat villas and farm-houses; but it had a
naked appearance, for all the trees had been cut down, either for fuel
or to make way for the plough.
The road to Baltimore passed over the lowest of three floating bridges,
which had been thrown across the _river Schuylkill_. The view, on
crossing this river, which is about two hundred and fifty yards wide, is
peculiarly beautiful. The banks on each side are high, and, for many
miles, afford extremely delightful situations for villas.
The country, after passing the Schuylkill, is pleasingly diversified
with rising grounds and woods; and appears to be in a good state of
cultivation. The first town of any note at which Mr. Weld arrived, was
_Chester_; which at this time contained about sixty dwellings, and was
remarkable for being the place where the first colonial assembly sat.
From the vicinity of Chester, there is a grand view of the river
Delaware.
About half a mile from Wilmington is _Brandywine River_, remarkable for
its mills: no fewer than thirteen having been built, almost close to
each other, upon it.
_Wilmington_ is the capital of the state of Delaware, and contained, at
this time, about six hundred houses, which were chiefly of brick. The
streets are laid out in a manner somewhat similar to those of
Philadelphia. There is, however, nothing very interesting in this town,
and the country around it is flat and unpleasant. _Elkton_, twenty-one
miles from Wilmington, and the first town in Maryland, is a dirty and
disagreeable place; which contains about ninety indifferent houses, that
are built without any regularity.
Every ten or twelve miles upon this road there are taverns. These are
all built of wood, and much in the same style; with a porch in front,
which extends the entire length of the house. Few of them have any
signs, and they are only to be distinguished from other houses, by a
number of handbills pasted upon the walls near the door. Each of them is
named, not from the sign, but from the person who keeps it; as Jones's,
Brown's, &c. and all are kept nearly in the same manner. At each house
there are regular hours for breakfast, dinner, and supper: and, if a
traveller arrive somewhat before the time appointed for any one of these
meals, it is in vain to desire a separate repast for himself: he must
patiently wait till the regulated hour; and must then sit down with such
other guests as happen to be in the house.
The _Susquehannah_ river is crossed, on the way to Baltimore, at a ferry
five miles above its entrance into the Chesapeak. The river is here
about a mile and a quarter wide, and deep enough for vessels of any
burden. The banks are high and thickly wooded, and the scenery is grand
and picturesque. A small town, called _Havre de Grace_, which contains
about forty houses, stands on this river at the ferry. From Havre to
Baltimore the country is extremely poor; the soil is of a yellow gravel
mixed with clay, and the road is execrable.
_Baltimore_ is supposed to have, at this time, contained about sixteen
thousand _inhabitants_. Though not the capital of the state, it is the
largest town in Maryland; and, after Philadelphia and New York, is the
most considerable place of trade in North America. [It is built round
the head of a bay or inlet of the _river Patuxent_, and about eight
miles above its junction with the Chesapeak.] The _plan_ of the town is
somewhat similar to that of Philadelphia. Most of the _streets_ cross
each other at right angles. The main street, which runs nearly east and
west, is about eighty feet wide, and the others measure from forty to
sixty feet. The streets are not all paved, so that, in wet weather, they
are almost impassable; the soil being a stiff yellow clay, which retains
the water a long time. On the south of the town is the harbour, which
affords about nine feet water, and is large enough to contain two
thousand sail of merchant-vessels.
The greatest number of private _houses_ in Baltimore, are of brick; but
many, particularly in the skirts of the town, are of wood. In some of
the new streets, a few appeared to be well built; but, in general, they
are small, heavy, and inconvenient. [The public buildings have very
little architectural beauty.
In the year 1817, Baltimore contained fifty thousand inhabitants; and
was still rapidly increasing.] Among the inhabitants are to be found
English, Irish, Scotch, and French; but the Irish appear to be most
numerous. With a few exceptions, they are all engaged in trade; and they
are, for the most part, a plain people, sociable among themselves, and
friendly and hospitable towards strangers. Cards and dancing are here
favourite amusements. During the autumn, Baltimore is unhealthy, and
such persons as can afford it, retire to country-seats in the
neighbourhood, some of which are delightfully situated.
From Baltimore to Washington, a distance of forty miles, the country has
but a poor appearance. The soil, in some parts, consists of yellow clay
mixed with gravel: in other parts it is sandy. In the neighbourhood of
the creeks, and between the hills, there are patches of rich black
earth, called bottoms, the trees upon which grow to a large size.
_A description of the City of Washington._
This city was laid out in the year 1792; and was expressly designed for
the seat of government, and the metropolis of the United States.
Accordingly, in the month of November, 1800, the congress assembled here
for the first time. It stands on a neck of land, between the forks
formed by the eastern and western branches of the river _Potomac_. This
neck of land, together with an adjacent territory, ten miles square, was
ceded to the American congress by the states of Maryland and Virginia.
The ground on which the city has been built, was the property of private
individuals, who readily relinquished their claim to one half of it in
favour of congress, conscious that the value of what was left to them
would increase, and amply compensate them for their loss.
The _plan_ of the buildings was drawn by a Frenchman, whose name was
L'Enfant; and the ground, marked out for them, was fourteen miles in
circumference. The _streets_ run north and south, east and west; but, to
prevent that sameness which would result from their all crossing each
other at right angles, several avenues have been laid out, in different
parts of the city, which run transversely. The streets are, in general,
from ninety to a hundred feet, and the avenues one hundred and sixty
feet wide. There is also an arrangement for several squares.
Including the suburb of George Town, this city contains about twenty
thousand _inhabitants_, who are scattered over a vast space, in detached
masses of buildings, which appear like petty hamlets in a populous
country. The intended _streets_ are, for the most part, only
distinguishable from the rugged waste, by a slight trace, like that of a
newly-formed road; or, in some instances, by rows of poplar trees, which
afford neither ornament nor shade.
The _Capitol_, and the house appropriated to the president of the United
States, are situated on opposite hills, and are the chief public
buildings in Washington. During the late war, they were both nearly
destroyed by the British forces; but they are now rising into increased
splendour. The capitol, in which are the houses of the legislature, and
several public offices, stands on a bank of the Potomac, seventy feet
above the level of that river. It as yet consists of only two wings; but
these are intended to be connected by a centre, surmounted by a dome.
The _president's house_ is at the opposite end of "Pennsylvania Avenue,"
and commands a most beautiful prospect. On each side of it stands a
large brick building: one of which is the treasury, and the other is
appropriated to the war and navy offices. These are hereafter to be
connected with the palace.
The _post office_ is a large brick edifice, situated at about an equal
distance from the president's house and the capitol. Under the same roof
is the patent-office, and the national library, for the use of members
of the congress. In 1817 there were, in Washington, many brick
buildings, two and three stories high. There were also some small wooden
houses; though, according to the original plan, no houses were to be
built less than three stories high, and all were to have marble steps.
The _river Potomac_, at Washington, is navigable only for small craft;
but, besides this, there is a river, about the width of the Paddington
canal, which is dignified by the name of _Tiber_. The ridiculous, though
characteristic vanity displayed in changing its original appellation
from "Goose-creek" to that of "Tiber," has been happily exposed by the
English poet Moore. Speaking of this city, he says,
In fancy now, beneath the twilight gloom,
Come, let me lead thee o'er this modern Rome,
Where tribunes rule, where dusky Davi bow,
And what was Goose-creek once is Tiber now.
This fam'd metropolis, where fancy sees
Squares in morasses, obelisks in trees.
There are, at Washington, four market-days in the week, and negroes are
the chief sellers of provisions; but the supplies are neither good nor
various. In this city rents are very high; and mechanics are fully
employed and well paid. Shopkeepers too are numerous; but its increase
cannot be rapid, for it has no decidedly great natural advantages. It
has little external commerce, a barren soil, and a scanty population; is
enfeebled by the deadly weight of absolute slavery, and has no direct
communication with the western country.
With regard to the manners of the _inhabitants_, it is remarked that
both sexes, whether on horseback or on foot, carry umbrellas at all
seasons: in summer, to keep off the sunbeams; in winter, as a shelter
from the rain and snow; and in spring and autumn, to intercept the dews
of the evening. At dinner and at tea parties, the ladies sit together,
and seldom mix with the gentlemen, whose conversation usually turns upon
political subjects. In almost all houses toddy, or spirits and water, is
offered to guests a few minutes before dinner. Boarders in
boarding-houses, or in taverns, sometimes throw off their coats during
the heat of summer; and, in winter, their shoes, for the purpose of
warming their feet at the fire; customs which the climate only can
excuse. The barber always arrives on horseback, to perform the operation
of shaving; and here, as in some towns of Europe, he is the organ of all
the news and scandal of the place.
In the year 1817, when Mr. Fearon was in Washington, the congress was
sitting, and that gentleman several times attended the debates. The
place of meeting was a temporary one: it had been designed for an hotel,
and was in the immediate vicinity of the capitol. The congress assembled
at eleven o'clock in the morning, and adjourned at four in the
afternoon. Mr. Fearon's first visit was to the _senate_. This body is
composed of forty members, the states having increased their original
number of thirteen to that of twenty; and each state, regardless of its
population, sends two. The gallery of the senate-house is open to all;
and the only form observed, is that of taking off the hat. When Mr.
Fearon was at Washington, the chairman's seat was central, under a
handsome canopy; and the members were seated, on rich scarlet cushions,
some at double, and some at single desks. There were two large fires;
and the room was carpeted, as was also the gallery. In the congress, the
forms of business, with a few minor exceptions, are taken from those of
the British parliament. There is, however, one point of variation: every
speech is apparently listened to; and all the speeches, whether good or
bad, seem regarded with equal apathy, and with a complete lifeless
endurance, neither applause nor censure being allowed.
The _Representative Chamber_ was in the same building, and about twice
the extent. A gallery was here also open to the public of both sexes.
This assembly consists of nearly two hundred members. These want, in
appearance, the age, experience, dignity, and respectability, which an
Englishman associates with the idea of legislators, and which are
possessed by the superior branch of the congress. The members sat on
very common chairs, and at unpainted desks, which were placed in rows. A
few of the speakers commanded attention; but others talked on as long
they pleased, while the rest were occupied in writing letters or reading
newspapers. A spitting-box was placed at the feet of each member, and,
contrary to the practice of the upper house, both the members and
visitors wore their hats.
During the sitting of congress, the president, or rather his lady, holds
a drawing-room weekly. He takes by the hand all those persons who are
presented to him; shaking of hands being here considered more rational
and more manly than kissing them.
_George Town_ may be described as a suburb of Washington. It is finely
situated, on the north-east side of the Potomac river, and is divided,
from Washington, by the Rock Creek, over which are two bridges. The
houses are chiefly of brick, and have a neat appearance. Several of
them were built before the streets were formed, which gave rise to an
observation by a French lady, that "George Town had houses without
streets; Washington, streets without houses."
_Alexandria_, formerly called Belhaven, is a small, but peculiarly neat
town, on the western side of the Potomac, and about six miles south of
Washington. Its streets, like those of Philadelphia, run in straight
lines, and intersect each other at right angles. The houses are of neat
construction. The public buildings are an episcopal church, an academy,
a court-house, a bank, and gaol. This place carries on a considerable
trade; and the warehouses and wharfs are very commodious. The distance
from Alexandria to George Town is about ten miles; and there is a daily
communication between the two places, by means of a packet-boat.
Nine miles below Alexandria, and also on the bank of the Potomac, stands
_Mount Vernon_, formerly the country-seat of general Washington. The
house is of wood, but cut and painted so as to resemble stone. It has a
lawn in front; and, when Mr. Weld was here, the garden had the
appearance of a nursery-ground.
_Narrative of Mr._ WELD'S _Journey from Washington to Richmond
in Virginia_.
In proceeding from Washington southward, Mr. Weld passed through a part
of the country which was flat, sandy, and had a most dreary aspect. For
many successive miles nothing was to be seen but extensive plains, that
had been worn out by the culture of tobacco, and were overgrown with
yellow sedge, and interspersed with groves of pine and cedar-trees, the
dark green colour of which formed a singular contrast with the yellow of
the sedge. In the midst of these plains there were, however, the remains
of several good houses, which showed that the country had once been in a
flourishing state.
Mr. Weld crossed the Potomac at a place called _Hoe's Ferry_, The
ferry-man told him that, in the river, was a bank of oysters, and that,
if he wished it, the men should take up some. The singularity of
obtaining oysters from fresh water induced Mr. Weld to stop at the bank;
and the men, in a few minutes, collected as many as would have filled a
bushel. The oysters were extremely good when cooked, but were
disagreeable when eaten raw. The Potomac, as well as the other rivers in
Virginia, abounds with excellent fish of various kinds. At the ferry it
is about three miles wide.
Mr. Weld prevailed with the ferry-man to take him about ten miles down
the river, and land him on the Virginian shore, in a part of the country
which appeared to be a perfect wilderness. No traces of a road or
pathway were visible on the loose white sand; and the cedar and
pine-trees grew so closely together, on all sides, that it was scarcely
possible to see further forward, in any direction, than a hundred yards.
Taking a course, as nearly as he could guess, in a direct line from the
river, at the end of about an hour, he found a narrow road, which led to
a large and ancient brick house. The master of it was from home, and Mr.
Weld was obliged to proceed onward, several miles further, to a wretched
hovel which had the name of a tavern. On the ensuing morning he
proceeded to the residence of a gentleman, which was between the rivers
Potomac and _Rappahannoc_, and where he had been invited to pass a few
weeks.
The principal planters in Virginia possess large estates, and have, on
them, nearly every thing they can want. Among their slaves are found
tailors, shoemakers, carpenters, smiths, turners, wheelwrights, weavers,
and tanners. Woollen cloths and cotton goods, of several kinds, are
manufactured at this province. Cotton grows here in great luxuriance:
the plants, indeed, are often killed by the frost in winter, but they
always produce abundantly, the first year in which they are sown.
The large estates in Virginia are managed by stewards and overseers; and
the work is done wholly by slaves. The cottages of the slaves are
usually at the distance of a few hundred yards from the dwelling-house,
and give the appearance of a village, to the residence of every planter.
Adjoining to these cottages the slaves usually have small gardens, and
yards for poultry. They have ample time to attend to their own concerns:
their gardens are generally well stocked, and their flocks of poultry
numerous. Many of their little huts are comfortably furnished, and they
are themselves, in general, well clad. But Mr. Weld remarked, that this
class of persons is much more kindly treated in Virginia, than in the
other states of America.
The part of Virginia in which Mr. Weld was now passing his time, was, in
general, flat and sandy, and abounded in pine and cedar-trees: some
districts, however, were well cultivated, and afforded good crops of
corn; but these were intermixed with extensive tracts of waste land,
worn out by the culture of tobacco, and almost destitute of verdure.
The common people, in the lower parts of Virginia, have very sallow
complexions, owing to the burning rays of the sun in summer, and the
bilious complaints to which they are subject during the fall of the
year; but those in the upper parts of the country, towards the
mountains, have a healthy and comely appearance.
After Mr. Weld had left the house of his friend, he crossed the
_Rappahannoc River_, to a small town called _Tappahannoc_, or _Hob's
Hole_, containing about one hundred houses. The river is here about
three quarters of a mile wide, and, though the distance from its mouth
is seventy miles, sharks are very often seen.
From Tappahannoc to _Urbanna_, another small town on the Rappahannoc,
and about twenty-five miles lower down, the country wears but a poor
aspect. The road, which is level and sandy, runs, for many successive
miles, through woods. The habitations that are seen from it are but few,
and these of the poorest description. The woods chiefly consist of black
oak, pine, and cedar-trees, which only grow on land of the worst
quality.
Mr. Weld observed many traces of fires in the woods. Such fires, he was
informed, were frequent in the spring of the year; and they were usually
occasioned by the negligence of people who burnt the underwood, for the
purpose of clearing the lands. He was himself witness to one of them.
The day had been remarkably serene, and the underwood had been fired in
several places. During the afternoon, the weather was sultry, and, about
five o'clock, the horizon, towards the north, became dark, and a
terrible whirlwind arose. Mr. Weld was standing, with some gentlemen, on
an eminence, and perceived it gradually advancing. It carried along with
it a cloud of dust, dried leaves, and pieces of rotten wood; and, in
many places, as it passed along, it levelled the fence-rails, and
unroofed the cattle-sheds. Mr. Weld and his friends endeavoured, but in
vain, to reach a place of shelter. In the course of two minutes the
whirlwind overtook them: the shock was violent; it was hardly possible
to stand, and was difficult to breathe. It passed over in about three
minutes; but a storm, accompanied by heavy thunder and lightning,
succeeded: this lasted more than half an hour. On looking round,
immediately after the whirlwind had passed, a prodigious column of fire
appeared in a part of the wood where some underwood had been burning. In
many places the flames rose considerably above the summit of the trees,
which were of large growth. It was a tremendous, and, at the same time,
a sublime sight. The Negroes, on the surrounding plantations, were all
assembled with their hoes; and guards were stationed, at every corner,
to give alarm, if the fire appeared elsewhere, lest the conflagration
should become general. To one plantation a spark was carried by the wind
more than half a mile; happily, however, a torrent of rain, shortly
afterwards, came pouring down, and enabled the people to extinguish the
flames in every quarter.
The country between Urbanna and Gloucester is neither so sandy nor so
flat as that bordering upon the Rappahannoc. The trees, chiefly pines,
are of large size, and afford abundance of turpentine, which is
extracted from them, in great quantities, by the inhabitants.
_Gloucester_ contained, at this time, only ten or twelve houses. It is
situated on a neck of land nearly opposite to the town of York, and on
the bank of the _York River_, here about a mile and half wide. _York_
consisted of about seventy houses, an episcopalian church, and a gaol.
It is remarkable for having been the place where lord Cornwallis
surrendered his army to the combined forces of the Americans and French.
The banks of the river are, for the most part, high and inaccessible;
and the principal part of the town is built upon them; only a few
fishing-huts and store-houses standing at the bottom.
Twelve miles from York is _Williamsburgh_, formerly the seat of
government in Virginia. At this time it consisted of one principal
street, and two others, which ran parallel to it. At one end of the main
street stands the college, and, at the other end, the old capitol or
State-house, a capacious building of brick, which was crumbling to
pieces, from neglect. The houses around it were mostly uninhabited, and
presented a melancholy appearance.
The college of William and Mary, as it is still called, is at the
opposite end of the main street: it is a heavy pile of building,
somewhat resembling a large brick-kiln. The students were, at this time,
about thirty in number; but, from their boyish appearance, the seminary
ought rather to be termed a grammar-school than a college.
Mr. Weld dined with the president of the college. Half a dozen, or more,
of the students, the eldest about twelve years old, were at table; some
without shoes and stockings, and others without coats. A couple of
dishes of salted meat, and some oyster-soup, formed the whole of the
repast.
The town of Williamsburgh contained, at this time, about twelve hundred
inhabitants; and the society in it was thought to be more extensive, and
at the same time more genteel, than in any other place of its size in
America. No manufactures were carried on here, and there was scarcely
any trade.
From Williamsburgh to Hampton the country is flat and uninteresting.
_Hampton_ is a small town, situated at the head of a bay, near the mouth
of James River. It contained about thirty houses and an episcopal
church; and was a dirty, disagreeable place.
From this town there is a regular ferry to Norfolk, across Hampton
Roads, eighteen miles over. _Norfolk_ stands nearly at the mouth of the
eastern branch of Elizabeth River, the most southern of the rivers which
fall into _Chesapeak Bay_. This is the largest commercial town in
Virginia, and carries on a flourishing trade to the West Indies. Its
exports consist principally of tobacco, flour, and corn, and various
kinds of timber. Of the latter it derives an inexhaustible supply, from
the great "Dismal Swamp," which is immediately in its neighbourhood.
The houses in Norfolk were about five hundred in number; but most of
them were of wood, and meanly built. These had all been erected since
the year 1776; when the place had been totally burnt, by order of lord
Dunmore, then the British governor of Virginia. The losses sustained, on
this occasion, were estimated at three hundred thousand pounds sterling.
Near the harbour the streets are narrow and irregular: in the other
parts of the town they are tolerably wide. None of them, however, are
paved, and all are filthy. During the hot months of summer, the stench
that proceeds from some of them is horrid.
There were, at this time, two churches, one for episcopalians, and the
other for methodists; but, in the former, service was not performed more
than once in two or three weeks. Indeed, throughout all the lower parts
of Virginia, that is, between the mountains, and the sea, the people
seemed to have scarcely any sense of religion; and, in the country
districts, all the churches were falling into decay.
From Norfolk Mr. Weld went to the _Dismal Swamp_. This commences at the
distance of nine miles from the town, extends into North Carolina, and
occupies, in the whole, about one hundred and fifty thousand acres. The
entire tract is covered with trees, some of which are of enormous size;
and between them, the underwood springs up so thick, that the swamp is,
in many parts, absolutely impervious. It abounds also with cane-reeds,
and with long rich grass, on which cattle feed with great avidity, and
become fat in a short time. In the interior of the swamp, large herds of
wild cattle are found; the offspring, probably, of animals which have at
different times been lost, or turned out to feed. Bears, wolves, deer,
and other wild indigenous animals, are also found here.
As the Dismal Swamp lies so very near to Norfolk, where there is a
constant demand for timber, staves, and other similar articles, for
exportation; and, as the best of these are made from trees grown upon
the swamp, it of course becomes a valuable species of property. A canal,
which the inhabitants of Norfolk were, at this time, cutting through it,
would also tend to enhance its value.
From the Dismal Swamp to Richmond, a distance of about one hundred and
forty miles, along the south side of _James River_, the country is flat
and sandy, and, for many successive miles, is covered with pine-trees.
In some parts there are peach-orchards, which are very profitable. From
the peaches, the inhabitants make brandy, which, when properly matured,
is an excellent liquor, and much esteemed: they give it a delicious
flavour by infusing dried pears in it.
The accommodation at the taverns along this road, was most wretched;
nothing was to be had but rancid fish, fat salt pork, and bread made of
Indian corn. Mr. Weld's horses were almost starved. Hay is scarcely ever
used in this part of the country, but, in place of it, the inhabitants
feed their cattle with what they call fodder, the leaves of the Indian
corn-plant. Not a bit of fodder, however, was to be had on the whole
road from Norfolk to Richmond, except at two places.
_Petersburgh_ stands at the head of the navigable part of _Appommattox
River_, and is the only place of importance between Norfolk and
Richmond. The houses in Petersburgh were about three hundred in number,
and built without regularity. A flourishing trade was carried on in this
place. About two thousand four hundred hogsheads of tobacco were
inspected annually at the warehouses; and, at the falls of the
Appamatox, near the upper end of the town, were some of the best
flour-mills in Virginia.
_Richmond_, the capital of Virginia, is situated immediately below the
Falls of _James River_, which is here about four hundred yards wide, and
was at this time crossed by two bridges, separated from each other by an
island. The houses in Richmond were not more than seven hundred in
number, yet they extended nearly a mile and a half along the banks of
the river. The lower part of the town is built close to the water; and
opposite to it, lies the shipping. It is connected with the upper town
by a long street, which runs parallel to the course of the river, and
about fifty yards from the banks. The situation of the upper town is
very pleasing: it is on an elevated spot, and commands a fine prospect
of the falls of the river, and of the adjacent country. The best houses
stand here, and also the capitol or state-house, which is a clumsy,
ill-shaped edifice. Richmond, at this time, contained about four
thousand inhabitants, one half of whom were slaves.
The _Falls_ in the river, or the _Rapids_, as they ought to be called,
extend six miles above the city. Here the river is full of large rocks;
and the water rushes along in some places with great impetuosity. At the
north side of the falls is a canal, which renders the navigation
complete from Richmond to the Blue Mountains.
There is, perhaps, no place in the world of equal size, in which more
gambling is carried on, than in Richmond. Mr. Weld had scarcely alighted
from his horse, when the landlord of the tavern at which he stopped,
inquired what game he was most partial to, as in such a room there was a
faro-table, in another a hazard-table, in a third a billiard-table; to
any of which he was ready to conduct him. Not the slightest secrecy is
employed in keeping these tables. They are always crowded with people,
and the doors of the apartments are only closed to prevent the rabble
from entering. Cock-fighting is another favourite diversion. The lower
classes of people, however, are those chiefly who partake of such
amusements; but the circumstance of having the taverns thus infested,
renders travelling extremely unpleasant.
The common people of Virginia are usually represented to be more
quarrelsome than those of any other American state; and, when they come
to blows, they fight like wild beasts. They bite and kick each other
with indescribable fury; and endeavour to tear each other's eyes out
with their nails.
Eighth Day's Instruction.