Got up at six and walked to F. Taylor's; after breakfast enquired for a
letter at the bar, then at the post office but was disappointed. Visited
the Patent Office, endless variety of models of all kinds. Then to
Pishey Thompson[15] who kindly offered to go with me and also invited me
to tea and to bring F. T.
Went with F. T. to the Army Office, and saw a great many likenesses of
Indian Chiefs; then to the Naval Office; saw the bags containing
conquered flags, and also models of ships. Thence we visited the room
containing the original Declaration of American Independence; also
several treaties containing the seals and signatures of George 3rd and
Bonaparte, Louis Philippe, Bernadotte, etc., etc., and what was still
more extraordinary, a drawer containing many gold and silver medals,
with a most valuable gold snuff box studded with diamonds presented by
the Emperor Alexander[16], valued at £1000; all these things were left
open entirely to us, without any other person in the room; this I
consider very wrong as leading into temptation and I predict they will
soon have some plunderer, either Yankee or foreigner; on going away we
expressed our surprise at the want of discretion; they said they had
only missed one small gold coin. Thence I drove to the Capitol, visited
both Chambers and also the Library which is beautiful and
well-furnished. I saw Cobbett's works. On coming to dinner I met my old
Scotch friend Rowlandson with a countryman coming out to purchase land.
Went again to Congress; heard some animated debates concerning the
Indian States. Spent the last evening very pleasantly at Mr. Thompson's
where I had the pleasure to meet the Unitarian Minister, Mr. Paulfrey I
think, also young Taylor, Mr. Rowlandson and his friend.