luxury in all we saw, both in the external appearance of the houses, and in the good sense and good manners within, than with any thing we had before met in the United States. Our friends seemed to vie with one another, as to who should be most useful or attentive to us, by placing balls, evening parties, and morning excursions at our disposal. These opportunities afforded such ample means for studying the character of the people, that I might easily describe in what the difference consists between American and European manners. But there is always, I think, more or less, a breach of confidence in such descriptions, however generally or however delicately expressed. And this is true, even where praise alone is used. Strangers should recollect that they are admitted not as spies, but as friends, into such circles; and, it appears to me, they are no more at liberty to make use of that privilege to publish their remarks on the company, because they are only temporary members of it, than they would be, were they permanent residents on the spot.

On the same principle, I shall often pass over in silence many other things relating to the manners and customs of America, some of which might be more instructive, if not quite so amusing, as the gossip just alluded to. I suspect, after all, that in order to understand the delicate subject of domestic

society fully, it must be examined and re-examined on the spot; and those who trust to the eyes of travellers must always take their chance, at the very best, of hearing accounts far short of the reality. Each anecdote or other detail which is related, may be quite true in itself, as far as it goes, and be also quite faithful to the general ideas left on the writer's mind; but still the conceptions which a reader forms by such assistance may be totally different from the truth, and often far wide of the impression which the writer proposes to leave. In this dilemma there is but one resourcea journey to the country itself.

On the 11th of October, I visited the General Hospital, a large and well-ventilated granite building, abundantly roomy and well-ordered in every part. Indeed, I hardly ever saw an establishment of the kind which could pretend to rival it, except, perhaps, the Infirmary at Derby. I accompanied one of the physicians for some hours during his round of visits, attending to all the details of the daily routine, without which it is impossible to form a correct idea of the internal discipline of such an institution. Of course, I can only judge of the general merits of matters so much out of my own particular line; but, certainly, few menof-war are better regulated than this excellent hospital appeared to be.

I had a still better opportunity of judging of its arrangements about ten days afterwards, when I witnessed the performance of what the surgeons call a grand operation. The attendant circumstances incident to a piece of real service, as this may be called, it is of course out of any one's power to get up for show. Accordingly, I made it my business, however painful the effort, to be present on the day appointed. I can be no judge of the skill displayed upon this occasion by one of the ablest, if not the very ablest operator in America. But I feel quite competent to judge of those subordinate circumstances, which, if they be not so striking to the unpractised eye, are yet, perhaps, even more severe tests of the merits of a public institution, from their influence-good or bad -being more extensively felt. And I am certain that nothing could be more perfect in all their parts, than these important details.

On the 12th of October, we made an expedition from Boston to the largest manufacturing establishment in New England, or, I suppose, in America, at Lowell, on the banks of the Merrimack. This river had been allowed to dash unheeded over the Falls in that neighbourhood, from all time, until the recent war gave a new direction to industry, and diverted capital heretofore employed in commerce or in agriculture, into the

channel of manufactures. A few years ago, the spot which we now saw covered with huge cotton mills, smiling villages, canals, roads, and bridges, was a mere wilderness, and, if not quite solitary, was inhabited only by painted savages. Under the convoy of a friendly guide, who allowed us to examine not only what we pleased, but how we pleased, we investigated these extensive works very carefully.

The stuffs manufactured at Lowell, mostly of a coarse description, are woven entirely by power looms, and are intended, I was told, chiefly for home consumption. Every thing is paid for by the piece, but the people work only from daylight to dark, having half an hour to breakfast and as long for dinner. The whole discipline, ventilation, and other arrangements, appeared to be excellent ; of which the best proof was the healthy and cheerful look of the girls, all of whom, by the way, were trigged out with much neatness and simplicity, and wore high tortoise-shell combs at the back of their heads. I was glad to learn that the most exemplary purity of conduct existed universally amongst these merry damsels-a class of persons not always, it is said, in some other countries, the best patterns of moral excellence. The state of society, indeed, readily explains this superiority: in a country where the means of obtaining a livelihood are

so easy, every girl who behaves well is so sure of being soon married. In this expectation, they all contrive, it seems, to save a considerable portion of their wages; and the moment the favoured swain has attained the rank of earning a dollar a-day, the couple are proclaimed in church next Sunday, to a certainty. The fortune, such as it is, thus comes with the bride; at least she brings enough to buy the clothes, furniture, and the other necessaries of an outfit.

Generally, however, these good folks, as well as many of the more wealthy class of the community, do not think of setting up an establishment of their own at first, but live at boardinghouses. This apparently comfortless mode of life, is undoubtedly far the most economical; besides which, it saves the mistress of the family from the wear and tear of domestic drudgery, always unavoidably great in a country where menial service. is held to be disgraceful. What happens when a parcel of youngsters make their appearance I forgot to enquire; but before that comes about to any great extent, the parties have probably risen in the world; -for every thing in America relating to population, seems to be carried irresistibly forward by a. spring-tide of certain prosperity. There is plenty of room-plenty of food—and plenty of employment; so that, by the exercise of a moderate share.