sides of the Bay of New York-first, from the Battery, and second from Hoboken. But the most comprehensive, the most animated, and in some respects the finest, is that from the high grounds of Staten Island; a locality beautiful in itself, and the chosen retreat of the opulent citizens of New York for summer rustication. Brooklyn indeed is nearer, and has many good suburban residences at reasonable rents, but they are not so distingué.-To the southward is the ocean, spotted with distant ships; at your feet, labouring steamers, and sailing vessels and skiffs of every variety of shape and rig, gliding continually along in all directions. The eastern extremity of this island points straight up Long Island Sound, the most frequented in North America, being the usual channel by which trade is carried on between the Eastern and Middle States. A short way up is the celebrated Hell-gate, so pleasantly treated of by Washington Irving.

47.

CHEAP GOVERNMENT.

LETTER V.

IRISH OPINION OF THE AMERICANS, &c.

On the morning of the third day after my landing in New York, I saw my French friend safely embarked on board the Albany steam-boat. He bought a map, on which I traced for him the route he was to take. He was sure of not going wrong for the first hundred and fifty miles, Albany being at that distance from New York. I may as well mention

here, that this map, as well as every other of American manufacture that I had occasion to examine, was shamefully incorrect. As the government never has a sixpence at its disposal beyond what is allowed it for the wants of the day, nothing is ever done for constructing more correct plans of the country. They avail themselves of the improvements brought about by English money in this as in every other respect; and their ships are all navigated by means of English charts. The booksellers who publish the things called maps and atlasses, knowing that they must sell them at a very low rate, and knowing that not a cent more would be paid for a superior than for an inferior article, go on copying and re-copying, perpetuating old blunders along with a handsome

48

AMERICAN MAPS AND CHARTS.

increase of new ones.

Even the price of one copy

of our superior publications, to serve for a model, would be held too dear by an American publisher. Is it not shameful to be indebted to us for correct plans of even their own coasts? By way of pleasing the eye of the purchaser, their things are generally showily garnished with a border of trumpery engra vings, and always daubed plentifully with coatings of many colours, through which it is very difficult to read the names of places at all; but there may be policy in this, for the paint, like charity, often covers a multitude of errors.-But to revert to my Frenchman: the steam-boat being now ready to start, he saluted me in the most brotherly fashion, after the mode of his country; that is, he kissed me on both sides of the face; and I having done the same by him, and commended him to the keeping of Providence we parted, probably never to meet again.

I now bethought myself of delivering some of my letters of introduction, of which I had half-adozen to different houses or individuals engaged in trade in New York. I was received with a show of hearty kindness by all, and got encouraging promises from several. But there the matter pretty well ended-excepting that I had a few dinner invitations. The truth is, such letters are of very little use in America. So many are sent that they scarcely ever get attended to. It is necessary to appeal strongly to people's interest here, if you would induce them to do any thing. A man must do every thing for himself: if he do not, small indeed is the

A NEW YORK HOTEL.

49

number of those who will do any thing for him. I was not exactly aware of this at first, and deceived myself accordingly. A gentleman who knew the country well, told me afterwards, to trust nothing to such credentials. He said they were like so many insignificant petitions to Parliament, laid on the table and never more heard of. The person in question was a bit of "a character," and I am now about to give some particulars of him. The hotel at which I lodged in New York, was tolerably well furnished, and of considerable accommodation-as full forty persons sat down to dinner daily. The Americans, quick at every kind of business, are quickest of all at that of eating; their refections are dispatched as rapidly as an English road-side meal, eaten to the sound of the mail-guard's horn. For the most part, no one utters a word, except in a low tone. The "silent system" there is not entirely confined to the state prisons. This is more especially true of New York; yet perhaps it is better, after all, than what my unwilling ears have been sometimes regaled with elsewhere, disputations and wranglings about their petty politics.

Every day at meals, I noted a very perceptible change in the composition of the company-on a daily average there were not more than three out of any four of my companions the same. Besides, the hotel custom of New York is a very fluctuating one; and being the centre point of all comers and goers from and to every part of the Union, it is the chosen threshold of emigrants. If the Pelasgi of ancient

E

50

A RETURNING EMIGRANT.

times were famous for their roving propensities, they are far outdone by the Americans. The organ of locomotion may have been as strongly developed in the ancients, but then they had neither rail-roads nor steam-boats.

Franklin has left on record his testimony to the inquisitiveness of the American character. Aware, probably, of this being cast upon them as an imputation, they seem, in less primitive times, to have gone to the other extreme. Whether it be that they look upon all emigrants as a set of poor destitute devils who cannot find means of existence in the “ old country," I know not, but I cannot conscientiously accuse any of them (except in one instance) of taking the least interest in any affairs of mine. They are, almost all, rigid and repulsive in their manners, and seem ever to look into you with the keen cold eye of 'sly inspection," before you can get an answer to the simplest question. Of course what I have said applies more especially to those you meet with in public. They know nothing of what Falstaff calls "the freedom of mine inn."

One respectable middle-aged looking gentleman, of weather-beaten aspect, who had shown me a number of little courtesies at table, I had remarked as a favourable exception to the rest, and him I soon had an opportunity of being acquainted with, as I met him by chance in the coffee-room (or rather drinking and smoking room) on the evening of the fourth day after my arrival. I had already suspected he was not an American, and so it turned out. He was