During his recent sojourn in the United States, the Author did not conceive the intention of writing a book on the subject. All he contemplated was the publication of a few letters in a London Journal on which he had been accustomed to rely for intelligence from Europe when residing in Berbice. So much he was disposed to attempt for several reasons.

Having entered the States by their most Southern port—that of New Orleans, and finding himself at once in the midst of Slavery, he had opportunities of observing that system not often enjoyed by a British "Abolitionist." As the Pastor, also, of a large congregation, of whom a great number were but a few years ago held in cruel bondage, he would naturally look upon the treatment of the same race in America with keener eyes and feelings more acute than if he had not stood in that relation.

Identified, too, with those persons who represent the principles of the old Puritans and Nonconformists in England, he would survey the growth and spread of those principles in their new soil and climate with a more than common interest. New England, especially, on whose sods the foot-prints of the Pilgrims had been impressed, and on whose rocks their early altars had been reared, would be to him hallowed ground.

Travelling, leisurely, as he did, at his own expense, northward from New Orleans to Boston, and westward as far as Utica,—making a tour of more than four thousand miles, sometimes known and sometimes unknown, just as inclination prompted,—representing no public body, bound to no party, a "Deputation sent by himself,"—he was completely free and independent in thought and action, and enjoyed advantages for observation which do not often meet.

It was natural that he should wish to tell his friends in Great Britain, and in the West Indies, what he had seen and heard. To denounce what is evil and to commend what is good is at all times gratifying; in doing which, he sought to describe the men and the manners of America just as they appeared to him.

Several letters, containing the narrative of a few days spent in New Orleans, appeared in the Patriot. Their favourable reception by the readers of that journal led to the preparation of the present volume, in which the letters referred to, having undergone a careful revision, re-appear, followed by nearly thirty others descriptive of the Author's tour.

Our Transatlantic friends are morbidly sensitive as to the strictures of strangers. They hate the whole tribe of Travellers and Tourists, Roamers and Ramblers, Peepers and Proclaimers, and affect to ridicule the idea of men who merely pass through the country, presuming to give opinions on things which it is alleged so cursory a view cannot qualify them fully to understand. Our cousins have, doubtless, had occasional provocations from the detested race in question; but their feeling on this point amounts to a national weakness. It is always worth knowing how we appear to the eyes of others, and what impression the first sight of us is apt to produce; and this knowledge none can communicate but the stranger, the tourist, the passer-by. What faults and failings soever we may have in England, and their "name is legion," by all means let them be unsparingly exposed by every foreign tourist that treads upon our soil. Let us be satirized, ridiculed, laughed at, caricatured, anything, so that we may be shamed out of all that is absurd and vicious in our habits and customs. In the present instance our Western kinsmen are described by one, if they will believe his own testimony, of the most candid and truthful of travellers,—one who has viewed them and all their institutions, except one, with the most friendly eye, and who deeply regrets that so much of what is lovely and of good report should be marred and blotted by so much of what is disgraceful to a great and enlightened people.

As to the performance in a literary point of view, the Author will say nothing. The public will form their own judgment. If they like it, they will read; if not, the most seductive preface would not tempt them.

E. DAVIES.

LONDON, January 1, 1849.

CONTENTS.

LETTER I.

Occasion of Visit to the United States—First Impressions of the
Mississippi—Magnitude of that River—Impediment at its Entrance—The
New Harbour—The "Great" and "Fat" Valley—High Pressure Steam-Tug
Frolics—Slave-Auction Facetiae

LETTER II.

American Oysters—Becalmed in the Mississippi—Anchor raised—Ship
ashore—Taken off by a Steam Tug—Slave-Sale Advertisements—Runaway
Negroes—Return of Fever—Terrific Storm—Frightful Position—Ashore at
New Orleans—A Ship-Chandler's Store—American Wheels—A
Joltification—The St. Charles's Hotel

LETTER III.

New Orleans—The Story of Pauline—Adieu to the St Charles's—Description of that Establishment—First Sight of Slaves for Sale—Texts for Southern Divines—Perilous Picture

LETTER IV.

A Sabbath in New Orleans—The First Presbyterian Church—Expectoration—A
Negro Pew—The Sermon

LETTER V.

First Religious Service in America (continued)—A Collection "taken up"—Rush out—Evening Service—Sketch of the Sermon—Profanation of the Sabbath—The Monthly Concert for Prayer

LETTER VI.

"Jack Jones"—A Public Meeting for Ireland—Henry Clay—Other
Speakers—American Feeling in reference to the Irish Famine—A
Slave-Auction

LETTER VII.

The Slave-Auction (continued)—"A Fine Young Woman"—A Man and his
Wife—Jim, the Blacksmith—A Family—A Ploughboy—Cornelia—Another
Jim—Tom, the House Boy—Edmund—Tom, and "his reserved rights"—A
Carriage Driver—Margaret and her Child

LETTER VIII.

St. Louis Exchange—Inspection of Human Chattels—Artizan
Slaves—Scenes and Proceedings of the Auction—Sale of the Men

LETTER IX.

Sale of Women—Second Sabbath in New Orleans—Cricket in front of the
Presbyterian "Church"—The Baptist "Church"—A Peep at an American
Sabbath School—Proceedings in "Church"—A Sermon on "The New
Birth"—Nut-cracking during Sermon—"Close Communion"

LETTER X.

Interview with a Baptist Minister—Conversation with a Young Man in the Baptist Church—The Presbyterian Church, and Dr. Scott again—A Peep at the House of Representatives of Louisiana—Contrast between the French and the Americans in the Treatment of their Slaves—Dinner Table in New Orleans—American Manners

LETTER XI.

Farewell to New Orleans—Revolting Bargain—"The Anglo Saxon"
Steam-boat—Moderate Fare—Steam Navigation of the Mississippi
—Steam-boat and Railway Literature—Parting View of the
"Crescent City"—Slave Advertisements—Baton Rouge—A Sugar
Estate—Fellow-Passengers—The Ladies' Cabin—A Baptist Minister—A
Reverend Slave-holder

LETTER XII.

Voyage up the Mississippi (continued)—"Patriarchal" Establishments—The
Red River—Elder Wright—Lynch Law administered by a Preacher—Natchez
—Story of Mary Brown—The Flat Boats of the Mississippi

LETTER XIII.

Voyage up the Mississippi (continued)—Grand Gulph and Big Black
River—Snags—"I belong to myself, Sir"—Vicksburg and Lynch Law—A Man
Overboard—"Drove of Horses, Mules, and Niggers"—Character of
Fellow-Passengers—The Sabbath—Disobedience to Conscience

LETTER XIV.

Voyage up the Mississippi (continued)—The Arkansas—Treatment of the
Indians—M de Tocqueville—"Napoleon" and Lynch Law—Memphis, and its
Advertisements—A Scene witnessed there—The Ohio—Nashville, and Amos
Dresser

LETTER XV.

Voyage up the Ohio (continued)—Illinois—Evansville—Owensborough
—Indiana—New Albany—Louisville, and its Cruel Histories—The Grave of
President Harrison—Arrival in Cincinnati—First Impressions—The
Congregational Minister—A Welsh Service

LETTER XVI.

Stay at Cincinnati (continued)—Close of the Welsh Service—The
Governor of Ohio and his Relatives—The "Black Laws"—Governor Bebb's
Hostility to them—Dr. Weed and American Versatility—Private
Lodgings—Introduction to Dr. Beecher and others—A Peep at a
Democratic Meeting

LETTER XVII.

Stay at Cincinnati (continued)—The Democratic Meeting—A Visit to Lane
Seminary—"Public Declamation"—Poem on War—Essay on Education

LETTER XVIII.

Visit to Lane Seminary (continued)—Dr. Beecher and his Gun—The
College Library—Dr. Stowe and his Hebrew Class—History of Lane
Seminary—Qualifications for Admission—The Curriculum—Manual
Labour—Expenses of Education—Results—Equality of Professors and
Students

LETTER XIX.

A Sabbath at Cincinnati—The Second Presbyterian Church—Mutilation of a Popular Hymn—The Rushing Habit—A wrong "Guess"—A German Sunday-School—Visit to a Church of Coloured People—Engagement at the Welsh "Church"—Monthly Concert—The Medical College of Ohio—Tea at the House of a Coloured Minister

LETTER XX.

Stay at Cincinnati (continued)—The New Roman Catholic Cathedral—The
Rev. C.B. Boynton and Congregationalism—"The Herald of a New
Era"—American Nationality

LETTER XXI.

Stay at Cincinnati (continued)—The Orphan Asylum—A Coloured Man and a
White Fop treated as each deserved—A Trip across to Covington—Mr.
Gilmore and the School for Coloured Children—"The Fugitive Slave to
the Christian"—Sabbath—Mr. Boynton—Dr. Beecher—Lane Seminary
—Departure from Cincinnati

LETTER XXII.

Cincinnati—Its History and Progress—Its Trade and Commerce—Its
Periodical Press—Its Church Accommodation—Its Future Prospects
—Steaming up the Ohio—Contrast between Freedom and Slavery—An
Indian Mound—Splendid Scenery—Coal Hills

LETTER XXIII.

Arrival at Pittsburg—Its Trade and Prospects—Temperance-Newspapers
—Trip up the Monongahela to Brownsville—Staging by Night across the
Alleghany Mountains—Arrival at Cumberland—The Railway Carriages of
America

LETTER XXIV.

Journey by Railroad from Cumberland to Baltimore—A Tedious Stoppage—A
Sabbath in Baltimore—Fruitless Inquiry—A Presbyterian Church and Dr.
Plummer—Richmond and its Resolutions—Dr. Plummer's Pro-slavery
Manifesto—The Methodist Episcopal Church

LETTER XXV.

A Sabbath at Baltimore (continued)—A Coloured Congregation—The
Thought of seeing Washington abandoned—Departure from Baltimore
—Coloured Ladies in the Luggage-Van—American Railways—Chesapeak
Bay—Susquehannah—State of Delaware, and Abolition of Slavery
—Philadelphia—Albert Barnes—Stephen Girard's Extraordinary Will

LETTER XXVI.

Departure from Philadelphia—A Communicative Yankee—Trenton—The
Mansion of Joseph Bonaparte—Scenes of Brainerd's Labours One Hundred
Years ago—First Impressions of New York—150, Nassau-street—Private
Lodgings—Literary Society—American Lodging houses—A Lecture on
Astronomy—The "Negro Pew" in Dr. Patton's Church

LETTER XXVII.

A Presbyterian Church in New York, and its Pastor—The Abbotts and their Institution—Union Theological Seminary—Dr. Skinner's Church—New York University—A threatening "Necessity"—Prejudice against Colour—A Fact connected with Mr. ——'s Church—Another Fact in Pennsylvania—State of Public Opinion in New York—An Interview with Dr. Spring—A Missionary Meeting in Dr. Adams's Church

LETTER XXVIII

A Visit to Mount Vernon—Dr. Robinson—Welsh Deputation—Queen Anne and
New York—The Sabbath—Preaching at Dr. L——'s—Afternoon Service at
Mr. C——'s—Tea at Dr. L——'s—Evening Service at Mr. ——'s

LETTER XXIX.

The Rev. Theodore Sedgwick Wright—His Testimony against Caste—His
Funeral—Drs Cox and Patton—The Service in the House—The
Procession—The Church—The Funeral Oration—Mrs. Wright

LETTER XXX.

Trip to New Haven—Captain Stone and his Tender Feeling—Arrival in New
Haven.—A Call from Dr. Bacon and the Rev. Mr. Dutton—Newspapers—The
Centre Church and Standing Order—The North Church and Jonathan
Edwards, junior

LETTER XXXI.

The Spot on which Whitfield preached—Judge Daggett—Governor
Yale—Yale College—The Libraries—Elliot's Indian Bible—Geological
Museum—Dr. Goodrich—Education and Expenses at Yale College—The
Graves of the Regicides

LETTER XXXII.

A Fast-Day—Political Sermons—A Church of Coloured People—The
Sabbath—Morning Service—Afternoon ditto and Dr. Hawes—Prayers at
College Chapel—United Service in North Church—The Cemetery—The
"Fathers"—Professor Gibbs—Annual Election—Statistics—Arrival at
Hartford—Mr. Hosmer—Chief Justice—Deaf and Dumb—Charter Oak

LETTER XXXIII.

The "Retreat"—Introductions to the Insane—Piety and Profanity—
Service in the Fourth Church—Memorials of the Pilgrims—Dr. Bushnell
and his Opinions—The Mother Church and its Burying-Ground—The New
Cemetery—Prejudice against Colour—Mrs. Sigourney—Departure from
Hartford—Worcester and Elihu Burritt—Boston—The Rev. Seth Bliss—The
Cradle of Liberty—Mr. Garrison—Bunker's Hill

LETTER XXXIV.

Boston (continued)—The Old South—Unitarianism, and Connection between Church and State—A Welsh Service in an "Upper Room"—Laura Bridgman and the Wedding Ring—Oliver Caswell—Departure from Boston—John Todd and his Family—His Congregationalism—Albany and the Delevan House—Journey to Utica—Remsen and the Welsh People—Dogs made to churn, and Horses to saw Wood

LETTER XXXV.

A Peep at the House of Representatives in Albany—"The Chan is but a Man," &c.—Sailing down the Hudson—Dr. Spring—His Morning Sermon—Afternoon Service—Gough the great Lecturer—The Tract House and Steam-presses—May-day in New York—Staten Island—Immigrants—A hurried Glance

LETTER XXXVI.

The May Meetings—Dr. Bushnell's Striking Sermon—Two Anti-Slavery Meetings—A Black Demosthenes—Foreign Evangelical Society—A New Thing in the New World—The Home-Missionary Society—Progress and Prospects of the West—Church of Rome—Departure from New York—What the Author thinks of the Americans

LETTER XXXVII.

What the Author thinks of the Americans (continued)—Slavery —Responsibility of the North—District of Columbia—Preponderance of the Slave Power—Extermination of the Indians—President Taylor and his Blood-hounds