American Scenes, and Christian Slavery | Page 3

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

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.
The ill health of my wife, occasioned by long residence amid the sultry
swamps of Guiana, compelled me a few months ago to accompany her
on a visit to the United States of America. Having taken our passage in
a ship to New Orleans, we found ourselves in fifteen days on the
far-famed Mississippi,--the "father of waters." On gazing around, our
first feeling was one of awe, to find ourselves actually ascending that
majestic stream, that great artery of the greatest valley in the world,
leading into the very heart of a continent. The weather was very cold;
the trees on the river's bank were leafless; and the aspect of nature on
every hand told it was winter. What a change! But a fortnight before we
were panting under an almost vertical sun. We found the Mississippi
much narrower than we had anticipated. In some places it is only about
half a mile wide; while below New Orleans it never, I should say,
exceeds a mile in width. This is remarkable, since not less than
fifty-seven large navigable rivers contribute to swell its waters. It is,
however, very deep, and, even at the distance of 500 miles above New
Orleans, is navigated by vessels of 300 tons; nay, at 1,364 miles from
its mouth, it attains an average depth of fifteen feet. In its course, it

waters 2,500 miles of country. Among the rivers that pour themselves
into this immense stream are--the Missouri, which has first traversed a
space of 2,000 miles; the Arkansas, 1,300 miles; the Red River, 1,000
miles; and the Ohio, 700 miles.
Unfortunately, at the entrance of this noble river, there is a bar called
the Balize, so shallow as hitherto to have seriously interfered with the
navigation of large and deeply-laden vessels. Even for the cotton trade,
a particular construction of ship has been found needful, with a flatter
bottom than usual, in order to pass easily over this bar, any effort to
remove which the rapidity of the stream would render fruitless. This
circumstance, with the want of harbour at the mouth of the Mississippi,
has hitherto operated greatly against the trade with New Orleans, which
is 110 miles up the river. Recently, however, a magnificent harbour has
been discovered between Cat Island and Isle Apitre, within Lake
Borgne, and only ten miles from the coast of the mainland. This new
harbour, easily accessible