Impressions of America | Page 8

to the
surprise of the natives, who yet spoke of the event with wonder.
Perhaps, on a visit like this, we did not see the best sample of this
isolated community: I hope not, for their sake; for our followers had a
greedy, overreaching air and manner really disgusting, and in all our
little transactions exhibited a sordid grasping propensity one could not

expect to meet with in a people so out of the world, and who are in the
possession of great plenty: their island yields abundance of corn and
common vegetables, the sea upon their shores is famous for the
quantity and quality of its fish, and therefore is this grasping spirit a
matter of some marvel. I found all my American fellow-voyagers who
had been on shore, equally struck with the singularity of our reception,
and especially mortified at the exhibition of pauperism never to be met
with upon the main. I passed two years in America, and the only place
where I ever was importuned by a native beggar was at this island.
Our voyage back was quickly accomplished, being before the wind; but
the rolling of the vessel occasioned a da capo of the morning's scene,
anything but pleasant, crowded as we were. This was my very first
attempt at a "steam-boat excursion," the allurements of which are daily
set forth, coloured after anything but nature, in all the journals: a man
may be excused for doing a foolish thing once; this is one of the follies
I can safely pledge myself never to commit again. The Rhode Island
party was landed at Newport early in the evening, and in so much had
the advantage of the pleasure seekers from higher up the river. If ever
there should chance such another tempting of "Providence," I hope, for
sake of its pretty girls, it may be successfully resisted.
On the 27th of August I took leave of Newport and its pleasant
atmosphere and sociable visitors; and certainly think that it would be
difficult to select a place better adapted for a summer's residence, were
there any means of conserving one's individuality a little: the situation
and climate being unexceptionable.

NEW YORK.
ROCKAWAY.--A ROAD ADVENTURE.
Finding a hot day in New York on my arrival, I accompanied Mr.
R----d and his lady to Rockaway, a fine beach on Long Island, and
upon which a subscription hotel of enormous dimensions has this year
been built.

At this palace of the sand-hills, outside of which nothing attractive is to
be found save a breeze, I encountered many of my New York friends.
The crowd was now thinned daily by departures; but if the persons who
had departed were as agreeable as those yet remaining, and animated
by a similar spirit of enjoyment, their absence was a serious loss. A
spirit of sociability and good-humour seemed to prevail here; and the
inducements for walking being limited to loose sand-hills, without the
least shade, on a rough shingle beach, the fun was all reserved for the
evening, when the inmates assembled in the drawing-room, where each
contributed a quota; and music, conundrums, waltzing, a quadrille, or a
Virginian reel, made a couple of hours literally fly away. Here, as in
most of the watering-places of the country, early hours appeared a
standing rule.
This house is well arranged, and the table exceedingly good. My stay
was limited to three or four days, a circumstance I regretted the less on
account of finding that most of my intimate acquaintance were
returning to their homes.
On Sunday, September 14th, at two o'clock P.M., embarked on board
the mail-boat for Amboy, taking with me a nag I had used as a
saddle-hack throughout the summer months; my purpose being to ride
through the country intervening between the Raritan and the Delaware
rivers, as I had done on more than one occasion, but never before by
the same route exactly which I now intended to pursue by way of
changing the scene.
I found five horses on board the boat, bound for Bordenton races, and
about five o'clock we were all landed at Amboy, whence I directly
pushed on for my next stage, Hightstown. The road was a track of light
white sand, and ran through a close dwarf forest, stocked with a fine
growth of musquitoes, but having no one attraction to call for the halt
of a minute. By half-past seven I had reached my quarters for the night;
saw my horse well taken care of under the superintendence of a
good-humoured Irish boy, who was ostler, and, as he informed me,
deputy waiter, besides having a "power of other things to be doin';"
next, partook of a comfortable supper, and, after a short walk about the

village, to bed; my purpose being to reach