on the movements of trade by the rumours of war, has been fertile in influences inimical to their interests. The value of houses and lands is also subject to very great fluctuations from similar causes: no commercial barometer is more sensitive than that of New York; a cloud gathering in any part of the political horizon instantly affects it.

The police of New York has long been famed for its inefficiency: a late alteration is not likely, I think, to add either to its usefulness or popularity. Its officers are dressed in plain clothes, and mingle with the people in the streets and all public places, without any distinguishing mark. I saw, the other day, a noisy sailor struggling violently between two of them, loudly proclaiming that they were common landsharks, and that he could tell by their clothes they were no policemen. This occurred near Five Points, a haunt of vice and misery, not yielding to the old St. Giles's, or to the cité in Paris. There are a great number of negroes in New York, indeed this is an observation you make in every American town; they are all labouring under the same social ban, but one degree better than slavery itself. Between them and the Irish the most determined animosity exists, being rivals for the hardest and simplest work that the community requires. The

free negro is always a conservative; whenever he is allowed a vote, he gives it to the Whig candidate. The Irish are as invariably Democrats, and are so numerous and united a body, as materially to influence the elections. In some of the Western States, the native Americans hold them in equal fear and dislike. I met, in my travels, with a very amusing character from Chicago, in Illinois, whose fixed idea was horror of them; "Dogins" was the name by which he called them. He said that their delight was in drinking and fighting, that they only agreed occasionally among themselves, that they might quarrel the better with every one else; that in some parts of the Western country, they would soon have things all their own way. But he could not deny that they were hard-working, honest fellows, always ready to lend each other a helping hand; nor that their children made as good citizens as any others.

The man of whom I speak was a capital sample of a certain class in the New States-active, energetic, boastful, vain, fiercely democratic, violent in his hatred of all European powers, particularly England; quaint beyond measure in his conversation, and much given to ornament and illustration. He left New Orleans, his native place, some

years since, on account of an awkward affair, in which a bowie knife acted a principal part, and is now a dealer in bread stuffs at Chicago. He said that war would be the making of the Western States; that they would "chaw up" Canada in no time, and humble the bloody-minded aristocracy of England; that France was only waiting for an opportunity to revenge Waterloo, and would assist them, or at least be neutral; that they would say to her, as the Kentuckian said to Providence when he met the bear, "If you lend a hand to either, I say give it to the poor Kentuckian; but if you don't, why only just look on, and you'll see an everlasting fine fight." He let out afterwards that the main reason why he was so warlike against the Britishers, was that "they are such etarnal fools as not to buy my bread-stuffs, and they just starving outright." These enlightened views were delivered on board a steam-boat, near the bar : his eloquence being assisted by numerous draughts of “gin sling," he soon became exceedingly confused in his ideas, and ended by vowing eternal friendship to all

creation.

The roads and streets in some of the suburbs of New York are almost impassable in bad weather. A railroad runs from the heart of the city to Harlem ;

horses being used instead of steam, the progress

upon it is but slow. The visitor to New York at the end of summer, will not be able to form any idea of its society; letters of introduction are delivered to empty houses; in some instances indeed, he will find the doors and windows bolted, not even a servant remaining behind. Fortunately for him, however, a portion of the inhabitants have only fled to villas a few miles up the Hudson, where the usual kindness and hospitality of America are sure to be found.

CHAPTER III.

PHILADELPHIA-BALTIMORE.

I CROSSED to New Jersey city, and thence started by railway for Philadelphia. Part of this six hours' travel is through the richest country I have yet seen in the United States. Pennsylvania has acquired, or assumed, the name of the "Empire State," from the fact of having on several important occasions cast the balance between the northern and southern interest. In the last presidential election, when the numbers were pretty equally balanced, her influence was decisive. The coal and iron resources of this district are now being developed to an immense extent, and are already a source of great wealth; several contracts for Russia have been undertaken, by companies, on very profitable

terms.

The financial condition of this community is very