WELD'S TOUR IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. * Mr. WELD
passed the autumnal vacation of last year in a twelve- weeks tour in America ; during which time he "voyaged and tra- velled 10,700 miles," at a cost which he does not state. He did not get further South than Richmond in Virginia, on the seaboard States, or than Chicago on Lake Michigan, on the Western side of the Alleghanies. Ha visited some of the most remarkable cities or places to be found between those two points and Quebec. Among the cities may be mentioned Montreal, Toronto, Boston, New York, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and the wonderful creations of the Western States during this century. The water- ing-place he stopped at was Saratoga ; the chief natural curiosity he saw was Niagara, of which he gives an elaborate and interesting account ; the passage of the Alleghanies by the Baltimore and Ohio railway combined both nature and art. There is little of positive novelty in Mr. Weld's present volume. The wonderful growth of the new cities along the Western line of frontier—the size and regular system of the hotels as well as the administrative power their management exhibits, and the Practice of expectoration, more especially "down South "—have been noticed by most travellers of late years. Mr. Chambers es- pecially described the energy and extensive business combinations of the Americans; Mr. Robertson very lately pointed attention to . the neglect of sanitary precautions in New York and elsewhere ; the newspaper correspondents have sufficiently dwelt upon the principles and projects of Knownothingism. Mr. Weld may throw a little new light upon slavery, and depict the taste of the Ame- rican ladies for gaudy colours in costume and their love for full dress ; but the characteristic of the book is rather in the writer than his matter as regards information. He has a knowledge of natural philosophy and statistics, and he skilfully applies it to the subjects before him, so as to produce aptness of illustration if not original facts. He is a man of the world, accustomed to tra- vel, and to make himself at home in new scenes and new company ; so that he gets along better than many would do and draws more out of the opportunity. His perception is distinct; his style clear, rapid, and easy ; so that the book is agreeable reading, with a sense of freshness in the author even in going over matters which are known already. Two months is indeed a brief period for forming an opinion about peoples and countries extending over so wide a space; but few travellers are so situated as to have op- portunities of studying the penetralia of a nation. The first use of a book of travels is as a sort of substitute for the journey it- self; the next, to have conclusions drawn for the reader better than he could draw for himself if on the spot. Mr. Weld's Vaca- tion Tour does both in a considerable degree..
Besides the attraction of variety, and the natural wish that any one might feel to see so remarkable a country as America, Mr. Weld had another motive for his journey. Sixty years ago, his half-brother, who is still living and in "possession of his intellectual vigour," began a journey along a large portion of our author's tour; • and the account which he published of his travels in 1800 was translated into several European languages. The contrast between the primieval Western forest as the elder brother saw it, and as our author was to see it, formed one of his expectations, in which he was not disappointed. The name of Weld probably gave him some advantages ; as in this Presidential invitation.
'I had no letter of introduction to him ; but being assured none was ne- misery, I accompanied a gentleman to White House, and after the mere formality of sending in my card, was admitted to the presence of General Franklin Pierce' who has the honour of being President of the United States. "He received me with great kindness and affability, and, after conversing for a quarter of an hour, hoped to have the pleasure of seeing me again. Nor were these unmeaning words; for when he found my stay in Washing- ton was limited, he sent me an invitation to dine with him the following day en famille, when I was introduced to Mrs. Pierce. On this occasion I related the fact of my brother's acquaintance with Washington at Phila- delphia in 1796; adding, it afforded me sincere pleasure to know his four- teenth successor as President.
"Although General Pierce is remarkable for his affability in private life, he is not popular. He is an excellent man of business. More than once he complained of the tremendous labour of his office, which is so great as to scarcely leave him a minute's leisure. Some change in the duties, he said,
must be made, as no man can stand the work v even for four years. You can form no idea,' he added, of the number of voluminous manuscript documents connected with public business which I have to read.' Suggest- ing that in many eases this might be done by a secretary, he replied, 'No, 'tie better to read and master even the most lengthy documents, for then I am in aposition to cut a man short if he is talking nonsense.' This admis- sion is significant of active participation in the business of the government.
"I retain a very agreeable remembrance of General Pierce's kindness, which was the more appreciated as I was not recommended to his attention. It is possible, however, that a paragraph which appeared in the Washington papers respecting use, and which gave me honours above my due, may have had some effect in causing the President not to regard me wholly in the light of a stranger."
Mr. Weld is on principle opposed to slavery ; but he asks the Abolitionists of the North, instead of merely assailing the South, to propose a practicable plan slid assist in furnishing the means to carry it out. Effects of the Fugitive Slave Law on the minds of people in the Free States once or twice fell under his observation. It would seem that the occasional recovery of a few slaves could never outweigh the excitement and disgust which the actual real- ization of the " institution " creates, especially as the seizures generally give rise to scenes of violence. Of the actual working of slavery Mr. Weld did not see much; what he did see was so far favourable that the slaves appeared merry if not happy. A sale
• A Vacation Tour in the United States and Canada. By Charles Richard Weld, Barrister-at-law. Published by Longman and Co.
which he attended at Richmond occasioned a scene which had a touch of tragic romance, and seemed to warrant the darkest pic- tures of Mrs. Stowe's Uncle Torn, The men were sold first; then came the women.
"The first put up was a good-looking girl, gaily-dressed, her hair adorned with ribands,—who, according to her statement, was nineteen years old, and was skilful in the use of her needle. 'Can you make ahirta ? ' was a ques- tion put to her by a dozen men. Yes,' she replied, and wash them too.' The auctioneer expatiated at great lengeh on the excellent qualities of this 'prime lot,' for which he expected 1000 dollars at least. He obtained more —the first bid was 500, and she was knocked down for 1005. The second woman, aged twenty-five, who had been a domestic servant, realized only 700 dollars, on account of some scars on her shoulders, which a man near me was confident were produced by the whip. As all the slaves present were now sold, I thought business was over in this establishment; but just as the last woman was led away, a mulatto entered the room with another woman, followed by two little children about three or four years old, and carrying a third still younger in her arms. These were the children announced for sale. The circumstance of this woman, or lot, as she and the children were called, being brought in alone, led me to suppose there were some distinction be- tween her and the preceding slaves. In slavery none,—she and her child- ren were slaves like those just sold ; but in appearance the difference was great. She was a remarkably handsome mulatto, and her children were nearly if not fully as white as the fairest Americans. If any doubt ex- isted in my mind respecting the revolting nature of this human traffic, the case of this woman would have determined my judgment. Her story was brief: she was not married, and the man whose passions had made her his mistress as well as slave willed that she should be sold with his children. More she would not divulge ; nor would she answer questions relative to her occupation. All attempts at extracting further information were met by a scornful refusal to divulge aught of her past life ; and when her small soft hands and bosom were examined, on which her infant was reposing, her eyes flashed fire, and I sincerely believe had a knife been within her grasp she would have plunged it in the hearts of her tormentors. Followed by her two little children, who clung to her dress like scared lambs, shrinking from the gaze of the rough men who pressed round them she ascended the platform, and the auctioneer recommenced his business. Whether he dreaded a merle, or that he deemed it unnecessary, I am unable to say ; but he limited his prefatorial harangue to the simple announcement that he had a fine young woman to offer, with her children, who would not be sold separate, ridding that in a few years the boys would be fit for work. What could he say of her whose heart's finest affections were perhaps at that moment lacerated to satisfy the greed of a man He set a high price on the woman and her children, declaring he expected at least 2500 dollars for the lot. The first bid was 800; languid biddings succeeded, until the amount reached 900 dol- lars. The woman was than ordered down, and, followed by her little child- ren, was made to walk up and down the room. On resuming her place on the platform, the biddings became a little brisker ; but as no eloquence on the part of the auctioneer could raise them above 1100 dollars, the lot was withdrawn. I was informed the woman alone would have realized more than this amount, but there is a strong aversion against purchasing white children."
Our Great Exhibition and some subsequent agricultural experi- ments proved the mechanical invention of the Americans. Mr. Weld saw an ingenious machine for picking up stones, or gather- ing fruit, on the ground, even as small as a nat. At Cincin- nati, a fire gave him an opportunity of observing the steam fire. engine in operation.
"As Cincinnati is built, like most American cities, in uniform blocks, I had no difficulty in finding the locality of the fire, though a long way off. I had reason to congratulate myself on my energy, for besides the spectacle, always grand and impressive, of a vast conflagration, I saw the celebrated steam fire-engine in operation which was invented in Cincinnati, and at the period of my visit confined to that city ; though I believe one has since been wittoduc,ed in Boston. The volume, or volumes rather, of water—for there are six jets of various sizes thrown by this engine—were enormous ; and although the fire raged furiously, it was soon subdued by the torrents poured on the flames. Numerous hand and horse-engines were also in attendance, admirably worked by the fire companies ; but their united efforts seemed as nothing compared to the performance of the steam-engine. The building, a large coach-factory, was partly saved from the flames. The following morn- ing I went to see this engine. I found it under a shed, in the upper part of the city, ready at a moment's warning to set out. The fireman on duty, who, with the usual courtesy I always received from officials in the States, answered my viestions, informed me the time required to get up the steam is only four minutes. Horses are in the first instance attached, which draw the engine until it becomes a locomotive, for it is constructed with loco- motive machinery, as well as to throw water. In size and form it very Much resembles a railway engine, but has only three wheels."
Many more passages might be quoted where accident or some personal peculiarity enable Mr. Weld to gather facts or incidents which produce the interest of reality, and though not leading to new conclusions have the effect of new combination. The book may be recommended as an able and agreeable volume.
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