Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-06-19

we have our benignant observer at Phila-
delphia, with his brother who had tray-
elled upwards of 500 miles on foot with
| out seeing any spot which he could APP
proye as settlement for himself and
friends Mr.. Hewitt met with ca son Of
the late Walter Miflin, whose emancipa-
ton of his slaves is SO affectingly describ-
ed by Brissot:' and he went through 'the
Philadelphia market which is held in. a
she'd, extending mile along the centre
of Market street" We visited Peale's
Museum. which he found "wofully def
cient in reptiles" and this being an ex-
traordinary circumstance, he accounts for
it in this way" Perhaps, Americans are
not anxious to place very prominently,
before strangers, the horrid army of those
creatures with which their country is in
fested.' He observes further, that the
portraits exhibited by Mr. "Peel, the pro-
prietor and painter" are numerous, "and
estimated by the standard Of the Ameri-
can school, very decent" Mr.. Hewitt
could not we'll find fault with the Penn
sylvania General Hospital" He acknowl
edges, that in some respects, ait is not,
perhaps, inferior to any in England" He
witnessed the celebration of the Fourth
of July here, and informs the world that
Gin the evening the citizens diversified
their amusement, and renewed the acu
men ofpleasure, blunteOby SO much feast
ing and display, by the refined and moral
relief of making the lowest Irish porters
and negroes drunk, and setting them to
fight" He concludes his account of our
disorderly city in rather whimsical way,
but not without spice of truth to which
we could wish all attention to be paid
Before leave Philadelphia, let me
add, that have lost great deal of sleep
in it, by the almost nightly alarms from
fire; this arises from the old houses being
built Of timber, and such is the terrible
uproar made by the fremen and boys,
dragging their patent hose or fire engines
along the pavement, and their unceasing
yell Of fire, that no sleep can resist it but
the sleep of DEATH"
Fir. Hewitt proceeded to Washington,
and as may be supposed, does not spare
the seven lcagued capital. Z" 1t stands"
he says, Gin an unthankful desert The
country to great distance is one weak
and barren wilderness A hostile army
may advance to it and behold at dis
lance few timid placemen flying before
them" His birds eye view of Washing
ton is tolerably graphical. "a few scat
tered houses; an isolated giant building
or two; a wide extent of projected, but
yet ideal streets-commons cleared of
trees and parched with the sun, and herds
of cattle wandering over them-a few dis
contented emigrants & horde of slaves
will afford you tolerable idea of this
city"
We find him after he has left the house
less metropolis, in New England, and full
of anecdote concerning the thievish and
dirty propensities of the Yankees lie
reaches at length, 60 the awful and tremen
dous falls Of Niagara, an object of great
curiosity to foreigners, but of the utmost
indifference to Americans, who are not
very sensitive to natural beauty" On his
way to Niagara, he found myriads ofgrass
hoppers devouring the land" Kill mil
lions, ard millions supply their places, for
millions ofacres are full. Every step you
take, they start up by thousands, and if
you are not careful, jumping into your
mouth, If a man only lays down his
clothes in the sun, they are devoured i'm
mediately. A gun being laid down, the
stock was nearl y ruined in few minutes,
by being eaten in various places" How
this must astonish the London gentry s.
90 horrify" the Reviewers!-Theyw were, no
doubt, equally surprised, though not SO
much Disguised, to hear of water melons,
Of which a single one filled wheelbar-
row.
We regret that we have but little more
space left for MIR. Hewitt. He is another
Fearon and we trust will find some other
Lord Grey to quote him as I" a gentle
man." and an enlightened and impartial
inquirer. On such witnesses do public
writer's and parliamentary orators depend
For us to set about refuting his state
ments or opinions, would be work as un
here, as fruitless in reference
to Great Britain NAT. Gaz.
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