The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1823-09-09
MISCELLANY.


Alabama in 1920 and 1921. They appearee
Originally in the Christian Observer, a peri
iodlcal work of considerable celebrity. Ar
article In the New-York American states
the author to be JOHN NJ. DUNCAN, mem
Der OF the University Of Glasgow and thai
his travels through this country and Canada
we're advertised to be published in Glasgow
10 two volumes octave, during the past month
The editor Of the Salem Gazette saws the let.
ters were written by ADAM HopGsoN, an En-
glish merchant. The editor of the Ports.
mouth Journal represents them as remarkable
for their good sense and candor, as well as
Tor their accurate descriptions Of character
and scenery. Allowing for some bias on
religious subjects. he pronounces them the
best account that has yet been given of our
country by any foreign traveller.
The following letter gives an account Of bis
journey from PORTLAND to BosroN.
HARTFORD, Con. March /. 1921.
In my last letter mentioned our arrival in
Portland on the 10th uIt. ] will now give Won
brief sketch of our journey from Portland
to Hartford.
AT Portland found, at respectable board
Ing-house, where lodged, among other per-
sons the Governor Of the State, the Speaker
of the House Of Representatives, and eight or
ten OF the most respectable members. There
was common table at which all in ordinary
assembled. Il
hey seemed TO pass their leisure IN reading
NE newspapers and smoking segars. For the
very hrst time since my arrival in America. |
'ad actually at this boarding house parlour
70 myself, which arose from the circumstance
Vi lis being, IN the first instance, designed for
my bedroom. II was luxury indeed TO feel
alone, and likely to remain so, without shut
ting myself up in my bed-chamber, in which
have lived for the last year when not in So
ciety or on the road. NV hopes of retirement
~ my parlour, however, were soon shaken
Tor the landlord brought gentleman to me.
who, after conversing few minutes. said he
was come TO take me into the dining room. 10
introduce me TO the company. He was young
lawyer, gentlemanly in bis manners, and /
found afterwards, had been educated at Har-
ward College, Cambridge. AS we sat down
to dinner, at one o'clock. he introduced me TO
most OF the gentlemen by name, and, among
DINERS, TO the Secretary Of the State. The
rest OF the company, although doubt not in
tellIgent and acute, certainly should not, lat
least on my first arrival in American have
guessed TO be a body of legislators. The
landiady presided, with Mrs. -, the wife
Q; the Speaker, on her right; and the land
ORD sat down towards the close of dinner. af-
ter having waited on his guests, and assisted
the walters till all the company were helped.
lie was very civil. and came into nv room
halt-a-dozen times in the course Of the even
ing 10 look at my fire, and see if wanted any
thing. An English landlord could not have
been more respectful and attentive. In the
course oil the evening, the young lawyer also
oaid me second visit, with real good nature,
bringing in friend, 9 lest should be lonely p
give you these little incidents 10 show the
rahits of the country. As they found me busy
writing, however, they stopped only half an
hour, and retired, saying they would not in
terrupt me, but would attend me to any church
IN the morning to which liked to 90.
In the morning, accordingly, the young
lawyer accompanied me to the Episcopal
church, where young minister preached on
tire Importance of contending for the faith
once delivered to the saints; a subject sur-
gestcd by the activity of Unitarian efforts. and
by IN act then before the legislature. which
II was supposed would operate unfavorably on
the interest of religion. The church was pro-
fusely adorned with festoons of christmas -
md on one side OF the pulpit was neatly prin-
ted ~ large letters Of spruce, "Unio us a
child is born:" on the other, "UAto us a son
IS given" The congregation was respectable
In numbers and appearance. la the after
noon we went 10 the Calvinistic Congrega-
tionalist chutch, (places Of worship Of all de-
nominations are here called churches, } where
we found congregation still more numerous
An elderly minister gave Us logical, meta
physical. scIiptural sermon, on the immuta-
bIlity of God" On my return home, among
my landlords books ] found SCOTS Bible.
Burdens Village Sermons, Baxter's Saints
Rest Wattss Hymn Book, and Sanrin's Ser
mons. added to them the Dairyman's Daugh-
Ter, favorite travelling companion of mine
since, independently of the deep interest OF
its simple tale, and IFS exquisite and touching
picture of rustic piety, it places SO distinctly
| before me the village spires, rustic cottages
and sequestered lanes of my native country.
and the hoary locks and venerable figures of
her aged parents. | think told you how de-
lighted was at finding this little tract in a
shop at Mobile, in that land of darkness. the
| shores of the Gulf of Mexico.
While in Portland found the snsw in MANY
places two feet deep for great distance, and
perhaps IA inches deep where it was the thin
nest. l counted % sleighs at the church door
On Sunday. / saw the town under unfavorabIe
circumstances; but it had very respectable
appearance, many of the houses being large
and handsome, with extensive courts before
the doors. ornamented with shrubs and grass.
plots. The bay and the adjacent scenery are
very picturesque.
We left Portland, at o'clock 10 the morn.
ling, on the 10Th. The roads were SO blocked
up with snow, that the mail and passengers
were obliged to be carried in an open sleigh
| il was very cold: the Thermometer, should
think, not being hove zero :. hut the ,,,oon