Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-11-14

FROM "Boz's" "NorEs ON AMERICA.


10 lard; and then comes the oldest part Of In
l,araey. Seven sage-eoaehes ore preparing 4
-eirry us on. Some Of them ste ready, come o
them are no, u .dy. Some OF the drvecs az
blacks. sone ~hiLs. There sre four horses TO eac
coach, and all the orses, h,rnesssd ruhr re
ete taese.-- Tse pLrsenssTs ace geiilss oat OF In
s'eampos'. aud into he coaches the lucgpgc 10 be
ing transferred IN NOISY ~heelbarsows, the horse
are Gigh,entJ, and impatient to start; tho bliel
drivers are chatting TO Thorn like many monkey
and the white ones whoopng hike 20 many deovers
Tor the main thing 10 DO done in all kinds Of hos,
lsIins here, 10 TO mako as much noise az possible
The coaches arc something like the French coaches
but not nearly so good. In lieu OF springs, the,
are hung on bands OF tho strongest leather. Their,
isvery little eho,es difference between them; anc
they may be hkened to the carportion Of the swnsi
ut an English lair, roofed put upon axle trees
whsels, and eurtained with painted canvass They
are covered with mud from the roof TO the wheel
tire, and have never been cleaned since they were
first liz.
"rhe ickels We have received on board the steam
boat marked No. I. so we belong to coach No.
4. throw my coat on the box, and hoist my wife
and her maid into the inside. 1, has only one
sep, and that being about yard from the ground
~ usually approached by chair; when there Is nc
chair, ladies' trus: in Providence. Tho cooth holds
nine inside, having seat across from door TO door,
where We in England put our legs; SO that there
IL only one feat moro difficult in the pesfor nance
than 20 ting in, md that Is getting ou,ngain. There
only outside passenger, and he sits upon the
box. AZ am that one, climb up; and while they
Swapping the luggage on the roof and heal ping
it into kind OF tray behind, have good oppor>
tuni,y Of looking at the driver.
ale is o ncgro-vcry black indeed. He is dres
sed in a coarse pepper and salt sui, excessively
patched and dsrned particularly ct tho knees,)
grey stockings enormous unba d high low shoes,
and very short trousers. He has two odd gloves;
one of part-co.ourcd worsted, and one Of leather.
He has a very short whip, broken in the middle
md bindaged up with string. Aud yethe wears
low crowned, broad 6rinmed, black hat; family
shadowins forth kind OF insane imitation Of an
English coacbmnui But somebody in authority
cries Go aheadr MS am making these observations.
The mail takes the lead IN iour horse Wagon, and
all the coaches follow in procession, headed by
No. 1.
"By the way, whenever an Enslishman would
cry AN rishu' an American cries Go ahead" which
Is ,omewhat expressive cf the national character of
the Two countries.
''Ths first half mile OF the road is over bridges
made OF loose panks laid across two parallel poles
which tilt up the wheels roll over them; aud in
the river. The river has clayey bottom and -
toll OF holes, that half horse is constantly dis
appearing unexpectedly, and can't be found sgsin
tor some time.
Blu, we get past even this, and come to the road
hself, which is series of alternate swamps aud sra
vel pits. A tremendous pliee il close before US,
the black driver rolls, his eyes. screws his mouth
up very round, end looks sit aight between the two
! aders, ne if he were saying 10 kM-e we have
done this often before, but ] think VIC shall
have a crash He takes rein in each hand;
jerks and palsat both; and dancss on the splish
board With both feet, tkooping his sept, Of eourse)
like the late lamentod Ducro~ on two ofhis fiery
couTsers. We come to the spot, sink down in The
mire nearly TO the coach windows, tilt on one side
at angle of forty FIVE degrees, and suck there
The insldos scream disnaily; the coach stop; the
horses founder all tho other six coaches soi at d
their four and twenty horses founder likewise; 6ui
merely for company, and, IN sympathy with ours.
Then the following Circumstances occur:
Black Driver, Ito the no .ses -'Hi'
Nothing happens. Inside scream again.
Black Diver, Ito the horsesl-'tIor
Horses plunge, and splash the the black dri-
yer.
Gentleman inside, docking out)-'Why wha:
arth -
Gentleman receives a variety of splashes and
draws his head in again, without finishing his ques.
ton or waiting for an answer.
Black drive, still 10 the horses-'Jiddy | Jid-
dyn
Horses pull violently, drag the coach gu, of the
hole, and draw 1t upa bank; 80 steep that the black
drivers legs fly up ia,o the or, and he goes back
among the, luggage on The rooi. But he Immediate
iy RECEIVERS himself, and cries, tstl 10 the hoses)-
'Pn.7'
No effect. On the contrary, the coach begins TO
roll bick upon No 2. which rolls back upon No 3,
which rolls back spon No 4. and so on until No ! is
henrd 10 curse and swear, nearly a quarter oil mile
behind.
Black Driver (louder than before)-Pillp
'doises make another struggle TO get up the
lark. and again the coach rolls backward.
Blank Driver Qoucer thnn bef re)-sPc c ill.,
Hoses make desperate struggle.
Back Driver (recoverins spinIs)-'Hi, Jiddy,
JIddy, PL'
Horses make another Effort
Black Driver with great vigour)-'Ally Loo! Ii
Jitdy, ddy. Pill. Ally Loop
Hoses almost do IT,
Back Dover with lis eyes starting ont OF lis
hesd) ID C. den. Lle dere Iii. Jiddy, Jiddy-
PIT Ally Loo. Leeeee
They run up Tie bank, ard go down rgan en-
the other side fearful pace. IL is impossible 10
stop hem. and at the bottom there is a deep hol-
Og, full Fl water. The coach rolls lfishtfully The
Insdes scream. The mud and water fly nbout US.
The black driver dances like madmah! Sudden
iy We are all right by some extraordinary means.
and stop to breath.
"a black friend Of the black driver is sitting
on a fence. The black driver recognises him by
twIflng his head round and round like a harlequin
railing las eyes, struggling his shou ders and grim
hins ON ear TO ear. lie stops short, and turns TO
me, and snys:-
1--WE shall get you through So, like fiddle, and
hope please you, when we got you though "a.
Odd 'oomen at home, SIR ehuck'ing very much
Outside gentlemen 50, be often remembered Old
CONAN at home sn,' grinning again.
"'AY, Dye; we'll take care Of the old woman -
Don't &c afraid."
'rhe black driver srins again, but there is ano;h.
CT hoe, and beyond that other bark close before
So he stops shori cries ito the horses asainl
Pill Ally. Loo but never Lsei" until we are
reduced TO the very last extremity, and are in the
midst Of difficulties, extraction f,om which appears
TO he all but impossible.
"And do the ten miles or there bout in
two hours and half; breaking no boncr though
Druising great many, and in short getting through
the Distance, like fddIe!"
The following is the concluding chapter of the
work, aud gvos n general view oil men aud things:
There are many passages in this book, where
have been aI some pains TO resist the temptation OF
r,ubling my readers with my own deductions and
conclusion; prefefnng that they should Judge for
Themselves from such premises have laid btf o.c
them. My only Object in the outset, was, to cary
ih.m With me faithfully wheresooyGr I went, and
uat task have discharged.
But may he pardoned, " on such theme as the
general character OF IN. American people, md tie
general character Of their social system, as pre-
scented 10 n strangers eyes, desire TO express my
own opinions IN fc~ words, before bring these
volumes 10 close.
pitable end AhectioDate. Cultivation aud refine.
ment seem but 10 enhance their warm II Of hear,
md ardent enthusiasm; aud IL is the posse sson OF
these later qualities m most remarkable degree
which renders an educated American ore of the
most endsaring and most generous OF friends.
never was 50 won upOn, as by this class; never
yielded up my uil confidence and esteem 90 readily
and pleasufaby, as 10 them; never can make aguin,
~ h1lfa year, so mlny friends for whom scem TO
have the rega'd OF half a life.
These qualities nTe natural, implicitly believe
10 the whole people. That they are, however
sadly sapped and LlighteJ in their growth among
the mass; and that there are influences at wofk
which endanger them still more, and give Ia, ltl