Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1845-08-23
Another Engiishmnn's Opinion of the A.
mericaus.

Lycll's travels in the United States. We have
since looked through his book, md find that it
possesses considerable interest A large part
is taken up with remarks upon the geology Of
the country, which we should suppose are valu.
able. coming from so eminent an authority. But
there are also observations on the character and
manners Of the Americans, that are likely 10
give the books broader interest From the
latter we make few extracts =. ~. Y. Com.
Ado.
"One Of the first pecularitiss that must strike
a foreigner in the United States is the defer-
ence paid universally TO the sex. without regard
to station. Women may travel alone here in
stage coaches, steamboats,, and railways, with
less risk ofencountering disagreeable behaviour
end Of hearing coarse and unpleasant converse.
ton, than in any country have ever visited
The contrast in this respect, between the Amer
leans and the French is quite remarkable.
There is spirit Of true gaantry in all this, but
the publicity Of the railway car, where all are
in one long room, and Of the large ordinnries,
whether on land or water, is great protection,
male traveller without escort in England. As
the Americans address no conversation TO stran-
gers, we soon became tolerahly reconciled to H.
wing so much in public. Our fellow passen.
gers consisted for the most part OF shopkeepers,
nrlzans and mechanics, with their families, all
well dressed, anu so tar as we had intercourse
with them, polite and desirous to please.-A
large part of them were on pleasure excursions,
in which they delight to spend their spare
cash"
Mr.. L,ELr, in another place, says that he did
not meet with more ill.bred people in this coun.
try than he has been in the habit of seeing at
home.
"Travcllers must make up their minds, in
this as in other countries, to fall in now and
then with free and easy people. am bound,
however, to say that in the two most glarng
instances OF vulgar familiarity which we have
experienced here, we found out that both the
offenders had crossed the Atlantic only ten
years before, and had risen rapidly from an hum
bic station. Whatever good breeding exists
here in the middle classes is certainly not of
foreign importation; and John Bull, in partlc-
uar, when out of humor with the manners of
the Americans, is often unconsciously beho' ding
his own image in the mirror, or comparing ole
class of society in the United States with ano-
thcr in his own country, which ought from su.
peror aflluence and leisure, to exhibit higher
standing of refinement and intelligence
The N. y. Gaz., speaking Of the work, says
Some pleasant anecdotes OF character and
manners are here aud there in,erspersed through
Mr. Lyelrs chapters, and his discursve remarks
in several instances are made in the most sen
sible and liberal spirit; but, the book in the
main is rigid geological journal-a most valu.
able acquisition to the library, but disappointing
to many who read only for amusement
The geologist, indeed, will find here no see
mic description ; for we suppose that to the tho.
roughly initiated, the mere scientific enumera-
ton of soils and rocks will possess their minds
at once with the features OF the landscape and
who can say bu, that the time will come, when
u knowledge of geology is universal, that its
terms-like short hand writng-will be Gus
tomary substitute in travelling literature for all
the wordy descriptions we now have to wade
through. Even the James's of that day will o.
pen novel with single paragraph which
shall convey distinct idea Of whole region
of country.