FIRST IMPRESSIONS

OF

THE NEW WORLD.

By

ISABELLA STRANGE TROTTER

LONDON
PRINTED BY SPOTTISWOODE AND CO.
NEW-STREET SQUARE.

Map of the UNITED STATES,
and
CANADA,
shewing
The Author's Route; 1858.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

OF

THE NEW WORLD.

ON

TWO TRAVELLERS FROM THE OLD

IN THE AUTUMN OF 1858.

LONDON
LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, LONGMANS, & ROBERTS.
1859

CONTENTS.

DEDICATION

LETTER I

Voyage.—Arrival at New York.—Burning of Quarantine Buildings.—Cable Rejoicings.—Description of the Town

LETTER II.

West Point.—Steamer to Newport.—Newport.—Bishop Berkeley.—Bathing.—Arrival at Boston

LETTER III.

Journey to Boston.—Boston.—Prison.—Hospital.—Springfield.—Albany.—Trenton Falls.—Journey to Niagara.—Niagara

LETTER IV.

Niagara.—Maid of the Mist.—Arrival at Toronto.—Toronto.—Thousand Islands.—Rapids of the St. Lawrence.—Montreal.—Victoria Bridge

LETTER V.

Journey from Montreal to Quebec.—Quebec.—Falls of Montmorency.—Island Pond.—White Mountains.—Portland.—Return to Boston.—Harvard University.—Newhaven.—Yale University.—Return to New York

LETTER VI.

Destruction of the Crystal Palace.—Philadelphia.—Cemetery.—Girard College.—Baltimore.—American Liturgy.—Return to Philadelphia.—Penitentiary.—Return to New York

LETTER VII.

William's Departure.—Greenwood Cemetery.—Journey to Washington.—Arrangements for our Journey to the Far West.—Topsy

LETTER VIII.

Washington.—Baptist Class-Meeting.—Public Buildings.—Venus by Daylight.—Baltimore and Ohio Railway.—Wheeling.—Arrival at Columbus

LETTER IX.

Journey from Wheeling to Columbus.—Fire in the Mountains.—Mr. Tyson's Stories.—Columbus.—Penitentiary.—Capitol—Governor Chase.—Charitable Institutions.—Arrival at Cincinnati

LETTER X.

Cincinnati.—Mr. Longworth.—German Population.—"Over the Rhine."—Environs of Cincinnati.—Gardens.—Fruits.—Common Schools.—Journey to St. Louis

LETTER XI.

St. Louis.—Jefferson City.—Return to St. Louis.—Alton.—Springfield.—Fires on the Prairies.—Chicago—Granaries.—Packing Houses.—Lake Michigan.—Arrival at Indianapolis

LETTER XII.

Indianapolis.—Louisville.—Louisville and Portland Canal.—Portland.—The Pacific Steamer.—Journey to Lexington.—Ashland.—Slave Pens at Lexington.—Return to Cincinnati.—Pennsylvania Central Railway.—Return to New York

LETTER XIII.

New York.—Astor Library.—Cooper Institute.—Bible House.—Dr. Rae.—Dr. Tyng.—Tarrytown.—Albany.—Sleighing.—Final Return to Boston.—Halifax.—Voyage Home.—Conclusion

A CATALOGUE OF NEW WORKS IN GENERAL LITERATURE

CLASSIFIED INDEX

ALPHABETICAL CATALOGUE OF NEW WORKS AND NEW EDITIONS

TO

I. L. T.

My dear little Girl,

I dedicate this little book to you; the letters it contains were meant to let you know how your father and I and your brother William fared in a rapid journey, during the autumn of last year, through part of Canada and the United States, and are here presented to you in another form more likely to ensure their preservation.

You are not yet old enough fully to understand them, but the time will, I trust, come when it will give you pleasure to read them. I can safely say they were written without any intention of going beyond yourself and our own family circle; but some friends have persuaded me to publish them, for which I ought, I suppose, to ask your pardon, as the letters have become your property.

The reason which has made your father and me consent to this is, that we scarcely think that travellers in general have done justice to our good brothers in America. We do not mean to say that we have accomplished this, or that others have not fairly described what they have seen; but different impressions of a country are made on persons who see it under different aspects, and who travel under different circumstances.

When William, for example, was separated from us he found the treatment he received very