On the 28th of May we left Lancaster, at five o’clock, A. M. The turnpike was in a good state, and we advanced on an average five miles an hour, so that we reached Philadelphia before seven o’clock in the evening, after travelling sixty-four miles. Between Lancaster and Philadelphia, we passed through Sandersburg, Paradise, Sadsbury, Coastville, Downingstown, and Warre; between these there are yet a number of settlements and taverns. The streams are Conestoga creek, near which they are digging the navigable canal, Peegnea creek, two arms of the Brandywine, and last of all the Schuylkill at Philadelphia. Upon the whole, the country is not hilly; we had only to ascend Mine ridge, on which we rode for several miles.

The whole country is cultivated in a most excellent manner, and covered with handsome farms; many barns look like large churches. The fences were often supplied by dry stone walls, or live hedges. A well-built hospital stands not far from Lancaster, to which an avenue of Lombardy poplars leads, here much admired. The country about Brandywine is classic ground, on which much blood was shed during the revolution. We passed near to Valley Forge, where the great Washington was encamped with his corps, whilst the English held Philadelphia. The farther we proceeded, the more clearly we saw that we approached a large city, for the number of elegant country-seats increased, and people in handsome attire met us on foot, on horseback, and in carriages. In Philadelphia we again took lodgings at the Mansion-house.

Thus I was once more on well known ground, in beloved Philadelphia. During the few days which I could pass here, old acquaintances were renewed with pleasure, and new ones formed with new interest. At the same time I saw several things which had escaped me at my former visit. Mr. Huygens, who had hitherto been my companion, now left me, and returned to his friends at Washington.

I rode to the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, with my old friend Mr. Roberts Vaux, the philanthropic Quaker, and with Mr. Niederstetter, chargé d’affaires of the king of Prussia. I had before omitted to visit this establishment, as the pupils were just leaving their old temporary dwelling in the city, to move in their newly-built house. This house is large and massive. It consists of a principal building, which is reached by means of a portal, decorated with four doric columns; and of two wings behind it, one of which is inhabited by the boys, and the other by the girls. There were at that time eighty pupils in the institution, fifty maintained by the state of Pennsylvania, thirteen by their families, five by the state of New Jersey, and twelve by the institution itself. It has now subsisted for six years; at the beginning it was founded by voluntary contributions and subscriptions; the legislature of Pennsylvania afterwards gave eight thousand dollars, and the state annually pays one hundred and fifty dollars for every pupil which it has placed here. The direction of the institution consists of a president, four vice presidents, among which was Mr. Vaux, a treasurer, a secretary, and at this time, twenty-three directors. A principal teacher, Mr. L. Weld, four tutors, a matron, and two physicians preside over the house.

Mr. Weld had passed a long time at Hartford in Connecticut, and had learned the method of instruction in the deaf and dumb asylum at that place, which he practises here with great success. He was teaching one of the lower classes when we arrived. He dictated to the pupils something on subjects of natural history, which they wrote with great rapidity on large slates. We put several questions to them, which they answered with much sagacity. Mr. Niederstetter asked them if they could form any idea of music; one of the boys answered, he well knew that there were tones, and that several tones systematically combined made a sound, but what this was, and how all this was connected together, he could form no idea. In other rooms, other pupils were engaged in writing and cyphering. One of them had made much progress in crayon drawing, and was just working at a portrait of President Adams. The boys learn trades, several were weaving, others were making shoes, &c., the girls learn to sew and knit. The clothes, which the pupils wear in the house, are all made there. They have a common eating room, and each sex has separate sleeping rooms, where two sleep in one bed; besides, each wing contains a separate infirmary. Every where I saw the most exemplary cleanliness and order prevail; the pupils had a very healthy appearance.

I conversed with some of them in writing; one of them asked me, what was my favourite study, I answered mathematics. Upon this he wrote to me, that he was also pleased with this study, but found no opportunity of making great progress in it. In order to teach the pupils the principles of arithmetic, a machine is used similar to the Russian. A vegetable garden behind, and at the sides of the building, which was then preparing, was intended to serve also as a place of recreation for the pupils. I could not forbear making to Mr. Weld an especial expression of the great pleasure which this institution and his method of instruction gave me.

I saw the Academy of Fine Arts last autumn, but went there again, as the exhibition of paintings had been opened. This collection, however, consisted merely of portraits, and these were rather indifferent. In general, the fine arts, as I believe has already been mentioned, do not yet flourish in the United States to a great degree; perhaps this is to be attributed to the taste of the Americans, which they inherited from their English ancestors, and which does not appear to be very great for painting.[II.33] But I rather believe, and this idea president Jefferson gave me, that the little encouragement which the fine arts receive in this country is to be attributed to the equal division of property among the children, so that in large families an estate cannot be long kept together.

I saw also, in company with Messrs. Vaux and Niederstetter, the mint of the United States, which is established here. In the year 1793, when Philadelphia was still the seat of government of the United States, this mint was located in a newly-built private house, and it is as yet the only one in the United States. The processes in this mint are very simple, and but few improvements are yet adapted, which so greatly distinguish the mints of London and Milan. They were doing but little when we came; we saw nothing but the stretching of the bars of silver between cylinders, like those in the rolling mills at Pittsburgh, and the stamping of the pieces, which was done by means of a contrivance similar to that by which rivet-holes are made in the iron plates for steam-engine boilers. We saw, moreover, the cutting of half dollar pieces, which is done by means of a stamp, worked by two men. A third stands by to place the uncoined pieces in a box, which are then brought under the stamp by a particular contrivance. After they are coined, they fall by means of this contrivance into a box which stands below. Since 1803, no larger silver coins are made than half dollars, as the dollars were immediately bought up and exported to China for trade, because the merchants there will take no smaller coins than dollars. We saw also a collection of medals stamped here, some of which, particularly those which were struck after naval victories, are very well finished. One side represents the bust of the naval hero in whose honour the medal was struck, and the reverse represents the action itself. A golden medal was struck after the victory of General Jackson at New Orleans, one side exhibiting the bust of the general, and the reverse a figure representing the United States pointing to the Muse of History, writing on a shield the name of New Orleans. The medal which the Agricultural Society bestows at the annual cattle show, is also handsome. It is to be regretted, that all the medals, which were struck before president Monroe’s administration, are missing in this collection. The mint itself is very small, and its boundaries are still more limited by a twelve horse-power steam-engine. No application, however, is made to congress for a larger and better building, as it is feared that congress might then propose to remove the whole establishment of the mint to Washington.

We visited the Episcopalian church yard, in which lies Dr. Franklin’s grave, who died in the same year, and rests in the same grave with his wife. It is near the wall, and covered with a large white marble slab, with the following inscription:—

Benjamin
et
Deborah		 Franklin
1790.