At a second visit, we first went on board the steam-frigate, Fulton the First; this vessel is entirely disarmed, and serves as a receiving ship. She is a floating battery, and was to carry thirty thirty-two pounders. Her sides are six feet thick, made of oak timbers, which are fixed upon and crossing each other, so that the vessel may be compared to a floating block-house. Her machinery resembles that of a team-boat: she has two parallel keels, between these an engine of one hundred and twenty-horse power is fixed, and one large wheel is moved by it. The vessel is very spacious: in several places reverberatory furnaces may be added, in order to heat balls red-hot. Before this frigate was dismantled, she carried two small masts with triangular sails, but the commodore has substituted large masts with the usual sails, for the instruction of the sailors. The machinery had been taken out for some months, and placed in an arsenal on the wharf: the place it had occupied was covered with boards, to make a common deck for the sailors. Since that time an upper deck has been built, upon which are comfortable state-rooms for the officers. This frigate has been spoken of as a real miracle; that she presented towards the enemy a forest of swords and lances, and threw a stream of boiling water, &c. all of these are stories. Her construction during the latter part of the war with England was merely an experiment, though it caused the English a great deal of anxiety. All competent judges with whom I conversed concerning this vessel, objected to her and were of opinion that this large body could only be used to defend straits. She never was at sea, and some feared that she would be unfit for it. Moreover, as the navy-board at Washington having objections to the further application of steam to ships of war, it is probable that they will discontinue the building of more steam-frigates, although the machinery of a second is already finished and placed in the magazine.
We were likewise on board of the two ships of the line, Ohio and Franklin. The Ohio is of a new construction, and has not yet been in service; the Franklin and Washington, however, have already made several voyages. The sides of the Ohio are thicker than those of the other ships, and her decks higher: all these men of war have not the modern round, but broad sterns, in each of which is a battery of twelve guns. Only one of the frigates, still standing on the stocks, has an elliptical stern, which unites the defensive power of the round, with the elegance of the broad sterns.
Every thing appears to be in an improving state at the arsenal. In the house where the office of the commodore and his agents is kept, there is a hall fitted up as a chapel; this serves during the week as a school-room for the midshipmen; we found these young gentlemen engaged in their mathematical studies, under the direction of the chaplain.
In the harbour we visited two Liverpool packet-ships, the William Thompson and the Pacific. Every regular mode of communication between two places, by stages, steam-boats, &c. is here called a line. Two years since, I saw the packet-ship Cortez, at Liverpool, and admired her elegant arrangements; but these two vessels were far superior to her in regard to elegance and comfort. Both have a large dining room, and in its centre a long mahogany table; on both sides of the dining room are the state-rooms, each of them containing two beds one above the other, and a wash-table. In this cabin there are ten of these state-rooms, five on each side, and, besides, near the windows in the stern of the ship, there are two state-rooms having but one bed, so that twenty-two gentlemen may be accommodated. The mizen-mast passes through the cabin and table. The cabin is lighted partly by the windows in the stern and partly by a large skylight; the state-rooms receive their light by patent deck-lights. There is another room in front of the dining room, for the ladies, near the mainmast, where the motion of the vessel is the least felt; on each side of their room, are two state-rooms, for eight ladies. The sides of the dining room and ladies cabin are of mahogany and curled maple, with elegant looking-glasses. In the Pacific, between every two state-rooms there are columns of white marble. All the settees are of mahogany covered with black horse hair cushions, and the floors of both cabins are richly carpeted. The stairs which lead into the dining room, are likewise of mahogany and covered by a shelter, under which sea-sick passengers may sit on benches. There is likewise a roof over the poop, where passengers may walk and be sheltered from the rain and sun. The passage from New York to Liverpool costs but thirty guineas, for which price passengers are perfectly accommodated. Each packet is of about five hundred tons, and they sometimes make the passage in seventeen days. On the 1st and 16th of each month, one of the eight vessels of this line leaves New York for Liverpool, and on the same day another leaves Liverpool for New York.
On the first Sunday of my stay in New York, I visited the new Lutheran church, with the consul, Mr. Zimmerman. The service was in English, because there are at New York but few descendants of German parents who understand the German language. Dr. Schaeffer preached: he is a native of Philadelphia, and the son of a German clergyman; his sermon was good and not too long, but after the sermon came a lamentation upon the miserable state of the church funds, which was not particularly edifying. There appeared to be a deficit of eighteen thousand dollars, which the consistory tried to make up by subscription, to which the congregation was invited to contribute. Dr. Schaeffer’s congregation formerly belonged to an older Lutheran church, still existing in this city, but they parted from the latter and established a new church, though rather in too extravagant a style, as their expenses were disproportioned to their income. The minister besides complained of his own small salary, and implied that an augmentation would not be unpleasant to him, as he stood in need of it.
It is a difficult matter to ride in a carriage through the streets on Sunday, because there are chains stretched across in front of the churches, to prevent their passage during service. The land of liberty has also its chains![I.15]
In this manner eight days soon elapsed, and amusement was not wanting, as my mind was occupied with interesting and useful novelties. I passed my time in cheerful and pleasant company. At dinner and evening parties I continued to make interesting acquaintances with men of different occupations and professions. I observed that the families I visited were richly furnished with silver, china, and glass; the fine arts also contributed to the ornament of their apartments. At the evening parties we commonly had music and dancing. The dinner parties consisted generally of from twenty to thirty persons, whose conversation was generally refined. In New York, as well as at all other places, where English customs prevail, the ladies leave the table during the dessert, and the gentlemen keep their seats; however, nobody is obliged to drink, unless he feels inclined. Every one rises and leaves the house without ceremony. The servants are generally negroes and mulattos; most of the white servants are Irish; the Americans have a great abhorrence of servitude. Liveries are not to be seen; the male servants wear frock coats. All the families complain of bad servants and their impudence, because the latter consider themselves on an equality with their employers. Of this insolence of servants I saw daily examples. Negroes and mulattos are abundant here, but they generally rank low, and are labourers. There are but a few slaves in the state of New York, and even these are to be freed in the year 1827, according to a law passed by senate of the state. There are public schools established for the instruction of coloured children, and I was told that these little ape-like creatures do sometimes learn very well. In the city there are several churches belonging to the coloured population; most of them are Methodists, some Episcopalians. A black minister, who was educated in an Episcopalian seminary, is said to be a good preacher. But there is in this country a great abhorrence of this class of people, who are obliged to live almost like the Indian Parias. In the army they are only employed as musicians, but are never admitted to be soldiers. Soldiers are not even allowed to be of mixed blood![I.16]
Colonel Bankhead, of the second artillery regiment, who was on the recruiting service in this city, offered to show me the fortifications for the defence of the bay of New York. We sailed in a boat, along with General Swift and an engineer, first to Governor’s Island, opposite to New York.
Upon this small island is a fort of red sandstone, called Columbus; it consists of four bastions, which, on the city side, has still a covered work between two of the bastions, but further below, in the Narrows, new fortifications have been built, and therefore Fort Columbus is considered useless and is neglected. In the interior are the barracks and arsenals, the former in very good order, and inhabited by a company of artillery. I found a bible in each room, and was informed that it was a present from the New York Bible Society.
West of the fort, near the river, there is a tower after the style of Montalambert, called Castle Williams. This was commenced in 1803, and finished in 1811. Colonel Macrea of the artillery in the fort, received me with twenty-one guns. The officers have lodgings and gardens on the glacis of the fort; there is likewise a wooden barrack, which serves in time of war for a battalion of infantry; a large two-story brick house with a piazza, is intended for the head-quarters of the commanding general. Opposite to Castle Williams, are two small islands; on each of them is likewise a battery, called Fort Wood and Fort Gibson. These batteries appear but small, and the principal defence will be at Castle Williams, where also I observed furnaces for heating shot. From this spot there is a particularly fine view of the city.