Dr. Macauley showed me the medical college, constructed at the expense of the state of Maryland, a spacious and handsome building, decorated with a portico. It contains an amphitheatre, sky-lighted rotunda for anatomical lectures, a semi-amphitheatre for chemical lectures, to which are joined a laboratory and a cabinet with philosophical apparatus. The anatomical cabinet did not appear to be very rich, as the school is yet in its infancy. I remarked a female wax figure representing a rupture of the uterus, and several human embrios, abortions, and monsters. I saw likewise a considerable collection of minerals, among which I saluted as an old acquaintance, a basaltic column from the giant’s causeway in Ireland. Seven professors lecture in the medical college; the lectures are delivered during four months, from November to the end of February. Near to the college is an infirmary belonging to this institution, where the sick are nursed by an order of religious women called sisters of charity.
The Baltimore Museum was established by the second son of the same artist, C. W. Peale, who founded the Philadelphia Museum. His sons were destined from their cradle to become artists, as their Christian names are Rafaelle, Rubens, Titian, &c. One of the saloons of the museum is occupied by the paintings of Rembrandt Peale. He succeeds very well in some of his copies; for instance, King Lear braving the tempest, from West; perhaps he is less successful in his originals, especially in his full length equestrian portrait of Napoleon. Several paintings in miniature, by Miss Peale, niece of C. W. Peale, are tolerably good.
The museum is not so extensive as that of Philadelphia; still it contains some very interesting objects, which however, I had not time to examine sufficiently in detail. The museum is arranged in two stories of the buildings; the first contains various quadrupeds and birds, I perceived a specimen of the duck-bill animal from New South Wales. The birds are all indigenous, and are described in Wilson’s Ornithology. The collection of American insects and butterflies is very handsome; among them are several centipedes, large scorpions, and the mammoth spider from South America, which kills the humming bird. These insects are well preserved in frames of white plaster. The plaster is cast on moulds, the insect is put into the cavity, and fastened by pins stuck in the plaster while it is sufficiently hot to destroy the moths which may have entered the cavity; finally, they are hermetically secured beneath watch crystals. There is also a handsome collection of Indian antiquities, weapons and other objects; among these arms were a great number of arrow-heads of flint, such as I had seen among the Tuscaroras; farther, a great number of toys, and other trifles; a skeleton of the mastodon, but not so complete as the one in Philadelphia, forms part of this museum; the large teeth are missing, but the lower jaw bone[I.28] is particularly well preserved; two weeks previous to my visit it had fallen down along with the chain by which it had been suspended from the ceiling, and had broken in two.
There is also here, a very handsome collection of minerals. It is to be regretted that so many rare things are not better arranged, and separated from mere trifles. The city library was founded by subscription; it contains about fifteen thousand volumes; I asked to see Humboldt’s splendid work on Mexico; the library does not contain any thing very remarkable. Mr. Thomas, a Friend, one of the philanthropic public characters to whom I was introduced by Mr. Vaux, of Philadelphia, conducted me to a steam-mill, situated near the basin. It seems to me that such a mill is well worth imitating, especially in Flanders, where running water is so scarce. The machine which moves the wheels was made by Bolton and Watt, of Soho, in England, and is of sixty horse-power. This mill has eight pair of stones, of which there are commonly but four worked at a time; most of the work, which in general is done by men, is performed by machinery connected with the steam-engine; a long and horizontal chest leads from the interior of the mill to the wharf, where the vessels with grain lie; from the vessel, the wheat is poured in one of the extremities of the chest, or rather channel, along whose whole length a spiral screw runs, which by turning brings the grain to a large reservoir in the mill. By another piece of machinery the wheat is conveyed to the upper part of the house and thrown into a wire cylinder, where it is perfectly fanned, and is thence conducted to the hoppers; the flour falls into a common reservoir, whence it is conveyed to a bolting machine. The fine flour passes through a trough to a place where it is spread by a horizontally revolving rake, to be cooled; after this it runs by a spout to the ground floor, where it is packed in oaken barrels. A workman fills the barrel with a shovel, pushes it on an iron ring forming part of a scale, to weigh it, underneath a wooden block, which acted upon by a lever presses the flour into the barrel; this block, after being sponged in the common way, is again ready for immediate use. Two hundred barrels of superfine flour can be furnished daily by this mill, which works night and day; twelve workmen are sufficient to attend to all the operations. The owner said he could do with fewer, but was unwilling to dismiss them. The engine has three boilers, one is unemployed, to be cleaned and to be in reserve in case of an accident; from the roof of the mill there is a fine prospect over the city and harbour.
Mr. Thomas, who is one of the trustees, accompanied us to the Alms-house, nearly three miles distant from town, which was erected four years ago, at the expense of the state of Maryland. The house consists in a centre building, composed of the dwelling of the superintendent, office, and store-house; farther off are two insulated wings, the one for the men, the other for the females and children. The latter are brought to the Alms-house by their parents, or they are the children of disorderly parents taken up by public authority. Several of the paupers are intrusted with the care of these unfortunate creatures; two schoolmasters, who, by drunkenness, had been reduced to beggary, and lived as paupers in the house, taught them to read and write. I observed, with regret, that they were both armed with whips. The poor sleep in large airy rooms, the sick excepted, who are in separate infirmaries situated in the wings of the building; each one has a separate bed. Some infirm females only were in separate apartments, where three or four occupied one room. Each wing has three stories and one under ground, containing the kitchen, the wash-house, and bake-house; the bread used here is white and very good. Their meals are excellent: four times a week they have meat, twice vegetables; and on Fridays, as there are many Catholics, herrings. The building contains two large court-yards, with all the shops necessary for several mechanics, a large kitchen garden and all its dependencies of husbandry. It is situated on an elevated ground of cleared woods, a considerable number of acres of land appertaining to it, are cultivated by the poor. They are employed according to their strength and capacity, particularly in working for the house and in making their clothes. All the articles not used by the establishment are sold. Every poor person on entering the house, is shorn, takes a bath, and is clothed. For his clothes he becomes a debtor to the establishment, and cannot be dismissed until he has paid for them by his labour. The directors decide at this time if such a person is able to make his living in an honest manner, and resolve upon his discharge. Those who conduct themselves ill in the house are punished by solitary confinement. If they are sick on entering the house, two physicians, who are attached to the establishment, visit them daily and alternately; four students, also, from the medical college lodge in the house, and two of them are constantly present. For lunatics there are appropriate cells on the ground-floor.
I was twice in the Catholic Cathedral, the first time on Sunday, October 30th. The desire of hearing good music, decided me on going to this church, and I had no occasion to repent it. At the beginning of the service, I remained standing near the door, but being perceived, was conducted to a pew near the altar. The archbishop was sitting on an elevated chair, under a canopy. The music was particularly good, both in composition and execution. There were ladies attached to the choir, and it was a lady who played the organ. The charity sermon, by Mr. Wheeler, on charity and on the pleasure of doing good, was very edifying. This text had been chosen to move the hearts of the congregation, in behalf of the Catholic poor-school. Several days after, I returned to the Cathedral, in company with Mr. Vallenilla, (attached to the Colombian legation, and who had lately been married here,) to see Dr. Fenwick consecrated bishop of Boston. The church was crowded; it was with difficulty we obtained seats in a gallery opposite to the choir. A mass, composed by Cimarosa, was executed under the direction of Mr. H. Gilles, in a masterly style. I do not remember to have heard such good music for a long time. The best female voices were those of Mrs. French, Mrs. Gilles, and Miss Olivia Donaldson, sister-in-law to Mr. Vallenilla. The ceremony lasted very long. I remained from ten o’clock until two, P. M. and then left the church; the service continued until three o’clock. The archbishop himself officiated, in pontificalibus, with a mitre of cloth of gold and his gilded crosier-staff. He was served by the bishops of Charleston and Philadelphia, who wore mitres of cloth of silver. The first, Mr. England, delivered a long sermon, with a strong Irish accent, of which I did not understand much, except that he drew a comparison between a republican state citizen and a good Catholic: he spoke with much vehemence, and was very declamatory. It is said that this prelate is one of the pillars of the Romish church, in the United States.
I found the society very agreeable in Baltimore; at dinners every thing was unceremonious, and the conversation very instructive and lively; the evening parties afforded excellent music; the ladies in general are very handsome, and sing very well. It was at one of these evening parties, given by Mr. Henry Gilles, that I made the acquaintance of General Bernard and his lady, Baroness Serchenfeld of Bavaria. His acquaintance gave me great pleasure. I found him a very plain, modest and interesting man.
In paying Mr. Thomas my parting visit, I met his father, eighty-eight years old, and in full possession of his mental faculties. I entertained myself a long time with him. Among other topics, he related to me, that he had seen the spot which the city of Baltimore now occupies, a forest inhabited by Indians.
