November 13th. The journey to-day, though over high hills and tremendous rocky ways, has been one of the pleasantest drives we have experienced: the clouds were just sufficiently broken to throw as they flew, endless and varied light and shade over the most beautiful and extensive views; rocks of various forms presented their rugged surfaces amongst the thick growing Pines and Oaks which, though small and stunted compared [153] to those in the Western country, are not on that account the less picturesque; and though the land is also equally inferior, yet such scenery, healthy air, and good water, must I conceive render Maryland a desirable residence to the man of refinement and property, in preference to any part that I have seen.
14th. A day more beautiful never opened or continued throughout. The national road not being finished we had twelve miles of the old track yet to pass, over rocks and gullies.
Maryland is a country of high narrow ridges, much rock, and but little land of prime quality; the timber, chiefly pine and oak, is small,—the rock which on this route everywhere abounds, is much of it strongly impregnated with iron; there is also much of it limestone and granite. Ridge after ridge we passed, rewarded by many an extensive and beautiful view, until at length after an hour's toil up Sidling Hill we entered upon the new road and bowled along down to the small town of Hancock near the Potomac, skirting that beautiful river to Fredericktown.
18th. Fredericktown[55] stands in a good situation, having a fine view of the ridges of hills immediately west of it. The place is about half the size of Lexington (Kentucky): the inhabitants seem to be rich, having erected many good [154] buildings both public and private, the latter very tastefully and expensively furnished. The Court-house, a handsome building, stands in a square which is yet to be gravelled; on one side we remarked a lofty shed under which were hung an enormous pair of scales, seemingly typical of the purposes to which the central building is devoted. Churches are plentiful, nine in number and some of them well built. Talbot's tavern excellent and good attendance, but charges, as they are every where on this road, very high.
This is a Slave State; an institution hateful to English ears; yet I will observe again that after travelling through three slave States, I am obliged to go back to theory to raise any abhorence of it: not once during the journey did I witness an instance of cruel treatment, nor could I discover anything to excite commiseration in the faces or gait of the people of colour—they walk, talk, and appear at least as independent as their masters; in animal spirits they have greatly the advantage: doubtless there may be instances of cruelty, but I am inclined to think that such are of rare occurrence, and this for other reasons, as before remarked, besides those of humanity. Upon the question "What is the proper place of the Black in the order of creation?" (a subject which, after so much has been said on both sides, yet remains [155] in dispute,) the tendency of the above observations may seem to place him subordinate to the white—the next link in that chain of gradation, almost imperceptible to us, which nature exhibits throughout all her works: yet is the man of colour in general orderly in his conduct under the every-day duties of life, and also instances are not wanting of superior abilities among them, though they have not had perhaps fair-play shewn them in this respect. I may have occasion to observe more hereafter on this subject, meanwhile let it console the philanthropist, that if the black is not in his proper place, yet he possesses comforts, and appears very contented.
19th. At Baltimore. The view is fine from an eminence about half a mile from the town, nor are you disappointed on entering the city; though not so large, it is yet the most pleasing by far of the three eastern ports we have visited: whether the beauty and taste, the variety and neatness of the buildings, both public and private be considered, or the plan and situation—the whole is indeed strikingly interesting. A beautiful marble column is in part finished, a national monument to the memory of those who fell in the battle at North Point;[56] not far from this is in progress a superb Catholic cathedral, and close to it stands a Unitarian church, an edifice not surpassed [156] in beauty by any in the city. Besides these there are a variety of churches and other public buildings: one of the most prominent the College of Physicians, a very heavy combination, and not rendered the more pleasant by, we will hope, the inappropriate neighbourhood of a burial ground. On the whole the traveller cannot but be pleased with a view of Baltimore and the State of which it is the chief town.
On leaving Baltimore about half a mile, a large burial ground presents itself on the road side: the Americans inclose these places with little or no fence, and very frequently bury their dead with little or no ceremony;—as we passed this ground a man within it was carrying a child's coffin under his arm, which he was going to inter apparently by himself.—Mr. Birkbeck mentions the summary method in the western country of felling a tree across the spot where they inhume a body: but the tree had sometimes been removed, and we frequently drove over hillocks in the wilderness under which lay the bones of the departed.
The road now led along the western edge of the grand bay of Chesapeak, of which we caught frequent and delightful views—here indeed may America justly pride herself; her bays and rivers stretching to a great distance from the coast—[157] surely nothing in nature can exceed for grandeur or utility. Havre de Grace at the mouth of the Susquehannah is a small place, but beautifully and healthfully situated: it was burned by us during the last war, they say upon very small provocation, which has given a blow to the little prosperity it enjoyed; and a bridge now building at a short distance up the river, by rendering the ferry useless and turning the present road, will further hurt it. One of the greatest dainties, the canvas-back duck, is here obtained in great numbers and sent to Philadelphia and Baltimore markets; though this was the season for them, we were not so fortunate as to feast upon the delicacy. The Susquehannah is navigable for large vessels to the bridge, and for small craft, I was informed, for near five hundred miles up the country.
The tavern at Havre de Grace is far better than that on the opposite shore; we had good beds and attendance. The ferry, about a mile wide, is well managed; on landing, we drove on through Elkton, Christiana, and Newport to Wilmington, a large town near the Delaware, and a place of some trade: the State Bank is a good building. At night reached Chester; the first inn was quite full and the next nearly so, which appeared very unaccountable; but on enquiry learned that it is [158] the chief retiring place for Debtors, where in about five weeks residence they get cleared of the Dun disease and come out themselves again.
23d. A beautiful day: breakfasted near the small town of Darby, and shortly after once again entered Philadelphia, after an absence of four months, and a journey of above two thousand five hundred miles performed in good health and with much interest throughout.