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PREFACE
The reader
must not expect to find, in the following pages, any profoundly
philosophical or otherwise learned research into the origin,
history, institutions, or manners, of the people of America. My book
is the result of a visit made to that continent by myself and my
wife when (I see no valid reason to disguise the fact) we were on
our wedding-tour. During it we kept our eyes and ears open, and I
have attempted little more than to note down what we saw and heard.
Perhaps, as was to be expected, we looked at things generally
through rose-coloured spectacles; and as they are, I opine, under
all circumstances of life, more agreeable to use than a yellow or
smoke-tinted lens, I shall be truly glad if the reader glances at
our sketches through the same pleasant medium.
Advice as to the plan of our tour we received in abundance before
starting. Our destination, in the first place, was Canada, after
seeing which we proposed making as long a sojourn in the United
States as time would allow. We were told that we must not fail to
visit London, and Paris, and Woodstock, and Hamilton, which places
we supposed were little villages with big names somewhere in the
backwoods. Everybody said, Of course you will go to Niagara; and
some young ladies entreated that we would not fail to sing “Row,
brothers, row,” as we descended the rapids of St. Anne,—but where
those rapids were to be found they knew, I suspect, as little as we
did. With this vague notion of localities, all we could definitely
resolve on was to glide over the waters of the great lakes, to climb
the mountains, and to descend the streams, of the mighty continent;
to thread the mazes of the dark forests, to search for the wigwams
of the Red Indians, to visit the rough settler in his loghut, the
farmer at his cleared homestead, and the citizen in his town
dwelling; in fact, to behold a specimen of each style of scenery,
and become acquainted with every class and phase of society to be
found in that rich portion of the New World. We also subscribed to
two principles: —One was not to bind ourselves to proceed in any
particular direction, should we find it convenient to alter our
course; the other, not to allow ourselves to be disquieted by any of
the contretemps to
which travellers in all lands are liable.
While we were laying in a store of waterproofs and woollens to
shelter us from autumn rains and winter frosts, our friends
collected numerous letters of introduction, so that we might not
appear as unknown strangers in the New World. On examining the
packets we found letters addressed in Canada to all classes of the
population, including the Governor-general, some of the bishops and
clergy, officers, military and civil, merchants, settlers, and
farmers; and in the United States, to several who are as highly
appreciated in England as they are in their own land; to the
historian Prescott, to the poet Longfellow, to Wills, Mrs.
Sigourney, Professor Agassiz, Dr. Howe, the Hon. Abbott Lawrence,
and to many other literary and influential persons engaged in
mercantile pursuits, or moving in the world of fashion among the
“Upper Ten Thousand” whom it would be most agreeable for us to know,
and who were likely to give us a favourable impression of American
society. Thus prepared, we started on our journey.
Volume 1
| Volume 2 |
