of the coaches, of whom indeed nine out of ten would feel highly affronted at being offered money. All is paid when the passage money is paid. This, from New York to Philadelphia, is only two dollars and a half; in which, however, eating and drinking are of course not included.

By this laudable custom of not paying waiters and coachmen, travellers are exempt from a heavy tax, which is levied in England, and indeed in every other country through which I have travelled.

The scenery, on descending the Delaware, is extremely beautiful:-fine wooded banks, diversified with spots of cleared ground, thriving towns and villages, and here and there picturesque little villas, with their white sides and green Venetian window blinds.

1

I was sitting down in the cabin, reading a book I had brought with me, when my attention was drawn to the conversation of three or four gentlemen who were speaking about the visit of his Majesty King George the Fourth to Scotland. The account of it had just been received in America, and it appeared that their conversation had arisen, from a paragraph in a paper, which one of them held in his hand. They all laughed a great deal; and one of them observed, that his Majesty must be a most good-tempered man, to put up with the farces, that were usually acted before him on his travels. Thus," said the man who was speaking, "when his Majesty visited the Univer

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sity of Göttingen in Germany, the learned professors received him in the riding school (of all places in the world!) and the young nobles danced quadrilles before him upon horseback, an exhibition he could have seen better performed at any tolerable circus."

After the American gentlemen had gone upon deck, I took the paper they had been reading, and cut out the paragraph which had caused their observations, and of which I will give some

extracts.

"There are some particulars of George the Fourth's visit to Scotland worth recording, as evi, dences of the man-worship which appertains to monarchy. When we see a religious, sober-minded, well educated people like the Scotch, guilty of such idolatrous folly as is detailed, ought we not to be thankful that we have no such temptation to degrade ourselves?

"When George the Fourth landed at Leith, he set his foot on a large mahogany log, which, being thus honoured, is to be made into snuff boxes. Sir Walter Scott presented his Majesty with a splendid gift, of which he was the bearer; the King called for a glass of wine, and drank the health of the donors. Immediately Sir Walter humbly, on his bended knee, besought the King that he might be allowed to carry home, and preserve as a precious relic, the glass which had been kissed by the lips of his Majesty.What a para

site!! His suit was granted; but to his infinite mortification and regret, the glass was broken in his pocket."

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The American paper then extracts an article from the London Courier, mentioning that many of the ladies who went to see the royal sleeping-room pressed their lips to the quilt, and their cheeks to the pillows of the King's bed," and even stole a quantity of the wool of the blankets. Upon this the American editor remarks:

"We have read the above to one of our Scotch

friends, and he said: Ecod, the Scots are worse than the Irish; they are as abject as the Chinese, who regard the fæces of the Emperor as a panacea for every disease.""

After reading the above, I felt very much mortified, that the Courier, in its ultra loyalty, should invent and publish such fables; which do no good at home, and only tend to bring the nation into contempt abroad.

The Delaware continues widening rapidly till it assumes that large and magnificent character which is peculiar to American rivers. On the west side we passed "Point no Point," noticed in Paine's Rights of Man.

The Delaware appeared about one mile across, when we came opposite to Philadelphia. This city is now decidedly the handsomest and best built in the United States, and contains 114,000 inhabitants. The houses are lofty and regular,

the streets broad and well paved, and the tout ensemble gives one a strong impression of solidity, comfort, and opulence.

The famous covered market reaches from the Delaware nearly a mile up the street, which is called Market-street, and which traverses the whole of the city. Room is left on each side for carriages, besides a fine broad pavement for pedestrians; and the whole market presents during the morning, when crowded with people, a very curious and interesting spectacle. It is kept remarkably clean by persons appointed on purpose; no straw, waste leaves of vegetables, &c. being allowed to remain in it. The large division nearest the river, is appropriated to the sale of fish, which must be brought alive, or is otherwise condemned by the inspectors. The rest of the market is occupied by butchers, poulterers, fruiterers, &c.

I was much pleased with the exhibitions of fruit, which were very fine; and which, besides the ordinary kinds, such as peaches, apples, &c. abounded with melons, pine-apples, and other fruits esteemed rarities in England.

All the streets in Philadelphia are at right angles to one another. Those that run parallel to Market-street are called by different names; as Chesnut-street, Walnut-street, &c. &c. All those that run at right angles to it are numbered, beginning at the Delaware. The street along the bank is called " First-street," the next, "Second

street,” and so on; and thus, you are directed to Ninth-street north, Ninth-street south, an arrangement which makes it easy for a stranger to find his way about the city.

There are several public edifices here that display a great knowledge of architecture. White marble, quarried in the neighbourhood, is so plentiful, that it is almost invariably used for the steps of doors and the cills of windows. I was particularly struck with the United States Bank, which is entirely built of this white marble. A large flight of steps conducted me to the portico which fronts the street, and which is a copy of the portico of the Parthenon.

The brilliant white of this edifice forms a strong contrast to the brick buildings that surround it. As far as regards the simplicity of the style, and the solidity and beauty of the material, I do not ever recollect having seen a modern structure that pleased me more. The New Theatre and the Bank of Pennsylvania do great credit to the good taste and public spirit of the Philadelphians, who certainly take more pride, and exert themselves more sincerely, in improving and beautifying their city, than the inhabitants of any other in the whole of the Federal Republic.

The old State House, where the congress of the Union used to meet before the seat of Government was removed to Washington, is now chiefly occupied by the Museum. The proprietor unfortu