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Leave New York for Charleston-Take passage in the Calliope-Fellow Passengers-The Irish Knife-grinder-Gun-boats-Quarantine Ground -Sandy Hook-Gulf Stream - Arrival at Charleston - Streets-Houses - Public Buildings-East Bay-St. Michael's-The Branch Bank-Charleston Library - The Museum — Poisonous Tree-Pernicious Effects of the Pride of India-Turkey Buzzards-Dead Horses→ The Golgotha Negligence of the Municipality -Public Buildings-The Orphan House-The Theatre-Vauxhall-Anecdote of Mrs. S-Unfortunate Courtship — The Market-place Productions-Price of Provisions, &c.

I HAD now remained at New York upwards of six weeks, during which the weather had been remarkably agreeable. Sometimes it was as mild and open as spring; and at other times diversified with a gentle frost, which suited better with the season. But at length winter began to show itself in its true colours; the snow fell in considerable quantities, and was succeeded by a keen and piercing frost, which crowded the Hudson and

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East Rivers with floating ice. This was the period I chose for my emigration to the southward. Like the bird of passage, I had quitted the bleak air of Canada at the approach of winter for the warmer one of New York, where autumn still reigned in "milder majesty." Here I rested for a few weeks, until I was again overtaken by the icy hand of old Winter. This time, however, I was determined to elude his grasp, and on the 9th of January 1808 I went on board one of the regular packets for Charleston in South Carolina.

The vessel was a small brig, called the Calliope, and commanded by Captain Records, who had formerly been an officer in the United States navy. There were four other passengers in the cabin: one of them, a Mr. Franklin of the New York bank, I had been introduced to the evening before; a circumstance the more agreeable, as it is a better prelude to acquaintance than the casual meeting of strangers on board a ship; and in a foreign country such little intimacies serve to render travelling very agreeable. This gentleman was a native of Nova Scotia, but had resided several years at New York: he was going to Charleston for the recovery of his health, which had been much impaired by the confinement of office. Another of the passengers was also going to avoid the sharp air of New England, and to pass. the winter in Charleston for the double purpose of

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recruiting his health and collecting some outstanding debts, owing to him in that city. This gentleman, whose name was Turner, had resided several years at Charleston as a dancing- and fencing-master. He had been a captain in the continental army during the American war; but on the return of peace was disbanded, and obliged to take up those professions as the only means of obtaining a livelihood. He was descended from an English family in Essex, and was proud to ac knowledge it. His manners were uncommonly pleasant and amusing; and during the whole passage he afforded us great diversion by the facetiousness of his disposition and the number of entertaining anecdotes which he related. The other passengers were, a Mr. Bird, an English gentleman who resided in New York as merchant, and agent for a house in London; and Mr. Wilson, a young American trader belonging to Gennessee county in the state of New York.

These were the whole of the cabin passengers exclusive of myself. But I must not omit to mention a forecastle passenger who messed with the sailors. He was an old Irishman, who had lived many years in the United States, and was now going upon a speculation to Charleston in the itinerant knife- and razor-grinding profession. His wheels and other apparatus were stowed away in the long-boat upon deck, and he took up his

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quarters in the hold upon some trusses of hay, which served him for a bed. He had for a fellowpassenger a Horse, who while the grinder was asleep would frequently devour the bed from under him.

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We left New York about nine, with the advantage of a fine clear morning and fair wind, to sail through the Narrows. There are three small islands in the bay; the largest of which, called Governor's Island, lies opposite the city to the eastward of the Battery. It consists of about 70 acres of land; and its jurisdiction has been ceded by the State of New York to the United States, for the purposes of public defence. It contains a fortification called Fort Jay; but that, as well as the fort on one of the smaller islands near the Jersey shore, is very inadequate to the defence of such a large and wealthy city.

To the westward of New York, on the Jersey shore, is Powle's Hook. It is a small peninsula intersected with creeks and salt meadows, but of late has been considerably improved by a company who have established themselves for the purpose of building a city, which is to become the capital of the state of New Jersey, and intended to rival New York. A few straggling buildings are all that yet appear. It was on this shore that General Hamilton and Colonel Burr evaded the laws of New York,

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and fought the duel which proved fatal to the former gentleman.

As we approached near Staten Island, we were boarded by an officer from one of the gun-boats cruising in the bay. He examined the captain's papers; and being satisfied that we were bound only to a port in the United States, he allowed us to proceed on our voyage. Several instances have occurred of vessels breaking the embargo laws and escaping to the West Indies or Europe. They cannot, however, return while the act is in force, but must trade between foreign places under the protection of an English license, or a French certificate of origin.

We observed a great number of gun-boats at the Quarantine Ground. They are a small despicable craft, built of various sizes, shapes, and figures; some with one mast, others with two: the latter have one mast raking forward, and the other aft, with narrow lug sails; but they do not appear to please the eye of a seaman, for I have never yet heard them spoken of with approbation by any nautical man. They generally carry one gun from 24- to 38-pounder, and from 20 to 30 men, with two or three officers, though their full complement is upwards of 50 men. A part of the crew are artillerymen, who act also as marines. The accommodations on board are very uncom

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