Sketches of History, Life, and Manners in the United States |
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Albany Alexandria Alleghany mountain amongst amusing appearance arrived asylum Augusta county Baltimore beauty Boston brick buildings built called capitol Charlestown church citizens Clinch River Connecticut river countenance creek Cumberland mountain door dress east feet females finest fire gentlemen governor Greenbriar ground hall handsome head heard height horses hospital Howardstown Hudson Hudson river hundred Huntsville Indians inhabitants Kenhawa ladies land length likewise lived look manners market-house ment Middle river miles mountain nature never New-York night pass Philadelphia president principal prison pupils Quaker respect river road seat seen side sitting springs stage stands state-house Staunton strangers streets sweet sweet springs taste thing tion told took town travellers trees Virginia walked Washington West Point whilst whole Yale College yard young
Popular passages
Page 152 - Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens.
Page 43 - I asked her if she never met with the Indians in her various journies (for she went several times.) 'Yes, she once met with two, and one of them said to the other, "Let us kill her" (as she supposed, from the answer of the other) : "No," said his companion, "God dam, too good a soger," and let her pass.' But how, said I did you find the way? 'Steered by the trace of Lewis's army, and I had a pocket compass too.
Page 139 - March, and lasts about ten weeks. As many as 160,000 are said to be caught at one haul. When the season commences no time is to be lost, not even Sunday. Although I am not one of those that make no scruple of breaking the Sabbath, yet, Sunday, as it was, I was anxious to see a process which I had never witnessed—I mean that of taking fish with a seine —there being no such thing in the Western country. It is very natural for one to form an opinion of some sort respecting things they have never...
Page 350 - ... to collect such facts and observations as tend to the improvement and security of navigation"; third, "to form a museum of natural and artificial curiosities, particularly such as are to be found beyond the Cape of Good Hope or Cape Horn.
Page 139 - ... intended to keep the lower end of the seine close to the bottom of the river. The width of the seine is adapted to the depth of the river, so that the corks just appear on its surface, otherwise the lead would draw the top of the seine under water, and the fish would escape over the top. All this being understood and the seine and rowers in the boat, they give one end of the seine to a party of men on the shore, who are to hold it fast. Those in the boat then row off from the shore, letting out...
Page 143 - Matheson is chief of the Rare Book and Special Collections Division. and his personality more abrasive. Anne Royall's description of Watterston in her Sketches presents him as a more serene and gentle man than other evidence supports: Mr. W. is a man of good size, neither spare nor robust ; he is a fine figure, and possessed of some personal beauty; his complexion fair, his countenance striking, shows genius and deep penetration, marked with gravity, though manly and commanding.
Page 311 - ... pounds. The entries have grated windows and sashes, at the outer ends of each wing, and at the inner ends, grated doors, through which the prisoners come out and descend to the yard. On the centre of the building is a cupola, in which the alarm bell is suspended. Competent judges pronounce this to be one of the strongest and best built prisons in the world. It has these advantages over many other buildings of this kind, it can be neither set on fire by the prisoners, nor be undermined. The stone...
Page 93 - To one unaccustomed to see human nature in this guise, it excites feelings of horror and disgust. It has something in it so contrary to nature, something which seems never to have entered into her scheme, to see a man neither black nor white, with blue eyes, and a woolly head, has something in it at which the mind recoils. It appears that these people instead of abolishing slavery, are gradually not only becoming slaves themselves, but changing color. (Sketches of History, Life and Manners in the...
Page 369 - School of the soldier, and the guard and police duties of privates. Second Year. School of the company, and the duties of corporals. Third Year. School of the battalion, and the duties of sergeants; also, the exercise and manoeuvres of artillery pieces. fourth Year. Evolutions of the line, duties of orderly sergeants and commissioned officers, including those of the battalion staff, and of officers of the day; also, the remainder of the instruction in artillery, and the sword exercise.
Page 252 - ... and in all their movements. They are mild, courteous and benevolent, and above all people they have the least pride. That curse of the human family, if it exists at all in New York, is found in the lower order of her citizens; it is banished from the houses of the great and opulent. Their manners are truly republican, no eclat, hauteur or repelling stiffness, much of which exists in Philadelphia and the boasted hospitality of the more southern towns. These are hospitable, it is true, but the...