164 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



year, travelling was beginning to be very disagreeable 

 and inconvenient. However, the uniformity of the 

 regions we had traversed had this effect, that even on 

 first entering it, the agreeable and lively aspect of this 

 city made upon us the most pleasing and cheerful 

 impression. 



Charleston is one of the finest of American cities ; 

 Philadelphia excepted, it is inferior to none, and I 

 know not whether, from its vastly more cheerful and 

 pleasing plan, it may not deserve first place, even if it 

 is not the equal of Philadelphia in size and population. 

 The city contains a number of tasteful and elegant 

 buildings, which however are mostly of timber. This 

 circumstance is explained in part by the natural 

 scarceness of stone in this region ; but there seems no 

 reason why bricks might not be used here for building 

 quite as well as at Philadelphia and New York, since 

 nowhere are better materials to be had, or in greater 

 plenty. The number of the houses is estimated to be 

 about 1500. In the plan of the houses especial regard 

 is had to airy and cool rooms. Most of the houses 

 have spacious yards and gardens, and the kitchen is 

 always placed in a separate building, the custom 

 throughout the southern provinces, to avoid the heat 

 and the danger of fire. The chief streets are wide, 

 straight, and cross at right angles; but they are not 

 paved, and hence give rise to a double inconvenience, 

 in rainy and in dusty weather. The greatest length of 

 the city is little short of a mile. 



Its situation is 32 40' n. latitude, and 83 40' w. 

 longitude, on a point of land between the Cowper and 

 the Ashley rivers, the spot where Captain Sayle landed 

 the first planters in the year 1669, settling there with 



