RETURN FROM PITTSBURG 357 



Whoever travels in America will observe this daily. 

 For the rest, we lived in cheerful harmony, with two 

 tailors, a saddler, a shoemaker, a Colonel, and other 

 casual guests. A lady with a high head-dress did the 

 honors at table, and three blacks of the most untoward 

 look and odor were in attendance. Our European 

 ladies would be horrified to see about them negroes and 

 negresses in a costume which starts no blush here; 

 and besides, the disagreeable atmosphere would in- 

 evitably cause them vapeurs. 



Eight miles from Bladensburgh lies George-town, 

 a small town by the Potowmack. As far as this the 

 river is navigable, and this gave occasion for the es- 

 tablishment of the place from which at one time much 

 was hoped. There is a tobacco- warehouse here ; and 

 at one time the place had a good deal of trade, but this 

 was wholly in the hands of English merchants, who 

 had warehouses here and took out tobacco. On the 

 outbreak of the war they deserted the place, and 

 poverty has since been its lot ; for nobody among the 

 inhabitants had capital or credit enough to set up trad- 

 ing. This autumn there came in a few English and 

 French ships to take out tobacco. The banks of the 

 river, on which the town stands, are high. Three 

 miles from here, up the river, are the lower, little falls, 

 and 10 miles above them, the great falls of the Potow- 

 mack. The fall of the river is some 130-150 ft. across ; 

 at one place only is there a plunge of 15 ft. perpendicu- 

 lar height. The noise of the fall is with still weather 

 heard for a good distance. Just at this time means are 

 devising to make this fall navigable, either by weirs 

 or by blasting, or at least to establish convenient port- 

 ages ; which would be vastly advantageous for the 



