REVIEW. 



longer time than he spent in the whole region of the United States from New-Haven to 

 Niagara, in which prolific tour he drew the material for half a volume of speculation and 

 theory, on matters and things in general. We here leave the author for several months, 

 to talk to his countrymen at home, as he may, of the advantages of " the Provinces" over 

 the United States, regretting only, as we close this part of his travels, that his good taste 

 could not have dictated a better story than the shabby slur upon the housekeeping virtues 

 of our Yankee women, which he has chronicled: "I'll go over to Canada for a wife 

 when I marry," said a young South Shore farmer to his friend. " When I come home at 

 night she'll have a nice blazing fire on, and a clean kitchen, and a comfortable supper for 

 for me; but if I marry a New-Yorker, it '11 be, when I come home, ' John, go down to 

 the well for some water, to make some tea,' or * John, go and bring some logs to put on 

 the fire, to boil the kettle.' No, no; a Canadian woman 's the wife for me." Vol. 1, p. 

 263. His " South Shore" hero probably wanted a drudge, instead of a companion. 



On the 24th of the following December, our author again finds himself, amid the discom- 

 forts of winter travel, entering the north-east point of Maine, in a journey from St. John 

 to Boston and Albany, at which latter place he was engaged to deliver a course of lectures 

 on " the general relations of Science to Agriculture," before the members of the Legisla- 

 ture, and the New- York State Agricultural Society. On the 28th he is again domiciled 

 at the hospitable quarters of his young friend. Professor Norton, in New-Haven. Here 

 he makes a stay of several days ; and although he observes a studied silence regarding it, 

 we have no doubt he was introduced by Mr. Norton to several of the learned and accom- 

 plished faculty of Yale College, had free access to the extensive and richly stored cabinets of 

 Professor Silliman, and that all the geological, mineralogical and chemical treasures of that 

 highly reputable University were opened to him; but whether he felt bound by considera- 

 tions of delicacy to say nothing of either, or all of them, or whether he found himself, on 

 comparison with men of real attainments, altogether out of position, is no business of ours ; 

 yet, as a characteristic acknowledgment of the kind attentions and hospitality he must 

 have received at New-Haven, he sneakingly records a dirty slander of Fenimore Cooper, 

 an American author, on the meanness of Connecticut hospitality ! And it is with such 

 creeping inuendoes at his heels, that we have followed him thus far on his journey in the 

 United States. At so fitting an opportunity we cannot forego the relation of a private an- 

 ecdote, slightly touching the good manners of this Agricultural Professor : During his 

 stay at one of our cities, where he gave lectures, he was invited by a gentleman residing 

 some miles out of town, to dine with a party, among which were several gentlemen of dis- 

 tinction, and an ex-president of the United States. A highly respectable Scotch gentle- 

 man, resident in the neighborhood, was of the party, and presuming that both he, and 

 Mr. Johnston, would be mutually pleased at meeting, as fellow countrymen, their host 

 introduced them to what " he hoped," as he led them together, " would be an intimate 

 acquaintance." But our Professor, after slightly noticing his countryman, abruptly turn- 

 ed away, and continued a conversation with his host. Indignant that so marked an insult 

 should be given to an esteemed guest and neighbor, simply because he was a countryman 

 of his own, by Mr. Johnston, our host immediately turned to the other, and in company 

 with the ex-president, who had also witnessed the petty slight, renewed the conversation 

 with marked attention, and left the consciously embarrassed Professor to the enjoyment 

 of his own affected superiority ! 



Mr. Johnston arrived at Albany on the 4th day of January, 1850. He staid three 

 weeks, and delivered his course of lectures, which, as we have not them under notice, we 

 shall pass. Here, with a ride or two out of town, a visit to the Shakers at Niskayu- 



