ing, there were present a great many Eng- 

 lishmen (as the landlord is a Scotchman, 

 they resort to him) ; and many American 

 merchants were there ; and the politics 

 that evening ran very high, being the time 

 of the election of the president ; and the 

 chief competitors were a Mr. Collins, and 

 a Mr. Watson, an American merchant. 

 Mr. Collins, being an old Englishman, and 

 having been many years in America, has 

 been, I should imagine, regularly trained to 

 defend old England, and has his words 

 very much at will, and has a good memory 

 and speaks loud, which is much in his 

 favour. Mr. Watson is very able, and in 

 full practice on the other side, and has not 

 to seek to make reply. I used to go to hear 

 this conversation very commonly in an 

 evening, which lasted from one to two hours 

 regularly. Mr. Collins went away at eight 

 o'clock, or nearly ; Mr. Watson generally 

 staying until nine o'clock ; so that, what- 

 ever appeared to be the sense of the 

 company present at eight o'clock, Mr. 



