CITY OF TROY. 293 



blind walls at the distance of about twelve feet, and the 

 separate disposal of the prisoners, was much the same as 

 has been so often described by visitors to Sing-Sing and 

 the other North American penitentiaries. In an econo 

 mical point of view, the system is a cheaper one in 

 America than in Europe, owing to the high price of 

 labour, the ready sale obtained for articles of manufac 

 ture, and the large proportion of the whole expense of 

 the prison, which is defrayed by the labour of the prisoners 

 themselves in the former country. 



Albany, Jan. 15, 1850. I this day paid a visit to the 

 city of Troy, which is now a rival to Albany, and is situ 

 ated about seven miles higher tip the river. It stands on 

 the left bank of the Hudson, on a long flat of intervale 

 land, nearly opposite the mouth of the Mohawk Kiver. 

 It contains about twenty-five thousand inhabitants, has 

 wide streets, massive churches and other public buildings, 

 and well-built houses. The Hudson is navigable for 

 large steamers as high as Troy, and West Troy is at the 

 mouth of the Erie and Champlain Canals, so that pas 

 sengers and goods for Canada, Vermont, western New 

 York, or the western States, proceed more directly 

 through this city than if they stop and re-ship at Albany. 

 Troy, therefore, is very flourishing, has mills and manu 

 factories of various kinds, is already, like Albany, climb 

 ing up the steep banks which hem in the low intervale, 

 and will necessarily increase with the prosperity and 

 commerce of those counties which communicate with the 

 Atlantic through Lake Champlain, the Mohawk, and the 

 Hudson. If any large portion of the traffic of the great 

 lakes should find its way, as 1 have elsewhere shown to be 

 probable, through the St Lawrence and the canals which 

 connect this river with Lake Champlain, Troy will 

 benefit by it more directly than any other city in the 

 State. The transport through Troy, and the transit dues 

 levied there, already exceed those which are collected at 



