WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 259 



strangers to me. I fancied I could see several 

 whose countenances invited an unknown wan- 

 derer to come and take a seat beside them; but 

 there was one who encouraged me more than the 

 rest. I saw clearly that he was an American, and 

 I judged, by his manners and appearance, that he 

 had not spent all his time upon his native soil. I 

 was right in this conjecture, for he afterwards 

 told me that he had been in France and England. 

 I saluted him as one stranger gentleman ought 

 to salute another when he wants a little informa- 

 tion ; and soon after, I dropped in a word or two 

 by which he might conjecture that I was a for- 

 eigner ; but I did not tell him so ; I wished him 

 to make the discovery himself. 



He entered into conversation with the openness 

 and candour which is so remarkable in the Amer- 

 ican; and in a little time observed that he pre- 

 sumed I was from the old country. I told him 

 that I was, and added, that I was an entire stran- 

 ger on board. I saw his eye brighten up at the 

 prospect he had of doing a fellow-creature a kind 

 turn or two, and he completely won my regard 

 by an affability which I shall never forget. This 

 obliging gentleman pointed out everything that 

 was grand and interesting as the steam-boat plied 

 her course up the majestic Hudson. Here the 

 Catskill mountains raised their lofty summits; 

 and there the hills came sloping down to the 

 water's edge. Here he pointed to an aged and 

 venerable oak, which having escaped the levelling 

 axe of man, seemed almost to defy the blasting 

 storm and desolating hand of time; and there, 

 he bade me observe an extended tract of wood. 



