UNITED STATES AND CANADA 77 



iron gates under an arched gateway, above which is 

 an inscription on a marble slab : 



" Within this enclosure rest the remains of 

 General George Washington." 



This entrance takes you into an anteroom con- 

 taining two sarcophagi presented by one John 

 Struthers of Philadelphia, and wrought by his own 

 hand from solid blocks of Pennsylvania marble. 

 The one on the right contains the remains of the 

 man ** who was first in war, first in peace, and first 

 in the hearts of his countrymen." It is quite plain, 

 ornamented only with the United States coat of 

 arms upon a draped flag, under which is the single 

 word " Washington." No dates or anything more. 



The sarcophagus on the left is that which con- 

 tains Mrs. Washington's remains, and is lettered : 



" Martha, 



Consort of Washington. 



Died May 21st, 1801, aged 71 years." 



Their bodies used to lie in the vault beyond the 

 anteroom, which contains the remains of some 

 thirty members of Washington's family. Some 

 miscreant, however, broke in and carried off a skull 

 which he thought was Washington's, but turned out 

 to be one of the Blackburn family. So for the sake 



