A Recent Visit to America. 19 



were worn into pinnacles of the most fantastic forms, the pre- 

 vailing tone a rich yellow, but stained in parts with colours so 

 brilliant that they saw Mr. Thomas (an accomplished artist 

 whose pictures he hoped to see at the Academy), who joined 

 their party, use carmine and other vivid colours to produce 

 his effects. 



They next journeyed to Helena, Salt Lake City, the Rocky 

 Mountains, the Colorado Springs, and back to New] York by 

 way of Kansas City, St. Louis, and Baltimore. Such were some 

 of the physical characters of the portion of the American con- 

 tinent through which they travelled. He would conclude with 

 a few words regarding the people. Owing to the unfortunate 

 tendency of able writers to make amusing books of travel, the 

 American people had been too often presented to them in a 

 grotesque attitude. He expected to see them boastful, talking 

 through their noses, and speaking a language which was a 

 travestie of the English tongue. He found them free from 

 "brag;" the men particularly expressed themselves on all 

 subjects with moderation, and had much repose of manner, 

 while their provincialisms were not more numerous than in 

 England. He was glad to observe everywhere a tone of sym- 

 pathy for the " Old Country," and a desire to have the good 

 opinion of the " Britisher." The American people are tho- 

 roughly imbued with the spirit of the best English literature. 

 Their principal class-books are English. Sir Henry Roscoe 

 found his " Chemistry," and their companion, Mr. Rigg, found 

 his history of the steam engine, in daily use in the Boston 

 colleges. In the gallery at Washington devoted to mementos 

 of those who worked for the independence of the United States, 

 the portrait of Lord Chatham is placed by the side of Lafay- 

 ette, and the speeches of the former, and of many other great 

 English speakers, give the keynote of the best American ora- 

 tory. A St. Louis gentleman told him that Thackeray's portrait 

 of Colonel Newcome was his ideal of what a man should be. 

 He was not long in America till he almost forgot he had crossed 

 the Atlantic, and he came back from Canada and the United 

 States impressed with the hope that we may never do any- 



