MIDDLE STATES. 



215 



It Its culinary fame. The widgeon is the constant companion of the canvass-back, and loves 

 the same morsel, but, being unable to dive himself, he watches the moment of the former's 

 rising from the water, and snatches the envied tit-bit from his mouth. The reed-bird, also, attains 

 its deHcious flavor in the season of his visit to these States. Of the fish, the cod and the sal- 

 mon are not found south of Cape Cod, but the shad-fisheries of the Delaware, Potomac, and 

 other rivers are valuable. The oysters of the Raritan and Chesapeake are far-famed In the 

 bordering lakes the white fish is found, but inferior in size and quality to those of the great upper 

 lakes. 



10. Inhabitants^* Races ^ Classes. Various materials compose the population of the Mid- 

 dle States, and, in many instances, there is little amalgamation. The most numerous body is 

 of English descent, but there are large settlements of Germans, together whh many French, 

 Irish, and other Europeans, and a far greater proportion of blacks, than in New England. In 

 New York and Maryland are many Germans, but in Pennsylvania, they constitute almost a sep- 

 arate community. In the city of New York, are many blacks, of the most dissolute and de- 

 praved habits ; in Philadelphia they are more orderly, and, through the influence of the Friends 

 or Quakers, they are much favored. It is probable that a jury, in Philadelphia, in deciding a 

 case between a white and a black, would, if it had a bias either way, feel it in favor o( the negro. 



11. Dress. In New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, the dress is generally richer, and 

 more fashionable, than in any other of the cities of the Union. The Germans have some 

 peculiarities of dress, and often wear broad-brimmed hats, and purple breeches ; the females 

 wear very short petticoats. The Quakers have their own neat and plain fashion, which is not 

 inelegant ; perhaps the most becoming dress that can be seen in Philadelphia, is that of a young 

 lady of this society. It is the perfection of a neat simplicity.! 



mon enemy, whose fury was now aroused to the highest 

 pitch by the ineffectual shot ; the odds were fearfully 

 great, as a single blow of the monster's paw was sutEcient 

 to hurl the poor dog with violence against the roclis, and, 

 fortunately, beyond the reach of another, or his career 

 would have ended on the spot. It may be supposed, that I 

 quitted the cave with all possible despatch ; for, had I re- 

 mained, my condition might have been even worse than 

 poor Lion's, whose shoulder and side exhibited three 

 frightful scratches, of some fourteen Indies long, which 

 left four of his ribs entirely bare. Our efforts to dislodge 

 the panther proved, thus far, unavailing; and, having 

 spent much time and labor, and the day being excessively 

 cold, we thought of blocking him up, until we could pro- 

 cure assistance, and the means necessary to accomplish 

 his destruction ; for we felt unwilling, after all our toil, to 

 suffer him to escape. I recollected at this instant, that 

 whilst in the cave, I thought I saw a ray of liglit or small 

 aperture at the extreme end, when the panther altered its 

 position. 1 mentioned this circumstance to my compan- 

 ion, who proposed an examination of the back part, or out- 

 er side of the cavern ; and I was to remain at the mouth, 

 whilst he proceeded to examine. This cavern (as I have 

 stated) was at the termination of the ledge of rocks, and 

 jutted out considerably from -the mountain, against which 

 a great number of hemlocks had fallen, and these being 

 covered with snow at the time, prevented our seeing the 

 exact conformation of the ledge, until 1 mentioned the 

 circumstance of my seeing the light. My friend proceed- 

 ed there instantly, and soon returned with the information, 

 that there was a small aperture in the rock about six inch- 

 es wide, and one foot long ; that the panther had completely 

 jammed up the hole with his rump, whilst its tail project- 

 ed outside nearly its whole length. Here was a discove- 

 ry '. I shall never forget the expression of my friend's 

 countenance, when he exclaimed, with great emphasis, 

 ' My gracious! I can take him by the tail '. and I have a 

 great mind to do so. I can then say, that I caught a full- 

 grown, live panther by the tail.' I accordingly placed my 

 rifle near his rump, and fired, the ball coming out near 

 his throat. It made one spring, and roared tremendously ; 

 bit the rocks, and with its claws attempted to enlarge the 

 aperture, and get at us ; but the wound was mortal, and 

 it fell dead in the cave. We then entered and dragged it 

 out; it proved to be a male of the largest size." 



* It is necessary to remember one material distinction, 

 which is infallibly made by every \ineripan, in the use of 



the word Yankee. At home, the native even of New 

 York, though of English origin, will tell you, that he is 

 not a Yankee. The term here is supposed to be perfectly 

 provincial in its a])plication, being confined to the natives 

 of New Kngland. But, out of the United States, even a 

 Georgian does not hesitate to call himself a Yankee. The 

 Americans are particularly fond of distinguishing any thing 

 connected with the general enterprise, skill, or reputation 

 by this term. Thus the southern planter, who is prob- 

 ably more averse than any other to admit a community of 

 those personal qualities which are thought to mark the dif- 

 ferences in provincial or rather State character, will talk 

 of what a "Yankee merchant," a "Yankee negotiator," 

 or a " Yankee soldier," can do and has done ; meaning 

 always the people of the United Stales. I have heard a 

 naval officer of rank, who vi'as born south of the Potomac, 

 speak of his vessel with a sort of suppressed pride, as a 

 " Yankee man-of-war." Now I have heard the same in- 

 dividual allude to another, in a manner that appeared re- 

 proachful, and in which he used the word " Yankee " with 

 peculiar emphasis. 



Thus it is apparent, that the term has two significations 

 among the Americans themselves, one of which may be 

 called its national, and the other its local meaning. The 

 New-Englandman evidently exults in the appellation at 

 all times. Those of other States, with whom I have come 

 in contact, are manifestly quite as well pleased to lay no 

 claim to the title. I think it would result from these facts, 

 that the people of New England are tliought by the rest 

 of their countrvmen, to possess some minor points of char- 

 acter, in which the latter do not care to participate, and 

 of which the New-Englandman is unconscious, or in 

 which perhaps he deems himself fortunate , while, on the 

 other hand, they possess certain other, and more important 

 qualities, which are admitted to be creditable to the whole 

 nation. After all, there is little or no feeling excited on 

 the subject. The inhabitants of States living a thousand 

 miles asunder, sj)eak of each other with more kindness, in 

 common, than the inhabitants of adjoining counties in 

 England, or provinces in France. - — Cooper. 



t The following descriptions of the Quakers and Jewsi 

 at Philadelphia, are extiacted from " Letters from the 

 South and West," by Arthur Singleton, Esq. 



" Tlie Quakers, the worthy descendants of the Colo- 

 nists of the admirable Willi;:in Penn, of patriarchal sim- 

 plicity, were long dominant in this city. The term Qua- 

 ker is now an inappropriate appelintion, for most Quaker 



