232 
WANDERINGS IN 
FOURTH 
JOURNEY. 
Leaves 
New 
York for 
Albany. 
given of the birds, fanned up the almost expiring 
flame. I forgot the vexations already alluded to, 
and set off for New York, in the beautiful packet 
John Wells, commanded by Captain Harris. The 
passage was long and cold; but the elegant accom¬ 
modations on board, and the polite attention of the 
commander, rendered it very agreeable; and I 
landed, in health and merriment, in the stately 
capital of the new world. 
We will soon pen down a few remarks on this 
magnificent city, but not just now. I want to ven¬ 
ture into the north-west country, and get to their 
great canal, which the world talks so much about, 
though I fear it will be hard work to make one’s way 
through bugs, bears, brutes, and buffaloes, which 
we Europeans imagine are so frequent and ferocious 
in these never-ending western wilds. 
I left New York on a fine morning in July, with¬ 
out one letter of introduction, for the city of Albany, 
some hundred and eighty miles up the celebrated 
Hudson. I seldom care about letters of introduc¬ 
tion, for I am one of those who depend much upon 
an accidental acquaintance. Full many a face do I 
see, as I go wandering up and down the world, 
whose mild eye, and sweet and placid features, seem 
to beckon to me, and say, as it Avere, “ Speak but 
civilly to me, and I will do what I can for you.” 
Such a face as this is worth more than a dozen 
letters of introduction; and such a face, gentle 
reader, I found on board the steam-boat from New 
York to the city of Albany. 
