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Were new to me, with bright colours, and extremely beautiful 
butterflies. A son of President Adams is one of the students of 
the university, and also Mr. Jerome Bonaparte, a legitimate son 
of the former king of Westphalia, by his marriage with Miss 
Patterson of Baltimore, which marriage, as is well known, was 
dissolved by the Emperor Napoleon. This young man, who is 
about twenty years old, bears an excellent character. 
My acquaintances increased in number, and I received visits 
from many distinguished men. Among those who paid me this 
honour on the third day after my arrival, I must mention the 
Danish ambassador, Mr. Pedersen, who was travelling with his 
family in the northern parts of the United States, and was intro¬ 
duced to me by Mr. Ritchie; Mr. Josiah Quincy, mayor of the 
city, was also present, a worthy and extremely agreeable man, to 
whom I am under great obligations. 
After the gentlemen had withdrawn, I visited the New Eng¬ 
land Museum, a very pompous description of which had fallen 
into my hands. This museum is a private establishment, and con¬ 
sists of a mixture of wax figures, musical clocks, stuffed animals, 
portraits, French caricatures, butterflies, &e. Two articles alone 
interested me, namely, two living rattlesnakes, and three Egyp¬ 
tian mummies. The snakes, caught near Lake Erie, were lying 
in a box covered with glass, and received no nourishment but 
water. They are ugly creatures, of a dark gray colour, with large 
sharp scales and yellow bellies. Large thick heads, prominent 
black eyes, and forked tongues. One of them, which was engaged 
in casting its skin, was for the time blind; it had four rattles, and 
was receiving a fifth. The attendant irritated it, but we did not 
hear it rattle. Spirit of hartshorn is said to be very effectual 
against their bite. The mummies were brought last year in an 
American vessel from Egypt. One was in the same condition in 
which it had been when in the coffin, except that the cloth had 
been taken from the face. The two others were more or less un¬ 
covered; their coffins were well preserved. I was astonished to 
see the fresh colours of the figures painted on them. One of the 
mummies had two coffins, whence it is inferred that she was a 
person of high rank. I saw also a Chinese painting, representing 
all the tortures and modes of death common in China; a shocking 
and disgusting sight. Finally, I observed a good model of the 
old bastile of Paris, made of a stone from this building. 
The mayor, Mr. Quincy, had the politeness to show us the 
state prison. This is situated in Charlestown, is of granite, and 
was built about twenty years ago at the expense of the state of 
Massachusetts. It consists of a centre building, containing the 
dwelling and offices of the superintendant, as well as the watch- 
room, and of two wings, where the prisoners are lodged. Behind 
