42 
ners. In general, her letters are not much esteemed, and the 
flattering terms in which she speaks of Americans and all their 
institutions, are regarded as overstrained.* 
On the 30th of July I went on board the Pallas to attend to the 
unloading of my baggage. I remained there a few hours, as I 
found it cooler on board than on shore. The vessel was as they 
said, full of visitors all day, for Captain Ryk, with his usual libe¬ 
rality, denied access to no one of genteel appearance. Citizens 
are by no means allowed to visit American vessels of war, unless 
they are known to an officer, and on this account the curiosity of 
the inhabitants of this place to see a foreign vessel of war is 
great. 
When I returned to the city, I visited Mr. Quincy, who took 
me to the Court-house to see the arsenal of the thirteen volunteer 
companies of this place. One of these companies has been orga¬ 
nized ever since 1638; all of these consist of young men of good 
families, who do not wish to serve in the same companies with 
the common crowd, but have united, and, in elegant uniforms, 
compose the flank companies of the battalions of militia. A large 
hall in the Court-house is appropriated for their exercises, when 
the weather is inclement. Every company consists of about sixty 
men. The greater number of the companies are armed like in¬ 
fantry, with bayonets according to the English mode, and the ri¬ 
flemen alone with rifles. Not only the arms of the company, but 
the swords of the officers are kept in the chambers of the Court¬ 
house. 
From the Court-house, Mr. Quincy took me to the Athenaeum, 
where the principal journals of the United States are found, and 
a library of about twenty thousand volumes, which were partly 
presented and partly purchased. A regular librarian showed us 
every thing; we noticed particularly several interesting medals, 
and the collection made by Thomasson in Birmingham, which 
represents the Elgin marbles. In the vestibule of the house, and 
in the large reading room, are plaster busts, which Lawyer Thorn¬ 
dike brought from Rome and presented to the Athenaeum. The 
handsome house itself, which is valued at twenty thousand dol¬ 
lars, was given to the society by Mr. Perkins, a brother of the 
celebrated mechanician in London. 
Some days later, August 2, Mr. Quincy had the politeness to 
show me several hospitals of the city. 
*[This u lady” is now one of tlie editors of a newspaper, published in the 
western country, devoted to the especial debasement of the human race. She 
has kindly undertaken to enb ^diten the Americans by endeavouring to convince 
them that religion is a cheat ^ rfioMity a dream, and all who adhere to the pure 
precept of the gospel of our Saviour, fools!]— Tuans. 
