58 
Exceedingly fatigued in consequence of the great heat, and the 
number of passengers in the stage-coach, I was anxious to pro¬ 
cure a carriage in order to visit New Lebanon, distant fourteen 
miles; but the person of whom I inquired was so extortionate as 
to ask ten dollars. I determined, in order to avoid a new yankee 
trick, to prosecute my journey in the stage-coach, direct for Al¬ 
bany. At Canaan, thirteen miles distant, we left the state of 
Massachusetts, and entered that of New York. The other vil¬ 
lages which we passed after our departure from Canaan, were 
Chatham, six miles, Nassau, or Union Village, four miles, 
and Schoodie, five miles. The distance from Springfield to Al¬ 
bany is eighty-one miles. The above villages have a neat and 
comfortable appearance, and the fields were in a good state of 
cultivation. Upon our arrival at Schoodie the night was just set¬ 
ting in, but unfortunately we were lighted by a burning house 
upon an eminence not far off. At the village of Greenbush, near 
Albany, we crossed the Hudson or North river in a horse-boat, 
and upon our arrival in the city took lodgings at Cruttenden’s 
boarding-house, on an eminence near the capitol or state-house. 
Albany contains about fifteen thousand inhabitants. It is situ¬ 
ated upon the right bank of the Hudson, and extends westward 
upon an eminence. It was built by the Dutch in 1614, under 
the name of Fort Orange, and received its present name after it 
came into the possession of the English, in honour of the after¬ 
wards unfortunate King James II. who was then duke of York 
and Albany. Some of the Dutch houses are still standing, and 
several of the streets retain their original names. 
At the tavern we met with a Mr. Jackson, from New York, 
who had arrived at the same time, and who was accompanied by 
his sister and his son, Columbus, a sensible lad about ten years 
of age. Mr. J. is a teacher. In consequence of the vicinity to the 
Ballston, Saratoga, and New Lebanon springs, and the fa¬ 
shionable season, the hotel was so full of strangers, that I was 
obliged to sleep with Mr. Tromp, in a small chamber. On the 
following morning, at the public breakfast, I again met with Mr. 
Jackson and Columbus, and as he was acquainted in Albany, I 
accepted of his invitation to take a walk through the city. It is 
old and in some parts appears to be in a state of decay. During 
the late war with England it was in a quite flourishing state; but 
since the peace it has suffered considerably, in consequence of 
some heavy failures and a great fire. Albany has received a new 
impulse, an increase of commerce, and expects to reap the most 
happy results from the Erie Canal, which has been lately esta¬ 
blished, and which commences here, and runs a distance of three 
hundred and sixty-two miles to Lake Erie, as well as from the 
canal from Lake Champlain. The pavements were so bad that I 
