60 
ling to risk their lives, so that they have attached a safety-barge 
to one of the steam-boats. This is a real floating hotel, furnish¬ 
ed with the greatest luxury. In the ladies cabin there are even 
silk curtains. Besides this, the ladies have a separate toilette 
and parlour. The gentlemen assemble in the dining room. The 
whole boat is surrounded by a piazza, which, in warm weather, 
must be extremely pleasant. The name of this safety-barge 
which carries passengers at four dollars, is Lady Clinton, in 
honour of the wife of the governor of New York, De Witt Clin¬ 
ton. We also visited the Constellation, another beautiful steam¬ 
boat, which has no safety-barge. There are also steam-boats 
for the purpose of towing the common sloops, &c. up and down 
the river, called steam-tow-boats. 
Finally, we examined the horse ferry-boats. These boats consist 
of two vessels joined together, have a common deck, and are of 
an elliptical form Upon the centre of the deck is a round house, 
in which six horses work, turning a horizontal, which moves two 
common wheels between the boats, provided with paddles, as in 
the steam-boats. The carriage, and twenty-two two-horse carts 
crossed at the same time, standing on both sides of the round 
house. There are two rudders, one at the stern, the other at the bow. 
The trade in timber and boards is one of the capital branches 
of internal trade. We saw a great quantity of both on the wharves, 
and at the dam. At dinner we became acquainted with the Spa¬ 
nish consul of Boston, a worthy young man, who was educated 
in France. After dinner we took a view of the capitol, or state- 
house, situated upon a small eminence, and at a short distance 
from our inn. Albany is the seat of government and the capitol 
of the state of New York, but it is said to be the intention of the 
inhabitants shortly to remove the seat of government to Utica, 
which is situated farther to the west, and in a more central part 
of the state. The capitol is built of brown sand-stone, and in a 
quadrangular form; in front it is ornamented with large steps, and 
four Ionic columns of white marble. The halls of the different 
branches of the legislature are spacious, but exhibit nothing re¬ 
markable. In one of the halls is a full length portrait of Wash¬ 
ington, and in another, that of the late Governor Clinton, an 
uncle of the present governor.* On the top of the capitol is a 
cupalo, from which there is a beautiful view of the city of Albany, 
and the valley of the Hudson, which is bounded on the right by 
the Catskill mountains, and on the left by the mountains of 
Vermont. On the dome is a wooden statue representing justice,* 
to the back of which is secured a heavy lightning-rod, so that 
witlings remark that she is standing in the pillory. 
* [Recently deceased.]— Trans. 
