172 
Rush, who was for many years ambassador to England, and I met 
too with Mr. Brent, the under secretary of state. The ladies 
present, were only Mrs. De Mareuil and Mrs. De St. Andre. 
The dinner was truly splendid. 
The number of our acquaintances soon increased, and pleasant 
and interesting parties ensued. At the same time we saw what 
was remarkable in Washington and its vicinity. 
With Messrs. Huygens, father and son, we rode to the navy- 
yard, which is under the command of a commodore. The 
commodore was just gone travelling, therefore, we were accom¬ 
panied on our tour by Captain Booth. In this navy-yard ships 
are only built and refitted; after that they descend the Potomac 
into the Chesapeake Bay, and go to Norfolk, where they are 
armed. At the time of our visit there were but two frigates in 
the yard, called forty-four gun ships, but mounting sixty-four 
pieces: the Congress, an old ship, which was repairing, and the 
Potomac, an entirely new ship, which has been launched, but 
subsequently hauled up and placed under a roof. 
Upon the spot where the frigate Brandywine, which carried 
Gen. La Fayette to France, was built, the keel of a new frigate 
was laid, and at the same time the foundation for a house over this 
new ship was begun. The ground being very moist, this build¬ 
ing is erected on piles. Opposite the entrance of the navy-yard, 
stands a rostral column of white marble with allegoric figures. 
It was erected by the officers and midshipmen of the navy of the 
United States, to commemorate the death of their comrades 
who fell in the attack of Tripoli. The English, at the time of 
their taking possession of Washington, on the 25th of June, 
1814, broke the fingers of one hand belonging to the allegoric 
figure representing America, and destroyed the stylus in the 
hand of the muse of history. This inscription has been added 
to the column: “ mutilated by the British / 5 At the foot 
of the monument stand two Spanish brass twenty-four pounders, 
taken by the Americans at Tripoli. 
In this, as well as in other American navy-yards, there are 
several buildings. I found large forges where chain-cables are 
made, and tried in the same manner I had witnessed two years 
ago in Newbridge, South Wales. All the old copper taken from 
the ships is melted, and with an alloy of brass, converted into 
utensils of every description used on board ships; a steam-engine 
of fourteen horse-power moves a saw-mill, consisting of two large 
and several smaller circular saws, as also, machines for block¬ 
making, which however, can by no means be compared with 
BrunePs block machine in Portsmouth; in the little arsenal are 
the muskets, swords, &c. I observed a contrivance on the locks 
of the guns to insulate the priming, and secure it in damp 
