190 
this place we passed the night The places on our way were 
mostly insignificant: only Shryock, New Market, Big Spring, 
and Harrisonburg, deserve to be mentioned; the last of them is 
said to have from eight to nine hundred inhabitants. The greatest 
part of the houses were wooden ones, and but a few of masonry. 
This part of the state of Virginia does not bear comparison with 
Massachusetts, New York, or even Pennsylvania. The great 
number of slaves in this state, makes also a very bad impres¬ 
sion. * The largest part of the country is not covered with wood, 
and appears to be well cultivated. As for the rest it is very 
hilly, and on our left hand we had all day the ridge of North 
Mountains, of which, however, we could not see much, owing to 
the fogginess of the weather. We crossed many streams at fords; 
these streams were rather torrents. We crossed the Shenandoah 
near its source. About seven o’clock in the evening we reach¬ 
ed Staunton, and took our lodgings in an unpleasant tavern. This 
long and uncomfortable journey, in an extremely bad stage, and 
upon a very rough way, made me quite uneasy, and my young 
travelling companion more so, for he seemed not to be very 
much accustomed to such fatigues. I suffered, however, this 
want of comfort with a great deal of patience. 
On the 21st of November, we were obliged to stay in Staun¬ 
ton, because the stage goes only every other day to the Natural 
Bridge, which is on the road to Knoxville and Louisville, and 
this bridge being too far distant from Staunton, we could not, 
with a hired carriage, go there, and return within two days. We 
employed the leisure forced upon us in examining the country. 
The town itself is small, has about one thousand six hundred in¬ 
habitants, and consists, properly speaking, of but two principal 
streets, intersecting each other at right angles. The greatest part 
of the houses are of wood, covered with shingles. Staunton is 
the chief place of Augusta county; the court was in session, and 
on that account a great many lawyers were present. The town 
is surrounded by hills and covered with wood, as far as I could 
observe in the foggy weather, which lasted all day. The She¬ 
nandoah here is but a small brook; opposite the town is a lime¬ 
stone rock, having many cavities. I was told they were very 
spacious. I tried to creep in, but found the entrance so narrow 
and low, that I was obliged to give it up. I had obtained from 
' V I 
* [“ Let it never be forgotten that a part of the quarrel of the Americans with 
the government of Great Britain, arose from the determination of the former 
not to tolerate the farther importation of slaves; an importation absolutely forced 
on them by England, in consideration of the vested rights of the Royal African 
Company!!! With an admirable grace does England upbraid America with 
tolerating slavery,—a curse by her inflicted on her colonies. ”■— London Literary 
Chronicle , June 7th , 1828.]— Tuans. 
