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lowed. Among the many gentlemen who paid me visits, I men¬ 
tion only Mr. Autenrieth, of Lehigh county, as he gave me 
much interesting information concerning the coal mines on the 
Lehigh, and at Mauch Chunk, which I intended to visit in a few 
days. But I met with a very agreeable surprise in the appear¬ 
ance of the excellent General Bernard; this worthy officer, whose 
acquaintance forms one of my most pleasing recollections of the 
United States, was to pass but two days in Philadelphia, in order 
to advise with a canal commission. General Bernard is one of 
the few meritorious men, of whom one hears nobody speak other¬ 
wise than well; and if he had, in an incomprehensible manner, 
any enemies, his amiable character would at the first meeting 
change them into friends. 
I again met with a very friendly reception on the part of Mr. 
Arnold Halbach, and his brother. The former had the kindness 
to attend me in several of my excursions, as far as his extensive 
business would allow. He is a patron of the fine arts, and as 
such, took me to two painters of this place, Eicholz and Birch. 
The former, from Lancaster, is the son of a coppersmith, in which 
occupation he himself worked, but having a talent for portrait 
painting, he has devoted himself thereto with much success. His 
portraits have the merit of strong resemblance, and are also to¬ 
lerably well, and correctly painted. The other artist, Birch, 
possesses a very fine talent for landscape painting, and particu¬ 
larly for sea-pieces. I had hoped to meet with views of the 
United States at his house, but was disappointed. Mr. Birch told 
me that landscape painters found so little encouragement in the 
United States, that they lost all courage to design handsome scenes 
in their native country. His sea-pieces are very handsome, but 
none are entirely completed. He is particularly happy in repre¬ 
senting storms. Whilst Mr. Eicholz, with moderate talents, does 
much business, Mr. Birch, with great talent, is often a prey to 
severe distress. * 
I saw at the house of a dealer in looking-glasses, a gallery of 
pieces by living painters, among others, of Sully. One of these 
paintings is really terrific. It represents a man, who, with his 
horse, is attacked and entwined by an anaconda. The expression 
of pain in the horse is very well represented, but the countenance 
of the man, as well as the whole subject, is horrid. Few of the 
paintings were very remarkable; I was most pleased with one by 
* [The reason is, that the portrait painter ministers to the gratification of per¬ 
sonal vanity, or self-love, and the landscape painter to a refined taste. As the 
proportion of egotists to men of refined and cultivated taste, is somewhat less 
than a million to one, it is easy to see which branch of the arts will receive most 
attention.]— Trans. 
