183 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
Journey from Philadelphia to New York. — Coal-mines of 
Pottsville and Mauch Chunk.—Bethlehem. 
I LEFT Philadelphia, June 3d, at four o’clock in the morning, 
to see the coal-mines beyond the Blue Mountains, and then pay 
another visit to my friends in Bethlehem; after which, I must 
repair to New York, as to my great sorrow, the time for my em¬ 
barkation approached. I rode fifty-two miles in a mail stage to 
Reading. Notwithstanding a gust on the previous evening, it 
was again very warm, and on the latter part of the journey par¬ 
ticularly, we were much incommoded by dust. 
At first we took the same way, which I had taken last au¬ 
tumn to Bethlehem, through Sunville, Germantown, and Chesnut 
Hill. The present appearance of the country was very differ¬ 
ent from its aspect at that rough season of the year. Every 
thing was now alive and green, and the numerous and elegant 
gardens of Germantown, were filled with the beautiful flowers. 
Although this place is three miles long, it presents no tedious 
uniformity. The various country-seats of the wealthy inhabit¬ 
ants of Philadelphia, which are tolerably close to each other, 
rather present an agreeable change. Chesnut Hill affords a very 
extensive view over the surrounding handsome and thickly in¬ 
habited country. The valley of the Schuylkill appeared to par¬ 
ticularly great advantage, which by means of dams and canals, 
made near shallow places, is navigable till beyond the Blue 
Mountains. Beyond Chesnut Hill, we left the above-mentioned 
road and turned on the left to Norristown, a very romantic place 
on the left side of the Schuylkill. Before reaching this, we 
passed extensive marble quarries, which are about one hundred 
feet deep, and form very picturesque hollows. The blocks are 
raised by means of machines, worked by horses'. This marble 
is gray, and is used in the fire-places of most of the respectable 
houses in Philadelphia. Several of the mile-stones on our road 
were also made of this marble. The cuttings are partly burned to 
lime and partly thrown on the turnpike. The turnpike, as an 
American one, was on this route tolerably good. 
Beyond Norristown we again rode through a very handsome 
country. Between Chesnut Hill and the marble quarries, we 
passed a good stone bridge over the Wissahiccon creek, which 
turns many mills. Between Norristown and Trap, a small place 
