218 
On the 16 th of July, at eight o 9 clock in the morning, I departed 
from Liverpool in the stage for Birmingham, with the intention 
of soon proceeding to the continent. The English stages are 
better closed, and run easier than the American, but T prefer the 
latter, because their seats are more comfortable. The distance 
from Liverpool to Birmingham is one hundred and one miles; 
the turnpike is most excellent, and the road even the whole way. 
On one side of the turnpike, along the whole length of the road, 
there is a side-walk for pedestrians; it has a pebbly surface, and 
is enclosed on both sides with sandstone, to heighten the pave¬ 
ment. Wherever this side-walk is not paved, it is at least 
smoothed and lined with small sods; at equal distances two posts 
are driven into the ground, to prevent the passage of horsemen and 
wheelbarrows. I admired the peculiar care with which the 
stones destined for the repairs of the highway, are broken into 
the smallest pieces. With such stones it is easy to make a good 
road, and the Americans and other nations might well take exam¬ 
ple from the British, whenever they wish to have a good road, 
or to repair one. The number of villages that lay upon our 
route had a very handsome appearance. The dwellings of the 
farmers are small, but they have a very neat appearance, owing 
to the straw-thatched roofs, variegated with small windows, the 
bowers in front of the doors, and the garlands of roses and ivy, 
which twine gracefully along the walls; the little flower-gar¬ 
dens by the road side, also enhance the charms of these cottages. 
On the other hand, the towns have narrow streets, and a gloomy, 
smoky look. 
Soldiers are garrisoned in the towns as far as Wolverhampton. 
This arrangement had been made for some months past, because 
several large manufactories in this neighbourhood had stopped 
working, and the famishing artizans had adopted forcible mea¬ 
sures in order to procure bread. The country is very well cul¬ 
tivated; mostly with wheat and barley. The wheat appeared 
already nearly ripe; the straw was however very small, owing 
to the want of rain. The green and blooming hedges that ran 
along the fields had a delightful aspect. In comparing the beau¬ 
tiful and large trees of America, with those of this country, I 
was astonished at the contrast between the two, the latter con¬ 
sisting of low and miserable woodland. However, in the parks 
and large gardens, several of which I saw, there are many fine 
trees; but it is on account of these many parks of the nobility, 
that a great quantity of land remains uncultivated, which, in a 
country so populous as England, becomes a matter of the highest 
importance. 
Between Newcastle and Stone we passed through a village 
called Trentham, where the Marquis of Stafford possesses a large 
