§6 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA l 
several other favourite situations,, the choice 
of any one of which is a mere matter of spe- 
eolation at present. Some build near the ca«* 
pitol as the most convenient place for the 
residence of members of congress., some near 
the president’s house; others again prefer the 
west end of the city, in the neighbourhood of 
George Town, thinking that as trade is al¬ 
ready established in that place, it must be from 
thence that it will extend into the city, Were 
the houses that have been built situated in one 
place all together, they would make a very 
respectable appearance, but scattered about as 
they are, a spectator can scarcely perceive any 
thing like a town. Excepting the streets and 
avenues, and a small part of the ground ad~ 
joining the public buildings, the whole place 
is covered with trees. To be under the ne- 
cessity of going through a deep wood for one 
or two miles, perhaps, in order to see a next 
door neighbour, and in the same city, is a cu¬ 
rious, and, I believe, a novel circumstance. 
The number of inhabitants in the city, in the 
spring of 1796, amounted to about five thou¬ 
sand, including artificers, who formed by far 
the largest part of that number. Numbers 
of strangers are continually passing and re- 
passing through a place which affords such an 
extensive field for speculation. 
In addition to what has already been said 
• 1 «“ 
