614 
Mrs. Wright's Travels in the United States. 
every thing ought to be, knowing ex¬ 
actly how every thing is,—or, if he be 
of an unsociable humour, easily put 
out of his way, or as the phrase is, a 
very particular gentleman —then he will 
hire or purchase his own Dearborn or 
light waggon, and (ravel solus cum solo 
with his own horse, or, as it majr be, 
with some old associate who has no hu¬ 
mours of his own, or whose humours 
are known by repeated experience to 
be of the exact same fashion with his 
companion’s. In some countries you 
may, as it is called, travel post , but in 
these states it is seldom that you have 
this at your option, unless you travel 
with a phalanx capable of peopling a 
whole caravan ; eight persons will be 
sufficient for this, the driver always 
making the ninth ; seated three in a 
row. 
THE MOHAWK. 
Gaining the banks of the Mohawk, 
we traced its course for sixty miles, 
which, between the lower cataract of 
the Colioez and the upper falls, flows 
placidly through a country finely varied, 
rich with cultivation, and sprinkled 
with neat and broad-roofed cottages and 
villas, shadowed with trees, and backed 
with an undulating line of hills, now 
advancing and narrowing the strath, 
and then receding and leaving vistas 
into opening glades, down which the 
tributaries of the Mohawk pour their 
waters. Massy woods every where 
crown and usually clothe these ridges ; 
but indeed, as yet, there are few districts 
throughout this vast country where 
the forest, or some remnants of it, stand 
not within the horizon. 
The valley of the Mohawk is chiefly 
peopled by old Dutch settlers; a primi¬ 
tive race, who retain for generations 
the character, customs, and often the 
language of their ancient country. Of 
all European emigrants, the Dutch and 
the German invariably thrive the best, 
locate themselves, as the phrase is here, 
with wonderful sagacity, and this being 
once done, is done for ever. Great must 
be the penury from which this harm¬ 
less people fly, who are thus attached 
to the ways of their fathers, and who, 
once removed to a land yielding suste¬ 
nance to the swart hand of industry, 
plaut so peacefully their penates, and 
root themselves so fixedly in the soil. 
As a settler next best to the German, 
thrives the Scot; the Frenchman is 
given to turn hunter; the Irishman, 
drunkard, and the Englishman, specu¬ 
lator. Amusement rules the first, plea¬ 
sure ruins the second, and self-sufficient 
obstinacy drives headlong the third. 
There are many exceptions, doubtless, 
to this rule; and the number of these 
increases daily,—and for this reason it 
is a higher class that is at present emi¬ 
grating. I speak now more particularly 
of England. It is men of substance 
possessed in clear property of from five 
hundred to five thousand pouuds, who 
now attempt the passage of the Atlan¬ 
tic. I know of thirteen families who 
lately arrived in these states from the 
Thames, not one of which is possessed 
of less than the former sum, and some 
of more than the latter. I fear that 
the policy of England's rulers is cutting 
away the sinews of the state. Why 
are her yeoman disappearing from the 
soil, dwindling into paupers, or flying 
as exiles? Tythes, taxes, and poor 
rates—these things must be looked in¬ 
to, or her population will gradually 
approach to that of Spain, beggars and 
princes; the shaft of the fair column 
reft away. 
UTICA. 
We reached Utica very tolerably 
fagged, and bruised as I could not wish 
an enemy. A day’s rest well recruited 
us, however, and gave us time to ex¬ 
amine this wonderful littletown, scarce 
twenty years old. An innkeeper here, 
at whose door fifteen stages stop daily, 
carried, eighteen years since, the soli¬ 
tary and weekly mail in his coat pocket 
from hence to Albany. This new-born 
Utica already aspires to be the capital 
of the state, and in a few years it pro¬ 
bably will be so, though Albany is by 
no means willing to yield the honour, 
nor New York the convenience of hav¬ 
ing the seat of government in her neigh¬ 
bourhood ; but the young western 
counties are such stout and imperious 
children, that it will soon be found ne¬ 
cessary to consult their interests. 
The importance of Utica will soon 
be increased by the opening of the great 
canal, destined here to join the Mo¬ 
hawk. We swerved the next day from 
our direct route for the purpose of look¬ 
ing at this work, now in considerable 
progress, and which, in its consequences 
is truly grand, affording a water high¬ 
way from the heart of this great conti¬ 
nent to the ocean; commencing at Lake 
Erie, it finds a level, with but little cir¬ 
cuit to the Mohawk; at the Lesser Falls 
are some considerable locks; others will 
be required at the mouth of the river, 
where the Hudson opens his broad way 
to the Atlantic. It is thought that four 
or 
