Travels in Canada, and the United States, in 1816 and 1817 / by Lieut
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Library of Congress Travels in Canada, and the United States, in 1816 and 1817 / by Lieut. Francis Hall. TRAVELS IN CANADA, AND THE UNITED STATES, IN 1816 AND 1817. BY LIEUT. FRANCIS HALL, 14TH LIGHT DRAGOONS, H. P. LONDON PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, & BROW, PATERNOSTER-ROW. 1818. LC E 165 H19 TO WILLIAM BATTIE WRIGHTSON, WILLIAM EMPSON, AND ROBERT MONSEY ROLFE, BROTHER WYKEHAMISTS, THESE TRAVELS ARE DEDICATED, BY THEIR OLD SCHOOL-FELLOW AND AFFECTIONATE FRIEND, FRANCIS HALL. TRAVELS IN CANADA, &c. &c. CHAPTER I. VOYAGE. January, 1816. I sailed from Liverpool on the 20th of January, after having been detained several weeks by a continuance of west winds, which usually prevail through the greater part of the winter. Indeed, they have become so prevalent of late years, as to approach very nearly to the nature of a trade wind. They forced us to lie to twelve, out of the forty-four days we spent on our passage. Our vessel was an American, excellently built and commanded. The American Captains are supposed, with B 2 some reason, to make quicker voyages Travels in Canada, and the United States, in 1816 and 1817 / by Lieut. Francis Hall. http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbtn.26822 Library of Congress than the English, with whom celerity was, during the war, a less essential object. They pride themselves on the speed of their ships, as sportsmen do on that of their horses. Our Minerva was one of the first class of these “Horses of the Main.” They prefer standing across the Atlantic in the direct line of their port, to the easier but more tedious route of the trades. This sporting spirit commonly costs their passengers a few qualms of the stomach, but saves time; no trifling consideration, when time is so miserably spent. Landsmen, who shrink from the seemingly endless breadth of the whole Atlantic, commonly divide it into three distances, viz.: the Azores, the Banks, and Soundings. Nothing occurred to make the latitude of the Azores cognizable by terrestrial eyes; but the discolouring of the water, and a heavy incumbent fog sufficiently evinced our approach to the Banks; these symptoms were accompanied by the usual degree of cold, which indicates the proximity of land, whether above the water or below it. We made the following observations 3 on the temperature in this neighbourhood: Time. Air. Water. Feb. 14. 6 P.M. 66° 59° 15. 9 A.M. 53° 48° 10 A.M. 50° 43° 11 A.M. 48° 38° 1 P.M. 46° 33° 6 P.M. 38° 32° 16. 10 A.M. 37° 33° Soundings 35 feet. 17. 10 A.M. 38° 57° 2 P.M. 40° 57° 18. 9 A.M. 52° 64° 19. 12 A.M. 60° 61°* * Some of these variations seem to indicate the Temperature of the Gulf stream, into which we were sometimes forced by the prevalence of N. W. winds, without knowing it; the American Captains very commonly use the Thermometer to ascertain this circumstance. We had eagerly anticipated a regale of cod fish on the Banks; lines were thrown out, and the silver mail of one victim soon glistened, as he ascended through the green wave; but, alas! he proved no harbinger of fortune, and it seemed as if he had been made the cat's paw of his mute society, who, by no means satisfied with the result of their B 2 4 first experiment, refused unanimously to repeat it. Luckily we were not imitating the heroes of the “ Almanach des Gourmands ,” who, in old and modern days, have made the grand tour of gluttony for the express purpose of surfeiting themselves at every classic spot with the delicacy which had won its renown. Travels in Canada, and the United States, in 1816 and 1817 / by Lieut. Francis Hall. http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbtn.26822 Library of Congress On the 27th, we touched on the Gulf Stream, where it flows round the Bank, and made the following observations:— Air. Water. Long. Lat. April 27. 11 A. M. 52° 64° 64° w. 39° 34# N. 28. 9 A. M. 53° 53° 29. 10 A. M. 60° 54° 68° w. 39° 22# N. March 1. 12 A. M. 52° 48° 70° w. 39° 30# N. 2. 10 A. M. 49° 45° It is to this difference of temperature betwixt the Gulf Stream and the adjacent waters, that M. Volney attributes the Bank fogs. He observes, (Tome 1, Page 238,) “ Il en doit resulter le double effet d'une évaporation “plus abondante, provoquée par la “tiédeur de ers eaux exotiques, et d'une condensation “plus étendue, à raison de la froideur “des eaux indigènes et de leur atmosphère, 5 “qui précisément se trouve dans la direction “des vents du nord-est. ”* * Vide Humboldt's Observations on the Variations of Temperature in the Gulf Stream, and on the Bank.—“Personal Narrative,” vol. 1, page 50. He observes a difference of only 13° between them. This was in June. Vide, also, M. Volney's Table of Experiments, page 235, in which the greatest difference is 23° Ours was 31°. There is some difficulty in this part of the voyage, to escape the action of the stream to the south, which soon begins to be sensible, and at the same time to avoid the dangerous shoals of Nantucket to the north. I felt little concern about Nantucket, at this time, except to keep at a respectful distance from it; but I have since met with some interesting particulars relative to this inglorious little island. Its inhabitans are reckoned at 5000, some of whom are worth 20,000 l. each.. It contains 23,000 acres of land, and was originally possessed by the Nantucks, an Indian tribe, some of whom still remain on it, having peaceably incorporated with the Europeans, and joined in their occupations. The soil was originally B 3 6 a barren sand, but the industry of the inhabitants has made it capable of pasturing large flocks of sheep, which constituted, in the infancy of the settlement, a common stock, but their chief employment is whaleing, at which they are equally diligent and daring; doubling Cape Horn in pursuit Travels in Canada, and the United States, in 1816 and 1817 / by Lieut. Francis Hall. http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbtn.26822 Library of Congress of their game. The profits of this trade afford them both the necessaries and comforts of life. The luxuries are forbidden both by their character and religion, which is unmixed Presbyterianism. The only recreation they used to allow themselves, was driving in parties to a little spot, which they had rescued from barrenness, and converted into a kind of public garden. The traveller, from whom I borrow this account, gives a lively picture of their hospitality, and of the simplicity of their manners* , which supersedes the necessity of those inventions and restraints so inefficient in more polished societies. The whole community affords an admirable instance of what human industry * He mentions a great outery raised in the commonwealth, by the luxury of a spring waggon. 7 will effect, when left to the unshackled direction of its own exertions. They have, particularly the women, an odd habit of taking a small quantity of opium every morning. It is difficult to divine whence they have imported this unwholesome luxury.* The only books this traveller found in the island, except the bible, were Hudibras and Josephus; many of the inhabitants could repeat lines of the former, without having much notion to what they referred. Martha's vineyard is a settlement of much the same kind as Nantuket. It derives its name from that part of it which was originally the portion of the first settler's daughter.† They formerly constituted part of the State of New York, but now of Massachusets. * I have since heard it remarked, that this practice us very general in America. † It is said the sister Miss Nancy and Lenice Nantucket (Nan tok it) The last few days of our passage were blest with such favouring gales, and an atmosphere so warm and bright that the sea gods seemed resolved we should part good friends.—Unluckily this gleam of good fortune was extinguished in a cold B 4 8 heavy fog, when we approached the American coast, by which we were deprived of the lovely prospect which opens upon the entrance of the harbour of New York. We anchored close to the quays, and eagerly began to escape from the place of our durance, which Dr. Travels in Canada, and the United States, in 1816 and 1817 / by Lieut. Francis Hall. http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbtn.26822 Library of Congress Johnson flatters, when he styles it a prison, with a chance of being drowned. The chance of being drowned forms the least of its miseries. In most cases it is a complete annihilation of all faculties, both of mind and body: perhaps I should except that of mastication, which went on, generally with great vigour, during the whole of the voyage.—I owe honourable mention to our “ Compagnons de Voyage ,” who, though of many trades and nations, united in the maintenance of harmony, and in support of the general weal. We were about eighteen in number; among whom were several Americans, who contributed their full share of good humour and sociability. We disputed for the honour of our countries, but our disputes invariably ended, as, it were to be wished, all national disputes should end, in a hearty laugh; and when I saw, during these forty-four days, how easily 9 the jarring elements of our body corporate blended for the general convenience, I was induced to think the Rulers of the Earth take too much both pains and credit unto themselves, for holding together the patchwork of society.