the shore of Lake Erie to Buffalo. The immediate neighbourhood has lately been so prominently before the public, that we shall extract Mr. Melish's account of it:

BUFFALO is handsomely situated at the east end of lake Erie, where it commands a beautiful view of the lake, of Upper Canada, and Fort Erie, and a great distance to the southward, which is terminated by an elevated lofty country. The site of the town extends quite to the lake shore, but it is principally built on an eminence of about 30 feet, at a little distance; and to the south along the creek are handsome rich bottom lots, which are at present a little marshy, but will, when drained, be most valuable appendages to this very beautiful place.

*Buffaloe was laid out for a town about five years ago, and is regularly dis posed in streets and lots. The lots are from 60 to 100 feet deep, and sell from 25 to 50 dollars; and there are out-lots of 5 and 10 acres, worth at present from 10 to 25 dollars per acre. The population was by last census 365, it is now computed at 500, and is rapidly increasing.

The buildings are mostly of wood, painted white, but there is a number of good brick houses, and some few of stone. There are four taverns, eight stores, two schools; and a weekly newspaper has been recently established. The town is as yet too new for the introduction of any manufactures, except those of a domestic kind. The greater part of the people are farmers and mechanics.

The situation is quite healthy, and the seasons are much more mild and open than might be expected in that northern latitude; the effects of the southerly winds already noticed are very apparent here.

And also,

LEWISTOWN is laid out on a handsome plan, occupying a mile square, and a considerable piece of ground is appropriated to public purposes. It is subdivided into blocks of three chains, each containing three lots, and they sell at present for from 100 to 300 dollars. It is gradually building up with brick, frame, and stone houses; and is well supplied with fine water, which renders it very comfortable. Being at the bottom of the portage on the American · side, it is the seat of considerable trade, which is likely to increase. Twenty vessels belonging to the lake navigation here, and 2300 bushels of salt were landed at Lewistown last season. The quantity of flour, grain, provisions, and peltry that are shipped is considerable; and for every article of produce there is a brisk demand, and a good price. Wheat sells for 1 dollar per bushel, flour 7 dollars per barrel, pork 6 dollars per barrel. The country is improv ing in the neighbourhood, and land is worth from 7 to 9 dollars per acre. Merino sheep have been introduced, and are doing well; and there are considerable domestic manufactures, though none on a large scale.

Sackett's harbour is described, though not from personal observation:

The village is situated at the east end of Lake Ontario, about sixteen miles from the river St. Lawrence, and consists of a number of large and elegant modern-built houses and out-houses, generally superior to what they are in the old villages. The village was originally laid out in half acre lots, but many of them are subdivided; and such has been the rapidity of the settlement, that these lots are now selling for from 250 to 1200 dollars; and one of them, which was given in a present to one of the first settlers, to induce him to go into the wilderness, was lately sold at 1450 dollars. Mr. Sacket has realized from it, in all, about 25,000 dollars, and has considerable property yet remaining unsold.

The harbour is formed by a peninsula of limestone rock, in many places not more than one rod wide, which perfectly shelters a sheet of water containing about 10 acres. The land fronting the harbour is elevated about 30 feet, and on each side of the harbour the banks are of limestone, about 20 or 30 feet perpendicular, which, from the water, resembles the walls of an ancient fortification. From the village there is one of the most variegated, extensive, and beautiful prospects any where to be seen: the lake, distant islands, main land, and outlets of rivers, are all beautiful, and the scene is continually enlivened with vessels and boats; while the wharves, warehouses, and stores, exhibit an appearance very much resembling a sea-port on the Atlantic.

This has for several years been established a port of entry, and it is in contemplation to establish a navy-yard, arsenal, and fortification for protecting the trade on the lake. There is a ferry between it and Kingstown, in Canada, distant 36 miles, with which place there is a great intercourse; and as soon as packet-boats are established on the lake, this will be the best place from whence to embark to visit the falls of Niagara, distant about 200 miles.

- Mr. Melish on leaving Lake Erie, travelled through the western part of the state of New York to Albany, and thence to the city of New York, where his volume ends. We can only recommend to our readers an attentive perusal of this part of the work, as showing a very recent and interesting picture of that state. We have not even room to discuss the opinions of the author on the changes in our future system, which will probably result from the quarrels between England and America. He believes, in general terms, that the foreign trade of the United States will never recover from the shock which it has received, that the capital of the country will be hereafter directed towards manufactures, and that an extensive system of internal commerce will take the place of the extended traffic with foreigners which has hitherto been pursued by Americans.

The foreign trade, says he, is gone, never to be recalled to its former state. A new era has commenced in the United States. Britain is destined to be no longer the manufacturer for America; the seeds of manufactures are sown throughout the country, never to be rooted out; and, so far from the interior being dependent upon the cities as heretofore, the cities will, in all probability, become dependent upon it. A friend of mine, lately, in adverting to this subject, well expressed it: "The cities have had their day, and now for the coun try." I am of the same opinion; and though I am well aware that it is by no means gratifying to many who live in the cities, yet I consider it a solemn duty to state it. Those who avail themselves of the advantages to be derived from the new order of things, will in my opinion do well; while those who continue to hang by a precarious foreign trade, or depend on its reanimation, will, I fear, find themselves disappointed.

We have already said that the author is inclined to speak more favourably of our country than his predecessors have done. A passage like the following, so different from the style of ordinary travellers, will illustrate this remark:

It was gratifying to reflect that I had travelled in the United States upwards of 7000 miles, almost a stranger in the country, without any other passport than decent respect to the inhabitants, which I uniformly met with in return. And here I cannot but express my surprise at the invective and ill-natured remarks that I have seen in the writings of some travellers through this country. As to their general sweeping conclusions, we may pass them over as the mere effusions of ignorant spleen; but the particular instances of rudeness and ungracious reception they have met with merit more attention: the records are so many stigmas upon their own conduct. Strangers may meet with instances of rudeness and rough treatment in America-plenty of them; the American people will not tamely submit to an insult, neither collectively nor individually; and a traveller will not find it to his comfort to proceed by cursing the waiter for doing this, and damning the hostler for not doing that, and threatening to send boots to hell, if his leathern conveniences are not so clear as he can see his shadow in them.

and there is so much truth in the comparison between the European and the American farmer, that we cannot forbear transcribing it. After some general remarks on the prosperity of that class of persons in America, he says

What would the farmers, and mechanics, and manufacturers in Britain give to be in the same situation? There (I speak particularly of Scotland) there a farmer pays from 7 to 28 dollars per acre, yearly, for the use of his farm, besides the taxes and public burdens. He gets, in many instances, a lease of 19 years, and is bound to cultivate the ground in a certain way, prescribed

by the tenure of his lease. If he improve the farm, the improvements are for another, not for him; and, at the end of the lease, if another is willing to give one shilling more than him, or if the proprietor has a favourite, or wishes to turn two or more farms into one, or has taken umbrage at his politics, or his religion, or any thing else regarding him or his family, he will not get a renewal of the lease. Many a family have I known, who have been ruined in this way. Being turned out of the farm, they retire to a town or city, where their substance is soon spent, and they pine away in poverty, and at last find a happy relief in the cold grave. Nor is there any remedy; the lands are nearly all entailed on the great families, and the lords of the soil are the lords of the laws; they can bind the poor farmer in all cases whatsoever.

Compare this with the situation of the American farmer. He cultivates his own soil, or, if he has none, he can procure it in sufficient quantity for 200 or 300 dollars. If he has no money, he can get credit, and all that is necessary to redeem his credit, is to put forth his hand and be industrious. He can stand erect on the middle of his farm, and say, "This ground is mine: from the highest canopy of heaven, down to the lowest depths, I can claim all that I can get possession of within these bounds; fowls of the air, fish of the sea, and all that pass through the same." And having a full share of consequence in the political scale, his equal rights are guaranteed to him. None dare encroach upon him; he can sit under his own vine, and under his own fig-tree, and none to make him afraid.

Look at the mechanic and manufacturer: in America they can earn from 6 to 9 dollars per week, and have provisions so reasonable, that they can have their wheat bread and roast beef, or roast pork, or fowl every day, and accumulate property for old age and their offspring. In Britain they can earn from a dollar and a half to three dollars per week, and pay at the rate of 14 or 15 dollars for a barrel of flour, and from 16 to 22 cents per Ib. for beef. But, why do I talk of flour and beef? small, indeed, is the portion of these that fall to their lot. No; they are doomed to drag out a miserable existence on potatoes and oat-meal, with this farther curse entailed upon them, that, by the mandate of the powers that be, they are bound to the soil; they cannot, they DARE NOT leave their country, except by stealth!

The second volume contains a number of highly interesting and curious statistical papers, which add much to its value; and through both volumes are interspersed a number of very well executed maps.

We now close our extracts from Mr. Melish's travels, which in the whole, we have read with satisfaction. The style is, we think, rather too familiar, and many of the incidents and anecdotes much too trivial. His book is moreover burdened by fo

reign matter, and by descriptions of what he did not see. Our principal objections, however, are, it will be perceived, not to what he describes, but to what he borrows. And had he written more, we would most probably have been spared the trouble of commenting on the work as we have done. But were the faults of Mr. Melish's book far more numerous than they are, they possess a redeeming virtue in the eyes of Americans, from being singular example of the good temper, the sound sense, and the candid feelings which a sensible foreigner has brought to the examination of our country.

Σ

CAMPAIGN AGAINST QUEBEC.

An accurate and interesting Account of the Hardships and Sufferings of that Band of Heroes, who traversed the Wilderness in the Campaign against Quebec, in 1775. By John Joseph Henry, Esq. late President of of the second judicial District of Pennsylvania.

THIS interesting little volume embraces a period of our revolutionary history which has been hitherto but little known, although the most interesting of any. The name of Montgomery is familiar to every ear, while the fate of his brave comrades in adversity has been passed over with unmerited neglect. The present author does not aspire to classical elegance. He writes like a man whose mind is intent upon his subject, and who is not particularly nice in the selection of his words. Having participated in the hardships and perils of that campaign, his descriptions of the sufferings of his countrymen possess a vigour and freshness seldom found in the pages of those who have not been actors in the scenes which they delineate.

The author and his little party ascended the river of Kennebeck, in a long and fatiguing march through a cold and inhospitable country, and after enduring and surmounting every danger and hardship, the terrified Canadians beheld them emerging from the wilderness. That victory which they fondly anticipated as the reward of all their labours, fled from their standard; chains and captivity awaited them. From the grates of their dungeon they beheld their beloved commander, Montgomery, borne to the grave, and the dead and frozen bodies of