tion in two years. They were dressed in coarse black stuff gowns, with wide sleeves, resembling those of a clergyman's gown. Their heads were first bound with a black cloth, which came low down on the forehead; ; this hood over this a white cloth, and over all a hood a slouch bonis of the same stuff as the dress, and like “ net." Take the pasteboard out of one of those bonnets, fold a few inches of the front back, and you will have an idea of these hoods. They wear a small square white handkerchief, hardly sufficient to cover the bosom; this is hollowed out under the neck so as to extend up to the ears on each side; on their breasts they wear a silver cross; this they informed me was the uniform dress of the convent. I expressed a wish to get into the building; but they said they dare not admit me without the consent of the mother superior, and she could not be seen at that time, not even by the nuns themselves; she was gone into retirement, which means that she secludes herself day and night in some part of the convent for several weeks. This ceremony she performs once a year, which time she spends in fasting and would have given much to have seen her, as she was the sister of a respected friend of mine.

prayer.

For the same reason I could obtain no information respecting the establishment; they told me, however, to call on the father superior, and how to find him, and I bid them adieu. These nuns dare not converse with strangers unless there be two present. I never beheld that simplicity and innocence, that humble demeanour which distinguishes these nuns, in any of the sex; they have a most heavenly expression in their looks; they are humanity itself, and well they may; they have no earthly care, and spend their time in continual devotion. They attend prayers regularly three times a day, and some of them are almost constantly in the chapel.

At the upper end of the building, I found the father superior, Rev. J. P. De Cloriviere, who is a French nobleman; he is about sixty years of age, of middling height, and spare make, and dressed in the simplest manI found him very affable and communicative: he took me into the chapel, (which is a part of the same

ner.

building,) stepping in, he before me, and I close at his wheels, he turned around and told me in a whisper, that "1 must not speak loud." He proceeded on until he came opposite to the altar, here he stopped short, and dropped on his knees, where he remained in silence some minutes, he then arose and stepping on tip-toe to that part of the chapel which separates it from a long room, appropriated exclusively as a place of worship for the nuns, he raised a green baize curtain, and peeping through another iron grate, he beckoned me to approach. When I drew near, he whispered "that he had used this precaution lest he might have disutrbed some of the sisters, who often retire there in the intervals to worship." He permitted me to look through the bars; the room was dark and gloomy, and several books were scattered upon the long plain seats which filled the room. Here the nuns sit and chaunt the sweetest music, whenever service is performed; and here they can hear distinctly what is said in the chapel. The seminary is very large, enclosed (together with the convent and a large piece of ground,) with a high wall, the front of the convent answering for part of the wall. The ground within the inclosure is cultivated as a garden, and adorned with trees, walks, and summer-houses. Here the nuns walk about and amuse themselves, when they choose. They have to cross this garden in going to the seminary, which forms another part of the wall. This seminary embraces every branch of female education, and the strictest attention is paid to the morals of the pupils. By an article of the institution, the pupils must conform to a uniform dress, which is a brown frock and black apron in school, and a white dress on Sunday. The other public buildings are 1 church for Roman Catholics, 2 for Episcopalians, 2 for Methodists, 1 for Presbyterians, 1 for Quakers, and 3 banks.

Manners and Appearance. The people of Georgetown are polite, and hospitable; they form a striking contrast to their neighbours of Washington, their minds being more generally cultivated. It is hardly possible to conceive, how towns so near each other, should differ so widely as they do. One cannot behold the people of

Georgetown, without being struck with the disparity. Their appearance is much like those I have seen east of the Blue ridge.

Mr. Millegen, who walked with me over the town, very politely pointed out the objects worthy of notice, and amongst other things, he showed me the spot of ground upon which Braddock landed, when he arrived in America to fight the French: we both stood on the spot for some minutes. He showed me too, the first house (which is still standing,) built in Georgetown.

The Potomac, which is over a mile in width at Greenleaf's point, suddenly narrows at Georgetown to about two hundred and fifty yards. It is, however, deep enough for vessels of moderate size, to ascend to Georgetown, which is a port town. The population, last census, was 7,400.

History.-Georgetown was erected into a town by the lord proprietor, the governour and house of assembly, May session, 1751, upon sixty acres of ground, the property of Messrs. George Gorden and George Beall, (this last pronounced Bell,) in Frederick county. An inspection house had been built by Beall, at the mouth of Rock creek, some years previous; and at this place Georgetown stands: many additions have been made to it since. It was incorporated in 1789, and governed by a mayor and aldermen.

I cannot omit a circumstance which excited my astonishment, and one highly honourable to this town. As Mr. M. accompanied me through the market-house, I observed a great quantity of fresh meat hanging in the market, which the owners being unable to sell in the morning, had retired to their homes without the least apprehension of its being stolen. Mr. M. accompanied me over the bridge, and I parted with him with great reluctance, and a great debt of gratitude.

How much have I heard said about these Roman Catholics! I have heard them stigmatized by every harsh name, and accounted little better than heretics. But I must confess, I never was amongst people more liberal, more affable, condescending, or courteous, than the citizens of Georgetown. I could have spent my days with this endearing people.

er,

Journey to Baltimore.-After spending six months in Washington, I took my leave one bright morning, for Baltimore, in the stage-coach, drawn by four sprightly grays. I was the last passenger taken up-found four persons in the stage, one lady and three gentlemen. To the homeless traveller, no pleasure is equal to that which he feels, when, after paying his fare to a certain place, he takes his seat in the stage. Here at least, he is at home. The thought that he is for the time being, sole proprietor of the small space he occupies, gives him an independence which he feels no where else. The lady by her dress I took to be a Quakeress, an old maid by the way, very coy and very sensible, as most old maids are. She and I had the back seat to ourselves. She seemingly drew up to her own side of the stage, and I, not willing to infringe my neighbor's rights, as cautiously adhered to mine. She need not, however, have taken this precaution as it respected myself, for I would not have hurt a hair of her head had it been in my powwhich it was not. She now and then addressed a young man who sat before her on the next seat, who proved to be her nephew, also a Quaker. Upon further, observation, I found that one of the other gentlemen was Quaker, so that it was something like a Quaker meeting. The fourth was a French gentleman. The Quakers, one was from Massachusetts with the lady, and the other a merchant from Georgetown, a Virginian by birth and education. They were all lively and sensible, particularly the Frenchinan; he was very facetious, and though his hair was touched by the frost of time, or (most likely) the frost of untoward fortune, yet his countenance retained all the animation of youth. He had been in America some years, spoke the English language with fluency and grace, and was a friend, if not an officer of the departed Buonaparte. He amused us with a number of interesting anecdotes, which he told with admirable humour, and while his thread-bare coat bespoke his situation too plain, yet his manners revealed a highly improved and polished mind. I endeavoured to recollect one of his stories, but it is impossible to give to it that expression of countenance and gesture peculiar to

Frenchmen. It was, however, something like the fol lowing.

"When he was a youth at college, he and his messmates were stinted in their daily allowance of food. They bore it patiently some time, but at length they repaired in a body to the principal of the College, (who was a priest of course,) and stated their grievance. The priest listened to their complaint with great courtesy, but being (as they afterwards discovered) leagued in the plot of starving, he endeavored to soothe them into submission. My children, said he, it is not wholesome for you to indulge your appetite, it will protract your progress very much, you ought to live very obstemiously, it is best both for your health and your studies. See me, I fast one, two, three days in the week, I drink only water," here if you had seen him mimicking the sanctity of the priest," and feed on the most sparing diet. Finally the students withdrew without success. But suspecting the priest's veracity, and concluding from his portly size, that he fared sumptuously every day, they resolved to watch him; but such was his precaution, that they were completely baffled. At length they got it all out of a domestic, whom they bribed to leave the door open upon a certain time agreed upon. "Here" said the Frenchman, ve vas very much to de loss vat excuse to make to get into de house, some say von ting, some say de oder ting; I say, me vill say de fire, de fire, and run to de priest for de safety. You see, ve all run, say fire, fire, and rush upon him and four or five of his friends dat eat wis him, da have all rish savory meat, de table full de wine, de champaign, de madeira, de burgundy. He say, vere de fire. Me, I say, I would be glad to have so good abstemious dinner like you sare, me dont wish better den you have. He say you too cunning rogue for me, you shall have more liberal usage in future. "Oh," he added "dem priests will cheat you to your face,"

The two Quaker gentlemen however relieved him, by descanting upon the approaching presidential election. The Georgetown man was in favour of Mr. Crawford, and the yankee of course was in favour of Mr. Adams.