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building,) stepping in, he before me, and I close at his heels, he turned around and told me in a whisper, that "I 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 was the 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 Catholios, 2 for Episcopalians, 2 for Methodists, 1 for Presbyterians, 1 for Quakers, and 3 banks.

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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 he same widely as they do. One cannot behold the people of

1

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 Jord 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 George. town 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.

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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 1, 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 pow er, which 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 a 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 num. ber 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. Fi nally the students withdrew without success. But sus pecting the priest's veracity, end 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 bur gundy. 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.

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The Georgetown was a man of pleasing manners, but the other, though a perfect boor, had the best of the argument. The first praised the talents, the long and faithful services of Mr. Crawford; the yankee opposed the sound judgment, the head to contrive, the skill to direct, and tried experience of Mr. Adams, and gained a complete victory over his opponent. The Frenchman took no part in the discussion, but sat with his arms folded upon his breast. The lady and myself exchanged a few remarks upon the appearance of the country: shc was a handsome female, but had a sting in her countenance withal. These Quakers, it seems, were going to a great Quaker meeting, which was to be held at Baltimore the ensuing week.

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The day was fine, and the road excellent, being a turnpike the whole way. Our way lay through Bladensburg, rendered famous in history by the battle fought there between the British and Americans. I passed over the battle ground, which lies on that side of Bladensburg next to Washington, upon a perfect plane. Bladensburg, one of the oldest towns in Maryland, is nothing but a small village, going to decay. It lies on the Eastern Branch, which, as already observed, is only a small creek at this place, which we crossed by a bridge, below which we saw a few small schooners. The land is generally level, but very poor, being mostly worn out and abandoned to the pine and sedge-grass, resembling the old fields of Virginia. We saw, however, a few well looking country seats during the journey. My fellowtravellers observed that the road lay through the poorest part of the country, and that there was excellent land in many parts of the state.

We dined at a tavern on the road, called Waterlooand here the Virginian (alias Georgetown) and myself were gratified with a dinner to our taste-I mean ham and greens. There was, besides, a savoury turkey and a pair of ducks, which the Frenchman seemed to relish better. The yankee gentleman tasted a bit of the turkey, and the lady dined principally upon bread and butter: she remarked that "she seldom dined upon any thing else."What odd creatures old maids are! Be