out of the common coach route, to leave the turnpike road which was passable, and to attempt exploring new and undescribed scenery by striking out a line of road for ourselves, would never answer any end, and was in itself almost impracticable,-that, for the future, we must be content with the old well-worn track of former tourists, and visit no places but those notified in the "Stranger's Guide," or "Northern Traveller." Tourists, however, are always in search for some incident which may be rather out of the common way, and which may vary some little the dull pages of their diary; and we too should have been satisfied had the fair and chaste moon shone brightly on us, laying open to our view some of the dark recesses of the dense forest, or the dreary depths of the vast ravines beneath us. But we had not a spice of the true romantic spirit in us; we preferred a warm supper and a good dry mattress, in a comfortable inn, to weathering it out in an unknown country, where we might be half drowned ere golden Phoebus again walked forth from his chamber in the East. At nine o'clock, from the cold breeze which swept past us, and from the streak of light along the horizon, as if the clouds, having nothing to cling to, were compelled to rise from earth, we knew that some large sheet of water was nigh, and shortly afterwards saw Seneca Lake, like a narrow stream lying far beneath us. We were doomed, however, to still farther disappointments; nor was it until an hour past midnight, after having trudged about eight miles on foot through deep and muddy pools, that we reached a small inn, at the head of the lake, wet, weary, famished, and consequently out of humour. After much knocking at doors, and shaking of windows, we succeeded in rousing the landlord from his lair. In half an hour's time, he spread out before us a "rudes in digestaque moles" of apple-pie, new cheese, sour beer, heavy Indian bread, and port wine, which savoured strongly of logwood and brandy; but our appetites had been well sharpened by our wanderings, and we were in no humour to find fault. Sitting by the cheerful wood fire, we already began to laugh at the misfortunes and slow progress of our journey, having been more than nine hours performing a distance of twenty-one miles. Excellent beds being provided, in a few minutes the troubles of the past, fears and anticipations of the future, were alike forgotten. T CHAPTER XVII. The souls of Usurers after their death Lucian affirms to be metempsychosed, or translated into the bodies of asses, and there remain certain years, for poor men to take their pennyworth out of their bones. PEACHAM ON BLAZONING. Such guides set over the several congregations will misteach them, by instilling into them puritanical and superstitious principles. You take a precipice for no leap of danger, WALTON. SHAKSPEARE. On the morning of the 10th of August, embarking on board a steamer, we left Watkins, Jeffersonville, Seneca Head, or Savoy, as we heard the small village, where we had passed part of the night, severally called. Though commanding a much finer situation than Ithaca in every respect, with a canal running past it which connects the water of lake Erie and Seneca with the Susquehannah River by the Chemung Canal, yet there are not above twenty frame-houses in the settlement, arising from the mistaken policy of the proprietor of the land, who will scarcely sell a rood under a New York price; whereas, if he gave away every other lot for building upon, the increased value of the remaining lots would make him more than an adequate return. The head of Seneca Lake, like that of Cayuga, is black marsh overgrown with bull-rushes and reeds. Several large streams with fine water-falls enter it a few miles from the village, of which the Hector, 150 feet in height, and those at the big stream Point 136, are the most worthy of observation. We considered ourselves fortunate in meeting with a gentlemanly, well-informed person in Captain Rumney, an Englishman, the proprietor of the "Seneca Chief," the only steamer which plies upon the lake. He purchased the right of steam upon these waters for a meré trifle, from ex-governor Lewis, to whom it had been sold by Fulton, who possessed originally the exclusive right of steam navigation on those inland waters of the State of New York which did not interfere with the interests of neighbouring States, as the Hudson does with the communication to Vermont and Lower Canada. This charter was granted to Fulton for a term of thirty years, six of which have not yet expired; before the lapse of that time the present possessor may expect to realize a considerable fortune. The profits arise principally from towing the Erie Canal boats to the different ports in the lake, the traffic on which will be much increased by the Chemung and Crooked Lake Canals, now nearly completed. The charge for towing vessels from one to the other extreme of the lake, a distance of forty miles, is six dollars, and is performed in a few hours. At Rapely's Ferry, a few miles down the lake on the western bank, are the remains of a pier from which the celebrated Jemima Wilkinson proved the faith of her followers. She had collected them for the purpose of seeing her walk across the lake, and addressing them, while one foot touched the water, enquired if they had faith in her, and believed she could reach the opposite shore in safety; for, if they had not faith, the attempt would be vain. Upon receiving the most earnest assurances of their belief that she could pass over, she replied "that there was no occasion then to make a display of her power, as they believed in it;" and, turning round, re-entered her carriage, and drove off, to the chagrin of thousands of idle spectators, and to the astonishment of her numerous disciples. Captain Rumney, who was acquainted with her during her life-time, described her as a tall, stately, and handsome woman; but of rather a masculine appearance. In her costume she much resembled a clergyman, having her hair brushed back, wearing a surplice and bands, with a Quaker's hat. She was a native of Rhode Island, and during the Revolutionary war formed an attachment with a British officer, who subsequently deserted her. In consequence of this merciless treatment, she suffered a violent attack of fever, and for some days lay in a deep trance, though the medical men affirmed she might have easily roused herself from it had she only the wish to do so. It is supposed that at this time she was engaged in laying the deep plot which was so successfully carried into execution on her recovery, by stating that, "Jemima Wilkinson having died, the angels in heaven had disputed who should enter her body, and visit the earth as the Universal Friend of Mankind,-as the Saviour of the World; that she (now calling herself an angel in Jemi ma's body) had been appointed to fill the body of the deceased, and was come upon earth to preach salvation to all. Many believed in her, and, a sect being soon formed, she quitted Rhode Island, and settled near Crooked Lake, a few miles to the west of Seneca, where her followers, some of whom were men of independent fortune, purchased a large tract of land for her; the deeds of |