cey, are natives of Massachusetts. Through the politeness of Mr. J. Sands, I received much interesting information on the subject of the revolution, for which I lament I have not room.

Journey to Albany.-After spending better than two months in New-York, I took the advantage of a tolerable snow, of sleighing to Albany. The Hudson river, which affords a speedy and delightful conveyance to that city, was at this time fast locked up with ice; we, therefore, took the stage body from the wheels, and placing it upon a sleigh, took our departure at three o'clock, one clear cold morning. This was the first time I ever rode in a sleigh; it is very pleasant where the road is smooth, but this in many instances was not the case. Although I was unable, from the darkness within the carriage, to obtain a glimpse of my fellow passengers, yet by the aid of the moon, I caught a flying view of the barracks, erected at Flatbush, for our soldiers in the late war. number of them are standing, though in a state of decay, and many have fallen quite down.

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In a few hours, day-light disclosed the surrounding country, and the faces of my fellow travellers, in which I found nothing very interesting; seven gentlemen and two females-I made the tenth passenger. The females appeared to be rather under par, as did some of the other sex ; but we were soon rid of the fair ones, the driver sitting them down about mid day, by the way. I dislike travelling with ladies in a carriage, they keep such a chattering, and forsooth must be shut up so close, that one cannot enjoy either the conversation or the appearance of the country. One gentleman belonged to the town of Hudson, two were of Albany, one, with a boy, belonged to Troy, an Irishman, and a Virginian. The Albany gentleman and the one of Hudson were quite entertaining, and very politely pointed out to me the villages, with their names, as well as the numerous country seats, and answered a variety of questions respecting the country, and the customs of the inhabitants. Peekskill, Cattskill, Fishkill, Hudson, and Poughkeepsie, all lie on the Hudson river; some of them are towns of considera

ble size, and have much trade. Hudson river is navigable for large ships to the town of Hudson.

Our road lay through that part of the country, the scenery of which is so much extolled by travellers; even at this dreary season it is not without its charms. The snow resting on the icy bosom of the sleeping Hudson, which is hardly ever out of sight, the eye, aided by the absence of vegetation, can see this noble river for several miles each way at once; it stretches itself directly north, in an unbroken line; in this it differs from all other rivers, which constitutes its superior beauty. This, added to the capricious figures of the swelling hills on the opposite shore, sometimes rounding off into domes, suddenly sinking into a curve, now running in a smooth, unbroken line, all clothed in one uniform dress of lucid white, seems to compensate the traveller for the absence of summer. A voyage on the Hudson in summer must be delightful, diversified as its borders are with hill and dale, farms, towns, and country seats, mingled with wild rocks and mountains, added to the numerous vessels, which pass up and down the river, it must be one of the greatest treats to the admirer of landscape. Of all the towns, Hudson is the handsomest: it sits on a plane on the river, while you approach it from a lofty eminence which overlooks the town; it is built of brick, which are painted deep red. The vivid tints of the houses, contrasted with the snowy plain, gave it a romantic appearance. It is 30 miles below Albany, and contains about 6000 inhabitants. We spent the night (the only one we spent on the road) at Poughkeepsie, where I found the best accommodation I have met with, during my travels! I never sat down to a better supper in any country. We had oysters, chickens, game, and fish, cooked in various ways; beef steak, veal, hash, all sorts of pies and sweetmeats, with the best tea, coffee, cream, and butter: what was my astonishment upon taking my seat at the table, to find myself joined by two persons only! The northern and southern stages both met there that night: there could not have been less than twenty travellers in the house. Some went out to the eating houses, and eat their suppers for a trifle, others had the meanness to go

out, purchase cheese and crackers, and made a meal of it before our faces!-I was truly sorry for the landlady, who had put herself to so much trouble; she remarked "that it was mostly the case with oppositions, that the meanest people travelled in them; but she never (she said,) had seen them behave so mean before." If it took the last cent I had in the world, I would not have acted as they did; nor did I ever see a house more worthy of patronage: my bill next morning was only 75 sents!If people were to do so in the western country, they would be put in the papers.

Owing to the present situation of the country, I had no opportunity of forming an opinion of the quality of the soil; nor would it be material, as what I should call indifferent land, would be called good by the people of these states. I was told that Dutchess county, through which we passed, was the richest in land in the state. Much of the tillable land I have seen, resembles the meadows in Greenbriar, Va. though it is impossible to be any thing like correct. The Livingstons have seated themselves along the banks of the Hudson, presenting to the eye of the traveller (particularly by water,) some of the finest specimens of taste and industry, in the elegance of their houses, and the management of their farms.

On my way to Albany, I had an opportunity of seeing many Dutch families, for the first time: what are called Dutch where I came from, are from Germany, and form a distinct people from the Hollanders: they are as remarkable for sluttishness, as the Hollanders are for neatness. This I had heard, but now I had occular proof. Every utensil in their house, even the stoves shine like silver; their apparel and furniture correspond with these in neatness. These country Dutch are mild and simple in their manners, particularly the young females; these have a sweetness and innocence in their countenance which is peculiar. Both men and women are slow in their movements; the females are better shaped than the men; a broad face is common in both, and a middling complexion. When we arrived at Albany, (at least in the neighbourhood,) we have the Hudson to Cross, it being on the opposite side from N. Y. city.

Some doubts were suggested as to the strength of the ice, and to be upon the safe side, the passengers got out of the stage, and walked over the river on the ice, leaving the Trojan and I, to sink or swim together; being a man of unwieldy size, the other passengers insisted very hard upon him to join them, lest his weight might cause the stage to break through; but no entreaty could prevail with cuffy, and finally he and the driver mutually growled at each other, during the drive over the river.

Upon gaining the western shore of the Hudson, you are in Albany. A few paces brought us to Palmer's, where a comfortable stove, a good supper, and a kind landlady, added to the thoughts of seeing one of the greatest men of the age, De Witt Clinton, together with the legislature, then sitting, consoled me for the fatigue and cold I underwent during my journey.

Albany.-Albany stands on the west side of the Hudson, 150 miles from New-York city. The compact part of the city lies on two principal streets, viz. Market and State-streets, which, in relation to Hudson river, takes the form of the capital letter T, reversed thus, L. The base is Market-sreet, near the shore of the Hudson, and the perpendicular is State-street. Market-street is handsome, and two miles in length; State-street is quite short, and terminates at the capitol: it is, however, a beautiful street, as wide as any of the avenues in Washington.These streets are crossed by others at right angles, but the main body of the town lies on these, and one which leads back from the capitol. Market-strect is on a level, and runs parallel with the Hudson, but from this, the city rises up till it gains the top of a considerable eminence, upon which stands the capitol, precisely at the end of State-street. The capitol, from whatever point you view it, is strikingly handsome, being one of the finest edifices in the United States. But the view from the capitol, for beauty of scenery, baffles all description. You have the whole city, the Hudson, the grand canal, the basin, the villages on the opposite shore, with the gently swelling hills, peeping up behind them, the Cats kill, and the distant mountains of Vermont, all under

your eye at once! Between Market-street and the riv er, there is another street running the same way, called Dock-street; Pearl-street is also considerable, and runs the same way above. Albany, though it does much business, falls far behind New-York, in bustle and activitynot a fourth so many people in the streets-it is handsomely built, mostly of brick, and covered with slate and tile. Many of the houses, either for size or beauty, are not inferior to any in New-York, take away the marble fronts. It is the seat of government for the state of NewYork, and the principal officers of the government, with the governor, reside in Albany. Its public buildings are a capitol, a state-house, a prison, an alms-house and hospital, an arsenal, 2 theatres, a museum, an academy, a city powder-house, a chamber of commerce, a lancasterian school, a library, 4 banks, Knickerbocker hall, a mechanics hall, a Uranian hall, a post-office, and 2 market-houses it also contains 12 places for public worship, viz. 3 Presbyterian, 1 Baptist, 1 Methodist, 1 Lutheran, 1 Apostolic, 1 Cameronian, 2 Dutch Calvinists, 1 Roman Catholic, 1 African. The capitol stands upon an elevation of 130 feet above the level of the Hudson; it is built of stone, and has a portico on the east front, facing the Hudson, of the Ionic style, tetrastile, adorned with stucco. The east front is 90 feet in length, the north front 115; the wall is 50 feet high; the whole is finished in a style of the first architecture; it cost $120,000. It has a large square of ground in front, which is neatly enclosed and planted with trees. The judiciary and the mayor of the city, as well as the legislature, hold their sittings in the capitol, the building being laid off into suitable halls, lobbies, and offices, The representative hall is a splendid apartment, yielding nothing to congress hall in the richness of the furniture and drapery; it is nearly the same, excepting only the size, marble columns, and the speaker's chair. Their clerks stand up at a superb desk, on the left of the speaker. The hall is heated by fire places, one on the right and the other on the left of the speaker, called north and south. When the speaker takes the chair, which he never does till after prayers, he cries with an audible voice, "the