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The Floating Press - Frances Trollope

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205 pages

English

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In the early 1800s, an English writer named Frances Trollope spent some time touring the then-very-young country of America with her son Henry, dividing most of her time between Cincinnati and a utopian camp settlement that housed former slaves in Tennessee. Although Frances enjoyed her visit, she was absolutely appalled with what she regarded as Americans' abhorrent lack of decorum. Domestic Manners of the Americans includes both stirring descriptions of the country's landscapes and withering excoriations of its residents' "primitive" manners.

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Travel writing

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Publié par	The Floating Press
Date de parution	01 juillet 2014
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781776580132
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0134€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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DOMESTIC MANNERS OF THE AMERICANS
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FRANCES TROLLOPE

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Domestic Manners of the Americans First published in 1832 Epub ISBN 978-1-77658-013-2 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77658-014-9 © 2014 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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Chapter 1 - Entrance of the Mississippi—Balize Chapter 2 - New Orleans—Society—Creoles and Quadroons Voyage up the Mississippi Chapter 3 - Company on Board the Steam Boat—Scenery of the Mississippi—Crocodiles—Arrival at Memphis—Nashoba Chapter 4 - Departure from Memphis—Ohio River Louisville—Cincinnati Chapter 5 - Cincinnati—Forest Farm—Mr. Bullock Chapter 6 - Servants—Society—Evening Parties Chapter 7 - Market—Museum—Picture Gallery—Academy of Fine Arts DrawingSchool—Phrenological Society—Miss Wright's Lecture Chapter 8 - Absence of Public and Private Amusement—Churches andChapels—Influence of the Clergy—A Revival Chapter 9 - Schools—Climate—Water Melons—Fourth of July—Storms—Pigs—Moving Houses—Mr. Flint—Literature Chapter 10 - Removal to the Country—Walk in the Forest—Equality Chapter 11 - Religion Chapter 12 - Peasantry, Compared to that of England—Early Marriages—Charity—Independence and Equality—Cottage Prayer-Meeting Chapter 13 - Theatre—Fine Arts—Delicacy—Shaking Quakers—Big-Bone Lick—Visit of the President Chapter 14 - American Spring—Controversy Between Messrs Owen and Cambell—Public Ball—Separation of the Sexes—American Freedom—Execution Chapter 15 - Camp-Meeting Chapter 16 - Danger of Rural Excursions—Sickness Chapter 17 - Departure from Cincinnati—Society on Board the Steam-Boat—Arrival at Wheeling—Bel Esprit Chapter 18 - Departure for the Mountains in the Stage—Scenery of theAlleghany—Haggerstown Chapter 19 - Baltimore—Catholic Cathedral—St. Mary's—College Sermons—Infant School Chapter 20 - Voyage to Washington—Capitol—City of Washington—Congress—Indians—Funeral of a Member of Congress Chapter 21 - Stonington—Great Falls of the Potomac Chapter 22 - Small Landed Proprietors—Slavery Chapter 23 - Fruits and Flowers of Maryland and Virginia—Copper-HeadSnake—Insects—Elections Chapter 24 - Journey to Philadelphia—Chesapeak and Delaware Canal—City ofPhiladelphia—Miss Wright's Lecture Chapter 25 - Washington Square—American Beauty—Gallery of Fine Arts—Antiques—Theatres—Museum Chapter 26 - Quakers—Presbyterians—Itinerant MethodistPreacher—Market—Influence of Females in Society Chapter 27 - Return to Stonington—Thunderstorm—Emigrants—Illness—Alexandria Chapter 28 - American Cooking—Evening Parties—Dress—Sleighing—Money-Getting Habits—Tax-Gatherer's Notice—IndianSummer—Anecdote of the Duke of Saxe-Weimar Chapter 29 - Literature—Extracts—Fine Arts—Education Chapter 30 - Journey to New York—Delaware River—Stagecoach—City of New York—Collegiate Institute for Young Ladies—Theatres—Public Garden—Churches—Morris Canal—Fashions—Carriages Chapter 31 - Reception of Captain Basil Hall's Book in the United States Chapter 32 - Journey to Niagara—Hudson—West Point—Hyde Park—Albany—Yankees—Trenton Falls—Rochester—Genesee Falls—Lockport Chapter 33 - Niagara—Arrival at Forsythes—First Sight of the Falls—Goat Island—The Rapids—Buffalo—Lake Erie—Canandaigna—Stage-Coach Adventures Chapter 34 - Return to New York—Conclusion Endnotes
Chapter 1 - Entrance of the Mississippi—Balize
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On the 4th of November, 1827, I sailed from London, accompaniedby my son and two daughters; and after a favourable, thoughsomewhat tedious voyage, arrived on Christmas-day at the mouth ofthe Mississippi.
The first indication of our approach to land was the appearanceof this mighty river pouring forth its muddy mass of waters, andmingling with the deep blue of the Mexican Gulf. The shores ofthis river are so utterly flat, that no object upon them isperceptible at sea, and we gazed with pleasure on the muddy oceanthat met us, for it told us we were arrived, and seven weeks ofsailing had wearied us; yet it was not without a feeling likeregret that we passed from the bright blue waves, whose varyingaspect had so long furnished our chief amusement, into the murkystream which now received us.
Large flights of pelicans were seen standing upon the long massesof mud which rose above the surface of the waters, and a pilotcame to guide us over the bar, long before any other indicationof land was visible.
I never beheld a scene so utterly desolate as this entrance ofthe Mississippi. Had Dante seen it, he might have drawn imagesof another Bolgia from its horrors. One only object rears itselfabove the eddying waters; this is the mast of a vessel long sincewrecked in attempting to cross the bar, and it still stands, adismal witness of the destruction that has been, and a bodingprophet of that which is to come.
By degrees bulrushes of enormous growth become visible, and a fewmore miles of mud brought us within sight of a cluster of hutscalled the Balize, by far the most miserable station that I eversaw made the dwelling of man, but I was told that many familiesof pilots and fishermen lived there.
For several miles above its mouth, the Mississippi presents noobjects more interesting than mud banks, monstrous bulrushes, andnow and then a huge crocodile luxuriating in the slime. Anothercircumstance that gives to this dreary scene an aspect ofdesolation, is the incessant appearance of vast quantities ofdrift wood, which is ever finding its way to the different mouthsof the Mississippi. Trees of enormous length, sometimes stillbearing their branches, and still oftener their uptorn rootsentire, the victims of the frequent hurricane, come floating downthe stream. Sometimes several of these, entangled together,collect among their boughs a quantity of floating rubbish, thatgives the mass the appearance of a moving island, bearing aforest, with its roots mocking the heavens; while the dishonouredbranches lash the tide in idle vengeance: this, as it approachesthe vessel, and glides swiftly past, looks like the fragment of aworld in ruins.
As we advanced, however, we were cheered, notwithstanding theseason, by the bright tints of southern vegetation. The bankscontinue invariably flat, but a succession of planless villas,sometimes merely a residence, and sometimes surrounded by theirsugar grounds and negro huts, varied the scene. At no one pointwas there an inch of what painters call a second distance; andfor the length of one hundred and twenty miles, from the Balizeto New Orleans, and one hundred miles above the town, the land isdefended from the encroachments of the river by a high embankmentwhich is called the Levee; without which the dwellings wouldspeedily disappear, as the river is evidently higher than thebanks would be without it. When we arrived, there had beenconstant rains, and of long continuance, and this appearance was,therefore, unusually striking, giving to "this great naturalfeature" the most unnatural appearance imaginable; and makingevident, not only that man had been busy there, but that even themightiest works of nature might be made to bear his impress; itrecalled, literally, Swift's mock heroic,
"Nature must give way to art;"
yet, she was looking so mighty, and so unsubdued all the time,that I could not help fancying she would some day take the matterinto her own hands again, and if so, farewell to New Orleans.
It is easy to imagine the total want of beauty in such alandscape; but yet the form and hue of the trees and plants, sonew to us, added to the long privation we had endured of allsights and sounds of land, made even these swampy shores seembeautiful. We were, however, impatient to touch as well as seethe land; but the navigation from the Balize to New Orleans isdifficult and tedious, and the two days that it occupied appearedlonger than any we had passed on board.
In truth, to those who have pleasure in contemplating thephenomena of nature, a sea voyage may endure many weeks withoutwearying. Perhaps some may think that the first glance of oceanand of sky shew all they have to offer; nay, even that that firstglance may suggest more of dreariness than sublimity; but to me,their variety appeared endless, and their beauty unfailing. Theattempt to describe scenery, even where the objects are prominentand tangible, is very rarely successful; but where the effect isso subtile and so varying, it must be vain. The impression,nevertheless, is perhaps deeper than any other; I think itpossible I may forget the sensations with which I watched thelong course of the gigantic Mississippi; the Ohio and the Potomacmay mingle and be confounded with other streams in my memory, Imay even recall with difficulty the blue outline of the Alleghanymountains, but never, while I remember any thing, can I forgetthe first and last hour of light on the Atlantic.
The ocean, however, and all its indescribable charm, no longersurrounded us; we began to feel that our walk on the quarter-deckwas very like the exercise of an ass in a mill; that our bookshad lost half their pages, and that the other half were known byrote; that our beef was very salt, and our biscuits very hard; inshort, that having studied the good ship, Edward, from stem tostern till we knew the name of every sail, and the use of everypulley, we had had enough of her, and as we laid down, head tohead, in our tiny beds for the last time, I exclaimed with nosmall pleasure,
"Tomorrow to fresh fields and pastures new."
Chapter 2 - New Orleans—Society—Creoles and Quadroons Voyage up the Mississippi
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On first touch