in a discussion on some point of foreign or domestic policy, in which all these distant States were equally concerned. The effect was greatly heightened one day, by a debate on the application for admission into the Union, on the part of the district of Maine and the territory of Missouri, 1500 miles distant from each other; the one more than half as large, and the other larger than England and Wales.

I never felt so much disposed to excuse the inflated ideas and extravagant anticipations which many Americans indulge, when contemplating the future destinies of their infant country; nor did I ever feel so desirous that our Government, and my countrymen in general, should awaken from their supercilious disregard of the growing greatness of America, to a more attentive observation of the rapid developement of her resources, and a more correct appreciation of their ultimate extent. It was a great advantage to me to reach Washington so soon after my arrival in America, and to meet there the most distinguished men from different parts of the United States. I found them generally extremely kind and communicative, and very well informed on most topics, connected with the practical business of life. Many of them seemed to have read and reflected much on the

leading questions in legislation and jurisprudence; but there is a lamentable deficiency of information, on these points, in some of the Legislatures of the new states.

I have been at several very pleasant parties in Charleston, particularly one at Mr.'s. We sate down to a splendid dinner, at which there were nearly thirty ladies and gentlemen, of the principal families of South Carolina. In the evening, we had an addition of nearly forty young persons, and music, conversation, books, engravings, &c. supplied amusement, suited to the varied tastes and characters of the company. The tout ensemble was in the style of a similar party in the fashionable circles in England.

The other day, I dined with the Governor of the State, to whom I was introduced by Col. of Columbia, whom I met at the Planter's Hotel, where I am staying, and who invited me, as many of my friends here have done, to spend some days on his plantation. There was a large party at the Governor's; and I observed that I was the only person not in boots. This surprised me at a Carolinian's; but in ladies' parties they are more particular, and the Governor is a plain man, not in the habit, I believe, of mixing familiarly with the fashionable circles.

I met there the son of the present Spanish Governor of Florida, just arrived from St. Augustine; and a young friend accompanied me, with whom I have not yet made you acquainted. He was my travelling companion in the stage nearly all the way from Washington; and I was soon attracted by his intelligence and gentlemanly manners. He seemed to be intimately acquainted with all the leading characters at Washington, very familiar with the institutions and history of the United States, and not less so with those of Great Britain. I soon discovered that he was in the law, and resident at Washington, but had shrewd suspicions that he was not a native American. My curiosity increased as I saw more of him; and on our arrival at Charleston, I found that many of our letters of introduction were to the same persons. I then discovered that he was the son of Mr. Law, who lives near Washington, and the nephew of Lord Ellenborough. He was going to Florida, to acquire some acquaintance with the Spanish tenures of land there, in anticipation of that country being ceded to America, and in the expectation that disputed claims would give rise there, as they had done in Louisiana, to much litigation, and would require an accurate knowledge of the nature of the

grants under which the original proprietors derived their title from the Spanish Government. It is astonishing how extensive and lucrative this description of practice has proved to the lawyers in Louisiana. My legal friend and I are staying at the Planter's Hotel, where we see a constant succession of strangers from the other States, planters from the interior, and foreigners just landed. We had lately a large party, arrived from the Havannah, after a passage of five days. One of them was a physician, who dissuaded me from visiting that city, on my way to New Orleans, as I had at one time intended, by representations of the yellow fever being prevalent there.

Letter VF.

Indian Agency on the Flint River, 22nd March, 1820.

It was with much regret that I left several kind and interesting friends whom I had met with at Charleston. Our last day there was Sunday; and the diminution of carriages at the church door evinced that the fashionable society was dispersing, and that many families had already retired to their plantations after the races. The places of worship appeared well filled; but many of the streets were noisy I was told also that gambling was going on to a great extent, in a detached building belonging to the hotel where I was staying; but as I have sometimes heard the same rumour at hotels in Bath and London, let us hope that it was a libellous report. I was pleased to see the slaves apparently enjoying themselves on this day in their best attire, and was amused with their manners towards each other. They generally use Sir and Madam in addressing each other, and make the most formal and particular inquiries after each other's families. They frequently adopt the

H