Read Ebook: American Scenes and Christian Slavery A Recent Tour of Four Thousand Miles in the United States by Davies Ebenezer

Font size: 10 px 15 px 20 px 25 px 30 px 35 px

Background color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Text color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Apply/Save settings

Ebook has 452 lines and 83891 words, and 10 pages

Occasion of Visit to the United States--First Impressions of the Mississippi--Magnitude of that River--Impediment at its Entrance--The New Harbour--The "Great" and "Fat" Valley--High Pressure Steam-Tug Frolics--Slave-Auction Facetiae

American Oysters--Becalmed in the Mississippi--Anchor raised--Ship ashore--Taken off by a Steam Tug--Slave-Sale Advertisements--Runaway Negroes--Return of Fever--Terrific Storm--Frightful Position--Ashore at New Orleans--A Ship-Chandler's Store--American Wheels--A Joltification--The St. Charles's Hotel

New Orleans--The Story of Pauline--Adieu to the St Charles's--Description of that Establishment--First Sight of Slaves for Sale--Texts for Southern Divines--Perilous Picture

A Sabbath in New Orleans--The First Presbyterian Church--Expectoration--A Negro Pew--The Sermon

First Religious Service in America --A Collection "taken up"--Rush out--Evening Service--Sketch of the Sermon--Profanation of the Sabbath--The Monthly Concert for Prayer

"Jack Jones"--A Public Meeting for Ireland--Henry Clay--Other Speakers--American Feeling in reference to the Irish Famine--A Slave-Auction

The Slave-Auction --"A Fine Young Woman"--A Man and his Wife--Jim, the Blacksmith--A Family--A Ploughboy--Cornelia--Another Jim--Tom, the House Boy--Edmund--Tom, and "his reserved rights"--A Carriage Driver--Margaret and her Child

St. Louis Exchange--Inspection of Human Chattels--Artizan Slaves--Scenes and Proceedings of the Auction--Sale of the Men

Sale of Women--Second Sabbath in New Orleans--Cricket in front of the Presbyterian "Church"--The Baptist "Church"--A Peep at an American Sabbath School--Proceedings in "Church"--A Sermon on "The New Birth"--Nut-cracking during Sermon--"Close Communion"

Interview with a Baptist Minister--Conversation with a Young Man in the Baptist Church--The Presbyterian Church, and Dr. Scott again--A Peep at the House of Representatives of Louisiana--Contrast between the French and the Americans in the Treatment of their Slaves--Dinner Table in New Orleans--American Manners

Farewell to New Orleans--Revolting Bargain--"The Anglo Saxon" Steam-boat--Moderate Fare--Steam Navigation of the Mississippi --Steam-boat and Railway Literature--Parting View of the "Crescent City"--Slave Advertisements--Baton Rouge--A Sugar Estate--Fellow-Passengers--The Ladies' Cabin--A Baptist Minister--A Reverend Slave-holder

Voyage up the Mississippi --"Patriarchal" Establishments--The Red River--Elder Wright--Lynch Law administered by a Preacher--Natchez --Story of Mary Brown--The Flat Boats of the Mississippi

Voyage up the Mississippi --Grand Gulph and Big Black River--Snags--"I belong to myself, Sir"--Vicksburg and Lynch Law--A Man Overboard--"Drove of Horses, Mules, and Niggers"--Character of Fellow-Passengers--The Sabbath--Disobedience to Conscience

Voyage up the Mississippi --The Arkansas--Treatment of the Indians--M de Tocqueville--"Napoleon" and Lynch Law--Memphis, and its Advertisements--A Scene witnessed there--The Ohio--Nashville, and Amos Dresser

Voyage up the Ohio --Illinois--Evansville--Owensborough --Indiana--New Albany--Louisville, and its Cruel Histories--The Grave of President Harrison--Arrival in Cincinnati--First Impressions--The Congregational Minister--A Welsh Service

Stay at Cincinnati --Close of the Welsh Service--The Governor of Ohio and his Relatives--The "Black Laws"--Governor Bebb's Hostility to them--Dr. Weed and American Versatility--Private Lodgings--Introduction to Dr. Beecher and others--A Peep at a Democratic Meeting

Stay at Cincinnati --The Democratic Meeting--A Visit to Lane Seminary--"Public Declamation"--Poem on War--Essay on Education

Visit to Lane Seminary --Dr. Beecher and his Gun--The College Library--Dr. Stowe and his Hebrew Class--History of Lane Seminary--Qualifications for Admission--The Curriculum--Manual Labour--Expenses of Education--Results--Equality of Professors and Students

A Sabbath at Cincinnati--The Second Presbyterian Church--Mutilation of a Popular Hymn--The Rushing Habit--A wrong "Guess"--A German Sunday-School--Visit to a Church of Coloured People--Engagement at the Welsh "Church"--Monthly Concert--The Medical College of Ohio--Tea at the House of a Coloured Minister

Stay at Cincinnati --The New Roman Catholic Cathedral--The Rev. C.B. Boynton and Congregationalism--"The Herald of a New Era"--American Nationality

Stay at Cincinnati --The Orphan Asylum--A Coloured Man and a White Fop treated as each deserved--A Trip across to Covington--Mr. Gilmore and the School for Coloured Children--"The Fugitive Slave to the Christian"--Sabbath--Mr. Boynton--Dr. Beecher--Lane Seminary --Departure from Cincinnati

Cincinnati--Its History and Progress--Its Trade and Commerce--Its Periodical Press--Its Church Accommodation--Its Future Prospects --Steaming up the Ohio--Contrast between Freedom and Slavery--An Indian Mound--Splendid Scenery--Coal Hills

Arrival at Pittsburg--Its Trade and Prospects--Temperance-Newspapers --Trip up the Monongahela to Brownsville--Staging by Night across the Alleghany Mountains--Arrival at Cumberland--The Railway Carriages of America

Journey by Railroad from Cumberland to Baltimore--A Tedious Stoppage--A Sabbath in Baltimore--Fruitless Inquiry--A Presbyterian Church and Dr. Plummer--Richmond and its Resolutions--Dr. Plummer's Pro-slavery Manifesto--The Methodist Episcopal Church

A Sabbath at Baltimore --A Coloured Congregation--The Thought of seeing Washington abandoned--Departure from Baltimore --Coloured Ladies in the Luggage-Van--American Railways--Chesapeak Bay--Susquehannah--State of Delaware, and Abolition of Slavery --Philadelphia--Albert Barnes--Stephen Girard's Extraordinary Will

Departure from Philadelphia--A Communicative Yankee--Trenton--The Mansion of Joseph Bonaparte--Scenes of Brainerd's Labours One Hundred Years ago--First Impressions of New York--150, Nassau-street--Private Lodgings--Literary Society--American Lodging houses--A Lecture on Astronomy--The "Negro Pew" in Dr. Patton's Church

The Rev. Theodore Sedgwick Wright--His Testimony against Caste--His Funeral--Drs Cox and Patton--The Service in the House--The Procession--The Church--The Funeral Oration--Mrs. Wright

Trip to New Haven--Captain Stone and his Tender Feeling--Arrival in New Haven.--A Call from Dr. Bacon and the Rev. Mr. Dutton--Newspapers--The Centre Church and Standing Order--The North Church and Jonathan Edwards, junior

The Spot on which Whitfield preached--Judge Daggett--Governor Yale--Yale College--The Libraries--Elliot's Indian Bible--Geological Museum--Dr. Goodrich--Education and Expenses at Yale College--The Graves of the Regicides

A Fast-Day--Political Sermons--A Church of Coloured People--The Sabbath--Morning Service--Afternoon ditto and Dr. Hawes--Prayers at College Chapel--United Service in North Church--The Cemetery--The "Fathers"--Professor Gibbs--Annual Election--Statistics--Arrival at Hartford--Mr. Hosmer--Chief Justice--Deaf and Dumb--Charter Oak

The "Retreat"--Introductions to the Insane--Piety and Profanity-- Service in the Fourth Church--Memorials of the Pilgrims--Dr. Bushnell and his Opinions--The Mother Church and its Burying-Ground--The New Cemetery--Prejudice against Colour--Mrs. Sigourney--Departure from Hartford--Worcester and Elihu Burritt--Boston--The Rev. Seth Bliss--The Cradle of Liberty--Mr. Garrison--Bunker's Hill

Boston --The Old South--Unitarianism, and Connection between Church and State--A Welsh Service in an "Upper Room"--Laura Bridgman and the Wedding Ring--Oliver Caswell--Departure from Boston--John Todd and his Family--His Congregationalism--Albany and the Delevan House--Journey to Utica--Remsen and the Welsh People--Dogs made to churn, and Horses to saw Wood

A Peep at the House of Representatives in Albany--"The Chan is but a Man," &c.--Sailing down the Hudson--Dr. Spring--His Morning Sermon--Afternoon Service--Gough the great Lecturer--The Tract House and Steam-presses--May-day in New York--Staten Island--Immigrants--A hurried Glance

The May Meetings--Dr. Bushnell's Striking Sermon--Two Anti-Slavery Meetings--A Black Demosthenes--Foreign Evangelical Society--A New Thing in the New World--The Home-Missionary Society--Progress and Prospects of the West--Church of Rome--Departure from New York--What the Author thinks of the Americans

What the Author thinks of the Americans --Slavery --Responsibility of the North--District of Columbia--Preponderance of the Slave Power--Extermination of the Indians--President Taylor and his Blood-hounds

Occasion of Visit to the United States--First Impressions of the Mississippi--Magnitude of that River--Impediment at its Entrance--The New Harbour--The "Great" and "Fat" Valley--High-Pressure Steam-Tug Frolics--Slave-Auction Facetiae.

The ill health of my wife, occasioned by long residence amid the sultry swamps of Guiana, compelled me a few months ago to accompany her on a visit to the United States of America. Having taken our passage in a ship to New Orleans, we found ourselves in fifteen days on the far-famed Mississippi,--the "father of waters." On gazing around, our first feeling was one of awe, to find ourselves actually ascending that majestic stream, that great artery of the greatest valley in the world, leading into the very heart of a continent. The weather was very cold; the trees on the river's bank were leafless; and the aspect of nature on every hand told it was winter. What a change! But a fortnight before we were panting under an almost vertical sun. We found the Mississippi much narrower than we had anticipated. In some places it is only about half a mile wide; while below New Orleans it never, I should say, exceeds a mile in width. This is remarkable, since not less than fifty-seven large navigable rivers contribute to swell its waters. It is, however, very deep, and, even at the distance of 500 miles above New Orleans, is navigated by vessels of 300 tons; nay, at 1,364 miles from its mouth, it attains an average depth of fifteen feet. In its course, it waters 2,500 miles of country. Among the rivers that pour themselves into this immense stream are--the Missouri, which has first traversed a space of 2,000 miles; the Arkansas, 1,300 miles; the Red River, 1,000 miles; and the Ohio, 700 miles.

Unfortunately, at the entrance of this noble river, there is a bar called the Balize, so shallow as hitherto to have seriously interfered with the navigation of large and deeply-laden vessels. Even for the cotton trade, a particular construction of ship has been found needful, with a flatter bottom than usual, in order to pass easily over this bar, any effort to remove which the rapidity of the stream would render fruitless. This circumstance, with the want of harbour at the mouth of the Mississippi, has hitherto operated greatly against the trade with New Orleans, which is 110 miles up the river. Recently, however, a magnificent harbour has been discovered between Cat Island and Isle Apitre, within Lake Borgne, and only ten miles from the coast of the mainland. This new harbour, easily accessible from the sea, at all times contains a depth of water varying from thirty to fifty feet, and is so protected on all sides that vessels may ride with the greatest safety in the worst weather. From this harbour to Bayou on the mainland the distance is only twelve miles, and from Bayou to New Orleans forty-six miles,--making altogether only fifty-eight miles from Cat Island Harbour to New Orleans; whereas, by the difficult and dangerous route of the Mississippi, the distance is 110 miles. The importance and value of such a harbour it is difficult to over-estimate. Its beneficial effect on the future destiny of the great valley will be prodigious.

I have said the "great valley," and well it deserves the appellation. It contains as many square miles, with more tillable ground than the whole continent of Europe. It measures about 1,341,649 square miles, and is therefore six times larger than France. And this valley is as rich as it is extensive. It is the "fat" valley. Never did human eye behold a finer soil, or more luxuriant productions. The treasures beneath the surface are as precious as those above. The lead and copper mines are among the best in the world. Iron and coal also abound. Building materials, of beauty and strength, adapted to form cottages for the poor or palaces for the rich, are not wanting. Nature has here furnished in lavish profusion everything necessary for converting the wilderness into smiling fields, studded with populous cities.

But we are not yet within the great valley. We are only at its entrance, sailing up the "father of waters," against the stream, at the rate of four or five miles an hour. It is usual for sailing-vessels to be towed by steam-tugs to their destination; but, having a fair breeze, and no tug at hand, we were indebted to our sails alone. The motion was exceedingly pleasant, after the tossings we had had in the Gulf of Mexico. The vessel glided smoothly along, and new objects presented themselves continually on either hand.

My enjoyment of the scenery, however, was soon marred by an attack of fever and ague, which sent me below. While I was down, several steam-tugs towing vessels down the river met us. Their unearthly groans filled me with terror. Their noise was not that of puff--puff --puff--puff, like all the other steamers that I had ever heard, but something composed of a groan, a grunt, and a growl--deep-drawn, as from the very caverns of Vulcan, and that at awfully-solemn intervals,--grunt--grunt--grunt--grunt! This peculiarity, I was told, arose from their "high-pressure" engines. The sound, thus explained, brought to my recollection all the dreadful stories of boiler explosions with which the very name of the Mississippi had become associated in my mind. But they have surely learned wisdom from experience, and are become more skilful or more cautious than they used to be!

Such was the paragraph, with not a syllable of note or comment on cause or consequences. It was evidently an every-day occurrence. What recklessness was here indicated! and how comforting to a sick and nervous man, now near the very spot of the occurrence, and in a vessel about to be placed in the same pleasant relation to one of those grunting monsters as the unfortunate "barque" had but three days before occupied, with the trifling "balance" of eighteen of her crew "killed and wounded!"

The fever having left me, I ventured on deck. At this moment one of these infernal machines came in sight, towing down three large ships. Instead of having them behind, as on the Thames and Mersey, she had one on either side, closely lashed to herself, and the other only behind. This terrific monster seemed to be carrying them away arm-in-arm, like two prisoners, to destruction. At all events, it was a position of familiarity and friendship with the "Sprite of Steam" of which I did not at all like the idea; and yet we ourselves were by-and-by to be placed in its perilous embrace!

American Oysters--Becalmed in the Mississippi--Anchor raised--Ship ashore--Taken off by a Steam-Tug--Slave-Sale Advertisements--Runaway Negroes--Return of Fever--Terrific Storm--Frightful Position--Ashore at New Orleans--A Ship-Chandler's Store--American Wheels--A Joltification--The St. Charles's Hotel.

The evening closed upon us, sailing pleasantly up the Mississippi. Having a beautiful moonlight night, we kept on our way. About seven o'clock we overtook a small fishing-boat laden with oysters. In consideration of our allowing them--not the oysters, but the boatmen--to fasten a rope to our vessel, to help them on, they gave us a generous and refreshing supply. But such oysters! In neither size nor shape did they resemble those of the Old World. As to size, they were gigantic,--as to shape, not unlike the human foot. They abound not far from the mouth of the river, and many men obtain a livelihood by carrying them up to the New Orleans market. The mode of cooking adopted in this instance was that of putting them on the fire till the shells opened. To our taste, they were not in flavour to be compared to the London oysters; but we did not venture to tell our American captain so. We had yet, however, to taste the deliciously-cooked oysters of the northern cities.

About 10 p.m., the breeze having in a great measure died away, our captain thought it imprudent to attempt to "go a-head" further that night, and the anchor was cast. We were now fifty miles above the entrance of the river.

Early next day the anchor was raised, the sails were unfurled, and we again moved along. About 8 a.m., through the narrowness of the river, the rapidity of the stream, and other causes, our "smart" captain, who had chuckled vastly on passing all other ships in the river,--and especially British ships,--ran his own vessel right ashore! There we were in a complete "fix," till one of the grunting monsters came to our rescue. Forbidding as was his aspect, we were very glad to feel a little of his giant power. Of this one I had, of course, a better view than I had had of any other of the species. It had, like the rest, two chimneys in front, like perpendicular tusks, with a ladder between them. The ladder was for the purpose of ascent,--the ascent for the purpose of elevation,--and the elevation for the purpose of "look out." The top of the ladder, in short, rendered the same service as the top of a ship's mast at sea. This "tug" had also, a little further aft, a funnel-like sort of chimney, for the emission of steam. The whole structure was--like a forge below, and a palace above. In the lower story were the boiler, engine, fuel, &c., all exposed to view; while, the upper contained splendid apartments for the captain, the engineer, and other officers. The engineer of that vessel, I understood, had a salary of 250 dollars per month!

"N.B. All Negroes sold by the undersigned are fully guaranteed.

"SLATTER & LOCKETT,

"56, Esplanade-street."

"n11--6m."

Share on: WhatsApp @Hash Facebook Tweet