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NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. VL JUNE a. irao.

Monday, October 27. A wet dismal day and very thick. Sailed from Toronto at 7.30 and reached the mouth of the Niagara River guarded on one side by the British and on the other by the American forts, got into a railroad and in less than an hour was face to face with the great Falls. As I write this (on November 2nd) I have now seen them twice at an interval of a few days and am prepared to maintain that nobody after the first glance has a right to be disappointed. What causes this transient feeling in almost everybody is the inability of the eye to take in so immense an object just as people often profess themselves surprised that Mont Blanc is not higher. In an hour however this feeling disappears and the Falls seem to grow from that time at every glance. Found Filmore waiting for me and called on Benedict who drove me all round to the principal points of view and asked me to dine tomorrow.

Tuesday [October 28]. Spent the whole day with Benedict and Filmore at the Falls. The former gave us for dinner bear, canvass back buffalo tongue and beaver's tail.

Wednesday {October 29]. At the Falls again till 12 when I started for Detroit which we reached only at 2 a.m. five hours after time the only delay I have yet experienced and this in an almost English railway. Found Peabody waiting for me and most affectionate.

Thursday [October 30]. Oft again at 8 for Chicago through a very heavily wooded country for the first 200 miles, but after that bare of trees and assuming the prairie character. Ex- cellent travelling throughout and a most splendid station at this young city.

Friday, October 31. This morning Peabody had a regular levee at the hotel, which by the bye, is one of the best I ever saw and after much waste of time in fruitless talk we were driven all round and about the town by a Mr. Gurnee in a handsome well-appointed carriage. The best thing we saw was some " Elevators " for shifting corn from railroad cars to ships, etc. But the town is a miracle for its age and it is hard to believe it is less than 30 years old. The cold is however intense and I suffer from it as usual. In the afternoon had a good ride over the prairie on a fair horse, and in the evening we entertained an whole host of Chicagians and amongst others the Mr. Osborn to whom Lowe had recommended me. They all fought which of them should carry us off in 300 or 400 miles on his railway. I wished to go with Osborn to Dubuque but Gurnee carried the day for Milwaukee and as I had no desire to spend 2 or 3 days in fruitless travelling I made a secret resolve to abscond next morning on my way back to N.Y. and carried it out most successfully leaving a note uf explanation with Peabody.

Saturday [November 1]. Toledo, Cleveland and Erie all duly reached and left behind this day, and the early dawn of Sunday fou * ' me with some very pleasant people I had picked up by the way at Buffalo 400 miles eas f of Chicago, whore if I had stayed I should have been equally tired and with all ttiis portion of my journey to accomplish. As there is no Sunday train on- wards which would suit me I had determined to pass the day at Niagara and set off there at 9, arrived at 11, found out Zimmerman and drove

about with him all day admiring the Falls even more after my short absence. He had a splendid pair of trotters and we did a mile in 3 minute* several times over rough roads. Went among other places to Lundy's Lane, the scene of ai* indecisive battle in 1814, and to the great whirl- pool below the Falls. The high, light American: wheels excellent for the rough roads.

Monday, November 3. Started at 5.40 by way of Rochester, Utica, Syracuse, Schenectady and Albany for New York, about 500 miles of better cultivated but rather uninteresting country to New York. The most picturesque piece between Albany and N.Y. was unfortunately passed in the dark. The entrance to N.Y. very bad and) through mean streets to the Clarendon where I found rooms taken for me and Hurlbut waiting^ Pleasant supper and gossip after much journeying. Tuesday [November 4]. Hurlbut had promised' that Ohmstead [Olmstead] should call on me to show me round the Polls, but before I was out of bed Oliphant broke in to take possession of me and then commenced the excellent hospitality of which I saw so much in N.Y. We went first to- a Mr. Field who introduced us to his daughter and then we went off to see the process of voting, then to the N.Y. Hotel where I became acquainted with the Pringles and Eustaces through my late fellow traveller Johnstone ; then all over the town with Oliphant and Ohmstead [Olmsteadf until about lunch time when we again met Field who insisted 'on taking us to lunch. Then to- Phelps and half a dozen other people finishing by dinner with the Pringles. Then- hotel was the headquarters of Buchanan so that we heard all! the news up to 12 when I got back to the Claren- don pretty well tired out.

Wednesday [November 5]. Yesterday had been wet and people had stayed at home for fear of rows during the Election of which however there were none whatever, but to day was bright and fine and everbody was out. Broadway is certainly a capital street, over 3 miles long with generally very handsome houses and excellent shops. It is as full as Fleet Street from morning to night and in the afternoon as brilliant as the Boulevards.. Paid and received visits in the morning and in the afternoon, dined with Hurlbut and then went to two evening parties at the last of which I met the great N.Y. beauty Mrs. H. Duncan. The parties " rayther " slow and over by 12, so that we went back to the N.Y., for a champagne supper.

Thursday, [November 6.] Went with Phelps to see the Free Schools which are supported by the City at a cost of about a million and a half of dollars. They are absolutely free to all and it is not uncommon for the leading Democrats to send their sons and daughters to be educated at them. The system is pretty much our's but therf is more music and singing and a more ambitious course, though I did not make out that many attended the higher mathematics, French, Latin, etc. which they profess to teach. The children all very well dressed and well looking so as to suggest a doubt whether they included the very lowest class which however I am assured they do. They educate their own teachers who for the primary classes are mostly girls with ultra American confidence. The super- vision not only gratuitous' but the object of