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Show I TRAVEl. TTlROUG i f 'ORTH AMERICA: pic rs form d of ft1uarc :tfcments of h ..,s fllled with 11onc . T o this there is no 1 :1ili ng, and tl c boa1 ds with which it i covcrtd arc f-J 1 Otl·, that it is tbn~~ctou s t 1 i lc a hodc aero( it that is not accu ton ·d to it. 'J be brid 1rcs thrown acr (.c; this river, oppofttc the town, have rep 'atcc11y l eu1.. .c arried away ; it is th ough t id !e, the re fore, to go to the xpu Cl: t•f a bt t •u· one th~1n what <· ,·ifl:s ~\t preftnt. The H~·otJgdl. ilom: 1 1 idg, n,uhi h:11 dly rc. ftfl rbe bodies of icc l 1at arc burn ed down th{; f:dl s by tl c fLoc's on the hrcaki1 0 up of a kvcre winter. ThOlwh the houfL s in Ridtmond arc not more th,tn fcv n 1 ~111 ired in number, yc.t they extend nearly one tr ik an a half alon.; the banks of the river. The lower part of the town, acco rding to the c urft.: of the river, is bn il t c'ofe to the water, and oppofit-:: to it li2s the {hipping; this is conncClcd with the upper town l>y a lung fhcct, wl1ich r ut \ parall 1 to the cour(e of the river, about urty yard3 removed fi-om the bank . The fituation of the upper town is \- ery plcafing; it Hands on an elevated f1 ' ot, and comn1ands a fine profpect of the falls of the ri ver, and of the adjacen t country on the oppoll tc fide. The bdr hou(c: fbnd here, and alfo the c1pitol or fbtchoufc . l 'rom the ppolitc f1Lic of the rivc:r this building ap pea rs c. tr~.mcly well, as its defcc s cann t be obferveLi at that difl:anc~, but on a clofer infpcClion it proves to be a clum(y ill D1apcn pile . The original plan was fent over from Fr;1ncc hy -lr. Jdferfon, an:i had great merit; but his ingenious cuuntrymcn thou rrht they could improve it, and to do fJ pia cd what was intended for th attic i ory, in t _c pbn, at tb · hvtt ) lJl, and put the columns n the t of it. In mwy other rcfp~C"ts, likcwif(:, the plan was in v.::r ted. This building is tinitltcJ entirely with red brick ; even the columns thcmfclvcs a'rc formed of brick ; but to make them appe8r Jil{e fionc, they h ave been FHtia1ly whitened with common whit<.:w.t(h. The infidc uf the buil ling is but very little bdter than its exterior l')art. The principal room 1s for the houfe of reprcfL:ntativcs • this is ufed alfo fur divine fc·rvice, as there is 110 fuch thing as a cilllr ·h in the town. The vclLibulc is circular, and very dark; it is to be orna nented with a ftatuc of General Wafhington, executed by an eminent artift in France, which I>J OPENSJTY "0 GA MIN G. w 'ch nrri,rc\.1 while I ' ':.1S in th..; own. U )ly and ill contrived as thi ~ t>uildino- is, a flranger 11 uft: not atten pt t f!lld fttt.t wilh any part of it 1or it is loc I ed upon. by tl c in •t tbi~ant .:; as a muil <: lc,.~·an t f 1bric. Th · f.di:; i11 thi.! ri •cr, or tlu: r.lpids, a<; they fbouU be called, xt nd fix miles above the city, ill the ~ u1 f~..: of 'vvhich tlll .. re is a defu.: nt of abo11 t ei rr!tt {cet. The river i · 1 ·1·e full of l.trg..: r ~)-,, , 11d t1 <: water ru{ ;~ over til 'min ftJm<.: pLtcc , with gre..tt i.npl!tuo (1ty. A anal is cor 1plctcd t the north fi,lc of theC: Ll.lb, which render~ the nwi_;,Hion c:nnplc:r-:: ii-om Richmond t tbc Bl H.: l\fountains, anJ at plrticuhr ti m•;s or tiL ye.u·, Lo.tts with light burtht:JlS can procl·cd Hill hi,~he r u; ). J 1 th~ ri ver, op;1o6tc the towr: , ar no nl ol·t! tb:1n [even ~·et vvat..;r, but tc \ mile lower down abuut twelve.: fe~t. Molt of th..: ven.,ls trJ..!in~ to P ichmond unl.ldt.: the g reater p.ut of their c,t rgo"s :'lt th·s pl.t< ': into rivc.:r craft, :wd t 1cn procc<'d up to the towJt. Tr.t ~..; i:, cu riel{ { \ h ' rc ch iefly l>y fol"l'ir.-ncrs, as the Vir,a-ini<tns h.tvc Hit littl · incli 11, tio 1 for j r and arc t'>O fJlld or amufcm 1 t to ptn·fue it with nnKh Cue ·t. 0·. P j, hmoml cont.1ins 1 bout f ur thot :fcllld inhabitant~,. one hair·(;[" 10: 1 arc flJvcs. Amongfl: the fre men arc numbers of l.l\vy T:;, who, wi h th, ot11 ·c1 s f the fla te gove ·nmcnt, and fcvcral that live retire l on tb c1r fortune s, rdi k i \the u 1pc.:r town; the other p:ut is inhilbitcd pr i1 c:ip t!Jy by the tudcrs. P•Thaps inn place e,.f the [ me fizc in tl JC 'NorlJ is there more gamling goin r Ot v,trel than in RiLhmond. I had fc ,\rcdy alinl 1t ·d from . 1y hur(c at the t:tvcrn, when tht l.ul~l ord arne to afk wh lt game V' s mofi p-1r ial t >, a in fuc.h a roo u h~rc was a f.tro t~tbl:, in another :1 hazarc .t )le, in a third a billi.11J table, to any nc of , !Ji h 1e w.' S r ady to condu l m<.:. No the finallefl: fc rc cy is unploycd in keeping thefe tabks; tl y arc always crowdcJ with pco )lc, n l th ... : Lloors of the apartment arc nly lhu t to pr..; cut the rabble fr m coming 111 . Ind-.ed, t~rough<;Ut t~. L. lo-.v<.:r part of the ountry in Virgin ia, and .dfl in that part uf MaryL 1d nc.\t to ir, there is [carcc ly a petty tavcru wi:lwut a l illiard room, nnJ this is always full of a fet of i llc low lived ft lo vs drinkiw...- ' 0 fpirits or pl.lying cards, if not engaged at the tab L: . Cocknght-ing is allo another favourite diveriioJJ; it is chiefly, however, the lower cl .(:J |
