CHIEF CITIES AND TOWNS.

NEW YORK.

UNITED STATES.

(From Wright, Morse, and Original Sources.)

"THE striking portion of New York," says Mrs. Wright, "is too well known to require that I should describe it. The magnificent bay, whose broad and silver waters, sprinkled with islands, are so finely closed by the heights of the Narrows, which, jutting forward with a fine sweeping bend, gave a circular form to the immense basin which receives the waters of the Hudson - this magnificent bay is studded with silver-winged vessels, from the light sharp-keeled boat through all the varieties of shape and size, to the proud three-masted ship, setting and lowering its sails to or from the thousand ports of distant Europe, or yet more distant Asia.

Every thing in the neighbourhood of this city exhibits the appearance of life and cheerfulness. The purity of the air, the brilliancy of the unspotted heavens, the crowd of moving vessels, shooting in various directions, up and down, and across the bay and the far-stretching Hudson, and the forest of masts crowded round the quays and wharfs at the entrance of the East River. There is something in all this,-in the very air you breathe, and the fair and moving scene that you rest your eye upon,-which exhilarates the spirits, and makes you in good-humour with life and your fellow-creatures.

Approaching the city at sun-set I shall not soon forget the impression which its gay appearance made upon me. Passing slowly round its southern point, (formed by the confluence of the Hudson with what is called the East River, through it seems more properly an arm of the sea,) we admire at our leisure the striking panorama which encircled us. Immediately in our front the battery, with its little fort and its public walks, diversified with trees inpending over the water, numberless well-dressed figures gliding through the foliage, or standing to admire our nearing vessel. In the back

ground, the neatly painted houses receding into distance; the spiry tops of poplars peering above the roofs, and marking the line of the streets. The city, gradually enlarging from the battery as from the apex of a triangle, the eye followed on one side the broad channel of the Hudson, and the picturesque coast of Jersey, at first sprinkled with villages and little villas, whose white walls just glanced in the distance through thick beds of trees and afterwards rising into abrupt precipices, now crowned with wood, and now jutting forward in bare walls of rocks. To the right, the more winding waters of the East River, bounded on one side by the wooded heights of Brooklyn and the varied shores of Long Island, and on the other by quays and warehouses, scarce discernible through the forest of masts that were crowded as far as the eye could reach. Behind us stretched the broad expanse of the bay, whose islets, crowned with turretted forts, their colours streaming from their flag staffs, seemed to slumber on the still and glowing waters, in dark or sunny spots, as they variously caught or shunned the gaze of our companions, who, as they hailed their native city, pronounced it the fairest in the world.

Notwithstanding the pleasant, opulent, and airy appearance of the city, an European might be led to remark, that, if nature has done every thing for it, in the way of ornament, art has as yet done little. Except the City Hall there is not a public building worth noticing, but it presents what is far better-streets of private dwellings, often elegant, and always comfortable. Turn where you will, successful industry seems to have fixed her abode. No dark alleys, whose confined and noisome atmosphere marks the presence of a dense and suffering population; no hovels, in whose ruined garrets, or dark and gloomy cellars, crowd the wretched victims of vice and disease, whom penury drives to despair, ere she opens to them the grave."

MR. JOHN BROMLEY, formerly of Shrewsbury, in a letter addressed to the Son of the Editor of this work, thus describes New York:

"New York is quite as large as Liverpool, and

though the buildings are not altogether so handsome, yet the situation is full as pleasant, and as a seaport, much superior; it has on one side the East and on the other the North rivers, which are navigated 9 or 10 months in the year by Sloops and Steam Boats, the latter of which are very lengthy and commodious. Most of the streets are wide and well paved. Broadway runs right through the centre of the city, and is better than 3 miles long; it conmences at a place called the Battery, which is something like the Quarry in Shrewsbury; it commands a beautiful view of the sea, and Governor's Island; in the summer evenings it is pretty well crowded with people, who go there to enjoy the cool breeze that generally blows off the water; frequently there is a good band of music, which makes it quite lively. The Battery is a fine open street, though not so long as Broadway, yet so straight, that you may see a mile and half in length.

Among the public buildings of New York, the most prominent and important is the City Hall, which is the most beautiful edifice in the U. S. It is 216 feet long, 105 broad, and including the attic story, 65 feet high. The front, and both ends above the basement story, are built of white marble. The New York Hospital comprises the Hospital for the reception of the sick and disabled, the lunatic asylum, and the lying-in hospital. The Alms House is a plain stone structure, on East river, 2 miles from the city hall. It is 3 stories high, 320 feet long, and 50 wide, recently erected.

The

State prison is on the Hudson, at Greenwich, about 1 mile from the city hall. It is constructed of free stone. The number of prisoners in 1814, was 494, and in 1819, 604. The New York Institution is near the city hall, and its apartments are occupied by the literary and philosophical society; the historical society, which has a library of about 5,000 volumes. Columbia college, formerly called King's college, was established in 1754. It has a president, 5 professors, 140 students, a library of 3,000 or 4,000 volumes, a valuable philosophical apparatus. A college of Physicians and Surgeons was established in 1807.

Among the other institutions are a theatre, Vauxhall

and other public gardens, an orphan asylum, an asylum for the deaf and dumb, a custom-house, 8 market-houses, 11 banks, 11 insurance companies, numerous benevolent and charitable institutions for the relief of the poor, the sick, the aged, the widow, the orphan, and the stranger.-The New York Society Library contains about 15,000 volumes, valued at more than 40,000 dollars.

In 1817, there were published in the city, 7 daily newspapers, 5 semi-weekly, and 5 weekly, besides several monthly literary, and religious magazines.-There are 57 houses of public worship, 12 for Episcopalians, 6 for Presbyterians, 1 for Reformed Presbyterians, 1 for Associate Presbyterians, 3 for Associate Reformed Presbyterians, 7 for Dutch Reformed Presbyterians, 8 for Methodists, 6 for Baptists, 3 for Friends, 2 for Roman Catholics, 1 for German Lutherans, 1 for German Ca vinists, 1 for Moravians, 1 for Universalists, I for Jews, 1 for Seamen, 1 for Swedenborgians, and 1 for Unitarians. This city owns more shipping than any other in the Union, and more than half as much as the city of London. The amount of shipping in 1816, was 299,617 tons.

Few cities in the world have increased so regularly and rapidly as New York. In 1697, the population was 4,302; in 1756, 13,040, in 1790, 33,131; in 1800, 60,489; in 1805, 75,770; in 1810, 96,373; in 1820, 123,706. The inhabitants are from many different nations. More than one-third are of New England origin. After these, the most numerous are the Dutch and Scotch, and then the English, Irish, and French.

Every description of spirits are very low, best brandy 6s. sterling per gallon, common lower, rum from 3s. to 4s., gin not more than 2s. 9d. to 3s. 3d. the gallon; in fact this is a place where a poor man can enjoy the comforts of life. There are very few mechanics who cannot bring out their decanter of some kind of liquor or other, even coloured men who saw wood will have it.

They have a wretched practice here of what they call treating, that is if two or three meet together who know each other, one of them is sure to ask who's treat it is, then they bolt right into a grocery or rather a grog shop, which is readily found at at every corner of a

street, and if they have but six or nine cents among them they must have their glass: this often, induces the habit of drinking and ends in ruin.

The females are excessively fond of dress, girls in service will appear in their silk and Canton crape frocks, which renders it is no easy matter to distinguish them from their mistresses; and it is considered a complete insult to call them servants, they are all assistants here."

PHILADELPHIA.

(Harris's Tour through the United States.)

FROM Trenton, says Mr. Harris, I descended the Delaware in the steam boat Philadelphia. The fine weather, the rich prospects on either side, and the very agreeable company in the packet, rendered it an extremely interesting passage. The villages of Bristol, Burlington, and Bordentown, where the ex-king of Spain, Joseph Bonaparte, is laying out some of the spoils of Europe in an elegant mansion and grounds, break on the view at different windings of the river. As we approach Philadelphia, thirty miles from Trenton, the land becomes flatter, and the river gradually enlarges to about a mile in width. The extent of buildings, and crowd of vessels, point out Philadelphia as an opulent commercial city, though its distance of 120 miles from the sea, and being incommoded by ice in the winter, prevents it from rivalling New York."

The site of Philadelphia presents a parallelogram, formed by the Delaware on the east, and the beautiful river Schuylkill on the west; the streets running parallel with the Delaware are named Front, Second, Third, and onwards to Thirteenth; then Broad-street, Eighth, Seventh, &c. with the addition of Schuylkill, and desig nated north or south, according to their relative situation to High-street. No city can be laid out with more beauty or regularity, or better calculated to promote health and comfort. The principal, or High-street, is about 100 feet wide, and would have a noble appearance, if the old court-house, on a line with Front-street, and a range of shambles continuing to Sixth-street, did not