converted by this means into "one of the most beautiful building-grounds in the world."* In splendour of building and nobleness of situation, this West End of Boston is not, we are told," within many degrees of a rival" on that side of the Atlantic.

Boston struck Mr. Duncan as having altogether much more the appearance of an English town, than New York. 46 Many of the buildings are of a fine white granite, and most of the others are of brick. The streets are very compactly built; and although many of them are narrow and crooked, all exhibit a degree of order and cleanliness which will in vain be looked for in New York.

"On a finely rising ground at the upper part of the Mall, stands the State House, a building of humbler pretensions, as to size and materials, than the New York City Hall, but, in situation and architectural outline, greatly superior. It is nearly square; in front is a lofty, projecting colonnade of the Corinthian order, twelve columns in length, springing from a piazza of rusticated arches, but unhappily bearing only a balustrade, over which rises a small attic story with a pediment; and overtopping all, is a large circular dome, terminated with a small square lantern, from which a most commanding view is obtained of the surrounding country. In front is Boston Bay, studded with nearly forty islands, with fortifications and à light-house; the shores which surround its ample basin, advancing and receding with most capricious irregularity, and forming numerous capes and peninsulas, on one of the largest of which the city stands.

* Captain Basil Hall styles Boston a beautiful town. "Nothing we had yet seen in America," he says, "came near to Boston in the cleanliness, neatness, and, in many instances, the elegance of the streets."

The vast amphitheatre round the bay, exhibits a country richly variegated with hill and valley, immense forests and cultivated ground, and sprinkled with above twenty little towns of snowy whiteness, among which a dozen of spires may be counted." *.

Among the other public buildings are about fiveand-twenty churches; † the State Prison; a Lunatic Asylum; a General Hospital; a Court-house; an Alms-house; Faneuil Hall; a Medical College; a Custom-house; and a Theatre.

The State Prison, or Penitentiary, consists of a range of buildings of granite, containing, besides the apartments for lodging the prisoners, extensive workshops for carrying on various handicraft arts, with a spacious open court, which affords a free circulation of air to the whole establishment. The prison is sur

* Duncan, vol. i. pp. 46, 47. The State House, which stands on the eastern side of Beacon Hill, is 173 feet in length by 61. It cost about 40,000l. sterling in building.-Dwight, vol. i. p. 454.

† Morse, in 1789, states the number of places of public worship in Boston to be sixteen; viz., Congregationalists, nine; Episcopalians, three; Baptists, two; Quakers, one; Universalists, one, Dr. Dwight, in 1797, found them increased to eighteen, but his enumeration is different; viz., Presbyterians, ten; Episcopal, three; Baptist, two; Methodist, one; Roman Catholic, one; Universalist, one. In 1800, another Presbyterian church, another Episcopal one, another Baptist, another Methodist, another Universalist, and an African church had been added; making twentyfour. Mr. Duncan, distinguishing the congregations as orthodox, or the contrary, states, that in more than half of the churches, (viz. one Episcopal and eleven or twelve Presbyterian or Congregational,) Socinian sentiments are avowedly or disguisedly promulgated. The other churches are, he adds, three Episcopalian, four Baptist, (one for Blacks,) two Congregationalist, two Methodist, two Universalist, and one Romish. Duncan, vol. i. p. 87. In this estimate, the proportion of Unitarian congregations, there is reason to believe, is greatly overrated; and according to recent information, they are not on the increase.

There were two theatres, but one has been pulled down.

rounded with a high wall, with turrets and platforms at the four corners, on which sentinels keep guard with loaded muskets. All the prisoners, except those condemned to a solitary cell, are employed in some manual art. Part of them are kept in regular employment by tradesmen who provide them with work: the remainder are variously employed on behalf of the establishment. A small proportion of the earnings of each prisoner is allowed to accumulate for his own benefit, that he may be stimulated to labour, and, when his term of punishment expires, have a little money to supply his immediate exigencies. At the time of Mr. Duncan's visit, the classification in this prison was very imperfect, and there were other drawbacks upon the efficacy of the system. Since then, (in 1825,) a society has been formed at Boston, for "the Improvement of Public Prisons," by whom some important measures have been carried into effect. A new building has been erected within the limits of the State Prison in Charleston; and an act has passed the State legislature, giving the city council of Boston authority to send juvenile delinquents to a separate penitentiary. The neglected and consequently degraded state of the coloured population, is assigned as one main cause of the frequency and increase of crime in this State. In 1826, the total population of Massachusetts was 523,000, of which the coloured population was 7000, or one seventy-fourth part: the whole number of convicts was 314; the coloured convicts, 50, or one-sixth. In Connecticut and New Jersey, the coloured convicts formed a third; in New York, about one-fourth; and in Pennsylvania, more than one-third of the whole number.*

* See "Seventh Report of the Society for the Improvement of

The Lunatic Hospital is well situated, a mile and a half from Boston. The direct approach to it is by one of the many wooden bridges which, "with their wearisome but needful length," connect the town with the surrounding country. The buildings crown the brow of a rising-ground which swells gradually from the water, commanding a fine view of the city and bay. Ten acres of ground, with an ancient mansion, to which new buildings have been attached, are appropriated to this benevolent institution. The General Hospital is "a large and well ventilated granite building, abundantly roomy and well ordered in every part." *

Boston is honourably pre-eminent in the number of its literary and educational institutions. From the "School Report" of 1826, it appears, that the number of schools in this city, is not less than 215, although the population is under 50,000.† The public schools are maintained by a tax; and as every person has a right to send his children to these establishments, the poor obtain education almost gratis. The rich mostly prefer sending their children to pri

Prison Discipline." London, 1827. Appendix, pp. 306-329. Some highly interesting extracts from the Report of the Boston Society, will be found in this highly valuable collection of documents.

• "Indeed," says Captain Basil Hall, whose words are cited in the text, "I hardly ever saw an establishment of the kind which could pretend to rival it, except, perhaps, the Infirmary at Derby." + In January 1821, the number of "primary public schools" for the instruction of children between four and seven years of age, was thirty-five; and the number of children belonging to them was, 885 girls and 921 boys. A general regulation provides, that no school shall have less than forty, or more than fifty children attached to it. The teachers are all females. These public primary schools are considered as superior to the private ones. The public schools for older children were, in 1796, six English, and one Latin Grammar School, containing 1300 children. They must now be more numerous.-See Dwight, vol. i. p. 460. Basil Hall, vol. ii. p. 164. PART III.

T

vate academies. The public schools are under the inspection of a committee of gentlemen annually chosen, whose duty it is to visit them once in three months. "The Bostonians are very proud, and perhaps justly so," remarks Captain Basil Hall, "of this system of public instruction." Boston is rich in public libraries, among which that of the Athenæum, a literary institution incorporated in 1817, claims preeminence. In works on American history, the collection is said to be unrivalled. A museum is attached to it. The other literary societies of Boston are, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; the American Antiquarian Society; the Massachusetts' Medical Society; the Massachusetts' Historical Society; and the Massachusetts' Agricultural Society. Its charitable associations are not less numerous. Among these are, a Bible Society for Massachusetts; several Missionary Societies; an Institution for the relief of the widows and children of deceased ministers; a Humane Society for the Relief of distressed Seamen; and a Female Asylum.

About three miles from Boston, is Harvard College, the Cambridge University of America; the most ancient and most amply endowed collegiate establishment in the Union. The foundation of this public seminary was laid in the year 1636, by the appropriation of 400l. for the purpose of a public school, by the General Court of the infant colony. In 1638, the Rev. John Harvard, of Charleston, bequeathed to it one-half of his property, amounting to nearly 8001. The institution was now dignified with the name of Harvard College; and the town, which had hitherto been called Newtown, was named Cambridge, in honour of that seat of science in England, at which a great number of the principal colonists had received