of one story high is attached to each side of the house. In front is
a park laid out in the modern European style. The present possessor
of Mount Vernon, Bushrod Washington,^Esq. nephew to the
late. General^ was on a visit in the neighbourhood ; b u t’••the gardener
shewed me the interior parts of the house. It consists of one
large apartment, and'sobie smaller adjacent; the furniture has been
changed since the death of the General, but there are two objects
left in the place where they had been originally deposited, and a f ford
room enough for much contemplation: the first is thè portrait
of Lewis XVI. sent by himself to General Washington; and the
second is the »key of the Bastile, sent by the National Convention
to him when he was president.
All I could learn from the old servant of the General confirmed
that George Washington mostly4preferred a private lifey and only
accepted a public place at the great solicitation of his countrymen.
I went to visit his remains in the place of interment; the coffin
stands in a vault built of brick, and in the most simple-style, but
i t isexpected, that when the spirit of parties shall have more evaporated,
the nation will unanimously vote him a suitable inonudient
as a testimoilymf public gratitude.* ■
.About noon I returned to Alexandria,; but f should haveNvfèffëÉs
at any other time to have continued this tour into the more interior
parts of the United States; several considerations, however* made
me resolve to proceed immediately to New York, without completing
my plan, among which a leading one was to go *afi&:
inform myself with respect to the whole process of treating the
sugar .maple tree, and the. preparation of the sugar made from it;
but I can only now send jyou. an extract of what Dr. Mason-in Providence
has favoured- me with.: “ Acer saecharinum, or sugar
maple, is a, large growing tree, will arrive at the heigth.,of forty feet,
and has broad thin leaver divided into five principal parts, which
are-again indented or cut at. the edges into several acute segments; -
their surface is smooth, of a light green colour, whitish underneath,
and they grow on, pretty long foot stalks. The flowers- come in
the spring, about the "time of the Norwayrinaple; and they are succeeded
by long keys, which sometimes ripen in England. In
America the inhabitants tap this tree in the.spring, boil the liquor,
and the faeces afford a useful sugar. This tree grows between lat 39.
and 43 north, in America.” As'this grows in Pensylvania, which has
the climate of our coy ntryy»there can be no doubt but that it would
grow as well with us; but in .thus rec’Qmmending its being planted
there., it is not my intention to say that we should no longer, want
the sugar cane; for eyen in North America -the consumption of
the West Ind ian sugar, is by far grea ter than that of the maple-tree;
yet this last sort is always very useful to private families living in the
country; and the preparation.jof the maple-sugar,would,,at least
merit a preference to that |inade from turnips, as the turnips not
only require a large field, but much labpur and preparation; whilst
the; sugar maple-tree; can be planted neaE the country buildings,
in the hedges, and in short in all the grounds, which are not used.
igp any other purpose; besides which the^free requires hardly any
further attention. |g
There is a cheerfulness in the conversation o f most of the Virgi-
maps, which, is really pleasing. In travelling in Europe through:
different nations, which are .separated frpm each .other, it, is not
surprising to find a national character in f.eqeh^jl^jhfp^jfij {North
America, where the different .states are,uni ted under,^pn§ cjopmon
gpvei^mgnt, where withqut-lhe exclusive estajslishqient. of any religious.
persuasion; and the
laws %ye .in the. principal parts the same;;K^ ill th e r u - k a striking
difference in the e^ayaq|^r the inhabitants ofHhese southern states,
from , tho.se?of the nprthevn- pi'ejvfinces, ; andj. which, ffistinctly shew
thejnfluence of the climate. Some philosophers have indeed attributed
too much po$R§g^p that influence.;» for experience shews that