A Ramble of Six Thousand Miles through the United States of America

nts of backwoods-society, T-- and I purchased a horse, and Dearborne, a species of light waggon used in this country for travelling. We furnished ours

at town. Next morning we passed through Wilmington, but lost the direct track through the forest, and took the road to Versailles, which lay in a more northerly direction than the route we had proposed to ourselves. This road was one of those newly cut through the forest, and there frequently occurred interva

and, and all the et ceteras of a farm. We supped off venison-steaks and stewed squirrel. Our host told us that there was "a pretty smart chance of deer" in the neighbourhood, and that when he first "located," "there was a small sprinkling of baar" (bear), but that at present nothing of the kind was to be seen. There was very little comfort in the appearance

called from the stubborn tenacity with which they adhere to the ground, it being almost impossible to grub them up), rendered the difficulty of traversing this forest so great, that notwithstanding our utmost exertions we were unable to make more than sixteen miles from sunrise to sunset, when, both the horse and ourselves being completely exhausted, we halted until morning. I was awoke at sunrise by a

ltivated appearance, and the roads became tolerably good, being made through a sandy or gravelly district. In the neighbourhood of Brownstown there are some rich lands, and from that to Salem, a distance of twenty-two miles, we were much pleased with the country. We had been hitherto journeying throu

ottom was quicksands. The horse was scared at the footing,-he plunged and broke the traces; however, after a tolerable wetting, we succeeded in getting safe out. A little above the place where we made the attempt, we found there was a ferry-flat. The ferryman considered our attempt as dangerous, for had we gone much further into the stream we should have shot into

eeded in returning on the true bridle-path, and arrived about ten at night in a small village, through which we had passed three hours before. The gloom and pitchy darkness of an American forest at night, cannot be conceived by the inhabitants of an open country, and the traversing a narrow path interspersed with stumps and logs is both fatiguing

he year 1823. The Rappites had been in possession of the place for six years, during which they had erected several large brick buildings of a public nature, and sundry smaller ones as residences, and had cultivated a considerable quantity of land in the immediate vic

o composed a part of that short-lived community. A few of these still linger here, and may be seen stalking through the street

and the friendship and esteem of all those who have the pleasure of his acquaintance. He has a large collection of specimens connected with natural history, which the western parts of this

ins, also resides here. He too is a recluse, and is now preparing a work on his favourite subject

ples, peaches, &c.; and the soil being rich alluvion, the farms are productive-so much as fifty dollars per acre is asked for cleared land, close to the town. There is a great scarcity of money here, as in most parts of Indiana, and trade is chiefly carried on by barter. Po

Harmony, called the "Cut-off," we determined on encamping. Accordingly, we moored our canoe-pitched our tent-lighted our fire-bathed-and having acquired enormous appetites by exertion, commenced the very agreeable operation of demolishing our provisions. We roamed about that and an adjacent island, until evening, when we returned to regale. These islands are generally covered with "cane brakes," and low brush wood, which renders it difficult to effect a passage across them. Cotton-wood, beech, maple, hickory, and white oak, are the trees in greatest abundance. Spice-wood, sassafras, and dittany, are also plenty. Of these a d

hat it would be highly irrational to shoot game, having plenty of provisions; yet I suspe

ch conflicting statements, respecting public measures, I believe never were before made by a body of persons dwelling within limits so confined as those of Harmony. Some of the ci-devant "commun

attending balls, and improving the habits of society; and they may be termed the aristocracy of this Utopian republic. The second class was composed of practical co-operators, who were well inclined to work, but who had no share, or voice, in the management of affairs. The th

ty should divide; and that he would furnish land, and all necessary materials, for operations, to such of them as wished to form a community apart from the original establishment. This intimation was enough. The first class, with few exceptions, retired, followed by part of both the others, and all exclaiming agai

n value by the failure of the community, so that ultimately he is not likely to lose anything by the experiment. As to Mr. Owen's statements in public, "that he had been informed that the people of America were capable of governing themselves, and that he tried the experiment, and found they were not so,"-and that "the place having been purchased, it was necessary to get persons to occupy it." These constitute but an imperfect excuse for having induced the separation of families, caused many thriving establishments to be broken up, and even the ruin of some few individuals, who, although their capital was but small, yet having thrown it all into the common stock, when the

" Now what may be his peculiar notions of success, the public are totally ignorant, as he did not think fit to furnish any

ictatorship. Now Mr. Owen himself says, that he only interfered when he observed they were going wrong; implying that he did not interfere in the commencement, but did so subsequently. These are contradictions which would require a good deal of mystification to reconcile in

ed to exercise their judgment in matters of practice, and this Mr. Owen is said not to have been able to endure. He would either evade, or refuse, answering direct questions, which naturally made men so accustomed to independence as the Americans are, indignant. The usual answer he gave to any presuming disciple who ventured to request an explanation, was, that "his young friend" was in a total

he notions of Rousseau, Voltaire, Condorcet, Plato, Sir Thomas More, &c., in other language. His merit consists in this, and no small merit it is, t

e following axioms, in the shape of queries, set forth a

man to be born of s

ot to take, the opinions of

tan parents, was it in his

ard des objections sur les sectes particuliéres dans lesquelles l'universe est divisé, que ne puis-je leur donnez assez de force pour rendre chacun moins entété de la sienne et moins ennemi des autres; pour porter chacque homme a l'indulgence, a

hose plans into full effect during the existence of the present generation. He himself, whilst preaching to his handful of disciples the doctrine of perfect equality, is acting on quite different principles; and he has his new lecture-roo

a member, who is entitled to attend and vote at all public meetings of the association." These may be termed the twenty-shilling freeholders of the community.[4] Then follow the other grades and conditions. A donation of one hundred pounds,

ntageous terms. I by no means dispute that the distinction Mr. Owen will confer on his purchasers may be quite as valuable, in his eyes and those of his disciples, as that conferred by King J

TNO

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ery different indeed from our present Whig administration, for he has actually placed both members and visitors in schedule (A) of his reform bill, and a