The Battery-walk at its lower extremity overlooking the bay, is an agreeable promenade. Hudson and Greenwich Streets are handsome, though of the latter, part only is entitled to that epithet. The markets are commodious and well supplied. The upper part of the city consists principally of wooden houses, the further erection of which ought to be prohibited, on account of their danger, especially as other building materials are abundant,

The streets are not so cleanly swept as they should be; the reason for which is, that it is left to each housekeeper to sweep before his own door, instead of sweepers being appointed by the corporation. Pigs are suffered to run at large, a thing of which many of the inhabitants are ashamed, but which the greater part contend for as contributory to the healthiness of the city! The animal and vegetable matter thrown into the streets would, it is contended, putrify and taint the air, were it not for the pigs. But what a beastly idea is it, that the people are so lazy or dirty, as to use pigs for scavengers! The corporation have, however, issued ordinances against this nuisance. Why, then, it may be inquired, is it suffered to remain? I reply, because the enforcement of the ordinances would

endanger the popularity of the members of the corporation, and the security of their seats. No city in America is, I suppose, under more mob influence than New York. Pigs ought not to be allowed to be kept even in a yard within the boundary of a city. Private gain must yield to the public good; and what can more conduce to the general comfort than the removal, as far as practicable, of all those unpleasant smells which render the atmosphere of cities unwholesome? The prohibition to keep pigs in London and Bristol is approved by the inhabitants at large.

Boston is built on a peninsula, which it almost entirely covers, and extends along the isthmus to the main land. It has a fine harbour; but from its want of inland navigation is vastly inferior to New York in situation. Its trade to India, South America, and the West Indies, is great, some of the greatest capitalists in the country being established there. In general appearance, Boston is more like an English town than most in America. It does not seem so newly built as New York, Philadelphia, or Baltimore, the streets being more varied in their size and shape, some being crooked and narrow, others straight and wide. The principal private

dwelling houses have a very elegant appearance, and some few have a splendour which would attract admiration in London or Paris. The public walk near the State-house is almost surrounded by fine houses. The view from the Statehouse is very fine. The harbour with its numerous vessels, beyond which the bay studded with islets looks like a smooth beautiful lake, being protected from the ocean by a promontory; the numerous lofty church spires; the ranges of large warehouses round the docks; the long bridges connecting the peninsula with the main land; the surrounding country varied with hill and dale, towns and villages, the neighbouring University conspicuous amongst them: these altogether form a very delightful picture.

Of all the cities in the United States, no one is so celebrated for its beauty as Philadelphia, being built like Babylon, which Dean Prideaux says Penn took as his model, on the quadrangular plan; that is, the streets intersecting each. other at right angles. As almost every traveller has praised this plan for its beauty, I shall be thought a heretic in matters of taste, for avowing that I do not admire it.

ings is doubtless pleasing;

Regularity in build

but in a large city,

there should also be variety. But where the

streets uniformly intersect each other at right angles, a tiresome formality is the result. Besides, interminable streets afford no situation for showing a fine building to advantage, as a distant front view cannot be obtained. In Philadelphia it is necessary to be close to a building to see its beauties; or, if there be an exception, it is the Episcopal church in Tenth Street, which standing opposite a lane, may be seen further off than others, and just serves to show the citizens how much may be gained by the judicious position of public edifices. I speak of edifices in the streets, for those in the squares can of course be viewed at a proper distance. What is the most wanted in Philadelphia is a curve. Who with the slightest pretensions to taste, but must have noticed the superior beauty of High Street in Oxford from its fine sweep? college after college, tower after tower, gradually displaying their proportions to the spectator, till his admiration is lost in wonder. Who has seen the crescents and circus at Bath and not admitted their preemi nence over a square? Who has walked in Regent Street in London and been insensible to the beauties of the elliptical turn? And what Parisian but will direct the visiter to the Boulevards, for a town walk of varied attractions? In short, when I hear persons praising the plan of

Philadelphia, I cannot help telling them, that it is a square-cut, formal place, reminding one of those old fashioned gardens on the Dutch plan, so satirised by Pope. Altering the words used by him, it may be said of Philadelphia,

"Street nods at street, each alley has a brother,
And half the city just reflects the other."

"But," say the Philadelphians when the plan of their city is objected to, "surely Pearl Street in New York, which deviates from the straight line, is far from handsome." This is very true; but then it is to be observed, that it has neither regularity nor fine buildings: though for my own part, I prefer a city having streets like Pearl Street with all its irregularity, to one having no variety. The only place in England on the same plan as Philadelphia is Salisbury; at least, after having seen almost every town in the country, it is the only one I can call to mind. The fact is, that most of our towns and cities are built without any plan, and of course, many of them are very ugly; witness Stockport, Folkestone and Whitby: but of others it may be said, that the irregularity itself is beautiful; such are Oxford, Worcester, Colchester and Lancaster. These places are generally admired; but I never heard Salisbury praised for its beauty. I am therefore