of landed property. An independent freeholder, however small his patrimonial inheritance, may in general please himself as to his vote, but a tenant will in almost every instance find it his interest to please his landlord. Were the pestilent system of universal suffrage, therefore, introduced into Great Britain, it is not in the agricultural, but in the commercial and manufacturing districts of the country, that its destructive effects would be first visible. The landed proprietor would bring forward his tenants to the poll, as easily as the highland chieftain of old mustered his clan for the battle, and Knockdunder's remark to old David Deans, respect hereafter exhibit an inland trade, unrivalled for its activity, its value, and its extent." See an interesting article on the New York canals, in the North American Review, No. XXXIV. p. 230. There is not a doubt that these canals will also carry off a large amount of trade, which would otherwise have found its way down the St. Lawrence to Canada. When the country on the Canadian side of Erie, and the lakes above it, is settled, the farmers will find a much nearer market for their grain by the smooth navigation of the canal, than by the portage at the Falls of Niagara, and down the furious rapids of the St. Lawrence, besides gaining nearly two months in the year of those which they now lose by the ice, The Champlain canal has already begun to bring down to New York a lucrative trade, from the banks of that lake, which heretofore went northward to Montreal. In fact much of the moral and political, as well as commercial aspect of this vast continent, will, in the course probably of a few years, undergo a very great revolution. The Erie canal has done more to endanger to the British crown the loss of Upper Canada, than all that warlike operations could ever have effected. HOT WEATHER-EVENING LIGHTNING. 329 ing the call of the congregation to Mr. Butler, would exactly apply-" I pelieve the best end of it was, 'Long live M'Callummore and Knockdunder.' -And as to its being a unanimous call, I would pe glad to ken fat business the carles have to call ony thing or ony body but what the Duke and mysell likes." The Patroon's residence is in a pleasant situation a little to the northward of the city. Albany, although not reputed unhealthy, is in the summer months a very warm and uncomfortable residence. While I was here for a few days in the latter end of June, the thermometer ranged from 85° to 92°, and on sabbath several persons took off their coats in church.13 In the evening of the same day there was a great deal of lightning in the west and north west. This brilliant phenomenon is exceedingly common in America, but I never saw it so abundant or so vivid as on this occasion, The horizon was overspread with thickly gathered clouds, undefined and obscure in the intervals between the flashes, but instantly and powerfully lighted up, and the figure and density of every rolling mass exhibited in the most beautiful gradations of shade and colour. The arrowy streams of electric fluid darted along with very little intermis 13 It must not be supposed that this is a customary practice in America; I never met with it elsewhere but on one occasion at Boston when the thermometer was about 95o. When I mentioned the circumstance in New York my friends assured me that they had never before heard of such an occurrence. away. sion till after midnight, sometimes descending towards the earth, more frequently shooting upwards to the heavens, and again across the sky from one mountain of clouds to another. At one time the storm seemed to approach us, if storm it could be called; a few heavy drops of rain fell, and I heard the deep toned murmuring of the distant thunder. I lay in bed with the window open, gazing at the splendid scene till midnight, after which it gradually died There is seldom a fine summer evening, in this country, without less or more lightning. There is a fall of some celebrity on the Mohawk river, called the Cohoes. The Mohawk has its source near the Oneyda lake, in the upper part of the State, and flowing from west to east, nearly at right angles to the Hudson, unites with it nine or ten miles above Albany. The Cohoes fall is between two and three miles from their junction; it is seventy feet high, and according to Weld about three hundred yards broad. The banks below the fall are quite precipitous and are chiefly composed of slate rock and limestone. The precipice over which the water descends crosses the channel at right angles to the banks, not unlike an immense dam dyke, and the brow of it is as steep and nearly as smooth as the Palisades near New York. There was not nearly enough of water, when I visited it, to cover the rock, but while it rushed in pretty copious streams over some parts of it, others were left quite dry. This circumstance and the great breadth of the fall, in proportion to its height, materially weaken the effect, and altogether my expectations were somewhat disappointed. At the deepest part of the stream however the water broke into foam at the verge, and a cloud of light spray rose gracefully over it, in which the prismatic colours went and came. In returning I crossed the Mohawk a short way below, by a wooden bridge, from the centre of which there is a finer view of the cascade, than can be obtained close by it. Passing through the village of Waterford, I crossed the Hudson by another wooden bridge and went through Lansingburgh and Troy. At Lansingburgh, nine miles above Albany, terminates the sloop navigation of the Hudson. This was for some time a thriving town, but is now on the decline, in consequence of sand having accumulated in the bed of the river, which obstructs the passage of sloops. Jetties' have been built at various places to reduce the bank, but hitherto without adequate effect. Troy is nearly three miles below, and seems to increase in population and wealth as its neighbour falls off. One bank was formerly sufficient for the commercial transactions of both towns, now Lansingburgh has one, and Troy two. I crossed from Troy in a ferry boat; and in returning to Albany, passed by the way two Government magazines. There are in Albany eleven places of worship,14 14 These are, 3 Presbyterian, 2 Dutch Reformed, 1 Dutch Lutheran, 1 Baptist, 1 Episcopalian, 1 Methodist, 1 Quaker, and 1 Romish. and two Sabbath schools were instituted about a year and a half ago. I have spent only one Sabbath in Albany. In the forenoon I heard a communion sermon in one of the Presbyterian churches, from the words, Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.' The discourse was judicious and strictly evangelical; the speaker's manner animated and interesting. After finishing his discourse, he came down from the pulpit and presided at the communion table, according to the customary form in Presbyterian churches. His auditory was numerous and attentive. In the afternoon I heard an Episcopalian minister, from the passage, The sting of death is sin.' Though by no means a very eloquent discourse, it contained an explicit statement of the doctrine of original' sin, the inability of man to effect his own deliverance, the perfection of Christ's atonement, and salvation through belief of the truth, and renewal of the Holy Spirit. In the evening I heard another minister in the same church, but his discourse was confused and inaccurate. I had occasion to remark in the churches of Albany, as well as every where else in this country, the jealous separation which takes place on all occasions between the whites and the blacks. None in whom a tinge is detected of African blood are permitted to mingle with white men; they are all restricted to pews in the farther end of the gallery, conspicuously apart from the rest of the congrega |