A Tour through North America by Patrick Shirreff

_Journey from Albany to Boston-New Lebanon-Pittsfield-Road Repairing-The Features of the Country-Rhododendrons-Northampton-Mr Stuart's Description of Northampton-Stage Passengers-Mode of Courtship-Villages-Agricultural Notices._

My companions and I having left Scotland without fixing on a route by which we were to proceed, I consented to visit the New England States, in order that I might claim their company through the Western States, to which they expressed an aversion. Accordingly we left Albany at two o'clock in the morning, by a stage which carried the mail-bag, crossing the Hudson in a horse ferry-boat, and reaching Nassau, by five, where we breakfasted on indifferent fare. Shortly afterwards we passed New Lebanon, finely situated in a lovely valley, surrounded by picturesque hills, a great part of which belongs to the religious sect denominated Shakers, whose principal establishment is here, and whose garden seeds are justly esteemed throughout North America. New Lebanon is celebrated for mineral waters, chiefly used for bathing; and the hotels afford ample accommodation for visitors. Nine miles beyond New Lebanon is the village of Pittsfield, a clean and beautiful village, reposing in a charming valley. The houses form a spacious square, in the centre of which is a tall aged elm, seemingly a remnant of unsubdued nature. There are several churches and hotels. Here the members of the Berkshire Agricultural Society, the oldest in America, hold their meetings, the first show of which took place in 1807, and consisted of two Merino sheep. We dined at Peru, a miserable country hotel, where bad fare was washed down by worse tea, the first time such a beverage had been presented to us during dinner, and is presented only in inferior hotels. We reached Northampton about six in the evening, having travelled seventy-seven miles in sixteen hours.