There is only one thing more to tell you, which is, that though I wrote and signed all the letters myself many parts are of your father's dictating. I leave you and others to judge which these are. Without his help I never could have sent you such full accounts of the engine of the Newport steamer, or of our journey across the Alleghanies and other such subjects; and you will, I know, like the letters all the better for his having taken a part in them. Believe me ever, Your affectionate Mother. June, 1859. CONTENTS. LETTER I. Voyage.--Arrival at New York.--Burning of Quarantine Buildings.--Cable Rejoicings.--Description of the Town Page 1 LETTER II. West Point.--Steamer to Newport.--Newport.--Bishop Berkeley.-- Bathing.--Arrival at Boston 9 LETTER III. Journey to Boston.--Boston.--Prison.--Hospital.--Springfield.-- Albany.--Trenton Falls.--Journey to Niagara.--Niagara 28 LETTER IV. Niagara.--Maid of the Mist.--Arrival at Toronto.--Toronto.--Thousand Islands.--Rapids of the St. Lawrence.--Montreal.--Victoria Bridge 58 LETTER V. Journey from Montreal to Quebec.--Quebec.--Falls of Montmorency.-- Island Pond.--White Mountains.--Portland.--Return to Boston.--Harvard University.--Newhaven.--Yale University.--Return to New York 76 LETTER VI. Destruction of the Crystal Palace.--Philadelphia.--Cemetery.--Girard College.--Baltimore.--American Liturgy.--Return to Philadelphia.-- Penitentiary.--Return to New York 97 LETTER VII. William's Departure.--Greenwood Cemetery.--Journey to Washington.-- Arrangements for our Journey to the Far West.--Topsy 108 LETTER VIII. Washington.--Baptist Class-Meeting.--Public Buildings.--Venus by Daylight.--Baltimore and Ohio Railway.--Wheeling.--Arrival at Columbus 119 LETTER IX. Journey from Wheeling to Columbus.--Fire in the Mountains.--Mr. Tyson's Stories.--Columbus.--Penitentiary.--Capitol--Governor Chase.--Charitable Institutions.--Arrival at Cincinnati 168 LETTER X. Cincinnati.--Mr. Longworth.--German Population.--"Over the Rhine."--Environs of Cincinnati.--Gardens.--Fruits.--Common Schools.--Journey to St. Louis 202 LETTER XI. St. Louis.--Jefferson City.--Return to St. Louis.--Alton.-- Springfield.--Fires on the Prairies.--Chicago--Granaries.--Packing Houses.--Lake Michigan.--Arrival at Indianapolis 224 LETTER XII. Indianapolis.--Louisville.--Louisville and Portland Canal.-- Portland.--The Pacific Steamer.--Journey to Lexington.--Ashland.-- Slave Pens at Lexington.--Return to Cincinnati.--Pennsylvania Central Railway.--Return to New York 239 LETTER XIII.