houses, which are established by law, and are numerous throughout the state. The mode of dealing in that article is as follows: After the tobacco is properly cured and packed in hogsheads, the planters take it to a public warehouse, where, as soon as it is inspected, it is stowed away, and a note, or transferable receipt, given to the owner by the inspector. Tobacco of inferior quality is generally sold merely by a transfer of this note, without the purchaser having seen the tobacco. This is called "selling on the face of the note." But when the quality is good, the seller requests the dealers in the article to attend the inspection, that they may be able to judge of its value. When tobacco is refused by the inspector, the proprietor may either separate the good from the bad himself, or by his servants, or suffer it to be done by the public pickers, who are allowed twenty-one cents per hogshead for opening, and one twelfth of the tobacco saved for their trouble in picking.

Payments are often made in tobacco in this state, so that tobacco notes may be regarded as a species of money, or circulating medium. They are by law current "in all tobacco payments" in the county where the tobacco is inspected, and the counties next adjoining, except in counties separated by great rivers, or by the Chesapeake bay.

It would appear that fines are sometimes imposed as well as payments made in tobacco. By the act incorporating the town. of Petersburg, passed in May session, 1784, the court of hustings of that town was restricted from hearing or determining any penal case, unless for a breach of the corporation laws, "the penalty whereof exceeded forty shillings, or two hundred pounds of crop tobacco; or any action beyond the value of ten pounds, or a thousand pounds of crop tobacco."

Tobacco cannot be taken out of a public warehouse by any person but a licensed stemmer or manufacturer, except for the purpose of exportation from the state.

My knowledge of the country parts of Virginia is confined to the great mail route between Alexandria and Petersburg, with a few excursions around the principal towns. Were I to judge of the country by this specimen, I should form but a mean opinion either of its beauty or fertility, the land being principally flat, and the road passing for a great part of the way through dreary forests of pine. The population, too, is extremely thin and scattered. But few farm-houses can be seen from the road, and those few are generally at a great distance from it. The taverns are miserable, and generally 10 or 12 miles apart; and no human dwellings between them, save here and there a solitary log hut.But this, I am told, is an unfair specimen of Virginia: the lands

further to the west are said to be much superior, particularly the extensive valley beyond the Blue Ridge, which is described as a delightful country, highly cultivated.

All the country-houses in Virginia have the chimneys built outside of the dwelling, which gives them a very singular appearance in the eyes of travellers from the north. Another peculiarity is, that the kitchen is uniformly in a separate building; in some instances a considerable distance from the house. This must certainly be extremely inconvenient, particularly in wet weather, and could have arisen, I should suppose, from no less powerful a motive than fear.

Very few horses are employed in agriculture in Virginia, and those few are miserably poor. The principal dependence here is upon mules, which being a very hardy animal, is not apt to be injured by the carelessness so natural to slaves. It is somewhat singular that the animals used for agricultural purposes regularly increase in size as you approach the north. The mule of the southern states is superseded by the horse in the middle states, whose place is universally supplied by oxen in New England.

The whole system of Virginia agriculture, with perhaps a few exceptions, is fundamentally and radically wrong. The farms or plantations, as they are called, are generally very extensive, and the quantity of land under cultivation far beyond the means of the cultivator. The land consequently in a few years becomes literally good for nothing, and more woodland must be cleared for future operations. Undoubtedly slavery has had a considerable effect in producing this state of affairs; but, nevertheless, I have no doubt but beneficial effects might be produced by some of the intelligent planters travelling in Europe, or even in some of the middle or northern states, with the patriotic view of introducing a change in the agricultural system in their respective neighbourhoods. A few Arthur Youngs might produce a wonderful change on the face of the country.

Most of the plantations in Virginia are dignified with names, as Mount Vernon, Monticello, Montpellier, Fairmount, &c. &c. This is an English fashion, which has not been adopted, or in a very slight degree, in the middle or northern states, where perhaps it is less necessary, on account of the subdivision of the counties into townships, or towns as they are called in New England.

The appearance of the towns is much superior to that of the country, and the land in their immediate neighbourhood is of course more thickly settled and in a higher state of cultivation. Fredericksburg is beautifully situated in a fertile valley, on the south-west side of the Rappahannock, and the situation of Rich

mond is perhaps one of the most beautiful in the United States. In Petersburg, though that part of the town where business is transacted, is irregular, low, and dirty, yet, as you leave the river, the ground gently rises to a considerable distance, and this part of the town is extremely agreeable, and abounds with charming prospects.-The gardens which are attached to all the houses in the Virginia towns, excepting in those parts which are closely built, add very much to their beauty, being in general remarkably well kept.

Fredericksburg is situated just below the falls of the Rappahannock, and consists principally of one main street, which is filled with stores, taverns, &c. Until within a few years this town was almost entirely built of wood. A great fire, which took place about that time, was the means of introducing a new system. That part of the town which was destroyed by the fire is now rebuilt with substantial brick stores, with tiled roofs. The Rappahannock is navigable to the town in small vessels, and, before the obstructions to commerce, it enjoyed a considerable trade. Buildings and lots in the main street are very high. Good land in the vicinity of the town sells for from 20 to 40 dollars per acre.

Richmond is situated on the north side of James River, just at the point where the tide water is stopped by the romantic falls of that river. This town likewise consists principally of one main street, of considerable length, which runs parallel with the river, and lies between and upon two hills, which approach close to the water's edge. It is built almost entirely of brick, and is well paved.

The beautiful situation of Richmond has already been noticed. The city and neighbourhood abound with the most elegant and variegated prospects, of which the falls and the navigable stream below form the most striking objects, both of which are embellished with beautiful islands. The flat country on the south side of the river, in which stands the village of Manchester, which is connected with Richmond by a long wooden bridge, is strikingly opposed to the bold shores of the north. Just below the city, the river makes a bend nearly at right angles with its former course, affording a very extensive prospect of that beautiful object.

Richmond contains a number of handsome buildings, which generally stand in situations where they can be seen to great advantage. Among these may be enumerated the Capitol, the State Armoury, the Penitentiary, and the Monumental Church, which latter is erecting on the site of the theatre, the destruction I

VOL. JII.

of which by fire, on Christmas night, 1811, was accompanied with such memorable and fatal effects*.

The State Armoury is a noble building. One hundred and nineteen persons are at present employed in the works. Last year they made 3185 muskets and bayonets, 689 pistols, 976 cavalry swords, and 299 artillery do. besides an immense quantity of castings both for civil and military purposes, and repairing near 8000 muskets, &c. &c. Should nothing operate to check the works, still more will be done this year, as they are now manufacturing at the rate of 400 stand of arms per month, and other articles in proportion.-The machinery is driven by water from the James River canal, which passes in front of the armoury. The usual appropriation for the expences of the armoury is $65,000 per annum, exclusive of the amount received for private castings, which amounted in 1813 to about $8000.

The Penitentiary stands on a high airy situation on the opposite side of the canal, a short distance above the city. The penitentiary system was adopted in Virginia by an act passed at the December session, 1796, but it did not go into operation till the 25th of March, 1800, when the governor, by proclamation, and in pursuance of the act, (which was suspended till the buildings could be completed) declared the law to be in force. From that period no crime is punishable with death in that state, except murder in the first degree, high treason, house burning in a town, or arson. It must afford real pleasure to the friends of humanity throughout the world to be informed, that no institution was ever in a more prosperous state than the penitentiary of Virginia is at present.

The internal charges of the penitentiary for the year 1813, including officers' salaries, amounted to rather more than eighteen thousand dollars; the disbursements for criminal charges and guards in the country, and for removing criminals to the penitentiary, amounted to nearly twenty-seven thousand. During the same year the agents of the penitentiary paid into the trea-. sury nearly twenty thousand dollars.

The regulations in Richmond in cases of fire are very excellent, but they are not so expertly executed as in larger towns, where such accidents more frequently occur.

The city is divided into three wards, for each of which three fire-wardens are annually elected by the common-hall. These wardens are empowered to form, and publish at the expence of the city, regulations for the erection of chimneys, and prescribing the mode and conditions under which they shall be

The remains of the unfortunate sufferers on that occasion are deposited under the aisle leading to the altar, near the south entrance.

burnt or swept; for the fixture of stoves and stove-pipes; for the necessary cleansing of the shops or work-houses of carpenters, joiners, cabinet-makers, plasterers, stationers, and printers, of such materials as may be thought dangerous to produce fire; for fixing the proper distances and circumstances under which brick or lime kilns may be burnt within the city; for ordering the necessary number of scuttle doors and ladders upon the roofs of any house covered with wood; preventing the burning of any articles so near houses as to endanger them; and prohibiting the practice of dangerous trades in the city.

When a fire breaks out, it is the duty of all the watchmen to repair thither, and place themselves under the direction of the fire-wardens, who are authorized to direct the management of all the fire engines, and all other implements used for carrying water, or pulling down or blowing up houses; to order every person present, whether white or black, citizen or stranger, to perform such labour as they may think necessary to be performed; and to order the pulling down or blowing up of any house, the destruction of which they may deem necessary to arrest the further progress of the fire; for which an indemnification is made to the owner, for the property, under the circumstances of, risk and danger to which they were exposed, at the time of their destruction.

The fire-wardens wear at fires a metallic plate on their hats, on which is painted, in large and conspicuous characters, the words "fire-warden." For disobedience or interference with their orders at fires, they may order the offender to be arrested, and conveyed to the guard-house or cage* till the alarm of fire cease, when he is taken before a magistrate and fined 40s. and must give security for his good behaviour. Should this arrest fail to call out the exertions of the bystanders, the fire-wardens have power to direct the engines to play with full force on such as may still refuse obedience, or cause interference with their orders.

The seat of government was removed from Williamsburg to

The cage is a small room on the ground floor of jails for the confinement of unruly persons. It is generally in a public part of the town, and the gate being formed of iron bars, the culprit is of course exposed to the view of the passen gers. This is one of the last relics of the barbarous criminal code bequeathed us by our ancestors. Virginia having followed the example of her sister Pennsylvania in the establishment of a penitentiary, it is sincerely to be hoped that she will soon put a finishing hand to the benevolent work by shutting up her cages, and making bonfires of her pillories and whipping posts. The superiority of the mild code of Pennsylvania, in preventing crimes, and effecting the reformation of the criminal, is sufficiently apparent. It is now an almost universally re. ceived maxim, that pillories and whipping posts tend only to harden and deprave, and never to reform.