moval, which was granted; but nothing has been done, nor is likely to be done for the present; so that the remains of this father of his country, this greatest of the moderns, lie without even a tombstone over them.--Such is national gratitude!

The Congress, in an unusual fit of liberality, ordered that the most striking events of the Revolution should be commemorated in four large pictures, for each of which they voted the sum of 8,000 dollars. A Mr. Trumbull, the artist employed, has finished three of these pictures, which are at present in the Capitol. They are on a very large scale, the artist not having been at all sparing of his canvass. The first, the Signing of the Declaration of Independence, though a very heavy picture, is interesting from the number of portraits. The signers are for the most part dressed, not only in Quaker colours, but in Quaker style. I must of course except Jefferson, who forms a most marked and vivid contrast to the rest, being decorated with a bright red waistcoat. The second picture, the subject of which is the Surrender of General Burgoyne to General Gates, is much the best, some of the figures being very well executed. But the third picture, the Surrender of Lord Cornwallis, is the worst. In this the French officers, drawn up to allow the vanquished troops to pass through, are as stiff as Prussian sentries when they present arms: moreover, their heads are in a line of such accurate straightness, that

they look like a set of figures drawn to illustrate the art of perspective.

The dome of the Capitol was not quite finished when I saw it, but this and part of the eastern front is all that is wanting to complete the vast edifice. The whole has been rebuilt since 1814, when, together with the President's house and the public offices, it was burnt by the British.

This was a most unjustifiable act; for, although undoubtedly the Americans, by the destruction of Newark, began the system of burning, which was pursued during the war, yet the British had already amply retaliated, by laying waste most of the towns on the American frontier. Moreover, though the order given to the Secretary of War was somewhat equivocal, the Americans highly disapproved of the conduct of General M'Clure; and the Government accordingly removed him from his command. But even if Newark had been burnt intentionally, it would at any rate have been well for the British not to have emulated the Vandals and the Mahommedans in destroying the whole of the library of the Congress, containing a great number of old and valuable works. I may add, that all the public records and documents also perished in the Capitolan irreparable loss to the Americans but which was, therefore, perhaps a more agreeable triumph to their momentary conquerors. Instead of burning, it would have been much better to have levied a contribution on the

city, as was done at Alexandria. This would have benefitted the victors without exposing them to the censure of posterity. Besides, nothing during the whole war tended so much to unite the Americans as the burning of the metropolis. Those who would not perhaps have opposed the British troops very heartily, were now obliged to do so out of fear. "If," said the Baltimoreans, the Philadelphians, &c. &c. "these fellows come here, they will act as they did at Washington."

The City Hall, when finished, will be the handsomest building in the United States. It fronts the Potowmac, and commands a very advantageous view of the city.

Few places could have been selected possessing greater natural beauties, and, at the same time, better adapted for the scite of a metropolis. I think, indeed, that Washington, in point of situ ation, ranks first among the American cities.

The Patent Office, to which strangers are freely admitted, contains a number of very interesting models. Among those of bridges, I particularly admired that of a straight bridge, constructed by means of timbers, connected diagonally over a span of 200 feet, at Fayettesville, in North Carolina. The model was placed across a division between two of the cases of the smaller models; and though it was apparently very slight, yet when a piece of wood was fastened to it by several small cords, it supported three or four of the visitors.

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The entrance to the Navy-yard is through a very handsome, though simple, arched gateway of white stone. Immediately fronting this is a beautiful little rostrated column of white marble, surmounted by the American eagle. Round the column, and standing on a large and elevated pédestal of the same material, are some fine emblematical statues. This monument was erected by the officers of the American navy, to the memory of their comrades who fell at Tunis. It is one of the handsomest and most chaste little monuments that I have ever seen, and was made in Italy; indeed, I recognized it as a copy of the column of Duilius. I observed that some of the figures surrounding it had been broken, evidently on purpose; and accordingly at the base of the column I found this inscription: "Mutilated by Britons, August 14, 1814."-But would not the English officers have punished any man detected in injuring it? Surely the damage must have been done by some ig norant and brutal soldier, when the Navy-yard was destroyed: for had it been otherwise, or had the British really intended to have injured the figures, they would not have stopped at breaking an arm or two. I should be glad to see this inscription effaced, as it tends to increase hostile feelings, which are contrary to the interest of both

countries.

The chief curiosity in the Navy-yard is the ingenious and beautiful machinery, contrived by

Commodore Rodgers, for hauling up vessels of war out of the water; and thus obviating the necessity of dry docks, which, owing to the small rise and fall of the tide, could not be constructed without great difficulty. Large strong beams are run completely through the vessel, entering at the port-holes on one side and coming out at those on the opposite, while both the ends of the beams rest upon an inclined plane that slopes down to the water. Attached to each beam, just where it enters the porthole, are two very strong chains, which are fastened to a large block of wood, made to fit the keel. These chains are tightened by wedges and screws-and, by this means, the ship is supported on its keel the same as when on the stocks. A large chain or two is put entirely round the vessel, from the bows to the stern, and to these a cable is attached, which is stretched forward to a windlass. The vessel is thus easily drawn up out of the water. Indeed, 150 men were able to draw up the Potowmac the largest frigate I ever saw, and which was on the plane when I was at Washington. Over the whole machine a very handsome roof has been built, which completely protects the vessel.

Besides the Potowmac, there was building, in the Navy-yard, a large frigate with an elliptical

stern.

The Armoury is very prettily arranged, and kept in excellent order. I saw there several of the celebrated "repeating swivels." Each is composed of