Travels in the United States, etc.,: during 1849 and 1850./ By the Lady Emmeline Stuart Wortley.

TRAVELS IN AMERICA.
At length, the much-abused diligencia came to a dead stop,
heart-broken-or spring-broken at any rate, as we discovered; and
this accident revealed to us the astounding fact that these diligen cias, actually pretended to have springs, which otherwise we should
not have dreamed of. We were all requested to descend, while
the huge vehicle was raised and the injury temporarily repaired,
by the united eflbrts of the coachman and an American gentleman.
who was an outside passenger, on his way to California. At last
we mounted the high steps, and were placed on the wheels, or
"the wzheel," again.
The spirited proprietor of these coaches, should arrange that an
"experienced surgeon" should accompany them in their journeys.
It might be useful practice, too, for a few young beginners-as
good as walking the hospitals.
We saw a beautiful waterfall in the distance, on the way to
Perot6, which Colonel A (a friend of Senior N ) first
pointed out to us, saying it was a "Catarata," like Niagara: the
first it was, and a very pretty one; the last I must beg to be ex cused fromn admitting.
We had a steep hill not far from this place, long, but not tedi ous, and so just the reverse of that sermon, Canning characterized
as "tedious, though not long." The road on both sides was bordered with the most enchanting natural gardens of flowers of all
hues. Hesperides (and of any extent) for hedges, or instead of
them! Colonel A- gathered us some delicious flowers, and
our great barge oit wheels looked as cheerful as the Russian treillaged cages in which ladies at St. Petersburgh used to sit (I know
not if the fashion continues) in their drawing-rooms, playing at
summer and the south.
We drove on merrily, with our gallant escort galloping and
prancing by the side of the stage, the flags on their lances fluttering gayly in the wind (and themselves all sarapes and mustache,
showing only the point of a nose, and two dark eyes in addition),
and with our curious collection of articles within, such as roses
and revolvers, convolvuluses and cigars, books and bowie-knives,
escope6tas and oranges, gunpowder and sugar-plums, fans, parasols,
and pistols. I forgot to mention how our kind Hanoverian housekeeper loaded us with generous gifts of tea and sugar, and fruit,
and cakes, which she good-naturedly insisted on our taking. It
was rather perilous, however, to have loose parcels in the vehicle,
as they were flung about in all directions; and you stood a chance
now of having a tea-canister in your eye; now a huge packet of
174
4