First impressions of the New World on two travellers from the Old, in the autumn of 1858

In Short

Written as a series of intimate family letters during an 1858 autumn tour, this travelogue records a British couple and their son traversing Canada and the United States. Through lively descriptions of bustling towns, engineering marvels, and encounters with local figures, the book documents an era of booming expansion. It endures as a surprisingly warm, even-handed portrait of American life, deliberately published to offer a more generous, balanced counterweight to the often harsh accounts written by single male travelers of the period.

The Story

The narrative follows the author, her husband, and their son, William, on a fast-paced expedition across eastern North America during the autumn of 1858. Setting out from England, the family moves through a landscape defined by dramatic contrasts: elegant coastal retreats, sprawling forest clearings, and booming industrial towns. The journey begins with visits to fashionably picturesque resort towns like Newport, Rhode Island, where wooden villas, elaborate seaside architecture, and grand hotels stand alongside historical churches associated with Bishop Berkeley.

Moving inland, the itinerary quickly expands into a wider exploration of North American infrastructure and rapid settlement. The travelers board trains running through landscapes defined by fields of Indian corn, scarred tracts of burnt forest, and endless stacks of wood needed to fuel the locomotives. In Canada, they examine massive public works like the Victoria Bridge under construction across the Saint Lawrence River at Montreal, marveling at the engineering required to withstand thin ice and powerful currents. They pause in university towns like New Haven to tour local rock formations, collect vibrant autumn foliage, and enjoy quiet tea visits with prominent academics like Professor Silliman.

As the route turns westward toward Washington and into the vast interior, the travelers experience the triumphs and logistical delays of 1850s transit. They cross major rivers by train and massive steam ferries, taking in sweeping mountain scenery, sheer river cliffs, and fire-scorched wilderness. Moving into the Ohio Valley, through Columbus and Cincinnati, and across the Mississippi River toward St. Louis, they note the shifting geography, from rich agricultural bottomlands to fever-prone swampy terrain. Along the way, the party routinely steps away from standard sightseeing to tour local institutions, including penitentiaries, state capitols, and deaf-and-dumb asylums, while observing local church services across various denominations.

In the southern and western stops, the journey confronts the stark reality of American slavery. The travelers hear sermons opposing the institution even in slaveholding areas, observe black congregations, and directly visit a slave-pen in Louisville. Throughout these varied stops, the trip remains anchored by comfortable hotel stays, generous meals, and local shop visits—particularly to bookstores, which serve as frequent haunts for gather intelligence on regional sights. Returning eastward along scenic river routes like the Juniata and Hudson, visiting classic literary sites such as Sleepy Hollow, the journey concludes as a wide-ranging, optimistic assessment of American progress, hospitality, and natural scale.

How It Unfolds

The resort on the coast The trip begins with observations of Newport's wooden villas, sweeping cliff walks, and grand oceanfront hotels. The author contrasts the quiet historical resonance of Trinity Church with the bustling atmosphere of New York's primary seaside getaway.

Into the wooded interior Traveling west through Utica and Syracuse, the narrative details a landscape undergoing rapid development. Charred tree stumps, wood-paved stations, and constant timber stacks frame a region where steam locomotives burn forest wood to cross freshly cleared terrain.

Crossing the Saint Lawrence At Montreal, the family inspects the construction of the colossal iron tubular Victoria Bridge. Guided by English engineers, they row out onto the two-mile-wide river to observe how stone piers cut through river ice and withstand winter floods.

Elms and foliage in New Haven A pause in Connecticut highlights broad tree-lined avenues, sprawling chemistry shops, and warm academic hospitality. The author collects colorful leaves and arranges them in a blotting book while her husband geologizes among local basaltic formations with resident professors.

Through the mountains by rail Moving through Washington, Maryland, and the Blue Ridge, the party travels along the Baltimore and Ohio Railway. They navigate sharp mountain curves, admire massive river bridges at Harper's Ferry, and marvel at locomotives engineered to consume their own smoke.

Western towns and state capitals Reaching Ohio, the travelers explore Columbus, touring local asylum facilities and enjoying an evening in a finely varnished home with Governor Chase and his daughter. The journey continues west across the Mississippi River to St. Louis via massive steam-ferry omnibuses, ending with lavish hotel dinners and regional travel stories.

The People

The Author Observant, pragmatic, and affectionate, she travels through North America with an open mind and an eye for everyday detail. She seeks to present an honest, fair-minded picture of American life to balance the overly critical accounts written by bachelors, taking pleasure in quiet church services, botanical collecting, and spontaneous conversations with fellow passengers.

Papa (Her Husband) An energetic, restless companion whose curiosity drives much of the itinerary. He spends long hours browsing local bookstores, engaging in geological excursions with university professors, and constantly leaping from his train seat to take in views of passing rivers and mountain gorges.

Mr. Tyson A knowledgeable railway official who guides the family through the mountain passes of Maryland and Virginia. He provides detailed stories of regional history, coordinates extended stops for mountain vistas, and demonstrates the mechanics of powerful, smokeless locomotives.

Governor Chase and Miss Chase The Governor of Ohio and his cultured daughter host the author and her husband in Columbus. Miss Chase shares her love of literature and guides her guests through her new conservatory, expressing a deep desire to visit England while her father manages state affairs.

In Its Own Voice

"Papa is looking out of the window, and facing it is an avenue of trees running between two lawns of grass as green as any to be seen in England, though certainly the grass is coarser than at home."

The author notes her early observations of Newport, comparing the American seaside resort directly to familiar English landscapes.

"The houses and cottages are all wood. The hurdles, used everywhere instead of hedges, are wood. The floorings of both the large and small stations are wood, worn to shreds, sometimes, by the tramp of feet."

While traveling through upstate New York, she captures how raw timber defines every layer of nineteenth-century American infrastructure.

"I foolishly, at first, partook of his locomotive propensities, but my exhausted frame soon gave way, so that he declares I only saw one half of its beauties..."

She lightheartedly describes her husband's restless pacing back and forth across the rail car to capture every angle of the river scenery.

What It's Really About

Beneath its charming narrative of train rides and tea visits, the book serves as a deliberate defense of American society against European prejudice. By explicitly contrasting her family's warm reception with the complaints of solitary male travelers, the author argues that hospitality and character depend heavily on the spirit in which one travels. The text continuously examines how rapid industrial progress—represented by massive tubular bridges, clear-cut forests, and high-speed railways—coexists with deep natural beauty and religious life. It also weighs the vibrant energy of a developing nation against its moral contradictions, notably recording encounters with the institution of slavery while maintaining a consistent belief in human decency and social improvement.

Why Read It Today

This travelogue offers a delightful, refreshing window into mid-nineteenth-century North America, free from the harsh cynicism that characterized many contemporary European travel accounts. Readers who enjoy social history, early rail travel, and Victorian period detail will appreciate its bright, conversational tone and sharp observational eye. The writer’s voice feels remarkably approachable—warmly energetic without slipping into empty sentiment or aggressive romanticism.

While modern readers must navigate occasional nineteenth-century terminology and casual period assumptions regarding race and class, the author's underlying curiosity remains fundamentally generous. She looks at timber-scarred fields, fledgling state capitals, and raw frontier towns not with disdain, but with genuine interest in how a new world builds itself. What stays with you is the gentle intimacy of the narrative: a mother writing home to her daughter, turning a grand international tour into a clear, vivid snapshot of a continent in motion.