Sailing from Albany on the Chancellor Livingston, 1817

Editor's note: The following article is from John Palmer, of Lynn, Eng.  Journal of Travels in the United States of North America. London, 1818. Thank you to Contributing Scholar George A. Thompson for finding, cataloging and transcribing this article. The language, spelling and grammar of the article reflects the time period when it was written.

Chancellor Livingston, 1816. From Samuel Ward Stanton Long Island Sound and Narragansett Bay Steam Vessels

On approaching Albany, three or four miles before we reach the banks of the Hudson, we rise to a considerable elevation, and have a beautiful view of the windings of that river and the Mohawk, through an amazing extent of country, studded with farms and villages, interspersed with the remains of the forest, and ranges of hills.  Far off to the northward, the eye is carried along a range of mountains till they are lost in the mists of the horizon.  Near sun-set, we arrived at Lansingburg, beautifully situated on the banks of the Hudson, opposite the mouth of the Mohawk.  It consists principally of one wide street, about a mile in length; the houses and stores are most of them of brick; it contains 2,000 inhabitants.  Leaving Lansingburg, we proceed three miles along the banks of the Hudson, which is here eight or nine hundred feet wide, and varied with fertile islands, and arrive at Troy, the third commercial town in the State of New York; it has the appearance of rising to importance, being well-built, compact, and at the head of light sloop navigation.  The site of Troy was occupied as a farm, in 1787; now here is a thriving well-built town of 5,000 inhabitants.  Passing through Troy, we crossed the Hudson, and after a drive of six miles, arrived at Mr. Moody's tavern, Market Street, Albany, where we staid.

ALBANY was first settled in 1614, by the Dutch, as a trading post with the Indians.  In 1664, along with the whole country, it passed into the hands of the English, and the settlement and fort, then called Orange, received its present name in honour to the Duke of York; in 1686, it received its city charter, which is the oldest of any in the United States.

Albany is the legislative capital of New York, and may justly be considered as "unrivalled in its situation"; distant from the city of New York, 160 miles, and at the head of the sloop navigation of the Hudson, it commands an extensive back country trade, not only with the most fertile parts of the State, but with parts of Vermont and Upper Canada.  It is laid out in streets extending along the river, and others crossing these; the site of the city rising about two hundred feet, one mile from the river; this street is built throughout with handsome four story brick stores; at the quay, vessels load and unload with the greatest facility.  Court Street and Market Street, are long and handsome, of an irregular width and direction, they are full of good shops.  Pearl Street is a handsome width, with many good houses, but it is disfigured by some old Dutch gables, and red pantiles.  State Street, in the centre of the city, is a noble street, crossing these and some others, it rises up the gentle bank of the river, and is from 100 to 130 feet wide.  The houses of Albany are four-fifths of brick, three or four stories high; the shops are as well stores with goods, and the wharfs present as much proportionate bustle as those of Boston, New York, or Philadelphia.
             "In 1812, 50 large sloops belonging to Albany.
                            60 . . . ditto . . . . ditto . . . .  Troy and Lansingburg.
                             26 . . . ditto . . . . ditto . . . .  New York, & c.
                             70 . . . ditto . . . . ditto . . . .  New Jersey and the Eastern States.
Amounting to   260
Including twenty schooners, paid wharfage duty by the year; besides these, 150
sloops and schooners paid transitory trading visits the same year."  Spafford.
 [Horatio Gates Spafford. A Gazetteer of the State of New-York.  Albany, 1813, p. 118,
col. 1]

The trade, since that time, is very much increased; above 125,000 quarters of wheat are exported yearly, besides every other sort of framing produce to a great amount.  (p.  245)  Manufactures of tobacco, chocolate, cast and wrought iron, and brass, leather, and wood, are in successful operation.  There are five breweries, several distilleries, hatteries, chandlers' works, and ship-yards; and in the neighbourhood, many grist and saw mills, and small manufactures.
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The streets are well lighted, and mostly well paved, having side walks, but cellars and palisades project in some places, and present numerous pitfalls to the unwary.  That nuisance of some other American towns, "herds of pigs," are permitted, to the
disgrace of the authorities.

The dress, manners, and customs, are as in other principal towns.  The Dutch part of the population are said not to be famous for their hospitality, perhaps it is an unjust slander.  Education is well attended to by individuals and the State; Dutch schools are discontinued.

Albany contained 6,026 inhabitants in 1797; in 1810, the census gave 9,356; in 1813, they had increased to 12,000 [citing Spafford]; and now, 1817, can be little short of 14,000.  ***

The view from Albany across the river, near (p. 247) half a mile wide, is delightful; on the opposite bank are situated two villages about one mile apart, divided by fields studded with neat cottages and seats, and backed by a range of hills, covered with the varied productions of the forest.

The roads from various parts of New England strike through Albany; and I see by the Albany Gazette, that at least five hundred emigrants from the eastward, have passed through the city weekly since the first of September.  The Northern States are now little more than a nursery for the more inviting, temperate, and fertile regions of the West.

16th October, Thursday.  Having parted with Mr. Bent, at nine o'clock this morning, I took passage for New York, in the very fine steam-boat, CHANCELLOR LIVINGSTON, fare seven dollars, and boarded; one dollar is also charged for the State, toward forwarding the great Western Canal, which is to unite the waters of Lake Ontario with the Hudson, and thereby connect all the extensive and populating country round that Lake, and on the upper part of the St. Lawrence with Albany and New York.  This dollar charge appears to be unfair, and operates as a tax on those who travel by steam-boat on the Hudson, whether natives or foreigners; however, when I consider the utility and magnitude of the undertaking, and the ardent spirit for improvement manifested by the citizens of New York, I do not wonder at their passing such a law, and as it is not attached to the common passage boats, but only to the chartered steam-boats, and they are so excellently conducted, and the passage so reasonable, even with this extra demand; I am almost satisfied with it.
       
The CHANCELLOR LIVINGSTON is 526 tons burden, her length on deck 165 feet, breadth 50; she is extremely well fitted up for accommodation.  Fifty ladies can sleep singly, and 150 gentlemen can have the same privilege, besides births for the people employed about the vessel.  There are three gentlemen's cabins; one of them, the largest, is used for meals, in which all the passengers, ladies and gentlemen, dine; there is also one ladies' cabin, on deck; a smoking cabin, baggage-room, wash-room, clerk's office, and kitchen, all on deck.  the ladies are accommodated with female servants.
       
In descending from Albany, the shores of the river are gently rising, and well settled; many of the inhabitants are of Dutch descent.  At about half past twelve we arrived at Hudson, another city which was a wilderness, previous to 1784.  It contains about 5,000 inhabitants, and as a place of trade, ranks the fourth or fifth in the State.  It is distant 130 miles from New York, at the head of the ship navigation.  Several ships and brigs lay at the wharfs.  Hudson is built on a small bay; opposite it, in the river, which is here about one mile wide, is a low marshy island; beyond this, across the river, flourishes the handsome of village of Athens; and one mile lower down in Catskill, a considerable village, that gives its name to the township in which Athens, and two or three other villages are situated.  Here the extensive range of Apallachian Mountains commence, and running a south-west course, divide the middle and southern States from the western.
       
We passed many handsome villages and elegant seats in the course of the day, particularly the seat of the late R. R. Livingstone, forty-five miles below Albany; it is very handsome, and remarkable for having "flocks of near 1,000 sheep on its grounds, all
descended from the celebrated flock of Rambouillet, in France.  They are thought to
have improved in weight.  Six hundred and forty-five of these sheep are at least half-
bloods, many of them much higher grades."  [quoting Spafford]  Poughkeepsie, eighty-five miles from Albany, is romantically seated in a rugged indenture of the river, bounded left and right, by almost perpendicular cliffs.  The population of this village, in 1810, was 2,981, and of the township 4,670.  Towards evening, we reached that interesting part of the river called the high lands.  Here the channel is confined between perpendicular crags and hills, of the most romantic description; not so their names. Butter Hill is 1,432 feet, the Crow's Nest 1,330 feet, Bull Hill 1,391 feet, Anthony's Nose 1,128 feet, above the level of the river."  [quoting Spafford's Gazetteer again]  West Point is situated amongst these hills, and is rendered famous in history by the defection of Arnold, and the unfortunate death of the young and gallant Major André. It is a strong fortress, and contains a United States arsenal, a small garrison, and a military school.  Stony Point is on the other side of the river, below West Point, and was the scene of sanguinary conflicts during the war of independence.  By one next morning, we arrived at New York, performing the distance of 165 miles in sixteen hours, partly against the tide.  We called at six of seven places on our passage, landing and
receiving many passengers and baggage; all which however is done with much expedition; it does not detain the boat altogether ten minutes.

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