everybody; for
it is impossible to know who is who, in this land of equality.

But one shake of the hand will not do; if twenty times during the same
day you meet a person to whom you have been introduced, the hand is
every where extended with--"Well, captain, how do you find yourself by
this time?" and, in their good-will, when they seize your hand, they
follow the apothecary's advice--"When taken, to be well shaken." As for
the constant query--"How do you like our country?"--that is natural
enough. I should ask the same of an American in England, but to reply
to it is not the less tedious. It is all well meant, all kindness, but
it really requires fortitude and patience to endure it. Every one
throws in his voluntary tribute of compliments and good-will, but the
accumulated mass is too great for any one individual to bear. How I
long for the ocean prairies, or the wild forests. Subsequently, I
begged hard to be shut up for six months in the Penitentiary at
Philadelphia, but Sammy Wood said it was against the regulations. He
comforted me with a _tete-a-tete_ dinner, which was so agreeable, that
at the time I quite forgot I wished to be alone.

When I left Saratoga, I found no one, as I thought, in the car, who knew
me; and I determined, if possible, they should, in the Indian phrase,
_lose my trail_. I arrived at Schenectady, and was put down there. I
amused myself until the train started for Utica, which was to be in a
few hours, in walking about the engine-house, and examining the
locomotives; and having satisfied myself, set out for a solitary walk in
the country. There was no name on my luggage, and I had not given my
name when I took my ticket for the railroad. "At last," said I to
myself, "_I am incog_." I had walked out of the engine-house, looked
round the compass, and resolved in which direction I would bend my
steps, when a young man came up to me, and very politely taking off his
hat, said, "I believe I have the pleasure of speaking to Captain M---."
Had he known my indignation when he mentioned my name, poor fellow! but
there was no help for it, and I replied in the affirmative. After
apologising, he introduced himself, and then requested the liberty of
introducing his friend. "Well, if ever," thought I; and, "no never,"
followed afterwards as a matter of course, and as a matter of course his
friend was introduced. It reminded me of old times, when, midshipmen at
balls, we used to introduce