air appears congenial, as the lively look of the
chubby little imps that fill every cabin fully indicates. It is
impossible not to be struck by the contrast between the looks of these
children of the sun and the degenerate offsets of northern men; I have
often observed with feelings of sorrow the sickly aspect of the children
of some road-side store-keeper, or publican of the white race, as they
sit languidly before their parents' door, with sallow parchment skins
and lack-lustre eyes, the very emblems of malaria, possessing neither
the strength nor the desire to follow those active sports natural and in
fact necessary, at their age: whilst, sporting about or near them, might
be observed the offspring of their slaves; the elder ones, with hardly
any covering, pursuing each other, shouting and grinning from ear to
ear; the youngsters, quite naked perhaps, rolling on the kitchen floor,
or creeping about in the dust like so many black beetles, almost as
broad as long. Despite their degraded condition, I have at such times
been tempted to exclaim, "Surely this must here be the most enviable
lot!"

This picture, however, must not be applied to the wealthy portion of the
landed proprietors, who either migrate north with each season, or else
seek the shelter of the dry sandy soil of the Pine-barrens, and on their
heights breathe health and life; whilst below and around, at no great
distance, stalk disease and death.

Amongst this class, on the contrary, I have often been surprised to find
children whose elastic forms and ruddy complexions would have been
noticeable even in the health-giving air of Britain; and indeed, taken
as a whole, I should say that the population of Charleston City, the
capital of this deadly country, wears as fresh a look, and presents as
many hale, hearty old persons, as any of the northern cities of this
continent. I was, perchance, the more struck with this fact from having
expected the very reverse.

An air of greater antiquity prevails throughout this city than may be
discovered in any other I have visited in the States; I should conceive
it to be just in the condition the English army left it; I did not see a
large house that appeared of newer date; and the churches, guard-house,
&c. must be the same.

This population apparently has slept whilst their persevering brethren
of the North, to use one of their familiar sayings, have "continually
gone ahead" with an energy of purpose admirable as ir