Mr. Garrett, our railway
friend at Baltimore, not only did us the good service of sending us by
the car under Mr. Tyson's auspices, but gave us letters of introduction
both to this place and to Cincinnati; and his letters here to Mr. Neil
and Mr. Dennison have been of great use to us, as one or the other of
them has been in attendance upon us since 11 o'clock this morning,
together with a very pleasing person, a widow, niece of Mr. Neil, and
they have shown us the town in first-rate style.

Columbus is built on the banks of the Sciota, about 90 miles from the
point where it falls into the Ohio. It is the capital of the State, and
its streets, like those of Washington, have been laid out with a view to
its becoming one day a town of importance; but as the preparations for
this, though on a considerable scale, are not so great as at
Washington, the non-completion of the plan in its full extent produces
no disagreeable effect. In fact, the streets where finished are
completely so, and the unfinished parts consist of an extension of
these, in the shape of long avenues of trees. In the principal streets
the houses are not continuous, but in detached villas, and, judging by
the one in which Mr. Neil lives, appear to be very comfortable
residences. He and his niece called upon us yesterday evening, and,
although he is an elderly gentleman, he was here by appointment this
morning at half-past 8, and took papa to call on Mr. Dennison, when they
arranged together the programme for the day.

At 11 o'clock Mr. Dennison called, and took us to the Penitentiary,
where nearly 700 prisoners are confined. I think he said 695, although
it will hold the full number of 700 if need be. For the credit of the
sex, I must say that only ten out of the whole are females. These ten
are lodged each in a small room, for it can scarcely be called a cell,
very well furnished, and opening into a large sitting-room, of which
they all have the unrestrained use, although the presence of a matron
puts a restraint on their tongues. They were employed in needlework. The
cells of the men are arranged in tiers, and are certainly very
different looking habitations to those of the women, and greatly
inferior in size and airiness to the cells at Philadelphia, where, in
addition to the grating in front of the cell, there was a door behind
leading into a small enclosure or court. Here the only opening in the
cell is by a door into a long gallery, and the cells we