ternoon. The country is much more like England than anything we have
yet seen, being chiefly pasture land. The grass is that known here, and
very celebrated as the "blue grass" of Kentucky; though why or wherefore
it is so called we cannot discover. It is of prodigiously strong growth,
sometimes attaining two feet in height; but it is generally kept low,
either by cropping or cutting, and is cut sometimes five times a year.
The stock raised upon it is said to be very fine, and the animals are
very large and fine looking; but either from the meat not being kept
long enough, or from some cause which we cannot assign, the beef, when
brought to table, is very inferior to the good roast beef of Old
England.

The road from Louisville to this place is pretty throughout, and seemed
quite lovely as we approached Frankfort, though it was getting too dark
as we passed that town to appreciate its beauties thoroughly. For some
miles before reaching it, the road passes through a hilly country, with
beautiful rounded knolls at a very short distance. The town is situated
on the Kentucky river, the most beautiful, perhaps, in America. In
crossing the long bridge, we had a fine view down its steep banks, with
the lights of the town close on its margin. The state Capitol which we
passed, is close to the railway, and is a marble building, with a
handsome portico. We were very sorry not to have stopped to pass
to-morrow, Sunday, at this place, but we were anxious to reach
Lexington, in order to get our letters. We have no great prospects here,
as the hotel, excepting the one at Jefferson City, is the worst we have
found in America. We had hardly set foot in it, when General Leslie
Combe called upon us, having been on the look-out for our arrival. He
claimed cousin-ship, having married a Miss T----, but we must leave it
to Uncle Harry to determine to which branch of the T---- family she can
claim kindred.

_November 15th._--The weather has been unpropitious, and instead of
starting to explore the Upper Kentucky, which we had meant to do, we are
returning this afternoon to Cincinnati. We have, however, been able to
see all the sights here that are worth seeing, besides having been
edified yesterday by a nigger sermon, remarkable, even among nigger
sermons, for the wonderful stentorian powers of the preacher. The great
object of interest here is Ashland, so called from the ash timber with
which the place abounds. This was the residence of Hen