heartily sick of his elevation.

About the end of nine hours' hard driving, the high dome of the Capitol
showed near; and the city toll-gate, situated about a mile from this
magnificent building, was opened. The prospect was, notwithstanding, yet
sufficiently uncheery; a steep hill lay in front, having a road that
looked like a river of black mud meandering about one side of it--the
other side was seamed with various tracks made by the vehicles of bold
explorers, who, like ourselves, had been doubtful about facing the
regular road--the counsel of a well-mounted countryman, who reported
that he had just passed the wrecks of two coaches on the turnpike,
decided us to eschew it, and boldly try across country.

We all alighted, except the ladies; and acting as pioneers, pushed up
the hill, breasting it stoutly. It was very well we took this route;
for, having at last safely crowned it, we beheld on our right the two
coaches that left Baltimore three hours before us, hopelessly pounded in
the highway, regularly swamped within sight of port; for the Capitol was
not over three or four hundred yards from them.

The passengers were all out, most of them assisting to unharness and
unload, that, by combining both teams, they might extricate their
vehicles one at a time.

Here, within the shadow of the Capitol, I was struck with the gloomy and
unimproved condition of the surrounding country. Except our caravan, not
a living thing moved within sight--all was desert, silent, and solitary
as the prairies of Arkansas.

The great avenue once entered upon, the scene changed, and we rattled
along briskly over a well Macadamized road. The judge we set down at the
top of the Capitolinean hill, where his honourable brothers held their
head-quarters; my other companions had rooms secured at Gadsby's, where
we next halted; but to my inquiries here, I was answered, "All quite
full." They advised me, at the same time, to try _Fuller_, which I
thought waggish enough: however, after driving about a mile farther down
the avenue, I found at Mr. Fuller's hotel rooms taken for me by a
considerate friend, and had to congratulate myself now and henceforward
on being the best-lodged errant _homo_ in the capital of the United
States.

The windows of my sitting-room, I perceived, commanded a view the whole
extent of the avenue; but, for the present, I limited my speculation to
the dinner that was soon placed before me, and which a fast of eleven
ho