greatly pressed for time. I
perceived, as we started, another person get outside, which made us
eight.

We were very soon transferred to the Columbia rail-road, which was in
progress and now travelled upon for about twenty-one miles: along this I
was rolled over the viaduct whose commencement I had noted, and, I
believe, regretted. According to Mitchell's description, it crosses the
Schuylkill at a place called Peter's Island; is one thousand and
forty-five feet long and forty-one wide, being thirty feet above
water-mark. Of the elevation, when I crossed on this occasion, we had an
excellent opportunity of forming an opinion; for, except a pathway in
the centre, the spaces between the beams had not yet been filled in, so
that we looked through on to the water running beneath: the workmen were
hard at it covering over and filling up; but it was passable in its
present state, and therefore, "Go a-head was the word:"--there's no time
lost here, i'faith! Immediately on crossing this viaduct, you come on an
inclined plane two thousand eight hundred and five feet long: this
struck me as being admirably contrived.

I was very sorry when we were once again to be re-packed in our stage.
Though one gets accustomed to anything in time, I never exactly brought
myself to view these frequent transfers as a part of travelling to be
rejoiced in. Our system of running a coach through a journey is not yet
adopted here; they still stick to the old plan,--every proprietor his
own vehicle; consequently you are for ever trundling from one to
another, to your own great discomfiture, and to the destruction of any
but the toughest sort of trunks.

I forget how often we changed coach on this journey; indeed, I fancy
that, during the third night out, I might have effected a transfer or
two in my sleep; but I recollect that they were vexatiously frequent,
and would have been more grievous had the weather been less generally
fair.

My fellow passengers were, luckily, with one exception, thin spare
fellows, all citizens of the frontier State of Illinois; the fat subject
was a countryman of my own, who had been for many years a resident at
Pittsburg, and was a merry, contented son of Erin as ever jolted over
these rough roads, which he informed me he did once at least in every
season.

We soon shook into shape: the condition of the turnpike, after the woful
accounts I had received, appeared to me exceedingly passable; indeed, it
was infinitely