made. As good-luck would have it, however, the wind backed more to the
westward about eight o'clock; and we were enabled to stem the ebb that
began to make at the same time. This gave us the hope of reaching the end
of our passage without again anchoring.

At length we reached the Overslaugh, which, as was apt to be the case, was
well sprinkled with vessels aground. The pilot carried us through them
all, however; if not literally with flying colours, which would have been
regarded as an insult by the less fortunate, at least with complete
success. Then Albany came into view, leaning against its sharp acclivity,
and spreading over its extensive bottom-land. It was not the town it is
to-day, by quite three-fourths less in dwellings and people; but it was
then, as now, one of the most picturesque-looking places in America. There
is no better proof, in its way, how much more influence the talking and
writing part of mankind have than the mere actors, than is to be found in
the relative consideration of Albany, on the scale of appearance and
position, as compared with those enjoyed by a hundred other towns, more
especially in the Eastern States. Almost without a competitor, as to
beauty of situation, or at least on a level with Richmond and Burlington,
among the inland towns, it was usually esteemed a Dutch place that every
pretender was at liberty to deride, in my younger days. We are a people by
no means addicted to placing our candle under the bushel and yet I cannot
recall a single civil expression in any native writer touching the
beauties of Albany. It may have been owing to the circumstance that so
much of the town was under the hill at the beginning of the century, and
that strangers had few opportunities of seeing it to advantage; but I
rather think its want of the Anglo-Saxon origin was the principal reason
it was so little in favour.

Glad enough was I to reach the wharves, with their line of storehouses,