radiate; on either side of which is a long row of low cell-doors,
numbered. Standing at the central point, and looking down these dreary
passages, the dull repose and quiet that prevails is awful. I was much
interested with one prisoner that had nearly completed his seven years,
who stated that he had been guilty of stealing 100 dollars, and that,
his conscience upbraiding him, he took them back previous to being found
out: still he was sentenced. He had a loom, had extracted some colours
from the yarn, and painted his room all over. But enough. I left it
labouring under a feeling of melancholy, and visited the Blind Asylum,
where we saw the system of reading by raised letters beautifully carried
out. A little girl and boy, about nine, who had been there only one
year, could read the Bible well: a young lady from Gloucester (England)
could tell you the latitude and longitude of any place upon a raised
map; and two others could sing and play well, thoroughly understanding
music. They take thirty boys and thirty girls upon the charity, and
educate them so that they can get a living in after-life; and others
they take at 200 dollars a-year for any period. Strange to say, they
sometimes get married. I bought some of their work, and printed some of
the raised letters. Contributed to the charity, and left much pleased.
And I may here observe--Jones's, the Union Hotel, is very first-rate. He
is from Warwickshire: all black servants, with a first-rate system. Got
a good dinner; and then saw the process of hatching chickens by steam. I
regretted I saw this, as I think I shall never like eggs again. We ought
to have visited the City Almshouse, Navy Yard, Marine Hospital, Widows'
Asylum, and many more places, but had not time. We then visited the
Pennsylvania Hospital, established by William Penn. His statue is
erected in the front, where he is represented as treating with the
Indians, after his mission from Charles II. After seeing the patients,
which are taken free to the number of 200, (others are paid for by
different institutions,) we saw the splendid painting by West, "Christ