MEMOIRS OF JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.

CHAPTER XII.

THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE-FIRST TERM.

NEW YORK, August 6th, 1817.-Immediately after daylight this morning the ship was within three miles of the highlands of Neversink, and the new Sandy Hook light-house in full sight, as well as the two old ones; all the lights were still burning. The morning was fine, and almost all the passengers soon came upon deck. The sun rose clear, and Venus was visible more than a quarter of an hour after she had risen; air and water both at 67. There were a number of vessels in sight, and among the rest a pilot-boat schooner, from which a pilot, named Bird, came on board at six. We had a fair and light breeze, which took us up to the wharf at New York, where we landed at one in the afternoon, immediately from the ship. The approach to New York was slow, and the termination of the voyage as agreeable as could be wished. The sentiments with which, after an absence of eight full and eventful years, I touched once more my native land were of a mingled nature: of the deepest gratitude to the Supreme Disposer for all the enjoyments and preservations of that long period, and particularly for the safe and happy close of the voyage just completed, together with an anxious forecast of the cares and perils of the new scene upon - which I am about to enter. The latter of these feelings was greater and more oppressive than it had ever been on returning to my country heretofore. So keen, indeed, was the emotion

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of contemplating the probabilities of the future time, that nothing but a firm reliance upon Him who has ever been my preserver, and the dispenser of every blessing, supported me from despondency.

7th. We had a continual succession of visitors the whole day and evening, scarcely allowing an interval for dinner, and principally of persons with whom we were unacquainted. In the evening, Mr. Astor, Mr. Colden, and Mr.

came as

a committee from a meeting of gentlemen, and invited me to a public dinner, asking me to fix the day. I accepted the invitation for next Monday.

11th. At four o'clock, Mr. Astor and General Morris, Marshal of the district, came from the Committee of Arrangements, and I went with them to the public dinner at Tammany Hall. There were about one hundred persons present, most of whom were introduced to me-among them Governor De Witt Clinton. He told me that Mr. Rush had written to him for information relative to weights and measures in this State, and he would send me a work of Olinthus Gregory upon the general subject. The person presiding at the dinner was General Clarkson. The Mayor, Mr. Ratcliff, invited me to dine with him and the City Corporation to-morrow, at Bellevue, six miles out of the city. I came home about nine in the evening.

14th. Called on Mr. Trumbull, and found him with the frame for his large picture of the Declaration of Independence, upon which he is just preparing to begin. He accompanied me, first to the City Hall, where I visited Governor Clinton, and afterwards to the Academy of Arts, the Historical Society, the Cabinet of Natural History, and the Museum. On returning, I met Judge B. Livingston, in Broadway. Went with my wife on board the ship Washington, and took our final leave of her. I settled with Captain Forman for the freight of our baggage and effects from London to New York. Left them transhipping to the sloop Margaret, Captain Hughes, for Washington. After sitting to Shiel till dusk, I went to the wharf at the end of Fulton Street, to enquire for a passage in the steamboat Connecticut for New Haven. They told me it was needless to engage a passage, and only necessary to be on board at seven in the

morning, at which time, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the Connecticut leaves the wharf. She arrives at New Haven at five or six in the afternoon on the same days. The Fulton steamboat is at the same time going from New London to New Haven. The passengers pass from one boat to the other. The Fulton immediately departs for New London, where she arrives the next morning at five or six. A line of stages is in attendance at New London, to take the passengers immediately through Providence on to Boston, where they arrive before midnight the same day, making a complete passage from New York to Boston in forty hours.

15th. IV. By some negligence of mine, which I should think inexcusable in another, I mistook the hour of the morning, as indicated by my watch, and after rising thus early, instead of rousing the rest of the family and packing up with all possible expedition, I sat down to write at this journal, and continued thus employed till the boys came knocking at the door, and announcing that it was close upon seven o'clock. We then made what dispatch we could, but the clock struck seven before we left Mrs. Bradish's house, and just as we came to Fulton Street, Captain Forman met us, and informed us that the steamboat had been about five minutes gone. For the next opportunity by the steamboat we must have waited until Monday. I therefore went immediately to Crane wharf, and found the packet Fame, Captain Gardiner, bound to Newport and Providence, and prepared to sail at five o'clock this afternoon. We embarked about four in the afternoon at Crane wharf, with a fair and fresh breeze, which scarcely lasted us till we reached Hell-gate. We passed through this passage with a calm, and reached the entrance of the Sound at Sands's Point about nine in the evening. The heat of the sun was almost insupportable.

QUINCY, 18th. I had engaged the stage to come directly to this place, without going into Boston. We left Walpole at seven o'clock, and, after stopping at Dedham to change horses, arrived here between ten and eleven, and had the inexpressible happiness of finding my dear and venerable father and mother in perfect health.

19th. Immediately after dinner, Commodore Hull came, with Edward Wyer, who is going as Consul to Hamburg, then Joseph Hall, soon followed by W. Gray, Arnold Welles, and G. Blake, who came to invite me from citizens of Boston to a public dinner next Friday. They also invited my father, my brother, and my son.

BOSTON, 22d.—This morning I took a walk with Mr. Foster round the town, and witnessed with delight its great increase and improvements during the eight years of my absence from it. The Central Wharf, New Cornhill, and Common Street are three great masses of buildings erected within that time, and there are so many others of less extent, but contributing equally to the elegance and comfort of the place, that they compose scarcely less than half the town. The only alteration which I perceived with regret was the demolition of Beacon Hill. I went with Joseph Hall to the State House, and paid a visit to Governor Brooks. Hall intimated that the committee for arranging the toasts had some thoughts of toasting me by name at the public dinner, with the expectation of my answering the toast by a speech, according to the English fashion. I entreated him, however, to dissuade them from it, disapproving as I do the practice itself, and feeling the danger and inconvenience and impropriety there would be in speech-making at public dinners for a person in the station that I am to assume. Hall was fully satisfied with the reasons I gave, and promised to take care that the arrangements should be made accordingly. 26th. My father accompanied me at three o'clock to the Exchange Coffee House, where the public dinner was provided. It was attended by about two hundred persons, the greater part of them my old friends and acquaintance. Mr. William Gray presided; and Governors Brooks and Phillips, Chief-Justice Parker, and Judge Story, Generals Dearborn, father and son, and Humphreys, and Miller, President Kirkland, Dr. Freeman, Captain Hull, and some others, were present as guests. It was near five when we sat down to table, and between eight and nine I retired with my father, who took my sons out with him to Quincy.

Day. The sailor's life of our voyage from England terminated