SIT IRREFFS NORTH AMERICAN TOUR. MR. SHIRREFF is a practical East

Lothian farmer, with some scientific knowledge to boot. A younger brother wishing to emi- grate, his senior resolves to explore the promised land, to " enable him to give an opinion on the contemplated step." For this purpose, Mr. SHIRREFF started for New York, in April 1833, and arrived there at the latter end of May; having been sea-sick nearly the whole of the voyage. After an excursion to Phila- delphia, he passed through the State of New York to the Falls of Niagara ; crossed over into the Canadian territory ; visited Taronto* and Montreal, besides threading the intermediate country in various directions, observin”-, and remarking"as he went along, on farm productions, men, manners, and conditions. Returning upon his footsteps, he pushed on to Amherstburgh, the most easterly town of Canada, situated about the head of Lake Erie; lig thence passed on to Chicago ; traversed, and frequently on leot, the scantily-inhabited states of Illinois and Missouri, till he readied St. Louis ; whence he embarked in a steam-boat, and dropped down the Mississipi to its junction with the Ohio; up Which river he went by steam to Cincinnati ; thence by stage- coach to Dunoit ; and returned to his starting-point, New York,

• itf Novembor.

• Mr. Sit minas- possessed two great advantages for a traveller— pursuit, awl a practical object ; both of which, whilst they in-

duce a constant attention to and a keen observation of things, bring theobserver into contact with real life and business. He travelled, too, in a country where agricultural knowledge had more scope for exercise than any other, and upon which agricultural criticism is most needed. The result of this combination is a book full of facts and reality ; sometimes minute, sometimes comtnonplace, hut mostly interesting ; for the newness of the author to the adventures of the road gives an air of nalvet6 to what -aould otherwise be trivial. He seems, moreover, to be an Imo fleeted person, who can accommodate himself to circumstances—make himsel f at home with every one he meets, and put up contentedly with bad where better is not to be hail. Hence his pictures of tin Americans are more favourable than those of most other writers, and seem in the main more reasonable and more true. According to Mr. SHIRREFF, the traveller will find there neither fashionables nor rabble, but people; men who are independent of others, who earn an ample livelihood by their own exertions, and whose manners are free from servility on the one hand and coarseness on the other. The only instance he met of an "unaccommodating spirit," was front two hobblede- heys, who took up as much room as possible in the dickey of a stage ; but our canny North Briton tut ned the tables by plumping himself down between them. One case of "revolting behaviour" only occurred, and the offender turned out to be an eccentric Englishman. From the inquisitive spirit of the Americans he suffered nothing; and it may gratify the strict disciplinarian to know that the helps at the inns, for the most part stand, whilst waiting upon the guests. Part of this favourable report may be attributed to the manners of the man, who seems to have met every body in a free, unaffected spirit; part to the fact, that many Hamil- tonian representations are coloured or downright fibs ; something to his own Radicalism. A cause of his differences with Mr. STUART upon the Back Settlements he points out himself: SHIRREFF had been tramping at the rate of forty miles a day and upwards through the prairies of Illinois, drinking from the stream, eating when he could, and sleeping on any thing but a bed; STUART had come fresh from the dainties and luxuries of the Southern States, and journeyed in his carriage : the one traveller, therefore, like Don Quixote, was inclined to take any thing in the shape of an inn foi a castle; the other would scarcely be satisfied with a castle itself.

The author has judiciously divided his work into two parts,— the first contains the narrative of his tour; the second is devoted to comparative view of the Canadas and the United States, in their natural and social condition, more especially as regards their capabilities for the agricultural emigrant. When we say that the younger brother has settled in the state of Illinois, it will be seen to which Mr. SHIRREFF gives the preference. His reasons (min- gled with sonic introductory speculations) occupy nearly one hun- dred and fifty pages in the volume; where the intending emigrant must seek them. We take our extracts from the former portion.

NEW YORK RACES.

There are few finer sights in England than a well-attended race-course in good weather. All ranks, from the King to the beggar, male and female, as- semble in their best equipages and gayest attire. Splendour anti beauty seem • York. tipper Canada. The Indian name has been adopted, to distinguish it from innumerable other Yorks. to regard the occasion granted for display; and the more immediate actors in the scene harmonize with the general pageant, a well-trained horse and his rider being a perfect mothd of chaste neatness. All is, however, different at New York. In the interior if the race-course. there were a limited number of

people, few equipages, aud a total want ef finery or display of any kind. The stands were crowded ; bat amongst the assembled multitude I could not have numbered more than thirty females, who, from their appearance, had nopreten- kiwis to the epithet of lady. The jockies were of Pll hues, generally coloured boys, whose black faces appeared very grotesque under their bright-coloared, ill-fitting dresses. One jockey, of small size end tender years, was clothed in shabby leather trowsers, which had formed knee-breeehes to their -original pea- sessur ; nod a second had his spindleshanks in old hoots of the largest dimen- sions, with strings below his knees to prevent his trowsers and boots patting company. Bridles and saddles were covered with mouW and rust, and in one instance a pair of stirrup-irons were walped with rope, to fit them for a little tawny foot. On coming up to start for the second heat, the horses displayed much impatience: being, generally, led hy one, and sometimes two men on heat, as motley and grotesque in appearance es the 'shiers. Two litre starts were made ; and at the time of finally getting away, one horse bad his rail in the di. rection of the others' heads. The joekies rude all in the same style., their toes being placed near to the nose of the horse, and their heads inclining busk alsove the tail. The second heat was run in time minutes awl fifiy-five seconds ; after which I withdrew, disappointed at what I had witnessed.

VISIT TO AN astearras; STATIST.

Returning to Philadelphia in the afterhoon, I deliveryi an introduetory letter to an eminent individual, who had been described to nu it as the Sir Joira Sinclair of Ante' itta, which appellation I horrid he well merited. A dirty-hark - tag girl opened the door of it house in one of the pi Menial sheets, and desired me to occupy a seat in the pas.age until came down stairs. The passages

was about five feet wide by forty in length, and so 'lark that objects were nor distinctly visible in the lightest part of it ; and in this hole, on a plaits Nvootleu. chair, I sat for upwards of a quarter of an hour before the gentleman made his appearance. During this interval of suspense, I debated with myself the indig- nity offered me. according to British notions, and whether I ought to leave my dungeon in disgust ; but, on reflection, I resolved to submit to any thing, short of insult .and imposition, that might come in the way, whilst amongst the Ame- ricans, for the double purpose of seeing character and insuring personal comfort —knowing how disahmeeable it would be to act at variative with the manners and cus llllll s of a nation, and vain to expect to bring the population to my way of thinking on such matters. The gentleman at last made his appearance, arta conducted me to a room, without saying a single word about the delay he had occasioned, or the situation in whirl I had been placed ; and from his manna's 'rejig easy and polite, I %vas led to conjecture that sitting in the dark lobby was a common MAD mure with his visiters. lt.Jvreceptioa was flattering, his offers of service extensive, and conversation, which was chiefly agricultural, inure fluent than profound.

AGRICULTURAL LABOURER,' waors A ND EA ;;E.

Men assisting at farm •wor k, in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, get from ten to twelve 'Collars, with maintenance, per month ; and they are not easily ob- tained to attend regularly at wol k. Young in iii aLl •A omen of the industrious classes in aut country dress in fashionable clothes of Ow fitte,t Links, before marriage, after which the wife becomes a lady, and generalise engages a hired girl or help. Thrashing-mu:hi:les are common, hut net gruel ; and when the flail is use I, barley and oats uost three cents, rye seven cents, and wheat twelte and a half cents per bushel, when firm-id—that is, fowl provided for the work- men. From the high price of human labour, emigrated vvith the price of food, Indian corn is often trod out ItY oxen. Craddlers generally mow round the field when the crop admits of doing so ; and stop truly when the scythe requires to Ito sharpol. Hay costs in elating, from one to one and a half dollar per acre. 31r. W— pointed out a field of rye which was a good clop, and which kr bail a few days before let to be craddled at seventy-five cents per acre, without board or any other etcetera. Tha craddler not heifers permitted to sit at table with the family, and disliking to eat iif the kitchen, 17 HI agreed to board with of 31r. W—'s labourers for forty-five cents per day ; rind wohld be thus fed,—viz. breakfast at seven o'clock, on us-heat -bread, rye-bread, fish, cheese, butter, and coffee ; luncheon at ten o'clock, on cold meat, pickled pork, cheese, butter, pickles, bread, and coffee ; dine at twelve, on every thing that is good and sub- stantial ; at five, is served coffee, with bread, butter, fruit, and fruit-pie. Oc- casionally supper is taken at seven, but this meal is considered superfluous.

LOWELL AND ITS COTTON STINNERS—A CONTRAST TO own ENGLAND.

Time stage from Newburghport to Lowell was crowded with well-dressed fe- males unembarrassed in manner, untainted with farwaribiess Of vulgarity, and who evidently had not been aectistoined to high life. On our art ival at Lowell, we observes: several stages deposit loads of the same sex ; which circumstance was accounted for by the extensive cuttou-manufacturies situated in the imme- diate mighbourhood. There is a constant success:oil of females departing from and arriving at Lowell. The high wages of those attending the facto" ies attract such as particularly want a SUM of money ; after obtaining which, they return

home. a

The females engaged in manufacturing amount to nearly five thousand ; and as we arrived at Lowell on the afternoon of Saturday, we had an opportunity of seeing those connected wth some of the largest cotton factinies retiring front la- bour. All were clean, neat, and fashionably attired, with reticules hanging on their arms, and calashes on their heads. They commonly walked arm in arm, without displaying levity. Their general appearance and deportment was such that few British gentlemen, in the middle ranks of life, need have been ashamed of leading any one of them to a tea-party. Next day being Sunday, we saw the young females belonging to tbe factories going to the chum% in their hest attire; when the favourable impressions of the proceeding evening were trot effaced. They lodge, generally, in boarding-houses, and earn about -8'. 6d. sterling per week, independent of board ; serving-girls earn about 4s. 3d. Lowell is connected with the village Belvedere by a bridge over the river Concord, the water of which is also employed in propelli llll machinery. In Lowell there are seven newspapers published, one of which is a daily paper. There are no less than forty religious and benevolent societies,—a magnitude of number, owing, perhaps, to the many religious sects wishful!, to equal each other

in good deeds. This village may be taken as au instance of giant strides by which the United States are advancing to greatness, and the immeasurable water power nature has lavished on them. The canal supplies more water than the present machinery requires; and, after inspecting the surplus in the canal and rivers' I ant of opinion, there is water enough to propel nearly one hundred times the machinery at present employed, and which might employ a population of above a hundred thousand souls. Britain is said to owe much of her greatness to the supply of coal with which she has been blessed ; but however extensive and available it may be, the water power of the United States will excel it in cheapness and magnitude. The price of labour is, and will likely continue, much cheaper in Bribun than in the United States; which seems the only circumstance that can ultimately give a • superiority to the manufactories of the former.

CANADIAN CHARACTERISTICS.

On the Canada side of the river, a wide road winds up the steep bank, at the top of which were carriages of different descriptions, and people walking to and fro. The ascent being long and difficult, affoided time for observation. Banks, rocks, trees, carriages, and people, appeared like those I had been accustomed to of late, and no important object indicated a change of territory. But cha- racters of countries and individuals may sometimes be learned from trifles. On walking up the banks of the river, an elevated board attracted notice, contain- ing the following inscription—" All persons found on these grounds will be prosecuted." 'I his was. so unlike any tiling I had seen in the States, that it impressed Inc with an Idea I had left the land of liberality, if not of libetty, and recalled associations connected with notice.boards of Scotland regarding steel-tiaps, spring guns, and prosecutions according to liw, which deface the country, and exhibit the characters of those who erect them.

Though we have waived the details of emigration, it may be asked what is our impression upon the subject, from the different pictures Mr. Sitinam- almost unconsciously presents ? To indi- vidual emigration it is not generally favourable. A healthy, bard-working, handy man, who can turn himself to any thing, and is ready with his head as well as his hands, will thrive. So will a small capitalist with a large family, who is prudent and has some knowledge of agriculture. But each party must make up their minds to endure considerable privation at the outset, in every thing except the mere quantity of food. Now that the markets, however, are pretty well stocked with labour, and the Canadian mode of selling land on credit tempts tho workman to assume the landlord, indiscriminate emigration seems of doubtful expediency. The poor people land in a not over healthy condi- tion, from the novel hardships and exposures of their voyage : if they do not fall sick and die, they have many long leagues to travel in seareh of employment ; they have not knowledge of them- selves to set about the journey, and often not ready intelligence to profit by the directions of others ; and they have come out, too, with most extravagant hopes. Ere they have settled to work, their money is exhausted, and many sink down into the nuisances of a neighbourhood, or become jobbing hangers-on about a place, and earn just enough to exist upon. In short, till colonization is undertaken on an extensive and organized plan, we suspect the only persons who can now emigrate with the certainty of success, are those aspiring individuals who being ambitious of founding families, of necessity look to a remote return to their speculations, or people who have met with reverses at home, and would rather struggle anywLere than amongst their own connexions.