of you, but be at the meeting to-night, and do what is just to this poor broder, and pay his board honourable, for it is a downright shame it has not been settled long ago. Come one then-come all, and do not forget to bring with you what is needful to assist our friend-so will you prove yourselves good Christians. Come then-for God's sake, come!" This harangue, with all its repetitions, is nearly, word for word, as I heard it spoken; and what surprised me most was, that even previously to his appeal, the plate had already been sent three times round in my presence. The poor blacks, it is true, gave only cents or coppered coin, but I should imagine such frequent levies must have the effect of disheartening some of them from going to church. I may observe that, as the day was warm, the faces of the listeners shone like burnished silver in the sun. I was struck also by the gay, flaring colours of the female costume. It was evident, however, that this was quite according to the taste of the gentlemen, whom I could every now and then see directing furtive, admiring glances at their sable dulciners.

BOSTON CITY, Ward Four, is so exceedingly wealthy, that at the last valuation, in 1852, it was assessed on a valuation of seventy-five millions of dollars-being nearly sixteen millions more than that of the real property in the entire State of Vermont,-more than four times the valuation of the real and personal estates in Boston on the first year of the present century, and more than double that in 1815, forty years ago. It exceeds the

valuation of the entire city in 1832, and nearly trebles in amount that of the whole real property of Boston ten years before, when the city-charter was adopted. In fine, the taxes paid on the property in this single ward greatly exceed in amount the aggregate expenditure of the four States of New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, for the year 1852.

XIII.-INDEPENDENCE DAY AT

DORCHESTER.

THE fourth of July, in the United States, is looked on all the year round as the leading fête day of the Americans; and the juvenile Yankees save up money for the occasion, to buy fireworks, treat their friends, &c. &c. The previous night is invariably one of bustle and preparation,-the firemen decorating their muchbeloved engines, others drilling the children of the various schools to walk in becoming order on the approaching day, and others again preparing triumphal arches or banners to grace the annual procession. On the night preceding that held in Dorchester, where I resided, sleep was wholly out of the question, owing to the vast numbers of itinerant performers, playing on old drums, French horns, fiddles, tin-kettles, &c., varied occasionally by music of a better character, addressed by love-sick serenaders to their ladies fair. Day was

ushered in by the frequent firing of artillery, merry ringing of church bells, the rapid ding-dong strokes of the fire-bells, and, in short, a Babel-like confusion of sounds, absolutely bewildering to an inexperienced stranger. The procession, which was formed at a pretty early hour, consisted of a cavalcade of mounted gentry and farmers, a long line of carriages containing ladies and gentlemen of the neighbourhood, followed by others conveying the magistrates and other officials of the town; next to whom came the Governor of Massachusetts with his staff, escorted by a body of Independent Cadets (a military company of gentlemen-volunteers); after these came the president of the day, Marshal P. Wilder, and the honourable Edward Everett (formerly Ambassador to the Court of St. James's), in carriages, followed by the committee, officials, and others, too numerous to mention. The pageant, too, was vastly improved by the accession of the fire companies, headed by the Boston brigade band, with the chief engineer on horseback, appropriately dressed, leading this part of the procession. The names of the different companies were:- first, the Fountain, a large-sized engine, almost covered with roses, evergreens, and flags, decked out by the girls of the place; secondly, the Protector, similarly decorated; thirdly, the Torrent (with its own band of music), the engine magnificently ornamented, and escorted by its company, a noble set of fine young men, who looked highly picturesque in their cool uniform of pure white shirts, black caps, and

trowsers, as they marched correctly in time to the sound of the music. These were followed by the Alert, the Independence, and the Tiger, which with their escorting companies, closed this section of the procession; and I may observe, that for this day only, the engines are drawn by finely-caparisoned horses. Another peculiar feature was a vehicle, shaped like a large boat, and drawn by eight horses, the captain and steersman of which were dressed in the uniform of Washington's time; and it was filled by several beautiful young ladies, scholars from the Everett school, escorted by flower girls and school children, whose pretty straw hats and white dresses gave a very gay appearance to the whole affair. The final destination of the pageant was a gigantic tent, on a height at a little distance, under shelter of which thousands listened in raptures to the eloquence of Edward Everett, the great American jurist, statesman, and scholar. The demonstration at Dorchester, in 1855, was of unusual magnitude, and brought thousands of people from Boston and the neighbouring places :-in fact, it was a day that will form quite an epoch in the annals of the good old town.

Celebrated as the birth place of that eminent statesman to whom we have just alluded, the inhabitants of Dorchester sent a deputation, in 1854, to wait on Mr. Everett, with a request that he would favour them with an oration on the approaching anniversary of American Independence. This celebration was, owing

to the delicacy of that gentleman's health, deferred till 1855; and, meanwhile, invitations were courteously sent to the inhabitants of Dorchester, in the English County of Dorset, by the descendants from which the American town was chiefly settled. The letter of invitation, and the reply, is as follows, and will be found to throw much historical light on the origin and progress both of the parent-town and its offspring, and are replete, also, with expressions of a cordial good-will and friendship subsisting between the two, and which, we trust, will ever abide unbroken between the people of these two great countries :

TO THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF DORCHESTER, DORSET, ENGLAND.

FRIENDS,

May 8th, 1855.

Your place being the residence of many of our progenitors, and from which this town derived its name, we address you with an affectionate interest.

It is, comparatively, but a few years since our ancestors left their quiet homes, and launched forth upon the ocean, to make a new home for themselves and posterity, and take up their abode in this, then inhospitable wilderness of savages and wild beasts. As we look back upon the history of this period, it appears as if events had been transpiring for two centuries-to bring forth and educate for the work this inestimable race of men. They came to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences; and although their treatment of those who differed from them in religious sentiments was often harsh, cruel, and almost inexcusable; yet we must remember, that they were the most tolerant of their age-and that toleration was a doctrine not then dreamed of by the great mass of mankind; even now,