Description of a certain class of men, — Build a dock, — Have to deal with curious characters, and consummate villians,— Make the best arrangement in my power, — Sycophants, — Eastern land speculation, — I get into it, — Romantic calculations, — Get handsomely cheated, — A visit, — Incident,— Meet a squatter, — Previous description of him, — Stop with a private family, — Interesting, — Scarcity of Gospel preaching, — Incidents, — Leave for Bangor, — Visit the Indians at Old Town, — Politeness of a Souaw. — Return to Boston, — Go South for timber,— Make an acquaintance at Washington,— Conversation on the South, — Slavery, — Bitter against the North, — His niggers better oil than many white men at the North, — Method of punishing his slaves, — Gives me much information about his plantation, — Slave dealer and slaves, — Description, — Arrive at Richmond, — Have a view of the slaves, — Price of servants, — Finds out I am from the North, — Indignation towards me, — Some difficulty in Wilmington, — Adjusted, — Go onboard the boat, — Reflections, — Arrive at Charleston,— Think of purchasing, — A pompous down east captain. — His mistake,— Arrive at Savannah, — Attend Sabbath School, — Former worship,— Attend Marshall's church, — Description, — Some account of Marshall, — Solemnity of his worship, — Return to Charleston, — Travel North with Henry Clay, — Sail for Wilmington.
In the former part of this Look, I had occasion to speak of a certain class of men, whose principle aim was to defraud and impose upon all who came within their power. But there are others, who, under the garb of sanctity, would draw every drop of the vital fluid from your veins in order to subserve their own purpose. They always approach you with the bland smile, and the outstretched hand. But always suspect a man who affects great softness of manner, an unruffled evenness of temper, and an enunciation studied, slow, and deliberate. These things are all unnatural, and bespeak a degree of mental discipline into which he that has no purposes of craft or design to answer, cannot submit to drill himself.
The most successful knaves are usually of this description, as smooth as razors, dipped in oil, and as sharp. They affect the innocence of the clove, which they have not, in order to hide the cunning of the serpent which they possess. And I will venture to say, there is not a man, who has reached the age of fifty, that has not come in contact with men of the above description. The longest life is but one series of experiments, or developments which cannot be recalled, and can only be used as beacon lights for others. We hear much said of friendship. I doubt whether a man or woman lives, that can properly define this ambiguous term. The bee is the friend of the honeysuckle while its petal contains the sweet; but after that has ceased, he buzzes by, searching for another.
The deceitfulness of friendship has ruined thousands. There does not exist upon earth, either community or fraternity, where it disinterestedly predominates over the baser passions. Yet, in every sphere, and in every grade, we find isolated instances of pure friendship, that needs no transformation; it comes in its own celestial garb. Oh, yes; amidst the dearth of this deceitful world, it comes like the sweet note of the skylark, which directs the eye upward. "Yet verily the man is a marvel whom truth can write a friend." Bid selfishness induce a Howard, a Lawrence, a Miss Fry, and a host of others, who lived only to dry the tear of affliction? Oh, no; contrast these, with those grovelling wretches, stationed upon the curb-stone or seated behind some office table who, with palsied hands and watery eyes, are greedily devouring from some morning print, the price of stocks, and rate of interest; who are waiting the application of some needy individual whom they may, as an act of friendship, completely fleece; thus carrying distress and mortification into the bosom of a once lovely family.
It may be that I have dwelt rather long upon a subject which it may well be said, " every body knows." But as I shall have occasion to show up some of these " chaps " before I get through, it will do no harm to introduce them now. In 1833, through the suggestion of the captain of a Norwegian vessel, I made the model of a dry-dock, such as were in use in Norway. As the nature of our business required the workmen to be much of the time in the water, a dock of this simple construction, would obviate much of this unpleasant exposure. Not having a suitable place in which to locate it. We did nothing about it until 1S35.