APPENDIX.                                                         329

Imagine in a large hall, collected, and displayed, in one grand view, the flags and emblems, and costly decorations, which, in a continued and scattered procession, called forth such enthusiasm of admiration. Imagine them presented in one overwhelming view, blazing with light, and bright with reflected beauty; and when a proper idea is formed of the complete enchantment of the scene, add to this, in one prodigious mirror, the whole reflected back in trebled brilliancy, doubling the immense area, including the thousand lights that sparkled around, to tenfold greater splendor. And when all this is done, the imagination of the whole scene will be faint to the reality. Floods of light were poured forth from every point, which was glanced back by the glittering array of the military, and a thousand other objects of brilliant reflection.

But entrancing above all other enchantments of the scene, was the living enchantment of beauty-the trance which wraps the senses in the presence of loveliness, when woman walks the halls of fancy--magnificence herself--the brightest object in the midst of brightness and beauty. A thousand faces were there, bright in intelligence. and radiant with beauty, looking joy and congratulations to each other, and spreading around the spells which the loves and the graces bind on the heart of the sterner sex.

It only remains to speak of the ladies’ supper-room, which was separated from the large apartment, by flags elegantly festooned, and raised at the given signal. Mirrors, and splendid lights,, and emblems, and and statues, and devices, beyond the writer's abilities to describe, ornamented this part of the house in common with the rest. Upon the supper table was placed, floating in its proper element, (the waters of Erie,) a miniature canal boat, made entirely of maple sugar, and presented to Governor Clinton by Colonel Hinman, of Utica. The refresh­ments were excellent, and considering the vast number who were to partake of them, very plentifully provided.   At a reasonable hour the company retired, with memories stored for future conversation, with the events, and decorations, and splendors of "The Grand Canal Ball."

    During the visit of the western committees, they received every attention from the Corporation. They were accompanied by committees on visits to our principal institutions, and a dinner was given them at Bellevue. They remained several days enjoying the hospitalities of the city; and when they departed with their boats for the West, they were furnished with a keg of water taken from the "briny deep," for the purpose of being mingled with the waters of Lake Erie.

330                                               APPENDIX.

     The keg was handsomely ornamented with the arms of the city, over which were the words, in letters of gold, “Neptune's return to Pan," and under the same, the words, “New York, 4th Nov. 1825." Upon the other side of the keg were the words, ”Water of the Atlantic."

The Seneca Chief arrived at Buffa1o, on Wednesday, November the twenty-third, after a quick and prosperous passage. The committee was received with a hearty welcome, and it was resolved to complete the grand ceremonies by mingling the waters on Friday the twenty­-fifth. Accordingly, on that day, a large and respectable number of ladies and gentlemen, with the village band of music, repaired on board the boat, at the upper dock, and were towed from thence through the basin into the Lake, by several yawl boats, which were politely fur­nished by the masters of the different vessels then lying at the wharves. At ten o'clock, A. M., the ceremony of mingling the waters, under a salute from Captain Crary's artillery, was per­formed by Judge Wilkeson, who delivered an appropriate address on the occasion; after which the boat was towed back to the dock, and the company dispersed with all those feelings  of gra­tification which the interesting ceremony was calculated to produce. In the evening, the gen­tlemen of the village assembled at the Eagle Tavern, and unanimously passed sundry resolu­tions expressive of their sincere acknowledgments for the polite and hospitable treatment their committee had received from the corporation and citizens of New York and Albany, and the respective villages along the whole line of the Canal.

Thus  was  the  proud  festival  and  the  attendant  ceremonies  concluded.  And  thus  has  closed one  of  the  greatest,  happiest,  proudest,  most  propitious  scenes,  our  state  has  ever  witnessed. Excepting  that  day  on  hich  she  joined  the  national confederacy, there is none like it. What visions of  glory  rush  upon  the mind, as it attempts to lift the curtain of futurity and survey the rising destiny of New York through the long vista of years to come! For, whatever party rules, whatever political chief rises or falls, agriculture, manufactures and commerce, must still remain the greatest of our concerns; and by the opening of the Canal, these three great vital interests are all most eminently promoted. What a wide spread region of cultivated soil has already been brought within the near vicinity of the greatest market on our continent! How many manufacturing establishments have had the value of every thing connected with them doubled by this "meeting of the waters!" How vastly have the internal resources of this metropolis been in one day practically  extended!  Without  adverting  to  the  cheering  prospects  of  future  times,  how  much  has been  already  effected  at  this  present  hour,  in  the  enhancement  of  the  total  value  of  the whole state!  If  we  justly  consider  the  Hudson,  flowing  through  the  densest

        APPENDIX.                                                               331

population and best cultivated territory, an invaluable blessing, and indeed, a leading feature of our local advantages, what must be the opening of a new and additional river, twice the navig­able length of the Hudson, and traversing a region, whose population and agricultural wealth will soon rival, and even surpass, those of its banks? A river which, in one year more, will carry our trade to the foot of the Falls of St. Mary, and will eventually give us access to the most remote shore of Lake Superior !

        The authors and builders--the heads who planned, and the hands who executed this stupen­dous work, deserve a perennial monument; and they will have it. To borrow an expression from the highest of all sources, "the works which they have done, these will bear witness of them." Europe begins already to admire--America can never forget to acknowledge, that THEY HAVE BULT THE LONGEST CANAL IN THE WORLD IN THE LEAST TIME, WITH THE LEAST EXPERIENCE, FOR THE LEAST MONEY, AND TO THE GREATEST PUBLIC BENEFIT.

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