their faults only, as
might have been expected in an officer of Her Majesty's navy, but to
their virtues, attainments, and enterprises. He has been out spying
the land, and brings back a report which, though not new to those in
the habit of reading American newspapers, and talking with American
visitors, will be both new and interesting--we should hope
stimulative--to the majority of our countrymen. We shall fulfil a
duty, and confer benefit as well as pleasure, by picking out of the
captain's log-book some of the choicest samples of Uncle Sam's
'cuteness, which will serve to shew, at the same time, the progress
and prospects of that great commonwealth.

Captain Mackinnon believes the mind of the Americans to be the keenest
and most adaptable in the world. They acquire information of any kind
so rapidly, and have such ready dexterity in mechanical employments,
that the very slightest efforts put them on a par with Europeans of
far greater experience. After describing New York--which we shall
return to, if we have space--the author gives the results of a visit
to the dockyards at Brooklyn, Boston, and other places. Brooklyn
'contains perhaps the finest dry-dock in the world.' Here he saw all
the latest English improvements improved! He was informed, on
unquestionable authority, that no new instrument of war is elaborated
in England, without being immediately known to the authorities in the
United States; and that the commission of naval officers, now sitting
at Washington to re-organise the navy ordnance and gunnery exercise,
are assisted materially by the experience of men educated in Her
Majesty's ship _Excellent_.

The first object of interest in approaching the Fulton Ferry was a
large ship, which was loading with wheat for Europe. To accelerate the
introduction of the cargo, a grain-elevator was employed. This novel
machine pumped the grain from barges or canal-boats, on one side, in a
continuous stream into the ship's hold, at the rate of 2000 bushels
per hour. It was not only passed into the vessel at this prodigious
rate, but likewise accurately measured in the operation. American
naval officers have taken a hint from this ingenious labour-saving
contrivance, and successfully adapted it to the purpose of supplying
powder with great speed and regularity to the batteries of large
ships.

What are those huge castles rushing madly across the East River? Let
us cross in the _Montauk_ from Fulton Ferry, and survey