who has arranged for the principal engineer to go
with us, and he is to take us in the director's car, which we are to
have to ourselves, and this gentleman, Mr. Tyson, is to let us stop
whenever we have a fancy to do so. We are to go fast or slow as we may
prefer. We are to start on Tuesday morning, at the tail of the express
train, and we have only to give the signal when our car will be
detached. There are only two or three trains daily for passengers; but
there are goods' and extra trains for various purposes, which are
constantly running at different speeds on the road. It is by reattaching
ourselves to any of these, that we can, when we like, effect all this,
and have an opportunity of seeing, in the most leisurely manner, and
without any detriment to the other passengers, the various parts of the
road that may be worth exploring. The line is very beautiful, and I hope
Mr. Tyson will be prepared for my frequently stopping him when I see
trees, with their splendid red leaves that I may wish particularly to
gather. We are to take our food in this carriage, if necessary, and
have beds made up in it, so as to make us quite independent of inns, and
we may pass as many days as we like upon the road. We are to do this
because, though some of the hotels are good, we may not find them at the
exact places where we wish to stop. Papa has no connection with this
road, and it must be American appreciation of his virtues which has led
the officials to deal with us in this luxurious way.

On Tuesday the 19th inst., therefore, we make our real start for the
West, and shall probably the first night reach Harper's Ferry, a place
which President Jefferson, in his "Notes on Virginia," which you will
find in papa's library, said, was "one of the most stupendous scenes in
nature, and well worth a voyage across the Atlantic to witness;" and
this was written when these voyages were not so easily accomplished as
they are now. But this railway has opened up scenery which was not known
to Jefferson, and is said far to surpass, in beauty, even this
celebrated Harper's Ferry; but of this we shall soon be able to judge
for ourselves.

_October 18th._--This must be posted to-day before we lionise this
place, so I shall reserve all I have to say about Washington till my
next, and shall fill up this page with a description of a real live
"Topsy" slave, with whom we have made acquaintance here. She is
fourteen, the property of an old Miss D. We n