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cannot have a collation, ever so slight, When he wishes for it, but must wait the regular hour of the table d’héte.” A gentleman at any of the hotels may not only have any thing to eat and drink when he wishes, but he may, if he chooses, have a room to himself, and dine when he pleases, though, certainly, by paying higher. It is seldom, however, that any one thinks of leaving the table d’héte ; and doing so would be considered. an afl‘ectation of greatness, that would gain no additional attendance from ,the servants, nor any respect from others. The public post and other carriages in America, are by no‘means so comfortable as ours, but the inland navigation of the country, and the splendid accommodations of their steam-vessels, are far superior to any thing of the kind in Europe.

The public amusements are principally theatrical entertainments, which were at last established, after some violent struggles to repeal the absurd legisla- tive enactment that prohibited them. The managers of the principal theatres, and the public patronage,

,have been sufficiently liberal to induce many of our best actors to visit that country; and they have also some native actors of very fair talents.

Balls, pic-nic parties, water excursions, resorting to the fashionable springs of Saratoga and Balston, are other sources of pleasure. Horse-racing is, how- ever, perhaps the amusement that excites the greatest interest all over the United States.

They have also some barbarous diversions, one of which, “ Gander-pulling,” is considered peculiar to