About forty years ago the two towns of Baltimore, and the Point, contained only two brick houses, and a few wooden ones:  in a late edition of Salmon’s Geography, I find Baltimore described as consisting of a few straggling houses, scarcely deserving the name of a town.  Within these fifteen years it has increased in size and population beyond all precedent.  It now contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants; and, in point of trade, Baltimore is the fourth town in America.

The following anecdote will give you some idea of the growth of the town, and amazing increase in the value of land:—­

An english gentleman, who emigrated to this country some years ago, built a small country seat on the side of the race ground; this house is now in the possession of a colonel Rogers, and in the centre street of Baltimore.  The colonel has sold the wings for two thousand guineas to build upon, and still retains the house.

But the improvements have not advanced in proportion to the buildings; there is scarcely a dozen lamps in the whole town, which is badly paved, &c.

All the inhabitants agree as to the necessity of establishing a powerful, and energetic government, for the regulation of the town, somewhere; but though frequent town meetings have been called, they cannot agree about the means.

Something must soon be done, as the nuisances are every day increasing.

Yours sincerely, &c.

Since writing the above, the general assembly has ordered fifty thousand dollars be raised by lottery, which are laid out in paving the town, and clearing the Basin.  Two enormous machines have been constructed on the dutch plan, to work with oxen, which make such progress in clearing the channel, that it is expected in a few years it will be sufficiently deep, to admit the largest merchantmen to come up to the wharfs of the town.  And since my landing in England, my brother informs me, Baltimore is at last incorporated; a vigorous police established; and improvements are going on with spirit.

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Baltimore, November 27th, 1794.

DEAR SIR,

Yours of the 21st of August I received.—­So I find you fall into the commonplace notion of the English, that manufactories are forming here, which will in a short time render all importation of british goods unnecessary.  Take my word for it, you have nothing of that kind to fear, whilst the United States have so few inhabitants, and so much of their best land uncultivated.  It is not their interest to engage in manufactories; and when the country is sufficiently populous, it will be easier to conquer South America, and procure thence the means of purchasing commodities, than to go through the drudgery of their fabrication:  but at present such is the cheapness of land, and the high price of wheat, and other produce, that it has