many others from buying.  These two men whom I went with, told them that they would get some one to go out from Connecticut, to make the case, and thought they could be made for about eighteen or twenty dollars apiece, which would then make the whole clock cost about forty dollars—­not so very costly after all; for a clock was then considered the most useful of anything that could be had in a family, for what it cost.  I entered into an agreement with these men at once, and a few days after, we three started on the 14th Dec., 1812, in an old lumber wagon, with provisions for the journey, to the far off Jersey.  This same trip can now be made in a few hours.  We were many days.  We passed through Watertown, and other villages, and stopped the first night at Bethel.  This is the very place where P.T.  Barnum was born, and at about this time, of whom I shall speak more particularly hereafter.  The next morning we started again on our journey, and not many hours after, arrived in Norwalk, then quite a small village, situated on Long Island Sound; at this place I saw the salt water for the first time in my life, also a small row-boat, and began to feel that I was a great traveler indeed.  The following night we stopped at Stamford, which was, as I viewed it, a great place; here I saw a few sloops on the Sound, which I thought was the greatest sight that I had ever seen.  This was years before a steamboat had ever passed through the Sound.  The next morning we started again for New York, and as we passed along I was more and more astonished at the wonderful things that I saw, and began to think that the world was very extensive.  We did not arrive at the city until night, but there being a full moon every thing appeared as pleasant, as in the day-time.  We passed down through the Bowery, which was then like a country village, then through Chatham street to Pearl street, and stopped for the night at a house kept by old Mr. Titus.  I arose early the next morning and hurried into the street to see how a city looked by day-light.  I stood on the corner of Chatham and Pearl for more than an hour, and I must confess that if I was ever astonished in my life, it was at that time.  I could not understand why so many people, of every age, description and dress, were hurrying so in every direction.  I asked a man what was going on, and what all this excitement meant, but he passed right along without noticing me, which I thought was very uncivil, and I formed a very poor opinion of those city folks.  I ate nothing that morning, for I thought I could be in better business for a while at least.  I wandered about gazing at the many new sights, and went out as far as the Park; at that time the workmen were finishing the interior of the City Hall.  I was greatly puzzled to know how the winding stone stairs could be fixed without any seeming support and yet be perfectly safe.  After viewing many sights, all of which were exceedingly interesting to me, I returned to the house where my