Arose early and got every thing in preparation so that we started in the boat for Philadelphia at 7 o’clock. Such a crowded boat. The company has a monopoly in the Railroad from Amboy to Bordentown, and they have dropped all the lines but this. There were more passengers and more baggage than could be accommodated. Among others I met our companions of yesterday, and Governor Knight of the Senate and St. Clair Clarke. The Post Office Committee of the Senate of which the last is Secretary and the other a member sit in Philadelphia tomorrow.

We travelled very quietly in the Railroad Cars the distance from 8Amboy to Bordentown in two hours and thirty five minutes which is quite reasonable going, the distance is I believe about thirty five miles. My mother bore the riding quite well though somewhat fatigued. We reached Philadelphia at a few minutes after three.

After an ineffectual attempt to get in at the United States Hotel we went to the North American kept by a Mrs. Yohe’s, and found ourselves on the whole pretty comfortable, so much so that I advised and my Mother concluded to remain here tomorrow.

The late dinner we had took up the afternoon, and as I had nothing to do, in the evening I thought I would drop in at the Theatre almost opposite our hotel and see Matthews give one of his “at homes.”1 The house which is a pretty but not a convenient one was quite filled. Matthews is now rather old, and after many experiences has come out for the second time to this Country to see if he can fill his pockets as well as he did the first. If I might judge from the entertainment of tonight he will hardly succeed. For he certainly was quite tiresome. His jokes are old, and no imitations however good can put new life into them, while his age shows itself in frequent repetition. After all it must be doubted whether he has not consulted his pocket at the expense of his reputation. For as a comic actor to perform a part assigned, he was excellent and still remains so. For as Nicholas Frefoil in a short afterpiece with the rest of the company he was admirable. His acting is the nature of a man sensible of great comic power—No straining after the applause of the vulgar, by buffoonery. As such I remembered him and was glad though so late to recognize him, but I could not sit out all the performances.

A most lovely day with all the peculiar haze and softness of what we call Indian Summer in this Country. I was up early and out walking the Streets. My first visit was to the Mint, a new building of considerable beauty in the upper part of the town. My purpose was to exchange 9a few gold pieces which my wife has had for some time past for similar pieces of the new coinage to gain the premium. But I took the opportunity of looking through the Establishment itself. It occupies the four sides of a square, with rooms connected with each other all round. On the left hand is the melting, in the back, the rolling and cutting, while the third side contains the stamping which is the most curious part of the process. The machine is worked by a lever and screw. The flat piece is placed in a certain receptacle and it is thrown out stamped on both sides and edge, a perfect coin, there being also a portion of the work so constructed as to reject imperfect pieces. Of this however I am not sure. My only evidence of it being certain pieces lying in among the machinery which were manifestly defective. The front which forms the other side of the square contains the Offices for the despatch of business. After some difficulty and negotiation I succeeded in procuring what I wished although the Director did not give me as much as I think he was bound to do. It is not my way however, to make difficulties.

I went away and passed the remainder of my time in walking the Streets and visiting various public buildings and shops. Among others the Repository for the Porcelain China manufactured here—An infant branch which does not succeed in the higher department. Indeed our luxury although it has somewhat increased is yet hardly equal to sustaining this especially when in competition with the foreign manufacture.

I returned home to dinner, on the whole pleased with the appearance of Philadelphia. There is something solid and comfortable about it, something which shows permanency. 1 Every thing looks neat, the steps are white, the entries clean, the carriages nice, the houses bright. All this betokens perhaps too nice attention to the minutiae of life, but the effect upon the eyes of strangers cannot be denied to be cheerful and inviting. I think I should like to live in Philadelphia very well. It seems to me to combine many of the essentials to mere bodily enjoyment and not a few of those of the mind. New York is all display, Baltimore is upstart, Washington is fashion and politics, Boston is unbending rigidity. I think Philadelphia has niether of these faults. Perhaps the greatest might be tameness, but that is almost equally shared with all our American cities.

In the afternoon, after going to the Boat and finding Wilson just arrived with the Carriage, I gave him his orders and spent the remaining hours at the Exhibition of the Academy of Arts. Here is quite a tolerable collection of pictures. One of Allston’s I had never seen be-10fore—The bones of Elisha. One or two of Leslie’s with several pretty small ones. I had not time to do justice to the collection. The twilight obscured the pictures and I could not judge of them. The taste for Art was low in Philadelphia. All the Newspapers complain of want of patronage to this exhibition. Indeed for public spirit Boston is incomparably beyond all the Cities.

Evening passed in conversation with my Mother who has not left her room. She seems feeble today but decides to go tomorrow. I was fatigued and retired early.