admitted they had never seen anything equal to this fete in the several countries from which they came -- the blaze of light and beauty, the decorations of the military officers, the combination of rich colours which met the eye at every glance, the brilliant circle of fashion in the galleries, everything in the range of sight being inexpressibly beautiful, and doing great credit and honour to the managers and all engaged in this novel spectacle. The guests numbered several thousand, but there was abundant room for the dancing, which commenced at an early hour, and was kept up until about three o'clock in the morning.

Lafayette proceeded up the Hudson almost immediately, making but few stops on his way to Albany. One of these pauses was at Hudson, where a great rece]:)tion was given in his honour. To have met and conversed with the celebrated visitor was an honour which many a budding beauty of that day treasured till threescore and ten one, indeed, long past fourscore, told the present writer of her life-long regret that she had allowed the denial of a new gown to stand in the way of her going, and described the costumes of her friends, which included white gloves with the portrait of Lafayette painted upon the backs. The year following Lafayette's visit brought another event to be written large in the chronicles of Castle Garden. One of the brightest of the spectacular dis])lays that New York witnessed in the first half of the nineteenth century was that connected with the completion of the Erie Canal, 1825. A fleet as large as had ever assembled before the city up to that time thronged the river, and the vessels were decorated with bunting and