Diary in America, Series Two

The narrator sets out as a keen observer, convinced that an outsider can spot the little quirks that locals overlook. He muses that even native Britons often postpone seeing their own famous landmarks, and he applies that same blindness to Americans, who know little of each other's distant states. With wry humor he challenges a skeptical lady who dismisses a curious Southern custom, using the exchange to illustrate how vast the continent is and how easily a single anecdote can be dismissed.

He then turns to the practicalities of travel, describing how America’s endless rivers and expanding railways shape its roads and towns. While praising the organization of eastern townships, he notes the uneven, hilly surfaces that test both carriage springs and passengers alike. Through these observations he hopes to give readers—both at home and abroad—a clearer picture of the nation’s character, its regional idiosyncrasies, and the everyday realities of moving across a young, sprawling country.