TheEuropeantouchesseveraltimesatdifferentportsinthecourseofalongvoyage;helosesagooddealofprecioustimeinmakingtheharbor，orinwaitingforafavorablewindtoleaveit;andhepaysdailyduestobeallowedtoremainthere。TheAmericanstartsfromBostontogotopurchaseteainChina;hearrivesatCanton，staysthereafewdays，andthenreturns。Inlessthantwoyearshehassailedasfarastheentirecircumferenceoftheglobe，andhehasseenlandbutonce。Itistruethatduringavoyageofeightortenmonthshehasdrunkbrackishwaterandliveduponsaltmeat;thathehasbeeninacontinualcontestwiththesea，withdisease，andwithatediousexistence;butuponhisreturnhecansellapoundofhisteaforahalf—pennylessthantheEnglishmerchant，andhispurposeisaccomplished。
IcannotbetterexplainmymeaningthanbysayingthattheAmericansaffectasortofheroismintheirmanneroftrading。
ButtheEuropeanmerchantwillalwaysfinditverydifficulttoimitatehisAmericancompetitor，who，inadoptingthesystemwhichIhavejustdescribed，followsnotonlyacalculationofhisgain，butanimpulseofhisnature。
TheinhabitantsoftheUnitedStatesaresubjecttoallthewantsandallthedesireswhichresultfromanadvancedstageofcivilization;butastheyarenotsurroundedbyacommunityadmirablyadapted，likethatofEurope，tosatisfytheirwants，theyareoftenobligedtoprocureforthemselvesthevariousarticleswhicheducationandhabithaverenderednecessaries。InAmericaitsometimeshappensthatthesameindividualtillshisfield，buildshisdwelling，contriveshistools，makeshisshoes，andweavesthecoarsestuffofwhichhisdressiscomposed。Thiscircumstanceisprejudicialtotheexcellenceofthework;butitpowerfullycontributestoawakentheintelligenceoftheworkman。
Nothingtendstomaterializeman，andtodeprivehisworkofthefaintesttraceofmind，morethanextremedivisionoflabor。InacountrylikeAmerica，wheremendevotedtospecialoccupationsarerare，alongapprenticeshipcannotberequiredfromanyonewhoembracesaprofession。TheAmericans，therefore，changetheirmeansofgainingalivelihoodveryreadily;andtheysuittheiroccupationstotheexigenciesofthemoment，inthemannermostprofitabletothemselves。Menaretobemetwithwhohavesuccessivelybeenbarristers，farmers，merchants，ministersofthegospel，andphysicians。IftheAmericanbelessperfectineachcraftthantheEuropean，atleastthereisscarcelyanytradewithwhichheisutterlyunacquainted。Hiscapacityismoregeneral，andthecircleofhisintelligenceisenlarged。