*f^^ 
 
 
 # 
 
 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 1.0 Sfitt U£ 
 
 1.1 l"^^ 
 
 IL25 IU 11.6 
 
 I9E i^ ■■■ 
 
 6" 
 
 
 Photographic 
 
 Sdmces 
 
 CarpoFatkHi 
 
 4(!S 
 
 23 WIST MAIN STRMT 
 
 1MnSTIR,N.Y. MSM 
 
 (7U)t7a-4S03 
 
 

 CIHM/ICMH 
 
 Microfiche 
 
 Series. 
 
 CIHIVI/ICMH 
 Collection de 
 microfiches. 
 
 Canadian Inatituta for Hiatorical Microraproductiona / InatHut Canadian da mieroraproductiona hiatoriquaa 
 
Taehnieal and IbWp y phlc NoMi/NcrtM tMhniquM at MbUographkiuM 
 
 TiMlfMtltUt* 
 
 original eo^ 
 copy wMGn 
 «vhleh may 
 raproduetion. 
 
 attamiMad to ototain tha baat 
 a vaMa bla for fNmlng. Faaturaa of tMa 
 ha Mhlln nranhln aBv imloiM. 
 any of tha Imafaa In tha 
 wMeh may tlonlfieantly ehaiHia 
 of fUminfl, ara ehaekad b alow. 
 
 □ Colourad eovara/ 
 Couvartura tfa eoulaur 
 
 |~~1 Covart damagad/ 
 
 D 
 
 Couvartura andommagia 
 
 Covart rastorad and/or lamlnatad/ 
 Couvartura raatauria at/ou pallieuMa 
 
 □ Covar titia mlMinfl/ 
 La 
 
 titra da couvartura manqua 
 
 I — I Colourad map*/ 
 
 Carta* g4ographiquaa an eoulaur 
 
 □ Colourad ink (i.a. othar than blua or black)/ 
 Enera da eoulaur (i.a. autra qua Maua ou noira) 
 
 D 
 
 Colourad platas and/or IHuatrationa/ 
 Planehaa at/ou illuttratlona an eoulaur 
 
 □ Bound with othar matarial/ 
 RalM avac d'autras documantt 
 
 D 
 
 D 
 
 Tight binding may causa shadow* or distortion 
 along intarior margin/ 
 
 Larsiiura sarrAs paut causer da I'ombra ou da la 
 distortion Is long da la matga intiriaura 
 
 Blank laavas addad during rastoration may 
 appaar within tha taKt. Whanavar possibla. thasa 
 hava baan omittad from filming/ 
 II sa paut qua cartainas pagas blanchas aJoutAas 
 lors d'una rastauration apparaissant dans la taxta, 
 mals. lorsqua cala Atait possibla. cas pagas n'ont 
 pas At* f ilmtes. 
 
 [3 
 
 Additional comments:/ 
 Commantairas supplAmantairas: 
 
 V«riou» pui n gi. 
 
 L'Inatltut a mIerofNm* la maWaur axamplalra 
 quit Mm§U poaslMa da sa proeurar. Laa ditaNs 
 da eat ai c ampi a lra qui sent paut-lcra uniques du 
 point da vua blbNographkiua, qui pauvant modifier 
 uno Image raproduita, ou qui pouvent exiger une 
 modlfieatlon dans la mithode normala de fHmage 
 sent indkiuds d-de s so u s. 
 
 I — I Colourod pages/ 
 
 Pagae da eouleur 
 
 Pagas damaged/ 
 Pages endommagies 
 
 Pages restored and/oi 
 
 Pages restaurias at/ou paHicuMes 
 
 Pagas discoloured, stained or foxw 
 Pages d^colorAes, tachaties ou piquAes 
 
 Pagas detached/ 
 Pages ditachtes 
 
 8howthrough> 
 Transparence 
 
 Quality of prit\ 
 
 Qualit* in^gaia de I'impression 
 
 Includes supplementary materli 
 Comprend du material supplAmentaira 
 
 Only edhion available/ 
 Seule MItion disponible 
 
 r~l Pages damaged/ 
 
 I — I Pages restored and/or laminated/ 
 
 Pyj Pagas discoloured, stained or foxed/ 
 
 I I Pagas detached/ 
 
 r~~y Showthrough/ 
 
 I I Quality of print varies/ 
 
 I I Includes supplementary material/ 
 
 I — I Only edhion available/ 
 
 o 
 
 T 
 si 
 
 M 
 di 
 er 
 b« 
 
 rif 
 re 
 m 
 
 D 
 
 Pagas wholly or partially obscured by errata 
 slips, tissues, etc.. have been refilmed to 
 ensure the best possible image/ 
 Les pages totalament ou partieilement 
 obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata. una pelure. 
 etc.. ont M filmAoA i nouveau de fapon h 
 obtenir la meilleure image possible. 
 
 This item is filmed at tha reduction ratio checked below/ 
 
 Ce document est film* au taux de reduction indlqu4 ci-dessous. 
 
 10X 
 
 
 
 
 14X 
 
 
 
 
 1SX 
 
 
 
 
 22X 
 
 
 
 
 2SX 
 
 
 
 
 30X 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 • 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 12X 
 
 
 
 
 1IX 
 
 
 
 
 aox 
 
 
 
 
 MX 
 
 
 
 
 28X 
 
 
 
 
 32X 
 
 
MtaNt 
 
 UMdU 
 
 tmodifi«r 
 gar un« 
 ) fiimag* 
 
 
 Tlwoopy 
 to the 
 
 L'( 
 
 
 DouglM Library 
 QuMfi't Unlvarslty 
 
 Tno Iniagw appoarlPig 
 of th« orlgliial Gopv 
 
 horo pro tho boot qutihy 
 
 In 
 
 Original ooplaa In printad papar covara ara Wmad 
 baglnning wMi tha front covar ami aMHng on 
 tha laat paga wHh a printad or Hhiatratad Impraa- 
 ■ion, or tha back eovar wlian a pproprl a ta. All 
 othar original coplaa ara flbnad baglnning on tha 
 firat paga with a printad or Hhiatratad Impraa* 
 •Ion, and anding on tha laat paga with a printad 
 or iiluatratad impraaalon. 
 
 Tha last racordad frama on aach microflcha 
 •hall contain tha •ymbol — ^> (moaning "CON- 
 TINUED"), or tha symbol Y (moaning "END"), 
 whichavar applias. 
 
 na M nonaia 
 
 nHna nil raproawi graaa a w 
 V. 
 
 Oouglaa Library 
 Quaan's Univarsity 
 
 sulvantaa ant otA raproduHaa avac la 
 aaln. aompta tanu da la condition ot 
 
 do raRamplaira nimo, at an 
 avac laa condMona du contrat da 
 
 Laa anamplalraa orlglnaiiii dont la couvartura an 
 paplar aat trnprlmaa aont famaa an commandant 
 par la pramlar plat at an tamdnant aolt par la 
 d amlira paga qui comporta una ampralnta 
 di m praaa l on ou dHhistratlon. solt par la sacond 
 plat, salon la caa. Toua laa autraa axamplairas 
 orlglnaux aont fHmda an common^am par la 
 pramMra paga qui comporta una ampralnta 
 dimpraaalon ou dlNustratlon at an tarmlnant par 
 la damMra paga qui comporta una taHa 
 ampralnta. 
 
 Un daa aymbdaa suhrants apparattra sur la 
 darnMra imaga da chaqua microflcha, salon la 
 cas: ia symbola — »> signifla "A 8UIVRE", la 
 symbolo ▼ signifio "FIN". 
 
 irs 
 
 IMaps, piatas, charts, ate, may ba fllmad at 
 diffarant raduction ratios. Thosa too larga to ba 
 antlraly included in ono axpoaura ara fUmad 
 baglnning in tha uppar laft hand comor, loft to 
 right and top to bottom, as many framas as 
 raquirad. Tha following diagrams iilustrata tha 
 mathod: 
 
 Laa cartas, planchas, tabiaaux, ate, pauvant Atra 
 filmia A daa taux da reduction diff Arants. 
 Lorsquo lo document ast trap grand pour Atra 
 raprodult on un soul cHchA, II aat fHmA A partir 
 da i'angia supArlaur gauoha, da gaucha A droKa. 
 at da haut an has. an pranant la nombra 
 d'imagas nAcassaira. Laa diagrammas suivants 
 lllustrant ia mAthoda. 
 
 y errata 
 »d to 
 
 nt 
 
 ie pelure, 
 
 9on A 
 
 1 2 3 
 
 vat. 
 
 12 3 
 
 4 5 6 
 
vv 
 
TRAVELS 
 
 THROUGH THB 
 
 DDLE SETTLEMENTS 
 
 IN 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 
 
 :t'-^' 
 
 In the Yean 1759 and 1760. 
 
 WITH 
 
 O B %^ R V A T I O N S 
 
 y PO N THE 
 
 STATE o^ THE COLONIES. 
 
 Bv TU RiT. ANDREW BURNABY, A.M. 
 ViCAft ev G&ftxiiviCH. 
 
 DUBLIN: 
 
 hs^ 
 
 nUNTED POR R.MARCUBANK,C0L£*8.ALLBr» 
 CASTLE-S'tREBT. ii,occ,lxxt. 
 
1 « 
 
 .:..i^ 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 A Few days before I em* 
 barked for America, be- 
 ing in a coffee- houfe with fome 
 friends, and difcourfing of things 
 relative to that country, an el- 
 derly gentleman advancing to- 
 wards the box where we were 
 fitting, addrefled himfelf to me 
 inthe following manner: "Sir,'* 
 faid he, " you are young, and 
 juft entering into the world j 
 A% " I am 
 
 <( 
 
 i4.w4 
 
 25 
 
' 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 I am old, and upon the point 
 of leaving it : allow me 
 therefore to give you one 
 piece of advice, which is the 
 refult of experience, and 
 which may poflibly, fome 
 time or other, be of ufe to 
 you. You are going to a 
 country where every thing 
 will appear new and Wonder- 
 ful to you J but it will ap- 
 pear fo only for a while; for 
 the novelty of it will daily 
 wesirofFj and in time it will 
 grow quite familiar to you. 
 Let me, therefore, recom- 
 mend to you to note in your 
 pocket-book every circum- 
 
 ** fiance. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ^* fiance, that make an impreffi- 
 on upon you ; for be aflured, 
 fir, though it may afterward 
 appear familiar and uninte- 
 refting to yourfelf, that it 
 will not-appear fo to your 
 friends who have never vifit- 
 ed that country, and that 
 they will be entertained by it.** 
 The following obfervations 
 were the refult of this advice : 
 they were written upon the fe- 
 veral fpots to which they refer; 
 and were intended for no other' 
 purpofe, than that of ferving as 
 memorandums. 1 hey appear- 
 ed, by the time that I returned 
 to Europe, according to the 
 
 A J gentle- 
 
vi INTRODUCTIQtl 
 
 gentleman's pfedidioh, To vcrf 
 familiar to me, that I fcarceljr 
 thought them deferving of the 
 perufal of my friends. Some of 
 thefe, however, were fo oblige* 
 ing as to beftow upon them that' 
 trouble ; and it is by their ad-* 
 vice, and the confideration of 
 the prefent critical fituation of 
 affairs, that I now fubmit them 
 to the judgment of the public.: 
 — ^Whatever may be their me-j 
 rit, which I fear is but fmall,* 
 one thing I can affure the rea-: 
 der of, I believe, they are gene- 
 rally true. They are the fruit 
 of the moft impartial inquiries^^ 
 and beft intelligence, that I 
 
 ^ was 
 
 c '-^ 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 vn 
 
 was able to procure in the dif- 
 ferent colonies which 1 vifited* 
 If I have been led into any er- 
 ror, or mifreprefcnted any thing, 
 it has been undefignedly: a fpi- 
 rit of party is univerfally preva- 
 lent in America, and it is not al- 
 ways an eafy matter to arrive at 
 the knowledge of truth ; but I 
 believe, in general, I have been: 
 pretty fuccefsful. I converfed 
 indifcriminately with perfons of 
 all parties, and endeavoured, by 
 allowing for prejudices and col- 
 lating .their different accounts, 
 to get at the true one. If I have 
 any doubt my felf about any par- 
 ticular part of the followingob- 
 
 / 
 
 fervations 
 
c^ 
 
 VUl 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 fervations (and it is one in which 
 I wiih I may be found to have 
 been mifinfcrmed), it is that 
 which relates to the charaAer 
 of the Rhode-Iflanders. I was 
 exceedingly ill at that place, and 
 had not the fame opportunity 
 of procuring information as elfe-^ 
 where. I converfed with but 
 few gentlemen in that colony, 
 and they were principally of one 
 party, but they were gentlemen 
 of fuch univerfal good charader,, 
 that I could not but rely in fome 
 meafure on the accounts which 
 they favoured me with. Some 
 allowance, however, I did make 
 for j^rejudice, and I am defirous 
 
 vthat 
 
 ! 
 
INTRODUCTION. ix 
 
 that the reader fhould make a 
 ftill larger one; indeed, I fhould 
 be happy to (land correded in 
 regard to what I have faid of 
 that people^ as no one can have 
 lefs pleafure in fpeaking unfa-- 
 vourably of mankind than my- 
 felf. 
 
 I have ftudroufly avoided alt 
 technical or fcientific terms i 
 fuch to the informed reader arc 
 unheceflary) to the uninformed 
 one they are ufelefs and per-^ 
 plexing : in relations of this, 
 kind, they have always an ap^ 
 pearance of afFedation and pe- 
 dantry. 
 
 A 5 
 
 The 
 
i 
 
 x\ INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The prefent unhappy dif- 
 ferences fubfifting amonjgft us^ 
 with regard to America, will^ 
 I am fenfible, expofe the 
 publication of this account 
 to much cenfure and criti- 
 cifm ; but I can truly aver, 
 that I have been led to 
 it, by no party motive what- 
 focver. My firft attachment^ 
 as it is natural, is to my na- 
 tive country ; my next is to 
 America ; and fuch is my af-^ 
 fedion for both, that I hope 
 nothing will ever happen to 
 diflblve that union, which is 
 fo neceffary to their common 
 
 hap- 
 
 
INTRODUCTION, xi 
 
 happinefs. Let every Englifti- 
 man and American, but for a 
 moment or two, fubftitute 
 themfelves in each pther*s 
 place, and, I think, a mode 
 of reconciliation will foon take 
 efFedl. — Every Anierican will 
 then, perceive the reafonablc- 
 nefs, of acknowledging the fu- 
 premacy of the Britifh legifla- 
 ture ; and every Englifliman 
 perhaps, the hardihips of being 
 taxed where there is no repre- 
 fentation, or aflent. 
 
 There is fcarcely any fuch^ 
 thing, I believe, as a perfcft 
 government, and folecifms are 
 
 to^ 
 
I 
 
 xii INTRODUCTION. 
 
 to be found in all. The pre- 
 fent difputes are feemingly the 
 refult of one. — Nothing can be 
 more undeniable than the fu- 
 premacy of parliament over the 
 mod: diftant branches of the 
 6riti{h empire: for although 
 the king being efteemed, in the $ 
 eye of the law, the original pro- 
 prietor of all the lands in the 
 kingdom ; all lands, upon de- 
 fea of heirs to Aicceed to an ^ 
 inheritance, efcheat to the king; 
 and all new difcovered lands 
 veft in him : yet in neither cafe 
 can he exempt them from the 
 
 .^ jurifdidiort 
 
 '.■-.!■■ 
 
INTRODUCTION, xiii 
 
 jurifdidion of the l^iilature of 
 the kingdom. : re 
 
 He may grant them, under 
 leaies or charters, to individu- 
 als or companies ; with liberty 
 of making rules and regulations 
 for the internal government and 
 improvement of them j but 
 fuch regulations muft ever be 
 confident with the laws of the 
 kingdom, and fubje£t to thetr 
 controuL 
 
 On the other hand, I am ex- 
 tremely dubious, whether it be 
 confiftent with the general prin- 
 ciples of liberty (with thofe of 
 
 the Britifh conftitution, I think 
 
 »-■-■■ • 
 
 it 
 
kW INTRODUCTION. 
 
 it is not), to tax where there is 
 no reprefentation : the argu- 
 ments hitherto adduced from 
 Manchefter and Birmingham, 
 and other great towns, not hav- 
 ing reprefentatives, are foreign 
 to the fubjeA; at leaft they are 
 by no means equal to it ; — for 
 every inhabitant, pofTefled of 
 forty (hillings freehold, has a 
 vote in the election of members 
 for the county : but it is not the 
 perfons, but the property of 
 men that is taxed, and there is 
 not a foot of property in this 
 kingdom, that is not reprefent- 
 
 ^.1 I. ■ 'It 
 
INTftOtitJCftON. xf 
 
 It appears then, that certain 
 principles exift in the Britifli 
 conftitution, which militatis 
 with each other ; the reafbn of 
 their doing fo is evident ; it 
 was never fuppofed that they 
 would extend beyond the limits 
 of Great Britain, or afFeft fo 
 diftant a country as America. 
 It is much to be wiflied, there- 
 fore, that fome expedient could 
 be thought of, to reconcile? 
 them. ^ 
 
 1 The conduA of the feveral 
 adminiftrations, that have had 
 the dircdion of the afFairs of 
 this kingdom, has been recipro- 
 cally 
 

 xvi INTRODUCTION; 
 
 caily arraigned ; but, I think, 
 without reafon ; for, all things 
 considered, an inipartial and 
 difpaflionate mind, will find 
 many excufes to allege in jufti- 
 iication of each. — The feweft, 
 I am afraid, are to be pleaded 
 in favour of the Americans, for 
 they fettled in America under 
 charters, which exprefsly refer- 
 ved* to the Britifh Parliament 
 the authority, whether conflf- 
 tent or not confident, now af - 
 ferted. Although,, therefore, 
 they had a right to. make hum- 
 ble reprefentations to his majef- 
 ty in parliament, and to fhew 
 
 the 
 
 * < t..* 
 
 I • 
 
1 f:< 
 
 INTRODUCTION, xvii 
 
 the impropriety and inconveni- 
 ence of inforcing fuch princi- 
 ples, yet they had certainly no 
 right to oppofe them. 
 
 Expedients may dill be found, 
 it is to be hoped however, to 
 conciliate the prefent unhappy 
 dilFerences, and reftore harmo- 
 ny again between Great Britain 
 and her colonies ; but what 
 ever meafures may be adopted 
 by parliament, I am fure, it is 
 the duty and intereft of America 
 to fubmit.— But it is imperti- 
 nent to enter any further into 
 the difcufHon of a fubjed, which 
 
 is 
 
sviii INTRODUCTION. 
 
 is at this time tinder the delibe- 
 ration of the moft augufl afTem- 
 bly in the world. I will, there- 
 fore, conclude with ia fincere 
 pmyer, that whatever meafures 
 may be adopted, they may be 
 different in their iffue, from 
 what the fears of men generally 
 l^ad them to preconceive ; and 
 that, if they be coercive ones, 
 they may be inforced, which, I 
 am perfuaded, is practicable, 
 without the eiFufion of a jfingle 
 drop of blood : if lenient ones, 
 which are preferable, and which 
 I think equally praAicable, 
 
 without 
 
 <?. 
 
INTRODUCTION, xix 
 
 'ithout any lofs or dimunition 
 )( the dignity or intereft of this 
 [kingdom. 
 
 Greenwich^ .. 
 Jan. 23d, 1773. ^ 
 
 A. BURNABY. 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 xntroduSlion — — page iii 
 
 tccount of WtlHam/buTg. Virginia 6 
 
 Virginia — — 9 
 
 the Pamtmky Indian town 5 2 
 Prederiq/burg — — i .55 
 
 the Falls of Rappahannoc 56 
 
 Spotfwoots Mines -r- 57 
 
 Mount Vernon — 60 
 
 the Falls of Potowmac — 64 
 
 Pignut Ridge and Blue Ridge 67 
 Winchejler — — 
 Maryland — — 
 Annapolis -— 
 Newcaflle — — 
 Philadelphia — 
 Penfylvania — 
 
 thejerfeys — 
 
 - 7a 
 81 
 82 
 
 - 92 
 
 94 
 
 99 
 118 
 
 Account 
 

 — Staten IJlahd 
 " N&wTori 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Account of Prince Town, Brunfwick 1 20 
 
 Perth Jimboy. Falls •— 123 
 
 — New Jerfey —— 1 26! 
 
 1 32! 
 
 '33J 
 
 H5 
 146 
 
 165 
 
 166 
 
 1681 
 
 171 
 
 191 
 
 196 
 
 aX 
 
 10 >*l 
 
 JLd;z^ IJtdnd. New York ' 
 
 Providence ■ ■ ■ 
 Pantucket Palls — 
 
 Maffachufefs Bay — 
 Pif cat aqua. New Hampjbire 
 
 General RefieClions — 
 
 £a 
 
 1^ 
 
 k 
 
 
 TRAVELS 
 
 
 c 
 
RAVELS 
 
 TRAVELS 
 
 THROUGH THE 
 
 MIDDLE SETTLEMENTS 
 
 • 4 , 
 
 IN 
 
 NOR TH- AM E RICA. 
 
 ON Friday the 27th of April 1759, 
 I embarked, in company with 
 feveral North -American gentlemen^ 
 on board the Difpatch, captain Necks, 
 for Virginia ; and the next day wefet 
 fail from Spithead, under convoy of his 
 majefly*s (hip the Lynn, captain Ster- 
 ling, commander, with thirty-three 
 fail of trading veffels. We came to an 
 anchor in the evening in Yarmouth 
 
 B Road, 
 
2 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 Road, and the next day failed with a 
 frefh eafterly wind through the Nee- 
 dles, 
 
 April 30.] We paffed by the Lizard, 
 and in the evesiing difcovered a fail, 
 which proved to be an Englifh (loop 
 laden with corn. She had been taken 
 by a French privateer, and was mak- 
 ing her way for France : there were 
 three Frenchmen and one Englifhman 
 on board. The commodore fent fbme 
 hands to her, with orders to carry her 
 t<? Penf atice. 
 
 May I,] Thick, hazy weather with 
 aifeir wind. A large fhip paffed 
 torough the iket about four o'cloek in 
 tth^i afternoon : ^^ in the evening 
 pother veflel bore down upon the 
 iiernmoft (hips, and fpoke with them. 
 
 May 2.] Fair, pleafant weather. 
 The next day we found by our reck- 
 oning that we had made a hundred 
 leagues from the Land's End. 
 
 May 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. ^ 
 
 May 4.] Strong, violcfat gales at 
 north and by weft. In the evening 
 the Molly, captain Chew, had her 
 matn-top-maft carried away, and hoift- 
 ed out a fignal of dMrcfs. 
 
 May 5.] From this time to the 14th, 
 nothing remarkable happened : the 
 wind was feldom &ir ; but the wea- 
 ther being moderate, we made fre- 
 quent vifits, and palTed our time very 
 agreeably. 
 
 May 14.] Captain Necks fell ill of 
 a fever, and continued indifpofedfe- 
 veral days : he began to mend about 
 the 17th. 
 
 May 19] In the afternoon, a fud- 
 den and violent fquall from the north- 
 weft obliged us to lye- to under our 
 reefed main-fail : it continued to in- 
 creafe,and blew a ftorm for about thir- 
 ty-fix hours, when it began to mode- 
 rate. 
 
 May 21.] We made fail in the fore- 
 noon, with about four (hips in com- 
 pany ; and the next day in the even- 
 
 B 2 ing 
 
I 
 
 4 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 ing were joined by eighteen more. 
 From that time to the 28th, nothing 
 remarkable happened ; we had gene- 
 rally pleafant weather, but adverie 
 winds. We frequently vifited; and 
 were much entertained with feeing 
 grampufes, turtles, bonetas, porpoifes, 
 i]ying and oth6r fifh, common in the 
 Atlantic. 
 
 May 28] We difcovered a large 
 fail 5 (he direded her courfe towards 
 the e aft. We took her to be an Eng- 
 lifli man of war going exprefs. She 
 carried three top-gallant fails. 
 
 May 31.] We fpoke with a floop 
 bound from Antigua to London. She 
 acquainted the commodore with the 
 agreeable news of his majefty*s forces 
 at Guadaloupe having reduced that 
 whole ifland under fubjedion to the 
 Britifh government. The wind ftill 
 continued unfavourable. 
 
 June 5.] We fpoke with a fnow 
 from Carolina, who informed the com- 
 modore. 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. $ 
 
 modore, that a French frigate was 
 cruifing oflF the Capcj of Virginia. 
 From that time to the nth, we had 
 nothing remarkable. The wind was 
 generally from weft to north-weft, and 
 there were frequent fqualls. with light- 
 ning We faw feveral bonetas, gram- 
 pufes, albicores, and fifti of different 
 kinds. 
 
 June I I.J The water appeared dif- 
 coloured ; and we concluded that we 
 were upon the Banks of Newfound- 
 land : we caft the lead, but found no 
 ground. The weather was thick and 
 hazy. Nothing remarkable happen-, 
 cd from this time to the 3d of July : 
 we had pleafa'nt weather, though now 
 and then fqualls with lightning. We 
 fell in with feveral currents and had 
 variable winds. 
 
 July 3.] We had fine weather, with 
 a gentle breeze at N. W. We were 
 now, according to the commodore's 
 reckoning (which we afterw rd found 
 
 B 3 to 
 
6 TRAVELS THROtJGH 
 
 to be true) about fixty leagues from 
 land. The air was richly fcented with 
 the fragrance of the pines. 
 
 July 4.] We faw a great many 
 floops, from whence we imagined that 
 we were near the coaft. The wind 
 was at eaft by north. 
 
 July 5.] About fix in the morning 
 we caught fome green fifh : upon this 
 we founded, and found eighteen fa- 
 thom water. At ten we difcovered 
 land, which proved to be Cape Charles ; 
 and about three hours afterward 
 failed through the capes into Chefa- 
 peak-Bay. The commodore took his 
 leave to go upon a cruife; and at eight 
 in the evening we came to an anchor 
 in York-River, after a tedious and 
 difagreeable voyage of almoft ten 
 weeks. 
 
 The next morning having hired a 
 chaife at York, I went to Williamf- 
 burg, about twelve miles diftant. The 
 road is exceedingly plcafant, through 
 
 . fome 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 7 
 
 fome of the fined tobacco plantations 
 in North-America, with a beautiful 
 view of the river and woods of great 
 extent. 
 
 Williamfburg is the capital of Vir- 
 ginia : it is fituated between two 
 creeks J one falling into James, the 
 other into York River j and is built 
 nertrly due eaft and v^.eft. The dif- 
 lance of each landing place is fome- 
 thing more than a mile from the town; 
 which, with the difad vantage of not 
 being able to bring, up large veflels, is 
 the reafon of its not having increafcd 
 fo fall as might have been expeded. 
 It confifts of about two hundred 
 houfes,does not contain more than one 
 ihoufand fouls, whites and negroes; 
 and is far from being a place of any 
 confequence. It is regularly laid out 
 in parallel ftreets, interfered by others 
 at right angles ; has a handfome fquare 
 in the center, through which runs the 
 principal ftreet, one of the moft fpa- 
 
 B 4 cious 
 
8 
 
 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 i 
 
 cious in North-America, three quar- 
 fqrs of a mile in length, and above a 
 hundred feet wide. At the ends of 
 thisftreet are two public buildings, the 
 college and the capitol : and although 
 the houfes are of wood, covered with 
 Ihingles, and but indifferently built, 
 the whole makes a handfome appear- 
 ance. There are few public edifices 
 that deferve to be taken notice of. 
 thofe, which I have mentioned, are 
 the principal 4 and they arc far from 
 being magnificent. The governor's 
 palace, indeed, is tolerably good^ one 
 of the beQ. upon the continent; byt 
 the church, the prifon, and the other 
 buildings, are all of them extremely 
 indifTercnt. The flreets are not pav- 
 ed, and confequently very dufiy, the 
 tbil licicabout confifling chiefly of 
 fand : however, the fituation of Wil- 
 liamfburg ba«? one advantage, which 
 few or no places in thefe lower parts 
 have j that of being free from mof- 
 
 ' quitoes. 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. « 9 
 
 quitoes. Upon the whole, it is an 
 agreeable rcfioence j there are ten or 
 twelve gentlemen's families conftantly 
 redding in it, beiides merchants and 
 tradefmcn. And at the times of the 
 aifemblies, and general courts, it is 
 crowded with the gentry of the coun- 
 try : on thofe occafions there are balls 
 and other amufements \ but as foon as 
 the bufinefs is finifhed, they return to 
 their country houfes; and the town is 
 in a manner deferted. 
 
 1 he (ituation of Virginia (accord- 
 ing to Evan's Map) is between the 
 36th and 40th degrees of north lat. 
 and about 76 degrees well long, from 
 London. It is bounded on the north 
 by the river Potowmac, on the eaft by 
 the Atlantic Ocean, by Carolina on 
 the fbuth, and, to include only what 
 is inhabited, by the great Alleghcnny 
 on the weft. 
 
 The climate is extremely fine, 
 though fubjed to violent heats in the 
 
 B 5 fummcr : 
 
lo TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 fummer . Farcnhcit's thermometer be- 
 ing generally for three months from 
 85 to 95 degrees high. The other 
 fcafons, however, make ample amends 
 for this inconvenience : for the au- 
 tumns and fprings are delightful, and 
 the winters fo mild and ferene (though 
 there are now and then exceifive cold 
 days) as fcarcely to require a fire. 
 The only complaint that a perfon c^n 
 reafonably make, is, of the very fud* 
 den changes which the weather is 
 liable to j for this being intirely regu- 
 lated by the winds, is exceedingly va- 
 riable. Southerly winds are produc- 
 tive of heat, northerly of cold, and 
 eafterly of rain ; from hence it is no 
 uncommon thing for the thermometer 
 to fall many degrees in a very few 
 hours ; and, after a warm day, to have 
 fuch fevere cold, as to freeze over 
 a river a mile broad in one night's 
 
 time. 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. ii 
 
 time. * In fummer there are frequent 
 and violent gufts with thutidcr anii 
 lightning; but as the country js 
 very thinly inhabited, and jiioft of 
 the gentry have clet^rical irpds 
 to their houfes, they are not at- 
 tended with many fatal accidents. 
 Now and then, indeed, fome of the 
 negroes lofe their lives 5 and it is not 
 uncommon in the woods, to lee ti^ees 
 torn and riven to pieces by their fujy 
 and violence. A remarkable circunl- 
 ftance happened fonie years ago at 
 York, which is well attefted: a p^rlbfi 
 Handing at his door during a 'thpnder 
 guft, was unfortunately killied j Inhere 
 was an intermediate tree at fojmb dif- 
 
 tance, 
 
 ♦ On the 19th of December, 17 $9,' lacing' llf)- 
 on a vifif to colonel WafhiiTgton, <it JVIount-Vei-- 
 nor, upon the river Potowmi.c, where it i$tvro 
 nniles broad, I was greatly furprifed to find the 
 river intirely frozen over in the fpace of one 
 right, when, the preceding day had been mild and 
 temperate. 
 
12 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 tancc, which was ftruck at the fame 
 time ; and when they came to exa- 
 mine the body, they found the tree de- 
 
 ^jneated upon it in miniature. Part 
 of the body was livid, but that which 
 
 ^Was covered by the tree was of its na- 
 tural colour. 
 
 I believe no country has more cer- 
 tainly proved the efficacy of eledrical 
 rods, than this : before the difcovery 
 of them, thefe gufts were frequently 
 produdive of melancholy confequen- 
 6es 5 but now it is rare tohear offuch 
 infiances. It is obfervable that no 
 houle was ever flruck^ where they were 
 fixed : and although it has frequently 
 happened that the rods themielves 
 have been melted, or broken to pie- 
 ces, and the houfes fcorched along the 
 fides of them, which manifelled that 
 they had received the ftroke, but that 
 the quantity of lightning was too 
 great to be carried off by the conduc- 
 tor, yejt never has any misfortune 
 
 happened ^ 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. ij 
 
 happened , fuch a dircdion having 
 been given to the lightning, as to pre- 
 vent any danger or ill confeqnence. 
 Thefe circumftances, one would 
 imagine, fliould induce every perfbn 
 to get over thofe prejudices which 
 many have entertained^ and to con- 
 fider the negled, rather than the ufc 
 of them as criminal, fince they feem 
 to be means put into our hands by 
 Providence, for our fafety and pro- 
 tedtion 
 
 The foil of Virginia is in general 
 good. There are indeed barrens where 
 the lands produce nothing but pine- 
 trees ; but taking the whole trad to- 
 gether, it is certainly fertile. The 
 low grounds upon the rivers and 
 creeks are exceedingly rich, being 
 loam intermingled with fand ; and 
 the higher you go up in the country, 
 towards the mountains, the value of 
 the land increafes ; for it grow^ more 
 ftrong, and of a deeper clay. 
 
 Virginia, 
 
1 1] 
 
 14 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 Virginia, in its natural flate, pro- 
 duces great quantities of fruits and 
 medicinal plants, with trees and flow- 
 ers of infinitely various kinds. To- 
 bacco and Indian corn are the original 
 produce of the country ; likewife the 
 pigeon-berry and rattle- fnake-root, fo 
 efteemed in all ulcerous and pleureti- 
 cal complaints: grapes, ftrawberries, 
 hiccory nuts, mulberries, chefnuts, and 
 fevcral other fruits, grow wild and 
 fpontaneoufly. 
 
 Befides trees and flowers of an or- 
 dinary nature, the woods produce 
 myrtles, cedars, cyprefTes, fugar trees, 
 firs of different forts, and no lefs than 
 feven or eight kinds of oak ; they are 
 likewife adorned and beautified with 
 red flowering maples, fafTafras trees, 
 dog woods, acacias, red-buds, fcarlet 
 flowering chefnuts, fringe trees, flow- 
 ering poplars, umbrellas, magnolias, 
 yellow jafamines, chamoedaphnes, pa- 
 coons, atamufco lilies, May-apples, 
 
 and 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 15 
 
 [and innumerable other forts; fo that 
 one may reafonably affert that no 
 country ever appeared with greater 
 I elegance or beauty. 
 
 Not to notice too the almoft num- 
 berlcfs creeks and rivulets which eve- 
 ry where abound, it is watered by four 
 large rivers of fuch fafe navigation, 
 and fuch nc ble and majcflic appear- 
 ance, as not to be exceeded, perhaps, 
 in the whole known world. 
 
 James river, which was formerly 
 called I owhatan, from its having been 
 the feat of that emperor, is feven miles 
 broad at the mouth, navigable to the 
 falls (above 1 50 miles) for veffels of 
 large burthen, and from thence to the 
 mountains for fmall craft and canoes. 
 
 The falls are in length about fix or 
 feven miles ; they confift of innume- 
 rable breaks of water, owing to the 
 obftrudibn of the current by an in- 
 finite number of rocks, which are fcat- 
 tered over the bed of the river ; and 
 
 form 
 
In 
 
 16 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 form a moft pidurefquc and beautiful 
 cafcade. 
 
 The honourable colonel Byrd has a 
 fmall place called Belvedere, upon a 
 hill at the lower end of thefe falls, as 
 romantic and elegant as any thing I 
 have ever feen. It is fituated very 
 high, and commands a fine profpqdt of 
 the river, which is half a mile broad, 
 forming catarads in the manner above 
 defcribed 5 there are feveral little 
 iflands fcattered carelefsly about, very 
 rocky, and covered with trees ; and 
 two or three villages in view at a fmall 
 diftance. Cver all thefe you difcover 
 a prodigious extent of wildernefs, and 
 the river winding majeftically along 
 through the midfl of it. 
 
 York river, for about forty miles, 
 to a place called Weft Point, is con- 
 fined in one channel about two miles 
 broad : it flows in a very dired courfe, 
 making but one angle, and that an 
 iaconfiderable one, during the whole 
 # way. 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 17 
 
 way. At Weft Point it forks, and 
 divides itfelf into two branches j the 
 fouthward called Pamunkyj the north- 
 ward Mattapony : each of thefe 
 branches, including the windings and 
 meanders of the river, is navigable fe- 
 venty or eighty miles, and a confider- 
 able way of this fpace for large fliips. 
 
 The Rappahannoc is navigable to 
 the falls, which area mile above Fre- 
 dericfburg, and about 1 10 from the 
 bay. Veflels of Jbrge burden may 
 come up to this place ; and fmall craft 
 and canoes may be carried up much 
 higher. 
 
 The Potowmac is one of the fineft 
 rivers in North America : it is ten 
 miles broad at the mouth, navigable 
 above 200 miles, to Alexandria, for 
 men of war, and, allowing for a few 
 carrying places, for canoes above 200 
 farther, to the very branches of the 
 Ohio. Colonel Boquet, a Swifs gen- 
 tleman in the Royal Americans, came 
 
 down 
 
1 8 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 down this autumn from Fort Cum- 
 berland * to Shenando with very lit- 
 tle difficulty ; from hence to the great 
 falls, I have been told, a navigation 
 may eafily be efFeded. So that this 
 river feems to promife to be of as great 
 confequence as any in North Ame- 
 rica, 
 
 In all thefe rivers the tide flows as 
 far as the falls, and at Alexandria it 
 rifes between two and three feet. 
 They difcharge themfelves into Chc- 
 fapcak Bay, one of the fineft in the 
 world, which runs a great way up the 
 country into Maryland ; is from ten 
 to twenty miles broad ; navigable near 
 a hundred leagues for veflels of almoft 
 a?ny burden ; and receives into its bo- 
 fom at leaA twenty great rivers. 
 
 Thefe 
 
 I 
 
 * From Fort Cumberland to Shentndo is above 
 too mites ; from Shenando to the great fails about 
 60 ; and from the great falls to Alexandria about 
 17 or |8. 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 19 
 
 Thefe waters are florcd with incre- 
 dible quantities of fiih, fuch as fheeps- 
 heads, rock-fifti, drums, white pcarch, 
 herrings, oyflers, crabs, and feveral 
 other forts. Sturgeon and fhad are 
 in fuch prodigious numbers, that one 
 day, within the fpace of two miles 
 only, fome gentlemen in canoes caught 
 above 600 of the former with hooks, 
 which they let down to the bottom, 
 and drew up at a venture when they 
 perceived them to rub againft a fifli; 
 and of the latter above 5000 have been 
 caught at one fmgle haul of the 
 feine. 
 
 In the mountains there arc very 
 rich veins of ore ; fome mines having 
 been already opened which turn to 
 great account ; particularly Spotf- 
 wood's iron mine upon the Rappa- 
 hannoc, out of which they melt annu- 
 ally above fix hundred ton : and one 
 of copper upon the Roanoke, belong- 
 ing to colonel Chifwell. This laft 
 
 mentioned 
 

 20 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 mentioned gentleman is alfo going to 
 try for lead upon fomc hunting grounds 
 belonging to the Indians, towards 
 New River, and the Green Briar; 
 where, it is faM, there is fine ore, and 
 in great plenty, lying above ground. 
 Some coal mines have alfo been open- 
 ed upon James River near the falls, 
 which are likely to anfwer very well. 
 
 The forcfts abound with plenty of 
 game of various kinds; hares, turkies, 
 pheafants, woodcocks, and partridges, 
 arc in the greateft abundance. In the 
 marfhes are found forufes, a particu- 
 lar fpecies of bird, more exquifitely 
 delicious than the ortolan, fnipes alfo 
 and ducks of various kinds. The 
 American (hell drake and bluewing 
 exceed all of the duck kind whatfo- 
 cver ; and thefe are in prodigious 
 numbers. In the woods there are va- 
 riety of birds remarkable both for fing- 
 ing and for beauty ; of which are the 
 mocking-bird, the red-bird or night- 
 
 \ ^ ingale, 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. ii 
 
 igale, the blue -bird, the yellow- bird, 
 le humming-bird *, the Baltimore- 
 »ird, the fummer-duck, the turtle, and 
 jveral other forts. 
 
 Reptiles and infects are almoft in* 
 lumcrablc : fome of them, indeed, are 
 larmlefs and beautiful ; fuch as the 
 Jack-fnake, the bead-fnake, the gar- 
 ter-fnake, the fire-fly, and feveral 
 
 forts 
 
 * The humming-bird is the fmallcft and the 
 loft beautiful of all the feathered race : its colours 
 ire green, crimfon, and gold : it lives chiefly by 
 Tuftion upon the fwects and eflcnces ot flowers : 
 ind nothing can be more curious thjin to obfefve 
 lumbers ot them in gardens where there are ho- 
 leyfuckles or trumpet-flowers, flying from flower 
 to flouer, putting their flen.ler bills into every 
 me, and fucking out the fweeieA juices. The 
 lotion of iheir wings is incredibly fwjft, and pro^ 
 luces a humming noife, not unlike that of a large 
 lumble bee. They are frequently kept in cages, 
 )Ut feldom live longer than two months. The 
 Ifood which is given them, is either honey or fu- 
 [gar, mixed with water. Repeated attempts have 
 [been made tu fend them alive to England, but aU 
 jways without fuccefs. 
 
^ TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 forts of butterflies; but the rattlc- 
 fnake and viper, and many others are 
 exceedingly venomous and deadly *. 
 Of quadrupeds there are various 
 kinds ; fquirrds of four or five diffe- 
 rent fpecies -f, opoffums,racoons,foxes, 
 
 beavers, 
 
 * There are two very curious fpecies of frogs 
 in Virginia ; one is called the bull-frog, which is 
 prodigioufly large, and makes fo loud a noife, that 
 it may be heard at a great didance : the other is 
 a fmall green frog, which fits upon the boughs of 
 treeSy and is found in almod every garden. 
 
 Sei Catejhy\ Nat. Hijl, of Carolina. 
 
 + Of the fcveral fpecies of fquirrels, the ground 
 aod flying-fquirrels are much the fmalleft and mod 
 beautiful. The former are of a dufky orange 
 hue, ftreaked with black ; the latter grey or a(h- 
 coloured, and elegantly formed. Thefe have a 
 fpreading or fan-tail, and two membranes adher- 
 ing to their fides ; which when they fpring or leap 
 from a tree, they expand, and are thertby ena- 
 bled to fly through a confiderable fpace. The 
 former are of a very wild nature ; but thefe may 
 be eafily, and are frequently tamed. — There is a 
 fpecies of polecat in this part of America, which 
 
 ia 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 23 
 
 beavers, and deer : and in the defarts 
 and uninhabited parts» wolves, bears, 
 panthers, elks or moofe^Kleer, buffaloes, 
 mountain- cats, and various other forts. 
 Such are in general the natural pro« 
 dudtions of this country. 
 
 Viewed and confidered as a fettle- 
 ment, Virginia is far from being ar- 
 rived at that degree of perfe^ion 
 which it is capable of. Not a tenth 
 of the land is yet cultivated : and that 
 which is cultivated, is far from being 
 fointhe moft advantageous manner. 
 It produces, however, confiderable 
 quantities of grain and cattle and fruit 
 of many kinds. The Virginian pork 
 is faid to be fuperior in flavour to 
 any in the world i but the flieep and 
 horned cattle being fmall and lean, 
 
 the 
 
 is commonly called a (kunk. This animal, when 
 purfued, or aflkiled by its enemy, ejeds its urine^ 
 which emits fuch a fetid and infuppor table (lench, 
 as almoft to (lifle and fuffocate wi^atever ia withia 
 the reach of it. 
 
24 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 the meat of them is inferior to that of 
 Great Britain, or indeed, of moft parts 
 of Europe. The horfes are fleet and 
 beautifal ; and the gentlemen of Vir- 
 ginia, who are exceedingly fond of 
 horfe-racing, have ipared no expence 
 or trouble to improve the breed of 
 them by importing great numbers 
 from England. 
 
 The fruits introduced here from 
 Europe fucceed extremely well ; par- 
 ticularly peaches, which have a very 
 fine flavour, and grow in fuch plenty 
 as to ferve to feed the hogs in the 
 autumn of the year. Their bloflbms 
 in the fpring make a beautiful ap- 
 pearance throughout the country. 
 
 Virginia, is divided into fifty- two 
 counties, and feventy-feven pariflies, 
 and by adi of afTembly there ought; to 
 be forty-four towns ; but one half of 
 thefe have not more than five houfes; 
 and the other half are little better 
 than inconfidcrable villages. This is 
 
 owing 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 25 
 
 owing to the cheapnefs of land, and 
 the commodioufnefe of navigation : 
 for every pcrfon may with eafc pro- 
 cure a fmall plantation, can' fhip his 
 tobacco at his own door, and live in- 
 dependent. When the colony (hall 
 come to be more thickly feated, and 
 Jand grow dear, people vvill be obliged 
 to follow trades and mannfadlurcs, 
 which will neceffarily make towns and 
 large cities ; but this feems remote, 
 and not likely to happen for fome 
 centuries. 
 
 The inhabitants are fuppofed to be 
 in number between two and three 
 hundred thoufand. There are a hun- 
 dred and five thoufand titheables, un- 
 derwhich denomination are included 
 all white males from fixteen to fixty; 
 and all negroes whatfoever within the 
 fame age. The former are obliged 
 to ferve in the militia, and amount to 
 forty thoufand. 
 
 C The 
 
 V t I 
 
26 
 
 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 The trade of this colony is large 
 and cxtcnfive. Tobacco is the prin- 
 cipal article of it. Ol this they export 
 annually between fifty and fixty thou- 
 fand hogfheads, each hogihead weigh- 
 ing eight hundred or a thoufand 
 weight : fomc years they export much 
 more. They (hip alfo for the Madeiras, 
 • the Streights, and the Weft-Indies, 
 feveral articles, luch as grain, pork, 
 lumb.r, and cyder : to Great Britain, 
 bar- iron, indigo, and a fmali quanti- 
 ty of ginfeng, though of an inferior 
 quality ; and they clear out one year 
 with another about ton of 
 
 fhipping. 
 
 Their manufadures are very incon- 
 fiderablc. They make a kind of cot- 
 ton-cloth, with which they clothe 
 themfelves in common, and call after 
 the name of their country j and fbme 
 inconfiderable quantities of linen, hoie, 
 and other trifling articles : but nothing 
 to deferve attention. 
 
 The 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 27 
 
 The government is a royal one : 
 the legiflature, confiding of a gover- 
 nor appointed by the king; a council 
 of twelve perfons, under the fame no- 
 mination ; and a houfe of burgefles, 
 or reprefentatives, of a hundred and 
 eight or ten members, eledled by the 
 people ; two for each county, and. one 
 for each of the following places, viz. 
 the College of William and Mary, 
 James-town, Norfolk-borough, and 
 Williamfburg. Each branch has a 
 negative. — All laws in order to be per- 
 manent, muft have the king's appro- 
 bation; nor muft any be enacted, 
 which may be repugnant to the laws 
 of Great Britain. 
 
 The courts of judicature arc either 
 county, or general courts. The coun- 
 ty courts are held monthly in each 
 county, at a place afTigned for that 
 purpofe, by the juftices thereof : four 
 of them making a quorum. They 
 are appointed by the governor, and 
 
 C 2 take 
 
xS TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 take cognizance of all caufes, at com- 
 mon law, or in chancery, within their 
 refpeAivc counties, except criminal 
 ones, punishable with iofs of life, or 
 member. This power they are not 
 permitted to exercife except over ne- 
 groes and flaves, and then not with- 
 out a fpecial commiffion from the go« 
 Vetnokr for each particular purpofe. * 
 
 The 
 
 * How nccclTiry it may be tl at they (hould 
 have fucli a power, everv in tliis cafe, 1 will not 
 pr^teiid to fay ? but ihe, law u hich transfers it to 
 them fecm* f9,i^«oi>fifttnt with the natural rights 
 of rniakinJ, that! cannot but in pity to bumani- 
 ry Incite it. 
 
 i'Vf* Every flave commiiting any offence, by law 
 ** punifhable by death, or Iofs of member, fliall' 
 *f.^ coif^m.tVif^ : to j^be county goal, and the 
 " Iheriffof-the coijnty ihall fon^with<eft/ify (vch 
 " commit mcijt,. with thecaufe thereof, to the 
 ** governor, or commander in phi^f, whp ,may 
 **• jfAic ^'corif^rfjtilion of oyer and terraipef to fuch 
 *f i p«"f6n8 as he (htll think fit] which perCons, 
 " forthwith afrer the receipt of^-fuch ccNnmiAion., 
 *!» ^fl^ill f^ufe ihepfiendcr to l>e publicly arr;aigned 
 
 .. ' » " and 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. z^ 
 
 The general court is held twice a year 
 at William(burg. It conHfls of the 
 governor and council, any five of which 
 make a court. They hear and deter- 
 mine all caufcs whatfocver, ecclefiaf- 
 tical, or civil, and fit four and twenty 
 days : the firft five of thefe arc for 
 hearing and determining fuits in chan- 
 cery, appeals from the decrees of the 
 county or inferior courts in chancery; 
 and writs of fuperfedeas to fuch de- 
 crees. The other days are for trying 
 fuits or profecutions in behalf of the 
 
 C 3 king ; 
 
 ''and tried at the court -houfe of the faid cooilff, 
 '* and take for evidence the confeiTion of tlie.«f* 
 *' fender, the oath of one or piore credible wit- 
 nelTesyor fuch teftimony of negroes mulatioes, 
 or Indians, bond or free, with pregnant cir- 
 " cumilances as to tbem (haU feem convincing, 
 without tht folemnity of a jury, and the ofTendcr 
 being kmna guilty, (hall pafs fuch judgment 
 upon him or her as the law, directs for the like 
 crinr»e&, and on fuch judgment award execu- 
 
 it 
 
 « 
 
 « 
 
 « 
 
 it 
 
 It 
 
 it 
 
 tion. 
 
 »» 
 
 M*rtir''i Ahridg. vf the Jlioin'dn .Lr.wu p. 342. 
 
3.0 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 king J and all other matters depend- 
 ing in the faid court. Appeals arc al- 
 lowed to the king in council, in cafes 
 of 500 1. fterJng value. The gover- 
 nor has a power of pardoning crimi- 
 nals in all cafes, except of trcafon or 
 murder. And then he can only re- 
 prieve till he knows the king's plea- 
 fure. ^ 
 
 The eflablifhed religion is that of ^ 
 the church of England j and there re 
 very few Diifenters of any denomina- 
 tion in this province. There are at 
 prefent between fixty and fcventy 
 clergymen; men in general of fober 
 and exemplary lives. They have each 
 a glebe of two or three hundred acres 
 of land, a houfe, and a falary eflablifh- 
 ed by law of 1 6,000 weight of tobac- 
 co, with an allowance of 1700 more 
 for (hrinkage. This is delivered to 
 them in hogfhcads ready packed for 
 exportation, at the moft convenient 
 warehoufe. The prefentation of liv- 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 31 
 
 ings is. in the hands of the vcftry ; 
 which is a ftanding body of twelve 
 members, invefted with the folc pow- 
 er of raifing levies, fettling the repairs 
 of the church, and regulating other 
 parochial bufinefs. They were origi- 
 nally eleded by the people of the 
 feveral parifhes ; but now fill up va- 
 cancies themfelves. If the veftry does 
 not prefent to a living in lefs than 
 twelve months, it lapfes to the gover- 
 nor. The diocefan is the bifliop of 
 London ; who has a power of ap- 
 pointing a commiffary to prefide over, 
 and convene the clergy on particular 
 occafions; and to cenfure, or even 
 fufpend them, in cafes of ncgledl or 
 immorality. His falary is lool ftcr- 
 ling per annum ; and he is generally 
 of the council, which is of equal emo- 
 lument to him *. 
 
 C 4 r An 
 
 • The commiiTary is commonlv prcfident of 
 tbe college, and h;i5 ibc parifh ol VViliiamiburg, 
 
32 
 
 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 An unhappy difagrecment has late- 
 ly arifen between the clergy and the 
 laity, which, it is to be feared, may 
 be of ferious confequence. The caufe 
 of it was this. Tobacco being ex- 
 tremely fcarce from a general failure of 
 the crop, the affembly pafled an ad to 
 oblige the clergy and all public officers 
 to receive their ttipends in money in- 
 flead of tobacco. This thccle:[^v re- 
 monftrated againft, alledgmgth . 1 1- 
 ihip of being obliged to take a imall 
 price foi iheir tobacco, when it bore an 
 extravagant one^ feeing they never 
 had any kind of compenfation allow- 
 ed, when it was fo plentiful as to be 
 almoft a drug. They lent over an 
 agent to England, and the law was 
 repealed. This greatly exafperated 
 the people ; and fuch is their mutual 
 
 ahimofity 
 
 or Tome other lucrative parifh, which render him 
 about 3501. a year : fo that his annual income ib 
 between <; ami 600 1, 
 
 •i:«i *i 
 
' NORTHAMERICA. 33 
 
 animofity at this time, that, I fear, 
 it will not eafily fubfide, or be for- 
 gotten. 
 
 With regard to the law in quef- 
 tion, it was certainly a very hard one; 
 and I doubt whether, upon principles 
 of free government, it can be defend-^ 
 ed ; or whether the affembly can le- 
 gally interpofe any farther, than, in 
 cafes of neceffity, to oblige the clergy 
 to receive their falaries in money in- 
 flcad of tobacco, at the current price 
 of tobacco. They may , I am perfuad- 
 ed, in cafes of exigency, always make, 
 and might then have made, fuch a 
 law, without any confiderable detri- 
 ment to the colony : for, fuppofing 
 the price of tobacco to be, what it was 
 at that time, about fifty fhillings cur- 
 rv^ncy per hundred, what would the 
 whole fum be, were the clergy to be 
 paid ad valorem? Not 20000 1. fter* 
 ling. There are in Virginia,- as J, 
 obfcrved before, about fixty-five cler-j 
 
 C 5 gy"^^^ ' 
 
 uv}m 
 
34 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 gymen : each of thefe is allowed 
 16,000 weight of tobacco; which, at 
 the rate of fifty (hillings currency per 
 hundred, amounts to 400 1. ^ 400 1, 
 multiplied by 65, is equal to 26,000!. 
 which, allowing 40 per cent. di(count, 
 the difference of exchange, is about 
 18571 1. fterling. Now what is this 
 fum to fuch a colony as Virginia ? 
 But to this it will be faid, perhaps, 
 whyfliould the clergy be gainers in a 
 time of public diftrefs, when every one 
 elfe is a fufferer? The clergy will 
 doubtlefs reply, and why (hould the 
 clergy be the only fufferers in plenti- 
 ful feafbns, when all but themfelves 
 are gainers ? Upon the whole, how- 
 ever, as on the one hand I difapprove 
 of the proceedings of the affembly in 
 thi« affair, fo, on the other, I cannot 
 approve of the fleps which were taken 
 by the clergy. That violence of tem- 
 per ; that indecent behaviour towards 
 the governprj that unworthy treat- 
 ment 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 35 
 
 ment of their commiffary •, and, to 
 mention nothing elfe,^ that confufion 
 of proceeding in the convention, of 
 which fome, though not the majority, 
 as has been invidioully reprefented, 
 were guilty; thefe things were furely 
 unbecoming the facred charader they 
 are invefled with j and the moderation 
 of thofe perfons, who ought in all 
 things to imitate the condu6l of their 
 divine Mafter. If, inftead of flying 
 out in invedVives againft the legifla- 
 ture ; of accufing the governor of hav- 
 ing given up the caufe cf religion by« 
 palling the bill ; when, in fa£l, had 
 he rejeded it, he would never have 
 been able to have got any fupplies 
 during the courfe of the war, though 
 ever fo much wanted ; if, inftead of 
 charging the commiflary with want 
 of zeal for having exhorted them to 
 moderate meafures, they had followed 
 the prudent counfcls of that excellent 
 man, and had adled with more temper 
 
 and 
 
36 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 and moderation, they might, I am per- 
 fuaded, in a very fhort time, have ob- 
 tained any redrefs they could reafon- 
 ably have defired. The people in ge- 
 neral were extremely well afFe£ted 
 towards the clergy, and had (hewn 
 their regard for them in feveral inftan- 
 ces ; they were fenfible, moreover, 
 that their falaries were too fcanty to 
 fupport them with dignity, and there 
 had been fome talk about raifing them ; 
 had the clergy, therefore, before they 
 applied to England, only offered a me- 
 morial to the affembly, fetting forth 
 that they thought the ad extremely 
 hard upon them, as their falaries were 
 fmall J and that they hoped the af- 
 fembly would take their cafe intocon- 
 fideration, and enable them to live 
 with that dignity which became their 
 charader; I am perfuaded from the 
 knowledge which I have of the people 
 in general, and from repeated conver- 
 fations with feveral members of the 
 
 affembly. 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 57 
 
 affcmbly, that they might have ob- 
 tained almofi any thing they could 
 have wiflied ; if not, they undoubt- 
 edly would have had reafon to appeal. 
 But inftead of this, without applying 
 to the aflembly for relief, after the 
 adl was paffed, (for before, indeed, 
 fome of them did apply to the fpeaker 
 in private) they flew out into the moft 
 violent invedives, immediately fent 
 over an agent to England, and ap- 
 pealed to his majcfty in council. The 
 refult has been already related. 
 
 The progrefs of arts and fciences in 
 this 'colony has been very inconfider- 
 able : the college of William and 
 Mary is the only public place of edu- 
 cation, and this has by no means an- 
 fwered the defign of its inftitution. 
 It has a foundation for a prefident 
 and fix profcflbrs. The bufinefs of 
 the prefident is to fuperintend the 
 whole, and to read four theological 
 lectures annually. He has a hand- 
 
 fbmc 
 
38 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 fame houfe to live in, and 200I. fter- 
 ling per annum. The profefTor of 
 the Indian fchooi has 60I. fterling, 
 and a houfe alfo ; his bufineis is to 
 inftru^l the Indians in reading, wri- 
 ting, and the principles of the Chrif- 
 tian religion : this pious inftitution 
 was fet on foot and promoted by the 
 excellent Mr. Boyle. The proteffor 
 of humanity has the care of inftruft- 
 ing the Audents in claflical learning : 
 be has an ufher or ailiftant under him. 
 The four other profeffors teach moral 
 philosophy, metaphyfics, mathema- 
 tics, and divinity. Each of the pro- 
 feffors has apartments in the college, 
 and a falary of about &0I. per annum *, 
 The prefent chancellor of the college 
 is the bifhop of London. 
 
 From what has been faid of this 
 colony, it will not be difficult to form 
 
 an 
 
 * They have been fmce raifed, I believe, to 
 lool. 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 39 
 
 an idea of the charadler -f of its inha- 
 bitants. The climate and external 
 appearance of the country confpire to 
 make them indolent^ eafy, and good- 
 natured 5 extremely fond of fociety, 
 and much given to convivial pleafures. 
 In confequence of this, they fcldom 
 fliow any fpirit of enterprize, or ex- 
 pofe themfelves willingly to fatigue. 
 Their authority over their (laves ren- 
 ders them vain and imperious, and 
 entire ftrangers to that elegance of 
 fentiment, which is fo peculiarly cha- 
 raderiftic of refined and polifhed na* 
 tions. Their ignorance of mankind 
 and of learning, expofes them to 
 many errors and prujudices, efpecially 
 in regard to Indians and Negroes, 
 whom they fcarcely confider as of the 
 
 human 
 
 t General charad^rs are always liable to many 
 exceptions. In Virginia I have had the p!ea{ure 
 to know feveral gentlemen adorned with many 
 virtues and accompliftiments, to whom the fol- 
 lowing dcfcriptton is by no means applicable. 
 
 J . 
 
40 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 human fpecies ^ fo that it is almod 
 impoflible, in cafes of violence, or 
 even murder, committed upon thofe 
 unhappy people by any of the planters, 
 to have the delinquents brought to 
 jufiice. For either the grand jury re- 
 fufe to find the bill, or the petit jury 
 bring in their verdid, not guilty *. 
 
 The 
 
 ♦ There are two laws in this colony, which 
 make it almoft impofliblc to con v id a planter, 
 or white man, of the death of a Negroe or Indi- 
 an. By the firll it is ena6led, that, ** if any 
 ** flave fliall die by reafon of any ftroke or blow, 
 ** given in correction by his or her owner, or by 
 ** reafon of any accidental blow whaifnevcr, 
 ** given by fuch Ovvncr ; no perfon concerned in 
 ** fuch correction, or accidental homicide, fhall 
 " undergo any profecution or punilhment for the 
 ** fame; iinlefs, upon examination before the 
 " county court, it fhall be proved by the oath of 
 *' one lawful and credible witnefs at Icaft, that 
 *' fuch flave was killed wilfully, malicioufly, and 
 *< defignedly ; nor fhall any perfon indicted for 
 <* the murder of a flave, and upon trial found . 
 " guihy only of manflaughter, incur any forfei- ^ 
 
 " ture 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 41 
 
 The difplay of a charadler thus 
 conftituted, will naturally be in a£is 
 of extravagance, oftentation, and a 
 difre[i;ard of oeconomy ; it is not ex- 
 traordinary, therefore, that the Vir- 
 ginians outrun their incomes ^ and 
 that having involved themfelves in 
 difficulties, they are frequently tempt- 
 ed to raife money by bills of exchange 
 which they know will be . returned 
 proteftcd, with 10 per cent intereft-f. 
 
 The 
 
 '* ture or pi'nil'hmcnt for fuch offence or misfor- 
 ** tune." See Mercer's Abridgement, p. 345. 
 By the fecont), ** No Negro, Mulatto, or Indian, 
 " can be admitted in any court, or before any 
 ** magiftrate to be fworn as a witnefs, or give 
 " evidence in any caufe whatfoevcr, except upon 
 ** the trial of a (lave for a capital offence." 
 
 Mercer's Abridgtment, p. 41 9. 
 t By an aft of affcmbly, if any bill of ex- 
 change is drawn for the payment of any fum of 
 money, and fuch bill is proteftcd. for non-accept- 
 ance or non-payment, it carries intereff from the 
 date thereof, after the rate of 10 per cent, per 
 
 annum, 
 
42 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 The public or political charader of 
 the Virginians, corrcfponds with their 
 
 private 
 
 annum, until the money be fully fatisficd and 
 paid. 
 
 A very curious anecdote relative to this law was 
 mentioned to mc ftt Williamfburg, of which I am 
 perfuaded the reader will excufe the relation. — 
 An ufiircr, not fatisBed with 5I. per cent, legal 
 intcrcfl, refufcd to advance a Turn of money to a 
 gentleman, unlefs, by way of fccurity, he would 
 give him a bill of exchange that (hould be re- 
 turned proteftedy by which he would be entitled 
 to 10 per cent. The gentleman, who had im- 
 mediate occafion for the money, fat down and 
 drew a bill upon a capital merchant in London, 
 with whom he never had any tranfadion, or 
 carried on the leaft correfpondence. The mer- 
 chant, on the receipt of the bill, obfcrvifig the 
 name of the drawer, very readily honoured it, 
 knowing the gentleman to be a perfon of great 
 property, and concluding that he meant to enter 
 into correfpondence with him. The ufurer upon 
 this became entitled to only 5I. per cent. He 
 was exceedingly enraged, therefore, at being as 
 he fuppofed thus tricked : and complained very 
 heavily to the gentleman of his having given him 
 a good bill indead of a bad one. 
 
law was 
 'cIi I am 
 at ion. ^ — 
 't. legal 
 ley to a 
 e would 
 
 1 be re- 
 entitled 
 >a£j im- 
 wn and 
 -ondon, 
 on, or 
 e mer- 
 
 ng the 
 red it, 
 
 great 
 enter 
 upon 
 He 
 ig as 
 very 
 him 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 43 
 
 private one : they are haughty and 
 jealous of their liberties, impatient of 
 rcilraint, and can fcarely bear the 
 thought of being controuled by any 
 fuperior power. Many of them con- 
 fider the colonies as independent 
 ftates, unconnedted with Great Bri- 
 tain, otherwifc than by having the 
 fame common king, and being bound 
 to her with natural afFedion. T here 
 are but few of them that have a turn 
 for bufincfs, and even thofe arc by no 
 means expert at it. I have known 
 them, upon a very urgent occafion, 
 vote the relief of a garrifon, without 
 once conlidering whether the thing 
 was pradlicable, when it was moft evi- 
 dently and demonfirably otherwife *. 
 
 In 
 
 • The garrifon here alluded to, was that of 
 Fort Loudoun, in the Cherokee country, confid- 
 ing of a lieutenant and about fifty men. This 
 unfortunate party being befieged by the Cherokee 
 Indians, and i educed to the lad extremity, fent 
 
44 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 In matters of commerce they are ig- 
 norant of the neceflary principles that 
 muft prevail between a colony and its 
 mother country ; they think it a hard- 
 fliip not to have an unlimited trade 
 to every part of the world. They 
 
 confider 
 
 off runrtrs to tne governors of Virginia and Ca- 
 rolina, imp'oimg immcdiare fiiccour; adding that 
 it was impoflibl.^ for them to hold out above 
 twenty Jii};;-!or.aer. The ufltnibly of Virginia, 
 commiferating their unhappy fituation, very rca- 
 ^dily voted a confiderable fiim for their relief. 
 With this, troops were to be levied ; were to 
 rendezvous upon the frontiers 200 miles diftant 
 from Williamlburg; were afterwards to proceed 
 to the .'ort 200 miles farther through a wildernefs 
 where there was no road, no magazines, no pods 
 either to (helter the fick, or cover a retreat in 
 cafe of any difailer ; fo that the unfortunate gar- 
 rifon might as cffeftually have been fuccoured 
 from the moon. The author taking notice of 
 thefe difficulties to one of the members, he frank- 
 ly replied, " Faith, it is true : but we have had 
 ** an opportunity at lead of (howing our loyalty." 
 In a few days after arrived the melancholy news, 
 that this unfortunate party was entirely cut off. 
 
 ami 
 in 
 
 •a. 
 
H 
 
 are ig^ 
 ei that 
 and its 
 hard- 
 trade 
 They 
 
 ►nfidcr 
 
 ind Ca- 
 ing that 
 
 above 
 irginia. 
 Ty rca- 
 
 relief. 
 k'ere to 
 diftant 
 >roceed 
 derncfs 
 opofts 
 eat in 
 e gar. 
 soured 
 ice of 
 Frank- 
 e had 
 dty." 
 news, 
 )ff. 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 45 
 
 confider the duties upon their flaple 
 as injurious only to themfelves ; and 
 it is utterly impofllble to perfuade 
 them that they afFed the confumcr 
 alfo. Upon the whole, however, to 
 do them juftice, the fame fpirit of 
 generofity prevails here which does 
 in their private character ; they never 
 refufe any neccffary fupplies for the 
 fupport of government when called 
 upon, and are a generous and loyal 
 people. 
 
 The women are, upon the whole, 
 rather handfome, though not to be 
 compared with our fair country-wo- 
 men in England. They have but few 
 advantages, and confequently arc feU' 
 dom accomplifhed : this makes them 
 refer ved, and unequal to any inte-^ 
 reftingor refined converfation. They 
 are immoderately fond of dancing, 
 and indeed it is almoft the only 
 amufement they partake of: but even 
 in this they difcover great want of 
 
 taftc 
 
 »^ 
 
46 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 tafte and elegance, and feldom ap- 
 pear with that gracefulnefs and ea(e, 
 which thefe movements are fo calcu- 
 lated to difplay. Towards the clofe 
 of an evening, when the company 
 are pretty well tired with country 
 dances, it is ufual to dance jiggs ; a 
 pradice originally borrowed, I am in- 
 formed from the * Negroes. Thefe 
 dances are without any method or 
 regularity: a gentleman and lady 
 ftand up, and dance about the room, 
 one of them retiring, the other pur- 
 fuing, then perhaps meeting, in an 
 irregular fantaftical manner. After 
 fome time, another lady gets up, and 
 then the firft lady muft fit down, fhe 
 being, as they term it, cut out : the 
 fecond lady ads the fame part which 
 the firft did, till fomebody cut^ her 
 
 out. 
 
 .] 
 
 * The author ha$ Hnce had an opportunity of 
 ©bfervlng fomethiiig fimiliir in Italy. The trcf- 
 cone of the Tufctns is very like the iiggs of the 
 Virginians. # 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 47 
 
 out. The gei tlemcn perform in the 
 fame manner. The Virginian ladies, 
 excepting thefe amufements, chiefly 
 fpend their time in fewing and taking 
 care of their famihes ; they feldom 
 read, or endeavour to improve their 
 minds -, however, they are in general 
 good houfewives; and though they 
 have not, I think, quite lb much 
 tendernefs and fenfibility as the Eng- 
 lifh ladies; yet they make as good 
 wives, and as good mothers, as any 
 in the world. 
 
 It is hard to determine whether this 
 colony can be called flourilhing, or 
 not ; becaufe, though it produces 
 great quantities of tobacco and grain, 
 yet there feem to be very few im- 
 provements carrying on in it. Great 
 part of Virginia is a wildcrnefs, and 
 as many of the gentlemen are in pof- 
 feffion of prodigious trads of land, it 
 is likely to continue fo. A fpirit of 
 enterpriaijeis by nos'«iean§ the turn of 
 f '^ ' • ' the 
 
 *^e; 
 
1^ 
 
 48 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 the colony, and therefore few at- 
 tempts have been made to force a 
 trade ^ which I think might eafily be 
 done, both to the Weft-Indies and 
 the Ohio. They have every thing 
 neceffary for (iich an undertaking, 
 viz. lumber, provisions, grain, and 
 every other commodity, which the 
 other colonies, that fubfift and grow 
 rich by thefe means, make ufe of for 
 exports; but, inftead of this, they 
 have only a trifling communication 
 with the Weft-Indies 5 and as to the 
 Ohio, they have fufFered themfeives, 
 notwithflanding the fuperior advan- 
 tages they might enjoy from having a 
 water-carriage almoft to the Yoghiog- 
 heny, to negled this valuable branch 
 of commerce; while the induftrious 
 Penfylvanians feize every opportunity, 
 and ftruggle with innumerable difii- 
 culties, to fecure it to themfeives. 
 The Virginians are content, if they 
 can but live from hand to mouth; 
 
 they 
 
NORTH-AMERICA, 49 
 
 they confine themfelves almoftintirely 
 to the cultivation of tobacco ; and if 
 they have but enough of this to pay 
 their merchants in London, and to 
 provide for their pleafures, they are 
 fatisfied, and defire nothing more. 
 Some few, indeed, have been rather 
 more enterprifing, and have endea- 
 voured to improve their eftates by 
 raifing indigo, and other fchemes : 
 but whether it has been owing to the 
 chmate, to their inexperience in thefe 
 matters, or their want of perfeverance, 
 I am unable to determine, but their 
 fuccefs has not anfwered their ex- 
 pectations. : ■ 
 
 The taxes of this colony are con- 
 fiderable, and the public debt amounts 
 to at leaft 400,000 1. currency \ this 
 they have been driven into by the war, 
 having feldom had lefs than a thou- 
 fand or fifteen hundred provincial 
 troops in pay, exclufive of the expen- 
 ces of fome forts. The ways and 
 ' " D means 
 
50 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 means employed for raifing the money, 
 have been generally the fame : they 
 have firft made an emiffion of fo much 
 paper currency as the exigency requir- 
 ed, and then laid a tax for finking it. 
 This tax has been commonly upon 
 lands and negroes, two (hillings for 
 every titheable ^ and a (hilling or eigh- 
 teen pence upon every hundred acres 
 of land. This mode of taxation has 
 occafioned fome divifions in the 
 ^houfe j for the owners of large trails, 
 being unable, perh.ips, to cultivate a 
 tenth part of their pofTeflSons, and 
 every man's real income arifing from 
 the number of his negroes, have 
 thought it very hard to pay a tax for 
 what they pretend is cf no value to 
 them : but much better arguments 
 may be urged in fupport of the tax 
 than againlt it. 
 
 The taxes for the prefent debt are 
 laid till the year (ixty- nine, when the 
 whole, if they add nothing more to 
 
 It 
 
NORTH-AMERICA 51 
 
 it, will be difcharged. The ufe of 
 paper- currency in this colony has in- 
 tireiy banilhed from it gold and filver. 
 Indeed the introdudtion of it was cer- 
 tain in time to produce this effedt ; 
 but left it fliould not, the Virginians 
 fell into a meafure, which completed 
 it at once :' for by an ad of aflembly 
 they fixed the exchange between cur- 
 rency and fterling debts at five and 
 twenty per cent, not confidering that 
 the real value of their currency could 
 only be regulated by itfelf. Thecon- 
 fequence was, that when from fre- 
 quent emiflions, the difference of ex- 
 change between bills upon merchants 
 in London and currency, was at 40 
 per cent, the difference between cur- 
 rency and fpecie * was only five and 
 twenty. So that the monied men 
 coUedted all the fpecie they could, fent 
 
 D 2 .it 
 
 * Fixing the difference between currency and 
 Herlihg debts, was, in reality, fixing it between 
 currency and fpecie. 
 
52 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 it away to Philadelphia, where it paf- 
 fed for its real value, purchafed bills 
 of exchange with it there, and fold 
 them again in Virginia with fifteen 
 per cent, profit. And this they con- 
 tinued to do till there was not a pif- 
 tole or a dollar remaining. 
 
 During my flay in Virgini.i, I made 
 feveral excurfions into diflferent parts 
 of the country : one in particular to 
 the great falls of Potowmac j of which, 
 as I expedled to be highly entertained, 
 I kept a journal. 
 
 I departed from Williamfburg, Od. 
 I, 1739, in company with another 
 gentleman ; and we travelled that day 
 about forty miles, to a plantation in 
 king William - County ; beautifully 
 fituated upon a high hill, on the north 
 fide of Pamunky river. A little be- 
 low this place ftands the Pamunky In- 
 dian town ; where at prefent are the 
 few remains of that large tribe ; the 
 reft having dwindled away through 
 
 intern- 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 53 
 
 intemperance and difeafc. They live 
 in little wigwams or cabins upon the 
 river ; and have a very fine trad of 
 land of about 2000 acres, which they 
 are reftrained from alienating by avfl 
 of affembly. Their employment is 
 chiefly hunting or fifliing, for the 
 neighbouring gentry. They common- 
 ly drefs like the Virginians, and I have 
 fometimes miftaken them for the 
 lower fort of that people. The night 
 J fpent here, they went out into an ad- 
 joining marih to catch forufcs ; and 
 one of them, as I was informed in the 
 morning, caught near a hundred dozen. 
 The manner of taking thefe birds is 
 remarkable. The forus is not known 
 to be in Virg nia, except for about fix 
 weeks from the latter end of Septem- 
 ber : at that time they are found in 
 the mar(hes in prodigious numbers, 
 feeding upon the wild oats. At firft 
 they are exceedingly lean, but in a 
 (hort time grow fo fat, as to be unable 
 
 D 3 ,. to 
 
54 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 to fly : in this ftate they lie upon the 
 reeds, and the Indians go out in ca- 
 noes and knock them on the head 
 with their paddles. They are rather 
 bigger than a lark, and arc delicious 
 eating. During the time of their con- 
 tinuing in feafon, you meet with them 
 at the tables of moft of the planters, 
 breakfaft, dinner, and fnpper *. 
 
 Od. 2. We went to another plan- 
 tation about twenty-four miles diftant, 
 belonging to a private gentleman up- 
 on Mattapony river. Wc ftaid there 
 all that and the next day on account 
 of rain, 
 
 ■ ^rvv. - ■: i oa. 
 
 ♦ In fcvcral parts of Virginm, the ancient ciif- 
 torn of eating meat at biearttaft ftill continues. 
 At the top of the table, \ here the lady of the 
 hoiife prefides, there is conftantly tea and coffee ; 
 but the reft of the table is garnifhed out with 
 roaft fowls, ham, venifon, game, and other dain- 
 ties. Even at Williamlburg, it is the cuUom to 
 have a plate of cold ham upon the table ; and 
 there is fcarcely a Virginian lady who breakfalls 
 without it, •: 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 55 
 
 Oa. 4. Wc travelled twenty-five 
 miles to another gentleman's houfe ; 
 and from thence, the day following, 
 about twenty-five miles farther, to a 
 town called Fredericiburg. 
 
 Fredcricfburg is fituated about a 
 mile below the Falls of Rappahannoc : 
 it is regularly la^d out, as moft of the 
 towns inVirginia arc, in parallel ftreets. 
 1 art of it is built upon an eminence, 
 and commands a delightful profped : 
 the reft upon the edge of the water for 
 the convenience of warehoufes. The 
 town was begun about thirty-two 
 years ago, for the fake of carrymg on 
 a trade with the back-fcttlers ; and is 
 at prefcnt by far the moft flouriftiing 
 one in thefe parts. 
 
 We left l-redericft)urg the 6th in-, 
 ftant, and went to fee the Falls. At 
 this place is a fmall mercantile town 
 called Falmouth , whofe inhabitants 
 are endeavouring to rival the Frede- 
 ricfburghers in their trade. It is built 
 
 D 4 upon 
 
56 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 upon the north-fide of the river, 
 and confifls of eighteen or twenty 
 houfes. 
 
 The Falls of Rappahannoc are 
 fimilar to thofe of James river, except 
 that they arc not upon fo large a fcalc. 
 The whole range fcarcely exceeds 
 half a mile, and the breadth not a 
 hundred yards. At the time of our 
 going to fee them, there was a frefii 
 in the river, which added very much 
 to their beauty. The center of view 
 was an ifland of about a hundred 
 acres covered with trees : this divided 
 the river into two branches, in each 
 of which, at regular diftances of fif- 
 teen or twenty yards, was a chain of 
 fix or feven falls, one above another, 
 the leaft of therp a foot perpendicular. 
 The margin was beautifully variega- 
 ted with rocks and trees, and the 
 whole formed a pleafing romantic 
 
 fcene. • 
 
 At 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 57 
 
 At this place we met with a pcrfon 
 who informed us of his having been, 
 a few days before, a fpedator of that 
 extraordinary phenomenon in nature, 
 the fefcinating power of the rattle- 
 fnake. He obfervcd one lying coiled 
 near a tree, looking dircdly at a bird 
 which had fettled there. The bird 
 was under great agitation, uttered the 
 mofl doleful cries, hopped from fpray 
 to fpray, and at length flew diredlly 
 down to the fnake, which opened its 
 mouth and fwallowed it, 
 " From hence we afccnded up the ri- 
 ver, about fifteen miles, toSpotfwood s 
 iron-mines ; and in our way had a fine 
 view of the Apalachian mountains, or 
 Blue Ridge, at the diftance of feventy 
 miles. At this place I was much af- 
 fedled with the following incident. 
 A gentleman in our company, which 
 was now increafed, had a fmall negro 
 boy with him, about fourteen years of 
 age, that had lived with him in a re- 
 
 D 5 mote 
 
58 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 mote part of the country fome time as 
 a fervant; an old woman who was 
 working in the mines, and who prov- 
 ed to be the boy's grand-mother, ac- 
 cidentally caft her eyes on him ; (he 
 viewed him with great attention for 
 fome time ; then fcreamed out, fay- 
 ing that it was her child, and flung 
 herfelf down upon the ground. She 
 lay there fome feconds ; rofe up, look- 
 ed on him again in an extafy of joy, 
 and fell upon his neck and kiffed him. 
 After this, fhe retired a few paces, 
 examined him afrefli with fixed atten- 
 tion, and immediately feemed to lofe 
 herfelf in thoughtful and profound me- 
 lancholy. The boy all this while 
 ftood filent and motionlefs j reclining 
 . his head on one fide, pale and afFedl- 
 ed beyond defcription. Upon the 
 whole, it would not have been in the 
 power of Raphael, to have imagined a 
 finer piflure of diftrefs. 
 
 We 
 
 fi-- 
 
-'N. 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 59 
 
 We returned from this place the 
 next day to Fredericfburg ; and ferry- 
 ing over the Rappahannoc into the 
 Northern Neck, travelled about fe- 
 venteen miles to a gentleman's houfe 
 in Stafford County : in the morning 
 we proceeded through Dumfries, and 
 over Cccoquan river to Colchefter, 
 about twenty-one miles. 
 . Thefe arc two fmall towns lately 
 built for the fake of the back trade 5 
 the former on Acquia-creek, the other 
 upon Occoquan river, both of which 
 fall into the Potowmac. About two 
 miles above Colchefter there is an iron 
 furnace, a forge, two faw-mills, and 
 a bolting-mill: at our return we had 
 an opportunity of vifiting them : they 
 have every convenience of wood and 
 water, that can be wifhed for. The 
 ore wrought here is brought from 
 Maryland ; not that there is any doubt 
 of there being plenty enough in the 
 adjacent hiUs; but the inhabitants 
 
 are 
 
6o TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 are difcouraged from trying for it by 
 the proprietor's (viz. lord Fairfax) 
 having referved to himfelf a third of 
 all ore that may be difcovered in the 
 Northern Neck. From Colchefter we 
 went about twelve miles farther to 
 Mount Vernon. 1 his place is the 
 property of colonoi V/afhington, and 
 truly deferving of its owner*. The 
 houfe is moft beautifully fituatcd up- 
 on a very high hill on the banks of 
 the Potowmac j and commands a no- 
 ble 
 
 li 
 
 * I cannot omit this oppcr unity of bearing tef- 
 timony to the gallant and public fpirit of this gen- 
 tleman. Nov. I, 1753, Lieut. Gov. Dinwiddie 
 having informed the aflembly of Virginia, that the 
 French had ereded a fort upon the Ohio, it was 
 rcfolved to fend fomebcdy to M. St. Pierre the 
 commander, to claim that country as belonging to 
 his Britannic majefty, and to order him to with- 
 draw. Mr. Walhington, a yourg gentleman of 
 fortune juft arrived at age, offered his fervice on 
 this important cccafion. The dlftance was more 
 tii^n 400 miles j 200 of which lay through a 
 
 iracklcfs 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 6i 
 
 ble profped of water, of cliffs, of 
 woods and plantations. The river is 
 near two miles broad, though two- 
 hundred from the mouth ; and divides 
 the dominion of Virginia from Mary- 
 land -f-. We refted here one day, 
 *yf --i'-i T' - ■-•• .. ■<•»' " ."...,' - ■ and 
 
 tratk'.efs defart, inhabited by cruel and merciiefs 
 ravages ; and the feafon was uncommonly feverc. 
 Notwithftanding thefe difcouraging circumftances, 
 Mr. Waftiingion, attended by one companion 
 only, fet out upon this dangerous enterprize : 
 travelled from Wincherter on foot, carrying his 
 provifions on his back, executed his commilTion ; 
 and after incredible hardlliips^ and many provi- 
 dential efcapes, returned faie to VViUiamll)urg, 
 and gave an account of his negociaiion- to the 
 adembiy, the 14th day of February following. 
 
 + A very curious fight is frequently exhibited 
 upon this and the other great riA'ers in Virginia, 
 which for its novelty is exceedingly diverting to 
 ftrangei s. During the fpring and fummer months 
 the fifliing-hawk is often feen hovering over the 
 rivers, or refting on the wing without the leaft 
 vifiblc change of place for fome minutes, then 
 fuddenly darting down and plunging into the wa- 
 ter, from whence it feldom rifes again without a 
 
 rock 
 
62 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 and proceeded up the river about 
 twcnty^ix miles to take a view of the 
 Great Falls. Thefe are formed in 
 fome refped like thofe of the Rappa- 
 hannoc ; but are infinitely more no- 
 ble. The channel of the river is con- 
 traded by hills, and is as narrow, I 
 was told, as at Fort Cumberland, 
 which is an hundred and fifty miles 
 higher up. It is clogged moreover 
 with innumerable rocks ; fo that the 
 water for a mile or two flows with 
 accelerated velocity. At length com- 
 ing to a ledge of rocks, which runs 
 
 diametrically 
 
 rock filh, or fome other confidcrable fifh in its 
 talons. \\ iinmedi.itch Ihakco ofF the water like 
 a mift, and makes the bed cf its way towards the 
 woods. The baid eatrle, which is generall) upon 
 the watch, inftantlv piu jucs, and it it can over- 
 take, endeavours to toar above it. 1 he hawk 
 grown foiicitous for its own fafetv drops the 
 fifh, and the bald eagle never fails to ftoop and 
 catch it in its pounces before it reaches the vvater, 
 leaving the hawk to go and filh for anothc-. 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. t^ 
 
 diametrically crofs, the river, it di- 
 vides into two fpouts, each about 
 eight yards wide, and nifties down a 
 precipice with incredible rapidity. 
 The fpout on the Virginian fide 
 makes three falls, one above another; 
 the firft about ten feet, the next fif- 
 teen, and the laft twenty-four or 
 twenty-five feet perpendicular. The 
 water is of a vaft bulk, and almoft 
 intire; the fpout on the Maryland 
 fide is nearly equal in height and 
 quantity, but a great deal more bro- 
 ken. Thefe two fpouts, after run- 
 ning in feparate channels for a fliort 
 fpace, at length unite in one about 
 thirty yards wide 5 and as we judged 
 frcyfti the fmoothnefs of the furface 
 and our unfuccefsful endeavours to 
 fathom it, of prodigious depth. The 
 rocks on each fide are at leaft ninety 
 or a hundred feet high ; and yet in 
 great frefties, the water overflows 
 the tops of them, as appeared by fe- 
 
 veral 
 
It 
 
 64 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 veral large and intire trees, which 
 had lodged there. 
 
 In the evening we returned down 
 the river about fixteen miles to Alex- 
 andria, or Bel-haven, a fmall trading 
 place in one of the fineft fituations 
 imaginable. The Potowmac above 
 and below the town, is not more 
 than a mile broad, but it here opens 
 into a large circular bay, of at leaft 
 twice that diameter. 
 
 The town is built upon an arc of 
 this bay ; at one extremity of which 
 is a wharf; at the other a dock for 
 building (hips ; with water fufficient- 
 ly deep to launch a veffel of any rate 
 or magnitude. 
 
 The next day we returned to co- 
 lonel Wafhington's, and in a few days 
 afterwards to Williamfburg. 
 
 The time of my refidence in this 
 colony was ten months, and 1 receiv- 
 ed fo many inftances of friendfhip and 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 65 
 
 good-nature, that not to acknowledge 
 them would be an aft of ingratitude. 
 It would not be eafy to mention par- 
 ticular inftances, without being guilty 
 of injuftice by omitting others. But, 
 in general, I can truly affirm, that I 
 took leave of this hofpitable people 
 with regret, and fhall ever remember 
 them with gratitude and afleftion. 
 
 May 26.] Having procured three 
 horfes, for myfelf, fervant, and bag- 
 gage, I departed from Wilhamfburg, 
 and travelled that night to Eltham ; 
 twenty-five miles. 
 
 May 27. I ferried over Pamunky 
 river at Danfies, and went to Todd*s 
 ordinary upon Mattopony, or the 
 northern branch of York river j thir- 
 ty-two miles. , ^ 
 
 May 28.] I went to a plantation in 
 Caroline county ; twenty-feven miles. 
 
 May 29.] ToFredericfburg; twen- 
 ty five-miles. 
 
 As 
 
«' TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 fet Ion. ifr„; *"/"?'«• "tout lir 
 
 •- V fie S rS ■ "■; f "7 f ' 
 
 ^vith mv fwifnK r ; touched it 
 
 «'>redTaUa?ifl^f ;'™- before it 
 
 ■ looking into tl,e hole wh "/"^ 
 
 fixed its head I nKr ' ]^''^'^ '^ ^a^l 
 J^ake about 'two tr ' "f """^ 
 f"% variegated with re JIV f""''" 
 orange colour, whchthl'n ?'"' """^ 
 was watching fl '''ack-lhake 
 
 andlaidit h!lfT%T"- ' '""^ 
 
 about a quarter of a „t -f °^^^«^^d 
 to me th« it would hJ ' °''"""'^ 
 fity if I could !? • ^ S'^^f C""'o- 
 
 therefore 7em ' V '° ^"^^^'^'^ ^ ^ 
 
 orders to £,-r'burtv"'"'^'^ 
 
 he acquainted lie that > '^'""' 
 be found anH ♦t , '* "^^^ "ot to 
 
 was in the f« ' ?' bJack-fnake 
 
 v^uveredit. I mention this 
 
 as 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 67 
 
 as an inftance of the intrepid nature 
 of the black-fnake, which, though 
 not venomous, will attack and devour 
 the rattle^ fnake, and, in fome cafes, 
 it is afTertcd, even dare to afTault a 
 man. 
 
 May 30.] I left Fredericfburg, and 
 having ferried rver ^he Rappahannoc 
 at the fall, travelled that night to 
 Neville*s ordinary, about thirty-four 
 miles. 
 
 May 31.]! paffed over the Pignut 
 and Blue Ridges ; and, croffing the 
 Shenando, arrived, after a long day's 
 journey of above fifty miles, at Win- 
 chefter. 
 
 The Pignut ridge is a continuation 
 of the fouth weft mountains. It is no 
 where very high ; and at the gap 
 where I paffed, the affent is fo ex- 
 tremely eafy, owing to the winding 
 of the road between the mountains, 
 that I was fcarcely fenfible of it. 
 
 The 
 
 1 
 
68 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 The tradt of country lying between 
 this ridge and the coaft, is fuppofed, 
 and with fome appearance of proba- 
 bility, to have been gained from the 
 ocean. The fituation is extremely 
 low, and the ground everywhere bro- 
 ken into fmall hills, nearly of the 
 fame elevation, with deep intermedi- 
 ate gullies, as if it were the cfFed of 
 fome fudden retiring of the waters. 
 The foil is principally of fand ; and 
 there are few, if any pebbles, within 
 a hundred miles of the fhore ; for 
 which reafon the Virginians in thefe 
 parts never (hoc their horf^^s. Incre- 
 dible quantities of what are common- 
 ly called fcallop-fhells, are found alfo 
 near the furface of the ground ; and 
 many of the hills are entirely formed 
 of them. Thefe phcenomena, with 
 others lefs obvious to common obfer- 
 vation, feem to indicate that the Atlan- 
 tic, either gradually, or by fome fuddcn 
 1 C ;/ . , revolution 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 69 
 
 revolution in nature, has retired, and 
 loft a confiderable part of that domi- 
 nion which formerly belonged to it. 
 
 The BIne-ridge is much higher 
 than the Pignut : though even thefc 
 mountains are not to be compared 
 with the Alleghenny. To the fouth- 
 ward, indeed, I was told, they are 
 more lofty ; and but little, if at all, 
 inferior to them. The pafs at A(hby*s 
 Gap, from the foot of the mountain 
 on the eaftern fide to the Shenando, 
 which runs at the foot on the weftern, 
 is about four miles. The afcent is no 
 where very fteepj though the moun- 
 tains are, upon the whole, 1 think, 
 higher than any I have ever fcen m 
 England. When I was got to the top, 
 I was inexpreffibly delighted with the 
 fcene which opened before me. Im- 
 mediately under the mountain, which 
 was covered with chamoedaphnes in 
 full bloom, was a moft beautiful 
 
 river: 
 
o #^. 
 
 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
 (/ 
 
 ^ 
 
 Us 
 
 .** 
 
 V^ 
 
 ^Ak 
 
 i^^ 
 
 1.0 
 
 ■^■2.8 
 
 m 
 
 = 
 
 
 ■23 
 
 1 ■•■ 
 
 u 
 
 1^ 
 
 II — 
 
 
 USi 
 
 |1.25 
 
 11^ 
 
 U4 
 
 FhotogrEtphic 
 
 Sdences 
 
 Corparation 
 
 i\ 
 
 ^ 
 
 4^ 
 
 4> 
 
 
 >^'°^^<^' ^ 
 
 ^.V^ 
 
 v\ 
 
 23 WIST MAIN STIEiT 
 
 WIBSTIi.N.Y. 145M 
 
 (716)S72-4S03 
 
 '4^ 
 

 
pi 
 I 
 
 i^' ^ 
 
 70 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 river : beyond this an extenfive plain, 
 direrfified with every pleafing objed 
 that nature can exhibit ; and, at the 
 diflance of fifty miles, another ridge 
 of fiill more lofty mountains, called 
 the Great, or North- ridge *, which 
 inclofed and terminated the whole. 
 
 The river Shenando rifes a great 
 way to the fouthward from under this 
 Great North-ridge. It runs through 
 Augufta County, and falls into the 
 Potowmac fome where in Frederic. 
 At the place where I ferried over, it 
 is only about a hundred yards wide ^ 
 and indeed it is no where, I believe, 
 very broad. It is exceedingly roman- 
 tic and beautiful, forming great varie- 
 ty of fells, and is fo tranfparent, that 
 you may fee the fmalleft pebble at the 
 depth of eight or ten feet. There is 
 plenty of trout and other fifh in it ; 
 
 but 
 
 • All ihefc ridges confift of fiiigle mountains 
 joined togciher, and run parallel to each other. 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 71 
 
 but it is not navigable, except for y 
 rafts. In fudden frefbes it riies above 
 forty or fifty feet. The low grounds 
 upon the banks of this river are very 
 rich and fertile ; they are chiefly fet- 
 tled by Germans, who gain a fuffici- 
 ent livelihood by raifing flock for the 
 troops, and fending butter down into 
 the lower parts of the country. 1 
 could not but refled with pleafure on 
 the fituation of ihefe people j and 
 think if there is fuch a thing as hap- 
 pinefs in this life, that they enjoy iL 
 Far from the buflle of the world, they 
 live in the mofl delightful climate, and 
 ifichefl foil imaginable ; they are eve- 
 ry where furrounded with beautiful 
 profpeds, and fylvan fcenes 5 lofty 
 mountains, tranfparent flreams, falls of 
 water, rich yallies,and majeftic woods; 
 the whole interfperfed with an infinite 
 variety of flowering fhrubs, conflitutc 
 the landfcape furrounding them : they 
 are fubjed to few difeafes ; are gene- 
 rally 
 
ill' 
 
 
 72 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 rally robuft ; and live in perfed liber- 
 ty : they are ignorant of want, and ac- 
 quainted with but few vices. Their 
 inexperience of the elegancies of life, 
 precludes any regret that they poffefs 
 not the means of enjoying them : but 
 they poffefs what many princes would 
 give half their dominions for, health, 
 content, and tranquillity of mind. 
 
 Winchefter is a fmall town of about 
 two hundred houfes. It is the place 
 of general rendezvous of the Virgini- 
 an troops, which is the reafon of its 
 late rapid increafe, and prefent flou- 
 rifliing condition. The country about 
 it, before the redudiion of Fort du 
 Qjaefne, was greatly expofed to the 
 ravages of the Indians, who daily com- 
 mitted moft horrid cruelties : even 
 the town would have been in danger, 
 had not colonel Wafliington, in order 
 to cover and proted it, ereded a fort 
 upon an eminence at one end of it, 
 which proved of the utmoft utility . 
 ". : - for 
 
libcr- 
 dac- 
 rheir 
 f life, 
 offefs 
 : but 
 vould 
 ealth, 
 
 1. 
 
 about 
 place 
 rgini- 
 of its 
 flou- 
 about 
 rt du 
 the 
 corn- 
 even 
 mger, 
 order 
 fort 
 of it, 
 
 ility ; 
 
 for 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 73 
 
 for although the Indians were fre- 
 quently in fight of the town, they 
 never dared to approach within reach 
 of the fort. It is a regular fquare 
 fortification,with four baftions, mount- 
 ing twenty-four cannon j the length 
 of each curtain, if I am not miftaken, 
 is about eighty yards. Within, there 
 are barracks for 450 men. The mate- 
 rials of which it is built, are loggs 
 filled up with earth : the foldiers at- 
 tempted to furround it with a dry 
 ditch ; but the rock was fo extremely 
 hard and impenetrable, that they were 
 obliged to defift. It is ftill unfinifh- 
 ed; and, I fear, going to ruin ^ for the 
 afiTembly, who feldom look a great 
 way before them, after having ex- 
 pended about 9000I. currency upon 
 it, cannot u-j prevailed upon to give 
 another thoufand towards finifliing it, 
 becaufe we are in poflTeflion of Pits- 
 burg • and, as they fuppofe, quite fe- 
 cure on that account : yet it is certain, 
 
 that, 
 
7f TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 that, in cafe of another Indian war on 
 this fide, \^ hich is by no means ina- 
 probabIe,confidcring our general treat- 
 ment of that people, it would be of 
 the utmoft advantage and fecurity. 
 
 1 here is a peculiarity in the water 
 at Winchefter, owing, I was told, to 
 the foil's being of a limy quality, 
 which is frequently produdlive of fe- 
 vere gripings, efpecially in ftrangers ; 
 but it is generally fuppofed, on the 
 other hand, to be a fpecific againft 
 fome other difeafes. 
 
 During my flay at this place, I was 
 almofl induced to make a tour for a 
 fortnight to the fouthward, in Au- 
 gufta county, for the fake of feeing 
 fome natural curiofities; which, the 
 officers affured me, were extremely 
 well worth vifiting : but as the Che- 
 rokees had been fcalping in thofe 
 parts only a few days before ; and as 
 I feared, at the fame time, that it 
 would detain me too long, and that 
 
 Ifhould 
 
 -. " f 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 75 
 
 I fhould lofe iTiy paiTage to England, 
 1 judged it prudent to decline it. 
 
 The curiofities they mentioned to 
 me, were chiefly thefe : 
 
 1. About forty miles weftwarli of 
 Augufta court-houfe, a beautiful caf- 
 cade, burfting out of the fide of a 
 rock ; and, after running fome dif- 
 tance through a meadow, rufhing 
 down a precipice 1 50 feet perpendi- 
 cular. 
 
 2. To the fouth ward of this about 
 twenty miles, two curious hot fprings, 
 one tafting like alum, the other like 
 the wafhings of a gun; 
 
 3. A mofl extraordmary cave. 
 
 4. A medicinal fpring, fpecific in 
 venereal cafes. A foldier in the Vir- 
 ginian regiment, whofe cafe was al- 
 moft defperate, by drinking and bath- 
 ing in thefe waters,' was, aft.r a few 
 days, intirely cured. This fad was 
 affcrtedvery (Irongly by fome officers, 
 who had been pofted there ; but co- 
 
 E 2 loaJ 
 
76 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 lonci Wafhington, of whom I en- 
 quired more particularly concerning 
 it, informed me that he had never 
 heard of it ^ that he was not indeed 
 at the place where it is faid to have 
 happened, but that having the com- 
 mand of the regiment at that time, he 
 fhould probably have been informed 
 of it. What credit therefore is to be 
 given to it, the reader muft judge for 
 himfelf. 
 
 ^ 5. Sixty miles fouthward of Auguf- 
 ta court-houfe, a natural arch, or 
 bridge, joining two high mountains, 
 with a confiderable river running un- 
 derneath. 
 
 6. A river called Loft river, from 
 its finking under a mountain, andne- 
 vqr appearing again. 
 
 7. A fpring of a fulphureous nature, 
 an infallible cure for particular cutane- 
 ous diforders. 
 
 8. Sixteen miles north-eaft of Win- 
 chefier, a natural cave or well, into 
 
 which, 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 77 
 
 which,at times, a perfon may godowo 
 to the depth of 100 or 150 yards; 
 and at other times, the water rifcs up 
 to the top, and overflows plentifully. 
 This is called the ebbing and flowing 
 well, and is fituated in a plain, flat 
 country, not contiguous to any moun- 
 tain or running water. 
 
 9. A few miles from hence, fix or 
 feven curious caves communicating 
 with each other. 
 
 A day or two before 1 left Winchef- 
 tcr, I difcovered that I had been rob- 
 bed by my fervant : he confefTed the 
 faif), and pleafed fo little in juflification 
 of himfelf, that I was obliged to dif- 
 mifs him. This diflrefTed me very 
 much, for it was impoflible to hire a 
 fervant in thele parts, or even any one 
 to go over the mountains with me in- 
 to the lower iettlements. However, 
 by the politenefs of the commander of 
 the place, the honourable colonel byrd, 
 and of another gentleman of my ac- 
 
 E 3 quaintance, 
 
78 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 quaintance, I got over thefe difficul- 
 ties; for the former, while I continu- 
 ed at Winchefter, accommodated me 
 with his own apartments in the fort, 
 ordering his fcrvants to attend and 
 wait upon me : and the latter fent a 
 Ncgroe boy with me, as far as colonel 
 Wafhington's, eighty miles diftant 
 from this place. On the 4th of June, 
 therefore, I was enabled to leave Win- 
 chefter, and I travelled that night 
 about eighteen miles, to Sniker's ferry 
 upon the Shenando. 
 
 The next morning I repaffed the 
 Blue-ridge at Williams's Gap, and pro- 
 ceeded on my journey about forty 
 miles. I this day fell into converfa- 
 tion with a planter, who overtook me 
 on the road, concerning the rattle- 
 fnake, of which there are infinite 
 numbers in thefe parts ; and he told 
 me, that one day going to a mill at 
 fome diftance, he provoked one to 
 fuch a degree, as to make it flrike a 
 
 fmall 
 
 -■*■ 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 79 
 
 fmall vine which grew clofc by, and 
 that the vine prefcntly drooped, and 
 died •. 
 
 My accommodations this evening 
 were extremely bad ; I had been wet 
 to the (kin in the afternoon ; and at 
 the miferable plantation in which I 
 had taken (helter, I could get no fire ; 
 nothing to eat or drink but pure wa- 
 ter i and not even a blanket to cover 
 I threw myfelf down upon my 
 
 me. 
 
 mattrafs, but fufFered fo much from 
 cold, and was fo infefted with infedls 
 and vermin, that 1 could not clofe my 
 eyes. I rofe early in the morning, 
 
 E 4 therefore, 
 
 ♦ Several pcrfons to whom I have mentioned 
 this fa6t, have feemed to doubt of the probability 
 of it. But were it not true, a queAion will natu> 
 rally arife, how an idea of that nature ihould oc- 
 cur to an ignorant planter, living remote from all 
 cultivated fociety ; and, more particularly, how 
 he (hould happen to fix upon that tree ; which, 
 fuppofing the thing poflible, is the mod likely to. 
 \iZ\t been affected in the manner defcribed. 
 
8o TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 therefore, and proceeded upon my 
 journey, being diftant from colonel 
 Wafhington's not more than thirty 
 miles. Jt was late, however, before I 
 arrived there, for it rained extremely 
 hard, and a man who undertook to 
 ihow me the neareft way> led me among 
 precipices and rocks, and we were loft 
 for above two hours. It was not in- 
 deed, without fome compenfation ; 
 for he brought me through as beauti- 
 ful and pi£ture(que a fcene, as eye 
 ever beheld. It was a delightful val- 
 ley, about two miles in length, and a 
 quarter of one in breadth, between 
 high and craggy mountains, covered 
 with chamoedaphnes or wild ivy, in 
 full flower. Through the middle of 
 the valley glided a rivulet about eight 
 yards wide, extremely lucid, and break- 
 ing into innumerable cafcades ; and in 
 different parts of it flood fmall clumps 
 of evergreens j fuch as myrtles, cedars, 
 
 pines, 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 8t 
 
 pines, and various other forts. Upon 
 the whole, not Tcmpc itfelf could 
 have difplayed greater beauty or a 
 more delightful fcene. 
 
 At colonel Washington's 1 difpofed 
 of my horfes, and, having borrowed 
 his curricle and fervant, I took leave 
 of Mount Vernon the i ith of June. \ 
 
 I crofTed over the Potowmac into 
 Maryland at Clifton's ferry, where the 
 river is fomething more than a mile 
 broad ; and proceeded on my jour- 
 ney to Marlborough, eighteen miles.. 
 I here met with a flrolling company 
 of players, under the diredion of one 
 Douglas. I went to fee their theatre, 
 which was a neat, convenient tobac— 
 co-houfe, well fitted up for the pur-'t 
 pofe. From hence in the afternoon I' 
 proceeded to Qjieen Ann, nine miles ; . 
 and in the evening nine miles farther,, 
 over the Patuxen to London-town 
 ferry ; I ftaid here all night, and early;? 
 in the morning ferrying over South-^' 
 
 E 5 river,, 
 
82 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 river, three quarters of a mile in 
 breadth, I arrived at Annapolis, four 
 miles difiant, about nine in the morn- 
 ing. 
 
 Annapolis is the capital of Mary- 
 land i it is a fmall neat town, coniift- 
 ing of about a hundred and fifty 
 houfes, fituated on a peninfula upon 
 Severn river. The peninfula is form- 
 ed by the river, and two fmall creeks ; 
 and although the river is not above a 
 mile broad '^ yet as it falls into Chefa- 
 peak bay a little below, there is from 
 this town the fineft water-profpedJ 
 imaginable. The bay is twelve miles 
 over, and beyond it you may difcern 
 the eaftern fhore ; fo that the fcene is 
 diverfified with fields, wood, and wa- 
 ter. The tide rifes here about two 
 feet, and the water is fait, though the 
 diftancc of the Capes is more than 200 
 miles. The town is not laid out re- 
 gularly, but is tolerably well built, and 
 has feveral good brick houfes in it. 
 
 31 None 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 83 
 
 None of the flreets are paved, and the 
 few public buildings here are not 
 worth mentioning. The church is a 
 very poor one, theftadt-houfe but in- 
 different, arjd the governor's palace is 
 not finiflied. This laft mentioned 
 building was begun a few years ago j 
 it is fituated very finely upon an emi- 
 nence, and commands a beautifuf' 
 view of the town and environs. It 
 has four large rooms on the lower 
 floor, befides a magnificent hall, a 
 ftair-cafe, and a veftibule. On each 
 fide of the entrance are four windows, 
 and nine upon the firft ftory; the 
 oflices are under ground. It was to 
 have had a fine portico the whole 
 range of the buildings ; but unlucki- 
 ly the governor and aflfembly difagree- 
 ing about ways and means^ the exe- 
 cution of the defign Vv as fufpended ;. 
 and only the (hell of the houfe has 
 been finiflied, which is now going to 
 ruin. The houfe, which the prefent 
 
 governor 
 
84 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 governor inhabits, is hired by the pro- 
 vince at 80 1. currency per annum. 
 
 There is very little trade carried on 
 from this place, and the chief of the 
 inhabitants are ftorekeepers or public 
 officers. They build two or three 
 (hips annually, but feldom more. 
 There are no fortifications, except a 
 miferable battery of fifteen fix-poun* 
 d^rs. 
 
 Maryland is fituated between the 
 38th and 40th degrees of north lati- 
 tude, and 75 th and 80th of weft longi- 
 tude from London. It is bounded on 
 the eaft by the Atlantic ocean, and the 
 three lower counties of Delaware j on 
 the fouth and weft by Virginia ; and 
 by Penfyivania on the north. The 
 climate, foil, and natural productions 
 of it are nearly the fame as thofe of 
 Virginia. It is watered by many fine 
 rivers, and almoft innumerable creeks; 
 but is far from being well cultivated, 
 and is capable of much improvement.^ 
 . It 
 
t. 
 
 [t 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 85- 
 
 It is divided into fourteen counties, 
 and between forty and fifty parifhes; 
 and there arc fevcral little towns in it 
 which are neatly built. The inhabi- 
 tants, exclufive of flavcs, are fuppof- 
 ed' to be about ninety thoufand : of 
 which the ndilttia, including all white 
 males between fixteen and fixty, a* 
 mounts to eighteen. The flaves are 
 about thirty - two thoufand. The 
 il^ple of the country is tobacco; and, 
 ^ommunibus annis, they export near 
 30,000 hogflieads : laft year their ex- 
 ports amounted to 50,000. Their 
 manufa£hires are very trifling. The 
 government is a proprietary one ; and 
 confifts of the proprietor (viz. lord 
 Baltimore) ; his governor ; the coun- 
 cil, compofed' of twelve perfons no- 
 minated by himfelf ; and a houfe of i 
 reprefentativ^s, eledted by the people; 
 four for each county, and two for . 
 Annapolis. The power of the pro*- 
 prietor is next to regal ; of the other 
 
 :K-t.^ parts 
 
86 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 parts of the legiflature, much the fame 
 as in Virginia. The lower houfe has 
 been at variance fome years with the 
 council and governor, concerning ways 
 and means ^ chiefly in regard to tax- 
 ing the merchants book-debts : which 
 has been the reafon of itk having dbhe 
 nothing for the defence of the colo- 
 nies during the war. The houfe has 
 conftantly voted troops, but as d6rt- 
 fiantly laid the fame tax for the main- 
 t^nance)r:o£ them : fo the council has 
 always rejeded it ; alledging the in- 
 convenience of fuch a tax, as it would 
 neceflarily be a reflraint upon trade ; 
 and ruin many of the merchants cre- 
 dits The proprietor has a negative * 
 upon every bill, exclufive of his go- 
 vernor. 
 
 There are feveral courts of judica- 
 ture in this province; but the princi-» 
 pal are either thofc which are held 
 
 .in ^i ^^woq . quarterly 
 
 • This power is doubted, though it has never 
 yet been contefted. 
 
N 
 
 ' ■<» 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 87 
 
 quarterly in each county by the jufli- 
 ces thereof, like thofc in Virginia ; or 
 the provincial ones, which are held 
 twice annually at Annapolis by judges 
 appointed for that purpofe*. The 
 court of chancery confifts of the go- 
 vernor and council : and the dernier 
 refort is to his majefly in council at 
 home. 
 
 The eftablifhed religion is that of 
 the church of England : but there arc 
 as many Roman Catholics as Proteft* 
 ants. The clergy are liberally provid- 
 ed for ; they have not, as in Virginia, 
 a fixed quantity of tobacco ; but fo 
 much per head, viz. 30 weight for 
 every tychable in their refpeflivc pa- 
 riihes : and fome of them make more 
 than 300 1. fterling per annum. They 
 
 are 
 
 • Befules thefc courts, there was formerly a 
 general court of aflize held throughout the pro- 
 vince, either once or twice a year, but this has 
 
 been laid afide. ' 
 
8g TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 are prefented to their livings by the 
 governor; and are under the jurif- 
 didion of the bifbop of London ; but 
 being at a great diflance from Eng- 
 land, and having no commifTary to 
 fuperintend their affairs, they labour 
 under many inconveniences. Aflefs- 
 ments are made, I was told, by the 
 county-courts ; the veftry, which con- 
 fiils of twelve members diftindl from- 
 the church-wardens, having little or 
 no authority *. 
 
 In each county throughout this pro- 
 vince, there is a public frec-fchool, for 
 reading, writing, and accounts; but 
 no college or ^academy ; and the edu- 
 cation of youth is but little attended 
 
 to. 
 
 ^ '- The 
 
 * The whole veftry, as in Virginia, conftfts of 
 twelve members ; but they go off by rotations two 
 every year ; io there is annually a frefti election. 
 They have the power of appointing infpedors. 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 89 
 
 The charader of the inhabitants is 
 much the fame as that of the Virgi- 
 nians ; and the ftate of the two co- 
 lonics nearly alike. Tobacco* to 
 fpeak in general, is the chief thing 
 attended to in both. There have 
 been fome attempts indeed to make 
 wine; and it is certain, that the 
 country is capable of producing al- 
 moft any fort of grapes. Col. Tafco, 
 a gentleman of diftindion in thefe 
 parts, attempted to make Burgundy, 
 and fucceeded tolerably well, for the 
 firft trial. I drank fome of the wine 
 at the table of Mr. Hamilton, the go- 
 vernor of Penfylvania, and thought it 
 not bad. But whether, as this gen- 
 tleman is now dead, any other perfon 
 will have fpirit to profecute his plan, 
 I much doubt. The currency here 
 is paper-money, and the difference 
 of exchange about fifty per cent. 
 The duty upon negroes, is only forty 
 (hillings currency per head at their 
 
 impor- 
 
90 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 importation; whereas in Virginia it 
 is ten pounds. 
 
 June 1 3.] I hired a fchooner of about 
 ten ton, and embarked for the head 
 of the bay, diftant 23 leagues ; we 
 ^made fail with a frefh breeze, and af- 
 ter, a pleafant paflage of fixteen hours, 
 in one of the moft delightful days im- 
 aginable, arrived at Frederick-Town 
 upon Saffafras river, about twelve in 
 the evening. I never in my life fpent 
 a day more agreeable, or with higher 
 entertainment. The fhores on each 
 (ide the bay, and the many little 
 iflands interfperfed in it, afford very 
 beautiful profpedtsj we were enter- 
 tained at the fame time with innu- 
 merable porpoifes playing about the 
 bow of the (hip ; and naturally fell 
 into a train of the moft pleafing re- 
 flexions, on obferving the mouths of 
 the many noble rivers as we paffed 
 along. On the weftern (hore, befides 
 
 thofe 
 
a it 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 91 
 
 thofc great rivers of Virginia, which 
 I have already defcribed, there arc 
 ten or eleven others large and capa- 
 cious, fome of them navigable a con- 
 fiderable way up into the country. 
 *' The Patuxen, which we have left 
 behind us, faid the maAer of the 
 fcbooner as we were failing over this 
 beautiful bay, is navigable near fifty 
 miles for veffels of three hundred ton 
 burthen. Yonder, he added, are 
 South and Severn rivers, navigable 
 above ten miles. A little farther is 
 the Patapfico, a large and noble river ; 
 where I have gone up fifteen miles. 
 Gunpowder and Bufh rivers admit 
 only floops and fchooners. The Suf- 
 quehannah, though fo majeftic, and 
 fuperior in appearance, has only a 
 (hort, and that a bad navigation ; but 
 it rifes an immenfe way off in un- 
 known and inhofpitable regions, is 
 exceedingly large and beautiful, and 
 affords great variety of fi(h. On the 
 
 eaftern 
 
92 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 eaftern fhore, he concluded, are Ba- 
 hama, SafTafras, Chefler, Wye, Miles, 
 Great Choptank, Little Choptank, 
 Nanticote, Manokin, and Pocomoke, 
 rivers ; all of them navigable, more 
 or lefs, for fcvcral miles." — Such was 
 our converfation and entertainment 
 during this delightful voyage. 
 
 Frederic-town is a fmall village on 
 the weftern fide of Saflafras river, 
 built for the accommodation of ftran- 
 gers and travellers ; on the eaftern 
 fide, eteiOly oppofite to it, is another 
 fmall village (George-town), ereded 
 for the fame purpofe. Having hired 
 an Italian chaife, with a fervant and 
 horfe to attend me as far as Philadel- 
 phia, I left Frederic town the next 
 day, and went to Newcaftle, thirty- 
 two miles. 
 
 Newcaftle is fituated upon Dela- 
 ware river, about forty miles above 
 the Bay, and a hundred from the 
 Capes. It is the capital of the three 
 
 lowxr 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 93 
 
 lower counties, but a place of very 
 little confideration^ there arc icarcely 
 more than an hundred houfes in it, 
 and no public buildings that defervc 
 to be taken notice of. The church, 
 preftyterian and quakers meeting- 
 houfes, court-houfes, and market- 
 houfe, are almoft equally bad, and 
 undefcrving of attention. 
 
 The province, of which this is the 
 capital, and which is diftinguiflied by 
 the name of the Three Lower Coun- 
 ties of Newcaftle, Suffex, and Kent, 
 belonged formerly to the Dutch ; but 
 was ratified to the crown of England, 
 by the treaty of Breda j it was after- 
 wards fold by the duke of York to the 
 proprietor of Penfylvania, and has 
 continued a feparate government, 
 though nearly under the fame regu- 
 lations with that province, ever fince. 
 The fame governor prefides over 
 both ; but the affembly, and courts 
 of judicature are different : different 
 _ as 
 
9+ TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 as to their conftituent members, for 
 in form they are nearly alike. The 
 aflcmbly conflAs of eighteen perfons, 
 elcded annually by the people; fix 
 for each county : this with the gover- 
 nor, forms the legiflature of the pro- 
 vince. There is a militia, in which 
 all perfons, from eighteen to fifty, 
 arc obliged to be in rolled ; and the 
 county of Newcaftle alone furniflics 
 more than feven hundred. 
 
 The next day I fet out for Philadel- 
 phia, diftant about thirty-fix miles, 
 and arrived there in the evening. 
 The country all the way bore a dif- 
 ferent afped from any thing I had 
 hitherto feen in America. It was 
 much better cultivated, and beauti- 
 fully laid out into fields of clover, 
 grain, and flax. I pafl!ed by a very 
 pretty village called Wilmington ; and 
 rode through two others, viz. Chefter 
 and Derby. The Delaware river is in 
 fight a great part of the way, and is 
 
 three 
 
for 
 The 
 fons, 
 , fix 
 >ver- 
 pro- 
 rhich 
 
 fifty, 
 
 1 the 
 liflies 
 
 ladel- 
 miles, 
 ining. 
 dif- 
 had 
 was 
 auti- 
 over, 
 very 
 and 
 hefter 
 
 r 18 in 
 md is 
 three 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 95 
 
 three miles broad. Upon the whole 
 nothing could be more pleafing than 
 the ride which 1 had this day. I 
 ferried over the Schuilkill, about 
 three miles below Philadelphia ; from 
 whence to the city the whole country 
 is covered with villas, gardens, and 
 luxuriant orchards. 
 
 Philadelphia, if we confider that 
 not eighty years ago the place where 
 it now ftands was a wild and uncul- 
 tivated defart, inhabited by nothing 
 but ravenous beafts, and a favage 
 people, muft certainly be the objeft 
 of every one's wonder and admiration. 
 It is fituated upon a tongue of land, 
 a few miles above the confluence of 
 the Delaware and Schuilkill ^ and 
 contains about 3000 houfes, and 18 
 or 20,000 inhabitants. It is built 
 north and fouth upon the banks of 
 the Delaware ; and is nearly two 
 miles in length, and three quarters of 
 one in breadth. The ftreets are laid 
 
 out 
 
p 
 
 96 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 out with great regularity in parallel 
 lines, interfered by others at right 
 angles, and are handfomely byilt : 
 on each fide there is a pavement of 
 broad ftones for foot paflTengers ; and 
 in moft of them a caufeway in the 
 middle for carriages. Upon dark 
 nights it is well lighted, and watched 
 by a patrole: there arc many fair 
 houfes, and public edifices in it. The 
 ftadt-houfe is a large, handfome,' 
 though heavy building ; in this are 
 held the councils, the aiTemblies and 
 fupreme courts ; there are apartments 
 in it alfo for the accommodation of 
 Indian chiefs or fachems ; likewife 
 two libraries; one belonging to the 
 province, the other to a fociety, 
 which was incorporated about ten 
 years ago, and confifts of fixty mem- 
 bers. Each member upon admiflion, 
 fubfcribcti forty {hillinf;s ; and after- 
 ward annually ten. They can alie- 
 nate their fharcs, by will or deed, to 
 
 any 
 
lei 
 
 ,ht 
 It: 
 
 of 
 ind 
 the 
 ark 
 bed 
 fair 
 The 
 )me, 
 
 are 
 
 and 
 
 ents 
 n of 
 
 wife 
 the 
 
 iety, 
 ten 
 lem- 
 Iffion, 
 ifter- 
 alie- 
 , to 
 any 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 97 
 
 any perfon approved of by the fociety. 
 They have a fmall colledtion of me- 
 dals and medallions, and a few other 
 curiofities, fuch as the fkin of a rattle- 
 fnake killed at Surinam twelve feet 
 long ; and feveral Northern Indian 
 habits made of furs and Ikins. At a 
 fmall diftance from the fladt-houfer 
 there is another fine library, confift- 
 ing of a very valuable and chofen col- 
 lection of books, left by a Mr. Logan; 
 they are chiefly in the learned lan- 
 guages. Near this there is alfo a no- 
 ble hofpital for lunatics, and other 
 fick perfons. Befides thefe buildings, 
 there are fpacious barracks for 17 or 
 1 800 men j a good afTembly-room 
 belonging to the fociety of free- ma- 
 fons J and eight or ten places of reli- 
 gious worftiip; viz. two- churches, 
 three quakers meeting-houfesj tv^o 
 prefbyterian ditto, one Lutheran 
 church, one Dutch Calvinift ditto, 
 one Swedifh ditto, one Romifh chapel, 
 
 F one 
 
98 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 one anabaptift meeting-houfe, one 
 Moravian ditto : there is alfo an aca- 
 demy or college, originally built for a 
 tabernacle for Mr. Whitefield. At 
 the fouth end of the town, upon the 
 river, there is a battery mounting 
 thirty guns, but it is ih a Aate of de- 
 cay. It v^as defigned as a check upon 
 privateers. Thefe, WMth a few alms- 
 houfes, and a fchool-houfe belonging 
 to the quakcrs, are the chief public 
 buildings in Philadelphia. The city 
 is in a very flourifliing ftate, and in- 
 habited by merchants, artifts, tra'def- 
 men, and perfons of all occupations. 
 There is a public market held twice a 
 week, upon Wednefday, and Satur- 
 day, almoft equal to that of Leaden- 
 hall, and a tolerable one every day 
 befides. The ftreets are crowded with 
 people, and the river with veffels. 
 H ufes are fo dear, that they will let 
 for rod. currency per annum ; and 
 lots, not above thirty feet in breadth, 
 
 and 
 
 >.*'..'. 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 99 
 
 and a hundred in length, in advan- 
 tageous fituations, will fell for loool. 
 fterling. There are feveral docks up- 
 on the river, and about tv\renty-fivc 
 veffels are built there annually. I 
 counted upon the flocks at one time 
 no lefs than feventeen, moft of them 
 three- mafted veflels. 1 ... ^i^^s 
 Can the mind have a greater plea- 
 fure than in contemplating the rife 
 and progrefs of cities and empires ? 
 Than in perceiving a rich and opulent 
 ftate arifing out of a fmall fettlement 
 or colony ? This pleafure every one 
 mufl feel w^ho confiders Penfylvania, 
 — This wonderful province is fituated 
 between the 40th and 43d degrees of 
 north latitude, and about 76 de^ 
 grees weft longitude from London, 
 in a healthy and delightful climate, 
 amidft all the advantages that nature 
 can beftow. The foil is extremely 
 ftrong and fertile, and produces fpon- 
 taneoufly an infinite variety of trees, 
 
 F 2 flowers, 
 
loo TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 flowers, fruits, and plants of differ- 
 ent forts. The mountains are enrich- 
 ed with ore, and the rivers with fifh : 
 fome of thefe are fo (lately as not to 
 be beheld without admiration : the 
 Delaware is navigable for large veffels 
 as far as the falls, 1 80 miles diflant 
 from the fea, and 120 from the bay. 
 At the mouth it is more than three 
 miles broad, and above one at Phila- 
 delphia. The navigation is obftrudl- 
 cd in the winter, for about fix weeks, 
 by the feverity of the froft ; but, at 
 other times, it is bold and open. The 
 Schuilkill, though not navigable for 
 any great fpace, is exceedingly roman- 
 tic, and affords the moft delightful 
 retirements. 
 
 ^i Cultivation is carried to a high degree 
 of perfedion ; and Penfylvania pro- 
 duces not only great plenty, but alfo 
 great variety of grain 5 it yields like- 
 wife flax-fe^d, hemp, cattle ofdiffe- 
 . .' ' ■ ^ ' ■■ " ■ . rent 
 
lan- 
 itful 
 
 fgrec 
 
 jpro- 
 
 alfo 
 
 ike- 
 
 lifFe- 
 
 rent 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. loi 
 
 rent kinds, and various other arti- 
 cles *. 
 
 It is divided into eight counties, 
 and contains many large and popu- 
 lous towns : Carlifle, Lancafter, and 
 German town, conlift each of near 
 five hundred houfes ; there arc fcvcral 
 others which have from one to two 
 Iiundred. 
 •:-■'. • F 3- :', ■■ The 
 
 • In ihc fouihcrn colonies cultivation is in a 
 very low flate. '1 he comiuon procefs of it is, 
 firll to cut off the trees two or three feet above 
 ground, in order to let in the fun and air, leaving 
 t\yt ftumps to decay and rot, which they do in a 
 few years. After this they dig and plant, and 
 continue to work the fame field, year after year, 
 without ever manuring it, till it is quite fpent. 
 Tdey then enter upon a frelli piece of ground, 
 allovving this a refpite of about twenty years to 
 recover itfeif ; during which time it becomes beau- 
 lirully covered uitii Virginian pines: the feeds of 
 that tree, which are exceedingly fmall, and, 
 V. h(n the cones open, are waficd through the air 
 in great abundance, fowirg thcmfelves in every 
 vacant fpot of ntgleQcd ground. • v 
 
102 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 The number of inhabitants is fup- 
 pofcd to be between four and five 
 hundred thoufand, a fifth of which 
 are quakers ; there are very few Ne- 
 groes or flaves. 
 
 The trade of Penfylvania is furpri- 
 lingly extenfive, carried on to Great 
 Britain, the Wefl Indies, every part 
 of North America, the Madeiras, Lif- 
 I)on, Cadiz, Holland, Africa, theSpa- 
 nilh main, and feveral other places; 
 exclufive of what is illicitly carried on 
 to Cape Francois, and Monte-Chriflo. 
 Their exports are provifions of all 
 kinds, lumber, hemp, flax, flax-feed, 
 iron, furrs, and deer-fliins. Their 
 imports, Englifh manufadures, with 
 the fuperfluities and luxuries of life. 
 By their flag of truce -trade, they 
 alfo get fugar, which they refine and 
 fend to Europe. 
 
 ' Their manufaflures are very confi- 
 derable. The German-town thread- 
 flockings are in high eftimation ; and 
 
 the 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 103 
 
 the year hcfcre laft, I have been cre- 
 dibly informed, there were manufac- 
 tured in that town alone, above 60,000 
 dozen pair. Their common retail 
 price is a dollar per pair. 
 
 The Jrifh fettlers make very good 
 linens: fome w^oollens have aifo been 
 fabricated, but not I believe to any 
 •amount. There arc feveral other 
 manufadlures, viz. of beaver hats,^ 
 which are fuperior in goodnefs to any 
 in Europe, of cordage, linfeed-oil, 
 ftarch, myrtle -wax and fpermaceti 
 candles, foap, earthen w^are, and other 
 commodities. 
 
 The government of this province 
 is a proprietary one. The legiflature 
 is lodged in the hands of a governor^ 
 appointed (with the kings approba- 
 tion) by the proprietor • and a houfe 
 of reprefentatives, eleded by the peo- 
 ple, confiding of thirty-feven mem- 
 bers. Thefe are of various religious 
 perfuafions j for by the charter of pri- 
 
 F 
 
 A. 
 
 vileges. 
 
\" 
 
 
 104 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 vileges, which Mr. Penn granted to 
 the fettlers in Pcnfylvania, no perfon 
 who believed in God could be mo- 
 lefted in his calling or profeffion ; and 
 any one who believed in Jefus Chrift 
 might enjoy the firft pod under the 
 government. The crown has referv- 
 ed to itfelf a power of repealing any 
 law, which may interfere with the 
 prerogative, or be contrary to the 
 laws of Great Britain. 
 
 The judicature confifls of different 
 courts. The juftices of the peace, 
 who, together with the other judges, 
 arc of the governor's appointment, 
 hold quarterly feffions conformable to 
 the laws of England ; and, when 
 thefe are finifhed, continue to fit in 
 quality of judges of common pleas, 
 by a fpecial commiflion. The fu- 
 preme court confifls of a chief juftice, 
 and two afliftant judges ; they have 
 the united au hority of the King's 
 Bench, Common Pleas, and Court of 
 
 Exchequer. 
 
 li! 
 
in 
 as, 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 105 
 
 Exchequer. They not only receive 
 appeals, but all caufes once commen- 
 ced in the inferior courts, after the 
 firft writ, may be moved thither by 
 a habeas corpus, certiorari, writ of 
 error, 6fc, The judges of the fu- 
 preme court have alfo a ftanding and 
 diftind commiffion, to hold, as Oial 
 fcem needful, courts of oyer and ter- 
 miner, and general goal-deliveries 
 throughout the province; but this 
 power they feldom, I believe, exer- 
 cife. The fupreme courts are held 
 twice a year at Philadelphia. There 
 is no Court o^' Chancery ; but the 
 want of it is fupplied, in fome mea- 
 fure, by the other courts. 1 here is a 
 particular officer called the regifter* 
 general, appointed by the governor, 
 whofe authority extends over the 
 whole province, where he has feve- 
 ral deputies. He grants letters of 
 adminiftration, and probates of wills. 
 In cafes of difpute, or caveat entered, 
 
 F 5 he 
 
I 
 
 ic6 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 he may call in, as afliflants, two juf- 
 tices of the peace. The governor can 
 pardon in all cafes, except of treafon 
 or murder, and then can reprieve till 
 he knows the king's pleafure. 
 
 There is here, as in moft cf 
 the other colonies, a Court of Vice- 
 admirality, held by commiffion from 
 the Admirality in England, for the 
 trial of captures and of piracies, and 
 other mifdemeanors committed upon 
 the high feas •, but there lies an ap- 
 peal from it, 1 believe, to the Court 
 of Delegates in England. 
 
 As to religion, there is none pro- 
 perly eftablifhed 5 but Proteftants of 
 all denominations, Papifts, Jews, and 
 all other feds whatfoever, are univer- 
 fally tolerated. There are twelve 
 clergymen of the church of England, 
 who are fent by the Society for the 
 Propagation of the Gofpel, and are 
 allowed annually 50 1. each, befides 
 W'bat they get from fubfcriptions and 
 ,^-. .. fur pi ice 
 
NORTFI-AMERICA. 107 
 
 fiirplice fees. Some few of thcfc arc . 
 itinerant miirionaries, and have no 
 fixed refidence, but travel from place 
 to place, as occalion requires, upon 
 the frontiers. They arc under the 
 jurifdidiion of the bilhop of Londv>n. 
 
 Arts and fcicnces are yet in ilicir 
 infancy. There are fome few pcrf.'ns 
 who have difcovercd a taftc for mu.'ic 
 and painting; and philofophy feems 
 not only to have made a confiderable 
 pro^rrefs already, but to be daily gain- 
 ing ground. The library fociety is an 
 excellent inftitution for propagating a 
 tajfte ibr literature ; and the college 
 well calculated to form and cultivate 
 it.. This laft inibtution is erecfted 
 upon an admirable plan, and is by 
 far the beft fchool for learning 
 throughout America. It has beea 
 chiefly raifed by contributions j and 
 its prefcnt fund is about 10,000 1; 
 Penfylvania monev. An account of 
 
 . ' it 
 
io8 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 it may be fecn in Dr. Smith's (the 
 prefident's) Difcourfes. The quakers 
 alfo have an academy for inftrudt- 
 ing their youth in clafTical learning, 
 and pradical mathematics : there are 
 three teachers, and about feventy 
 boys in it. Befides thefe, there are 
 feveral fchools in the province for the 
 Dutch and other foreign children; 
 and a confiderable one is going to 
 be ereded at German-town. 
 
 The Penfylvanians, as to charac- 
 ter, are a frugal and induflrious peo* 
 pie: not remarkably courteous and 
 hofpi table to ft rangers, unlefs par- 
 ticularly recommended to them ; but 
 rather, like the denizens of moft 
 commercial cities, the reverfe. They 
 are great republicans, and have fallen 
 into the fame errors in their ideas 
 of independency, as moft of the 
 other colonies have. They are by 
 far the moft enterprizing people 
 
 upon 
 
 111 I 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. icq 
 
 upon the continent. As they confirt 
 of feveral nations, and talk feveral 
 languages, they are aliens in feme rc- 
 fped to Great Britain : nor can it be 
 expedted that they (hould have the 
 fame filial attachment to htr which 
 her own immediate ofF-fpring have. 
 However, they are quiet, and con- 
 cern themfelves but little, except 
 about getting money. The v^omen 
 are exceedingly handfome and polite ; 
 they are naturally fprightly and fond 
 of pleafure ; and, upon the whole, are 
 much more agreeable and accomplifli- 
 ed thart the men. Since their inter- 
 Gourfe with the Englilh cfiicers, they 
 are greatly improved ; and, without 
 flattery, many of them would not 
 make bad figures even in the firft af- 
 femblies in Europe. Their amufements 
 are chiefly dancing, in the winter; 
 and, in the fummer, forming parties 
 of pleafure upon the Scliuiifci}!,. and 
 ^. ^- - ^\, in 
 
K 
 
 !1 
 
 1 10 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 in tlic country. There is a focicty of 
 fixteen ladies, and as many gentle- 
 men, called the fifbing company, which 
 meet once a fortnight upon the Schuil- 
 kill. They have a very pleafant 
 room ercded in a romantic fituation 
 upon the banks of that river, where 
 they generally dine and drink tea. 
 There are feveral pretty walks about 
 it, and fome wild and rugged rocks, 
 which, together with the water and 
 fine groves that adorn the banks, form 
 a moft beautiful and pidlurefque fcene. 
 There are boats and fiihing tackle 
 of all fortSj and the company divert 
 themfelves with walking, fifhing, go- 
 ing upon the water, dancing, finging, 
 converfing, or juft as they pleafe. 
 The ladies wear an uniform, and ap- 
 pear with great eafe and advantage 
 from the neatnefs and fimplicity of it. 
 The firft and moft diftinguifhed peo- 
 ple of the colony are of this fociety ; 
 and it is very advantageous to a ftrang- 
 
 r * er 
 
 1, i 
 
of 
 
 :le- 
 
 ich 
 
 uil- 
 
 'ant 
 
 tion 
 
 lere 
 
 tea. 
 
 DOUt 
 
 >cks, 
 and 
 orm 
 ene. 
 ckle 
 vert 
 
 eafe. 
 ap. 
 ta8;e 
 fit. 
 ipeo- 
 ety J 
 ang- 
 er 
 
 \ 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. lu 
 
 cr to be introduced to it, as he here- 
 by gets acquainted with the beft and 
 mcft refpedable company in I hiladel- 
 phia. In the winter, when there is 
 fnow upon the ground, it is ufual to 
 make what they call fleighing parties, 
 or to go upon it in fledges ; but as this 
 is a pradice well known in Europe, it 
 is needlefs to defer i be it. - 
 
 The prefent ftate of Fenfylvania is 
 undoubtedly very flourishing. The 
 country is well cultivated, and there 
 are not lefs than 9000 waggons em- 
 pL yed in it, in difl'erent fervices. Till 
 this war they w^ere exempt from taxes ; 
 and it was not without difiiculty that 
 the quakers w^re prevailed upon to 
 grant any fupplics for the defence of 
 the frontiers, though expofed to the 
 moft horrid cruelties : it was not from 
 principle, fay their enemies, that they 
 refufed it, but from intereft; for as 
 they *vere the firfl fettlers, they chief- 
 ly occupy the interior and lower parts. 
 
 of 
 
112 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 of the province, and are not expofed 
 to incurfions. At length, however, 
 compelled by clamour and public dif- 
 content. they v:ere obliged to pafs a 
 fupply bill for 100,000 1. to raife five 
 and twenty hundred men, and thefe 
 they have kept up ever lince ; they 
 afterwards paffed a militia bill, but it 
 was fuch an one as anfwered no good 
 purpofe. The quakers have much 
 the greateft influence in the affembly, 
 and are fupported there by the Dutch 
 and Germans, who are as averfe to 
 taxes as themfelves. Their power, 
 however, at prefent feems rather on 
 the decline, which is the reafon, as 
 the oppofite party pretend, that they 
 fiir up on all occafions as much con- 
 fufion as pofTible, from that trite 
 maxim in politics, divide et impera. 
 They have quarrelled with the pro- 
 prietors upon feveral occafions, whe- 
 ther altogether juftly or not, I will 
 not pretend to fay; it is certain, how- 
 ' ever, 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 113 
 
 ever, that the determinations at home 
 have been fometimes in their favour. 
 The late fubjedls of their diiputes have 
 been chiefly thefe : 
 
 Firft, Whether the proprietary lands 
 ought to be taxed ? This has been 
 determined at home in the affirma- 
 tive. ■ ■■ ' ^' ^ ''^ ' '■■ " 
 
 Secondly, Whether the proprietor 
 ought to have any choice or approba- 
 tion of the afleflbrs? 
 
 Thirdly, Whether he ought to give 
 his governor inftru(Slions ? And, 
 
 Laftly, Whether the judges of his 
 appointment ought to be during plea- 
 fure, or quamdiu fe bene geflerint? 
 Thefe three laft are ftill undecided. 
 
 Upon the whole, though this pro- 
 vince is exceedingly flourifhing, yet 
 there are certainly great abufes in it ; 
 and fuch as, if not fpeedily redified, 
 will be produflive of bad confequen- 
 ces. " 
 
 The 
 
114 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 The difFcrcncc of exchange between 
 bills and the currency of Pcnfylvania, 
 . is about 75 per cent. 
 
 An occurrence happened to me at 
 Philadelphia, which though in itfelf 
 of a trilimg nature, I cannot but take 
 notice of, as a fingular inftance of the 
 ftrong poffciTion which an idea will 
 fometimes take of the mind ; fo as 
 totally to derange it. A hidy from, 
 Rhode -Ifland, who lodged in the fame 
 houfe with myfelf, had an unfortu- 
 nate brother in the infir marv, a luna- 
 tic. He was fuppofed to be nearly 
 well, and was permitted occafionally 
 to fee company. A few days before I 
 was to leave Philadelphia, this lady 
 invited me to accompany her in one 
 of her viiits to him, adding, that on 
 her inadvertently mentioning to him 
 fome circumftanccs relating to me, he 
 had expreired a mod earneft defire to 
 fee nie. I ftrongly obje£led to the 
 propofal, urging the impropriety of 
 
 introducina: 
 
 lull 
 
ween 
 ^ania, 
 
 nie at 
 
 itfelf 
 
 t take 
 
 of the 
 
 a will 
 
 fo as 
 
 from 
 
 e fame 
 
 ifortu- 
 
 . luna- 
 
 nearly 
 
 onally 
 
 fore I 
 
 lady 
 
 n one 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 115 
 
 introducing a ftrangcr, or, indeed, 
 company of any fort, to a perfon in 
 that unhappy fituation ; as it might 
 poUibly agitate his mind, and retard 
 his recovery. I advifed her therefore 
 not to take any further notice of it ; 
 'loping he might forget, or not men- 
 tion it any more. The next day flic 
 renewed her application, adding, that 
 her brother was exceedingly difap- 
 pointcd > and intreated me to attend 
 her in fo prefFing a manner, that I 
 could not with civility refufe it. On 
 entering the cell, a beam of fatisfadli- 
 on fecmed to dart from his eye, not 
 eafy to be expreffed or conceived. I 
 took him by the hand ; and, feating 
 myfelf oppofite the bed to which he 
 was chained, immediately took the 
 lead in converfation, talking of in- 
 difilrent matters, fuch as I thought, 
 could not poflibly tend to intfereft or 
 difturb his mind. I had not proceed- 
 ed far when he fuddenly interrupted 
 ' ^ me; 
 
 / 
 
ii6 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 me ; and propofed a queftion, which 
 at once convinced me that he was in 
 a very unfit (late to fee company. I 
 immediately therefore rofe up ; and 
 making an excufe that my engage- 
 ments that day would not admit of 
 my entering into fo curious a fubjeft, 
 defired him to refcrve it for fome fu- 
 ture converfation. He feemed great- 
 ly difconcerted ; but being near the 
 door which flood open, I took my 
 leave and retired. The next morn- 
 ing 1 left i hiladelphia J nor did I 
 think any more of this occurrence till 
 I arrived at Rhode Ifland j where I 
 was informed, that the chief, if not 
 fole, inftances of infanity (hewn by 
 this unhappy young man, were fome 
 attempts which he had made to kill a 
 clergyman of the church cf England. 
 That he had been educated to be a 
 teacher amongft the congregationa- 
 litts, but had taken it into his head, 
 that he could never gain heaven, or be 
 :.^ happy, 
 
 li 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 117 
 
 happy, but by committing fo heroic 
 and meritorious an adion. The very 
 evening of his confinement he was 
 prevented from fulfiUing his purpofe, 
 in the inftant that he was raifing up 
 his hand to plunge a knife into the 
 back of a clergyman, who was reading 
 the funeral fervice, in the prcfence of 
 a large congregation. What his in- 
 tentions were in regard to myfelf,! can- 
 not pretend to fay , he offered me no 
 violence ; but thofe at Rhode-Ifland 
 of his acquaintance, to whom I related 
 this tranfadion, were fully perfuaded 
 that he was far from being cured of 
 his diftemper. * 
 
 ■ Heft 
 
 • Since my return to Tu rope, I have been in- 
 formed of an inftance fimilar lo thi^, which hap- 
 pened at Florence. A gen'lcman had laken it in- 
 to his head that a very lar^c diamord la\ buncd 
 under a mountain which flood upon hi3 eftare, and 
 was near ruining himfelf and his family by digging 
 tor it. His friends, by fome contrivance or other, 
 got him away to Florence, and placed him under 
 
 the 
 
1 1 8 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 I left Philadelphia the 6th of July, 
 and travelled in the ftage as far as 
 Shcminey-ferry,aboutfeventeenmilesj 
 ' where I was overtaken by a gentleman 
 and feme ladies of my acquaintance, 
 , . who 
 
 the care of the late ccltbrattd Dr. Cocclii. He 
 there appeared perFcdl) compolcd, talked > cry ra- 
 tional!) , and, having been well educated, aflTordcd 
 great entertainment to tlie doctor and his friends, 
 who converfed with Win. One day as they were 
 fitting together, he mentioned to the docior, that 
 it was very hard he Ihoiild be deprived of his li- 
 berty, when he was pLrfeCtly uell; and that it 
 was only a fcheme of liis relations to keep him in 
 confinement, in order that they might enjoy his 
 eftate. The dodor, who had perceived no marks 
 of infanity, began to he daggered ; and promifcd, 
 in cafe he fhould fee no realon to alter his fenti- 
 ments, to fign a certificate of his bejng well on 
 fuch a day, in order to its being fent to England, 
 that he might have his releafe. The day ar- 
 rived, and the do6lor was preparing to pertorm 
 his promife ; but, whether by defign on perceiv- 
 ing fomething particular in the looks of his pa- 
 tient, or by accident, I could not learn, he faid to 
 
 , / the 
 
JGH 
 
 1 of July, 
 3s far as 
 een miles; 
 entleman 
 aintance, 
 who 
 
 occhi. He 
 ccd\cry ra- 
 ■d, afforded 
 ^is friends, 
 
 tiiey were 
 ocior, that 
 i of his 11- 
 <nd that it 
 ^'P iiim in 
 
 tnjoy his 
 
 no marks 
 
 promi fed, 
 
 liis fenti- 
 
 : well on 
 
 England, 
 
 t^ay ar- 
 
 perform 
 perceiv- 
 
 his pa- 
 
 " faid to 
 the 
 
 fown upon the n i ''^"'"'' <"""" 
 
 t^n n^iies highl „ 't''"°"" ^-^^^-"^ 
 ried over to Trenton 7''^''' '''"^ ^'^'- 
 
 ''""dredho^t ?r'^'"^'-"^°"ta 
 -'^^^ie.thereisa^:;::^:^^- 
 
 ; .:^^, , -i 
 
 ■ *t*j 
 
 ers 
 
 the genfleman j " Kow ^■ 
 
 " that you will „,i„k '""' ^J^"'"' '^'i^'Ime 
 
 ::f'''fofthediaJot"'aid:r"''''i'' ' ^o' 
 " "' *or ,hi5 reafon ,ha. j '^' •''"^""^" i "it 
 
 " know cxaaiy ,he A,', T"' "'>' '""")■; ' 
 " will have it in 1/* n-':;^'''^'^ " '"^' - and I 
 « year older." ^ T"^*^""' ^eiorc I am a 
 
 This (lory was related to me in T r " 
 
 ' "^^ "° -'"■°" 'o quefl,o„ th^tr^h of ■ :"'' "' 
 
120 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 ers and prefbyterian meeting-houfc, 
 and barracks for three hundred men. 
 From hence we went to Sir Jchn 
 Sinclair's, at the Falls of Delaware, 
 about a mile above Trenton, a 
 pleafant, rural retirement -, where 
 we fpent a moft agreeable even- 
 ing. In the morning, the company 
 returned to Philadelphia j and, having 
 hired a chaife, I proceeded to Prince- 
 town, twelve miles diilant. 
 
 At this place, there is a handfome 
 fchool and c liege for the education 
 of Diffenters j ereded upon the plan 
 of thofe in Scotland. There are 
 about twenty boys in the grammar- 
 fchool, and fixty in the college: at 
 prefent there are only two profeffors, 
 befides the provoft ; but they intend, 
 as their fund increafes, which is yet 
 very fmall,and does not exceed 2: col. 
 currency, to add to this number. The 
 building is extremely convenient, 
 ftiry, and fpacious ; and has a chapel 
 
 and 
 
ome 
 ition 
 plan 
 are 
 tnar- 
 at 
 ors, 
 end, 
 yet 
 col. 
 The 
 ent, 
 apel 
 and 
 
 NORTH. A ME R I C A. 121 
 
 and other proper offices. Two ftu- 
 dents are in each fet of apartments, 
 which confifts of a large bed-room, 
 with a fire-place, and two ftudics. 
 There is a fmall coUedlion of books, 
 a few inftruments, and fome natural 
 curiofities. The expence to a ftudent 
 for room-rent, commons, and tuto- 
 rage, amounts to about 25 1. currency, 
 per year. The provoft has a falary 
 of 200 1. currency, and the profeffors 
 50 1. each. The name of the college 
 is Naffau-Hall. — From hence, in the 
 afternoon, I proceeded to Brunfwick, 
 eighteen miles farther, a fmall city of 
 about a hundred houfes, fituated upon 
 Raritan river; where there are alfo 
 very neat barracks for 300 men, a 
 church, and a prefbyterian meeting- 
 houfe. It is celebrated for the num- 
 ber of its beauties ; and, indeed, at 
 this place and Philadelphia, were the 
 handfomeft women that I faw in 
 America. At a fmall diftance from 
 
 G the 
 
122 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 the town is a copper mine belonging 
 to a Mr. French, (I was told) a pretty 
 good one. The next day I rode up 
 the river, about nine miles to the 
 Raritan hills, to fee a fmall cafcadc, 
 which falls about fifteen or twenty 
 feet, very romantically, from between 
 two rocks. The country I paffed 
 through is exceedingly rich and beau- 
 tiful J and the banks of the river are 
 covered with gentlemen's houfes. At 
 one of thefe I had an opportunity of 
 feeing fome good portraits of Vandyke, 
 and feveral other fmall Dutch paint- 
 ings. ^, 
 
 On Monday the 7th, I proceeded 
 to Perth-Amboy, twelve miles, the 
 capital of the Eaft-Jerfeys, which is 
 pleafantly fituated upon a neck of 
 land, included between the Raritan 
 and Amboy rivers and a large open 
 bay. This is generally the place of 
 the governor's refidence ; and alter- 
 nately, here and at Burlington, the 
 , capital 
 
 U .. -^ lit • 
 
 1 
 
 
ter- 
 the 
 lital 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 123 
 
 capital of the Weft Jerfeys, are held 
 the aflcmblics, and other public meet- 
 ings ; it contains about a hundred 
 houfes, and has very fine barracks for 
 300 men. In the afternoon I travelled 
 fixteen miles farther to Elizabeth- 
 town, leaving Woodbridge, a fmall 
 village where there is a printing-office, 
 a little on my right hand. Elizabeth- 
 town, is built upon a fmall creek or 
 river that falls into Newark- bay and 
 contains between two and three hun- 
 dred houfes. It has a court-houfe, a 
 church, and a meeting-houfe; and 
 barracks alfo like thofe abovementi- 
 oned. 
 
 The next morning I rode out, in 
 Order to vifit Pafaic Falls, diftant 
 about twenty-three miles, and had a 
 very agreeable tour. After riding 
 about fix miles, I came to a town call- 
 ed Newark, built in an irregular feat- 
 tered manner, after the fafhion of fom^ 
 of our villages in England, near two 
 
 G 2 ^niles 
 
! . 
 
 124 TRAVELS TflROUGH 
 
 miles in length. It has a chutch 
 eredled in the Gothic tafte with a fpire, 
 the firft I had feen in America ; and 
 fome other inconfiderable public build- 
 ings, immediately on my leavmg 
 this place, I came upon the banks of 
 Second, or Pafaic river, along which I 
 travelled about eighteen miles to the 
 Falls, through a rich country, cover- 
 ed with fine fields and gentlemen's 
 feats. 
 
 The Falls are very extraordinary, 
 different from any thmg 1 had hither- 
 to met with in America. The river 
 is about forty yards broad, and runs 
 with a very fwift current, till coming 
 to a deep chafm or cleft which crofTes 
 the channel, it falls above feventy 
 feet perpendicular in one intire fheet. 
 One end of the cleft is clofed up, and 
 the water rufhes out at the other with 
 incredible rapidity, in an acute angle 
 to its former diredion -, and is received 
 into a large bafon. From hence it 
 
 takes 
 
N O R T H - A M E R I C A. 125 
 
 takes a winding courfc through the 
 rocks, and fpreads again into a very 
 confiderable channel. The cleft is 
 from four to twelve feet broad. The 
 fpray formed two beautiful (viz. the 
 primary and fecondary) rainbows, and 
 helped to make as fine a fcene as ima- 
 gination could conceive. This extra- 
 ordinary phenomenon is fuppofed to 
 have been produced by an earthquake. 
 The fate of two Indians is delivered 
 down by tradition, who venturing too 
 near the Falls in a canoe, were carried 
 down the precipice, and dafhed to 
 pieces. About thirty yards above the 
 great Fall, is another, a moft beautiful 
 one, gliding over fome ledges of rocks 
 each two or three feet perpendicular, 
 which heightens the fcene very much. 
 From hence I returned, and in my 
 way croffed over the river to colonel 
 John Schuyler's copper mines, where 
 there is a very rich vein of ore, and a 
 
126 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 fire-engine creded upon common prin- 
 ciples. 
 
 After this I went down two miles 
 farther to the paik und gardens of this 
 gentleman's brother, colonel Peter 
 Schii3^1ei'. In the gardens is a very 
 large colledion of citrons, oranges, 
 limes, lemons, balfams of Peru, aloes, 
 pomegranets, and other tropical plants j 
 and in the park I faw feveral Ameri- ^ 
 can and Englifh deer, and three or four 
 elks or moofe-deer. 1 arrived at Eli- 
 zabeth town in the evening, not a 
 little entertained with my expedition, 
 but exceedingly fatigued with the vio- 
 lent heat of the weather, and the 
 many mofquitoes that had infefted 
 me. 
 
 Before I take leave of the Jerfeys 
 it is neceflary I (hould give fome ac- 
 count of this province. New Jerfey 
 is fituated between the 39th and 42d 
 degrees of north latitude, and about 
 feventy-five degrees weft longitude : 
 
 it 
 
NORTK-AMERICA. 127 
 
 it is bounded on the eaft by the At- 
 lantic, on the weft by Penfylvania, or 
 to fpeak more properly the Delaware j 
 on the fouth by Delaware-bay; and 
 on the north by Hudfon's river and , 
 the province oT New York. The cli- 
 mate is nearly the fame as that of Pen- 
 fylvania: and the foil, which is a kind 
 of red flate, is fo exceedingly rich, that 
 in a fhor* time after it has been turn • 
 ed up ai) ' .; ofed to the air and moif- 
 ture, it is converted into a fpccies of 
 marie *. 
 
 New Jerfey has very great natural 
 advantages of hills, valleys, rivers, 
 
 G 4 and 
 
 ■ f-K -*-i" - 
 
 * Since my return from America, I hive met 
 with a gentleman (Edward Wortk-v Montajjj, 
 efq ) who had vifited the Holy Land He dt- 
 Tcr.bed the foil of that country to be fmular in 
 almofl every circumftance to liiis of the Jerfeys. 
 He faid, it appeared to be of a read flaiy fub- 
 ftance, (lerile, and incapable of producing any 
 thing worth the cultivation ; but that being broken 
 up and expofed to the air, it became exceedingly 
 mellow, and was fertile in the highell degree. 
 
128 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 and large bays. The Delaware is on 
 one fide, and Hudfon's river on the 
 other i bdides which it has the Rari- 
 tan, Pafaic, and Amboy rivers; and 
 Newark, and New York bays. It 
 produces vaft quantities of grain, be- 
 fides hemp, flax, hay, Indian corn, 
 and other articles. It is divided into 
 eleven counties, and has feveral fmall 
 towns, though not of one confider- 
 ation. The number of its inhabitants 
 is fuppofed to be 70,000 ; of w^hich 
 all males, between fixtecn and fixty, 
 Negroes excepted, are obliged to ferve 
 . in the militia. There is no foreign 
 trade carried on from this province j 
 for the inhabitants fell their produce 
 to the merchants of Philadelphia and 
 New York, and take in return Euro- 
 pean goods and other neceflaries of 
 life. They ha/e fome trifling manu- 
 fadures of their own, but nothing 
 that deferves mentioning. ^ . 
 
 The government confifts of a gover- 
 nor, twelve counfellors, and a houfe 
 
 of 
 
 I 
 
 
NORTH- AMERICA, i 
 
 29 
 
 of rcprefentatives of about twenty-fix 
 members, the two former nominated 
 by the king, the latter elecfted by the 
 people. Each branch has a negative ; 
 they meet at Amboy and at Burling- 
 ton alternately. The governor's fa- 
 lary, with perquifites, is about 8co, 
 or 100 1. fterling a year; he is not al- 
 lowed a houfe to refide in, but is obli- 
 ged to hire one at his own expence. 
 There are feveral courts of judicature 
 here, much like thofe of the other 
 provinces. The juftices hold quar- 
 terly feffions for petty larcenies, and 
 other trifling caufes ; and the fupreme 
 judge» with two affiftant juftices, holds, 
 once a year, a general aifize, through- 
 out the province, of oyer and termi- 
 ner, and common-pleas. He holds- 
 alfo annually four fupreme courts, al- 
 ternately at Amboy and Burlington, 
 of king's-bench, common-pleas, and 
 exchequer. The ofiices of chancellor 
 and vice-admiral, are executed by the- 
 
 G 5 governor. 
 
I30 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 governor, and the dernier refort is to 
 his majefty in council. 
 
 There is properly no eflablifhed re- 
 ligion in this province, and the inha- 
 bitants are of various perfuafions : the 
 fociety fends fix miffionaries, who are 
 generally well received j and the church 
 gains ground daily. 1 heir falaries 
 are about the fame as in Penfylvania. 
 
 Arts and fciences are here, as in the 
 other parts of America, juft dawning. 
 The college will in time, without 
 doubt, be of confiderable advantage, 
 but being yet in its infancy, it has 
 not had an opportunity of operating, 
 or efFedling any vifible improvement. 
 
 The new Jerfey men, as to cha- 
 rafier, are like moft country gentle* 
 men ; good-natured, hofpitable, and 
 of a more liberal turn than their neigh- 
 bours the Penfylvanians. They hve 
 altogether upon their eftates, and are 
 literally gentlemen farmers. The 
 country in its prefent fiate can fcarce- 
 
 ly 
 
 tl 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 131 
 
 ly be called flourirtiing ; for although 
 it is extremely well cultivated, thickly 
 feated, and the garden of North 
 America, yet, having no foreign trade, 
 it is kept under; and deprived of thofe 
 riches and advantages, which it would 
 otherwife foon acquire. There have 
 been fome attempts to remedy this 
 defed, but whether from the difficul- 
 ty of diverting a thing out of a channel 
 in which it has long flowed •, or from 
 want of propriety or perfeverance, in 
 the meafures, I am unable to fayj 
 but the truth is, they have not fuc- 
 ceeded. Upon the whole, however, 
 this province may be called a rich 
 one: during the prefeiit war it has 
 raifed confiderable fupplies, having 
 feldom had lefs than 1 000 men in pay, 
 with a leader (colonel Schuyler) at 
 their head, who has done honour to 
 his country by his patriotic and pub- 
 lic fpirit. The paper currency of this 
 colony is at about 70 per cent, dif- 
 
 count, 
 
132 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 count, buf in very good repute j and 
 preferred by the Penfylvanians and 
 New-Yorkers, even to that of their 
 own provinces. 
 
 On Wednefday the 9th of July, I 
 croffed over to Staten Ifland, in the 
 province of New York; and travelled 
 upon it about nine miles to the point 
 which is oppofite New York city. 
 
 In my way I had an opportunity 
 of feeing the method of making 
 wampum. This, I am perfuaded the 
 reader knows, is the current money 
 amongft the Indians. It is made of 
 the clam-{hell ; a fliell, confifting 
 within of- two colours, purple and 
 white ; and in form not unlike a thick 
 oyfter fhell. The procefs of manu- 
 faiSuring it is very fimple. It is firft 
 clipped to a proper fize, which is 
 that of a fmall oblong parallelo- 
 piped, then drilled, and afterward 
 ground to a round fmooth furface; 
 
 and 
 
N O R T PI - A M E R I C A . 133 
 
 and poli(hed. . The purple wampum 
 is much more valuable than the white; 
 a very fmall part of the fhell being of 
 that colour. 
 
 At the point I embarked for New 
 Yorki and, after a pleafant paflage 
 over the bay, which is three leagues 
 wide, and various delightful profpeds 
 of rivers, iflands, fields, hills, woods, 
 the Narrows, New-York city, vefTels 
 failing to and fro, and innumerable 
 propoifes playing upon the furface of 
 the water, in an evening fo ferene 
 that the hemifphere was not ruffled 
 by a fingle cloud, arrived there about 
 the fctting of the fun. 
 
 The city is fituated upon the point 
 of a fmall ifland, lying open to the 
 bay on one fide, and on the others 
 included between the North and Eaft 
 rivers, and commands a fine profpcdl 
 of water, the Jerfeys, Long Ifland, 
 Suten Ifland, and feveral others, which 
 lie fcattered in the bay. It contains 
 
 between 
 
134 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 between 2 and 3000 houfcs, and 16 
 or 17,000 inhabitants, is tolerably 
 well built, and has fcveral good 
 houfes. The ftreets are paved, and 
 very clean, but in general they are 
 narrow 5 there are two or three, in- 
 deed, which are fpacious and airy, 
 particularly the Broad Way. The 
 houfes in this ftreet have moft of 
 them a row of trees before them ; 
 which form an agreeable Ihade, and 
 produce a pretty efFed. The whole 
 length of the town is fomething more 
 than a mile 5 the breadth of it about 
 half an one. The fituation is, I be- 
 lieve, efteemed healthy ; but it is fub- 
 jedt to one great inconvenience, which 
 is the want of frefli water ; fo thrit the 
 inhabitants are obliged to have it 
 brought from fprings at fome dil^ance 
 out of town. 1 here are fcveral |)ub- 
 lic buildings, though but few that de- 
 ferve attention. The college, when 
 
 finiflied, 
 
in- 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 135 
 
 finifhcd, will be exceedingly hand- 
 fome : it is to be built on three fides 
 of a quadrangle, fronting Hudfon's or 
 North-river, and will be the moft 
 beautifully fituated of any college, I 
 believe, in the world. At prefent 
 only one wing is finifhed, which is of 
 ftone, and confifts of twenty four fets 
 of apartments ; each having a large 
 fitting room, with a ftudy, and bed- 
 chamber. They are obliged to make 
 ufe of ibme of thefe apartments for a 
 matter's lodge, library, chapel, hall, 
 &c. but as foon as the whole (hall be 
 completed, there will be proper apart- 
 ments for each of thefe offices. The 
 name of it is King's College. 
 
 There are two churches in New 
 York, the old, or Trinity Church, and 
 the new one, or St. George's Chapel ; 
 both of them large buildings, the 
 former in the Gothic taile, with a fpire, 
 the other upon the model of fome of 
 the new churches in London. Be- 
 
 fides 
 
136 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 fides thefe, there arc feveral other 
 places of religious worfhip; namely, 
 two Low Dutch Calvinift churches, 
 one High Dutch ditto, one French 
 ditto, one German Lutheran church, 
 one prefbytcrian meeting-houfe, one 
 quakersditto/ one anabaptifts ditto, one 
 Moravian ditto, and a Jews fynagogue. 
 There is alfoa very handfome charity- 
 fchool for fixty poor boys and girls, a 
 good work-houfe, barracks for a regi- 
 ment of foldiers, and one of the fineft 
 prifons I have ever feen. The court 
 or fladt-houfe makes no great figure, 
 but it is to be repaired and beautified. 
 There is a quadrangular fort, capable 
 of mounting fixty cannon, though at 
 prefent there are, I believe, only thir- 
 ty-two. Within this is the governor's 
 palace, and underneath it a battery 
 capable of mounting ninety four guns, 
 and barracks for a company or two 
 of foldiers. Upon one of the iflands 
 in the bay is an hofpital for fick and 
 
 wounded 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 137 
 
 wounded fcamen ; and, upon another, 
 a peft-houfe. Thcfc arc the moft 
 noted public buildings in and about 
 the city. 
 
 The province of New York is 
 fituated between the 4cth and 45th 
 degrees of north latitude, and about 
 75 degrees welt longitude. It lies in 
 a fine climate, and enjoys a very 
 wholefome air. The foil of moft parts 
 of it is extremely good, particularly of 
 Long Ifland : and it has the advan- 
 vantages of a fine harbour, and fine 
 rivers. The bay has a communication 
 with Newa k bay, the Sound, Amboy 
 river, and feveral others : it receives 
 alfo Hudfon's or North river, one of 
 the largeft in North America, it being 
 navigable for floops as far as Albany, 
 above 1 50 miles : from whence, by 
 the Mohock, and other rivers, run-*' 
 ning through the country of the 
 Six Nations, there is a communicati- 
 on, (excepting a few fhort carrying 
 
 places,) 
 
138 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 places,) with lake Ontario ., and ano- 
 ther with the river St L-^iirence, 
 through the lakes C/torge, Ch-unplnin, 
 and the river Son:!; fo that tirs river 
 feems to merit the greateft attention. 
 Thefe waters afford various kinds of 
 fifti, black fifh, fea bafs, iheeps- heads, 
 rock-fifh, lobfters, and feveral others, 
 all excellent in their kind. The pro- 
 vince in its cultivated ftatc affords p^rain 
 of all forts, cattle, hogs, and great 
 variety of Englifli fruit?, particularly 
 the New town pippin. It is divided 
 into ten counties, and has fbme few 
 towns, but none of any fize, except 
 Albany and Schenedtady, the former 
 of which is a very confiderable place. 
 The number of inhabitants amounts to 
 near 100,000 5 15 or 20,000 of which 
 are fuppofed to be capable of bearing 
 arms and of ferving in the militia ; 
 but I believe this number is exagge- 
 rated, as a confiderable part of the 
 100,000 are Negroes, which are im- 
 ported 
 
d ano- 
 urence, 
 nplnin, 
 I's liver 
 .cntion. 
 ^inds of 
 5-heads, 
 others, 
 he pro- 
 ds prain 
 d great 
 :icularly 
 divided 
 me few 
 except 
 ; former 
 e place, 
 unts to 
 f which 
 bearing 
 militia ; 
 lexagge- 
 of the 
 are im- 
 ported 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 139 
 
 ported more frequently into this pro- 
 vince than into Penfylvania. The 
 people carry on an extcnfive trade, 
 and there are faid to be cleared out an- 
 nuflly from Ne .v York, near 
 ton of (hipping. They export chiefly 
 grain, flour, pork, fkins, furrs, pig- 
 iron, lumber, and ftaves. Their ma- 
 nufadtures, indeed, are not extcnfive, 
 nor by any means to be compared 
 with thofe of Penfylvania; they make 
 a fmall quantity of cloth, fome hnen, 
 hats, flioes, and other articles for wear- 
 ing apparel. They make glafs alfo, 
 and wam.pum 5 refine fugars, which 
 they import from the Weft Indies 5 
 and diftil confiderable quantities of 
 rum. They alfo, as well as the Pen- 
 fylvanians, till both were reftrained by 
 adl of pailiament, had eredted feveral 
 flitting mills, to make nails, &c. But 
 this is now prohibited, and they are 
 exceedingly diflTatisfied at it. They 
 have feveral other branches of manu- 
 
 fadures, 
 
HO TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 fadures, but, in general, fo inconfide- 
 rable, that I {hall not take notice of 
 them : one thing it may be neceiTary 
 to mention, I mean the article of Aip- 
 building ; about which, in different 
 parts of the province, they employ 
 many hands. 
 
 The government of this colony is 
 lodged in the hands of a governor 
 appointed by the crown ; a council 
 confifling of twelve members, named 
 by the fame authority ; and a houfe 
 of twcnty-feven reprefentatives, eled- 
 ed by the people : four for the city 
 and county of New-York; two for 
 the city and county of Albany j two 
 for each of the other eight counties ; 
 one for the borough of Weft-Chefter; 
 one for the townfhip of Schenedady ; 
 and one for each of the three manors 
 of Renflaerwyck, Livingfton, and 
 Courtland. The legiflative power is 
 intirely lodged in their hands, each 
 branch having a negative j except 
 * that, 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 141 ' 
 
 that, as in the other colonies, all law! 
 muft have the king s approbation, and 
 not interfere with, or be repugnant to 
 the laws of Great Britain. 
 
 The courts of judicature are (imilar, • 
 I believe, in every refped to thofe in 
 the Jerieys. ,. h.*. 
 
 The eftabliftied religion is that of 
 the church of England, there being fix 
 churches in this province with ftipends 
 (to the value of about 50 1. currency) 
 annexed to each by law. The clergy 
 are twelve in number, who, exclufive 
 of what they acquire by the eftablifh- 
 ment above-mentioned, or by contri- 
 butions, receive, as miffionaries from 
 the Society for the Propagation of the 
 Gofpel, 50 1. flerling each. Befides 
 the religion of the church of England, 
 there is a variety of others : diffenters 
 of all denominations, particularly pref- 
 byterians, abound in great numbers, 
 and there are fome few Roman Catho- 
 lics. ' 
 
 Arts 
 
142 
 
 Arts 
 
 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 and fcicnces have 
 
 made no 
 
 greater progrefs here than in the other 
 colonies 5 but as a fubfcription library 
 has been lately opened, and every one 
 feems zealous to promote learning, it 
 may be hoped that they will hereafter 
 advance fafter than they have done 
 hitherto. The college is eflabliflied 
 upon the fame plan as that in the Jer- 
 feys, except that this at New York pro- 
 feffes the principles of the church of 
 England. At prefent the ftate of it is 
 far from being flourifhing, or fo good 
 as might be wifhed. Its fund does not 
 exceed 10,000 1. currency, and there is 
 a great fcarcity of profeffors. A com- 
 mencement was held, neverthelefs, 
 this fummer, and feven gentlemen took 
 degrees. There are in it at this time 
 about twenty-five ftudents. The pre- 
 fidcnt, Dr. Johnfoii, ia.a very worthy 
 and learned man, but rather too far 
 advanced in life to have the diredion 
 of fo young an inftitution. The late 
 
 Dr. 
 
NORTH-AIV«&j|ICA. 143 
 
 Dr. Briftow left to thisoUiege a fine li- 
 brary, of which they are in daily ex- 
 pectation. 
 
 The inhabitants of New York, in 
 their charader, very much referable 
 the Penfylvanians : more than half of 
 them areDutch, and almoft all traders: 
 they are, therefore, habitually frugal, 
 induflrious, and parfimonious. Being 
 however of different nations, different 
 languages, and different religions, it is 
 almoft impofllble to give them any 
 precife or determinate charader. The* 
 women are handfome and agreeable j 
 though rather more refer ved than the 
 Philadelphian ladies. Their amufe- 
 ments are much the fame as in Penfyl- 
 vania; viz. bulls, and fleighing expe- 
 ditions in the winter J an^, in the fum- 
 mer, going in parties upon the water, 
 and fifhing ; or making excurfions into 
 the country. There are feveral houfes 
 pleafantly ijtua ted upon Eaft river, near 
 New York, where it is common to have 
 
 turtle- 
 
J44 TRAVH^ THROUGH 
 
 turtle-feafts : n!ncfe happen once or 
 twice in a week. Thirty or forty gen- 
 tlemen and ladies meet and dine toge- 
 ther, drink tea in the afternoon, fifli 
 and amufe themfelves till evening, 
 and then return home in Italian chaifes, 
 (the fafhionable carriage in this and 
 mod parts of America, Virginia ex- 
 cepted, where they make ufe only of 
 coaches, and thcfe commonly drawn 
 by fix horfes), a gentleman and lady 
 in each chaife. In the way there is 
 a bridge, about three miles diftant 
 from New York, which you always 
 pafs over as you return, called the 
 Kiffing-Bridge, where it is a part of 
 the etiquette to falute the lady who 
 has put herfelf under your protec- 
 tion. . '^i ri ... _ • -■•■'.;.>*■ i --■ ■ ■'- , ^^ ' 
 
 The prefent ftate of this province 
 
 is flouriftiing : it has an extenfive 
 
 trkde to many parts of the world, parti- 
 
 - », /, ^ - ' cularlv 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 145 
 
 cularly to the Weft-Indies ; and has 
 acquired great riches by the commerce 
 which it has carried on, under flags of 
 truce, to Capc^Francois, and Monte- 
 Chrifto. The troops, by having made 
 it the place of their general rendez- 
 vous, have alfo enriched it very much. 
 However, it is burthcned with taxes, 
 and the prcfent public debt amounts to 
 more than 300,000 1. currency. The 
 taxes are laid upon eftates real and per- 
 fonal ; and there are duties upon Ne- 
 groes, and other importations. The 
 provincial troops are about 2600 men. 
 The difference of exchange between 
 currency and bills, is from 70 to 80 
 per cent. 
 
 Before I left New York, I took a 
 ride upon Long Ifland, the richeft fpot, 
 in the opinion of the New-Yorkers, 
 of all America ; and where they ge- 
 nerally have their villas, or country^ 
 houfes. It is undeniably beautiful, 
 and fome parts of it are remarkably 
 //o .it H fertile. 
 
 ni 
 
I 
 
 146 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 fertile, but not equal, I think, to the 
 Jerfeys. The length of it is fome- 
 thing more than 100 miles, and the 
 breadth 25. About 15 or 16 miles 
 from the weft end of it, there opens 
 a large plain between 20 and 30 miles 
 long, and 4 or 5 broad. There is 
 not a tree growing upon it, and it is 
 aflcrted that there never were any. 
 Strangers are always carried to fee this 
 place, as a great curiofity, and the only 
 one of the kind in North America. 
 * Tuefday the 5th of Auguft, ^being 
 indiTpofcd, and unable to travel any 
 farther by land, I embarked on board 
 a brigantine for Rhode Ifland. We 
 made fail up the Sound with a fair 
 wind, and after about two hours, 
 pafled through Hell-gate. It is im- 
 poffible to go through this place with- 
 out recalling to mind the defcription 
 of Scylla and Charybdis. The 
 breadth of the Sound is here about 
 half a mile ; but the channel is very 
 ■^^l^yi^ ^ i narrow. 
 
I 
 
 to the 
 fomc- 
 id the 
 miles 
 opens 
 ) miles 
 bere is 
 1 it is 
 5 any. 
 ee this 
 [leonly 
 ca. 
 
 .being 
 el any 
 board 
 We 
 a fair 
 [hours, 
 lis im- 
 with- 
 •iption 
 The 
 about 
 very 
 irrow. 
 
 NORTH- AMERIC A. 147 
 
 narrow, not exceeding eighty yards : 
 the water runs with great rapidity, 
 and in different currents, only one of 
 which will carry a veffcl through with 
 fafety ; for, on one fide, there is a (hoal 
 of rocks juft (landing above the wa- 
 ter ; and, on the other, a dreadful 
 vortex produced by a rock lying about 
 nine feet under the furface. So that 
 if you get into any but the right cur- 
 rent, you are either dafhed upon the 
 (hoal, or elfe fucked into the eddy, 
 whirled round with incredible rapidi- 
 ty, and at length fwallowed up in the 
 vortex. There are exceeding good 
 pilots to navigate veflels through this 
 place, notwithftanding which, they 
 are frequently loft. The proper time 
 of pafTing it is at high water. We 
 had pleafant weather during the paf- 
 fage, which is about feventy leagues, 
 with beautiful views of Long Ifland 
 and Connedticut ; and arrived in the 
 harbour at Newport the 7th of Auguft. 
 - H 2 This 
 
148 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 • This town is fituated upon a fmall 
 ifland, about twelve miles in length, 
 and five or (ix in breadth, called 
 Rhode Ifland, from whence the pro- 
 vince takes its name. it is the ca- 
 pital city, and contains about 800 or 
 IOC) houfes, chiefly built of wood 1 
 and 6 or 7000 inhabitants. There 
 are lew buildings in it worth notice. 
 The court-houfc is indeed handfome, 
 and of brick -, and there is a public 
 library, built in the form of a Grecian 
 temple, by no means inelegant. It 
 is of the Doric order, and has a por* 
 tico in front with four pillars, fup- 
 porting a pediment ; but the whole 
 is fpoilt by two Imall wings, which 
 are annexed to it. The foundation 
 of a very pretty building is laid for 
 the ufe of the free-maions, to ferve 
 alfo occafionally for an affembly-room, . 
 and there is to be eredted a market-^ 
 houfe, upon a very elegant defign. 
 The places of public worship, except 
 
 the 
 
NORTH- AM ERIC A. 149 
 
 the Jews fynagogue, arc all of wood ; 
 and not one of them is worth looking 
 at. They confift chiefly of a church, 
 two prefbyterian metting-houfes, one 
 q\iakers ditto, three anabaptids ditto, 
 one Moravian ditto, and the fyna- 
 gogue above-mentiofied. This build- 
 ing was defigned, as indeed w^^re fe- 
 veral of the others, by a Mr. Harri- 
 fon, an ingenious Englifti -gentleman 
 who lives here. It will be extremely 
 elegant within when completed : but 
 the outfide is totally fpoilt by a fchool, 
 which the Jews infided on having an- 
 nexed to it for the education of their 
 children. Upon afmallifland, before 
 the town, is part of a fine fortifica- 
 tion, defigned to coifift of a penta- 
 gon-fort, and an upper and lower 
 battery. Only two of the curtains, 
 and a ravelin, are yet finiflied ; and 
 it is doubted whether the whole 
 ever will be. There are now mount- 
 ed upon it about 26 cannon ; but 
 
 H 3 the 
 
'50 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 of the harbour hcrfi, rt '"V""" 
 , "ccedin, good Zhlho^t^l 7 
 tn arc the chief public' buS;. ^^''^ 
 About three miles from town is an 
 
 parts • .h/ v. • "'^' '" «'iefc 
 
 arc on the left hand of it. They relate 
 
 Wild and chimerical notions ; which 
 as they arc charafteriftic of thlrex 
 traordinary man. deferve to be taken 
 notice of : one in particular I J 
 beg the reader's indu We J T"' 
 me to repeat to him tI i '"°'*' 
 ror^ed t£c plan';? buiL L'ri' 
 
 through afand/telr'Str 
 a little below it i„ i^ ^^^ ^'" 
 
 "• '" order that /hips 
 
 might 
 
but 
 
 :can, 
 
 that 
 
 elate 
 
 lun 
 ow 
 lad 
 
 ad 
 es 
 
 b"<f wear; T '"' ''; '^''^'--'^ i'> 
 
 Smibcrt n ^«r ^ '*>^ ^^ one 
 
 on Jc lattcr's a/king w'".^""'^"'' 
 queftion concerning the fu. . ""^ 
 PO«ancc of the pJa^ w rlT """ 
 " have very Uttl.k r l "'^■' ^^^ 
 " fifty years tl ^^'''' ^"'^ '" 
 
 " as the Iw • .', •'•' "' y<ilii»bh 
 
 Predidion t'atr:-''''"^";"S hi* 
 
 'er than a farm T "' "°"''''S ^et- 
 brary U J/'""-^^"*'^' and his li- 
 , -^ " converted into fh- j • 
 
 '^'^^n i>e left Amerk ? "^"'^^ 
 'o the college ^ iS K ^"'^ " 
 Connedicut. who avf^'r" '" 
 farmer on a Jong Jeafe , k , '° " 
 divided between thf,/''"'"^'''^'^ 
 
 in Ma/Tachuf! s ' VS r '"' ''^' 
 to have written n .u ,'^''^" " ^^'"^ 
 n"tc.PhilS;^;"'^'^P'-^TheMi- 
 
 " " " 4 . The 
 
1 52 TRAVELS THROUGH ^ 
 
 The province of Rhode Ifland is 
 fituated between the 41ft and 42d 
 degrees of north latitude ; and about 
 72 or 73 degrees weft longitude; in 
 the moft healthy climate of North- 
 America. The winters are fevere, 
 though not equally fo with thofe of 
 the other provinces; but the fum- 
 mers are delightful, efpecially in the 
 ifland ; the violent and exceflive 
 heats which America is in general 
 fubjedt to, being allayed by the cool 
 and temperate breezes that come from 
 the fea. The foil is upon the whole 
 tolerably good, though rather too 
 ftony; its natural produce is maize or 
 Indian corn, with a variety of Ihrubs 
 and trees. It produces in particular 
 the button-tree ; the fpruce-pine- of 
 the young twigs of which is made 
 excellent beer ; and the pfeudoacacia, 
 or locuft-tree ; but none of thofe fine 
 flowering trees, which are fuch an 
 ornament to the woods in Carolina and 
 
 Virginia. 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 153 
 
 Virginia. It enjoys many advantages, 
 has feveral large rivers, an.l one of the 
 fined harbours in the world. Fi ih are 
 in the greateft plenty and perfedion, 
 particularly the tataag or black-fi(h, 
 lobfters, and fea-bafs. In its cultivat- 
 ed ftate, it produces very little, except 
 fheep and horned cattle ; the whole 
 province being laid out into pa (lure or 
 grazing-ground. The horfes are bony 
 and ftrong, and the oxen mu:h the 
 largeft in America ; feveral of them 
 weighing from 1 6 to 1 800 weight. T he 
 butter and chccfe are excellent. 
 
 The province of Rhode Ifland is di- 
 vided into counties and townlhips ; of 
 the former there are four or five, but 
 they are exceedingly fmall 5 of the fat- 
 ter between twenty and thirty ; the 
 towns themfelves are iriconuderable 
 villages : however, they fend members 
 to the aflembly, in the whole about fe- 
 venty. The numbers of inhabitants,, 
 with Negroes, and Indians, of which 
 
 H5 in 
 
 
154 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 in this province there are fcveral hun- 
 dredsy amounts to about 35000. As 
 the province affords but few commo- 
 dities for exportation ; horfcs, provifi- 
 ons, and an inconfiderable quantity of 
 grain, with fpermaceti candles, being 
 the chief articles ; they are obliged to 
 Connecticut, and the neighbouring co- 
 lonies, for mod of their traffic ; and 
 by their means carry on an extenfive 
 trade. Their mode of commerce is 
 this ; they trade to Great Britain, Hol- 
 land, Africa, the Weft-Indies, and 
 the neighbouring colonies ; from each 
 of which p'aces they import the fol- 
 lowing articles; from Great Britain, 
 dry goods j from Holland, money ; 
 from Africa, flaves ; from the Weft- 
 Indies, fugars, coftee, and molafles ; 
 and from the neighbouring colonies, 
 lumber and provifions : and with what 
 they purchafe in one place they make 
 their returns in another. Thus with 
 the money they get in Holland, they 
 
 ..Z ^ . pay 
 
 % 
 
% 
 
 ^' 
 
 in, 
 
 les ; 
 
 es, 
 
 NORTH. AMERICA. 155 
 
 pay their merchants in London ; the 
 fugars they procure in the Weft-In- 
 dies, they carry to Holland ; the flaves 
 they fetch from Africa they fend to the 
 Wcft-Indies, together with lumber 
 and provifions, which they get from 
 the neighbouring colonies : the rum 
 they diftil they export to Africa ; and 
 with the dry goods, which they pur- 
 chafc in London, they traffick in the 
 neighbouring colonies. By this kind 
 of circular commerce they fubfift and 
 grow rich. They have befidcs thefe 
 fome other inconfiderable branches of 
 trade, but nothing worth mentioning. 
 They have very few manufactures ; 
 they diftil rum and make fpermaceti 
 candles ; but in the article of dry 
 goods, they are far behind the people 
 of New York and Pcnfylvania. 
 
 The government of this province is 
 intirely democratical ; every officer, 
 except the colledlor of the tulioms, 
 being appointed, I believe, either 
 
 immediately 
 
156 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 immediately by the people ar k l 
 general afleinbly. Th!t \ V^"" 
 annually a governor i '^ "P'** *^''"''« 
 -no Jand feTaS^, ;---g^^ 
 ««ute an upper-houfe. The 
 fentatives. or lo«.er-houfe are ZT 
 f every half year. Thefe ; t 
 J"ve the appointment of tlCh^^ 
 public officers, fexcent tL ^^^^ 
 treafurer. and atcLrne^^enerari'^K' 
 ^;e appointed UkJitZ^^Z^^^ 
 the people,) both military "nS.^ •, ^ 
 are inverted with the 2 '"'' '• 
 
 gifiation, of r^Z!^r.! u" °^ ^"- 
 -'^ of perforSgt'ott "A'''^ 
 government. Thf go.ern;; U °^ 
 negative, but votes wirh I '' "° 
 ants, and in cafe 'f =. ^' ''^^- 
 
 cafting voice." The /ffem?''^ '^^ ^ 
 houfes united, are otr^' °' ^^° 
 
 S*t if ? Sc f; 
 
 ^ \ and 
 
3H 
 
 ^ by the 
 le chufe 
 ant-go. 
 'h con- 
 repre- 
 
 jointly 
 
 other 
 
 order, 
 
 ivhich 
 ly by 
 'ivil i 
 f Je. 
 litia, 
 ts of 
 ! no 
 
 as a 
 two 
 
 fit 
 
 at 
 
 in 
 ice 
 nd 
 
 \. 
 
 ^ORTH. AMERICA 
 
 and South-Kioeitofi ;„ kt ' ^^ 
 ^''.^ adjourn S,^N--ga„r.e; 
 
 caJled together ^1 •?'. °'" '"ay be 
 
 "/. and to exeriif: o^aA". ?'"'"- 
 
 ™agiftrates' T:^^:,'^^ -^^ of 
 hear caufes concernin!^ r „ ''^'" ^ay 
 t-fpaffes; and tC^^^^'^'^^b'Mnd 
 crimina/s for thefts T^ '"'" »'•/ 
 Jen pounds current A^^'f^S 
 "vil caufes are allowej to f^^^"? '" 
 ^°"« of common, ntas ;„*' '"^"'°' 
 
 -^v^-ons ar. ,rr::ehn^::;; 
 
 twice 
 
158 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 twice every year by five or more juf- 
 tices ; they adjudge all matters rela- 
 tive to the prefcrvation of the peace, 
 and the punifhment of criminals, ex- 
 cept in cafes of death. Appeals are 
 allowed from this court in all caufes 
 that have originated in it, to the fu- 
 pcribr one. The inferior courts of 
 common- pleas fit twice every year in 
 each county, and are held by three or 
 more juftices. They take cognizance 
 of all civil caufes whatfoever, triable 
 at common law ; and if any one thinks 
 himfclf aggrieved here, he may appeal 
 to the fuperior one ; which is held alfo 
 annually twice in each county, by three 
 judges, and exercifes all the authority 
 of a court of king's-bench, common- 
 pleas, and exchequer. The dernier 
 refort is to the king in council, but 
 this only in cafes of 300 1. value, new 
 tenor. The people have the power of 
 pardoning criminals, except in cafes of 
 piracy, murder, or high trcafon -, and 
 
 then 
 
 li 
 
NORTH- AMERICA. 159 
 
 then it is doubted whether they can 
 even reprieve. 
 
 There is no eftabliflied form of re- 
 ligion here ; but church of England 
 men, independents, quakers, anabap- 
 tifts, Moravians, Jews, and all other 
 fcdts whatfocver, have liberty to exer- 
 cifc their fevcral profeffions. The So- 
 ciety for the Propagation of the Gof- 
 pel fends only four mifTionaries. 
 
 Arts and fciences are almort: un- 
 known, except to fome few individu- 
 als ; and there arc no public feniina- 
 ries of learning ; nor do the Rhode 
 lilanders in general feem to regret the 
 want of them. The inftitution of a 
 library fociety, which has lately taken 
 place, may poffibly in time produce a 
 change in thefe matters. 
 
 The charader of the Rhode-Iflan- 
 ders is by no means engaging, or 
 amiable : a circumftance principally 
 owing to their form of government. 
 
 Their 
 
 m 
 
 ^1 
 
 m 
 
i6o TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 Their men in power, from the higheft 
 to the lowed, are dependant upon the 
 people, and frequently adt without 
 that ftri(ft regard to probity and ho- 
 nour, which ever ought invariably to 
 influence and diredl mankhid. The 
 private people are cunning, deceitful, 
 and felfifli : they live almoft intirely 
 by unfair and illicit trading. Their 
 magiftrates are partial and corrupt; 
 and it is folly to expedt juftice in their 
 courts of judicature ; for he who has 
 the grcateft influence, is generally 
 found to have the faireft caufe. * Were 
 
 the 
 
 * The form of their judicial oath, or affirmation 
 (fays Douglas, in his Summary,) does not invoke 
 the judgments of the omnifcient God, who fees in 
 fecret, but only upon peril of the penalty of per- 
 jury. — This does not feem (adds the fame author 
 'in a note) to be a facredor folemn oath, and may 
 be illuftrated by the ftory of two profligate thieves; 
 one of them had ftolen fomething, and told his 
 triend of it : well, fays his friend, but did any 
 body fee you ? No : then, fays his friend, it is 
 
 yours 
 
NORTH- AMERICA. i6i 
 
 ^hc governor to intcrpofe his authority, 
 were he to rcfule to grant flags of 
 truce, -f- or not to wink at abufcs ; he 
 would at the expiration of the year be 
 excluded from his oiHce, the only thing 
 
 perhaps 
 
 yours as much as if you had bought it with your 
 money. Vol. ii. p. 95. 
 
 t It was ufual during the late war for feveral 
 governors of North America, on receiving a pecu- 
 niary confideration, to grant to the merchants flags 
 of truce ; by which they were licenced to go to the 
 French Weft Indian iflands, in order to exchange 
 prifoners. The real fcope and defign of the voy- 
 age was, to carry on a prohibited trade with the 
 French, and to fupply them with ftores, and pro- 
 vifions. Two or three prifoners were fufficient 
 to cover the defign ; and in order to have a (lore 
 in readinefs, they feldom carried more. By this 
 abufe both governors and merchants acquired great 
 riches. Very plaufible arguments indeed might 
 be induced againft prohibiting, or even reflrain- 
 ing a commerce of that nature : but as the vvif- 
 dom of government did think fit, and probably 
 with better reafon, to forbid it ; nothing could cx- 
 cufe the corrupt and mercenary fpirit of thofe go- 
 vernors, who prcfume to connive at and encourage 
 
 it. 
 
 'I 
 
j62 travels through 
 
 perhaps which he has to fubfift upon. 
 Were the judges to ad with imparti- 
 ality, and to decide a caufe to the pre- 
 judice or difadvantage of any great or 
 popular reader, they would probably 
 never be re-elcdled ; indeed, they are 
 incapable in general of determining 
 the merits of a fuit, for they are ex- 
 ceedingly illiterate, and, where they 
 have nothing to make them partial, 
 are managed almofl intirely by the 
 lawyers. In (hort, to give an idea of 
 the wretched rtate of this colony, it 
 has happened more than once, that a 
 perfon has had fufficient influence to 
 procure a frefli emiflion of paper-mo- 
 ney, folely to defraud his creditors : 
 
 for 
 
 it. The honourable Francis Fauquier, lieute- 
 nant-governor of Virginia, who, amongft fome 
 few others, never could be prevailed upon to 
 countenance it, refufed at one time an offer of 
 near 200 1, for the grant of a permit to make a 
 fmgle voyage. 
 
N OR T H.AMERICA. 163 
 
 for having perhaps borrowed a confi- 
 derable fum of money, when the dif- 
 ference of exchange has been 1200 
 per cent, he has afterward, under 
 fandtion of the law, repaid only the 
 fame nominal fum in new currency, 
 when the difference has amounted 
 perhaps to 2500 per cent. — Such alas ! 
 is the fituation and charadter of this 
 colony. It is needlefs, after this, to 
 obferve that it is in a very declining 
 ftate; for it is impofTible that it 
 fhould profper under fuch abufes, Its 
 Weft Indian trade has diminished ; 
 owing indeed, in fome meafure, to 
 the other colonies having entered more 
 largely into this lucrative branch of 
 commerce : it has loft during the war, 
 by the enemy, above 150 veflels : its 
 own privateers, and it has generally 
 had a great many, have had very ill 
 fuccefs : having kept up a regiment 
 of provincial troops, it has alfo been 
 , loaded 
 
IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
 1.0 
 
 I.I 
 
 11.25 
 
 UtlM lis 
 
 m ^^ ■■■ 
 Sf Ijfi |2.0 
 
 IJiiiJi^ 
 
 HiotogFaphic 
 
 ^Sciences 
 
 Corporation 
 
 ^^<^" 
 
 23 WIST MAIN STRUT 
 
 WMSTH.N.Y. I4SM 
 
 (7t6)«72-4S03 
 
 '^ 
 
i64 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 loaded with taxes, and many of the 
 people have been opprelTed by the 
 mode of coUedting them ; for, the 
 aflembly having determined the quota 
 .of each town(hip» the inhabitants have 
 been aiTefled by the town-council,* 
 coniifting of the afliflants refiding 
 there, the juftices of the town, and a 
 few freeholders eledted annually by 
 the freemen ; and thefe have been 
 generally partial in their afTefTments, 
 as mud neceflarily happen under a 
 combination of fuch circumftances. 
 
 —After 
 
 * Each towo(hip is managed by a town-coun- 
 cil, confiding of the afliftants who refide in the 
 town, the judices of the town, and fix freeholders 
 chofen annually by the freemen of the town ; the 
 major part of them is a quorum, with full power 
 to manage the affairs and intereft of the town to 
 which they refpe^iively belong, to grant licences 
 to public houfes ; and are a probate-office for 
 proving wills, and granting admini ft ration, with 
 appeal to governor and council, as fupreme ordi« 
 nary. Douglas's Summary, vol. ii. p. 85. 
 
 <tM 
 
tho 
 the 
 the 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 165 
 
 «— After having faid To much to the 
 difadvantage of this colony, I ihould 
 be guilty of injudice and ingratitude, 
 were I not to declare that there are 
 many worthy gentlemen in it> who fee 
 the misfortunes of their country, and 
 lament them ; who are feniible that 
 they arife from the wretched nature of 
 the government, and wi(h to have it 
 altered ; who are courteous and po- 
 lite ; kind and hofpi table to Grangers ; 
 and capable of great ads of generofity 
 and goodnefs, as I myfelf experienced 
 during a very fevere fit of illnefs which 
 I lay under at this, place.— -The paper- 
 money here is as bad as it is poffible to 
 be ; the difference of exchange being at 
 leafl 2500 per cent. 
 
 The 4th of September I took leave 
 of Newport, and having crofTed over 
 the river at Briftol-ferry, where it is 
 about a mile broad, and two other in- 
 coniiderable ferries, I arrived in the 
 U4 ... ... . evening 
 
i66 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 evening at Providence. This is the chief 
 town of what was formerly called Pro* 
 vidence Plantation in Narraganfet, and 
 is at prefent the fecond confidcrable 
 town in the province of Rhode Ifland. 
 It is (ituated upon a pretty large river, 
 and is diftant from Newport about 
 thirty miles. In the morning I fet 
 out for Bofton, and arrived there 
 about fun-fet, after a journey of five 
 and forty miles. The country, which 
 I travelled over, is chiefly grazing 
 ground, laid out into neat inclofures, 
 furrounded with ftone walls, and 
 rows of pfeudo-acacia, or locuft-trees, 
 which are faid with their leaves to ma- 
 nure and fertilize the land. I pafled 
 over a beautiful fall of water in Pan- 
 tucket river, upon a bridge, which is 
 built diredly over it. The fall is 
 about twenty feet high, through feve- 
 ral chafms in a rock, which runs dia- 
 metrically crofs it, and ferves as a 
 dam to hold up the water. There are 
 
 two 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 167 
 
 two or three mills, which have been 
 ercdfced for the purpofe of conducing 
 the different fpouts or ftreams of water 
 to their refpedtive wheels. Thefe have 
 taken very much from the beauty of 
 the fcenc ; which would otherwife be 
 tranfcendantly elegant ; for the fall, 
 though not large or noble, is by far 
 the moft romantic and pidlurefque of 
 any I met with in my tour. 
 
 During the courfe of my ride from 
 Newport, I obferved prodigious flights 
 of wild pigeons: they direded their 
 courfe to the fouthward, and the he- 
 mifphcre was never intirely free from 
 them. They are birds of palTage, of 
 beautiful plumage, and are excellent 
 eating. The accounts given of their 
 numbers are almofl incredible, yet 
 they are fo well attefled, and the op- 
 portunities of proving the truth of 
 them are fo frequent, as not to admit 
 of their being called in queflion. To- 
 wards 
 
1 68 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 wards evening they generally fettle 
 upon trees, and fit one Upon another in 
 fuch crouds, as fometimes to break 
 down the largeft branches. The inha- 
 bitants, at fuch times, go out with long 
 poles, and knock numbers of them on 
 the head upon the rooft : for they are 
 either fo fatigued by their flight, or 
 terrified by the obfcurity of the night, 
 that they will not move or take wing, 
 without fbme great and uncommon 
 noife to alarm them. I met with 
 fcarcely any other food at the ordina- 
 ries where I put up : and during their 
 flight, the common people fubfift al- 
 moft wholly upon them. 
 
 Bofton, the metropolis of Maflfa- 
 thufets-Bay, in New-England, is one 
 of the largeft and moft flouri(hing 
 towns in North-America. It is fitu- 
 ated upon a peninfula, or rather an 
 ifland joined to the continent by an 
 ifthmus, or narrow neck of land, half 
 
 a mile 
 
NORTH^AMERICA. 169 
 
 a mile in length, at the bottom of a 
 fgacious and noble harbour, defended 
 from the fea by ^a number of fmall 
 iflands. The length of it is nearly 
 two miles, and the breadth of it, half 
 a one ; and it is fuppofed to contain 
 30ophoufes, and 18 or 20,000 inha- 
 bitants. At the entrance of the har- 
 bour ftands a very good light-houfe j 
 and upon an ifland, about a league from 
 the town, a confiderable caftle, mount- 
 ing near 1 50 cannon : there are feve- 
 ral good batteries about it, and one in 
 particular very ftrong, built by Mr. 
 Shirley. There are alfo two batteries ia 
 the town, for 1 6 or twenty guns each ; 
 but they are not, I believe, of any 
 force. The buildings in Bofton are in 
 general good ; the Greets are open and 
 fpacious, and well-paved ; and the 
 whole has much the air of fome of our 
 bed county towns in England. The 
 country round about it is exceedingly 
 . , . ,^ , I delightfuli 
 
 t^ 
 
170 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 delightful ; and from a hilly which 
 (lands clofe to the town, where there 
 i^'a beacon ercA^ed to alarm the neigh- 
 bourhood in cafe of any furprizc, is 
 one of the 'fineft profpedts, the moft 
 beautifully variegated, and richly 
 grouped, of any without exception 
 th:at I have ever feen. 
 ' The chief public buildings are, 
 thVee churches ; thirteen or fourteen 
 mceting-houfes ; the governor's pa- 
 lace i the court-houfe, or exchange ; 
 Faneuils^-hall ; a linen manufadturing- 
 houfe ; a Worlc-houfe J a bridewell; 
 a public granary ; and a very fine 
 wharf, at lead half a mile long, un- 
 dertaken at the cxpence of a number 
 of private gentlemen, for the advan- 
 tage of unloading and loading veffeh. 
 Moft of tbefe buildings archandfome: 
 thd church, called King's Chapel, is 
 exceedingly elegant ; and fitted up in 
 the Corinthian tafte. There is alfo 
 an elegant private concert-room, high- 
 
 N 
 
 lyfir 
 reafo 
 unhc 
 year 
 ever) 
 T 
 Mail 
 flrid 
 41ft 
 and 
 The 
 and 
 fame 
 into 
 
 ♦ Sa 
 tories, 1 
 fo to t 
 were ar 
 The M 
 York, ! 
 Sagadah 
 
 t To 
 divided 
 
 IJ 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 171 
 
 ly fini(hcd in the Ionic manner. I had 
 reafon to think the fituation of Bofton 
 unhealthy^ at leaft in this reafon of the 
 year ; as there were frequent funerals 
 every night during my ftay there. 
 
 The fituation of the province of 
 MafTachufets-Bayy including the di- 
 ftridl of Plymouth, * is between the 
 41ft and 43d degrees of north latitude, 
 and about 72 degrees weft longitude. 
 The climate, foil, natural produce, 
 and improved ftate of it, are much the 
 fame as of Rhode Ifland. It is divided 
 into counties, and townfhips ; ^ and 
 
 I 2 each 
 
 m 
 
 is 
 in 
 
 ilfo 
 :h. 
 
 
 * Sagadahoc and the -iain, very large terri- 
 tories, lying north of New liaTOpfliire, belong al- 
 fo to the province of MaflTachufets-Bay ; they 
 were annexed to it by the new charter of 1691. 
 The Main forms one county called the county of 
 York, and fends three members to the council ; 
 Sagadahoc, which is annexed to it, fends one. 
 
 f Townfhips are generally fix miles fquarc, and 
 divided into fixty- three equal lots, viz. one lot 
 
 for 
 
l^^ TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 each townfhip, if it contains forty free- 
 holders, X has a right to fend a mem- 
 ber to the affcmbly : § the, prefent 
 number of reprefentatives amounts to 
 between 130 and 140; of which Bof- 
 ton fends four. 
 
 The number of fouls in this province 
 is fuppofed to amount to 200,000 ; 
 and 40,000 of them to be capable of 
 bearing arms. They carry on aconfi- 
 derabletraffick, chiefly in the manner of 
 
 the 
 
 m: 
 
 for the firfl fettled minider as inheritance, one 
 lot for the miniftry as glebe-lands, one lot for the 
 benefit of a fchool ; the other fixty lots to fixty 
 perfons or families, who, within five years from 
 the grant, are to ere£t a dwelling-houfe, and 
 clear feven acre& of land, fit for mowing or 
 plowing, &c. 
 
 X By the charier, every freeholder fhould pof- 
 fefs 40 s. freehold, or 50 1. perfonal, eftate ; but 
 I believe this article has not been adhered to. 
 
 § Every town, containing forty freeholders, 
 has a " right" to fend a member to the aflembly, 
 but is not abfolutely " obliged" to do fo, unlcf* it 
 contains eighty freeholders. . 
 
 
[ 
 
 frcc- 
 mcm- 
 rcfcnt 
 nts to 
 1 Bof- 
 
 ovince 
 ,000 ; 
 ible of 
 confi- 
 ner of 
 the 
 
 nce, one 
 for the 
 to fixty 
 
 irs from 
 fe, and 
 
 wing or 
 
 uld pof- 
 te ; but 
 to. 
 
 holders, 
 (Tembly, 
 unlefs it 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 173 
 
 the Rhode-Iflanders : but have fome 
 material articles for exp rtation, which 
 the Rhode-Iflanders have not, except 
 in a very trifling degree: thefe are fait 
 fifh, and vefl'els. Of the latter they 
 build annual-y a great number, and 
 fend them, laden with cargoes of the 
 former, to Great Britain, where they 
 fell them. They clear out from 
 Bo(^on, Salem, Marble-head, and the 
 diflferent ports in this province, yearly, 
 about ton of fliipping. Exclu- 
 
 five of thefe articles, their manufac- 
 tures are not large ; thofe of fpirits, 
 fifh-oil, and iron, are, 1 believe, the 
 mod confiderable. They fabricate 
 beaver-hats, which they fell for a 
 moidorc a piece ; and fome years ago 
 they ereded a manufactory, with a 
 defign to encourage the Irifli fettlers 
 to make linens 1 but at the breaking 
 out of the war the price of labour was 
 inhanced fo much, that it was impofli- 
 
 I 3 ble 
 
174 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 bic to carry it on. Like the rtfl of 
 the colonies they alfo endeavour to 
 make woollens, but have not yet been 
 able to bring them to any degree of 
 perfediun : indeed it is an article in 
 which 1 think they will not eafily 
 fucceed ; for the Apicrican wool is 
 not only coarfe, but, in comparifon 
 of the Engliih, exceedingly fliort. 
 Upon the bell: inquiry I could make, 
 I was not able to difcover that any 
 one had ever feen a ftaple of American 
 wool longer than kven inches; 
 whereas in the Counties of Lincoln 
 and Leice/ler, they are frequently 
 twenty-two inches long. In the 
 fouthern colonics, at leaft in tbofe 
 parts where I travelled, there is fcarce- 
 ly any herbage; and whether it is 
 owing to t;his, or to the pyccffivc heats, 
 I am ignorant ; the wool is (hort 9nd 
 hairy. The northern colonics have 
 indeed greater plcpty of herbage, but 
 
 are 
 
NORTH. AMERICA. 175 
 
 are for fome months covered with 
 fnow ; and without a degree of atten- 
 tion and care in houfing the (hcep, 
 and guarding them agaiiid accidents, 
 and wild beails, which would not 
 cafily be compenfated, it would be 
 very difficult to increafe their num- 
 bers to any great amount. The; 
 Americans feem conkious of this 
 fact, and, not.vithftanding a very fc- 
 vere prohibition, contrive to procure 
 from England, every year, a confidcr- 
 able number of rams, in ordir to im- 
 prove and multiply the breed, What 
 the lands beyond the Alleghenny and 
 upon the banks of the Ohio may be, 
 1 do not know ; they are faid to be 
 very rich : but the climate 1 believe is 
 not lefs fevere ; and I think, upon 
 collating different accounts, that the 
 feverity of heat and cold is not much 
 abated by cultivation. The air be- 
 comes dryer and more wholefome, in 
 
 I 4 proportion 
 
176 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 proportion as the woods are cut down, 
 and the ground is cleared and culti- 
 vated ; but the cold is not lefs 
 piercing, nor the fnow lefs frequent. 
 I think therefore upon the whole, that 
 America, though it may with parti- 
 cular care and attention, produce fmall 
 quantities of tolerably good wool, will 
 yet never be able to produce it in fuch 
 plenty and of fuch a quality as to 
 ierve for the neceffary confumption of 
 its inhabitants. 
 
 The government of. this province is 
 Icged in the hands of a governor or 
 lieutenant-governor, appointed by the 
 king ; a council of twenty-eight per- 
 fons, chofen annually, with the go- 
 vernor's approbation, by the general 
 aflembly * and a houfe of reprefenta- 
 
 tives 
 
 * They are chofen by the new reprefentatives, 
 and the laft year's counfellors ; fo that each coun- 
 fellor has a vote in his own rc-cle£lion. The go- 
 vernor has a negative to every counfeilor's eledi- 
 on, without being obliged to alTigna reafon. 
 
ives, 
 
 >un- 
 
 go- 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 177 
 
 tives -)• annually clefted by the free- 
 holders. The governor commiflions 
 all the militia, and other military of- 
 ficers; and, with confcnt of the coun- 
 cil, alfo nominates, and appoints all 
 civil officers, except thofe that are 
 concerned in the revenue. He calls 
 and adjourns the afTembly, and has in 
 every refpe<ft a very cxtcnfive authori- 
 ty. His falary, with perquifitcs, 
 amounts to about 1300 1. fterling per 
 year. The governor and council to- 
 gether have the probate of wills, and 
 the power of granting adminiftrations 
 and divorces. 
 
 'There are feveralcourts of judica- 
 ture. All a«5Hon8 under twenty (hil- 
 lings fterling are cognizable by a juf- 
 
 r 5 . tice 
 
 t Each reprcfentative mud be refident in' 
 the townihip for which he is elected ; he mud 
 alfo have a plurality oF votes refpeding the num- 
 ber, of voters, and not in comparlfon only of the 
 other candidates; he is paid for his attendance 
 and fervices, and rubje6t to a fine if he negleds 
 them.. ' 
 
178 TRAVEU THROUGH 
 
 tice of the pe^p^, from whofe deter* 
 mination there lies an appeal to the 
 inferior county-court of common- 
 pleas ; and from hence to the fuperior 
 provincial court in its circuits^ which 
 is alfo a court of .oyer and terminer in 
 criminal affairs^ and is held by a chief 
 juftice and fome afliftant judges. In 
 this court, if the determination is not 
 fatisfadory, a rehearing of the caufe 
 may be had with a different jury ^* 
 and even by petition to the general af^ 
 fembly, a fecond rehearing : the der-* 
 nier refort is to his majefty in coun-^, 
 cil, but this only in cafes of 300I. fter- 
 ling value : and the appeal mud be 
 made within fourteen days after judg-, 
 ment. ' 
 
 The eftabliihed religion here, as in 
 all the other provinces of New-Eng- 
 land, is that of the congregational! As j a 
 
 religion, 
 
 * Juries are^ I believe^ appointed partly by 
 lot, and partly by rotation. 
 
 4i 
 
a 
 
 if 
 
 NORTH-AMERItA. 179 
 
 religion^ dififerent in Tome trifling ar- 
 ticlesy though none very materia^ 
 from the prefcytcrian. There are, bc- 
 fides thcfe however, great numbers of 
 people of different perfuafions, parti- 
 cularly of the religion of the church 
 of England ; uhich feems to gain 
 ground, and to become more faihion* 
 able every day. A church has been 
 lately ereded at Cambridge, within 
 fight of the college ; which has great- 
 ly alarmed the congregationalifts, who 
 confider it as the moft fatal ftroke, 
 that could pofEbly have been levelled 
 at their religion. The building is 
 elegant, and the miniOerof it (the re- 
 verend Mr. Apthorpe,) is a very amia- 
 ble young man, of fhining parts, great 
 learning, and pure and engaging man- 
 ners.* j 
 im v" '--^'''': ;■•■": '-■■ Arts 
 
 * This gentleman, I have heard, afierwartl 
 met with fo much oppofitiou and perfecution 
 from the congregationalifts, that he was obliged to 
 
 ^ re(ig!t 
 
i8o TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 Arts and Sciences Teem to have made 
 a greater progrefs here, than in any 
 other part of Annerica. Harvard col- 
 lege has been founded above a hundred 
 years; and although it is not upon a 
 perfedt plan, yet it has produced a very 
 good efFed:. The arts are undeniably 
 much forwarder in MaiTachufets-Bay, 
 than either in Penfylvania or New- 
 York. The public buildings are more 
 elegant; and there is a more general 
 turn for mufic, pointing, and the 
 belles lettres. 
 
 The charader of the inhabitants 
 of this province is much improved, 
 in comparifon of what it was : but 
 puritanifm and a fpirit of perfecu- 
 tion is not yet totally extinguiflied. 
 The gentry of both fexcs are hof- 
 pitable, and good-natured ; there is 
 
 an 
 
 refign his cure, to -quit the colony, and has fmce 
 lived in England upon a living, (I believe in 
 Surrry,) which was given him by the late Arch- 
 biihop Seeker. 
 
' i 
 
 NORTH- AMERICA. iSi 
 
 an air of civility in their behaviour, 
 but it is conftrained by formality and 
 precifenefs. Even the women, though 
 eaiinefs of carriage is peculiarly cha- 
 radleriftic of their nature, appear here 
 with more ilifFnefs and referve than in 
 the other colonies. They are formed 
 with fymmetry, are handfome, and 
 have fair and delicate complexions ; 
 but are faid univerfally, and even pro- 
 verbially, to have very indifferent teeth. 
 The lower clafs of people arc more 
 in the extreme of this charader ; and, 
 which is condantly mentioned as fin- 
 gularly peculiar to them, are imper- 
 tinently curious and inquifitive. I 
 was told of a gentleman of Philadel- 
 phia, who, in travelling through the 
 provinces of New England, having 
 met with many impertinencies, from 
 this extraordinary turn of charader, 
 at length fell upon an expedient al- 
 moft as extraordinary, to get rid of 
 them. He had obfcrved, when he 
 
 went 
 
J 82 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 went into an ordinary*, that every 
 individual of the family had a quef- 
 tion or two to propofe t« him, rela- 
 tive to his hidory ; and that, till each 
 was fatisfiedi and they had conferred 
 and compared together their informa- 
 tion, there was no poiTibility of pro- 
 curing any refre(hment. He, there- 
 fore, the moment he went into any of 
 thefe places, inquired for the mafter^ 
 the miftrefs, the fons, the daughters, 
 the men-fervants and the maid-fer- 
 vants ; and having aiTembled them all 
 together, he began in this manner. 
 " Worthy people, I am B. F. of Phi- 
 •' ladelphia, by trade a , and a 
 
 '* bachelor; I have fome relations at 
 ** Bofton, to whom I am going to 
 •* make a vifit : my ftay will be (hort, 
 •« and I fhall then return and follow 
 ** my bufinefs, as a prudent man ought 
 •* to do. This is all I know of my- 
 
 '^--M '* fcif; 
 
 €€ 
 *i 
 (t 
 
 * Inns are (o called in America. 
 
<( 
 
 «< 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 183 
 
 ** fclf, and alJ I can poffibly inform 
 *' you of i I beg therefore that you 
 will have pity upon me and my 
 horfe^ and give U8 both fome re- 
 ** frefhment." 
 
 Singular fituations and manners will 
 be produdive of fingular cuftoms ; 
 but frequently fuch as upon flight ex- 
 amination may appear to be tht ef- 
 fe^s of mere groflheft of chara<Ser, 
 will, upon deeper refearch, be found 
 to proceed from fimplicity and inno- 
 cence. A very extraordinary method 
 of courtfhipf which is fometlmes 
 pradtifed amongft the lower people of 
 this province, and is called Tarrying, 
 has given occafion to this refledtion. 
 When a man is enamoured of a young 
 woman, and wiflies to marry her, he 
 propofes the affair to her parents, 
 (without whofe confent no marriage 
 in this colony can take place) ^ 
 if they have no objeAion, they al- 
 low 
 
 ■ 
 
 S^b lit.O V 
 
 //I 
 
184 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 low him to tarry with her one night, 
 in order to make his court to her. At 
 their ufual time the old couple retire 
 to bed, leaving the young ones to fettle 
 matters as they can ; who, after having 
 fate up as long as they think proper, 
 get into bed together alfo, but with* 
 out pulling off their under garments, 
 in order to prevent fcandal. If the 
 parties agree, it is all very well ; the 
 banns are publiflied, and they are 
 married without delay. If not, they 
 part, and poffibly never fee each other 
 again ; unlefs, which is an accident 
 that feldom happens, the forfaken 
 fair-one prove pregnant, and then the 
 man is obliged to marry her, under 
 pain of excommunication *. 
 
 ^The 
 
 * A gentleman fometime ago travelling upon 
 the frontiers of Virginia, where there are very 
 few fettlements, was obliged to take up his quar- 
 ters one evening at a miferable plantation ; where, 
 exclufive of a Negro or two, the family confided 
 of a man and his wife, and one daughter about 
 
 iixteen 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 185 
 
 The province of Maffachufets-Bay 
 has been for fome years part, I be- 
 lieve, rather on the decline. Its inha- 
 bitants have loft feveral branches of 
 trade, which they are not likely to re- 
 cover agai n . They formerly fupplied, 
 not only Connedicut, but other parts 
 
 of 
 
 i 
 
 Sixteen years of age. Being fatigued, he pre- 
 fently defired them to fhew him where he was 
 to deep ; accordingly they pointed to a bed in a 
 corner of the room where they were fitting. 
 The gentleman was a little embarrafTcd, but be- 
 ing excefllvely weary, he retired, half undrefled 
 himfelf, and got into bed. After fome time the 
 old gentlewoman came to bed to him, after her 
 the old gentleman, and lail of all the young lady. 
 This, in a country excluded from all civilized fo- 
 ciety, could only proceed from fimplicity and 
 innocence .- and indeed it is a general and true 
 obfervation, that forms and obfervances become 
 neceifary, and are attended to, in proportion as 
 manners become corrupt, and it is found expedi- 
 ent to guard againft vice, and that defign and du- 
 plicity of charader, which, from the nature of 
 things, will ever prevail in large and cultivated 
 focieties. " . 
 
i86 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 of the continent^ with dry goods, 
 and received fpccie in return : but 
 fince the introdudion of paper-cur- 
 rency they have been deprived of great 
 part of this commerce. Their fhip- 
 trade is confiderably decreafed, owing 
 to their not having been fo careful in 
 the conftrudion of vefllls as formerly: 
 their fiflierles too have not been equal- 
 ly fuccefsful : they have had alfb 
 a confiderable number of provincial 
 troops in pay during the courfe of 
 the prefent war, and have been bur- 
 thened with heavy taxes. Thefe 
 have been laid upon eftates, real 
 and perfonal. Some merchants in 
 Bofton, I have been credibly in- 
 formed, have paid near 400I. fter- 
 lifig annually. — — Affcffments are 
 made by particular officers, who, 
 with the feledt-men, conftables, 
 overfeers, and feveral others, are 
 clcdted annually by the freemen, for 
 
 the 
 
 -i '..- 
 
NORTH- AMERICA. 187 
 
 the diredlion and minagement of 
 each particular townfbip. 
 
 There is leis paper-money in this 
 colony, than in any other of Ame- 
 rica : the current coin is chiefly 
 gold and filver : and Bofton is the 
 only only place, I believe, where 
 there is a mint to coin money. 
 ^ I was told of a very impolitic law 
 in force in this province, which forbids 
 any maftcr, or commander of a veifel 
 to bring ftrangers into ihe colony, 
 without living fecurity that they 
 fhall not become chargeable to it. 
 
 Upon the whole, however, rwt- 
 withftanding what has been faid, 
 MaiTachufets-Bay is a rich, populous, 
 and well-cultivated province.-— • 
 } I cannot take leave of it with- 
 out relating a very extraordinary 
 ftory, communicated to me by per- 
 fons of undoubted credit, as it fur- 
 ther tends to illuftrate the character 
 and manners of its inhabitants. 
 
 Some 
 
 
i88 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 Some years ago, a commander of 
 one of his majefty's fliips of war be- 
 ing Aationed at this place, had orders 
 to cruife from time to time, in order 
 to protedt our trade, and diftrefs the 
 enemy. It happened unluckily that 
 he returned from one of his cruifes 
 on a Sunday ; and as he had left his 
 lady at Boflon, the moment fhe 
 heard of the (liip's arrival, (he haded 
 down to the water's fide, in order to 
 receive him* The captain, on land- 
 ing, embraced her with tendernefs 
 and affedion : this, as there were 
 many fpedtators by, gave great of- 
 fence, and was confidered as an adt 
 of indecency, and a flagrant pro- 
 fanation of the Sabbath. The next 
 day, therefore, he was fummoned 
 before the magiftrates, who, with 
 many fevere rebukes and pious ex- 
 hortations, ordered him to be pub- 
 licly whipped. The captain ftified 
 his indignation and refentment as 
 
 much 
 
NORTH- AMERICA. 189 
 
 much as pofllble^ and as the puniih- 
 ment, from the frequency of it» was 
 not attended with any great degree 
 of ignominy or difgrace» he mixed 
 with the beft company, was well 
 received by them» and they were ap- 
 parently good friends. — At length 
 the time of the (lation expired, and 
 he was recalled : he went, therefore, 
 with feeming concern to take leave of 
 his worthy friends ; and that) they 
 might fpend one more happy day to- 
 gether before their final fepa ration, 
 he invited the principal magiflrates 
 and feledt men to dine with him on 
 board his (hip, upon the day of his 
 departure. They accepted the in- 
 vitation, and nothing could be more 
 joyous and convivial than the enter- 
 tainment which, he gave them. At 
 length the fatal moment arrived that 
 was to feparate them : the anchor 
 was apeak, the fails were unfurled, 
 and nothing was wanting but the fig- 
 
 nal 
 
 ^ ^ 
 
 I 
 
 i| m 
 
 '•^ *S(»-5t- 
 
196 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 nal to get under way^ The captain, 
 after taking an afFedtionate leave of 
 his worthy friends, accompanied them 
 upon deck, where the boatfwain and 
 crew were in readincfs to receive them. 
 He there thanked them afrefli for the 
 civilities they had fliown him, of 
 which, he faid, he ihould retain an 
 eternal remembrance; and ta which 
 he wi(hed it had been in his power 
 to have made a more adequate return. 
 One point of civility only remained 
 to be adjufted between them, which, 
 as it wa» in his power, fo he meant 
 mod juftly to recompenfe to» them. 
 He then reminded them of what had 
 pafled, and ordering the crew to pi-- 
 nion them, had them brought one by 
 one to the gang- way ', where the 
 boatfwain ftripped off their ftiirts, 
 and with a cat and nine tails laid on 
 the back of each forty ftripcs fave one. 
 They were then, amidft the fliouts and 
 acclamations of the crew, fhoved into 
 
 their 
 
 m 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 191 
 
 their boats : and the captain immedi- 
 ately getting under way, failed for 
 England.* 
 
 The 12th of Odtober I embarked on 
 board his majefty's (hip the Wincheftcr, 
 of fifty guns, captain Hale comman- 
 der, for the river Pifcataqua, in New 
 Hampfliire ; and we came to an an- 
 chor there the next day, after a plea- 
 fan t paifage. 
 
 The capital of this province is 
 Portfmouth, which is fituated upon 
 the river : it is an inconfiderable place, 
 and chiefly built of wood. Very little 
 can be faid of the province of New 
 
 ,.^ Hampfhire, 
 
 
 * This ftory has lately appeared in one of the 
 Englilh News Papers, told with much humour, and 
 with feme difference relpeding the occafion. and 
 mode of the captain's punifhnicnt. The author 
 cannot take upon himfclf to fay which account 
 may be mod cxa6^, but he has chofen to abide by 
 that which he heard at Borton. They either of 
 them ferve to chara6\cri7,c ihc people, and to an- 
 fwer the author's purpofe in rclaiin^ it. 
 
192 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 Hampfhire, materially difFcrent from 
 what has been faid of MaiTachufets- 
 bay. — The climate, produce, trade, 
 government, religion, and manners of it 
 are much the fame. — There are fup- 
 pofed to be about 40,000 inhabitants, 
 800 militia, and 6 or 700 provincial 
 troops. — There arc only two miffiona- 
 ries of the church of England, and one 
 of thefe has lately applied to be remov- 
 ed to Rhode Ifland,— -The chief arti- 
 cles for exportation are fi(h, cattle, 
 fhips, of which they annually build 
 near 200, and mafls for the royal na- 
 vy. Thefe are made of the white 
 pine, and are, I believe, the fined in 
 the world, many of them being forty 
 yards long, and as many inches in di- 
 ameter. They never cut them down 
 but in times of deep fnow, as it would 
 be impofTible in any other feafon to 
 get them down to the river. When 
 the trees are fallen, they yoke feven- 
 ty or eighty pair of oxen, and drag 
 
 them 
 
NORTH-AMERICA, 193 
 
 them along the fnow. It is exceedingly 
 difficult to put them firA in moti- 
 on, which they call railing them ; 
 and when they have once efFedted this, 
 they never ftop upon any account 
 whatfoever till they arrive at the wa- 
 ter's fide. Frequently fome of the 
 oxen are taken ill ; upon which they 
 immediately cut them out of the 
 gears ; and are fometimes obliged, I 
 was told, to deftroy five or fix pair of 
 them.— The forefts, where theic mafts 
 grow, are referved to the crown, 
 which appoints a furveyor of them; 
 — who is commonly the governor of 
 this province. This is not the only 
 expedient employed by government 
 for the prefervation of fuch trees as 
 may be of ufe for the royal navy ; for 
 there is an adt of parliament, I believe, 
 which prohibits, under pain of certain 
 fines and penalties, the cutting down, 
 or deftroying of any white pine-tree 
 of fpecified dimenfions, not growing 
 •idi K within 
 
 
 '1 
 
 'H 
 
 ill 
 
194 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 within the boundaries of any town(hip» 
 without his Majcfty's licence, in any 
 of the provinces of New England, 
 New York, or New Jerfey : a re- 
 ftridion abfolutcly neceffary, whether 
 coTifidered as fecuring a proviiion for 
 the navy, or as a check upon that 
 very dcftrud:ive pradice, taken from 
 the Indians, of fire-hunting. It ufed 
 to be die cuftom for large companies 
 to go into the woods in the winter, and 
 to fet &re to the brufli and underwood, 
 in a circle of feveral miles. This cir- 
 cle gradually contradting itfelf, the 
 deer, and other wild animals, inclof- 
 tdy naturally retired from the flames, 
 till at length they got herded toge- 
 ther in a very fmall compafs. Now, 
 blinded and fufFocated by the fmoke, 
 and fcorched by the fire, which every 
 ittotticnt came nearer to them, they 
 forceil their way, under the greatcft 
 trepidation and difmay, through the 
 flames ; and were no fooner got into 
 
 ul 
 
 11 
 
 bl 
 
 e( 
 
 Hi! 
 
 the 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 195 
 
 the open day-light again, than they 
 were {hot by the hunter s, who ftood 
 without, and were in readincfs to fire 
 upon them. — The trees indudcd with- 
 in the circle, although not abfolutcly 
 burnt down, were fo dried and injur- 
 ed, that they never vegetated any 
 more : and as the fire did not only 
 contradl itfelf inwardly, but dilated 
 alfo outwardly, and fometimcs conti-* 
 nued burning for feveral week?, till 
 rain, or fome accidental circumftance 
 put it out J it is incredible what in-« 
 jury and devaftation it occafioned in 
 the woods. — I was once a fpcdator of 
 a fimilar fire in Virginia, which hap- 
 pened through accident. Nothing 
 could be more awful and tremendous 
 than the fight. It was of great et» 
 tent, and burned feveral weekd be-^ 
 fore the inhabitants could fubdue it. 
 They eflFedted it at laft by cutting 
 away the underwood, in wide and 
 long avenues, to leeward of the fire, 
 
 K 2 by 
 
196 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 by which it was deprived of the means 
 of communicating or fpreading any 
 farther.-— In Virginia (and, I be- 
 lieve, the other colonies), there is an 
 cxprefs adt of aflembly, paffed in the 
 1 2th year of his late majefty, to for- 
 bid this pradtice. 
 
 ^ The province of New Hamp(hire, 
 I was informed at Portfmouth, has 
 grown rich during the war, by the 
 lofs of its own veflels ; they hav- 
 ing been commonly infured above 
 value. — 
 
 The currency here is extremely bad, 
 not better than that in Rhode Ifland. 
 
 Having travelled over fo large a 
 tradt of this vaft continent, before I 
 bid a final farewel to it, I mud beg 
 the reader's indulgence, while I flop 
 for a moment, and as it were from the 
 top of a high eminence, take one ge- 
 neral rctrofpedtive look at the whole. 
 An idea, flrange as it is vifionary, has 
 entered into the minds of thegenerali- 
 
 ^<l 
 
 ^ 
 
I 
 
 neans 
 r any 
 be 
 is an 
 n the 
 for- 
 
 ►(hire, 
 » has 
 >y the 
 hav- 
 above 
 
 ^bad, 
 
 id. 
 e a 
 
 ore I 
 beg 
 flop 
 tha 
 
 ge- 
 ole. 
 
 has 
 
 all- 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA. 197 
 
 ty of mankind, that empire is travel* 
 ling weft ward ; and every one is look- 
 ing forward with eager and impaticrit 
 expectation to that deftioed moment, 
 when America is to give law to the 
 reft of the world. But if ever an idea 
 was illufory and fallacious, I will vea- 
 ture to predidty that this will be fa h 
 
 America is formed for happioe&» 
 but not for empire : in a courfe of 
 1200 miles I did not fee a fingle objedt 
 that folicited charity ; but 1 law in- 
 fuperable caufes of weaknefs, which 
 will prevent its being a potent ftate. 4 
 
 Our colonies may be diftingui(^e4 
 into the fouthern and northern ;. f^ 
 parated from each other by the Saf- 
 quehannah and that imaginary line 
 which divides Maryland from Pen/y}- 
 vania, 4 
 
 The fouthern colonies have fo ma** 
 ny inherent caufes of weaknefs, that 
 they never can poflefs any real ftrengih. 
 —-The climate operates very powcr-^ 
 
 K ^ f\illy 
 
1 1 
 
 198 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 fully upon them, and renders them 
 indolent, inadtive, and unenterprifing ; 
 this is vifible in every line of their 
 character. I myfelf hiave been a fpec- 
 tatbr; and it is not an uncommon 
 fight of a man in the vigour of life, 
 lying upon a couch» and a female flave 
 {landing over him, v^afting off the 
 dies, and fanning him, while he took 
 his repofe. 
 
 The fouthern colonies (Maryland 
 which is the fmallefl: and mod iiicon- 
 fidcrable alone, excepted) will never 
 be thickly feated : for as they are 
 not confined within determinate li- 
 mits but extend to the weft ward in- 
 definitely ; men, fooner than apply 
 to laborious occupations, occupations 
 militatifig with their difpofitions, and 
 generally confidered too as the inherit 
 tance and badge of flavcry, will gradu- 
 ally retire weftward, and fettle upon 
 frefti lands, which are faid alfo to be 
 more fertile ; where, by the fervi- 
 \^ tude 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 199 
 
 tudc of a negroe or two» they may 
 enjoy all the fatisfadion of an eafy 
 and indolent independency ; hence 
 the lands upon the coaft will of courfe 
 remain thin of inhabitants. 
 
 The mode of cultivation by flavery, 
 is another infurmountable caufe of 
 weaknefs. The number of Negroes 
 in the fouthern colonies is upon the 
 whole nearly equal, if not fuperior, 
 to that of the white men, and they 
 propagate and increafe even fafter. — 
 Their condition is truly pitiable ; 
 their labour exceffively hard, their 
 diet poor and fcanty, their treatment 
 cruel and oppreffive. They cannot but 
 be a fubjcdt of terror to thofe wha 
 fo inhumanly tyrannize over them. 
 
 The Indians near the frontiers arc ar 
 ftill farther formidable caufe of fub- 
 jcdtion. The fouthern Indians are nu- 
 merous, and are governed by a foun- 
 der policy than formerly : experience 
 has taught them wifdom. They never 
 
 make 
 
*oo TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 "P indrc coundcs ^ogX"". 'k"' 
 theftateofehcfouehefntoYonie!!'" 
 
 been already mc„u;n cd T^-V W 
 
 towards the frontiers SLTZn^^ 
 ony. yet they will „ot fo eafilt L 
 induced to fettle beyond thlr^ 
 where different laws and';;^ties 1"' 
 va,J and -where, in (hoi Z^'c 
 a different people : but in propoVon 
 
 to want of territory, if we iSer the 
 
 Fopofition .n a general and abftrfft 
 
 ight. w,ll be want of power.~But 
 
 the northern colonies have ftill more 
 
 pofitive 
 
GH 
 
 without 
 'on along 
 cs break 
 
 Such is 
 ies.— 
 
 ^ Wrong- 
 er diifi, 
 ftruggle 
 ore cafy 
 ^t have 
 r Utnita 
 ibtcdly 
 ►: for 
 5 back 
 vn co- 
 lly be 
 thcnj^ 
 { prc- 
 f^ are 
 >rtion 
 Tthe 
 ftra<ft 
 -But 
 
 nore 
 Uive 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA 
 Pofitive and real jv j '*• 20i 
 
 '«d With xlcf '*'"'"'»S« to con- 
 PeopJe of diffcr^n* «^ompofed of 
 
 manners, differed" rdl?'' *''^"^"' 
 ^«ent languages '^«»^"' '"'^ •^'^- 
 
 by confidJtioL o? °'^''' ^^'""''^d 
 
 '"g '" the hearts of the hS^^"'^ ^urn- 
 
 "" that inhabit them T"' '""^''- 
 notrcftrainedbyJaw!?'/^"'^ '*"'' « 
 i'^ority, would roorKl^"P*="°'- «"- 
 ^'""e of u„?verfal n r"'^ °"' '"to a 
 the peaceabie'^LST""-, ^-" 
 ^°r P'«-eminencT and e^"^^'' ''"^ 
 
 r °f«anl•n7Tr^'tK''!fP''ffi- 
 *'^--yp^ncip,esXeC ""^" 
 •I he CO onies f^^ "6'on. 
 
 confidcrcd. a e int ' n"""' ^^P^'^tely 
 or coalition, thc'v V. '" ""'on 
 
201 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 feems almoft impoflible. One found- 
 ed in dominion or power is morally 
 fo; for were not England to interfere, 
 the colonies themfelves fo well under- 
 (land the policy of preferving a ba- 
 lance, that I think, they would not be 
 idle fpedtators, were any of the colo- 
 nies to endeavour to fubjugate its next 
 neighbour. Indeed, it appears to me 
 a very doubtful point, even fuppofing 
 all the colonies of America were to be 
 united under one head, whether it 
 would be poffible to keep in due order 
 and government fo wide and extended 
 an empire ; the difficulties of com- 
 munication, of intcrcowrfe, of cor- 
 refpondence, and all other obdacles 
 confidered. 
 
 A voluntary aflbciation or coalition, 
 at lead a permanent one, is almofl as 
 difficult to be fuppofed : for fire and 
 water are not more heterogeneous than 
 the different colonies in North-Ame- 
 rica. Nothing can exceed the jcaloufy 
 
 and 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 203 
 
 and emulation, which they poflefs in 
 regard to each other. The inhabi- 
 tants of Penfylvania and New- York 
 have an inexhauftible fource of animo. 
 iity, in their jealoufy for the trade of 
 the Jerfeys. MaiTachufets-Bay and 
 Rhode-Iflandy are not lefs intereAed 
 in that of Conneaicut. The Weft- 
 Indies are a common fubjcdt of emu- 
 lation to them all. Even the limits 
 and boundaries of each colony, are a 
 conftant fourceof litigation.— In Aiort, 
 fuch is the difference of charad^er, of 
 manners, of religion, of intereft, of 
 the different colonies, that I think, if 
 I am not wholly ignorant of the hu- 
 man mind, were they left to them- 
 felves, there would foon be a civil war, 
 from one end of the continent to the 
 other ; while the Indians and Negroes 
 would, with better reafon, impatiently 
 watch the opportunity of exterminat- 
 ing them all together. 
 
 After 
 
 I 1 
 
 a* 
 
 r. 
 
 
 :*^. 
 
204 TRAVELS THROUGH 
 
 After ally however, fuppofing what 
 I firmly believe never will take place, 
 a permanent union or alliance of all the 
 colohies, yet it could not be efFedual 
 or productive of the event fuppofed ; 
 for fuch is the extent of coafl fettled 
 by the American colonies, that it can 
 never be defended but by a maritime 
 power : America mufl be firft miflrefs 
 of the fea, before (he can be indepen- 
 dent, or miflrefs of herfelf. Suppofe 
 the colonies ever fo populous; fup- 
 pofe them capable of maintaining 
 100,000 men, conftantly in arms, (a 
 fuppofition in the higheft degree ex- 
 travagant,) yet half a dozen frigates 
 would, with eafe, ravage and lay 
 wafte the whole country from end to 
 end, without a poffibility of their be- 
 ing able to prevent it ; the country is 
 fo interledted by rivers of fuch mag- 
 nitude, as to render it impoflible to 
 build bridges over them, that all com- 
 munication is in a manner cut off. 
 
 An 
 
NORTH-AMERICA. 205 
 
 An army under fuch circumflances 
 could never adt to any purpofe or 
 efFedt, its operations would be totally 
 fruilrated. 
 
 Further, a great part of theopu* 
 leoice and power of America depends 
 upon her fifheries, and her commerce 
 with the Weft-Indies i (he cannot 
 fubfift without them ; but thefe would 
 be intirely at the t;nercy of that power^ 
 which might have the fovereignty of 
 the feas. I conclude therefore, that 
 England fo long as (he maintains her 
 fuperiority in that r^fpedt, will alio 
 poffefs a fuperiority in America ; but 
 the moment (he lofes the empire of the 
 one, (he will be deprived of the fo- 
 vereignty of the other : for were that 
 empire to be held by France, Holland, 
 or any other power, America, I will 
 venture to predict, will be annexed to 
 
 it. New eftabli(hments formed in 
 
 the interior parts of America, will 
 not conie under this predicament. I 
 
 L (hould 
 
 \ 
 
 I !l 
 
»od TRAVELS, fcc. 
 
 (hould dierefbre think it thd beft po«* 
 licy to enlarge the prefent colonies, 
 but not to efttblifli frefli ones ^ for to 
 fuppofe interior colonies to be of uie to 
 the mother^counti^ry, by being a check 
 upon thofe already fettled, is to fup« 
 pofe what is contrary to experience, 
 and the natfire of things, viz. that 
 men remored beyond the reach of 
 power will be fubordinate to it* 
 
 Odober 20, I embarked again on 
 board the WincheAer, for England ; 
 and arrived in Plymouth found the 
 2ift of November, after a rougl} and 
 tempeftuous voyage. 
 
 ■2ir 
 
 F I N IS. 
 
 1 1 
 
 if 
 
po* 
 lies, 
 ^r to 
 feto 
 leck 
 fup- 
 nce, 
 that 
 of 
 
 on 
 
 id; 
 the 
 
 and 
 
 ,*.♦; 
 
 I- *«<*:■