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Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included In one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to b>Jttom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams Illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre fllm^s d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour §tre reproduit en un seul cllchd, il est fllm6 d pertlr de I'ancie sup6rleur gauche, de gauche d drolte, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'Images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 T R A V E t S THROUGH /ivC*- THE STATES ^ifTH^-^v-^ ■ -y OP NORTH AMERICA, AND THE PROVINCES OF UPPER AND LOWER CANADA, DURING THE YEAR^ t795, 1796, AND 1797. Bv I SAAC WE LD, Jun. FOURTH EDITION --SXKATKO ..o EMBEUrSHEX, W,XH sr.TEEK ,.AT.S. ^N I^VO VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON; 'HINTED FOR JOHN_STOCKDA.E, PrcCADirXV. I8O7. ^/V; i « 'i. uilet, Primer, W^lid.c9.^rt,LmcoJIl'I.Inn-Fi, eJfb. I MdMASTER UNIVER^IFY LIBiUm PREFACE. AT a period when War was spreading desola- tion over the fairest part, of Europe, when an«- chy seemed to be extending its frightful pro- gress from nation to nation, and when the stornw. that were gathering over his native country * in particular, rendered it impossible to say how soon any one of its inhabitants might be forced to seek for refuge in a foreign land ; the Au- thor of the following pages was induced to cross the Atlantic, for the purpose of examin- Jngwith his own eyes into the truth of the ya- nous acco..nts which had been given of the flourishing and happy condition of the United States of America, and of ascertaining whether .n case of future emergency, any part of those territories might be looked forward to as an eligible and agreeable place of abode. Arriyed •n America, hetrayelled prettygenerallythrough thestatesof Pennsylyania, Delaware, Maryland. Virginia, New Jersey, and New York ; he af- terwards passed into the Canadas. desirous of obtaining equal information as to the state of those provinces, and of determining from hi. own immediate observations, how far the pre- sent condition of the inhabitanUof the Briti.1, ^^ FREFACE.' dominions in America mi^ht he inferior or otherwise, to that of the people of the States, ivho had now indeed thrown off the yoke, hut were formerly common member? of the same extensive empire. When abroad he had not the most distant intention of publishing his travels; but find^ mg on his return home, that much of the matter contained in the following letters was quite new to his friends, and being induced to think that It mightprove equallynew, and notwholly unacceptable to the Public, he came to the re- solution of committing them to print: accord- ingly the present volume * is now offered to the world, in an humble hope, that if not enter- taining to all readers, it will at least be so to ^ome, as well as useful to future travellers. If It shall appear to any one, that he has spoken with too much asperity of American men and American manners, the author begs that such language may not be ascribed to hasty prejudice, and a blind partiality for every thin^ that ,s European. He crossed the Atlantic strongly prepossessed in favour of the people and the pountry, which he was about to visit • and If he returned with sentiments of a different tendency, they resulted solely from a cool and dispassionate observation of what chance pr«, «tnted to hi« view when abroad. f The i3«t edition was prim.d in one quarto volumr. PREFACE. An e,ul,u,ia,lic admirer of the beauties of Nature the scenery of l|,e countries through wl..ch he passed did not fail to attract a great part of h,s attention; and interspersed through the book vvll be found views of what he though would be most interesting to his readers : they ot Mount Vernon, tlie seat of General Wash. '"«.»"' '"•''='=''' <=««P»ed, for which he is i„. debted to an ingenious friend that he met I America, and the view of Bethlehem. He ha! many more views in his possession ; but he fought .t better to furnish his publisher with a few only, .„ hopes that the c.graving froin Ihem would be well executed, rather thfnwUh a great many, which, had they been given "...s either have been in a style unworthy of tl volume beyond the reach of many that may now read ,t. Of the resemblance which thesi vews bear .0 their rcspeciv,, archetypes, those of th original scenes. With regard to the Ca- aract of Niagara, : owever, it must be obsery- txpect to find a lively representation of its wonderful and terrific vas.ness, even were" hey executed by artists of far superior merit -the .n-ting of the three in the present v^ k ' do«.n.rely.n„.,„„p.tha,theymaybelp,to i . ^ PREFACE. gether with the ground plan of {he precipice. If It inaj be so called, to give a general idea of convey natural raving! to the or will ley are unac- ) write le that e laid there- work d not ts nu- CONTENTS VOL. L LETTER I. Arrival on the Coast of America. -^ Trees iht Jirst Oliject visible.-^Dcscription of the Bat, and Biver of Dcla^^^arc, ^Passengers hound for Philadelphia not suffered to land till ex^ amined hy the Health Officers.^Arrival at Philadelphia.-Poor Appearance of the City from the Water.^Plan of the City 1 Wharf s.^PubUc and private Buildings -^ page 1 LETTER II. J'opulation of Philadelphia.-^ Some Account of the Inhabitants, their Character a,:d Man- ners.^ Private Amusements. ^Americans lose their Teeth prematurely. -Theatrical Afnusementsonlj/pcrmittedoflate.-^Quakers -^President's Levee and Drawing Boom S Places of public Worship. ^Carriages, what ^ort of used in Philadelphia.-^ Tavenis, how conducted in ^merica.-^Difficultyofprocur- ing ^crvants.-^Charactcr ofthelo-^er Classes of People ill America . - - 20 • ■ • ^*" CONTENTS. I^ E T T E R Iir. Journcifto Baltimore. ^Description ofiheCoun- try about Philaddphia.-^Floating Bridges over Schm/lkill, how constructed.— Mills in Jirandy-wine Creek. -^Improvement in the Machinery of Flour JVIiUs in America.— Town of Wilmington.^Log Houses.—Bad Jioads-^Fine Prospects.-^ How relished hj . ^n^ericans.-^Ta:verns.-.Susquehannah Bf. ver.-^Town of Baltimore. --Plan of the Town. ^Ilarbour.^ Public and private ^^ildings,— Inhabitants.— Country between Baltimore and JVashington. -Execrable Boads - . o. page 31 LETTER IV. Foundation of the City of Washington.--.Mt readily agreed to by di/ferent States. .^Choice of the a round left to General Washington.^ Circumstances to be considered in chusing the Ground.-^The Spot fixed upon, central to all the Slates. ---Also remarkably advantageously situated for trade. -^Natuyc of the BackCoun- try Trade.— Summary V\cw of the principal Trading Toxvns in the United States.— Their prosperity shewn to depend on the Back Coun- try Trade. — Description of the Patowmac Bivcr.—Jts Connection with other Bivcrs pointed out.— Prodigious Extent of the Wa- ter Communication from Washington City in Mil Directions.— Country likely to Tradem- CONTENTS. mcdiaieh) with IVashinfyton.^Sif notion of Washington.— Plon of tlie Ciljj.~-^l'uhli,: Buildings.-— Some begun, others projected. Cnpitol~-Presidcnl\sHousc.— Hotel.— Stone and other huilding-JlIatcrinls found in thf NcighhourlioGd.—^Private Houses and Iidia- hitants at present in the Citjj.—Dijferent Opi- vions re.specting the future Greatness of thr Citif. — Impediments thrown in the xvay if its Improvement. — What has given liisc to ''"'* page 41> LETTER V. Some Account of Alexandria.-^Mount Vernon, the Seat of General Washington.-^DifTicuUi/ of finding the Way thither through the Woods. —Description of the Mount, and of the I'ieivs from it.— Description of the Ilon^e and Grounds. — Slaves at Mount Vernon. Thoughts thereon.— A Person at Mount Ver- non to attend to St rangers. ^Return to Wash- ington. ----- DO LETTER Vf. Arrival at Philadelphia. --Some Ohservations on the Climate of the Middle States.— Public Carriages prevented from plijing lutuecn Bal- timore and Philadelphia by the Badness of the Roads. — Left Baltimore during Frost.— Met with American Travellers on the Road.--- Their Behaviour prcparatorij to setting q^ Il * CONTENtS. from an Inn.-^Arrival on the Banks oftht ^usquchamah.^Passage of that River when frozen over. ^Dangerous Situation of the Passengers. ^American Travellers at the Tavern on the opposite Side of the River. ^ Thcirnoist/ Disputations - . page 96 LETTER VII. Philadelphia gayer in the Winter than at any other Season.-^Celebratlon in that City of General Washington's Birth Day.^Some Account of General Washington's Person and ^]f his Chavacter.^Americans dissatisfied -^th his Conduct as President.^A Spirit of Dissatisfaction common amongst them 104 LETTER VIII. Singular Mildness of the Winter 0/1795-6,— Set out for Lancaster. -^Turnpike Road be-- tween that Place and Philadelphia ^Sum^ marij View of the State of Pennsylvania - Description of the Farms between Lancaster and Philadelphia. ^The Farmers live in a penurious Style. ^Crcathj hfcrior to English Farmers. ^Bad Taverns on this Road^ mggons and Waggoners. •^Customs of the latter. -^Description of Lancaster.— Lately - made the Seat of the State Government^ Manufactures carried on there.— Rife Guns. --Great Dexterity with which the Aniericrns use them.^Anecdote of two Virginian Sol^ • diers belonging to a Rifle Regiment 109 CONTENTS. XL LETTER IX Number of Germans in the Neighbourhood of York and Lancaster, -^How brought over.-^ White-Slave Tr ade, -^Cruelty frequenthjprac tised in the carrying it on.— Character of tlie German Settlers contrasted with that of the AmeHcan^.^Passage of the Susquehannah letioeen York and Lancaster.— Great Beauty of the Prospects along the River. — Dcscrip- Hon of York.— Courts of Justice thcy^'.-^Of the Pemsylvanian System of Judica^^re. L E T T E R X. 0fthe Country near York.-^Of the Soil of the Country on each Side of the Blue Mountains. —Frederic-town.— Change in the Inhabitants and in the Country as you proceed towards the Sea.—^rumber of Slaves.— Tobacco chiefly cultlvated.^Inquisitiveness of the People at the Taverns.— Observations thereon. —Description of the Great Falls of the Pa- towinac River.— George Town.— Of the Country between that Place and Hoe's Ferry. -—Poismous lines. — Port Tobacco. 1- Wrvtched Appearance of the Country border- ing upon the Ferry.— Slaves neglected.-^ Passage of the Pat ow mac very dangerous. Fresh Water Oysters.— Landed on a deserted Part of the Virginian Shore.-— Great Hospi- tality of the Virginians, - - 131 xu CONTENTS. LETTER xr. OfthcNonhcrn Ncckofnrglnia.-Firs, setlM by the English-Houses hum by them remain. mg.—Disparity ofCondUion amongst the In- habitants—Estates %:orked by Negroes ~ Condition of the Slaves- Worse in tlie Caro- linas—Land-s worn out by Cultivation of To- hacco—Modeof cultivating and curing To- iacco.-Houses in rirginia.-Tlwsc of Wood preferred-U^er Classes o/People'iu Vlr- S^'>"'--nelrunlwathy Appearance, p. 145 LETTER xri. r«-^» "f Tappalmnnock—RappaUnnock Jil- ver—Skarks found In It— Country border- 7 7"" f'-*'""'«--P"« common in the lVoods-Man,^r of stopping their dreadful frogress-Mode of getting Turpentine from Irees-Glou^esler- York To.-n-JieL. cfthe ForHfleatiom erected here during the -imerlcan war-Houses shattered b,j Balh "tUl remaining-Cave in the Sank of the Hi- ^er-Wllllamsburgh-State House 'in Jiulus. -Statue ofZordBottetourt-Collegeof Wil- '^'^"t and Mary-Co,mion of the Students. LETTER Xlir. Hmnpton— Ferry to Norfolk— Danger in crossing tlie numerous Ferries in nrglnla - ■ ^«-^™* of nrginia injurious to the J'ndms interest-Streets narrow and dirty CONTENTS. xiiJ in Norfolk. -^Yellow Fever there. —Observa- tions on tins disorder.-^Violent Part}; Spirit amongst the Inhabitants. --Few Churches in Virginia. — Several in liuins. - Private Grave Yards. - . . p^ge I69 LETTER XIV. Description of Dismal Swamp.-— Wild Men found in it.^Bears, Wolves, Ssc^Country between Swamp and- Richmond. -^Mode of making Tar and Pitch. — Poor Soil.— Wretched Taverns. ~ Corn Bread. — Diffi- culty of getting Food for Horses.— Peters^ hurgh.— Horse Paces there. -^Description of Virginian Horscs.^Stilc of Hiding in Awe- rica.-^Dcscription of Bichmond, Capital of Virginia.-^Singular Bridge across James River. -^ State House. -^ Falls of .James River.— Gambling common in Richmond'.-^ Lower Classes of People vcnj quarrelsome. --Their Mode of Fighting.— Gouging. 178 LETTER XV. Description of Virginia between Richmond and the Mountains.— Fragrance of Flowers and Shrubs in the Woods. ^Melody of the Birds. —Of the Birds of Virginia.---MocMng Bird -Rlue J^ird-^Red Bird, Sgc- Singular Mises of the Frogs. -Columbia. -Magazini there.^Fire Flies in the Woods. ^ Green ^"^prings.— Wretchedness of the ^^^nm..,.,,/^^ Hon tliere.-Difficulty of finding the Way CONTENTS. Copper Suake-Black Snakc-South-wc^t S^''cre^MuehfreZ-"^''Z I- E T T E R xvn Mptlon of the celebrated Rocklrldge, andof « immense Cavern.-Deseription of ,7 Shenandoah ralle,, ~T„l,ni.!, V '' "" BiM? _«..■/ i :, ^"''"bitants mostly i,er. P>ans.^So„ and Climate. -Oisar Jons on « f I •I CONTENTS. ^^ yr....-.H/s:;, i?c,a,Z,, Kentucky, behind Blue ^^<>'^ritams.^Muchfrequented.-^Uncouthin^ qmsltive People.^Lexington.^Slauntm.^ 'Military Titles -very commonin America -^ Causes thereof.-^ Winchester. page 220 I^ETTER XVm. Description of the Passage of Patowmac and i^henandoah Rivers through a lir^ak in tU Blue Mountains. ^Some Ohsei^ations on Mr Jefferson's Account of the Scene. -.Summaru Acccunt of Maryland.-Arrival at Phila- delphia.^ Remarks on the Climate of the United States.-State of the City of Phila- delphia during the Heat of Summer. -^Diffi^ culty of preserving Butter, Milk, Meat Msh, ^c.^General Use of Ice.-Of the Winds.-^State of Weather in America de- fends greatly upon them, - 239 LETTER XIX. Tr^avellingin America without a Companion not Vleasant.^Meet two English Gentlemen^ Set out together for Canada.-^Dcscription of the Country between Philadelphia and New - -iork.- Bristol.^ Trenton. ~ Princeton ^ College there.-^Some Account of it. -^Bruns- wick.-^Posaik Water-fall^Copper Mhie Manners of the Inhabitants.^ Leave it abruftltj on Account of the Fevers,^ Pn..^ a-. ■^^^ CONTEN'TSf. ftp North liner from New York to Alhavr/, ---Great Bcmay of the North Jfher.-^jrcst Point.-.Highlaruh.^Gusts of Wind com^ man in passing them. ^Alhanij. ^Descrip- tion of the City and Inhabitants. ^Celcbrn^ Hon of the 4th of Juhj.^Anmversary of American Indcpcndance. LETTER XX. Departure from Albany. -Difficulty of hiring a Carriage. -^Arrival at Cohoz.-Description of the curious Fall there of the Mohawk ' ^^''^'''^- — Still-water. - Safatoga. -^Fezv of the Works remaining there.^Singular Mine- ral Springs near Saratoga. ^Fort Edward, —xms M'Crea cruelly murdered there hj Indians.— Fort Ann, wretched Road thither. —Some Ohsei^vationson the American Woods —Horses jaded.-Difficulty of getting for- ward.^ Arrive at Skeneshorough. — Dread- fully infested hy Musquitoes.— Particular Description of that Insect. -^Great Danger ensues sometimes from their Bite. ^ Best Remedy. LETTER XXL Emhark on Lake Champlain. — Difficulty of procuring Provisions at Farms bordering upon it. - Ticonderoga.-Crown Point.l —Singular Discovery thereof ^New- York -Description of the City. ^Character and ^«3SS|SSaj CONTENTli. xvii Great Beautij of the Scenery .—General De- ieripiion of Lake Champlain and the acija- cent Country. — Captain Thomas and his Indians arrive at Crown Point. — Character of Thomas. — Beach St. John. — Description vf that Place.—Great Difference ohservaUe in the Face of the Country, Inhabitants, 8sc. in Canada and in the States. — Chambly Castle.— Calashes.— Bons Dieux.-^Town of La Prairie.— Great Rapidity of the River Saint Lawrence. — Cross to Montreal.— Astonishment on seeing large Ships at Mont- real—Great Depth of the River, page 288 LETTER XXir. Description of the Town of Mnntr€ni—Qf the public Buildings.-^ Churches.— Funei^al Ce- remonies. ^Conrvents. — . Barracks.— Fortifi. cations.— Inhabitants mostly French.— Their Character and Manners.— Charming Pros- pects in the Neighbenrhood of the Town.- Amusements during Summer.— Parties of Pleasure up the Mountain.— Of the Fur Trade.~-The Manner in which it is carried on.-^Great EnterpiHse of the North West Company of Merchants. -^Sketch of Mr -MKensie's Expeditions over Land to the Pacific Ocean.-^DiJferences betxvecn the Mrth West and Hudson's Bay Company. LETTER XXIII. ''^'^''' Voyage to Quebec down the St. Laxcrence.-^A XVllI CONTENTS. Houses.— Sketch of th. m ^^^adtan ^neicn oj the Character and M^« ^a'rc.-Jrrtve at qucUc. ^ " ^- I-ETTER XXIV. Station of the City of Ciuehec.-DMi,. ,.^„ Upper and Uwer T„y,-„ _""*'' '"*« enrh r, . " ^"^"—Description of Z n, *'■"'«'"' ''^"" Upper Town Z bVthe EngUsh Army under General Wolfe ^"nneries.-Ennin,,^., ^ In- state Home A -^""""^ Room.— f^r.e::,2z.t:2~ci::T- vtrons.-DescrZZ i fr""^ '^ '"^ ^«- Fall-JfT T , "f '^^""'"^^enci Water *au.—of La Chaudiere Water Fall. 34] xiz Contents. LETTER XXV. OftU Conmtmon. Government, Law., „„^ BeUg,on of the Province, of Upper and Lower Camda^^Emmate of the Expenccs of th, anlL^t. of,„e MilUary EstahUskment, „„d the Presents to the Indium.-Salaries ofcer- I- E T T E R XXVI . Of the Son and Production, of Lender Canada. -Ob.ervat,ms on the Man^faoture of Sugar from the Maple-tree.-Of the ClLt!of J^oer Canada-Ammements of People of '01 Descriptions during IVinter.-Carioles - Manner of guarding against the CoU.-Gr'cai Hardiness oftU Horses.-State of the Jiivcr *'• ^""^"nceon the Dissolnlion of Winter - • ^Z'"^ ^'■''«'-'»» "/ Vernation during Spring I-ETTER XXVn. ^^^ InhaUtants ofLo^er Cano,a.~Of the Tcm.es to the ,mprove,ncnt of the Countr„.-Some tn Canada and the United States con pared 1 Whs, emigrations to the latter Couitr,,are more general. -Description of a ZZutl ' :?;: T'" ""-" «-*— ^-->- ton of the Svva- St. Charles.-Of Lake St Charlcs.~Of Stmiehnm T..-.. '' 'tritit - ship. 'dij AL^. LIST OP PLATES. VOL. I. Map of the Northern giatei of America Tage 1 Plan of the City of Washington - 81 - Mount Vernon, the Seat &t General Washington - . . gg American Stage Waggon - 37 View of the Natural Rock Bridge in Vir- ginia - . View on the Hudson River View of the Cohoz Fall . - . Map of Upper and Lower Canada Plan of the Citj of Quc4)ec View of Cape Diamond, from WolfeV Cote, neaj' Quebec - \, ^ Canadian Calash or Marche-Dbtw 306 275 305 S43 VOL. IL An Eye Sketch of the Falls of Niagara 118 View of the Horse Shoe Fall of Niagara' 118 Lesser Falls of Niagara » 1 18 General View of the Falls of Niagara [121 View of Bethlehem, a Moravian Settle- Page I 81 jren«ral 92 37 n Vir- ^8 275 305 S42 Cote, 306 118 118 118 [121 lettle- 355 ~ / ' r " -''''•'''■""''''" '?^'/i.> I'l,;i ..l.-l,,!!!:! i:i.:i.\ Si)XVV\ I 11., ,!,■/'■ It.li.'U'il, li. V.\= ..-/ 1> I /■' i\-n,\'t\\ '/ # - r.-. sit). id. ( I v. \\ • \ ^ i i ? V -^ , \ isi, .\\n[ " \ /.7.../I L yi X ' / J <> i' > rr !■ 5 nirri "^ ,\\J. 1. Ld;:-.;'!' nil Wcsl 111)111 l.irii'oii l^'M. ill* JL u ..j.J I*- ■ ■ ' ■ ■ - - J •V 1- \ rmi.u ii iU'i|/f\ ^^ y,u&^^ '.:rKiiii.>.'a~'::.::;:n:i - .:z;. |.'» ^/^ <7a -. ,^.r J if*--- > M 1/ ---> ■ /J III,.,, ml / ^^~:-r/;i.'l' I' ^■fy^^^'-w'-^ "•""■"•'" K •V I //: > iJ 40 y 1 ! •\V' -( ri..iH n ,i l-<)H;nlH«lc AVi'.l Cioiii l''>;':ul'MMii: • UJ t "f ,;,„; /..■/.!"■' 'y- ^? ! /V H .'-; t ,,,./.',- // iintr.rtn'n e 1 5v / >^/ ■.■/.' ^ »/ I >\ V •//,,.'.'/"" /# .I.IMI,.,, -::;:; iiiv.-.- "^^^ i,. -^A.(Ml.•. -5. '^^ t ' i ii„ii, /- . .' V ,^ \l / r..,.>l..-., ^1 -S- S .. II M (II. ,11" I. l( >" /' v. U'-^ V '-■■■ <■ i,..lll » () "/;/)<'! Jy J., '<:■,', /i;/,i/,\ /%-,.„liny. i ' >\ \ ■:(.)! ■M- JI (X \ i:i;,i, ,. c r S y I \ V '>./,/.,,•, -^^.\ > ^'ws,; \; ^ X^ :/-sr„;- /■ "■" '" I..,i. :: fn(V''|'i)i:i x^' « "itiinhn:-Ut'\,u ^v A ' h vAj^^ - >'^ ^ ,y - /,•./„./..(/, /;. ,yl-iu;i -'• /-. rv,r.ii.-ni.v .-^ ' X •''; >: V ^ !• Ii... N I) II II il - .f il « ll:,ll-i.ix ' - r,i.,...i,cuii () /'uNr.-/h,hy''\or:'i;p,riy J.. to-^ waids Ph,ladelph.a the banks of the river be com. more elevated; and on th. left Lnd ^ e, „here they are „,„ch cleared, « ey at '"Aspersed with nun,berle.s neatfar™ tus.! «ith villages and towns; and .re in .aitscuiavateddowntothever/rdJeVfr -'er. The New Jersey .hore, on tfcr' b2 ^ ""■"r-rw^^r -.It m 4 TRAVELS THllOUGII NORTH AMERICA : hand side, remains thicldj wooded, even as far as the city. Vessels very commonly ascend to Philadel- phia, when the wind is favourable, in twenty- four hours ; but unfortunately, as our ship en- tered the river, the wind died away, and she had to depend solely upon the tide, which Hows at (he rate of about three miles only in the hour. Finding that the passage up to the city was likely therefore to become tedious, I would fain have gone on shore far below it; but this the captain would not permit me to do. By the laws of Pennsylvania, enacted in consequence of the dreadful pestilence which raged in the capital in the year 1793, the master of any vessel bound for that port is made subject to a very heavy fine, if Jie suffers any person from on board her, whether mariner or passenger, to go on shore in any part of the state, before his vessel is examined by the health officer: and any person that goes on shore, contrary to the will of the master of the vessel, is liable to be imprisoned for a consi- derable length of time. In case the existence of this law should not be known on board a vessel bound for a port in Pennsylvania, it is the business of the pilot to furnish the master and the passengers on board with copies of it, with which he always comes provided. The 9. s Iiealth officer, who PHIlADEtPniA. IS a regular bred pliysician resides at Mifflin Fort, four mile, LL the c.t.y. «l>ere there is a sn.all garrison kept. A hoatis ahvajs sent on shore for him from the sl'ip. After liavlug been tossed about on the oeean for nine weeks nearly, nothing coirld be more tantalizing than to be kept thus dose to the shore without being permitted to land. • i hiladelphia, as yon approach by the river « not seen farther off than three miles, a point ofland covered with trees concealing it frl the view. On weathering this point it sud- denly opens upon you, and at that distance " '"f' f '^<''"«'y ««" ; but on a nearer an- proach, the city makes a poor appearance, as notlung .s vmble from the water but confused l.odps of wooden storehouses, crowded upon :r'/"""-'^^'-f°f-'-i-ebuiu„jo„ platforms of artificial ground, and wharfs which project a considerable way into the river Ihe wharfs are of a rectangular f„™, Td bmlt of wood : they jut out in every dire tion and are well adapted for the accommodaZ oi sh.pp,ng the largest merchant vessels being able to he close alongside them. Behind thest wlmrfs, and parallel to the river, runs AVater- *eet. This is the first street which you usu- ally enter after landing, and it does not serve give a stranger a very favourable f* r»11fr>i.rv Wther of the neatness or commodiousness "lUH of TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA: the public ways of Philadelphia. It is no more than thirty feet wide; and immediately beliind the houses, which stand on the side far^ thest from the water, a high bank, supposed to be the old bank of the river, rises, wliich renders the air very confined. Added to this, such stenches at times prevail in it, owing^ in part to the quantity of filth and dirt that is suffered to remain on the pavement, and in part to what is deposited in waste houses, of which there are several in the street, that it is really dreadful to pass through it. It was here that the maligna^nt yellow fever broke out in the year 1793, which made such terrible ra- vages; and in the summer season, in general, the street is found extremely unhealthy. That the inhabitants, after suffering so much from the sickness that originated in it, should re- main thus im^ttentive to the cleanliness of W^ter-street is truly surpjrising ; more espe- cially so, when it is considered, that the streets in the other parts of the town are as much distinguished for the neatness that prevails throughout them, as this one is foi: its dirty condition. - On the level plot of ground on the top of the bank which rises behind Water-street, the city of Philadelphia was originally laid out, and it was intended by the founder that no }iouses should have been erected at the hoiiom PHILADELPHIA. — "7 •««fit; however as there was no positive law to this efFect, the convenience of the situation soon tempted numbers to build there, and they are now encroaching annually on the river, by throwing wharfs farther out into the ifitream. In another respect also the original plan of the city was not adhered to. The ground allotted for it was in the form of an oblong square, two miles in length, reaching from the river Schuylkill to the Delaware, and one mile in breadth. Pursuant to this scheme, the houses were begun on the Delaware side ; but instead of having been carried on towards the Schuylkill, the current of building has kept entirely on one side. The houses extend for two miles nearly aloag the Delaware, but, on an average, not more than half a mile to- wards the Schuylkill : this is to be attributed to the great superiority of the one river over the other. All the houses built beyond the boundary line of the oblong square are said to be in the " Liberties," as the jurisdiction of the corporation does not extend to that part of the town. Here the streets are yery ir- jegularly built; but in the city they all in- tersect each other at right angles, according to the original plan. The priacipal street is one hundred feet wide ; the others vary from eighty to fifty. They are all tolerably well paved with pebble stones in the middle ; and 10 • TRATELS THROUGH NORTH AMEHICAl on each side, for the convenience of pa«scn, gcrs, there is a footway paved with red brick. The houses within the limiU of the city ai^ for the most part built of brick ; a few, and a few only, are of wood. In the old parts of the town they aie in ^general small, heavy, and inconvenient ; but 'among^st those which have been lately erected many are to bo found that are light, airy and commodious. In the whole city, however there are only two or three houses that parti- cularly attract the attention, on account of their size and architecture, and but little beauty 1^ observable in the designs of any of these. Ihe most spacious and the most remarkable one amongst them stands in Chesnut-street but It is not yet quite finished. At present It appears a huge mass of red brick and pale blue marble, which bids defiance to simplicity and elegance. This superb mansion, according to report, has already co.t upwards of fifty thousand guipeas, and stands as a monument of the increasing luxury of thp city of PluU, delphia. As for the public buildings, they are all heavy tasteless piles of red brick, ornamented v'lth the same sort of blue marBle as that aU ready mentioned, and which but ill accord together, unless indeed we except the new Bank of the United States, and the presby- / FIIILADELPIIIA. terian church in High-street. Thee latW building is ornamented with a handsome por^- tico in front, supported by six pillars in Hut Corinthian order ; but it is seen to great disad- vantage on account J the market house, which occupies the centre jf the street before it. The buildings next to tl ese, that are most deserving , of notice, are the State House, the PiCsirjMfit^ House, the Hospita«1, the Better ingU^JjJ^ ^nd the Gaol. The State Hou^e is situflTed-in Chesnut^ street ; and, considicrinff^a:f no tnobt than fifty-three years eMDs«| ^ora 5Jhe time the first i-abin was buiui ^jBi^lut >ftpoiWa,jrkfet #r|^po^ iaee li>^i(tds the Mspk f^^km^$m0^mmpii^ houses. Ut|g il**i^iife^«fe6l^/snd SLi the '. the i|«l4:«f^^fiMiiW^ t^ the fe- deral cit/tof \^i*h»r^^.^ shortly to take place, it k do^t^ffim^il^t it will never be occupie^fey tb^-p^^ent. To what pur- pose it will ^-l^Qiy^'applied is yet uudeter* PHILADELPHIA. HI mined. Some imagine, that it will be con- verted into a city hotel ; others, Ihat it will be destined for the residence of the governor of the state. For the latter purpose, it would be unfit in the extreme, the salary of the governor being so inconsiderable, that it would not en- able hirn to keep up an establishment suit- able to a dwelling of one-fourth part the sixe of it. ^ The hospital, for its airiness, for its conve- nient accommodation for the sick and infirm, and for the neatness exhibited throughout every part of it, ca^i t be surpassed; by aiVy institution of the itnd in the vrorldl The plan of the building is in the form pf the let- ter H. At present but one wing and a part of the centre are finished ; but the rest of the building is in a state of forwardness. It is two stories higb, and underneath the whole are cells for lunatics. Pi^rsoa* Ubouring^ under any disorder of body or mind are received into this hospital, excepting sueh as have diseases that are cOntagiouf, and of a maHgn'aat ns^ ture ; such patien<», however, have the advice of the attending physitians gratis, and a;re sup- plied with medicine from the hospital dis- pensary. The productive stock of this hospital, m the year 1793, was estimated at 17,065Z. currency ; IS TRATEl, THROUGH NORTH AMERICA " that a, yei produce noUiing. The same je.r, the leg^safure granted 10,000/. for enlarging the bu.ld.ng, and adding thereto a Lyinli„ and Foundling hospital. The annual priL donations are very considerable. Those that contribute a certain sum have the power of electing the directors, who are twelve in num- ber, and chosen yearly. The directors appoint ^x of the most skilful surgeons and physicians in the city to attend; there is also a surgeon and apothecary resident in the house. Rom he year 1756, when it was built, to the year 1793 melusive, nearly 9,000 patients were ad- mitted into this hospital, upwards of 6,000 of whom were relieved or cured. The hos pital stands within the limits of the city, but It ., more than a quarter of a mile removed from any of the other buildings. There are spacious walks within the inclosure for such TescenL''^*'^"*' *' "* '" ' '**'' "^ '""'^^■ The Bettering House, which is under the eare of the overseers of the poor, stands in the eame ncighbourtood, somewhat farther re- moved from the houses of the city. It is „ spacious building of brick, with extensive walks and gardens, The poor of the city and neighbourhood are here furnished with em- ployment, and comfortably lodged and dieted Puring the severity of ti.e winter season, mmy '.f CA : ^le jear, alargiiig ^jing-iu private )se that )wer of n num- ippoint f'sicians iirgeon From e jear ire ad- 6,000 B hos- Y> but noved re arc such )nva- • the ithe ' re- is a isivc and eni- ted. PHILADELPHIA. L? aged and reduced persons seek refuge in this place, and leave it again on the return of spring. Whilst they stay there, they are un- der very little restraint, and go in and out when they please; they must, however, behave or- derly. This institution is supported by a tax on the town. The gaol is a spacious building of common stone, one hundred feet in front. It is fitted up with solitary cells, on the new plan, and the apartments are all arched, to prevent the communication of fire. Behind the building are extensive yards, which are secured by lofty walls. This gao? '" better regulated, perhaps, than any other o < face of the globe. By the new penal laws of Pennsylvania, lately enacted, no crime is punishable with death, excepting murder of the first degree, by which is meant, murder that is perpetrated by wilful preme- ditated intention, or in attempts to commit rape, robbery, or the like. Every other of- fence, according to its enormity, is punished by solitary imprisonment of a determined du- ration. Objections may be made to this mode of punishment, as not being sufiiciently severe on the individual to atone for an atrocious crime ; nor capable, because not inflicted in public, of deterring evil-minded persons in the community from the commission of offences which incur ae rigour of the law ; but on a i4; TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA f close examination, it will b^ found to be verv severe; and aa far a. an opinion can be formed iFom the trial that has been hitherto made by the state of Pennsjlvania, it seems belter cal- cukted to restraH the excesses of the people than any oth«r. Jf any public punishment could strike terror into the lawless part of the multitiide. it is as likely that the infliction of death would do it as any whalsoevx^r: but death IS divested of many of his terrors, after being often presented to our view; so that we find in countries, for instance in. Enirland, wher« it occurs often as punishment, the sa- lutary effects that might be expected from it are m a great measure lost. The unfortunate wretch, who is doomed to forfeit his life in expiation of the crimes he has committed, in uumberless instances looks forward with ap- parent unconcern to the moment in which he 19 to be launched into eternity; his compa- nions around him only condole with him, be- cause his career of iniquity has so suddenly heen mipeded by the course of justice: or, if he IS not toa much hardened in the paths of- vice, but falls a prey to remorse, and sees all the horrors of his impending fate, they endea- vour to rally his broken spirits by th(> con- doling remembrance, that the pangs he has to endure are but the f>.uigs of a moment, which they illu.:rafe by thc^ .peedy exit of one whose f ''*i PHILADI^PIIIA. 15 death he was perhaps himself witness to but a few weeks before. A month does not pass pver in England without repeated executions ; and there is scarcely a vagabond to be met with in the country, who has not seen a fellow creature suspendied from the gallows'. We all know what little good effect such spectacles produce. But immured in darkness and so- litude, the prisoner suffers pangs worse than de^h a hundred times' in the day : he is left to his own bitter reflections ; there is no one thing to divert his attention, and he endeavours in vain to escape from the horrors which con- tinually haunt his imagination. In such a si- tuation the most hardened offender is soon re- duced to a state of repentance. But punishment by imprisonment, according to the laws of Pennsylvania, is irfeposed, not only as an expiation of past offences, and an example to the guilty part of society, but for another purpose, regarded by few penal codes in the world, the reform of the criminal. The regulations of the gaol, are calculated to promote this effect as soon as possible, so that the building, indeed, deserves the name of a penitentiary house more than that of a gaol. As soon as a criaunal is committed to the pri- son he is made to wash ; his hair is shorn; and' if not decently clothed, he is furnished with clean apparel ; then he is thrown into a so- 16 »RA*EIS THROtHSH NORIH ;IME11ICA ! litary cell, about nine feet long and f„„r mie, Where he remains debarred from the sight of every living being excepting hi. g.„le,, „h„,e duty d I. to attend to the bare necessities of his nature, but who is forbidden, on any ac- count, to .peak to him without there is ab solute occasion. If a prisoner is at all refrac- tor/, or if the offence for which he is imori- soned IS of a very atrocious nature, he is then confined in a cell secluded even from the light . »f heaven. This is the worst that can be in- Bicted upon him. The gaol is inspected twice every week by twelve persons appointed for that purpose • who are chosen annually from amongst the citizens of Philadelphia. Nor is it a difficult matter to procure these men, who readily and voluntarily lake it upon them to go through the troublesome functions of the office with- out any fee or emolument whatever. They divide themselves into committees; each of these takes it in turn, for a stated period, to v.s.t every part of the prison ; and a report i, "ade to the inspectors at large, who meet to- gether at times regularly appointed. From the report of the committee an opinion is formed by the inspectors, who, with the con- sent of the judges, regulate the treatment of each .ndmdual prisoner during his confine- meat. This .s varied according to his crime. - t iwS W i< rf t i J l t j-i '$-f.m: PHILADELPHIA. I7 and according to his subsequent repentance. Solitary confinement in a dark cell is looked upon as the severest usage ; next, solitary con- finement in a cell with the admission of light ; next confinement in a cell where the prisoner is allowed to do some sort of work j lastly, labour in company with others. The pri- soners are obliged to bathe twice every week> proper conveniences for that purpose being provided within the walls of the prison; and also to change their linen, with which they are 1 ^gularly provided. Those in solitary confinement are kept upon bread and water; but those who labour ate allowed broth, por^ ridge, puddings, and the like; meat is dis- pensed only in small quantities, twice in the week. Their driak is water ; on no pretence is any other beverage suffered to be brought into the prison. This diet is found, by expe- rience, to afford the prisoners strength sufficient to perform the labour that is imposed upon them ; whereas a more generous one would only serve to render their mind* less humble and submissive. Those who labour, are employed in the particular trade to which they have been accustomed, provided it cap be carried on in the prison; if not acquainted with any, something is soon found that they can do. One room is set apart for *oe- makers, auothpr f^ taylars, a third % car. VOL. 1. ^ %■ /^ i ' IS TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMEniCA! penters, and so on ; and in the yards are stone- Cutters, smiths, nailers, &c. &c. Excepting the cells, which are at a r«mote part of the building, the prison has the ap- pearance of a large manufactory. Good order and decency prevail throughout, and the eye of a spectator is never assailed by the sight of such ghastly and squalid figures as are continually to be met with in our prisons ; so far, also, is a visitor from being insulted, that he is scarcely noticed as he passes through the different wards. The prisoners are forbidden to speak to each other without there is necessity ; they are also forbidden to laugh, or to sing, or to make the smallest disturbance. An overseer attends continually to see that every one performs his work diligently; and in case of the smallest resistance to any of the regulations, the offender is immediately cast into a solitary cell, to sub- sist on bread and water, till he returns to a proper sense of his behaviour ; but the dread all those have of this treatment, who have once experienced it, is such, that it is seldom found necessary to repeat it. The women are kept totally apart from the men, and are employed in a manner suitable to their sex. The labourers all eat together in one large apartment ; and regularly every Sunday there is divine service, at which all attend. It is tbe duty of the chaplain to converse at times iii PIIILADELI'HIA. 19 with the prisoners, and endeavour to reform their minds and principles. The inspectors, when they visit the prison, also do the same - so that when a prisoner is liberated, he goes out, as it were, a new man ; he has been ha- bituated to employment, and has received good instructions. The greatest care is also taken to find him employment th« moment he quits the place of his confinement. Accord- ing to the regulations, no person is allowed to visit the prison without permission of the inspectors. The greatest care is also taken to preserve the health of the prisoners, and for those who are sick there are proper apart- ments and good advice provided. The longest period of confinement is for a rape, which IS not to be less than ten years, but not to exceed twenty-one. For high treason, the length of confine^nent is not to be less than SIX nor more than twelve years. There are prisons in every country throughout Pennsyl- vania, but none as yet are established on the same plan as that which has been described. Crirmnals are frequently sent from other parts ofthe state to receive punishment in the nri- son of Philadelphia. ^ So well is this gaol conducted that, instead of being an expence, it now annually produces a considerable revenue to the state. c2 W""r 20 TRAVELS THa,OVGH NORTH AMERICA : LETTER II. Population of Philadelphla.'-'Some Account of the Inhabitants, their Character and Man- ners. — ' Private Amusements. — Americans iose their Teeth prematurely. — Theatrical Amusements onhjpei'mitted oflate.-^Qjiakers. '^President's Levee and Drawing Room.-^ Places of public Worship. — Carriages, what sort of used in Philadelphia. — Taverns, how conducted in America.-^Difficulty of procur- ing servants. "-^Character of the lower Classes of People in America. MY DEAR SIR, Pliiladdphia, November, PHILADELPHIA, according to the census taken in the year 1790, contained 42,000 people. From the natural increase, however, of population^, and the influx of strangers, the nunil)Cr is supposed now to be near 50,000, notwithstanding the ravages of the yellow fever in 1793, which swept oft' 4,000 people. The inhabitants consist of English, Irish, Scotch, Germans, French, and of American born citizens, descended from people of these different nations, who are of course by far the most numerous class. The inhabitants are for the most part engaged in sorae sort of business; a few, and a few only, live with* AMERICA : IT. nine Account of zter and Man- 'u — Americans ly. — Theatrical ate.-^Q.uakers. iwing Room.—^ JarrriageSf what ■^Taverns, how lulty ofprocur- le lower Classes elphia, November, ig to the census itained 42,000 case, however, f strangers, the ( near 50,000, of the yellow ['4,000 people. English, Irish, i of American >eopIe of these urse by far the nhabitants arc some sort of i\y, live with- PHILADELPHIA. 21 out any ostensible professions, on the fortunes which they themselves have raised; but those men arc not idle or inattentive to the incroase of their property, being ever on the watch to profit by the sale of lands, which they hayiB purchased, and to buy more on advantageous terms. It would be a difficult matter to find a man of any property in the country, who is not concerned in the buying or selling of land, which may be considered in America as an article of trade. In a large city, like Philadelphia, whcrt people are assembled together from so many different quarters, there cannot fail to be a great diversity in the manners of the inhabit- ants, h is a remark, however, very generally made, not only by foreigners, but also by per- sons from other parts of the United States, that the Philadelphians are extremely dcfi' cient in hospitality and pojiteness towards strangers. Amongst the uppermost circles in Philadelphia, pride, haughtiness, and ostenta- tion are conspicuous ; and it seems as if nothing could make them happier than that an order of nobility should be established, by whieb they might be exalted above their fellow-ci- tizens, as much as tliey are in their own con, ceit. In the manners of the people in general there is a coldness and reserve, as if they were auspicious of some designs against them, which 22 TRAVELS THnOlTGII NORTH AMERICA T cliills to the very heart those wlio come io visit them. In their private societies a tristcsse is apparent, near M^hich mirth and lajaiety can never approach. It in no unusual thing, in the genteelest houses, to see a large party of from twenty to thirty persons assembled, and seated round p com, without partaking of any other amusement than what arises from the conver-r sation, most frequently in whispers, that passes between the two persons who are seated next to each other. The party meets between six and seven in the evening ; tea is served with much form ; and at ten, by which time most of the company are wearied with having re- mained so long stationary, they return to their own homes. Still, however, they arc not strangers to music, cards, or dancing; their knowledge of music, indeed, is at a very low ebb; but in dancing, which appears to he their most favourite amusement, they certainly excel. The w^omen, in general, whilst young, arc very pretty ; but by the time they become mo- thers of a little family they lose all their beauty, their complexions fade away, their teeth begin to decay, and they hardly appear like tlic same creatures. In a few instances only it would be possible to find a fine woman of the age of forty, who has had a large family. The sud-r den decay ef the teethe is a circumstauce which IF.niCA! ho come to ws a tvistcsse (1 gaiety can things in the arty of from 1^ and seated ►f any other the conver-f i, that passes seated next between six served with h time most I having re- turn to their ey are not icing; their a very low )ears to be ey certainly young, arc )ecome mo- :heir beauty, teeth begin ike the same it would be the ag^ of , The sud, tauce which i PIIILinELPIIIA. as has engaged the attention of the faculty ; both men and women, American born, losing them very generally at an early age. Some ascribe it to the great and sudden changes in the wea- ther from heat to cold ; but negroe8,who are ex- posed to tlic same transition of climate, are dis- tinguished for the whiteness and beauty of their teeth ; and the Indians also, who are more ex- posed than cither, preserve their teeth in good order. Others attribute it to the immoderate use of confectionary. Of confectionarv, tl-j Americans in the towns certainly ink? aj» inordinate use; but in the country, v isem the people have not an opportunity of ci- ting such things, the men, but more gene- rally the women, also lose their teeth very prematurely. Most probably it is owing to the very general use they make of salted pro- visions. In the country parts of America in particular, the people live upon salted pork and salted fish nearly the whole year round. It is only within a few years past, since 1779, that any public amusements have been suffered in this city; the old corporation, which consisted mostly of the Quakers, and not of the most liberal minded people in the city, having always opposed the establishment of any place for the purpose. Now, however there are two theatres and an amphitheatre! iittle or no use is made of the old theatre, "«tr»wwa«i««Kf„. I * * ^4 TRAVET* THROUGH WORTH AMERICA : "Which is of woodj and a very indifferent build- ing. The new one is built of brick, and tieatly fitted up within; but it is hardly large enough for the town. A shocking custom obtains here of smoking tobacco in the bouse^ which at times is carried to such an excess, that those to whom it is disagreeable are under the necessity of going away. To the people in the pit wine and "porter are brought between the acts, precisely as if they were in a tavern. The actors are procured, with a very few exceptions, from Gf^at Britain and Ireland ; none of them are very eminent per- formers, but they are equal to what are usually met with in the country towns of England. The amphitheatre is built of wood ; equestrian and other exercises are perform* ed there, similar to those at Astley's. Dan< cing assemblies are held regularly every fort^ night through tne winter, and occasionally there are public concerts. During summer, the people that can make it convenient retire to country houses in the neighbourhood of tne town, and all public and private amusements cease ; winter is the season for them, the Congress being then asr sembled, and trade being so closely attended to, as the navigation of the river is then com- monly impeded by ice. The president Tmds it necessary, in general. ♦ % PHILADELPHIA. g5 to come to Philadelphia preparatory to the meeting of congress^ and resides there during the whole of the session. Once in the week, during his stay in the city, he has levCes, be- tween the hours of three and four in the after- noon. At these he always appears himself in a court dress, and it is expected that the foreign ministers should always attend in the sa^e style; this they constantly do/ excepting the French minister, who makes a point of going ^ in a dishabille, not to say worse of it. Other persons are at liberty to go a$, they think pro- per. Mrs. Washington^ 4iso has a dravdnjf room once every week. On this occasion tho ladies are seated in great form round the apart- ment, and tea, coffee:, &c. served*. 4^«» ; Philadelphia is the gran^ residence of tftue" • . Quakers in America; but their number doe«/ not bear the same proportion now to that or the other citiieny which it did formerly. At present thejr form about one fourth only of the inhabitants, tits doCs not arise frorif any di^ minution of t^ number of quakers, on the contrary they have considerably increased, but * Whether the levee Is kept ttp by tWpresent president, or not, I have not heard. Manj^ *>bj«ct bn.^ n « c nude to it by the democratiG party during Uie 3ilipu.k:initbn of Gene- ral Washington, as being incomistent witu the spirit of a re, publican government, and destructive of that equality which ought to reign amongst tlie citizens of everv class. #. t \ S6 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : from the great influx into the city of per- sons of a different persuasion. Belonging to the Quakers there are five places for public wor- ship ; to the Presbyterians and Seceders six ; to the English Episcopalians three ; to Ger- man Lutherans two ; to the Roman Catholics four; and one respectively to the Swedish Lutherans, Moravians, Baptists, Universal Baptists, Methodists, and Jews. On a Sun- day every citizen appears well dressed; the lower classes of the people in particular jire remarkably well clothed^ This is a great day also for little excursions into the coun- try. The carriages made use of in Philadelphia consist of coaches, chariots, chaises, coachees, ,^nd light waggons, the greater part of which Itre built in Philadelphia, The equipages of a few individuals are extremely ostentatious ; nor does there appear in any that neatness and elegance which might be expected amongst a set of people that arc desirous of imitating the fashions of England, and that are continually getting models over from that country. The coachee is a carriage peculiar^ I believe, to America ; ^ he body of it is rather longer than that of a coach, but of the same shape. In the front it is left quite open down to the bottom, and the driver sits on a bench wuder the roof pf the carriage. There arq rica: ity of per- longing to )ublic wor- 3eders six ; :; to Ger- i Catholics 5 Swedish Universal )n a Sun- essed ; the icular are s a great the coun- liladelphi^ coacheeSj ; of which ipages of mtatious ; neatness expected esirous of and that from that : peculiar^ ; is rather the same )en down [1 a bench "here arq :f^WSu:'.,^u*-' Am JK \< \ f AN vS TAGli /, f/^t*r''^' r/(V.^/ AMKJKU'AlSr vSTAOK WAGGO-N. 'IT'^^U .A^ '^frf?- .ttvu ■ :^-^-'. - ^■^^'^'^SWkW'r.^:^^ Ssis--*^' e^iitrffff' ^,Vi^.' PHILADELPHIA. $7 two seats in it for the passengers^ who sit with their faces towards the horses. The roof is supported by small props, which are placed at i| * ihe corners. On each side of the doors^ above tlie piiunelsj it is quite open, and to guar4 agai; it bad weather there are curtains, which are made to let down from the roof, and fasten to buttons placed for the purpose on th« outside. There is also a leathern curtain to hang occasionally between the driver and passengers. The light waggons are on the same con- struction, and are calculated to accommodate from four to twelve people. The only differ- ence between a small waggon and a coachee is, that the latter is better finished, has varnish-r ed paunels, and doors at the side. The for- mer has no doors, but the passengers scramble in the best way t}icy can, over the seat of the driver, The waggons are used universally fof stage carriages. The accommodations at the taverns, by which name they call all inns, &c. are very indifferent in Philadelphia, as indeed they are, with a very few exceptions, throughout the country. The mode of conducting them is nearly the same every where The traveller is shewn, on arrival, into a room which is common to every person in the house, and which, is generally the one set apart for 28 TRATELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA ! breakfast, dinner, and supper. All the stran* gers that happen to be in the house sit down to these meals promiscuously, and, excepting in tlie large towns, the family of the house also foims a part of the company. It is seldom that a private parlour or drawing room can be procured at any of the. taverns, even in the towns ; and it is always with reluctance that breakfast or dinner is served up separately to any individual. If asingle bed-room can be procured, more ought not to be looked for ; but it is not always that even this is to be had, and those who travel through the country must often submit to be crammed into rooms where there is scarcely sufficient space to walk between the beds*. Strangers who remain for any length of time in the large towns most usually go to private boarding houses, of which great nunw bers are to be met with. It is always a diffi* cult matter to procure furnished lodgings with-* out paying for board. At all the taverns, both in town and country, but particularly in the latter, the attendance * Having stopped one night at Elkton, on my journey to Baltimore in the public carriage, my first enquiries from the landlord, on alighting, as there were many passengers in the «tage, were to know what accommodation his house afforded. He seemed much surprized that any enquiries should be made on sucha subject, and with much consequence told me, I need not give my self much trouble about tlie extent of my accommo- dations, as he had no le^s than e/a"e«bcds in owe of his rooms. UERIOA : Ul the stranvays desirable to behold between man and man, let their situations in life be what they may, and which is n ,t contrary to the dictates of nature, or to the spirit of genuine liberty, as it is ob- servable in the behaviour of the wild Indian* that wander through the forests of t'-is vast continent, the most free and independent of ail human beings. In the United States, Iiowever, the lower classes of people will return rude and impertinent answers to questiong couched in the most civil terms, and will insult a person that bears the apper^ance of a gentlem n, on purpose to show how mui ' 'heyr)nsidei hem- selves upon an equality with him. Civility CRiinot be purchased from the^ on any t^rms ; they seem to think that it is Incompatible with freedom, and that there is no other wa y of convincing a stranger that he is real! n a 1 nd of liberty, but by being surly and ill an red in his presence. ^Ktt,: JOURNEY TO BALTIMORE. Jl LETTER III. Journey to naltimore. —Description of the Conn- trij about PhilaiklphicL—rioating Bridges over Schmjlkill, how constnicted.—JMilla in Brandt/-~dne Creek. -^Iniprovanent in the Machinery of Flour Mills in America — Town of Wilmington. ^Long hunscs.—Bad Roads— Fine Prospects.— How reli.^ hy ^niericnns.'^Taverns.—Susqnehannah Hi- ver.—Town of BaiJmore.—Phm of the Town. — Harbour.— Public and private Buildin -s,—Inhabitmits.-Countnj between Baltimore and ll^ashington.^Execrablc Boads. MY DEAR S^ ' . Washington, November, ON the in, of ^ oml^er, I left Philadel- phia for Baltimore. T» only mode of ronvejance vvhl^h offers for a traveller, who 18 iot proviued with his own horses or carriage 18 the pubhV stage waggon; it is jmssib^ indeed, to procure a private carriage . Phi- la dphia, to go on to Baltimorr foi which a great price is always demani.ed ; but there IS no «uch ihing as hiring a carriage or arses rom 8ta£:e to stage. The . uuntry about Phi- ladelphiai* -eli cultivated, and it abou Kwitl. m S2 TRAVELS THftOUGH NORTH AMERICA : neat counti\y houses ; but it has a bare appear- ance, being totally stripped of the trees, which have been cut down without mercj^ for 6ring, and to make way for the plough; neither are there any hedges^ an idea prevailing that they impoverish the land vvherever they are planted. The fences arc all of the common post and rail, or of the angular kind. These last are made of rails about eight or nine feet long, roughly split out of trees, and placed horizontally above one another, as the bars of a ga{e ; but each tier of rails,, or gate as it were, instead of being on a straight line with the one next to it, is put in a different direc- tion, so as to form an angle sufficient to per- mit the ends of the rails of one tier to rest steady on those of the next. As these fences, from their serpentine course, occupy at least fix times as much ground as a common post and rail fence, and require also a great deal more wood, they are mostly laid aside when- ever land and timber become objects of im- portance, as they soon do in the neighbour- hood of large towns. The road to Baltimore is over the lowest of three floating bridges, which have been thrown across the river Schuylkill, in the neighbour- hood of Philadelphia. The view on passing this river, which is about two Jbundred and fifty yards wide^ is beautiful. The banks on «OT ERICA : )are ap pear- trees, which y for 6ring, ^h ; neither vailing that ;r thcj are le common Lind. These or nine feet and placed as the hars , or gate as ht line with erent direc- ient to per- tier io rest hese fences^ py at least mmon post great deal iside when- 3cts of im- neighbour- c lowest of een thrown neighbour- on passing undred and e banks on • FLOATING BRIDGES. J^ each side are high, and for many m.Ie. thov« afford tJic most delightful situationg f„r viilai A very elegant one, laid out in the English taste, is scc.i on passing the ri ver just above th« bridge. Adjoining to it are public gardeni, and a house of entertainment, with several good rooms to which the citizens of Phila- delphia resort in great numbers durine the summer season. The floaith it during; two months that I remained in Maryland. Amongst the inhabitants of Baltimore arc ^o be found English, Irish, Scotch, and Frenchi. The Irish appear to be most numerous ; and piany of the principal merchants in town aie m the number. Since the war, a great many French have arrived both from France md from the West India islands. With a fev exceptions the inhabitants are all engagec' .n trade, which is closely attended to. They are mostly plain peo,,le, sociable however amongst themselves, and very friendly and hospitable towards strangers. Cards and dan- cing are favourite amusements, both in pri- yate and at public assemblies, which ar« held IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // w.. 1.0 I.I 1.25 If 1^ K ^ 1^ III 2.2 UUu u 2.0 !.4 1.6 ^M ■ ;> c?;^ Photographic Sciences Corporation \ # . % \ k # c\ \ ;^> ' ^'^ % .^ ^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. HS80 (716) 872-4503 p 46 TRAVELS THROUGH NOllTH AMERICA I everj fortnight. There are two theatres here, in which there art performances occasionally. The oldest of them, which stands in the road to Fell's Point, is most wretched, and appears little better than a heap of loose boards ; for a long time it lay quite neglected, but has lately been fitted up for a company of French actors, the only one I ever heard of in the country. Baltimore, like Philadelphia, has suft'ered from the ravages of the yellow fever. During t^ ; autumn it is generally unhealthy, and (' D^e who can afford it retire to country seats in the neighbourhood, of which some are most de- lightfully situated. From Baltimore to Washington, which is forty miles distant, the country wears but a poor appearance. The soil in some parts con- sists of a yellow clay mixed with gravel : in other parts it is very sandy. In the neighbour- hood of the creeks and between the hills are patches of rich black earth, called bottoms, eared to be beneficial to a^e intercut of iL umon at large, it was not until after the revo- ution, by which the present federal constitu- tmn was established, that it was acceded to oa e3 52 TRAVELS TIIROUGH NORTH AMERICA ' the part of all the states. Pennsylvania, in particular, conscious of her being a principal and central state, and therefore Mkely to he made the seat of government if this new pro- ject was not carried into execution, was fore- most in the opposition. At last she complied ; but it was only on condition that the congress should meet at Philadelphia until the new city was ready for its reception, flattering herself that there would be so many objections after- wards to the removal of the seat of government, and so many difficulties in putting the pro- ject into execution, that it would iinally be re- linquished. To the discriminating judgment of General Washington, then president, it was left to determine upon the spot best calculated for the federal city. After mature deliberation he fixed upon a situation on the banks of the Patowmac river, a situation which seems to be marked out by nature, not only for a large city, but expressly for the seat of the metro- polis of the United States. In the choice of the spot, there were two principal considerations : First, that it should be as central as possible in respect to every state in the union ; secondly, that it should be advantageously situated for commerce, without which it could not be expected that the city would ever be distinguished for size or for splendour ; and it was to be supposed, that VIEW OF THE TRADING TOWNS. 5j ihc people Of the United Stales would be de-- snous of lumuiT the metropolis of the coun- try as magnificent as it possibly could be. Ihcso two essential points are most hapnilv combined in the spot which has beea ciioseu. The norlhern and southern extremities of he United States are in 46" a.nd 3V north la- titude. The latitude of the new city is 38" 63 north ; so that it is within twenty-three minutes o. oemg exactly between the two extremities In no part of North America either is there a port situated so far up the country to the west- ward, excepting what belongs to Great Britain on the river St. Lawrence, its distance, from the ocean being no less than two hundred and eighty miles. A more central situation could certainly have been fixed upon, by going fur- ther to the westward ; but had this been done. It must have been an inland one, which would Have been v.ry unfavourable for trade The size of all towns in America has hitherto been proportionate to their t.ade, and particularly to that carried on with the back settlement;. Ihis trade consists in supplying the people of the western parts of the United States, or the back settlements, with certain articles of fo- reign manufacture, which they do not find any interest m fabricating for themselves at pre sent; nor is it to be supposed that they will. 34 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA: for many years to come, while land remains clieap, and these articles can be imported and sent to them on reasonable terms. The articles chiefly in demand consist of hardware, woolien cloths, fignred cottons, hosiery^ haberdashery, earthenware, &c. &c. from England ; coffee, mm, stigar*, from the West Indies : tea, coarse muslins, and callicoes, from the East Indies. In return for these articles, the people of the back settlements send down foir exportation the various kinds of produce which the country affords : wheat and flour, furs, skins, lice, in- dig'o, tobacco, pitch, tar, &c. &c. It is very evident, therefore, that the best situation for a trading town must be upo« a long navigable river, so that the town may be open to the sea, and thus enabled to carry on a foreign trade, and at the same time be enabled, by means of an extensive water communication in an op- posite direction, to trade with the distant parts of the countrv. None of the inland towns have as yet increased to a great size. Lan- caster, which is the largest in all America, con- tains only nine hundred houses, and it is nearly double the size of any other inland one. Neither do the sea-port towns flourish, which are not well situated for carrying on an inland * Sugar is not sen* very far back into the country, as it is procuicd at much less expeace from the maple- tree. VinW OF THE TRADING TOWNS. 55 trade at tlie muc time. The truth qf ihis po- sition must appear obvious, oi: taking- a survey of the principal towns in the United States. To begin with 15oston, the largest town north of New York, and one of the oldest in tlie United States. Tlipngh it has a most excel- lent harbour, and has alwaj^s been inhabited by an cnterprizing industrious set of people, yet it is now inferior both in size and conimerce Jo Baltimore, which was little more than the resi- dence of a few iishermen thirty years ago; and this, because there is no river in the neighbour- hood navigable for more than seven miles, an(i the western parts of tl«3 state of Massaehusets, of which it is the capital, can be supplied with commodities, carried up the North River, on much better terms than if the same commo- dities were sent by laud carriage from Boston. Neither does Boston increase by any means in the same proportion as the other towns, whicli have an extensive trade with the people of the back settlements. For the same cause we do not find that any of the sea-port or other to^ns in Uhode Island and Connecticut are increas- ing very fast ; on the contrary, Newport, the capital of the state of Rhode Island, and which has a harbour that is boasted of as being one of the hest throughout the United States, ip now falling to decay. Newport contains about one thousand houses ; noneof the other town $ 56 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA ; bntwoon Boston and New York contain inorj than five hundred. We now come to New York, wliich enjovt the double advantai^es of an excellent harbour and a large navigable river, which opens a coni- inunication with the interior parls of'fhocoun-. try ; and here wc find a flourishing city, con- taining forty thousand * inhabitants, and in- creasing beyond every calculation. The Norfh or Hudson River, at the motith of which New York stands, is navigable from thence for one hundred and thirty miles in large vessels, and in sloops of eighty tons burthen as far as Al- bany; smaller ones go still higher. About nine miles above Albany, the Mohawk River falls into the Hudson, by means of which. Wood Creek, Lake Oneida, and Oswego River, a communication is opened with Lake Ontario! In this route there are several portages, but it is a route which is much frequented, and num- bers of boats are kept employed upon it, in carrying goods whenever the season is not too dry. In long droughts the waters fall so much, that oftentimes there is not sufficient to float an empty boat. All these obstructions how- ever may, and will one day or other, be reme- died by the hand of art. Oswego river, before it falls into Lake Ontario, comnwinicates with * Six inhabitants may be rickoned for every house in Uio United States, SMEtllCA: VIEW OF THE TRADING TOWNS 67 ich runs rivers, some of them JL j f "^""'"'^aWe the mouth and T .7 '*' ^'"•^' *'<•« >* MissiJpVi """'"' '=™''«- '''<="• into tl,e f3 68 TRAVELS THROUOH NORTH AMERICA '. If wc trace the water communication in an opposite direction, its prodigious extent will be a still greater subject of astonishnient. By ascending the AUegbany River fron. Pitti- burgh as far as French Creek, and afterwards this latter stream, you come to Fojrt Ic Boeuf. This place is within fifteen miles of Presqu' Isle, a town situated upon Lake Erie, which has a harbour capable of admitting vessels drawing nine feet watei'. Or you may get upon the lake by ascending the great Miami Rrvcr, which falls into the Ohio five hundred and fifty miles below Pittsburgh. From the Great Miami tliere is a portage of nine miles only to Sandusky River, which runs into Lake Erie. It is most probable, however, that whatever intercourse there may be be- tween the lakes and the federal city, it will be kept up by means of the AHeghany River and French Creek, rather than by the Miami, as in the last case it would be necessary to combat against the stream of the Ohio for five hundred and fifty miles, a very serious ob- ject of consideration. Lake Erie is three hundred miles in length, and ninety in breadth, and there is a free com- municaUon between it. Lake Huron, and Lake Michigan. Lake Huron is upwards of one thousand miles m circumference ; Michi- gan is somewhat smaller. Numbcirs of larg* RIVERS AND t KES. rivers fall into these lakes, after having watered immense tracts of country iu various directions Some of these rivers too are connected in a most singular manner with others, which run in a course totally different. For instance, after passing over the Lakes Erie, St. Clair, and Mi- chigan, to the head of Puan's Kay, ypu eome to *ox River; from hence there is a i)ortagc of three mdes only to Ouisconsing River, which empties itself into the Mississippi; and in tho . fall of the year, when the waters are high, and the rivers overflow, it is oftentimes po.sihle to pass from Fox River to Ouisconsing River without ever getting out of a canoe. Thus excepting a portage of three miles only at tli^ most, it is possible to go the whole way by wa- ter from Presqu' Isle, on Lake Erie, to New Orleans, at the mouth of the Mississippi, adis- tance of near four thousand miles. It would be an endless task to trace the water communica. tion in every direction. Jiy a portage of nine miles at tlie Falls of Niagara, the navigation of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawreuce is open- ed on one side, and at the other that of Lake Superior, by a still shoit^r portage at the Falls of St. Mary. This last lake, which is ai least, fifteen hundred miles in circumference, is sup- plied by no less than fortj rivers ; and beyoiid It the water communication exjfecnds for hui,- I II i 70 fli4VlLU TYife .>L'(&H SOUTH AMKRIfA*. drcds of nulps farthei on, llirongh the fake of the Hoods to Luke Winnipeg, which is Jttill largef thin lijat of Superior, But sr^pposing that the imin< nse rrplons boiv dcring upon t!u ••« lakes and rivers were iheadj peopled, it is not to be conchidcd, that because they arc connected by water with the Patowniar, the federal city must necessarily be the mart for tbe various productions of the whole country. There are different sea ports to which the inha- bitants will trade, according to the situation of each particular part of the country. Quebec, on the river St. Lawrence, will be one ; New YorH, connected as has been shewn with Lake Ontario, ;. \othcr ; and New Orleans at the mouth of the Mississippi, which by the late treaty with Spain has been made a free port, a third, The federal city will come in also for its share, and what this share will be it now remains to ascertain. Situated upon the banks of the Patowmac, there are already two towns, and both in the vicinity of the federal city. George Town, which coiiiains about two hundred and fifty houses ; and Alexandria, with double the num- ber : the former of these stands about ©ne mile above the city, nearly opposite the large rock in the river, which has been spoken of; the latter, se- > r miles below it. Considerable quantities of pi ! <" ^ are already seutflpwu the NATIONAL BANK. 7i Palowmac to each of these towns, and the people in the country are beginning to ionk thitLer in return for a part of their supply of foreign rnunufnctures. h has been maintained, therefore, that these two places, already iu the practice of trading with the back settlers, will draw the greater part of the country trade to themsehes, to the prejudice of the federal city. Uolh these towns have as great advantBgn^ iu point of situation as the city • the interests of the three places therefore must unquestionably for a time clash together. It *an hardly be doubted, however, but that the iederal city will i.i a few years completely eclipse the otlier two. George Town can fur- iiish the people of tho back country with fo- reign manufactures, at second hand only froui Baltimore and Philadelphia; Alessandria im- ports directly from Europe, but on a very con- tracted scale : more than two thirds of the goods which arc sent from thence to the back comitry are procured in the same manner as at George Town. In neither phice are there merchants with large capitals; nor have the i^^^ks, of .vlich there is one in each town, suuicient funds to of}brd them much assistance ; but merchants with large capitals arc pre- paring to move to the city. As soon also as llie seat of government is fixed there, the na- tional bank, or at least a large branch of jt. tS TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA '. "will be established at the same time ; this cir- cumstance alone will afford the people of the city a decided advantage over those of Alex- andria and George Town. Added to all, "both these towns are in the territor}' of Co- lumbia, that is, in the district of ten miles round the city which is to be subject to the laws and regulations of congress alone ; it may be, therefore, that encouragements will ba held out by congress to those who settle in the city, which will be refused to such as go to any other part of the territory. Although Alexandria and George Town, then, may rival the city while in its infancy, yet it cannot be imagined that either of them will be able to cope with it in the end. The probable trade of the city may for this reason be spoken of as if neither of the other places existed. It may be taken for granted, in the first place, that the whole of the country bordering upon the Patowmac river, and upon those rivers which fall into it, will trade with the city of Washington. In tracing the course o^ihe Pa- towmac all these rivers were not enumerated ; a better idea of them may be had from an in- spection of the map. Shenandoah, which is the longest, is not navigable at present ; but it has been surveyed, and the company for improving the navigation of the Patowmac have stated that it can be made so for one huii- »MBA»t.E TRADE OF WASHISGTOJ. 73 dred miles. This would be comin? verv near to Staunton, bel.ind the Blue Mountains, and which „ on the ,,ig,, ,„,d from Kentuckv. and from the new state of Tenessee, to the c% of Philadelphia. Frankfort, the capital of the former of these states; is nearly eight hun- dred mile, from Philadelphia; Knoxville, that of the other, seven hundred and twentv- e.ght. Both these towns draw their supp|i„ of foreign manufactures from Philadelphia, and by land carnage. Supposing then that the na- vigation of the Shenandoah should be per- fected, there would be a saving of four hundred and thirty-six miles of land carriage from going to Washington by the Shenandoah and Pat towmac instead of going to Philadelphia ; such a samg, it might be imagined, would draw the whole of thi., trade to Washington. Whe- ther the two western states, Kentucky and Tc- ne.see, will trade to New Orleans or not, at a fi. ure day, in preference to any of these places, will be investigated presently. By means of Cheat and Monongahela rivers I has been shewn, that a., opening may be obtamed to Pittsburgh. This will be a route of about four hundred and fifly miles from Washington, and in it there will be one port- age, from the Patowmac to Cheat River of thirty-seven miles, and perhaps two or three others ; but these wiil be all verv small ft 74 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : • has been ascertained beyond doubt, that the Pittsburgh merchant can have his goods con- vejed from New York, hy means of the Hud- son and Mohawk rivers, to Oswego, and from thence hy the lakes Ontario and Erie, and the Alleghany River, to Pittsburgh, for one third of the sum which it costs him to transport them by land from Philadelphia. He prefers getting them by land, because the route from New York is uncertain ; his goods may be lost, or damaged, or delayed months beyond the time he expects them. From Hudson River to the Mohawk is a portage of ten miles, or there- abouts ; and before they can get to Oswego are two or three more. At Oswego the goods must be shipped on board a vessel suitable for navigating the lakes, where they are exposed to tempests and contrary winds. At the Falls of Niagara is a portage of nine miles more ; the goods must here be shipped again on board a vessel on Lake Erie, and after arriving at Presqu* Isle must be conveyed over another portage preparatory to their being laden in a boat upon the Alleghany River. The whole of this route, from New York to Pittsburgh, is about eii^ht hundred miles ; that from the federal city not much more than half the dis tance ; if therefore the merchant at Pittsburgh can get his goods conveyed from New York for one third of what he pays for the carriage WATER CARRIAGE. 75 Of them by land from Philadelphia, he ought not to pay more than one sixth of the sum for their carriage from the federal city ; it is to be concluded, therefore, that he will avail him- self of the latter route, as there will be no ob. jection to it on account of any uncertainty in the mode of conveyance, arising from storms and contrary winds. The people in Pittsburgh, and the western country along the waters of the Ohio, draw their supplies from Philadelphia and Kalti- more ; but they send the productions of the country, which would be too bulky for land carnage, down the Ohio and Mississippi to New Orleans. From Pittsburgh to New Or- leans the distance is two thousand one hun- dred and eighty-three miles. On an average It takes about twenty-eight days to go down there with the stream; but to return by water It takes from sixty days to three months. The passage back is very laborious as well as tc- J^ious; on which account they seldom think of bringing back boats which arc sent down from Pittsburgh, but on arriving at New Orleans they are broken up, and the plank sold. These boats are built on the cheapest construction, and expressly for the purpose of g«ing down stream. The men get back the best way tlieycan, generally in ships bound from Nevv Orleans to the southern states, and from th«nce 76 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA! home bv land. Now, if the passage from the Ohio to the Patowmac is opened, it cannot be supposed that the people in Pittsburgh and the vicinity will continue thus to send the produce down to Orleans, from whence they cannot bring any thing in return ; they will naturally send to the federal city, from whence they can draw the supplies they are in want of, and which is so much nearer to them, that when the navigation is perfected it m ill be possible to go there and back again in the same time that it requires merely to go down to New Orleans. But although the people of that country which borders upon the Ohio and its waters, in the vicinage of Pittsburgh, may have an in- terest in trading to the federal city, yet those who live towards the mouth of that river will find an interest equally great in trading to New Orleans, for the Ohio River is no less than eleven hundred and eighty-three milesin length. How far down upon the Ohio a commercial intercourse will be kept up with the city, will most probably be determined by other cir- cumstances than that of distance alone ; it may depend upon the demand there may be at one or other port for particular articles, &c. &c. ; it may also depend upon the season ; for at re- gular periods there are floods in the Missis- Mppi, and also in the Ohio, which make n . lMErica: iage from ihe , it cannot be >urgh and the I the produce they cannot vill naturally ;nce they can t^ant of^ and \, that when II be possible lie same time )wn to New that country id its waters, ' have an in- ty, yet those at river will idingtoNew 10 less than lesin length, commercial he city, will ' other cir- one ; it may ly be at one s^ &c. &c. ; I ; for at re- the Missis- ich make a FLOODS AND EDDIES. 77 great difference in the time of ascending and descending these rivers. The floods in the Mississippi are occasioned by the dissolution of the immense bodies of snow and ice accumu- lated during winter in those northern regions through which the river passes ; they are also very regular, beginning in the month of March and subsiding in July. Those in the Ohio take place between Christmas and May ; but they are not regular and steady like those of the Mississippi, for the water rises and falls many times in the course of the season. These floods are occasioned by heavy falls of rain in the beginning of winter, as well as by the thawing of the ice. The Mississippi has a very winding course,* and at every bend there is an eddy in the water. These eddies are always strongest during the inundations, consequently it is then a much less difficult task to ascend the river. * In the year 1722, as a party of Canadians were -oing dovvTi the river, tliey found at one place such a bend in it, that although the distance across land, from one part of the river to the other, was not morei>erhaps than two hundred yards yet by water it was no less than forty miles. The Canadians cut a trencii across tlie land for curiosit)-. The soil bordering upon the Mississippi is remarkably rich and soft, and the cur- rent being strong, the river in a short time forced a new pass- age tor Itself, and the Canadians took their bont throu^rh it This place is called Pointe Coupee. There are many similai" bends ui tke nver at present, but none so grear. 78 TUAVEL8:riJHR4JUfiH NORTH AMERICA! With theiOIiio, hovirever, it is directly the re- verse; there iire no edaies Jo the river; where- fore floods are: found to facilitate the passage downwards, but to render that against the stream difficult. Supposing, however, the season favourable for the navigation of the Mississippi, and also for the navigation of the Ohio, which it might well be at the same time, then Louisville, in Kentuckj^ is the place through which the line may be drawn that will separate as nearly as possible the country naturally connected with Washington from that appertaining to New Orleans. It takes twenty days, on an average, at the most favourable season, to go from Louisville to New Orleans, and to return, forty; which in the whole makes sixty days. From the rapids in the Ohio, close to which Louisville is situated to Pittsburgh, the distance is seven hundred and three miles; so that at the rate of thirty miles a day, which is a moderate computation, it would require twenty-four days to go there. From Pittsburgh to the Patowmac the distance is one hundred and sixty miles against the stream, \vhich at the same rate, and allowing time for the pprtages, would take seven days more, and two hundred and ninety miles down the Patow- mac, at sixty miles per day, would require five days : this is allowing thirty-five days for going and computing the time for returning at the f NAVIGATIONS. 79 same rate, that is thirty miles against the stream, and sixty miles vvith the stream, each day it wouldamount to twenty-five days, which, added to the time of goins;, makes in the whole fiftv- nine days; if the odd day be allowed for con- tingencies, the passage to and from the two places would then he exactly alike. It is fair then to conclude, that if the demand at the federal city for country produce be equally great as at New Orleans, and there is no rea- son to say why it should not, the whole of the produce of that country, which lies contiguous to the Ohio, and the rivers falling into it, a* ftir down as Louisville in Kentucky, will be sent to the former of these places. This tract IS seven hundred miles in length, and from one hundred to two hundred miles in breadth. Added to this, the whole of that country lyi„a. near the Alleghany River, and the stream" that run into it, must naturally be supplied trom the city; a great part of the country bor- dering upon Lake Erie, near Presqu' Isle may likewise be included. Considering the vastness of the territory, M'hich IS thus opened to the federal city by means of a water communication; considerincr that It IS capable, from the fertility of its soil^ of maintaining- three times the number of in- habitants that are to be found at present in all the UnitecJ States; and that it is advancing at 80 TRAVELS THROUGH iNORTH AMERICA : the present time more rapidly in population than any other part of the whole continent ; there is a good foundation for thinking that the federal clty^ as soon as the navigation is per- fected, will increase most rapidly; and that at a future day^ if the affairs of the United State* go on as prosperously as they hftTe done, it will become the grand emporium of the west, and rival in magnitude and splendour the cities of tlieold world. The city is laid out on a neck of land be- tween the forks formed by the eastern and western, or main branch of Patowmac River. This neck of land, together with an adjacent territory^ which is in the whole ten miles square^ was ceded to congress by the states of Mary** land and Virginia. The ground on which the city immediately stands was the property of private individuals, who readily relinquished their claim to one half of it in favour of con- gress, conscious that the value of what was left to them would increase, and amply com- pensate them for their loss. The prefitg arising from the sale of that part which has thus been ceded to congress will be suffi- cient, it is expected, to pay for the public buildings, fox the watering of the city, and also for paving and lighting of the streets. The plan of the city was drawn by a French- man of the name of L'Enfant, and is on a ierica: population ! contincpt; dng tbt^t the ition is per- and that ^t nited St»ie» ye done, it if the wfist, ar the cities of land be- :»stern aad mac River, n adjac^ot lileB squ9Xe> 5 of Mary«- i ^hich the iroperty of ;linquished ur of coB- what was mp\y corn- he profit^ which has be suffi- the public citjj and be streets, a French- d is on a ri rri ,, rrmiW ClEoiuiFrrfrrFK I , , f — rrrrmi—y i^^CT'i — rrrrrr-T Town T-i-rrr rr-rrr •*^ -rvrrrili ?* "• ''rr/T-rrrr rrrcrrrrrn^rr n ^m JWva M r" ^ r« P> P.S*- f Mm . VB. •^■, nnf nc ■M -if ^jr^ccc-r*- *' J^s::t „, r mi ■9 u tJ ■litiiil V \ V, V r^rrrrrmr'" V ^-Ofi - H, •■rrrrrrnr-r rrrrrrr-r-r Tr rrrr-r- r r rrrp- i—r rr- I— r- rr- r- r- rr?p-r, rrrr, otrkc City Was I IX xc^ .rr In r ri ri ri rr >. Statute ;Milf>sr j"iUVit'„,i (CrJ.SioclniiUr r,'.uhu„j' ir"lStfi '^7i>' > ^^^rvr mil -r /r^r-rrrr/i irmnrrr/Ti ■^/rnrrr/rrrr :':|:!Zr-wrrrrrrnr-r\ -rrn rrr.. , 'J.-.trcP'TrrrrTrrrK ~i /rn . rrrrn , r/rrrrrrrri r/rrrrrrrrrrr r-rrrrrrrrrrrr^ titKcriTcrrr'^rr f/iWuf/ ^7 J.Sfocitii.dc /',«» "iSepi'jjp.f. . " /rn T-frrrn . r/rrrrrrrn Trrrrrrrrrrrr ■ -> 'rrrrrtrrrrrrl^r — :r-/-rrrrrrrrrprr^ T'rr/i -rrrrrrlPrrr-n- »5p i::^'^'■r^^(:,:^vr^^<^'-Lc■ ^ "pr-f— srPrrSrcj:'- ^rrP ,.i;Trrrrrr?1^'-rr^r rr;:rrrrrrrr.-r » rrrrr. T^^^,T>!>lK^^i ^^r^T; rrrh ^ rrr iV ciTv or WAsiirNOTOK. gj scale well suited to the extent of U.c count.- one thousand two hundred „,i|e, i„ u,U -a one thousand ia breadth, of which if 1' na.ked out for .. „ ,.„ ,,,, ,„^„ 'O'lcs ur c.r..„„,(t,rcuce. The street, ru,. "orth. south, oust, u„d west; hut tTre,en streets all cr«s,„,g eael. oth.-r at right anHes anun.herofavenues are laid out L^; part, of the cit,, which run transver e" and m several places, where these avenues i„: ^rsec each other, are to be hollow sqls The streets, which cross each other at ri. t wide, the avenue, one hundred and sixty feet One ofthese is na,„od after each state, iTa 1'" low square also allotted to each T 1 s".tabe p,,ee for statues, columns, Awl,; ; ^ "^^f "- P--", the people « any ot f ti.ese states „,„, wish to erect to the „o countr. On a small en,i„eL,'i„e west If General Washiiio-ton eleva'ted""":' 'V'"" '"'""'^ ""^ "<« "'-t Sm7- u"" '"^ ^■en'^'.I situation, ^ver^ part of the ca^, and al,o of the ad. i ' • « "■ I *•* 82 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH America: j/icent country. In the capitol are to be spacious apartments for the accommodation of congress ; in it also are to be the princi- pal public offices in the executive department ©f the government, together with the courts of justice. The plan on which this building is begun is grand and extensive ; the ex pence of building it is estimated at a million of dol- lars, equal to two hundred and twenty-five thousand pounds sterling. The house for the residence of the president stands north-west of the capitol, at the distance of about one mile and a half It is situated upon a rising ground not far from the Pa- towmac, and commands a most beautiful pros- pect of the river, and of the rich country be- yond it. One hundred acres of ground, to- wards the river, are left adjoining to the house for pleasure grounds. South of this there is to be a large j)ark or mall, which is to run in an easterly direction from the river to the capitol. The buildings on either side of this mall are all to be elegant in their kind ; amongst the number it is proposed to have houses built at the public expence for the accommodation of the foreign ministers^ &c. On the eastern branch a large spot is laid out for a marine hospital and gardens. Va- rious other parts are appointed for churches, theatres^ colleges^ &c. The ground in ge- ERECTIONS. go neral, within the limits of the city, i, a^ree- »bly undulated; but none of the rising?.; »o great as to become objects of inconvenience matown^ The soil is chiefly of a yellowish claymued with gravel. There are number, of excellent springs in the city, and water readily had m most places by digging wells Here are^ two streams likewL, ^^hith ru i C2* Tl "''■ '^''' ^'^""' -^ Tibe: ^* . The perpendicular height of the .ource of the latter, above the level ^f the tide IS two hundred and thirty-six feet th,?-^.?!,"^!!''"'""' P""'*''^''' " *"' settled that all the houses should be built of brick "/*ri' *'" ^''"' *" ^^ ^irty feet high and to be built parallel to the line of fh treet, but either upon it or withdrawn from .t as suited the taste of the builder. How- b2 "r !u °^7'""''=° '"'''"''«<"■' have been It Tk'^""'" considering them as perma- •^nt. They are to be allowed for a certain • Upon the g™ti„gposs,„i„„ of -^.aslel.nds toany per- rivers On fh. , t?"* 'P°^'' ^"^ also to the creeks and of Tiber Creek JTT T'^' "^'' ™°'"'^'' *« "=■»' related hv ,«an ^°™®' T^"" anecdote is ^eiated by many as a certain proonostic ofth^ f.,f„ ficenceof this city, which i« L^TT."^"^' f"tur. magn,. ..^ „, ,, ^yj.^^.^ g secuud Rome. g2 84 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : term onlyj and then destroyed. Three com^ missionerg, who reside on the spot, arc ap^ pofnted by the president, with a salary, for the purpose of superintending the public and other buildings, and regulating every thing pertaining to the city. The only public buildings carrying on as yet, are the president's house, the capitot, and a large hotel. The president's house, which is nearly completed on the outside, is two stories high, and built of freestone. The principal room in it is of an oval form. This is undoubtedly the handsomest building in the country, and the architecture of it is much extolled by the people, who have never seen any thing superior ; but it will not bear a cri- tical examination. Many persons find fault with it, as being too large and too splendid for the residence of any one person in a republi- can country ; and certainly is is a ridiculous habitation for a man who receives a salary that amounts to no more than 5,025/. ster- ling per annum, and in a country where the expences of living are far greater than they are even in London. The hotel is a large building of brick, or- namented with stone ; it stands between the president's house and the capitol. In the be- ginning of the year 1796, when I last saw it, it was roofed in^ and every exertion making to BUILDINGS. " gg have it finished with the utmost expedition It IS any thing but beautiful . The capitol, at •he same period, was raised only a very little way above the foundation. The stone, which the president's house is buUt w,tl., and such as will be used for all the pubhc b„.ldi,,gs, is very similar in appearanc. to that fonnd at Portland in England; but I was .nformed by one of the sculptors, who had frequently worked the Portland stone in England, that it is of a much superior qua- %, as it will bear to be cut as fine as mar- Me, and is not liaWe to be injured by rain or frost. On the bank of the Patowmac they have inexhaustible quarries of this stone ; good specimens of common marble have also been found; and there is in various parts of the river abundance of excellent slate, paving stone, and lime stone. Good coal may also be had. n.n./.T'* '"'"'"' "' ^" P'^'" buildings ; most them have been built on speculation and still remain empty. The greatest rtum- P^nt l""'.*"""' " "t Green Leaf, romt, on the mam river, just abbve the en- trance of the eastern branch. This spot has been looked upon by many as the most con- venient one for trade; but others prefer the shore of the eastern branch, on account of the .uperiorify of the harbour, and the great depth of the water near the shore. There arf i 66 TRATEtS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : several other favourite situations^ the choice of any one of which is a mere matter of spe- culation at present. Some build near the ca- pitol as the most convenient place for the residence of members of congress, some near the president's house ; others again prefer the west end of the city, in the neighbourhood of George Town, thinking that as trade is al- ready established in that place, it must be from thence that it will extend into the citv. Were the houses that have been built situated in one place all together, they would make a very respectable appearance, but scattered about as they are, a spectator can scarcely perceive any ihing like a town. Excepting the streets and avenues, and a small part of the ground ad- joining the public buildings, the whole place is covered with trees. To be under the ne- cessity of going through a deep wood for one or two miles, perhaps, in order to see a next door neighbour, and in the same city, is a cu- rious, and, I believe, a novel circumstance. The number of inhabitants in the city, in the spring of 1796, amounted to about five thou- sand, including artificers, who formed by far the largest part of that number. Numbers of strangers ^^e continually passing and re- passing through a place which affords such an c tensive field Yor speculation. In {^dditioo to what has already been said 1; CITV OP VASHINCTON. §7 up»n the subject, I have only to observe, that notwithstanding all that h« been done at the «ity, and the large sums of money^hich have been expended, there are numbers of peor.le m the United States, living to the north of the Patowmac, particularly in Philadelphia, who are still very adverse to the removal of the seat ofgovernmentthither, and are doing all i„ their power to check the progress of all the build- ."gs in the city, and to prevent the congress from meeting there at the appointed time. la he spring of 1706. when I was last on the spot, the building of the capitol was absolutely at « stand for want of money; the public lots were at a yeryhw price, and the commissioners M-ere unwilling to dispose of them; in conse- quence they made aq application to con- gress, praying the house to guaranty a loan of three hundred thousand dollars, without which they could not go on with the pubhc buildings, except they disposed of the lots to gre»t dts- "dvantage, and to the ultimaie injury of the city: so strong, however, was the opposition, that the petition was suffered to lie on the table unattended to for many weeks ; nor was the prayer of it complied with until a number of gentlemen, that were very deeply interested m the improvement of the city, went round to thc^ different members, and made interest wth them 11. person to give their assent to tho 88 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : measure. Those people, who are opposed to the building of/ the city of Washington, maintain that it can never become a town of any im- portance, and that all such as think to the contrary have been led astray by the represen- tations of a few enthusiastic persons ; they go so far even as to assert, that the people to the eastward will never submit to see the seat of government removed so far from them, and the congress assembled in a place little better than a forest, where it will be impossible to procure information upon commercial points; finally, they insist, that if the removal from Philadelphia should take place, a separation of the states will inevitably follow. This is the language held forth ; but their opposition in reality arises from that jealousy which narrow minded people in trade are but too apt to en- tertain of each other when their interests clash together. These people wish to crush the city of Washington while it is yet in its infancy, because they know, that if the seat of govern- ment is transferred thither, the place will thrive, and enjoy a considerable portion of that trade which is centered at present in Philadel- phia, Baltimore, and Nev/ York. It is idle, however, to imagine that this will injure their different towns ; on the contrary, although a portion of that trade which they enjoy at pre- sent should be drawq from them, yet the Tn- I>ISCONTENTS. gg crease of population in that part of the coun- such, that the.r trade on the whole will, in all probab.l,t;, be found far more extensive after the federal eity is established than it ever was before. the Uo,ted States is desirous that the removal of the seat of government should take pl.ce at the appointed time. The discontents in- deed, which an opposite measure would civc and If they d.d not occasion a total separation of the southern from the northern states, yet they would certainly materially destroy that harmony which has hitherto e;.isted betweeii tnem. •.r>' •■ a t till » m TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA ^ »tw LETTER V. Some Account of Alexandria. — Mount Vernon, • the Seat of General Washington. -^Difficulty of finding the Way thither through the Wopds. -^(kscriptionofthe Alount, and of the news fram it. ^Description of the House and Grounds.-^ Slaves at Mount Vernon.'-^ ,-^ Thoughts thereon. — A Person at Mount Ver- non to attend to Strangers. — Return to Wash- ington, MY DEAR SIR, Wasliington, December, FHQM Washington I proceeded to Alex- »ndria« ^even miles lower down the river, which is one of the neatest towns in the United States. The houses are mostly brick, and many of them are extremely well built. The Btreets intersect each other at right angles; they are commodious and well paved. Nine miles below this place, on the banks of the Patowmac, stands Mount Vernon, the seat of General Washington ; the way to it, however, from Alexandria, by land, is considerably far- ther, on account of the numerous creeks which fall into the Patowmac, and the mouths of which it is impossible to pass near to. Very thick woods remain standing within four or five miles of the place ; the roads MOUNT VKRNON. 9] through them are very bad, and ,o many of them cros, one another in different direction,, that it .s a matter of very great diffienlty to find out the right one. I sot out from aL- andria with a gentleman who thought himself perfectly well acquainted with the way; had ^.Tn'"' ^^^ ^"^ ™P'« «™e to have reached Mount Vernon before the close of th" day, but „.ght overtook us wandering about n the woods. Wo did not perceive fhe vel tige of a human being to set us right, and we were preparing to pas, the night in the car- rmge, when luckily a light appeared at some distance through the trees ; it was from a small farm-house, the only one in the way for several miles ; and having made our way to it, partly Jn the carnage, partly on foot, we hired a ne- gro for a guide, who conducted us to the place of our destination in about an hour. The next •normng I heard of a gentleman, who, a day or two preceding, -had been from ten o'clock m the morning till four in the afternoon on horseback, unable to find out the place, al- though withm three or four miles of it the whole time. The Mount is a high part of the bant of hundred feet above the level of the water The river before it is three miles wide, a.-d on the opposite side it forms a hay about t)ie ^^ t W TRAVELS Tlinoroil NOTITII AMERICA! name breadth, which extends for a considerable distance up the coimtrv. This, at first siii^ht, appears to be a continuation of the river ; but the Patowmac takes a very sudden turn to the left, two or three miles above the house, atid is quickly lost to the view. Down- wards, to the right, there is a prospect of it for twelve miles. The Maryland shore, on the opposite side, is beautifully diversified with bills, which are mostly covered with wood ; in many places, however, little patches of culti- vated ground appear, ornamented with houses. The scenery altogether is most delightful. The house, which stands about sixty yards from the edge of the Mount, is of wood, cut and painted so as to resemble hewn stone. The rear is towards the river, at which side is a portico of ninety-si V feet in length, supported by eight pillars. The front is uniform, and at a distance looks tolerably well. The dwell- ing house is in the centre, and communicates with the wings on either side, by means of covered ways, running in a curved direction. Behind these wings, on the one side, are the different offices belonging to the house, and also to the farm, and on the other, the cabins for the Slaves *. In front, the breadth of the * These are amongst tlie first of the builduigs which are Been on coming to Mount Vernon ; and it is not without astonishment and regret they are sun^eyed by the stranger. I AMERICA ! I considerable 'his, at first ation of the I very sudden iles above the iew. Down- )rospect of it id shore, on iversifjcd with with wood ; tches of culti- l with houses, it delightful. :ty yards from 'ood, cut and stone. The lich side is a th, supported ifonn, and at The dwell- ommunicates bv means of ed direction, side, are the ! house, and T, the cabins eadth of the dings which are is not without >y the stranger. Vjkw f/-' Mo Vi J-: W ^Z M"0 V N T V 1'-. « >; ", the SMI o/" VtEN. Vl.' «c-v .• MOUNT TERNON. Q^ whole building, is a lawn with a gravel walk round it, planted with trees, and separated bj whose mind has dwelt with admirartion upon the inestmiable blessings of liberty, whilst approaching the residence of tl^t man who has distinguished himself so gloriously in its cause Happy would it have been, if the man who stood forth the" champion of a nation contending for its freedom, and who^e declaration to the whole world was, " That all men were " created equal, and that they were endowed by tlrek Cn- " ator with certain unalienable rights, amongst the first of wh>di were life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness ••• happy would it have been, if this man could have been tile first to wave all interested views, to liberate his own slaves and thus convince the people he had fought for, that it was their duty, when Uiey had established their own irdepend- ance. to give freedom to those whom they had themsdvei held in bondage ! ! But material objections, we must suppose, appeared against •such a measure, otherwise, doubtless. General Washington would have shewn the glorious example. Perhaps he thotht . It more for the general good, that the first step for emand- pation of slaves should be taken by the legislative assembly • or perhaps there was reason to apprehend, that the enfran- diisement of his own slaves might be the cause of insurrection amongst others who were notliberated, a matter which could not but be attended with evil consequences in a country where the number of slaves exceeded tliat of freemen ; how- ever, ,t does not appear that any measures have been pursued, either by private individuals or by the legislature iu Virginia, for the abolition of slavery j neither have any steps been taken for the purpose iu Maryland, much less in the more southern states ; but in Pennsylvania and U.e rest, laws have passed for its gradual abolition. la these states the number ot slaves, U is true, was very small, and the measure was therefore easily carried into effect ; in/the others then it an. &4 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : hedges on either side from the farm yard and garden. As for the garden, it wears exactly the appearance of a nursery, and with every thing about the place indicates that more at- tention is paid to profit than to pleasure. The ground in the rear of the house is also laid out in a lawn, and the declivity of the Mount, to- wards the water, in a deer park^ The rooms in the house are very small, ex- cepting one, which has been built since the close of the war for the purpose of entertain- ments. All of these are very plainly furnished, and in many of them the furniture is drop- ping to pieces. Indeed, the close attention which General Washington has ever paid to public affairs having obliged him to resi4e principally at Philadelphia, Mount Vernon has consequently suffered very materially. The house and offices, with every other part of the require more consideration. The plan, however, which his been adopted for the liberation of the few has sucdfeeded well i why then not fry it with a larger number ? If it does not answer, still I cannot but suppose that it might be so modified as to be .-ndered applicable to the enfranchisement of the number of iU-fated beings who are enslaved in the southern parts of the country, let it be ever so large. How- ever, that there will be an end to slavery in the United States, on some day or other, cannot be doubted j negroes will not remain deaf to the inviting call of liberty for ever j and if their avaricious oppressors do not free them from the gaUing yoke, they wiU liberate themselves win. a vengeance. MOUNT VERNON. o- Th« .,r„ T ^ ^ "''''*'<"» t» the old one business it is in o*f„ j ^ wnose sole .'iate..o„:,^S''.;ir^:,;-- cellcnt supper provided for us wifh .1 / . other wine, &c. *'"*' ""'I -e^Ve':::::: r.-"* ""• ^^ -'™"-<' «» farther in ";^^„tt''"t^''''''"'='^<'<='> - 96 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : LETTER VI. Arrival at Phila(^elpJiia.-^Sojne Observations on the Climite of the Middle States. — Public Carriages prevented from plying between Bal- timore and Philadelphia by the Badness of the Roads. — Left Baltimore during Frost. — Met with American Travellers on the Road. — Their Behaviour preparatory to setting off from an Inn. — Arrival on the Banks of the Susqiiehannah. — Passage of that River when frozen over. — Dangerous Situation of the Passengers. — American Travellers at the Tavern on the opposite Side of the River. — l^heir noisy Disputations. MY DEAR SIR, Philadelphia, February. AFTER having spent some weeks in Wash- ington, George Town and Baltimore, I set out for this city, where I arrived four days ago. The months of October and November arc the most agreeable, in the middle and soutl;- ern states, of £^ny in the year; the changes in the weather are then less frequent, and for the most part the air is temperate and the sky serene. During this year the air was so mild, that when I m as at George Town, even as late as the second week in December, it i ■ ■*^*'-t' • Winds. ■was foiin^ pleasan* (o keen *!.. ^i ''' d'Ting dinner time Th^. '"'"'"*' "P -^ ;,.e„ a sharp „„ru. ':;:: : ;;^-"- fbe keenness of this wind in „.,„, ^' '"• O"^. -.- over;afa,,„rsn„w^;rp:7hr ed on the ground about tvvoVl^H "'"■ t-e.e was ever, appearance of atverraVt"' e..v on the second dl a„d nT"^'"^ "- the frost was to b^ Ij' ' * '''"*'g« of was lo be seen, exceptino- in H.. • vers, where large pieces of ice re2iZ« tag about. remained float- ft "as about the middle of r> '-hedBaUinm..e..t;^rw?r^,t'' gO"'g on to Philadelphia, unW th / leather should set in Jl , ! ** *'''''•'' VOL , •* ""^ ■"'^ne'' of tie .v# t i» 9^ TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : roads ; for they were in such a state, that even the public stages were prevented from plying for the space of ten or twelve days. The frost soon dried them, and rendered them as good as in summer. I set out when it was most severe. At day break, the morning after I left Balti- more, the thermometer, accordingto Fahrenheit, stood at 7^ I never observed it so low during any other part of the winter. Several travellers had stopped at the same house that I did the first night I was on the toad, and we all breakfasted together prepara- tory to setting out the next morning. The American travellers, before they pursued their journey, todk a hearty draught each, according to custom, of egg-nog, a mixture composed of new milk, eggs, rum, and sugar, beat up toge- ther; they appeared to be at no small pains also in fortifying themselves against the se- verity of the weather with great coats and wrappers over each other, woollen socks and trowsers over their boots, woollen mittens over their gloves, and silk handkerchiefs tied over their ears and mouths, &c. so that nothing could be seeti excepting their noses and their eyes. It was absolutely a subject of diversion to me, and to a young gentleman just arrived from the West Indies, who accompanied me from Baltimore, to see the great care with which they wrapped themselyes up, for we m .»» • I .u , '"TENSE COID. oo 60th found ourselves «.m ■ ., matter ffenerallr .11 1 ' '"'"'«^er, to be a •he winter, the fir.t "^i; 5™ *'!'"--'^ «f America, as (|,e „,,iJT , " """»' '« ''--thecoun:!^^^;:''"'"'?'"'^" met upon the rn./ ^ P®""^*^** *hat we fasted with us and h . , T"'" ^''° '''«»t- •■-"d .l.eir Id"' ':' 'f '-"dkerchiefi tied and ears. "''*»'""' «»ver their mouth, '''«--er;a';;„tr::.''r"='» '»"-'<' what nunner we were t„ w "^^ °™'- t° tl'e question. ThT^. , ^ . """'' ^'" """^ were at r. ■ '^ P'* ** ""e fcrry-house were of op,n,o« that tlie ice «,.. . '■e-tly strong to bear n ""* ^"'^- -— tthe''san.eti:etheTL''r"'""^ f ery thick near *h. 1 " ' " "■"' *" '"•P-acticabe to IV "' ""* " "<•"" "« fore the dat was „ " "T^ """"S'- it be- ""■"^ororixrdTsi.:^".;'"^'-' -' coMected together rLl^Vr' "■"e much averse t„ "^ "'«'" ''«"»etmthe 2!,'""'"'"''«^»*«•«^«'fJ- ^' - ^ppo^d t tr-^'^^^t** «-« enough to he^r in ^ouldbe str.oiig ^P' # *# ,' * I 100 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA ! at last over-ruled, and every thing was pre- pared for cutting a way across the river. The passengers were about twelve in num- ber, with four horses; the boat's crew con- sisted of seven blacks ; three of whom, with large clubs, stood upon the bow of the boat, and broke the ice, whilst the others, with iron-headed poles, pushed the boat forwards. So very laborious was the task which the men at the bow had to perform, that ii was necessary for the others to relieve them every ten minutes. At the end of half an hour thftir hands, arms, faces, and hats, were glazed entirely over with a thick coat of ice, formed from the water which was dashed up by the reiterated strokes of their clubs. Two hours elapsed before one half of the way was broken ; the ice was found much thicker than had been imagined; the clubs were shivered to pieces; the men were quite exhausted ; and Laving suffered the boat to remain stationary for a minute or two in a part where the ice was remarkably thick, it was frozen up, so that the utmost exertions of the crew and passen- : gers united were unable to extricate it. In this predicament a council was held ; it was impossible to move either backward or for- ; ward; the boat was half a mile from the shore; no one would attempt to walk there ^ en the ice; to remain all night iu the boat THE SDS«IJEHANNAII. IQJ vould be death. Luckily I had a pair of pistol, •« my holsters, and having fired a few signals, the attention of the people on shore wa. at- tracted towards us, and a small battea.i, which patched for our relief This was not sent, I.ovvever, for the purpose of bringing a singl person back again, but to assist us in getting to tl.e opposite shore. It was slipped along .''■ead of the large boat, and two or thref =nen having stepped into it, rocked it about from s,de to side until the ice was s..fficiently broken for the large boat to follow. The bat *eau was now in the water, and the men seat- •"g themselves as mucl, as possible towards the. stern, by so doing raised the bow of it considerably above the iee ; by means of boat- .ooks ,t was then pulled on the iee again, and by rocking it about as before a passage was as easily opened. In this manner we got on, and at the end of three hours and ten minutes found ourselves again upon dry land, fully pre- pared for enjoying the pleasures of a bright fireside and a good dinner. The pe-ple at the tavern had seen us coming across, and had accordingly prepared for our reception ; and a, each individual thought he had travelled quite far enough that day, the passengers remained together tdl the next morning. / 1(5S TRA7ELS THROtfill NORTH AMERK^A: At the American taverns, as I before men- tioned, all sorts of people, just as they happen to arrive, are crammed together into one room, where they must reconcile themselves to each other the best way they can. On the present occasion, the company consisted of about thirteen people, amongst whom were gome eminent lawyers from Virginia niid the southward, together with a judge of the su- preme court, who were going to Philadel- phia against the approaching sessions : it was not, however, till after I quitted their com- pany that I heard who they were ; for these kind of gentlemen in America are so very plain, both in their appearance and manners, that a stranger would not suspect that they were persons of the consequence which they really are in the country. There were also in the company two or three of the neigh- bouring farmers, boorish, ignorant, and ob- trusive fellows. It is scarcely possible for a dozen Americans to sit together without quarrelling about politics ; and the British treaty, which had just been ratified, now ^ave rise to a long and acrimonious debate. The farmers were of one opinion, and gab- bled away for a lt)ng time ; the lawyers and the judge were of another, and in turns they rose to answer their opponents with all the DISPUTATIONS. JQ^ rower of rhetoric which they possessed. Neither party could say any thing to change the sentiments of the other one ; the noisy con^ ie^ lasted till ktc at night, when getting heartily tired they withdrew, not to their re- spective chambers, but to the general one that held five or six beds, and in which they laid down in pairs. Here the conversation was again revived, and pursued with as much noise as below, till at last sleep closed their eyes, and Jiappily their mouths at the same time; for could they have talked in their sleep, I verily believe they would have prated on until morn- ing- Thinks to our stars ! my friend and I got the 01 ly two-bedded room in the house to ourselves. The. next morning I left the banks of the Susquehannah ; and the succeed- ing day reached PhiJadelphia. 104 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA 1 LETTER Vir. Philadelphia gat/er in the Winter than at am/ other Season. — Celebration in that Citi/ of General Washington's Birth Daf/.—Somc Account of General WaahinpJouH Person and of his Character.'-' Americans dissutifjhd with his Conduct as President.— J A>,r/7 of JOl'Ssatisfaction common among.st them. MY DEAR SIR, Pbiladolphij, Febmary. PHILADELPHIA now Mears a very dif- ferent aspect to what it did vvlirn I landed there in the mouth of November. Both congress and the state assembly are sittirii,^ as well as the supreme federal court. The city is full of strangers ; tin? theatres are open; and a variety of public and private amusements arc going forward. On General Washington's birth day, which Mas a few days ago, this city was unusually gay *; every per- * On this day General Washington terminated his sixty- fourth year J but thougli not an unhealthy man, he seemed considerably older. The innumerable vexations he has met with in his different public capacities have very sensibly im- paired the vigour of his constitution and given liim an aged appearance. There is a very material difference, however, in his looks when seen in private and when he appears in public full drest j in the latter case the hand of art n)akes up for the ravages of time, and beseems many years younger. Few persons find themselves for the first time in the pre- sence of General Wasliir.gton, a man so renowned in the pre-. 4- OENEHAI. WAsntNr.Tnw. 103 «on or consequence in it, C^nakcr, alonn ox- ' **"'•"■''' """''' " « point »o M«t ,he fionccal on „„r,l„ .."'""''•S'«-'"''"""rali''"»r„lawc- .-^. n::^;rr:crr^■'''"■'''^'- tte r.c,pr«.,l m,cl ur„-„„„r.i„c.d ,i« „f n.,.„dAi,, , , „ ' "f ="yo,herl,u„,a„ bein., „,„ .,,,,„ ,„ ,,„ „;' 1' "' «»..cc, ,re ,,.,., u.an wl,a. he eve. ,„e, wi,„ Le ^tj " ed, « ere ,„d,cat,ve „f ,he strcn.es. and „■„« „„„„,„„. »ble passions and had he been b<*n in ,|,e fore«, I, wT opnaun that he would have bee,, ,i,e «! .<.e«avage ,„be.. ,„ ,h. m! ^e!:,: ^ ^ri ,:7« ^" r""-~ -.»•*« -.Mavernr:: ;":::;'r'*:^^''^'- ""« for the purpose^ m If ""*"' " '"«« 116 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA.: pie come into the town, is always crowded with waggons aff^d horses, that are left stand- ing there all night. This i« to save money ; the expence of putting, tUtui 'utJ a stable, would be too great, in the opinion of these people. Food for the horses is always carried in the waggon, and the moment they stop they are unyoked, and fed whilst they pi .aim. By this treatment, half the poor animals are foundered. The horses are fed out of a large trough carried for the purpose, and fixed on the pole of the waggon by means of iron pins. Lancaster is the largest inland town in North America, and contains about nine hun- dred houses, built chiefly of brick and stone, together with six chinches, a court house, and gaol. Of the churcties, there is one respec- tively for German Lutherans, German Cal- vinists, Moravians, Engli h Episcopalians, and Roman Catholics. The streets are laid out regularly, and cross i :h other at right angles. An act of assembly has been passed, for making this town the seat of the state govern- ment instead of Philadelphia, and the assembly was to meet in the year 1797. Th' circim- stance is much in favour of the in^ o\ neui of the town. The Philadelphians, in imicsl to the measure, talked of it much in the samr s .. RIFLE Gl/NS. j|7 ttyh that they do now of the removal of the •eat ofthe federal goYernment, raving, that it must be again changed to Philadelphia; but the necessity of having the scat of the le- gislature as entral as pc.ible in each rtate i, obvious, and if achange does take place again. .« most likely that it will only be to remove the seat stdl farther from Philadelphia On tlie same priiicipie, the assembly of Virginia' meets now at Richmond instead of Williams, burgh, and that of New York state, at Alban- msteadofthe city of New York Several difterent kinds of articles are ma- nufactured at Laneas. -r by German mecha- nics md.v.dually. principally for the people of , '"""' "■«' t'"^ neighbourhood. Rifled bar- rel guns however are to he excepted, which, "Ithous not as h,„d,.,n.c as those im- ported (rom Kngh, arc more esteemed by .he,n.nters,a„da..se„t ..y p.t of th^' The rifled barrel uns, commonly used in America tre „ea.,y of the length of a musket, and carry leaden b.Us from the size of thaJ osij^ty m the pound. Some hunters prefer hose of ^,mall bore, because they require but I." e ammunition; others prefer such as iiave a wide bore, becauw the wound which the, inflict IS more certainly attendeu with death; the wound, however, arnd. by a ball dr. ^m 118 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : charged fiom one of these ptins, is iiKvays very dangerous. The inside of Die barrel is Anted, and tbegroiives run in a spiral direction from one end of the barrel to the other, conse- quently when the ball cor^ s out it has a U'hirling motion round its own axis, at the same time that it moves forward, and when it tnters into the body of an animal, it tears up the flesh in a dreadful manner. The best of powder is chosen for a rifled barrel gun, and after a proper portion of it is put down the barrel, the tiall is. inclosed in a small bit of Knen rag, well greased at the outside, and then forced down with a thick ramrod. The g-rease and the bits of rag, which are called patches, arc carried in a little box at the but- end of the gun. The best rifles are furnished with two triggers, one of which being first pulled sets the other, that is, alters the spring 90 that it will yield even to the »light touch of a feather. They are also furnished with dou- ble sights along the barrel, a» fine as those of a surveying instrument. An experienced marksman, with one of these guns, will hit an object not larger than a crown pi6ce, to a certainty, at the distance of one hundred yards. Two men belonging to the Virginiii rifle re- giment> a large division of which was quar- tered in this down during th® war, had such a depeudance oo each otlier's dexterity, that the "I Mil HlFtE CVN6. JJ9 one would hold a pierce of board, not more *'',"' """' '•«=''« ">""', between hi, knees, «l.il.t the other shot at it with a ball at the distance of ne hundred pace,. Tim they u.ed to do alternately, for the «:„u«.n,ent of the tftwn', people, a, often a, they were called upon^ Number, of people i„ L«„ea„erca,. vouch for tlM- truth of (hi, fact. Were I how- evtt, to tell you all the storie, I have heard of the performances of riflemen, you would think the people were most abominably addicted to lyiogr. A rifle gun will not carry ,hot, nor will >t carry a ball much farther than one hundred yards with certainty. I ( 120 ) LETTER IX. Number of Germans in the Neighbourhood of York and Lancaster. — How brought ovef\-^ White-Slave Trade. — Cruelty frcquentli/'prac- Used in the carrying it on. — Character of the German Settlers contrasted uith that of the Americans. — Passage of the Susqnehannah between York and Lancaster. — Great Beauty of the Prospects along the River, — Descrip-^ Hon of York. — Courts cf Justice there. — Of the Pennsylvanian System of Judicature. MY DEAR SIR, York, March, I ARRIVED at this place, which is about twenty miles distant from Lancaster, yesterday. The inhabitants of this town, as well as those of Lancaster and of the adjoining country, consist principally of Dutch and German emi- grants, and their descendants. Great num- bers of these people emigrate to America every year, and the importation of them forms a very considerable branch of commerce. They are for the most part brought from the Ilanse Towns and from Rotterdam. The vessels sail thither from America, laden with different kinds of produce, and the masters of them, on arriving there, entice on board as many of these people as they can persuade to leave •K'HITE-SLAVE TRADE. Jg} their nalivc countrt^, without demanding any ■noney f„.. „.«,> passage. When the vessel ar-ives ,„ America, an advertisement is put info the paper, mentioning the different kinds of men ou board, whether smitlis, tailor, carpenervlabourers,„rthe like, and the pe": pie hat are m want of such men flock down to he vessel; these poor Germans are then sold to the highest bidder, and the captain of the TptLt ''•'''■■■*'' ^"'^ ''-^ — 3' i.Uo There have been many very shocking in- stances of cruelty i„ the carrying on of thi. trade vulgarly called "The white -slave trade." I shall tell you but of one. While the year 1793, at which time few vessels would Fo. M,ffl„,f„„r miles below it, a captain in - the trade amved in the river, and hearing that such was the fatal nature of the infection: that a sufficient number of nurses could not be " procured to attend the sick for any sum what- ever, he conceived the philanthropic idea of s"Pplyn.g tl.is deficiency from amongst hi, passengers; accordingly he boldly sailed up to the c.ty, and advertised his cargo for sale : A few healthy servants, generally between llnTiX""' °' ""P'^ ''■"' "-"Si., nom ,he north „, J«land m Ihe same ny btforc ,l,e war iviU, Fm^r,. i 122 TRAVEL* THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : ** reventeen and eighteen years of age, are just *' arrived in; the brig , their times will be *' disposed of by applying on board." The cargo, as you may suppose, did not remain long unsold. This anecdote was communi- cated to me by a gentleman, who has the ori- ginal advertisement in his possession. When I tell you that people are sold in this manner, it is not to be understood that they are sold for ever, but only for a certain num- ber of years; for two, three, four, or five years, according to their respective merits. A good mechanic, that understands a particular kind of trade, for which men are much wanted in America, has to serve a shorter time than a mere labourer, as more money will be given for his time, and the expence of his passage does not exceed that of any other man. Du- ring their servitude, these people are liable to be resold at the caprice of their masters ; they arenas much under dominion as negro slaves, and if they attempt to run away, they may be imprisoned like felons. The laws respecting " redemptioners," so are the men called that are brought over in this manner, were ground- ed on those formed for the English convicts before the revolution, and they are very severe. The Germans are a quiet, sober, and indus- trious set of people, and are most valuable citizens. They generally settle a good many GERMAN SETT^.ERS. JgJ together in ooe place, and, as may be ap- posed, in consequence keep up many of th% customs of their native country as well as their own language. In Lancaster and the neigh- bourhood, German is the prevailing lanffuaire and numbers of people living there are igno^ rant of any otlier. The Germans are some ot the best farmers in the United States, and they seldom are to be found but where the land IS particularly good ; wherever they settle they build churches, and are wonderfully at- tentive to the duties of religion. In these and many other respects the Germans and their descendants differ widely from the Americans, that is, from the descendants of the English^ Scotch, Irish, and other nations, who from' having lived in the country for many genera- tions, and from having mingled together, now form one people, whose manners and habits are very much the same. The Germans are a plodding race of men, ^vholly intent upon their own business, and mdilferent about that of others : a stranger is never molested as he passes through their set- tlements with inquisitive and idle questions. On arriving amongst the Americans,* how- ^ * In speaking of the Americans here, and in the follow- ing lines, it is these of the lower and middling classes of th« people ^^'i^ich I allude to, such as are met witliin the coun- try parts of i'cnu&ylvania. t 12i^ TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA: ever, a stranj^er must tell where he came from, where he is going, what his name is, what his business is ; and until he gratifies their curiosity on these points, and many others of equal im- portance, he is never suflered to remain quiet for a moment. In a tavern, he must satisfy every fresh set that comes in, in the same manner, or involve himself in a quurrel., especially if it is found out that he is not a na- tive, which it does not require much sagacity to discover. The Germans give themselves but little trouble about politics ; they elect their repre- sentatives to serve in congress and the 5 assemblies; and satisfied that deserving men have been chosen by the people at large, they trust that these men do what is best for the public good, and therefore abide patiently by their decisions : they revere the constitution, conscious that they live happily under it, and express no wishes to have it altered. The Americans, however, are for ever cavilling at some of the public measures; something or other is always wrong, and they never appear perfectly satisfied. If any great measure is before congress for discussion, seemingly dis- trustful of the abilities or the integrity of the men they have elected, they meet together in their towns or districts, canvass the matter themselves, and then send forward instructions *L # GERMAN SETTLEnS. jgS to their representatives how to act. Ther never consider that any important question is more hkely to meet with a fair discussion in an assembly, where able men are collected to^. ther from all parts „f the s,„tes, than i„ an obscure corner, where a few individuals are assembled who have no opportunity of getting general .nforn.ation on. the subject. Partf spirit .s for ever creating dissension, amongst them, and o.h, man is continually endeavour- ing to obtrude his political creed upon another If It .s found out that a stranger is from Great Britain or Ireland, they immediately begin to boast of their own constitution and freedom and give him to understand, that they think every Englishman a slave, because he submits to be called a subject. Their opinionsare for the most part crude and dogmatical, and prin- cipally borrowed from newspapers, which are wetchedly compiled from the pamphlets of the day; having read a few of which, they think themselves arrived at tl„, summit of iu- ellectual excellence, and qualified for making the deepest political researches. The Germans, as I have said, are fond of settling near each other : when the vo„n. men of a family are grown up, ,hey , ,„,„nv en deavour to go. a piece of land i; „e „ei.-b. bourhood ot their reladons, and by their In dustry soon make it valuable; the Ameriwu lEifri 126 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA: on the contrary, is of a roving disposition, and wholly regardless of the ties of consanguinity ; he takes his wife with him, goes to a distant part of the country, and buries himself in the woods, hundreds of miles distant from the rest of his family, never perhaps to see them again. In the back parts of the country, you always meet numbers of men prowling about to try and buy cheap land ; having found what they like, they immediately remove: nor having once removed, are these people satisfied ; rest- less and discontented with what they possess, they are for ever changing. It is scarcely pos- sible in any part of the continent to find a man, amongst the middling and lower classes of Americans, who has not changed his farm and his residence many difierent times. Thus it is, that though there are not more than four millions of people in the United States, yet they are scattered from the confines of Canada to the farthest extremity of Georgia, and from the Atlantic to the banks of the Mississippi. Thousands of acres of waste land are annually taken up in unhealthy and un- fruitful parts of the country, notwithstanding that the best settled and healthy parts of the middle states would maintain five times the number of inhabitants that they do at present. The American, however, does not change about from place to place in this manner merely THE SUSQUEHANNAH. 337 to gratify a wandering disposition; i„ everj change he hopes to make money. By the desire of making money, both the Germans and Americans of every class and description, are actuated in all their movements ; self-in. terest is always uppermost in their thoughts ; It IS the idol which they worship, and at its shrine thousands and thousands would be found in all parts of the country, ready to makea sa' crifice of every noble and generous sentiment that can adorn the human mind. In coming to this place from Lancaster, I crossed the Susquehannah River, which runs nearly midway between the two towns, at the small village of Columbia, as better boats arc kept th^e than at either of the ferries higher up or lower down the river. ?].e Susque- hannah IS here somewhat more than a quarter of a mile wide : and for a considerable distance, both above and below the ferry, it aboumi ^vltIl islands ^nd large rocks, over which la.t' the water runs with prodigious velocity: the roMing noise that it makes is heard a great vay oir. The banks rise very boldly on each Side, and are thickly wooded ; the islands also are covered with small trees, which, inter, spersed with the rocks, produce a very fi«, effect The scenery in every point of view IS wild and romantic. In crossing the river It IS necessarv to fow up against the strean* 128 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA: under the shore, and then to strike over to ttic opposite side, under the shelter of some of tlie largest islands. As these rapids con- tinue for many mileS;, they totally impede the navigation, excepting v,lien there are floods in the river, at which time large rafts may be conducted down the stream, carrying seve- ral hundred barrels of flour. It is said that the river could be rendered navigable in this neighbourhood, but the expence of such an undertaking would be enormous, and there is little likelihood indeed that it will ever be attempted, as the Pcnnsylvanians are already engaged in cutting a canal below Harrisburgh, which will connect the navigable part of the river with the Schuylkill, and also another canal from the Schuylkill to the Delaware, by means of which a vent will be opened for the produce of the country bordering upon the Susquehannah at Philadelphia. These canals would have been finished by this time, if the subscribers had all paid their respective shares, but at present they are alnK>?t at a stand for want of moiKy. The quantity of wild fowl that is seen on every part of the Susquehannah is immense. Throughout America the wild fowl is excel- lent and plentiful ; but there is ame duck in particular found on this river, and also on Pa- towmac and James rivers, which surpasses ail town as Lancaster r/u'"'^ ^"""^^^^ '^antasier. It is inhab ted hv n^^ mans, by whom ih^.„ ""ueu Dy C,er- fore at fi , r ** '""ffi'^'Mhere. assemblage ot/JsL II '"'f "" '"'^"^ which wasallotred toa, HI J " ''^"""''"* a subject of diversion He „„tf "' ""? "^""^ cl'ents i„ a come, of fh '^" '""' ''" had his • a ih,T [ '■""■" '• ''"^^^ """'her -.h.s;:'r;:.7?::'«--.»«>-«'po.aer- *K * , . ' ^ ^^*** notiuff his brief- an^ h^Ubest.„d,,,g,„,,^^.^^,^^ I and the rsl of r""" *""""""'""'"■'•. • ^'s, were lett to tat our breakfast. ISO TRAVELS TK riOUGH NORTH AMERICA'. On entering inio the courts, a stranger is apt to smile at the grotesque appearaiue of the judges who preside in thenij and at their man- ners on the bench; but this smile must be sup- pressed when it is recollected, that there is no country, perhaps, in the world, where Justice is more impartially administered, or more «'asily obtained by those who have been injured. The judges in the country parts of Pennsylvania arc no more than plain farmers, who from their infancy ha\e beci accustomed to little else than following the plough. The laws ex- pressly declare that there must be, at least, three judges resident in every county ; now as the salary allowed is but a mere trifle, no la\\- yer w ould accept of the office, which of course must be filled from i»'\«o i^^st the inhabitants,* Mho are all in a imppy state of mediocrity, and on a perfect equali* » with each other. The district judge, howe\cr, who presides in the disliictor circuit, has a Iprger salary, and is a man of a diderent cast. The district or cir- cuit consists of at least three, but not more than six counties. The county judges, Avhich I have mentioned, are ''judges of t)\e court of " common picas, and by virtue of their offices '* also justices of oyer and tcimint r, and ge- * This is Also the case in Philadelphia, where we find prnciisiiig pVyslc i^ns and surgeons sitting on the bepch ^s juiljies in a court pf justice. m^'^ iica: tranper is lur of the heir maii- ist he sup- here is no e justice is lore 'asily ired. The iiiisjlvania from their little else laws ex- , at least, :y ; now as I, 110 la\>- i of course labitants,* iiediocrity, >tlicr. Tlie tics in the ry, and is ict or cir- more than J Avhich I '. court of heir offices ', and ge- vhere we find the bepch i^s ♦v PE.VN8JLVAN1H ,i;rt8. I31 n'^ral g^aol deiiv( ry, for the ui.i - • orriu oftenders (ht rt»in »' a fudires romr,^ 1. »"«^'^ein. Any two j^uj^^s compose she ennrf /»r . lender certain rp i . *^"^''*^' «^««'«ns- the proceedinffs into ih removing '■..Juri.diceio^ t':?rr;r'"'■'^•'■ This short account ofThe eour ,"" '"""■ '0 Pennsylvania: everv ate Ll' **' °"'^ judicature '"'"' ""<' » dirtinct I-ETTER X. 'V rte Countrij near York —Of ih. p .. , ^(^opi^attlie Taverns— nh. . """^^'i^^—OIhserval ions thereon S 'pon Ihe Ferr,j.-Slavcs neglected^ ^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I • 50 ""^^ It 1^0 UUt. 12.5 2.2 18 1.25 1.4 1 l-^ ■• 6" — ► d if you pifocccd in a south-westerly course, pai-allel to the Blue Mountains, you meet with the same kind of soil as f.ir as J re- deric in Maryland. Here it changes gr-^ .ally to a deep reddish coiour, and continues much the same along the eastern side of the moun- tains, all the way down to North Carolina. On crossing over tht inourttains, however, di- rectly from Frederic, the same fertile brown sdil, which is cotnraon in tlie neighb^iurhood of \ ork and Lancaster, is again met with, and it is found throughout the Shenandoah Valley, and as far down as tlie Carolinas, on the west side of the mountains. Between York and Ffederic in Maryland there are two or three small towns ; viz. Han- over, Petersburgh, and Woodsbui-gh, but there is i)othi»g worthy of mention in any of them. Frederiu contains about seven hundred houses and five churches, two of which are for Ger- man Lutherans, one for Presbyterians, one for Cahiaists, ftudoDefoFB« .». U is a flourish- PACE or THB coONTSr. J3J % town, and «„ie« »„ » brisk iol»Bd trade here the ,,tuat«>„ b«„g .ecure and c<,„«r.l. From Fredenc I proce.ded i« a «,„th,,|. „ • .^»*h..d„ectioH the soil chtnges i„^. trjellT ''""'"""''' ^'°"^''-*' "you approach the sea coast. The ebani ^the/ace of .heco^ntr, after leavo?^;: "? ..mfer the har«h command, of Tl,' Tii« j-ff . *■*" ot the overseer. •Ti^ d,ffere„cc .n the manner, of ,!«> in,,^ Uants ,sals„.peat. instead of being .»^" '"-pLUgmatic Germans. . travcHerlj:S 134 TRATELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA: self again in the midst of an inquisitive and prying set of Americans, to gratify whose cu- riosity it is always necessary to devote a certain portion of time after alighting at a tavern. A traveller on arriving in America may possibly imagine, that it is the desire of obtain- ing useful information which leads the peo- ple, wherever he stops, to accost him ; and that the paricular enquiries respecting tbe ob- ject of his puisuiis, the place of his abode, and that of his destination, &c. are made to pre- pare the way for questions of a more general nature, and for conversation that may be at- teided with some amusement to him; h« therefore readily answers them, hoping in re- turn to t;ahi information about the country throu >h which he passes ; but when it is found that these questions are asked merely through an idle and impertinent curiosity, and that by far the greater part of the people who ask them are ignorant, boorish fellows; when it is found that those who can keep up some little conversation immediately begin to talk upon politics, and to abute every country ex- cepung their own ; when, lastly, it is found that the people scarcely ever give satisfactory an- swers at first to the enquiiies which are mad« by a stranger respecting their country, but always hesitate, as if suspicious that he was asking these questions to procure some local FALLS OP TU2 PATOITMAe. I35 information, in order to enable him to over- reach them in a bargain, or to make some ve ler then lose, all patienee at thi, disagree- able and prying di,p„si,i„„, and feel, disposed to turn from them with disgust; still, how- ever. If he wshes to go through flie country mbly, and without quarreling at every place where he stop,, it i, absolutely necessary to answer some few of their questions. Having followed the highway.., far as Montgomery court-house, which is about thirty miles from Frederic, I turned off alo„« . bye road running through the woods, in or- der to ..e the great fall, of Patowmac River. The view of them from the Maryland shore i, very pleasing, but not so much so .s that from be opposite side. Having reached the river therelore close to the Falls, I rodealong through the woods, with which its banks are covered for some distance higher up, to a place where there was a ferry, and where I crossed into Virguiu,. From the place where I landed to IHe Fall,, which i, a distance of about three miles, there ia a wild romantic path running «ong the margin of the river, and windinj •t the same tune round the b«e,of a high h.i covered with hdy tree, and rocks. Near to the shore, almost the whole way, there a,, cluster, of .mall islands covered with tre,., .156 TRATELB TttROrGH NORTH AMERICA I whith Suddenly opposing the rapid course of JLhe stream^ form very dangerous eddies> ia which boats are frequenily lost when navigated by men who are not active and careful. Oa .the shore prodigious heaps of white sand are washed up by the waves, apd in many pkce* the path is rendered almost impassable by piles of lar^, trees, which iiave been brought down from the upper country by floods^ and drifted together. .. The river, at the ferry which I mentiotied, is about' one mile and a quarter wide, and it ^continues much the same breadth as far as the Falls, where it ia considerably contracted and confined in its channel by immense rocks oa :«ither side. Tkere also its course is vt y sud- denly aHered> so much «o indeed, that below the Falls for a short distance it runs in an op- .pos:te direction from what it did above, but ,ioon after it resumes its former course. The ;wateT doesi not descend perpendicularly, ex- cepting in one I part close to the Virginiam *hore, where the height is about thirty feet,. hut comes rusliing down with tremendous im- petuosity over a ledge of fockg in several dif- ferent falls. The best tiew of the cataract :i» from the top of a pile of rocks about sixty feet above the level of the /water, and which, 9wing to tbOibendiil the river, is situated nearly •pposite to Ibfe Fails.. The xivir comes from- > PORT TOBACCO. ]3^ «l'c right, (hen gradually turni-s, precipitate. ..«,f down the Fall», and .iJl„,TZ foot o. the rocks „„ .,,ieh ,„„ ,j,^, J ^ great velocity. The rocks are of a slate cl- l"..r, a^I lie i„ strata; the surface of tl. a wany places is gh«sy and sparkling ■■.(Fron. hence / f„u„„.ed „,, ,„,;„^ ^^ r.ver downwards as far as George W Hhere I agairi crossed it; and afte^ p sX' ".rough the federal city, proceeded alo'n g t "e Maryland shore of the river to PiscatoHy! and afterwards to Po.t Tobacco, two sma^l town, suuated on creeks of their own „a„e ™h.ch run .„t„ the Patown.ac. I„ the neil: bourhood of Piscatoway there are several S, «ne vews of the Virginian shore; Mo«J Ve.^^ .n part.cu.ar appears to g,e^ .,. I Observed here great numbers of the poi. .onousv.„e» which grow about the large f^ ulZT"'::'''''''''' ---"^aSevir: ■ """died rn the morning, when the bVanchcs are moist with the dew thev i„f„ii u blisters o» the hands »M , ! "''^'''''J' «■« « ™*' "'"«'' '* '« 'ometimos dif- ficult to get rid of. -'nf'it^rrtirranr^''""- .hereisal ,„,,,,-;L;l7:h'r.h *^.Kh formerly w^,„„„,^^.„, ^^ ^^^^^^^^^ 138 TRAVELS THROUGH NOTITH AMERICA : but it is now entirely out of repair ; the win- dows aro all broken, and the road is carried through the church yard, o\ev the j^raves, the paling that surrounded it having been torn down. Near the town is Mou.iC Misery, to- wards the top of which is a medicinal spring", remarkable in summer for the coldness of the water. From Port Tobacco to Hoe's Ferry, on the PatoNvmac River, the coiinuy is flat and sandy^ and wears a most dreary aspect. Nothing is to be seen here for miles together but ex- tensive plains, that have been worn out by the culture of tobacco, overgrown with yel- low sedge,* and interspersed with groves of pine and cedar trees, the dark green colour of which forms a curious contrast with the yellow of the sedge. In the midst of the3« plains are the remains of severat good houses, ,which shew that the country wtts once very different to what it is now. These were the houses, most probably, of people Mho ori- ginally settled in Maryland with Lord Bal- timore, but which have now been suffered * This sedge, as it is called, is a sort of coarse grass, so hard thatcatUe will not eat it, which springs up spontaneously, ii» this part of tlie country, on the gro^nd that has been left Mrastcj it commonly grows about two feet high J towardi winter it turnsyelIow,an(l renjr.ins standing until the eusuiuff summer, when a new growtli displace* that of theYornier year. At its first springing up it is of a brigh ^ ^n .en colour. • hoe's FERRy. . jggf to go to decay, as the land around them iw worn out, and the people find it more to their interest to remove to another part of the country, and clear a piece of rich land, th.a attempt to reclaim these e:.hausted plains; In consequence of thi«, the country in many of the lovver parts of Maryland appears aa It it had been deserted by one half of its in- habitants. Such a number oi' roads in different direct tions cross over these flats, upon none of which here ,s any thing- like a direction post, and tho tace ot a human being is so rarely met with that It IS scarcely possible for a traveller to find out the direct way at once. Instead of twelve miles, the distance by the strui^ht road from Port Tobacco to the ferry, my horse had certainty travelled twice the number before >ve got there. The ferry-house was one of those old dilapidated mansions that formerly was the residence perhaps of some wealthf planter, and at the time when the fields yielded their rich crops of tobacco would have af. forded some refreshment to the weary travel- ler; but in the state I found it, it was the picture of wretchedness and poverty. After having waited for two hours and a half for my breakfast, the most Ico.ld procure wa. two eggs, a pint of milk, and a bit of cake br4»ad, scarcely asbiy as „,y ba„i, a„dbut lit^ 140 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA: tie better than dough. This I haU also to divide with my servant, who came to inform me, that there wai absolutely nothinsr to eat in the house but what had been brought to me. I could not but mention this circum- stance to several persons when I got into Vir- ginia, and many of them informed me, that thoy had expeiienced the same treattnent themselves at this house ; y<'t lliis house had the name of a tavarn. >V hat the white peo- ple who inhabited it livid up(ni I could not discover, but it was evident that they tooli care of themselves. As for the poor slaves; however, of which there were muny in the huti,j,adjoining the tavern, they had a most wretched appearance, and seemed to be half Itarved. The iijen and women were covered with rags, and the children were running Hbotit stark naked. IT' After having got into the ferry boat, the man of the house, lis U conscious that he had given me very had' fare, told me that tl jrc was a bank of oysters in the river, close to which it was necessary to pass> and that if I chose to Stop, the men would procure abundance of them for me. The curiosity of getting oysters in fresh water tempted rtie to stop, and the men got near a bushel of th«m in a very few minutes. These oysters are eJ^tremely good wliqn ctM)ked* Ijut .very disagreeable caicn raw ; iut't.ixl all ihe EXCEtLEST FISH. I41 ..>«lcr8 fouiKl in A,,„.rica, not excep(i„. „l,at a.0 taken at Ne»v Y.,rk. ,„ cl„s. to ll.c ocean, .re, in the opi„i„„ „f „,„,( Europeans, very in- d.berent and tasteless «l,en raw. The A.ne ncans, on their part, ii„d still greater fault with our oyster., which they .ay arc not tit to be eat ...any shape, because they taste of copper. The Patowmac, a, well as the rest of the rivers m Virginia, abounds with excellent fish of """'■' '^'^T'" ^'""^'' "' '""K«""- »'"«). roach, her„„^, &e. which forn. a very principal part ofthe.oodot the people living in the negh- bonrhoodofthem. " The river at the ferry is about thrc-e miles Wide and with particular winds the waves rise very high : i„ these eases they Mwavs tie the horses, for fear of accidenis, before" they set out; .ndeed, with the small open boats which be done, for ,n tlus country guseice, and rede to fhfe - dweil.ng of his master, n.ade him aeq„ainted *"h u,y situation, and begged I might be 144 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA .* allowed to put my horses in his stable for the night. The reception, however, which this gentleman gave me, differed so material !v from what I had been led to expect, that 1 was hap',>y at hearing from him, that there was a good tavern at the distance of two miles. I apologised for the lib«rty I had taken, and made the best of my way to it. Instead of two miles, however, this tavern proved to be about three times as far off, and when I came to it, I found it to be a most wretched hovel : but anv place was preferable to the house of a man so thoroughly devoid of hospitality. The next day I arrived at this place, the residence of a gentleman, who, when at Phi- ladelphia, had invited me to pass some time with him whenever I visited Virginia. Some of the neighbouring gentlemen yesterday dined here together, and haviijg related to them my adventures on arriving in Virginia, the whole company expressed the greatest astonishment, and assured me that it was never known be- fore, in that part of Virginia, that a stranger had been suffered to go away from a gentle- man's house, where he stopped, to a tavern, al- though it was close by. Every one seemed eager to know the uamc of the person who had given me such a reception, and begged me to tell it. I did so, and the Virginians were satisfied, for the person was a — Scotsman, luwcr parts of ,I,e stl ^"S'm^"^ U, the P»'''''- a,./ :;;^,.--'''<'-ted farther BETTER XI. Prefcrred.-^Lo^^^^ Classes of T\ ^ "^ tiintn '77 . ^"^^^^ ^f People in Vir. m,a.~lne,r nnlualtUy Appear uL. TriFQ ^ L ^ S^atford, April. f"'' having been ,!,„ i • ,, " '"'""'"'I'lo . fe'eat talents, Genejal Wa.)nn„.. ^ VOL. I. ^va&iung^gn pt 145 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : their head. It was here that numbers of English gentlemen, who migrated when Vir- ginia was a young colony, fixed their residence; and several of the houses which .they built, ex- actly similar to the old manor houses in Eng- land, are still remaining, particularly in the counties of Richmond and Westmoreland. Some of these, like the houses in Maryland, are quite in ruins ; others are kept in good re- pair by the present occupiers, who live in a style which approaches nearer to that of English country gentlemen, than what is to be met with any where else on the continent, some other parts of Virginia alone excepted. Amongst the inhabitants here, and in the lower parts of Virginia, there is a disparity un- known elsewhere in America, excepting in the large towns. Instead of the lands being equally divided, immense estates are held by a few individuals, who derive large incomes from them, whilst the generality of the people are but in a state of mediocrity. Most of the men also, who possess these large estates, having re- ceived liberal educations, which the others have not, the distinction between them is still more observable I met with several in this neigh- bourhood, who had been brought up at the public schools and universities in England, where, until the unfortunate war which sepa- rated the colonies from her, the young meu ^»-try fro™ JS„"th •''""""■""'■"'*'"" ""d with which rr ""'"'"" '»«■«'. "o^hTwevef !" ■"'*"' '" ^"^ » d'Vrity in consequence ^r '""""S:l'ee„ divided to" to « he" pa e, of 7""' "'"'"' P™P-- »Te healthy ^1" """"*'' ''"'' "«'« present laws^^^f Vi.?"^"""? "" "='=»•"" "f "-e «"^o„es„„;:„I:^';:7''.<=h do not permit -'^;;-":ee.c,r:;;-rth:r-'^^ fhe principal planters i„ V '• • nearly every th,„„ Z Virginia have -'»«el Z '""^ J"^ "» --t on their own '»", shoemrkerf c ! '" "" ^"""^ t«V- -hoelwril, T:;"P™'"'' """hs. turnerl, 6""» weavers, tanners A^ i i w patterns of excellent ^ ""a^o ■""de in the counlv f """ ""'"'*'' ^'°"'- -keen. 0^:*;::;:^' :''-"' ^ood 148 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : wliicli nankeen is made is of a particular kind, naturally of a yellowish colour. The large estates are managed by stewards and overseers, the proprietors just airmsing- themselves with seeing what is going forward. The work is done wholly by slaves, whose num- bers are in this part of the country more than double thai of white persons. The slaves on 4he large plantations arc in general very well provided for, and treated with mildness. During three months, nearly, that I was in Virginia, hilt two or three instances of ill treatment to- wards them came under my observation. Theit* quarters, the name whereby their habitations arc called, are usually situated one or two hundred yards ftom the dwelling house, which gives the appearance of a village to the residence of every planter in Virginia; when the estate, however, is so large as to be divided into several farms, then separate quarters are attached to the house of the overseer on each farm. Adjoining their little habitations, the slaves commonly have small gardens and yards for poultry, which are all their own property ; they have ample time to attend to their own concerns, and their gardens are generally found well stocked, and their flocks of poultry numerous. Besides the food they raise for themselves, they are allowed liberal rations of salted pork and Indian corn. Many SLAVES. I JO «f their /ittlc huts are comfortablv furnished no «,ea„s so wretched as might be imagined They are forced to work certain hours in t,e' day ; but ,n return they are clothed, die.ed and odg;ed comforlably, and saved all a;.ietrabrut leUh"" 7 "'"' ""'"""S- Still h* let the cond.fon of a slave be made ever so comfortable, as 1„„^ ,, ,„ is consciou „ b i, ! hWrtyofa„„tber„.an,whobasiti':;:;: Pov^er to dispose of i,i„, according to the dictates of caprice; as long as be heafs ne„n around him talking of the'bles^ingronrrf and considers that he is ia a sHte of I , it. it nr.» *„ 1 "u a Slate ot bondage, -erw,,tforms,av::;esenVL:;;— Zitv to""""' "T " "'"'"'' ^•■'"- f- b- manity to weep at the sight, and to lament that situations, as to live reo-ardlew of d - ,• of^heir fellow creature^ ''' '"^'='"'«^ W..b respect to the policy of holding slave, '" ''"f '"""">■' <"' -count of the depravity of '-■•als wluch it necessarily occasio,', beLs "pon .t, so much has been already said br others, that it is needless here to mak anv comments on the subject. ^ 150 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : The number of the slaves increases most ra- pidly, so that there is scarcely any estate but what is overstocked. This is a circumstance complained of by every planter, as the main- tenance of more than are requisite for the cul- ture of the estate is attended with great ex- pence. Motives of humanity deter them from selling the poor creatures, or turning them adrift from the spot where they have been born and brought up, in the midst of friends and re- lations. W hat I have here said respecting the condi- tion and treatment of slaves, appertains, it must be remembered, to those only who are upon the large plantations in Virginia; the lot of such as are unfortunate enough to fall into the hands of the lower class of white people, and of hard task-masters in the towns, is very different. In the Carol in as and Georgia again, slavery presents itself in very different colours, from what it does jeven in its worst form in Virginia. I am told, that it is no vncomnnon thing there, to see gangs of ne- groes staked at a horse race, and to see these unfortunate beings bandied about from one set of drunken gamblers to another, for days to- gether. How much to be deprecated are the laws which suffer such abuses to exist ! yet theses are the laws enacted by people, who boast of their love of liberty and indepen- CULTIVATION. j|5| dence, and who presume to .ay, that it is iu the b easts of American, alone that the blessing, of freedom are held in j.,st estimation! ^ Tl.« Northern Neck, „ith the exception of ,ome te^ spot, only, U flat and sandv and abounds with nine anH „.j . " " I""e and cedar trees. Some parts of ,t are well cultivated, and a0Wd good crops; but these are so intennixed with ex- tensive tracts of wa,te land, worn out bv the culture of tobacco, and which are almost de sti- tu.e of verdure, that on the whole the country has the appearance of barrenness. This i. tl^ case wk-rever tobacco has b^„ made the princ,p»l object of cultivation It «not, however, «, much owing to the great share of nutriment which the tobacco pla„ requires that the land i. impoverished, as to the particular mode of cultivating it, which render, it necessary for people to be co„tin„aIW -alking between the plants, fiom tlie moment pant.seftexp„.ed to the burning „ysof£ ^' n all the sumpier, and bcc,m^s at the end of the season a h«d beaten pathway. A ruin- o«» system has prevailed also of working the -me piece of land year after year, till it^wa. "':"f '^"'r"'^'' = "'■'«'• *'"'^ '' "- left nlT e ted and a fresh piece of land was cleared Hat always produced good crops for one or two -sous; but this in iM„r„ was worn out, lid 152 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : afterwards left waste. Many of the planters are at length beginning to see the absurdity of wearing out their lands in this manner, and now raise only one crop of tobacco upon a piece of new land, then they sow wheat for two years, and afterwards (lover. They put on from twelve to fifteen hundred bushels of manure per acre at first, which is found to be sufficient both for the tobacco and wheat ; the latter is produced at the rate of about twenty bushels per acre. In some parts of Virginia, the lands left waste in this manner throw up, in a very short time, a spontaneous growth of pines and cedars ; in which case, being shaded from the powerful influence of the sun, they re- cover their former fertility at the end of fif- teen or twenty years ; but in other parts many years elapse before an} verdure appear* upon them. The trees springing up in this spontaneous manner, usually grow very close to each other; they attain the height of tit- teen or twenty feet, perhaps, in the same number of years ; there is, however, but very little sap in them, and in a short time after they are cut down they decay. Tobacco is raised and manufactured in tlic following manner : When the spring is so far advanced that every apprehension of the re- turn of frost is banished, a convenient spot of TOBACCO PLANTATIONS. 15^ ground Is chosen, iVom twenty to one hundred feet square, whereon tliej burn prodigious piles of wood, in order to destroy the weeds and insects. The warm ashes are then duff in with the earth, and the seed, which ,^ black, and remarkablj small, sown. The whole is next covered over with bushes, to prevent birds and flies, if possible, from s:ei- i^ng to it; but this, in general, proves very ineffectual ; for the plant scarcely appears above ground, when it is attacked by a lar^e black fly of the beetle kind, which destroys the leaves. Persons are repeatedly sent to pick oir these flies; but sometimes, notwith- standing all their attention, so much mischief li done, that very few plants are left alive As I passed through Virginia, I heard uni^ versal complaints of the depredations they had committed; the beds were almost wholly de- stroyed. As soon as the young plants are sufficiently grown, which is generally in the beginning of May, they are transplanted into fields, and set out in hillocks, at the distance of three or four ieet from each other. Here again they have other enemies to contend with; the roots are attacked by worms, and between the leaves and stem different flies deposit their eggs, to the infallible ruin of the plant, if not quickly removed ; it is absolutely necessary. 154 TRAVELS THROUGH MORTH AMERICA.' therefore, as I have said, for persons to be continually walking between the plants, in or- der to watch, and also to trim then: at the proper periods. The tops arc broken off' at a certain height ; and the suckers, which spring out between the leaves, are removed as soon as discovered. According also to the parti- cular kind of tobacco which the planter wishes to have, the lower, the middle, or the upper leaves are suffered to remain. The lower leaves grow the largest ; thej are also milder, and more inclined to a yellow colour than those growing towards the top of the plant. When arrived at maturity, which is ge- nerally about the month of August, the plants are cut down, pegs are driven into the stems, and they are hung up in large houses, built for the purpose, to dry. If the weather is not favourable for drying the leaves, fires are then lighted, and the smoke is suffered to circulate between the plants; this is also sometimes done, to give the leaves a browner colour than what they have naturally. After this they are tied up in bundles of six or seven leaves each, and throw n in heaps to sweat ; then thej are again dried. When sufficiently cured, the buMdles are packed, by means of presses, in hogsheads capable of containing eight hun- dred or one thousand pounds weight. The planters send the tobacco thus packed to TOBlrCO TAREIIOUSFS. ll',5 11.0 nearest shipping town, where, before ex- p«rfaf,on,t is examined b^.„ inspector ap- l-on,.ed for .he purpose, who givL . certl i.cate to warrant tlie shipping of it, if it i, sound and n,erehantuble, if „ot, he sends it hack to the owner. Some of the warehouse, to which the tobacco is sent for inspection are very extensive ; and skilful merchauU can accurately tell the quality „f the tobacco from knowing the warehouse at which it has been inspected,' Where the roads are good and dry, tobacco is sent to the warehouses in a singular manner : Two large pius of wood are driven into either end of the hogshead by way of axles ; a pair of shaft,, made for the purpose, are attached to these, and the hogshead is thus drawn along by one or two horses; when this is done, great care is taken to have the hoops very strong. Tobacco is not near so much cultivated now as It was formerly, the great demand for wheat having induced most of the planters to raise * By the l„v. of America, „„ pr «"L» -"HROUCH NORTH AMERICA : that g;raing to a jMevailing, though absmd opinion, tiiat wooden houses aro the htialthiest, because the inside walls never appear damp, like those of brick and stone, in rainy weather. In front of every house is a porch or pent-house, commonly extending the whole length of the building; very often there is one also in the rear, and sometimes all round. These porches afford an agreeable shade from the sun during sununer. The hall, or saloon as it is called, is always a favourite apartment, during the hot weather, in a Virginian house,' on account of the draught of air through it, and it is usually furnished similar to a parlour, with sofas, &c. The common people in the lowci parts of Virginia have very sallow complexions, owing to the burning rays of the sun in summer, and the bili ,, complaints to which they are subject in tb-^ . V f Urn year. The women are far from be^h .; c 'aiely, aid the dresses. w ^vln•c]l tbcy wear out of doors to guard them liom the HUB, make them appear stii! more ugly than nature has formed them. There is a kn,d of bonnet very commonly worn, which in particular, disfigures them amazingly « it is made with a eaul, fitting eloee on the back part of the head, and . front stiffened with small pieces of c ane which projects nearly two feet from the head i,. a horizontal direction. lo luoL at a person at one side, it is neces«iry for a woman, wearing a bonnet of this kind to turn her whole body round. In the upper parts of the country, toward* the mountains, the women are totally different havjng a healthy comely appearance. ^■'i- ' « J 158 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : LETTER Xir. Town of Tappahannock.—RappahannocJc Ri- ver. — Sharks found ill it. — Country border- ing upon XJrhanna.— Fires common in the Woods.— Manner of stopping their dreadful Frogress.—Mode of getting Turpentine from Tiees.— Gloucester.-— York Town.— Remains of the Fonifications erected here during the American war.—Houses shcatcred h\j Balls nm remaining.— Cave in the Bank of the Ri- ver.—Williamsburgh.— State House in Ruins. —Statue of Lord Bottetourt.— College of Wil- liam and Mary.—Conditioh of the Students, Williamsburgh, April. SINCE I last wrote^ the greater part of my time lias been spent at the houses of dif- ferent gentlemen in the Northern Neck. Four dajs ago I crossed the Rappahannock River, which bounds the Northern Neck on one side, tp a small town called Tappa- ^annock, or Hobb's Hole, containing about one hundred houses. Before the war, this town was in a much more flourishing state than at present ; that unfortunate contest ruin- ed the trade of this little place, as it did that of most of the sea-port towns in Virginia. The Rappahannock is about three quarters of merica: SNIPES. 15<> a mile wide opposite the town, which is se- ventv miles above its mouth. Sharks are very often seen in this river. What is very remark- able, the fish are all found on the side of the river next to the town. From Tappahannock to Urbanna, another small tovvn on the Rappahannock River, si- tuated about twentj-five miles lower down, the country wears but a poor aspect. The road, which is level and very sandy, runs through woods for miles together. The habitahons that are seen from it are but few and they are of the poorest description. The woods chiefly consist of black oak, pine, and cedar trees, .vhich grow on land of the worst quality only. On this road there are many creeks to be crossed, which empty themselves into the Ran- pahannock River; in the neighbourhood of vvhich there are extensive mar lies, that ren- der the adjacent country, as mav be suppose'^ very unhealthy. Such a quantity of snipes' are seen in these marshes continually, that it would be hardly possible to tire a -un, in a ho- rizontal direction, and uot kill many at one ihot. As I passed through this part of the country I observed many traces of fires in the woods' ^hich are frequent, it seem., in the spring of the year. They usually proceed from the 160 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA I neg'lig'ence of people who are burning brush- wood to clear the lands; and considering how often they happen, it is wonderful that they are not attended with more serious conse- quences than commonly follow. I was a wit- ness myself to one of these fires, that hap- pened in the Northern Neck. The day had been remarkably serene, and appearing fa- vourable for the purpose, large quantities of brushwood had been fired at different places ; in the afternoon, however, it became sultry, and streams of hot air were |>erccptible, now and then, the usual tokens of a gust. About live o'clock, the horizon towards the north became dark, and a terrible whirlwind arose. I was standing with some gentlemen on ar» eminence at the time, and perceived it gra- dually advancing. It carried with it a cloud of dust, dried leaves, and pieces of rotten wood, and in many places, as it came along, it levelled the fence rails, and unroofed the sheds for the cattle. ^Ve made every endeavour, but in vain, to gel to a place of shelter; in the course of two minutes the whirlwind overtook us ; the shock was violent ; it was hardly possible to stand, and difficult to breathe; the whirlwind passed over in about three minutes, but a storm, accompanied by lieavy thunder and lightning, succeeded, which lasted for more than half an hour. On look- U passed, a prodigious column of fire now an, peared ,„ a part of the wood wheresol brushwood had been burniog,. in^J.^Z, It was a tremendous;::;:;, flf;!^:; .ubhme «ght.. The negroes on the surlnd Z pU«tat.„„. were all assembled with their hoef T^ot pLT"*""' ''"""'' "-»- general io one p,a„tat,on a spark was carried by the wndmorethanhalf an,iIe,.happiK. how ever, a torrent of rain in a short timeairwrrd," came p„u„„g down, and enabled the plol to e..n,, he flames in ever, quart r'' che?"th'"'"'.'"""''«'=^'-''«-.. Check they sometimes increase to a most wes'iap ?:: If ' r -^^ -^ ™^^ brisk n.! ^ . ''"'^ '''•^' and the wind it' ""'"^^■''''^'''''"'.^^-t the .-testdepe„deSg,rr;t?h"" -ured me the, have f:u„d itaufffi /^T .t times, to get out „f the reac hof „ thoughmountedongoodhorses '"'""-""■' rj'""'"— "-f'toppin^a,. M 162 TRATELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA t of this kind, which makes such a rapid pro- gress along the ground. A number of other fires are kindled at some distance a-head of that which they wish to extinguish, so as to form a line across the course, which, from the direction of the wind, it is likelj to take. These are carefully watched by a sufficient number of men furnished with hoes and rakes, and they are prevented from spreading, except on that side which is towards the large fire, a matter easily accomplished when attended to in the beginning. Thus the fifes in a few minutes meet, and of consequence tlicy must cease, as there is nothing left to feed thetn, the grass and leaves being burnt on all sides. In general there is but very little brushwood in the woods of America, so that these fires chiefly run along the ground ; the trees, how- ever, are often scorched, but it is very rare for any of thorn to be entirely consumed. The country between l^baiuia and Glou- cester, a town situated upon York River, u neither so sandy nor so flat as that bordering- upon the Rappahannot k, The trees, chielW pines, arc of a very large size, and aftbrd abundance of turpentine, which is extracted from them in great quantities by the inha- bitants, principally, however, fur home con- sumption. The turpentine is got by cut- linjj a lar^re gash iu the tree, and sttling a etOUCESTER AND VORK.' IQ^ ifou^ underneath to receive ih^ m • views are very nleasi'no. I7 *^ which afford e,cel,e„t.ea. <:.:.:£ "'"'"' Woucester contains only ten rr * t Jour fathom and a half of natet The town of York comi* of about seventy Jouse, an episcopalian church, and a^r t was before the war, and it does not aprear e^ soon to recover its former flonX; «^ate. Great quantities of tobacco were for- merly inspected here; very little, ho^e'er L nowra,sed in the neighbourhood, the pel, having got .nto a habit of cultivating wbeTt in P eference The little that is set for in ,1" ■on, .s reckoned tobe of the very best qui! .nd.s all engaged for the London market. ' >Tk ,. remarkable ftr having been th. M 2 164 TRAVEL? THROUGH ISOMtl AWtRICA! place where Lord Cornwallis surrendered hi* army to the combined forces of the Ameri- cans and French. A few of the redoubts, which were erected by each army, are still re- maining, but the principal fortifications are almost quite obliterated ; the plough has passed over some of them, and groves of pine trees sprung up about others, though, during the siege, every tree near the town was destroyed. I'he first and second parallels can just be traced, when pointed out by a person ac- quainted with them in a more perfect state. In the town the houses bear evident marks of the iiege ; and the inhabitants will not, on any account, suffer the holes perforated by the cannon balls to be repaired on the outside. There is one house in particular, which stands in the skirt of the town, that is in a most ihattered condition. It was the habitation of a Mr. Neilson, a secretary under the regal government, and was made the head quarter! of Lord Cornwallis when he first came to the town ; but it stood so much exposed, and afforded so good a mark to the enemy, that he was soon forced to quit it. Neilson, how- ever, it seem§, was determined to stay tliere till the last, and absolutely remained till hi« jj^egro servant, the only person that would live with him iti such a house^ had his brains dashed #ut by a cannon shot while he stood by hu »Me ; he then thought it ,i„^,„^^ >t had been head quarter. The t2 li one corne. a large piece of the wall is torn M J wuciiui as the old secretary. Therp. a^trenche^ thrown up round it, and on :;:j tt f:rn::r t"" xrt ""^ *^^ ■'""^ cu near it. Till withm a year or fwn tfteJNew England men that traded to York findrngthe^wouldsellwellasoldiron dug them np a carried then, away in their.Wp/ The banks of the river, where the town .tand,, .re high and inaceessible, e.ceptin!.^ huts and storehouses merely stand at the bot! tcribi rih" "r ""•* =" ^o ""■"«. PU lof h/n '""'"'' " ''"'■"^ been the place of head-quarters during the siege, after *h cannonade of the enemybeca.ne , aru, ';' 7-"V' -rformed'and hung wUh green ba,ze for a lady, either the wife „r frti t Ift . """'"^ '" *'"^ 'o^"' ''"<' died of fr'ght after her removal down to the cave fwelve mdes from York, to the westward 166 TRATELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA: stands Williamsburgh, fornierlj' the seat of go- vernment in Virginia. Richmond was fixed upon during the war as a more secure place, being farther removed from the sea coast, and not so much exposed to depredations if an ene- my were to land unexpectedly. Richmond also had the advantage of being situated at the head of a navigable river, and was therefore likely to increase to a size which the other never could attain. It is wonderful, indeed, what could have induced people to fix upon the spot where Williamsburgh stands for a town; in the middle of a plain, and one mile and a half removed from any navigable stream, when there v/ere so many noble rivers in the neigh- tourhood. The town consists of one principal street, and two others which run parallel to it. At one end of the main street stands the college, and at the other end the old capitol or state- koL se, a capacious building of brick, now criMiiLling to pieces from negligence. The houses around it are mostly uninhabited, anu present a melancholy picture, In the hall of the capitol stands a maimed statue of Lord Bot(etourt, one of the regal governors of Vir- ginia, erected at the public expence, in me- mory of his lordship's equitable and popular afi ministration. During the war, when pariy rage n^ as at its highest pitch, and every thin WILLAHSBUKaH COMEBE. 107 pertaining to royalty obi,oxious, Ihc lead «nd one ana of tl.e .tatue were knocked olT; it now remains quite exposed, and is more and more defaced every day. WI.etl.cr tl.e motto. Sesm-go re,c favme.- inscribed under the ";'°f ."'"'' "'•''»• did not help to bring upon .t It, present fate, I cannot pretend t: •y ; a, ,t .s, .t certainly remains a monument Wica """"*'"" "*■ ™»»'"-^l'i'»l power in The college of William and Mary, as it is mam street; ,t is a heavy pile, which bears asMr, Jefferson. I think, says. ^. a verv close resemblance to a large brick kiln, excepti,,. that a has a roof The students were about •■rty H, number when I was (l,«e; from "le.r appearaiH^e one would imagine that the «=rainary ought rather to be termed a gram- -r school than a college; yet I understand 8 it tuU of young boys just learning the ru- d ments ot Greek and Latin, a c.rcums.aucc wluch consequently deterred others more "d! v.M,ced from going there, dropped the pro- lessorships for thesp tw/^ i 1,1,- 1 1 „ languages, and cs»a- U.»hcd others xn their place, Tae protes- '^^Inps, as they now stand, are for law n.e- fcme, natural and moral philsophy, „,a,he- "'atics, and modern languages. The bishop i 168 TRAVELS tnltOUGn MORf It AMERIC)!.' of Virginia is president of the eollege, and lias apartments in the buildings. Halfado-* 2en or more of the students, the eldest about twelve years old, dined at his table one day that I was there ; some were without shoes or stockings, others without coats. During dinner they constantly rose to help themselves at the sideboard. A couple of dishes of salted meat, and some oyster soup, formed the whole of the dinner. I only mention this, as it may convey some little idea of American colleges and American dignitaries. The episcopali£^n church, the only one in the place, stands in the middle of the main street ; it is much out of repair. On either side of it, is an extensive green, surrounded with neat looking houses, which bring to mind an English village. The town contains about twelve hundred inhabitants, and the society in it is thought to be more extensive and more genteel at the iame time than what is to be met with in any other place of its size in America. No manufactures are carried on here, and scarcely any trade. There is an hospital here for lunatics, but it does not appear to be well regulated. ( \m y LETTER XIII. Hampton. -Ferrs, to Norfolk. -. Dan-erin crossing the numerous Paries in Virginia 1 Nor.m.-La«,s of nrginta usurious to the Tradtng ,.terest. -Streets narrm. mid dUtu in Norfol}c.-Yellcnv Fever there. -Ohserva- tions on this disorder. -noUnt Party Spirit amongst the Inhabitants.-Peu, Churches in nrginia^ - Several in Ruins. - Prft,«te Grave Yards. Norfolk, AprU. PROM Winiam.burgh to Hampt,„ the country „ fl.t and uninteresting. Hamp- ton .g a small town situated at the head of • bay. near the mouth of James River, which contam. about thirty houses and an episcop^ l.an church. A few sea boats are annually budt here; and corn and lumber are exported annually to the value of about forty-two thou- sand doll„s. It is a dirty disagreeable place, always infested by a shocking stench from a muddy shore when the tide is out From this town there is a regular 'nry to Norfolk, across Hampton roads, eighteen mile, ever. I was forced to leave my horses here 170 TRATELS TMBOUGH NORTH AMERICA! behind me for several days, as all the flats belonging to the placeliad been sent up a creek some miles for staves, &c. and they had no other method of getting horses into the ferry boats, which were too large to come close into »hore, excepting by carrying them out in these flats, an4 then making them leap on board. It is a most irksome piece of business to cross the ferries in Virginia; there is not one in nix •where the boats are good and well manned^ and it is necessary to employ great circum- spection in order to guard against accidents, which are but too conin^on. As I passed along I heard of numberless recent instances of horses being drowned, killed, and having their legs broken, by getting in and out of the boats.f Norfolk stands nearly at the mouth of the eastern branch of Elizabeth River, the most southern of those which empty themselves into the Chesapeak Bay. li is the largest commer- cial town in Virginia, and carries on a flou- rishing trade to the West Indies. The exports consist principally of tobacco, flour, and corn, and various kinds of lumber; of the latter it derives an inexhaustible supply from the Dis- mal Swamp, immediately in the neighbour^ hood. Norfolk would be a place of much greater trade than it is at present, were it not for the impolicy of some laws which have existed iH NaRfOtl. J»7| th« ,Ut, of Virginia. Oie „f ,he« !.„,, ,„ Jnj..r,„u. to commerce, ,vas pa.«.d during the ^ar n> tl,i. lav, itwa, enacted, that .11 mer- chants and planter, in Virginia, who owed mo- nc^ to Br.t»h »,erchant,, should be exonerated from thcr debts, if they paid the money d„. .nto the public treasury instead of .ending it to Great Bntain .• and all su.h as stood indebted we ,„v.ted to come forward, and give their money .„ this manner towards the support of the contest in which America was then .„. gaged. The treasury at first did not become much richer ,n consequence of this law ; for the Vir- g".mn debtor, individually, could gain nothing. by paying the money that he owed into the treasury, as he had to pay the full ™m which was due to the British merchant : on the con- trary, he might lose considerably ; his credit would be ruined in the eye, of the British merchant by such a measure, and it would be a great impediment to the renewal of a com- mercial intercourse between them after the conclusion of the war. However, when the continental paper mo- ney became ,o much depreciated, that one hundred paper dollar, were not worth one in •liver, many of the people, who stood deeply indebted to the merchani, in Great Britain, Kegan to look upo, the measure in a different I 172 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA T point of view ; they now saw a positive ad- vantage in ; aying their debts into the treasury in these paper dollars, whieh were a legal tenr der; accordingly they did so, and in conse- 4}uence were exonerated of their debts by the laws of their country, though in reality they had not paid more than one hundreth part of them. In vain did the British merchant 8U«i for his money when hostilities were terminat- ed ; he could obtain no redress in any court of justice in Virginia. Thus juggled out of his property, he naturally became distrustful of the Virginians ; he refused to trade with then? on the same terras as with the people of the other states, and the Virginians have consequently reaped the fruits of their very dishonourable conduct *. Another law, baneful in the highest degree to the trading interest, is one which render* all landed property inviolable. Thi? law has induced numbers to run into debt ; find as long as it exists, foreigners will be cautious of giving credit to a large amount to men who, if they chuse to purchase a tract of land with the goods or money entrusted to their care, may sit down * In February 1796, this nefarious business was at last brought before the supreme court of the United States in Philadelphia, by the agenls of the British merchants , and the decisions of the judges were such as redounded to their honour j for they declared that these debts should all |a» f aid over ajain, bona fide, to the British merchant. IMPOLITIC tATTS. 175 npm it securely, out of the reach of all their creditors, under protection of the laws of the country. Owing to this law they have not yet been enabled to get a bank established in Nor- folk, though it would be of the utmost im- portance to the traders. The directors of tht bank of the United States have always per- emptonly refused to let a branch of it be fixed m any part of Virginia whilst this law remains In Boston, New York, Baltimore, Charleston,' &c. there are branches of the bank of the United States, besides other banks, established under the sanction of the state legislature. Repeated attempts have been made in the ttates assembly to get this last mentioned law repealed, but they have all proved ineffectual. Ihe debates have been very warm on the bu- •mess ; and the names of the majority, who voted for the continuation of it, have been pub- lished, to expose them if possible to infamy • but so many have sheltered tliemselves under Its sanction, and so many still find an interest m Its contmuance, that it is not likely to be speedily repealed. The houses in Norfolk are about five hun- dred in number ; by far the greater part of ^em arc of wood, and but meanly built These have all been erected since the year 17/6; when the town was totally destroyed b/ fire, by the order of Lord Dunmore, then 10 / l74 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA J regal governor of Virginia. The losses sus- tained on that occasion were estimated at 300,000/. sterling. Towards the harbour the streets are narrow and irregular; in the other pai*ts of the town they are tolerably wide; none of them are paved, and all are filthy ; indeed, in the hot months of summer, the stench that proceeds from some of them is horrid. That people can be thus inatten- tive to cleanliness, wliich is so conducive to health, and in a town where a sixth part of the people died in one year of a pestilential disorder, is most wonderful ! ! * * The yellow fever, which haii committed such dreadful ravages of late years in America, is certainly to be consi- dered as a sort of plague. It first appeared at Philadelphia in the year 1793; in 1794 it appeared at Baltimore j in 1795, at New York and Norfolk ; and in 1796, though the matter was huahed up as much as possible, in order to prevent an alarm,, similar to that which had injured the city »o much the preceding year, yet in New York a far greater number of deaths than usual were heard of during the sv^rr.mer and autumn, strongly supposed to have been oc- casioned by the same malignant disorder. The accounts given of the calamitous consequences atten* dant upon it, in these different places, are all much alike, and nearly similar to those given of the plague :— I'he peo- ple dying suddenly, and uuder the most shocking circum- stances—such as were well, flying away—the sick aban- doned, and , erishing for want of common necessaries — the dead buried in heaps together without any ceremony charity at an end— the tics of friendship and consanguinity disregarded by many— others, on tlic coulrarj-, nobly cdnv uig VELLOW FEVER. -jiyg Amongst the inhabitants arc g«at „„mW. ofScotch and French. The latter are almost m 'h«r power to relieve their feJlow citizen., and avert th, general woe.-At Philadelphia, in the spaee of abr^r^ ^on h. no ,e. than four tho.«a„d inhabitant, we^ ^^^ off by ,h« dreadful n,alady, a number, at that time -o„».„^ to about one tenth of the ,.h„,a. a tin^ ™i New York did not .utfer so severely , but .t^oZ whtch .s computed to contain about three thou^tud^^ ' no les, than five hundred fell victim, to i, ^^ ' The d„order ha, been treated very ditferently bydifeent Phy^ lan,, and as son,e few have survived under each" y" T ti:r, L^" '*^' ™ ^»-^' - '- y- bee:td: : * « told, however, by several people in Norfolk who resided in the mo.t sickly part of the town durillj «ho.e t,methefever ,as.„,, ttaasa prcventativetned 1 : . ongmcrcun»l purge was ve,y generally administered 1;,! ^erwards Pernvian bnrk , and that few of tho.« JtZ taken th,s medicine were attacked by the fever aT Lw .ver ttat can be done by medicine to'stopthe p grf „t tie" ^»rder, when it ha, broke out in a town, Lm ^b? ^ no very gr..« effect, for a, longas the e.ces ive ho we-uher ^ci :,"m'"^"', ""' "'^=""'-'' ^-pp-" on r:; proach ol cold weather. AVith reo-ard tn if • • , ^^ve.ee„ various opinion,, son^'Cc eS' t, a".': r;:rrer:7.^"^"'-^''--"---^^^ . ' , ' "'•" ■• ™^ SMeratcl in the countrv The e 0,„„, „,„ ,^^„ ,^,^ ^,_^^^^_^^_ _^^ ^ ry the,ne., on by medical tnen. who resi.lcd at the dilteren. place, where the tVver has appeared. There are a few „ '.tal, to th„,k that the lever has been generated on tte W,ca„ continent. In .be hrst place, the fever has alw y" ".oken out n, those parts of tov.ns which were ,„„st cl,„ei; buijr Its TRifSLS ra»OVBH VetLtn AMERICA ! entirely from the West Indies^ and principally from St. Domingo. Jn such prodigious num- bers did they flock over after the British forcei had got footing in the French islands, that be- tween two and tliree thousand were in Norfolk at one time ; most of them, however, after- tvards dispersed themselves throughout dif- ferent parts of the country ; thdsef who staid* in the town opened little shops of different kinds, and amongst them I found many who had been in affluent circumstances before they were driven from their homes. A strong parly spirit has always been pre- valent amongst the Ainerican inhabitants of this tovv n ; so much so, that a few years ago, built, and whe«-e the streets havo been suffered through negligence to remain foul and nasty j in the second place, it lias regulaily broken out during the hottest time of the year, in the month of July and August, when the air on the American coast is for tlie most part stagnant and sultry, and when vegetable and animal matter becomes putrid in an incredible short space of time; thirdly, numbers of people died of the disorder in New York, in the year J 796, notwithstanding that every West Indian vessel which en- tered tlie port tiiat season was examined by tl»e health of- ficer, a regular bred physician, and that every one suspect- ed was obliged to perform quarantine. The people in New York are so fully persuaded that the fever originates in America from putrid matter, that they have stopped up one or two docks, which were receptacles for the filth of the neighbourjiood, and which contaminated the air whers the tide was out. CRAVE VARDS. }*» vircn some English and French vMseb of » ^ere I vino- ;„ u^^ ^ vessels ot war '"PaidbytheneoT '"'•y '""e regard deed th, „ . "^ ' '" ^'"*''''' t» Sunday I„. '■-'''i-Sintodecav'r i a. r ''"''" observed any one'th,, ' ''""«' ' «<="«^ely f"-8» and cattle vvan^lr'.tf "'"=-'*»«'•« )et many of these «ere not „!? *""•* '" churches in Vh^iJ ? "P""'- ^he •owns, stand ft, :" t ' ' '"':''""^ ™'='' »» "« « «-t any person a ritLTr' ''''''''" ^'"allest attention to them'' *" "'^ ^"^ A custom prevail, in j^ J... ^ •"'"duals holding grave v.^s Ik"* '"- «d ..pon as a very hLaUve kiti T "" '""''- 17S TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA .' owners receiving considerable fees annually for giving permission to people - "'•h grass, upon which cattle fed tri "''^' ""d'ty, a„d become fat i„ a vcr ' o ^'^' »t time; the cauc. i„deed 2/.'""'' «t the Swamp d„vo all their cattle into it feed ; care h„weve.i. taken ,ot,^!„ 2" tome back rcaularlv t,. .)> / "' ** '>.vthemscive.;„t,i t:::rr"'^''* J'ble.o find the.„. This i, ^^^^^V?"' ."g ...to the .van,, „ith th ! ^ t";"- fevv weeks the, are sent thither t; fl three o d milch cnv^, *"' *"'» or " '""<" cows accustomed t<. d.. i round whose neck are fi,.* ^ P'*''^' The cows come hac? "^ ""='" ''«='»• .-'i^ed ; the r^X:::^*^''^^ '•'''« '■""owin^j U.e noise of he b Js f, t'' *'"^''' f * w »a%'or some- 180 TRAVELS THRODGII NORTH AMERICA' thin^ of which they are equally fond, is gitcri to each &> an inducement for them to return again. In a short time the cattle become fa- miliar with the place, and having been accus- tomed from the first day to return, they regu- larly walk to the farms every evening. In the interior parts of the Swamp largo herds of wild cattle are found, most probably originally lost on being turned in to feed. Bears, wolves, deer, and other v»'ild indigenous animals, are also met with there. Stories are common in the neighbourhood of wild men having been found in it, who were lost, it h supposed, in the Swamp when children. The Swamp varies very much in different parts ; in some, the surface of it is quite dry, and firm enough to bear a horse ; in others it is overflowed with water ; and elsewhere so miry that a man would sink up to his neck if he attempted to walk upon it ; in the driest part, if a trench is cut only a few feet deep, the 'water gushes in, and it is filled imme- diately. Where the canal to connect the water of Albemarle Sound with Norfolk is cuti the water in many places flows in fiom, the sideSj at the depth of three feet from the surface, in large streams, without intermis- sion; in its colour it exactly resembles braady, which is supposed to be occasitmed i)y the roots of the juniper trees ; it is perfectly clear nowever, and bv nA ^ jxe 111 'li« neigUbourJiood, who iWi-t •. . wholraoiue, prefer it .„, fu '''''* '*''•'• there i. soi^eLw Z"? '•""^- "C^-rir tare of this S.^l 'f^ 2""""? ^ ""^"'^ o" the .order. „;^:r::^/rf'^^"P- »gue, or bilious eomokini, ^ * «- with tho.eeXttw "*::!''''' *'^' of other ,w.™p. aud ir i n?L;"'r* •he a.edicin.1 q„Uit, of tL Ut^ I '^ -hich keeps the,ai/be.terb.:S;r^^^^^^ "«. Where there m a etonstaau demaid 'or shiagK stav.s„..&c. Ar e,iB*t.tio7rd gn it will, ko enhance it. Value, as ^^ien ■t » completed, lumber can ,bea be reldH^ «ent from the remotest parta m' ^ .outhern parts of it, wherl.,? """" ::~'r ' for-th:!:^,:^ -- in hm «^4i,- , '»urrace, there seems to b. nothing but roots and fibre, of dift^r- :;',;"'': ™'^<^ -*•• -hitish sand, j:;- «o«M «ot answer for the purpose, as rir. Id^ TRAVELS Til ROU^^U' NORTH AMERICA! i8^i»e*a vcfeyrich soiJr The tree9> howcTen thatgrow upon it, are-a most profitable crop, %nA instiead'of cutting (hem all down prornis duously, as totnfrionlj is dope, they-only fell 9uch as have attained a large size, by which means they ha,ve a contimied' succession for the maniifactitre of those articles I mentionod. Eighty thoisand acres of the Swamp are tht property of a company incorporated under the titleof " The^ Dismal Swamp Company." Be- fore the war broke out a lai'ge number of ne- groes "was xMittantly erfiployed by the com- pany in cutting and manufadturing. staves, &c. add their affairs wef^goiiigi.an very prospe- rously ,' bistMithe time that.NoTfolk was burnt iliey lost aliitifeir negroes,, and very little has been done tey: them since.: iTbe jj umber ;:th at is now sent itoNorfolk^ is /taken principally off those parti of the swamp* which are prhflte property. . , v j r From tb^; Dismal swamp tOi Richmond, a distance of about one hundred and: forty miles, , along* the south, side of James; River, the coun- try isiifl4t and sandy, and for miles together entirely covered with pine 1 trees. In Nitnse- monde county, bordering (Oa^he Bwamp, ,tlje •oil is so poor that but very little com oi grain is raised ; it answers well however fM? peach orchards, which are found to be very profitable. From the peaches they toake ACrOMMODATIOIC, J^ fcrandy, and «hen properly matured it i, .o excellent liquor, a.,d much esteemed ; they «"-« U a very delicious flavour in this part ofthecounlry, by i„f,„i„g dried pear, in it. 8p.nt and v^ater is the universal beverage throughout Virginia. They also make confi- derab e quantities of tar and p.tch from the pme trees. For this purpose a sort of piH, ief: "rr*":''' ""'^ '"" ''''^'' ""^^ ^^ "•• the bottom ot the pit, from whence it is tata. cleared of the bits of charcoal that may he mixed wHh it, and put into barrels. iTie tar inspissated by boiling, makes pitch - ^ ' »..'^* "/•""■"odation Kt the taverns alonff this road I found most wretched ; nothing was to be had but rancid fish, fa, salt pork and bread made of Indian corn. For this iridiffer- ent fare also I had to wait oftentimes an hour .s tolerably good, but very few people can relish, on the first trial; it isacoaL'stron" kind of bread, which has something of thl tase of that made from oats. The test way «fprepari„g,ti, i„eakes; the large loavi m dl Tl"" "'""'' '"* """Sh in the middle. There is a dish also which thev make of Indian corn, very common in ViZ ginia and Maryland, called, " hominy " H *o„s»ts of pounded Jndian cor„ and beans 184 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : boiled together with milk till the whole ma%* becomes tirra. This is eat, either hoi or cold, -with b4Con» or with other meat. As for my horses, they were almost starved. Hay is scarcely ever made use of in this part of the country, but in place of it they feed their cattle upon fodder, that is, the leaves of the Indian corn pUnt, Not a bit of fodder, bowever, was to be had on the whole road from Norfolk to Richmond, excepting at two places ; and the season having boon remark* ably dry, tlie little grass that had sprung up had been eat down every where by the cattle in the country. Oats were not to be had on ftny terms; and Indian corn was so scarce, that J had frequently to send to one or two differ* cnt. houses before I could get even sufficient io give one feed each to my horses. The peo^ pie in the country endeavoured to account for this scarcity, from the badness of the harvest the preceding year ; but the fact, I ^lelieve, was, that corn for exportation having been in ^reat demand, and a most enormous price of- fered for it, the people li^d been tempted lo dispose of a great deal more than they coul4 well spara. Each person was eager to sell his own to such advantage, and depended upoij getting supplied by his neighbour, so that the^ were all reduc« d to want. Pctersburgh stands at the head of the na- UORflB RACING. laji vigaWe part of Appama.u, River, ,„d i. „^ <"''y P ace of con,,cq„™,.e «,„,|. „f j,„;^ I Lob Tr ^^'"^'' ■"■" '"" ^"^ •"""'• »eem o be tot ou the decline, and present . ".-rable and n.elanci.e,, appearance The hou«. jn Pe.er.b„rgh amount to abon, three »..."dred ; they are built without any rel lanty.Tha peoples ho inhabit them arfmoftU <-«n;,g„ers; ,e„ fa.nilie, „re „ot i„ ,, ^uM ■" the town that have been b„™ in it. A ve» flo"r«hu.g trade i, carried on in .hi, ,,J^ About t„„ thousand four hundred b„J.ead, ot tobacco are inspected annually at (he warehome,; and at the Falls of the App^! mate, R.ver, at the upper end of the tow^ ..e .o«,e of the best flour.,. ill, i„, be rt,,, "' Oicat crowds were assembled at thi. „|»,.. " I passed through, attracted to a by the horse race,, which take place r„nr „r five fmes ,„ the ,ear. Horse racin, is a favourite amusement nViririnia- »n,i V ■ • 7 »i(l, .»■ M • J M.^ ' "" '' " ^afied on with ,p,r,t ,„ different parts „ Ithc state. The best bred horse, which th,,v have are i,„p„S from i.„g,,„d;. but still s„n,e of those'raS at home are very good. They usually ruu for purses made up by subs, ript.on. The only particular circumstance i„ their mode of car- V'ug on their races iu Virginia is that they 1^6 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : alwajs run to the left; the horses are com- monly rode by negro hoys, some of whom are really good Jockeys. The horses in common use in Virginia are all of-a light description, chiefly adapted for the saddle ; some of them are handsome, but they are for the most part spoiled by the false gaits which they are taught. The Virginians are wretched horsemen, as indeed are all the Americans I ever met with, excepting, .some few in the neighbourhood of New York. They sit with their toes just under the horse's nose, their stirrups being left extremely long, and the saddle put about tiiree or four inches forward on the mane. As for the manage- ment of the reins, it is what they have no conception of. A trot is odious to them, and they express the utmost astonishment at a person who can like that uneasy gait, as they call it The favourite gaits which all their horses are taught, are a pace and a wrack. In the first, the animal moves his two feet on one side at the same tinie, and gets on with a sort of shuffling motion, being unable to spring from the ground on these two feet as in a trot. We should call this an unnatural gait, as none of our horses would ever move in that manner without a rider ; but the Ame- ricans insist upon it that it is otherwise, be- cause many of their foals pace as soon as bom. RICHMOND. jg*. These kind of horses are called " natural. cuTvT' ""i " '' '' '"*"" "'"'^ """o»S Zt'luld """'"'"' """^'""'^ ''"""rod: that would pace without being taught I., fee , and trots with those behind. This iJl «"" ei-ll^ devoid of grace with the oh r :"^<='5"f^-««™yto„ature;itis,e;;: %u.ng also to the horse : but the V,r/„ia„ The people in this part of the country, b„r. dermg upon James River, are extremef fond Pf an entertainment which thev call a bar gether either under some trees, or in a house . peCr '*"''"""' P'« --♦•^'^ '"" a .pen au, on a sort of hurdle, over a slow fire- th., however, .s an entertainment chiefl; Richmond, the capital of Virginia, is situat edunn.d.atel,below,heFallsofJamesE on the north side. The river opposite to the ITfJ? """"" "' '"» ''"'Ige'. which are se- Pautcd by an Wand that lies nearly in the mil IftS TRATELS THROTTGn NORTH AMERICA ! die of the river. The bridge, leading from the south shore to the island, is built upon fifteei^ large flat-bottomed boats, keep stationary in the river by strong chains and anchors. The bows of them, which are very sharp, are put •gainst the stream, and fore and aft there is a strong beam, upon which the piers of the bridge fest. Between the island and the town, the water being shallower, the bridge is built upon piers formed of square casements of logs filled with stones. To this there is no railing, and the boards w ith which it is covered are so loose, that it is dangerous to ride a horse across it that is not accustomed to it. The bridges thrown across this river, opposite the town, have re- peatedly been canied away ; it is thought idle, therefore, to go to the expence of a better one than what exists at present. The strongest stone bridge could hardly resist the bodies of ice that are hurried down the Falls by the floods on the breaking up of a severe winter. Though the houses in Richmond are not more than seven hundred in number, yet they extend nearly one mile and a half along the banks of the river. The lower part of the town, according to the course of the river, is built close to the water, and opposite to it lies the shipping ; this is connected with the upper town by a long street, which runs parallel to the course of the river, about fif(y yards removn- Statehousi. Jgg f fr"!" 'he bank,. The .ituation of the uppe, own „ very pleading; it stands «„ an elev.L .pot, and commands a fine prospect of the Falls of the mer and of the adjacent country on the «pp»s.tes,de^ The best houses „a„d here, and also the cap,lol or statehouse. From the op- posite s.de of the river this building appear, extremely ^ell, a, its defects cannot be o .erved at that distance, bnt on a closer in- .pe^t.o„„ proves to be a clumsy ill shapen pile by M, . Jetterson, and had great merit ; but his ingenious countrymen thought thev could im- t^Td'r '";f *" '' P'-d what was in- tended for the atiic story, in the plan, at the bottom, and put the columns on the top of it In many other respects, likewise, the plan was -verted. Thisb„ildi„gisfi,,,hede„ti!elyJ™h red bnck ; even the coluums themselves are formed a. br.ck; but to make them appear like *tone, they have been partially whitened with common whitewash. The inside of the build- part. The priunpal room is for the hou,« of representatives; this is used also for divine .n the town. The vestibule i, circular, and very dark: It .s to be ornamented with a statue of General Washir, ton, executed by an emi- nent .rt,st in France, which arriud svlule | 190 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AStEitrCA t Was in the town. Ugly and ill contrived ai this building is, a stranger must not attempt to find fault with any part of it, for it is looked upon by the inhabitants as a most elegant fabric. The Falls in the river, or the Rapids, as they ihould be called, extend six miles above the city, in the course of which there is a descent of about eighty feet. The river is here full of large rocks, and the water rushes over them in some places with great impetuosity. A canal is completed at the north side of these Falls, which renders the navigation complete from Richmond to the Blue Mountains, and at particular times of the year, boats with light burthens can proceed still higher up. In the liver opposite the town, are no more than seven feet water, but ten miles lower down about twelve feet. Most of the vessels trading to Richmond unlade the greater part of their cargoes at this place into river craft, and then proceed up to the town. Trade is carried on here chiefly by foreigners, as the Virginians have but little inclination for it, and are too fond of amusement to pursue it with much success. Richmond contains about four thousand in- habitants, one half of whom are slaves. Amongst the freemen are numbers of lawyers, who, with the officers of the state government, and se- GAMBLING. |^| veral that live retired on their fortune*, reside in the upper town; the other partis inhabited principally by the traders. Perhaps in no place of the same size in the world IS there more gambling going forward than m Richmond. I had scarcely alighted irom my horse at the tavern, when the landlord came to ask what game I was most partial to as 111 such a room there wag a faro table ia another a hazard table, in a third a billiard table, to anyone of which he was ready to conduct me. Not the smallest secrecy is em. ployed m keeping these tables ; they are al- M^ays crowded with people, and the doors of the apartment are only shut to prevent the rab- ble from coming in. Indeed, throughout the lower part of the country in Virginia, and also m that part of Maryland next to it, there is scarcely a petty tavern without a billiard roam, and this is always full of a set of idle low-lived fellows, drinking spirit or playing cards, if not engaged at the table. Cock-fighting is also another favourite diversioi,. It is chieflv, how- ever, the lower class of people that partake of these amusements at the taverns; in private there is, perhaps, as little gambling in Virginia as in any other part of America. The circum- stance of having the taverns thus infested by such a set of people, renders travelling ex- tremely unpleasant. Many times I have been 10S TRAVELS TtmODGM NORTH AMERICA t forced to proceed much farther in a day thafi I have vrished, in order to avoid the scenes of rioting and quarrelling that I have met with at the taverns, which it is impossible to escape as long as you remain in the same house where Jliey are carried on, for every apartment is considered as common, and that room in which a stranger sits down is sure to be the most frequented. Whenever these people come to blows, they fight just like wild beasts, biting, kicking, and endeavouring to tear each other's eyes out with their nails. It is by no means uncommon to meet with those who have lo^t an eye in a combat, and there are men who pride them- selves upon the dexterity with which they can scoop one out. This is called gouging. To perform the horrid operation, the combatant twists his forefingers in the side locks of his adversary's hair, and then applies his thumbs to the bottom of the eye, to force it out of the socket. If ever there is a battle, in which neither of those engaged loses an eye, their faces are however generally cut in a shocking manner with the thumb-nails, in the many attempts which are made at gouging. But what is worse than all, these wretches in their combat endeavour to their utmost to tear out each other's testicles. Four or five instances came within my own observation, as I passed ( m ) more depSS * *'"*' ^'^^^ "« '*^n aid that m ,ome particular nart. „f *i. •tates, every third or fourth 1„ ^^'^ t-ne eje """ »PPe»" with 'C^i LETTER xvi; there Jpire ^^'■^""^'"-^mim ^ire lilies m fj^g rrr ^ tain nrrents do greatZiZ'"'"' «^% fere - i„?'f'"^ "-^ ^'•"P"'* VOL,""*"' '*' ^^-^ "/ ^r. • ■ 194 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : J^erson.— ^Vineyards. — Observations on the Culture of the Grojpe, and the Manufacture cfWine. JVIonticello, May. , irAVINO staid at Richmond somewliaft longer tluin a week, which I found absolutely necessary, if it had only been to recruit the strength of my horses, that had been half starved in coming from Norfolk, I proceeded in a north-westerly direction towards the South- west or Green Mountains. The country about Richmond is sandy, but not so much so, nor as flat as on the south side of James River towards the sea. It now wore a moat pleasing aspect. The first week in May had arrived ; the trees bad obtained a consi- derable part of thek foliage, and the air in the woods was perfumed vrith the fragrant wnell of numberless flowers and flowering shrubs, which sprang up on all tides. The mii»ic of the birds was also delightful. It is thought that in Virginia the singing birds are finer than what are to be met with on any other part of the continent, aa the climate is more ccngenial to them, being neither so intensely hot in sum- mer as that of the Carolinas, nor so cold in winter as that of the more northern states. The notes of the mocking bird or Virginian nightingale are in particular most md«dious» _ ''•ROINIAtJ BIBD«. rjg, with it!! ^ • ""'"' "<» ^'^ti'fied and the red bird Tit« ^ * • . "**^* >«t D^'ght blue ; Mrhen flyintr the nln™« appears to the sreatt^.t «H J 7 ^ ^'^ "'"' " " °f^ ^ermilioB colour, and '19$ TRAVELS THKOUOH NORTH AMERICA! liu a small tuft on itg head, A few hummin!^ birds make their appearance in summer, but their plumage is not so beautiful as those found more to the southward. Of the other common birds there are but few worth notiee. Doves and quails, or par- tridges as they are sometimes called, aflbrd good diversion for the sportsman. These last birds in tlieir habits are exactly similar to Eu- ropean partridges, excepting that they alight sometimes upon trees ; their size is that of the quail, but they are neither the same as the Eng- lish quail or the English partridge. It is the same with many other birds, at jays, robins, larks, pheasants, &c. which were called by the English settlers after the birds of the same name in England, because they bore some re- semblance to them, though in fact they are materially different. In the lower parts of V ir* ^inia, and to the southward, are great numberi of lai'ge birds, called turkey buzzards, which, when mounted aloft on the wing, look like eagles. In Carolina there is a law prohibiting the killing these birds, as they feed qpon putrid carcases, and therefore contribute to keep the air wholesome. There is only one bird more which I shall mention, the whipper* ■will, or whip-poor-will, as it is sometimes called, from the plaintive noise that it makes ; to my ear it sounded wyp-o-il. It begins to COIUMIU. JjJ7 »«le this „o;«,, which i, heard a great W.V ««, about du.k, and continue, it thfoSr greater part of the night. This bird i„! ver -.7, and ,0 few instances have oeCrLd If .*. being seen. n,uch less taken, that Tajy ha e .„ d the „„i,e does not proce^lToi a b d but from a frog, especially a, it is heard grouUr ' "■ "■" -S'-'^-ood of W « ned, make a most si„g„i„ „„; hem absolutely whistling, whilst „t ers cro^ -hether the sound proceeds from a calf or a by the no "r *''"" """ •""«» '»""ved Se c last T " """""'f •" " --O-- inese last frogs are called bull iioOT • ft., Where there is good water; their bodies are Wour to se.e„ inches long, and their C aie .n proportion; (hey are extremely activ! and take prodigious leaps. ' *' The first town I reached on going towards he mountains was Columbia, orloift ofXt a .t IS called in the neighbourhood. It t Uuated about .i,ty miles above Richmond .^t united form Jame« River. Thi« k a hoT^st/d""" "T- -»*»'-^'"'outVrt; "*•' ""•* » """'"ouse for th» i«.pectioo of lOS TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA: tobacco. Oit the neck of land between the two rivtrg, jmt opposite to the town, is the magazine of the state, in which are kept twelve thousand stand of arms, and about thirty tons of powder. The low hinds bordering upor Ihe river in this neighbourhood are ex- tremely saluable. Ff >ni Columbia to the Green Springs, about twenty miles farther on, the road runs almost wholly through a pine forest, and is very lonely. Night came on before I got to the end of it, and, as very commonly happens with travellers in this part of tlie world, I soon lost my way. A light, however, seen through the trees, seemed to indicate that a house was not far oft': my servant eagerly rode up to it, but the poor fellow's consternation was great indeed when he observed it moving from him, pre- sently coming back, and then with swiftness departing again into the woods. I was at a loss for a time myself to account for the ap- pearance, but after proceeding a little fu,rther, I observed the same sort of light in many other places, and dismounting from my horse to ex- amine a bush where one of these sparks ap- peared to have fallen, I found it proceeded from the fire fly. Aa the summer came on, these flies appeared every night : after a light shower in the aiternoon, I have seen the woods sparkling with them in every quarter. The OBEBN SrRINei. 199 light i. tmiUed from the t.il, and the ,n,„,al lias the power of emitting it or not at ple«„re. Alter wandering about till it wa. near eleven o'clock, a plantation at last appeared, .nd having; got frcd. inforn.atio„ respecting the road from the negroes in the quarter, who SenerMlj. sit up half the night, and over a fir* ■nail seasons, I again set out for the Oree« Spnns;,. With some difficulty I at last found (he way, and arrived there about mV.....;,t. Ihe hour wa, so unseasonable, that tl , ,„4l, f *"" ^'"""' «"« v«y unwilling to op-,, their doors ; and it was not till I had related tl hi». tory of my adventure, from the last stage two or three tunes that they could be prevailed "pon to let me in. At last a Uil fellow in h^ shirt came grumbling to the door, and told m. I m«ht come in if I would. I had now a par- ley for another quarter of a„ hour to persuade h-m to give me some corn for my horses, which hcw.,very„nwillingtodo,butatlasthe coniphod, though much against hi, inclina! ■on, and unlocked the stable door. Returning to tl. house, I was shewn into a room about ten feet square, m which were two filthy beds ~ng with bugs .-the ceiling had moul- dered away, and the wall, admitte,! %ht in various places.- it was a happy circumstance, I'owever, that these apertures were in the w all SOO X RAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : for the window of the apartment was insuf- ficient in itself to admit either light or fresh air. Her^ I would fain have got something to eat, if possible^ but not even so much as a piece of bread was to be had ; indeed, in this part of the country they seldom think of keeping bread ready made, but just prepare sufficient for the meal about half ^ij hour before it is wanted, and then serve it hot. Unable there- fore to procure any food, and fatigued with a long journey during a parching day, I threw myself down pn one of the beds in my clothes, and enjoyed a profound repose, notwithstand- ing the repeated onsets of the bugs and other vermin with which I was molested. Besides the tavern and the quarters of the slaves, there is but one more building at this place. This is a large farm house, where peo- ple that resort to the springs are accommodated with lodgings, about as good as those at the tavern. These habitations stand in the centre of a cleared spot of land of ^bout fifty acres, surrounded entirely with wood. The springs arc just on the margin of the wood, at the bottom of a slope, which begins at the houses, and are covered with a few boards, merely to keep the leaves from falling in. The waters are chalybeat ;, and are drank chiefly by per- sons from the low country, whose constitu-< SNAKES. gAi tons have been relaxed by the heat, of .um- Having breakfasted in the morning at thi, miserable little place, I proceeded o„l,j„ur- -ey »P this South-west Mountain. I„ the course <,f „,« j,,, ,.^^ j ^^^^^^^ ^ '^e number of snakes, which were now beginning to come forth from their holes. X killed I black one, that I found sleeping, stretched acros. the road ; ,t was five feet in length, Theblack «nake ,s more commonly met with than any other m lb,s part of America, and {.usually from four to six feet in length. I„ proportion to the length U .s extremely .lender ; the back « perfectly black, the belly lead colour, in- «lin>ng to white towards the throat The b.te of this snake is not p„is„„„„,, ^„j j,,^ HTu'u'!"^ '"""''y"' "<>« generally inclin- *'cefesarie3 of life upon very easy terms, they aid rather of an indolent ha- bit, and ijieltael ty disvsipation. Intoxication is very prevalcrt , and it is scarcely possible to meet with a man who does not begin the day with taking one., two, or more ditims, as soon as he rises. Brandy is the liquor which they principally use, and having the greatest abun- idance of peachesi they make it at a very trifling expence. There is hardly a house to be found with two rooms in it, but where the inhabitants have a still. The females do not fall into the habit of intoxication like the men, but in other respects they are equally dis- posed to pleasure, and their morals arc in like manner relaxed. Along these mountains live several ^ntle- tnen of large landed property, who farm their own estates, as in the lower parts of Virginia ; MONTICELia. ^ «mong the number is Mr. Jefferson », from V'hose seat I date this letter. His house is about three miles distant from Charlottesville ^nd two from Miltan, which is on the head WBta. of Rivanna Rirer. It is most singularly wtoated, being built upon the top of a small mountain, the apex of which has been cut off, so as to leave an area of about an acre and half! At present it is in an unfinished state ; but if earned on according to the plan laid down, it will be one of the most elegant private habita- tions in the United States. A large apartment w laid out for a library and museum, meant to extend tlie entire breadth of the house, the windows of which are to open into an exten- •ive green-house and aviary. In the centre is another very spacious apartment, of an octa- gon form, reaching from the front to the rear of the house, the large folding glass doors oif Which, at each end, open under a portico. An apartment like this, cAtending from front to back, is very common in a Virginian house; It IS called the saloon, and during summer is the one generally preferred by the family, oh ac- count of its being more airy and spacious than an>- other. The house commands a magnifi- cent prospect on one side, of the blue ridge of mountains for nearly forty miles, and on the * Vice-president of the United States. m 208 TRAYEtS tHROCfiH ICORTH AMERICA t opposite one> of the low country, in appear* ance like an extended heath covered with treesj the tops alone of which are visible. The mists and vapours arising from the low grounds give a continual variety to the scene. The moun- tain whereon the house stands is thickly wood-^ ed on one side, and walks are^ carried round it, with different degrees of obliquity, running into each other. On the south side is the gar- den and a large vineyard, that produces abuu" dance of fine fruit. Several attempts have been made in this neighbourhood to bring the manufacture of wine to perfection; none of them however have succeeded to the wish of the parties. A aei of gentlemen once went to the expence even of getting six Italians over for the purpose, but the vines which the Italians found growing here were diflferent, as well as the soil, from ^what they had been in the habit of cultivating^ and they were not much more successful in the business than the people of the country. We must not, however, from hence conclude that good wine can never be manufactured upon these mountains. It is well known that the vines, and the mode of cultivating them, vary as much in different parts of Europe as the soil ;a one counjtry differs from that in another. It will require some time, therefore, and dif- ferent qcperimentSj to ascertain the particular VINES. g0g kind of vine, and the mode of cultivating it best adapted to the ,oil of these n.ountfin,: Ihis. however, having been once ascertained, as L ,,.'''' *" "'« ereatest perfection, as the cl.n,ate .s as favourable for the pnrpos^ as that of any country in Europe. By experi- ments also it is hv n„ .v.. • ^ «*peri- ^rJ^ .V ^l> '^ ^' v: ^/ -iS r 'W PhotDgraphic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4503 ^ J"^. ^^J^ .* f/j V"o <». %^ %■ ^ t22 TRAVELS THnOUGH NORTH AMERICA t the hill was rent asunder, was drawn acroffH the fissure, from adhering closely to one side, and being loosened from its bed of earth at the opposite one. It seems as probable, I think, that the mass of stone forming the arch was thus forcibly plucked from one side, and drawn across the fissure, as that the hill should have remained disunited at this one spot from top to bottom, and that a passage should after-' wards have been forced through it by ^^ ater. The road leading to the bridge runs th' >ugh a thick wood, and up a hill ; having :.scended which, nearly at the top, you pause for a mo- ment at finding a sudden discontinuance of the trees at one side; but the amazement which fills the mind is great indeed, when on going a few paces towards the part which ap- pears thus open, you find yourself on the brink of a tremendous precipice. You in- voluntarily draw back, stare around, then again come forward to satisfy yourself that what you have seen is real, and not the illu- sions of fancy. You now perceive, that you are upon the top of the bridge ; to the very edge of which, on one side, you may approach with safety, and look down into the abyss, being protected from falling by a parapet of fixed rocks. The walls, as it were, of the bridge, at this side, are so perpendicular, that a person leaning over . ^ ^rapet of rock. ROCKBRIDGE. ^93 might let fall a plummet from th^ hand to the very bottom of the chasm. On tlie opposite side this IS not the case, nor is there any para- pet ; but from the edge of the road, which runs over the bridge, is a gradual slope to the brink of the chasm, upon which it is somewhat dan- gerous to venture. This slope is thickly cover- ed with large trees, principally cedars and pines. The opposite side was also well fur- nished with trees formerly, but all those which grew near the edge of the bridge have been cut down by different people, for the sake of seeing them tumble to the bottom. Before the trees were destroyed in this manner, you might have passed over the bridge without having had ^ny idea of being upon it ; for the breadth of It IS no less than eighty feet, the road runs nearly in the middle, and is frequented daily by waggons. At the distance of a few yards from the bridge, a narrow path appears, winding along the sides of the fissure, amidst immense rocks and trees, down to the bottom of the bridge. Here the stupendous arch appears in all its glory, and seems to touch the very skies. To behold it without rapture, indeed, is impossible ; and the more critically it is examined, the more beauti- ful and the more surprising does it appear. The licight of Uic bi idoe to the top of the parapet '■ri- 224 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA! is two hundred and thirteen feet by admea- surement with a line; the thickness of the arch forty feet; the span of the arch at top ninety feet; and the distance between the abutmertts at bottom fifty feet. The abut- ments consist of a solid mass of limestone on either side, and, together with the arch, seem as if they had been chiseled out by the hand of art. A small stream, called Cedar Creek, running at the bottom of the fissure, over beds of rocks, adds much to the beauty of the scene. The fissure takes a very sudden turn just above the bridge, according to the course of the stream, so that when you stand below, and look under the arch, the view is intercepted at thg distance of about fifty yards from the bridge. Mr. Jefferson's statement, in his notes, that the fissure continues straight, terminating with a pleasing view of the North Mountains, is quite erroneous. The sidejt of the chasm are thickly covered in every part with trees, excepting nrhere the huge rocks of limestone appear Besides this view from below, the bridge! s seen to very great advantage from a pinnacle of rocks, about fifty feet below the top of the fissure ; for here not only the arch is seen in all its beauty, but the spectator is impressed in the most forcible manner with ideas of its 11 maddison's cave. 225 crandeur. from being enabled at the same time to look down into the profound ffulph over ^vhich it passes. ^ About fifty miles to the northward of the Roek Bridge, and also behind the Blue Moun- tains, there is another very remarkable natural curiosity; this is a large cavern, known in the neighbourhood by the name of Maddison^s Cave It IS in the heart of a mountain, about two hundred feet high, and which is so steep on one side, that a person standing on the top of It, might easily throw a pebble into the river, which flows round the base; the oppo- site side of it is, however, very easy of ascent, and on thTs side the path leading to the cavern runs, excepting for the last twenty yards, when It suddenly turns along the steep ps r t of the mountain, wliich is extremely rugged, and co- vered with immense rocks and trees from top io bottom The mouth of the cavern, on this steep side, about two thirds of the way up is guarded by a huge pendent stone, NvliJch seoms ready to drop every i.-stant, and it is hardlv pos- sible to stoop under it, without refic ctii.g with a certain degree of awe, that vere it tc^drop nothing could save you from perishing withi J thedicary walls of that mansion tdwhich it af- fords an entranre. Picparatory to entering, the guide, whom VOL. I. q E26 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : I had procured from a neiglibouring house, lighted the ends of three or four splinters of pitch pine, a large bundle of which he had brought with him : they burn out very fast, but while they last are most excellent torches. The fire he brought along with him, by means cf a bit of green hiccory wood, which when once lighted, will burn slowly without any blaze till the whole is consumed. The first apartment you enter is about twenty-five feet high, and fifteen broad, and extends a considerable way to the right and left, the floor ascending towards the former ; here it is very moist, from the quantity of water continually trickling from the roof. Fahienheit's thermometer, which stood at 67" in the air, fell to 61" in this room. A few vards to the left, on the side opposite to you on entering, a passage presents itself, which leads to a sort of anti-chamber as it were, from whence you proceed into the sound room, so named fron* the prodigious reverbe- ration of the sound of a voice or musical in- strument at the inside. This room is about twenty feet square ; it is arched at top, and the sides of it, as well as of that apartment which you first enter, are bealifully orna- mented with stalactites. Returning from hence into the antichamber, and afterwards taking maddtson's cave. 207 «nter , ong passa.^c .bo..t thir.een feet wide 'ly . but ,f ,t was measured from the floor to the highest part of the roof oLliqu^ tbe d.„a„ce ,v„uld be found much JJZ' end it f ' ^"■''' '""«• Towards the Tol fT '""'"'"-^'y- ""<• terminates in We to ,a^ A canoe was once brought down but they said, thaf after proceeding a l.ttle wjupon the water the canoe would LtS and they xvere forced to return. Their fears pst probably led then, to fancy .t war:: I fired a p,stol with a ball „™r the water, but the report was echoed from ,he after pa to the cavern, and not from that part beyond the « ended much tahcr than could be tracfd ! ' "^r" '" '"''" '«'*" '"P-'ted by *arth, and .t has repeatedly been dug up .V ^^ TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : the purpose of getting saU-petre, with which ihe earth is strongly impregnated. The earth, after being dug up, is mixed with water, and when the grosser particles fall to the bottom, the water is drawn oil' and evaporated ; from the residue the salt-petre is procured. There are many other caverns in this nei^yhbourhood, and also farther to the westward, in Virginia; from all of theui gveat cpiar.tities of salt-petro are thus obiaii.ed. The gunpowder made with it, in the back country, forms a principal ar- ticle of commerce, and is sent to Philadelphia in exchange for FAU-opean manufactures. About two thirt!s of the way down this long passage, just described, is a large aper- ture in the wall on the right, Icaliug to an- other apartment, the bottom of which is about ten feet below the floor of the passage, and it is no easy matter to get down into it, as the sidi s are very sfeep and extremely slippery. This is the largest and most beautiful room in the whole cavern ; it is somewhat of an oval form, about sixty feet in length, thirty in breadth, and in some parts nearly fifty feci hioh. The petrifactions formed by the water dropping from above are most beautiful, and hang down from the ceiling in th.e form of elegant drapery, tht; folds .»f whidi are similiu- tp wliat those of large blankets or carpels *'*'.' ,*«. maddison's cave. 229 would be if suspended by one corner in a lofty room. If struck with a stick, a deep hollow sound is produced, which echoes throuj>hthe vaults of the cavern. In other parts of this room the petrifactions have conmienced at the bottom, and formed in pillars of diiTerent heights ; some of them reach nearly to the roof. If you go to a remote part of tliis apart- ment, and leave a person with a lighted tonli moving about amidst these | illars, a thousand imaginary forms present themselves, and you might almost fancy yourself in the infernal re- gions, with spectres and monsters on every side. The floor of this room slopes down gra- dually from one end to the other, and termi- nates in a pool of water, which appears to l>e on a level with that at the end ofthelang passage ; from their situation it is most pro- bable that tlicy communicated together. The therraomef.er which I had with me stood, in the remo.lest part of tliis chamber, at 55". From hence we returned to the mouth of the cavern, and on coming into the liglit it ap- peared as if we renlly had been in tlic infernal regions, for our faces, hands, and cloths were smutted all over, every part of the cave being cfAered with soot from the smoke of thepi.;e torches which are so often carried in. Tlie smoke from the pitch pine is particuhi ly thick and lieavy. Before this ca^e was much 10 d >-y^' 230 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA .' visited, and the walls blai kened by the smokc^ its beauty, I was told by some of the old in> habitants, was great indeed, for the petrifac- tions oil the roof and walls are all of the dead IHrhite kind. The country immediately behind the Blue Mountains, between Bottetourt Country and the Patowmac River, is agreeably diversified with hill and dale, and abounds with exten- live tracts of rich land. The low grouuds bordering upon the Shenandoah River, which runs contiguous to the Blue Ridge for up- wards of one hundred miles, arc in particular distinguished for their fertility. These low grounds are those which, strietly speaking, constitute the Shenandoah Valley, though in general the country lying for several milea distant from the river, and in some parts very hilly, goes under that name. The natural herbage is not so fine here as in Bottetourt Country, but when clover is once jwn it grows most luxuriantly; wheat also is pro- duced in as plentiful crops as in any part of tha- United States. Tobacco is not raised except- ing for private use, and but little Indian corn is sown, us it is liable to be injured by the nightly frosts, which are common in the spring. The climate here is not so warm as in tht lowei parts of the country, on the eastern side tANDSCAPEg. 23 J of th« mountain, ; but it i, by no mean, so temperate a, i„ Bottetourt Country, which, from being environed with ridge, of moun- tam,, ,, constantly refreshed with cooUor breezes during summer, and in the winter i^ sheltered from the keen blasts from the north- west. The whole of thi, country, to the west of the mountains, is increasing most rapidly in population. In the neigbourhood of \Vi„. Chester it is so thickly settled, and consequently so much cleared, that wood is now beginning to be thought valauble ; the farmers are obliged frequently to send ten or fifteen miles even for their fence rails. It is only, however, in this particular neighbourhood that the country is «o much improved; in other places there are immense tracts of woodlands still remaining and in general the hills are all left uncleared! llie hills being thus left covered with trees is a circumstance which adds much to the be« +y of the country, and intermixed with exten Jve fields clothed with the richest verdure, and watered by the numerous branches of the She- nandoah River, a variety of pleasing landscapes are pre.ented to t^ie eye in almost every part of the route from Bottetourt to the Patowmac jnany of which are considerably heightened by the appearance of the Blue Mountains in toe back ground. *-/ y 232 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA I With regard to the landscapes however, and t» AmtM'ican landscapes in general, it is to be observed, that their beauty is much impaired by the unpicturesque appearance of the angu- lar fences, and of the stiff wooden houses, which have at a Utile distance a heavy, dull, and gloomy aspect. The stumps of the trees also, on land newly cleared, are most disagreeable objects, wherewith the eye is continually as- sailed. V/hen trees are felled in America, they are never cut down close to the ground, but the trunks are left standing two or three feet high ; for it is found that a woodman can cut down many more in a day, standing with a gentle inclination of the body, than if he were to stoop so as to apply his axe to the bottom of the tree; it does not make any diOerence either to the fanner, whether the stump is left two or three feet high, or whether is is cut down level w ith the ground, as in each case it would equally be a hindrance to the plough. These stumps usually decay in the course of seven or eight years; sometimes; however sooner, sometimes later, according to the qua- lity of the timber. They never throw up suckers, as stumps of tree* vrould do in Eng- land if left in that manner. The cultivated lands in this country are mostly parcelled out in small portions ; there arc no persons here, kson the other side of the -■-^ TowrcB. inouiitiiins possessing large farms; nor are there any eminently disiingiiislicd hy their education or knowledge fVom the rest of their f'elli. ,r citizens. Poverty also is as much un-* known in this country as g.eat woaltJi. Each man owns the house he lives in and the laud which he cultivates, and every one appears to be in a happy state of mediocrity, and unam- bitious of a more elevated situation than what he himself enjoys. The free inliabitants consist for the most part of Germans, who here maintain the same character as in Pennsjlvauia and the other states where they have settled. About one sixth of the people, on on average, arc slaves, but in some of the counties the proportion is much less ; in Rockbridge the slaves do uoC amount to more than an eleventh, and in She- nandoah County not to more tlian a twentieth part of the whole. Between Fincastle and the Patowmac there are several towns, as Lexington, Staunton, iVewmarket, Woodstock, Winchester, Stras- burgh, and some others. These towns all stand on the great road, running north and south behind the Blue Mountains, and which is the high road from the northern states to Ken- tucky. . As I passed along it, I met with great num- bers of people from Kentucky and the new iM TRATELf THROUGH MORTH AMERICA : state of Tenassee going towards Philadelphia and Baltimore^ and with many others going in a contiary direction, *' to explore/' as they call it> that is, to search for lands conveniently situated for new settlements in the western country. The people all travel on horsehack, ivith pistols and swords, and a large blanket folded up under their saddle, which last they use for sleeping in when obliged to pass the night in the woods. There is but little occa- sion for arms now that peace has been made 'A'ith the Indians ; but formerly it used to be a very serious undertaking to go by this route to Kentucky, and travellers were always obliged to go forty or fifty in a party, and well pre- prepared for defence. It would be still danger- ous for any person to venture singly ; but if five or six travel together, they are perfectly secure. There are houses now scattered along nearly the whole way from Fincastle to Lex- ington in Kentucky, so that it is not necessary to sleep more than two or three nights in the woods in going there. Of all the uncouth hu- man beings I met with in America, these peo- ple from the western country were the most 80 ; their curiosity was boundless. Frequently have I been stopped abruptly by one of them in a solitary part of the road, and in such a manner, that had it been in another country, I should have imagined it was a highwayman 1£XIN6T0I«. 23i that was going to demand rjy purse, and without any further preface, asked where I came from ? if I was acquainted with auy news ? where bound to ? and finally, my name? -■" Stop, Mister ! why I guess now you be '' coming from the liew state." " No, Sir,"— '' Why then I guess as how you be' cominff "from Kentuc*" "No, Sir."~Oh ! why '' then, pray now where might you be coming " from ?" *' From the low country."—'^ Why *' you must have heard all the news then ; j.ray "now. Mister, what might the price of bacoa 'I be m those parts ?" " Upon my word, mj " friend, I can't inform you." — " Aje, aye; I " see. Mister, you be'n't one of us ; pray now, " Mister, what might your name be ?"~A stranger going the same way is sure of havii^ the company of these worthy people, so de- sirous of information, as far as the next tavern, where he is seldom suffered to remain for five minutes, till he is again assailed by a fresh set with the same questions. The first town you come to, going north- ward from Bottetourt County, is Lexington, a neat little place, that did contain about one hundred houses, a court-house, and goal ; but the greater part of it was destroyed by fire just before I got there. Great numbers of Irish are *Kentuckv. ^6 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA '. settled in this place. Thirty miles farther oil stands Staunton. This town carries on a con- siderable trade with the back country, and contains nearly two hundred dwellings, mostly built of stone, together with a church. This was the first place on the entire road from Lynchburgh, one hundred and fifty miles dis- tant, and which I was about ten days in travel- ling, where I was not able to get a bit of fresh meat, excepting indeed on passing the Blue Mountains, where they brought me some ve- nison that had been just killed. I went on fifty miles farther, from Staunton, before I got any again. Salted pork, boiled with turnip tops by way of greens, or fried bacon, or fried salted fish, with warm sallad, dressed with > inegar and the melted fat which remains in the frying-pan after dressing the bacon, is the only food to be got at the most of the taverns in this country; in spring it is the constant food of the people in the country; and indeed, throughout the whole year, I am told, salted meat is w hat they most generally use. In ever part of America a European is surprised at finding so many men with military titles, and still more so at seeing such num- bers of them employed in capacities apparently so inconsistent with their rank ; for it is no- thing uncommon to see a captain in the shape of a waggoner, a colonel the driver of a 8TAUNT0II. 237 «tage coach, or a general dealing out penny ribbon behind his counter; but nowhere, I believe, is there such a superfluity of these military personages as in the little town of Staunton ; there is hardly a decent person in it, excepting lawyers and medical men, but what is a colonel, a major, or a captain. This is to be accounted for as follows: in America, every freeman from the age of sixteen to fifty years, whose occupation does not absolutely forbid it, must enrol himself in the militia. In Virginia alone, the militia amounts to about sixty-two thousand men, and it is divided into four di- visions and seventeen brigades, to each of which there is a general and other officers. Were there no officers therefore, excepting those actually belonging to the militia, the number must be very great ; but independent of the militia, there are also volunteer corps in most of the towns, which have likewise their re- spective officers. In Staunton there are two or three corps, one of cavalry, the other of artil- lery. These are formed chiefly of men who find a certain degree of amusement in exer- cising as soldiers, and who are also induced to associtate, by the vanity of appearing in re- gimentals. The militia is not assembled of- tener than once in two or three mouths, and as it rests with every individual to provide himself with arms and accoutrements, and no d.?8 TRATELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA! stress being laid upon coming in uniform, the appearance of the men is not very military. Numbers also of the officers of thtse volun- teer corps, and of the militia, are resij^ning every day ; and if a man has been a captain or a colonel but one day either iu the one body or the other^ it st^ems to be an established rule that he is to have nominal rank the rest of his life. Added to all, there are several officers of the old continental army neither in the militia nor in the volunteer corps. Winchester stands one hundred miles to the northward of Staunton, and is the largest town in the United States on the western side of the Blue Mountains. The houses are estimated at three hundred and fifty, and (he inhabitants at two thousand. There are four churches in this town, which, as well as the houses, are plainly built. The streets are regular, but very narrow. There is nothing particularly deserviig of attention in this place, nor indeed in any of the other small towns which have been mentioned, none of them containing more than seventy houses each. [ 239 ] LETTER XVIII. Description of the Passage of Patowmac and Shenandoah Rivers through a Break in the f'^^omtains.-SomeObservationsonMr Jefferson-s Aecount oftlie SceaeSummaru Acccnnl of Maryland-Arrival al Phila- Mphta- Remarks on the Climate of tl,e Vnued States-State of the City of Phtta- delphia during the Heat of Summer— DiK. culty of preserving Butter. Milk. Meat. Rsh.Ssc.-. General Use of Ice. -Of the mnds-State of Weather in America d». pends greatly upon them. Hiiladelphia, June. HAVING traversed. i„ various direction,, the country to the west of the Blue Moun- tains ,n Virginia. IcametothePatowmac, at the place where that river passes through the Blue Ridge, which Mr. Jefferson, in his Notes upon Virginia, has represented as one of the most " stupendous scenes in nature, and worth " a voyage across the Atlantic." The ap- proach towards the place is wild and romantic. After crossing a number of small hills, which rise one above the other in succession, you at last perceive the break in the Blue Ridge • at the same time the road suddenly turning, winds 1M0 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA I down a long and steep hill, shaded with lofty trees, whose branches unite over your head. On one side of the road there are large heapsf of rocks above you, which seem to threaten destrwction to any one that passes under them ; ou the other, a deep precipice presents itself, at the bottom of which is heard the roaring of the Maters, that are concealed from the eye by the thickness of the foliage. Towards the cod of this hill, about sixty feet above the level of the water, stands a tavern and a few houses, and from some fields in the rear of them the passage of the river through the mountain is, I think, seen to the best advan- tage. ' The Patowmac on the left comes winding along through a fertile country towards the mountain ; on the right flows the Shenandoah : uniting together at the foot of the mountain, they roll on through the gap; then suddenly expanding to the breadth of about four hun- dred vords, they pass on towards the sea, and are finallv lost to the 7ievv amidst surrounding hills. The rugged appearance of the sidos of the mountain towards the river, and the large rocks that lie scattered about at tbo bottom, many of which have evidently been split asunder by some great convulsion, " arc mom.ments," as Mr. Jetferson observes, of tho *' war that has taken place at this sp»>i be- Passage OF nivERs. 241 ''tween liTers and mountains; and at first _^ sight they lead us into an opinion that mountains were created before rivers be- " San to flow ; that the waters of the Pa- towmac and Shenandoah were dammed un ^ for a tfrae by the Blue Ridge, but continu- ing to rise, that they at length broke through '' at this spot, and tore the mountain asunder trom Its summit to its base." Certain it is that if the Blue Ridge could be again made' entire, an immense body of water would be formed on the western side of it, by the Shenandoah and Patowmac rivers; and this body of water would be deepest, and conse- quenlly would act with more force in sap- 1"»S a passage for itself through the mountain at the Identical spot where the gap now is, than at any other, for this is the lowest spot in a very extended tract of country. A glance at the map will be sufficient to satisfy anv person on this point; it will at once be seen! hat a the rivers of the adjacent country baud their courses hitherwards. Whether e ridge, however, was left originally entire, 0. whet era break was left iu it for the pas^ ase of the rivers, it is impossible at this day '"ascertain; but it is very evident that the «te of the gap have been reduced to their .rr/'T' ^""^ '^ '"■"'=«-''' ■"-''- • '"'«"'''• "'1'1'osing that the Patowmac R 242 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA! and Slienandoah ever rose Muring a flood, a common circumstance in spring and autumn, only equally high with what James River did in 1795, that is, fifteen feet ahove their usual level, such a circumstance might have occa- sioned a very material alteration in the ap- pearance of the gap. The Blue Ridge, on each side of the Pa- towmac, is formed, from the foundation to the summit, of large rocks deposited in beds of rich soft earth, This earth is very readily washed away, and in that case the rocks con- sequently become loose ; indeed, they arc fre- quently loosened even by heavy showers of rain. A proof of this came within my own observation, which I shall never forget. It had been raining excessively hard the whole morning of that day on which I arrived at this place ; the evening however was very fine, and being anxious to behold the scene in every point of view, I crossed the river, and ascend- ed the mountain at a steep part on the op- posite side, where there was no path, and many large projecting rocks. I had walked up about fifty yards, when a large stone that i set my foot upon, and which appeared to me perfectly firm, all at once gave way ; it had been loosened by the rain, and brought down such a heap of others with it in its fall, with such a tremendous noise at the same time. ROCKS LOOSENED. 343 thai r thought the «hoIe mounUii"'^!, com- ing upon n,e and expected every moment to be dashed to p.eces. I slid down about twenty feet, and then luckily caught hold of the branchofa tree; by which I clung; but the .tone, st.ll continued to roll down heap after heap; several times, likewise, after ail had e.,st.n or a minute or two, they again began to fall wUh increased violence. I„ this sfate of suspense I was kept for a considerable time not knowing but thai some stone larger than t'.e rest might give way. and carrfdow^ with .t even the tree by which I held. Un" aequaanted al.o with the path, of the moun- a.n. here seemed to me to be no other way of getting- down, ewepting over the fallen .'ones, a way which I contemplated with orror Night however was coming on Ty J^.;^.twasabsolutely„ecessa,^toquitthesi! tuation I was .n, and fortunately I got to th^ W^m without receiving any f^rtl^ril"; than two or three slight contusions on my hips :f f'"''- The people congratulated me ed me, that the stones very commonly gave way in this manner after heavy falls of rain • b"to„ the dissolution ofalargebodyofsn:; nense rocks, they said, would sometime, i "* co„sc4ucuce* men of a larire 244 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA'. rock towards the bottom of the mountain be- ing undeftnined by a flood, and giving way, may be very readily imagined : the rock above it, robbed of its support, would also fall ; this would bring down with it numbers of others with which it was connected, and thus a dis- ruption would be produced from the base to the very summit of the mountain. The passage of the rivers through the ridge at this plire is certainly a curious scene, and deserving of attention ; but I am far from thinking with Mr. JetVerson, that it is " one " of the most stupendous scenes in nature, and '' worth a voyage across the Atlantic ;" nor has it been my lot to meet with any person that had been a spectator of the scene, after rrading his description of it, but what also differed with him very materially in opinion. To find numberless scenes more stupendous, it would be needless to go farther than Wales. A river, it is true, is not to be met with in that country, equal in sise to the Patowmac ; but many are to be seen there, rushing over their stony beds with much more turbulence and impetuosity than either the Patowmac or Shenandoah : the rocks, the precipices, and the mountains of the Blue Ridge at this place are diminutive and uninteresting also, com- pared with those which abound in that coun- try. Indeed, from every part of Mr. Jeffer- 4^ IRON. a|5 son's clfscrlpiion, it appeari as if he had be- lield the scene, not in its present state, but at the very moment when the disruption hap- pened, and when every thing was in a state of tumult and confusion. After crossing the Patowmac, I passed on to Frederic in Marjhind, which has already been mentioned, a.d from thence to Baltimor/. Ihe country between Frederic and Baltimore IS by no means so rich as that west of the Blue Ridge, but it is tolerably well cultivated Irou and copper are found here in many places. No works of any consequence have as yet been established for the manufacture of copper, but there are several extensive iron works. The iron is of a remarkable tough quality; indeed, throughout the states of Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, it is generally so ; and the utensils made of it, as pots, kettles, &c. though cast much thinner than usual in England, will admit of beinff pitched into the carts, and thrown about without any danger of being broken. The forages and furnaces are all worked by negroes who seem to be particularly suited to such an occupation, not only on account of their sable complexions, but because they can sustain a much greater degree of heat than white per- ' sons, -/ithout any inconvenience. In the hot- test days in summer thev are n^v.r .^ai. nres m their huts. tHUU V ^iS TRAVELS fllROUGH NORTH AMERICA: The farms and plantations in Maryland lHJilBistj in general^ <» from one hundred to one 4fc»in«nd acres. In the upp^t parts of the state, lowmrds tlic mountains, tin land is di- vided into small portions. Grain is what is principally cultivated, and there are few slaves. In the lower parts of the stat^, and in this part of the country between Frederic and Baltimore, the plantations are extensive ; large quantities of tobacco are raised, and the labouv is performed almost entirely by negroes. The persons residing upon these large plantations live very similar to the planters in Virginia : all of them have their stewards and overseers, and they give themselves but little trouble about the management of the lands. As in Virginia, the clothing for the slaves, and most of the implements for husbandry, are manu- factured on each estate. The quarters of the slaves are situated in the neighbourhood of the principal dwelling-house, which gives the residence of every planter the appearance of a litfle village, just the same as in Virginia. The houses are for the most part built of wood, and painted with Spanish brown ; and in fro'^t there is generally a long porch, paint- ed v/hi. FrOi:.! >. v 13 noTf" I returned to Philadelphia, where I ivfil ?u a the fourteenth day of June, ftfter hj(.viag been abseat about three months. t, WEATHER. 847 During the whole of that period the weather had been extremely variable, scarcely ever re- maining alike four days together. As early 08 the fourteenth of March, u. Pennsylvania, Fahrenheit's thermometer stood at G^ at noon day, though not moi.. than a week before, it had been so Iom as 14°. At the latter end of the mr.nth, in Maryland, I scarcely ever observed it higher than 50" at noon : the even- ings were always cold, and the weather was squally and wet. In the northern neck of Virginia, for two or three days togetheri during the second week in April, it rose from 80° to 84", in the middle of the day ; but on the wind suddenly shifting, it fell again, and remained below 70° for some days. As I passed along through the lower parts of Virginia, I fre- quently afterwards observed it as high as 80" during the month of April ; but on no dav in the month of May previous to the fourteenth, did it again rise to the same height ; indeed, so far from it, many of the days were too cold to be V ithout fires ; and on the night of the ninth instant, when I was in the neighbour- hood of the South-west Mountains, so sharp a frost took place, that it destroyed all the cher- ries, and also most of the early wheat, and of the young shoots of Indian corn; in some particular places, for miles together, the young leaves of the forest trees even were all wither- 248 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : cdj and the country had exactly the appear- ance of November. On the tenth instant, the day after the frost, the thermometer was as \ow as 46° in the middle of the day ; yet four days afterwards it stood at 81°. During the remainder of the month, and dusing June, until I reached Philadelphia, it fluctuated be- tweea 60° and 80° ; the weather was on the whole line, out frequently for a day or two together the air felt extremely raw and dis- agreeable. The changes in the state of the atmosphere were also sometimes very sudden. On the sixth day of June, when on my way to Frederic Town, after passing the Patowmac River, the most remarkable change of this nature took place which I ever witnessed. The morning had been oppressively hot ; the thermometer at 81°, and the wind S. S. W. About one o'clock in the afternoon, a black cloud appeared in the horizon, and a tremen- dous gust came on, accompanied by thunder and lightning ; several large trees were torn up by the roots by the wind ; hail stones, about three times the size of an ordinary pea, fell for a few minutes, and afterwards a torrent of rain came pouring down, nearly as if a water- spout had broken overhead. Just before the gust came on, I had suspended my thermometer from a window with a northern aspect, when it stood at 81°; but on looking at it at the CLIMATE. 2i9 end of twenfy-thfee minutes, hy which time the gust was completely over, l found it down to 69, a change of 22^ A north-west wind now set in, the evening was most delightful and the thermometer again rose to 65° !„' Pennsylvania the thermometer has been known W7 ^^^^^'^'''' ^" ^^'' ^P^^^ of twentj-six The climate of the middle and southern states IS extremely variable; the seasons of two succeedmg years are seldom alike; and it scarcely ever happens that a month passes over without very great vicissitudes i„ the weather taking place. Doctor Rittcnhouse remarked, that whilst he resided in Pennsvl- vania, he discovered nightly frosts in every month of the year excepting July, and even i„ that month, during which the heat is always greater than at any other time of the year a cold day or two sometimes intervene, when a Hre IS tound very agreeable. The climate of the state of New York is jery similar to that of Pennsylvania, excepting that in the northern parts of that state, bordei- iiig upon Canada, t^e winters are always severe and long. The climate of New Jersey, Dela- ifrare, and ihe upper parts of Maryland,' is also much the same with that of Pennsylvania • in the lower parts of Maryland the climate does not differ materially from that of V,r«-;„;o .^ WW 230 TRATELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA ! the eastwaid of the Bhie Ridge, where it very rarely happens 'that the thermometer is as low as 6" above cipher. In Pennsylvania, the range of the mercury in Fahrenheit's thermometer has been observed to be from 24° below cipher to 105" above it ; but it is an unusual occurrence for the mercury to stand at either of these extreme points ; in its approach towards them it commonly draws much nearer to the extreme of heat than to that of cold. During the winter of 1795, and the three preceding years, it did not sink lower than 10 above cipher ; a summer however seldom passes over that it does not rise to 96". It was mentioned as a singular circumstance^ that in 1789 the thermometer never rose higher than 90". Of the oppression that is felt from the sum- mer heats in America, no accurate idea can be formed without knowing the exact state of the hygrometer as well as the height of the thermometer. The moisture of the air varies \ery much in different parts of the country; it also varies in all parts with the winds ; and it is surprising to find what a much greater degree of heat can be borne without incon- venience when the air is dry than when it is moist. In New England, in a remarkable dry air, the heat is not found more insupportable when the thermometer stands at 100", than it CLIMATE. 251 is in the lower parts of the southern states vvhere the air is moist, when the thermometer stands perhaps at 90^ that is, supposing the ^ind to be in the same quarter in both places In speaking of Virginia I have taken notice of the great difference that is found between the clmiate of the mountains and the climate of the low country in that state. The case is the same m every other part of the country. From ih, mountains in New England, along the cliflerent ridges which run through New York New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and the southern states, even to the extremity of Georgia, the heat is never found very oppres- sive; whilst as far north as Pennsylvania and New York, the heat in the low parts of the country, between the mountains, and the ocean, is frequently intolerable. In the course of the few days that I have spent in Philadelphia, during this month, the thermometer has risen repeatedly to 86°,' and for two or three days it stood at 93\ During these days no one stirred out of doors that was not compelled to do so ; those that could make It convenient with their business alwavs walk- ed with umbrellas to shade them fiom the sun ; light white hats were universally worn, and the young men appeared dressed in cotton or linen jackets and trowsers ; every gleam of sunshine seemed to be considered as baneful I 11 'J p 25S TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH America: and destructive ; the window shutters of each house were closed early in the morning, so as to admit no more light than what was abso- lutely necessary for domestic business ; many of the houses, indeed, were kept so dark, that on going into them from the street, it was im- poisible at first entrance to perceive who was present. The best houses in the city are fur- nished with Venetian blinds, at the outside, to the windows and hall doors, which are made to fold together like common window shutters. Where they had these, they constantly kept them closed, and the windows and doors were left open behind them to admit air. A very difl'crent scene was presented in the city as soon as the sun was set ; every house was then IhroM'n open, and the inhabitants all crowded into the strceti, to take their evening walks, and visit their acquaintance. It appeared every night as if some grand spectacle was to be exhibited, for not a street or alley was there, but what was in a state of commotion. This varied scene usually lasted till about ten o'clock ; at eleven there is no city in the world, perhaps, so quiet all the year round ; at that hour yon may walk over half the town without seeing the face of a human being, e.vcept the watch- men. Very heavy dews sometimes fall after these hot days, as soon as the sun is down, and the nights are then found very cold ; at other "WEATHER. 253 times there are uo dews, and the air remains hot all the nio.],t through. For days together in Philadelphia, the thermometer has been ob- served never to be lower tliau SO" during any part of the twenty-four hours. ,1 observe now that meat can never be kept, but in an ice house or a remarkable cold cellar, for one day, wilhout being- tainted. Milk generally turns sour in the course of one or two hours after it comes from the cow. Fish is never brought to market without being covered with lumps of ice, and notwith- standing that care, it frequently happens that it is not fit to be eat. Butter is brought to market likewise in ice, which they general! v have in great plenty at every farm house'; indeed it is almost considered as a necessary of life, in these low parts of the country. Poultry intended for dinner is never killed till about four hours before the time it is wanted, and then it is kept immersed in water, without which precaution it would be tainted. Not- withstanding all this, I have been told, that were I to stay in Philadelphia till the latter end of July or beginning of August, I should find the heat much more intolerable than it has been hitherto. Most of the other large sea port towns, south of Philadelphia, are equally hot and disagreeable in summer ; and 254f TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : Baltimore, Norfolk, and some others, even more so. The winds in every part of the country make a prodigious difference in the tempe- rature of the air. When the north-west wind blows, the heat is always found more tolerable than with* any other, although the thermome- ter should be at the same height. This wind is uncommonly dry, and brings with it fresh animation and vigour to every living thing. Although this wind is so very piercing in winter, yet I think the people never complain so much of cold as when the north-east wind blows ; for my own part I never found the air so agreeable, let the season of the year be what it would, as with the north-west wind. The north-east wind is also cold, but it renders the air raw and damp. That from the south- east is damp but warm. Rain or snow usually falls when the wind comes from any point towards the east. The south-west wind, like the north-west, is dry; but it is attended generally with warm weather. When in a southerly point, gusts, as they arc called, that is, storms attended with thunder, lightning, hail, and rain, are common. It is a matter of no difficulty to account for these various eflfects of the wind in Ame- rica. The north-west wind, from coming WINDS. gvjj over such an immense tract of land, must ne- cessarily be dry; and coming from regions eternally covered with mounds of snow and ICC, it must also be cold. The north-east wind, from traversing the frozen seas, must be cold likewise; but from passing over such a large portion of the watery main afterwards, it brings damps and moistures with it. All those from the east are damp, and loaded with va- pours, from the same cause. Southerly winds, from crossing the warm regions between the tropics, are attended with heat ; and the south- west wind, from passing, like the north-west over a great extent of land, is dry at the same time ; none however is so dry as that from the north-west. It is said, but with what truth I cannot take upon me to say, that west of the Alleghany and Appalachian mountains, which are all in the same range, the south- west winds are cold and attended with rain. Those great extremes of heat and cold, ob- servable on the eastern side of the mountains, are unknowa to the westward of them. 1J56 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA; LETTER XIX. Travelling in America without a Companion not pleasant. —Meet two English Gentlemen.— Set out together for Canada.— Dsscription of the Country hetxvcen Philadelphia and New York.— Bristol— Trenton. — Princeton.-^ College there—Some Accountof it.— Bruns- wick.— Posaik Water-fall.— Cower Mine. ^Singular Discovery thereof —New-York, . ^Description of the City .—Character and Manners of the Inhabitants. — Leave it abruptly on Account of the Fevers.— Passage up North River from New York to Albany. ^Great Beauty of the North River.— West Point.— Highlands.— Gusts of Wind com- qnon in passing them.-^ Albany. —Descrip- tion of the City and Inhabitants.— Celebra- tion of the ^th of July.— Anniversary of American Independance. MY DEAR SIR, Albany, July. 1 WAS on the point of leaving Philadel- phia for New York, intending from thence to proceed to Canada, when chance brought ma into the company of two young gentlemen from England, each of whom was separately preparing to set off on a similar excursion. A rational and agreeable companion, to whom you might communicate the result of your PLEASUBES OF A COMPANION. g57 observations, and with whom jou might in- terchange sentiments on all occasions, could not but be deemed a pleasing acquisition, I should imagine, hy a person on a journey through a foreign land. Were any one to be found, however, of a different opinion I should venture to affirm, that ere he travelled far through the United States of America where there are so few inhabitants in pro- portion to the extent of the country ; where, in going from one town to another, it is fre- quently necessary to pass for many miles to- gether through dreary woods; and where, even in the towns, a few of those sea-ports indeed excepted which are open to the At- Iantic> there is such sameness in the customs^ manners, and conversation of the inhabitants, and 80 little amongst them that interests either tlie head or the heart ; he would not only be induced to think that a companion must add to the pleasure of a journey, but were abso- lutely necessary to prevent its appearing insipid, and at times highly irksome to him. For my own part, I had fully determined m my own mind, upon returning from my tour bejond the Blue Mountains, never again to set out On a journey alone through any part of America, if I could possibly procure an agree able companion. The gentlemen I met with h a, as well as myself, travelled widely through VOL. I. s S58 TRAVEtS TnROtJGH IfOT.fH AMERICA'. different parts of theUnitcdStatcs^andhadform* ' ed nearly the same resolution ; we accordingly agreed to go forward to Canada together, and having engaged a carriage for ourselves as far as New York, we quitted the close and disa- here about one mile wide, winds majcsti- fcally round the point whereon the town i» built, and for many miles, both upwards and downwards, it may be traced through a rich country, flowing gently along ; in general it is covered with innumerable little sloops and schooners. Opposite to Bristol stands the city of Burlington, one of the largest in New Jer- sey, built partly upon an island and partly on the main shore. It makes a good appearance, and adds considerably to the beauty of the prospect from Bristol. Ten miles farther on, oppsite to Trenton, which stands at the head of the sloop navi- gation, you cross the river. The falls or ra- 9 PRINCETON. g50 l)id8, that prevent boats from ascending any higher, appear in full view as you pass, but their prospect is in no way pleasing ; beyond them, the navigation may be pursued for up- wards of one hundred miles in small boats Trenton is the captial of New Jersey, and contains about two hundred houses, togethw with four churches. The streets are com- modious, and the houses neatly built. Th6 state-house, in which congress met for some time durmg the war, is a heavy clumsy edifice. Twelve miles from Trenton, stands Prince- ton, a neat town, containing about eighty dwell- ings in one long street. Here is a large col- lege, held in much repute by the neighbouring states. The number of students amounts to upwards of seventy ; from their appearance, however, and the course of studies they seem to be engaged in, like all the other American colleges I ever saw, it better deserves the title of a grammar school than a college. The library, which we were shewn, is most wretch- ed; consisting, for the most part, of old theolo- gical books, not even arranged with any regu- larity. An orrery, contrived by Mr. Rit- tenhouse, whose talents are so much ooasted of by his countrymen, stands at one end of the apartment, but it is quite out of repair, as >vcll as a few detached parts of a philosophical s2 2!50 IRAVEM THROUGH NORTH AMERICA: apparatus, enclosed in the same glass ease. At the opposite end of the room, arc two sniaU cupboards, which are shewn as the inuse»m. These contain a couple of small stuffed ali- gators, and a few singular fishes, in a miserable state of preservation, the skins of them being tattered in innumerable places, from their being repeatedly tossed about. The building is very plain, and of stone ; it is one hundred and eighty feet in front, and four stories high. The next stage from Princeton is Bruns- wick, containing about two hundred houses ; there is nothing very deserving of attention in it, excepting it be the very neat and com- modious wooden bridge that has been thrown across the Raritan River, which is about two hundred paces over. The part over the chan- nel is contrived to draw up, and on each side Is a footway guarded by rails, and ornamented with lamps. Elizabeth Town and Newark, which you afterwards pass through in succes- sion, are both of them chearful lively looking places: neither of them is paved. Newark is built in a straggling manner, and has very much the appearance of a large English vil- lage : there is agreeable society in this town. These two towns we only eight miles apart, and each of them has one or two excellent churches, whose tall «pires appear very beau- NEW JERSEY. 261 tiful as you approach at a distance^ peeping up above the woods by which they arc en- circled. The state of New Jersey, measured from north to south, is about one hundred and sixty miles in length ; it varies in breadth from forty to eighty miles. The northern part of it is crossed by the blue ridge of mountains, running through Pennsylvania ; and shooting oflf in ditfercnf directions from this ridge, there are several other small mountains in the neigh- bourhood. The southern part of the state, on the contrary, which lies towards the sea, is extremely flat and sandy; it is covered for miles together with pine trees alone, usually called pine barrens, and is very little cultivated. The middle part, which is crossed in going from Philadelphia to New York, abounds with extensive tracts of good laud ; the soil varies however, considerably, in some places being sandy, in others stony, and in others consistingof a rich brown mould. This part of the state, as far as Newark, is on the whole well cultivated, and scattered about iu different places are some excellent farm houses ; a good deal of uncleared land, however, still remains. Beyond Newark the country is extremely flat and marshy. Between the town and the Po- saick River there is one marsh, which alone extends upwards of twenty miles, and is about, ^6% TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA t two miles wide where you pass over it. The road is here formed with large logs of wood laid close together, aqd on each side are ditchei! to keep it dry. This was the first place where \?re met with musquitqes, and they annoyed us not a little in passing. Towards the latter end of the summer, Philadelphia is much in- fested with them; but they had not made their appearanpe \vhen we left that city. The Posjj,ick liiver runs close upon the borders of this marshj and there is an excellent wooden bridge across it, soipewhat similar to that at New Brunswick over the Raritan River, AbQut fifteen miles above it there is a very re- markable fall in the river. The river, at the full, is about forty yards wide, and flows witl^ » gentle current till it comes \yithin a few perches pf the edge of the fall, when it suddenly precipitates itself, in one entire ^heet, over a ledge of rocks of nearly eighty feet in perpen-. dicular height; below, it runs on through a chasm, formed of immense rocks on each side ; they are higher than the fall, and seem to have been once united together. In this neighbourhood there h a very rich copper mine; repeated attempts have been made to woyk itr but whether the price of labour be too great for such an undertaking, pr the proprietors have not proceeded with judgment, certain it is, that they have always COPPER WINES. gg^ mfecorried and surtaiued very comiderabte loss- .thereby. This mine was first.discovered hr! ', V ?'"°" "''"•' ^'^''"S along about three o clock m the moraing, observed a blue flame, about the si^e of a man, issuing from the earth which afterwards soon died a.ay he marked the place with a stake; and when the hJl was opened, several large lumps of virgin copper were found. The vein of copper in the mines is said to be much richer now than When first opened. Fi^m the Posaick to the North River the country is hilly, barren, and uninterestinff till jou come very near the latter, when a noble view opens all at once of the city of New York on the opposite shore, of the harbour, and shipping The river, ^hich is very grand, can be traced for several miles above the city; the banks, are very steep on the Jersey side, and beautifully wooded, the trees almost dipping into the water: numbers of vessels plyi„^ about in every part, render the scene extremely sprightly and interesting. New York is built on an island of its own name, formed by the North and the East Rivers, and a creek or inlet connecting both of hcse together. The island is fourteen miles long and, on an average, about one mile in breadth ; at its southern extremity stands the mty, which extends from one-river to the other. ^64 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA ! The North, or Hudson River, is nearly two miles wide ; the East, or the North-East ope, as it should rather be called, is not quite so broad. The depth of water in each, close to the city, is sufficient for the largest merchant vessels. The principal seat of trade, however, is on the East River, and most of the vessels lie there, as during winter the navigation of that river is not so soon impeded by the ice. At this side of the town the houses and stores are built as closely as possible. The streets are narrow and inconvenient, and, as but too com- monly is the case in seaport towns, very dirty, and, consequently, during the summer season, dreadfully unhealthy. It was in this part of the town that the yellow fever raged with such violence in 17i^5; and during 1796, many per- sons that remained very constantly there, also fell victims to a fever, which, if not the* yellov' fever, was very like it. The streets near the North River are much more airy ; but the most agreeable part of the town is in the neigh- bourhood of the battery, on the southern point of the island, at the confluence of the two rivers. When New York was in possession of the English, this battery consisted of two or more tiers of guns, one above the other ; but jt is now cut down, and affords a most charm- ing walk, and, on a summer's evening, is crowded with people, as it is open to the NEW YORK. 265 breezes from tlie sea, which render it particu- larlj agreeable at that season. There is a fine view from it of the roads. Long and Staten Ishmds, and Jersey shore. At the time of high water, the scene is always interesting on ac- count of the number of vessels sailing in and out of port r such as go into the East River pass within a few yards of the walls of the battery. From the battery a handsome street, about seventy feet wide, called Broadway, runs due north through the town ; between it and the North River run several streets at right angle?, as you pass which you catch a view of the wa- ter, and boats plying up and down ; the distant ^hore of the river also is seen to great advan- tage. Had the streets on the opposite side of Broadway been also carried down to the East River, the effect would have been beauHful, for Broadway runs along a ridge of high ground between the two rivers ; it would have con- tributed also very much to the health of the place if, added to this, a spacious quay had been formed the en lire length of the city, on either side, instead of^ having the borders of the rivers crowded with confiised heaps of wooden store houses, built upon wharfs projecting one beyond another in every direction. New York would have been one of the most beautiful sea- ports in the world. All the sea-ports in America appear to great disadvantage from the water. 266 TRATELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA! n^hen you approach pear to them, from the shores being crowded in this manner with ir- regular masses of wooden houses, standing as it were in the water. The federal city, where they have already begun to erect the same kind of woodea wharfs and store-houses without any regularity, will be just the same. It is astonishing, that in laying out that city, a grand quay was not thought of in the plan ; it would certainly have afforded equal, if not greater accommodation for the shipping, and it would have added wonderfully to the embellishment of the city. Many of the private houses in New York are very good, particularly those in Srojdway. Of the public buildings, there are none which are very striking.' The churches and houses for public "worship, amount to no less than twenty-two ; four of them are for Presbyte- rians, three for Episcopalians of the church of England, three for Dutch Reformists, two for German Lutherans and Calvinists, two for Quakers, two for Baptists, two for Methodists, one for French Protestants, one for Moravi- ans, one for Roman Catholics, and one foi; Jews. According to the census in 1790, the num* ber of inhabitants in New York was found to be thirty thousand one hundred and forty-, eight free persons^ and two thousan4 one huft^ IMHABITANT3, ^J dred and eighty slaves ; but at present the number is supposed to amount at least to forty thousand. The ii«*abitants have long been distinguished above tiiose of ^U the other towns in the United States; except it be the people of Charleston, for their politeness, gaiety, and hospitality ; and, indeed, in these points «iey are more strikingly superior to the inhabitants pf the other large towns. Their public amuse, jnents consist in dancing and card assem- blies, and theatrical exhibitions : for the for. mer, a spacious suite of rooms has lately been erected. The theatre is of wood, and ^ most miserable edifice it is; but a new one is now building on a grard scale, which, it is thought, will be as much too large for the town as the pther is too small. Being anxious to proceed on our Journey before the sea?on was too far advanced, and ^Iso particularly desirous of quitting New York on account of the fevers, which, it was fumoured, were increasing very fast, we took pur passage for Albany, in one of the Sloops trading constantly on the North River, be- tween New York and that place, and em- barked on the second day of July, abolif two P'clock m the afternoon. Scarcelv a bieath pf air was stjrring at the time ; but the fide carried us up at the rate of about two miles ind a half an hour. The sky remained all dav 1 1 ■ 'J- 1 S6S TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : as serene as possible, and as the water was perfeetly smootli, it reflected in a most beauti- ful manner the images of the various objects on the shore, and of the numerous vessels dispersed along the river at different dis- tances, and which seemed to glide along, as it were, by the power of magic, for the sails all hung down loose and motionless. Tlie sun, setting in all his glory, added fresh beau ties to this calm and peaceable scone, and per- mitted us for the last time to behold the distant spires of New York, illumined by his parting rays. To describe all the grand and beautiful prospects presented to the view on passing along this noble river, would be an endless task; all the various eflects that can be supposed to arise from a happy combination of wood and water, of hill and dale, are here seen in the greatest perfection. In some places tlic river expands to the breadth of five or six miles, in others it narrows to that of a few hundred yards, and in various parts it is inter- spersed with islands ; in some places again its course can be traced as far as the eye can reach, whilst in others it is suddenly lost to the view, as it winds between its lofty banks ; here mountains covered with rocks and trees rise almost perpendicularly out of the water ; there a fine champaign country presents itself, cultivated to the very margiri of the river, v: View- on thr HlTDSOTSr RIVEB y. ^^/^ft'tl^af^M ^cti^^^ VT on t/w inrDSOT>ir Rl\^ER. '^v/ Aft.. M./,-V„, /.y i.Xtt\it.Mi: r^.-infi//r . PASSAGE TO ALBANV. %9 whilst neat farm houses and distant towns embellish the charming k ndscapes. After sunset, a brisk wind sprang up which carried us pn at the rale of six or seven miles an hour for a considerable part of the ni^-ht - but for some hours we had to lie at anchor at a place where the navigation of the river was too difficult to proceed in the dark. Our sloop was no more than seventy tons burthen by register; but the accommodations she afforded were most excellent, and far superior to what might be expected on board so small a vessel; the cabin was equally large with that in a com- mon merchant vessel of three hundred toMs, built for crossing the ocean. This was owing to the great breadth of her beam, which was no less than twenty-two feet and a half, al- though her length was only fifty-five feet All the sloops engaged in this trade are built nearly on the same construction ; sliort, broad, and very shallow, few of them draw more than five or six feet water, so that they are only calculated for sailing upon smooth water. Early the next morning we found ourselves opposite to West Point, a place rendered re- markable in history by desertion of General Arnold, during the American war, and the consequent death of the unfortunate Major Andre. The fort stands about one hundred and fifty feet above the level of the water, oa «'li V ;/ f 70 TRAVELS THROUflU NORTH AM7.tllfiA i the side of a barren hill ; no human creature! tk^: pearl ng in it except the solitary sentinel^ who marchr'l backwards and forwards on the ramparts overgrown with long grass, it had a most melancholy aspect^ that perhaps' was heightened by the gloominess of the morn- ings and the recollection of all the circum- stances attending the unhappy fate of poor Andre. Near West Point there is also another post, called Fort Putnam, which, since the peace, has. h*»en suffered to get very much out of repair; however, steps are now taking to have it-put in good order. Supposing that a rup- ture should ever unfortunately again take place between Great Britain and the United States of America, these posts would be of the greatest consequence, as they form a link in that chain of posts which extend the whole way along the navigable waters that connect the British settlements with New York. In this neighbourhood the highlands, as they are called, commence, and extend along the river on each side for several miles. The breadth of the river is here considerably con- tracted, and such sudden gusts of wind, com- ing from between the mountains, sometimes ■ blow through the narrow passes, that vessels frequently have their topmasts carried away. J The captain of the sloop we were in, said^ AtBANY. • g^i that his mainsail was once Mown into fatter* in an instant, and a part of it carried on shore When the sky is lowering, ough. — Dread- fully infested by Musqidtocs. — Particular Description of that Insect. — Great Danger ensues somelimes from their Bite. — Best Remedy. MY DEAR Sm, Skenesborongh, July. WE remained in Albany for a few day^ and then set off for Skcuesborough, upon Lake Champlaui, in a carriage hired for the purpose. The hiring of this vehicle was a matter attend- ed V, ith some trouble, and detained us longer in th;' town than we wished to stay. Ther« were only two carriages to be had in the whole placf , and the owners having an understanding with «ach others auu thinking that we should 1 1 i i f f t 1 ■'' A'^./ .Mf- /: .>/f,w/.»*'w urft^^ be po for gu to< exo Alt sub Tielc one bis we i E abou Oohc in tl] rise after diseir ahoui Fall 1! The jards ; arid fr fiftj fe from nearly Varies i Water acends COHOZ PAH. g^ be forced to give whatever price thev asked pos.. vely refused to let us haveeither of thei lor less tlian seventy dollars, equal to fifteen g..,„eas We on our part as positively rei c„.p, „,h, demand which we knew t obi «orb.ta„t, and resolved to wait patiently i„ sublif . "7 "*'■" "'""'^y-"'"'' -"'"than submu to such an imposition. The fellows leld out fi,r two days, but at the end of that tin,e, one of them came to tell us ,.e might have h.s c^nage for half the price, and accLlingly ah„!,rl^*\' next morning we set off, „nd i„ about two hours arrived at the small village of Cohoz, close to which is the remarkable Fall r:JlT''''\^"''- -T'-"- takes L r. e to the north-east of Lake Oneida, and ateracourseofonehundredand forty mile, d.embogues in the Hudson or North River: Sll t" r; " "'""^ ^'"""^ The Cohoz fall .s about three miles distant from its mouth jards; a ledge of rocks extends quite across and from the top of them the water falls abou' my feet perpendicular; the line of the Fall f'om one side of the river to the othe.7 nearly straight. The appearance of this FaU vanes very much, according to the quantity of scend, ,„ an unbroken sheet from one bank T 2 • « ■I t 276 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA T to the Other, whilst at other times the greater part of the rocks are left uncovered. The rocks are of a remarkable dark colour, and so also t» the earth in the banks, which rise to a great height on either side. There is^ a very pleasing view of this cataract as you pass over the bridge across the river, about tlixee quarters of a mile lower down. From hence we proceeded along the banki of the Hudson River, through th. town of StiUwateiv which receives its name from the uncommon stillness of the river opposite to it, and late in the evening reached Saratoga, thirtv-five miles from Albany. This place contains about forty houses, and a Dutch re- formed church, but they are so scattered about that it lias not the smallest appearance of a town. ^ In this neighbourhood, upon the borders ot a marsh, aie several very remarkable mineral springs; one of them, in the crater of arock^ of a pyramidical form, about five feet in height, is particularly curious. This rock seems to have been formed by the petrifaction of tht water : all tlie other springs are Ukswise sur- rounded with petrifacUons of the same kind. The water in the principal spring, except at the beginning of the summer, when it regu- larly overflows, remains about eight inche* below the rim of the crater, and bubbles up SARATOGA. 877 « if boiling. The crater is nine inches in diameter. The various properties of the water have not been yet ascertained with any great accuracy; but it is said to be impregnated y^th a fossile acid and some .*.line substance • there is also a great portion of fixed air in it' An opportunity is here afforded for making some curious experiments. If animals fee put down into the crater ^ey will be immediately suffocated; but if not kept there too long, they recover again «pon being brought into the open air. If a lighted candle be put d«wn, the flame will be extiuguished in an instant, and not €ven the smallest spark left in the wick. If the water immediately taken from the «pnng be put into abottle, closely corked, and then shaken, cither the cork will be forced out With an explosion, or the bottle will be broken; but if left in an open vessel, it be- comes vai)id in less than half an hour The water is very pungent to the taste, and acts as a cathartic on some people, as an emetic on others. Of the works thrown up at Saratoga by the British and American armies during the war, there are now scarcely any remains. The country round about is well cultivated, and the trenches have been mostly levelled by the plough. We here crossed the Hudson River I |:| 2T8 TRAVELS THRf'UGH NORTH AMERICA ! and proceeded along its eastern shore as far a« Fort Edward, where it is lost to the view, for the road still runs on towards the north, whilst the river takes a sudden bend to the west. Fort Edward vas dismantled prior to tlio late American war ; but the opposite armies, durinfjj that unhappy contest, were both in the neighbourhood. Many of the people, ■whom we found living here, hnd served us soldiers ia the army, and told us a number of interesting particulars relative to several cveuL* which happened in this quarter. The landlord of the tavern where we stoppetl, for one, I'e- lated all the circumstances attending Mm M'Crea's death, and pointed out on a hill, not far from the house, the very spot where she was raurder«d by the Indians, and the place of her interment. This b(>autiful young lady had been engaged to an ollicer in General Burgoyne's army, who, anxious for her safety^ as there were several marauding parties going about the neighbourhood where .she lived, sent a party of trusty Indians to escort her to the canjp. These Indians had partly executed V their commission, and were approaching v^ith their charge in sight of the British cataip, when they were met by another set of Indians belonging to a different tribe, that was also attending the British army at this time. In a few miuutes it became a matter of dispute TORT EDWARD. 279 IxjtAreen them, which should have the honour of conducting her to the camp : from words they came to blows, and blood was on the point of being drawn, when one of their chiefg, to setttle the matter witliout farther mischief, went up to Mm M'Crea, and killed her on the spot with a Mow of his tomaliawk. The object of contention being- thus removed, the Indians returned quietly to fhe camp. The enormity of the crime, however, was too great not to attract public notice, and it turned tlie minds of every person against the Indiums, who had not before witnessed their ferocity on occasions equally shocking to humanity. The imp(.licy of employing such barbarians was now 8iiOugly rcpiobated, and in a short time afterwards most of them were dismissed from our army. Foit Kdward stands near the river. The tow« of the same name, is at the distance of one or two hundred ,aids from it, and con- tains about twenty houses. Thus far we bad got on tolerably well; but frr)m hence to Fo.t Anne, which was also dismantled prior to the late war, the road is most wretched, particularly over a long causeway between the two forts, formed origiuully for the transport- ing of cannon, the soil, here being extremely raoisl and heavy. The causeway consists of large trees laid side by side transversely, some I) 580 TRATEL8 THROUGH NORTH AMERICA! of which having decayed, great intervals are left, wherein the wheels of the carriage were sometimes locked so fast that the horses alone could not possibi J extricate them. To have remained in the carriage oyer this part of the yoad vould really have been a severe punish- ment ; for although boasted of as being the very best in Albany, it had no sort of springs, and wfw in fa<'t little better than a common waggon ; we therefore alighted, took our guns, and amused ourselves with shooting as we walked along through the woods. The woods here had a much mora majestic appearance than any that we had before met with on our way from Philadelphia; this, however, was owing more to the great height than to the thickness of the trees, for I could not see one that appeared more than thirty inches iq diar meter ; indeed, in general, the girt of the trees in the woods of America is but very small in proportion to their height, and trifling in com- parison of that of the forest trees in Great Britain. The thickest tree I ever saw in the cpuntry was a sycamore, which grew upon the bank of the Skenandoah River, just at its junction w jth the Patowmac, in a bed of rich earth, close to the w^.ter ; yet this tree was no more than about four feet four inches in dia- meter. On <,l»e low grounds in Kentucky, and on somW ifiSf "the bottoms in the western WOODi. , gSl territory, it is said that trees are commonly to be met with seven and eight feet in diameter. Where this is the case, the trees must certainly grow much farther apart than they do in the woods in the middle states, towards the At- lantic, for. there they spring up so very close to eacii other, that it is absolutely impossible f )r them to attain to a great diameter. The woods here were composed chiefly of oaks*, hiccory, hemlock, and beKzi. ♦rees, intermixed with which appeared rreit n m- bers of the smooth bark or Weyioo.ilh pi, es, as they are called, that seem almost TK^culiar to this part of the country. A profusion of wild raspberries were growing in the wooda here, really of a very good flavour ; they are commonly found in the woods to the north- ward of this ; in Canada they abound every where. Beyond Fort Anne, which is situated at the distance of eight miles from Fort Edward, the roads being better, we once more mounted into our vehicle; but the miserable horses, quite jaded, now made a dead stop; in vain the driver bawled, and stamped, and swore; his whip had been previously worn out some hours, owing to the frequent use he had made of it, and the animals no longer feeling * There are upwards of twenty different kiods of oaks America. in ^§3 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA I its heavy iasb, seemed as determined as the Wiules of the abbess of Andouilles to go no farther. In ibis situation wc could not help bantering the fellow upon the excellence of his cattle, which he bad boasted so much of at setting out, and be was ready to cry with vexa- tion at what we said ; but having accidentally mentioned the sum we bad paid for the car- Tiage, bis passion could no longer be restrain- ed, and it broke forth in all its fury. It ap- peared that be was the owner of two of the horses, and for the use of them, and for driv- ing the carriage, was to have had one half of the hire ; but the man whom he had agreed with, and paid at Albany, bad given him only ten dollars as bis moiety, assuring him, at the^ same time, that it wa8 exactly the half of what we had given, although in reality it fell short of the sum by seven dollars and a half. Thus cheated by bis companion, and left m the lurch by bis bovses, he vowed vengeance against him on his return ; but as protestations of this nature would not bring us any sooner to our Journey's end, and as it was necessary that s. meth.ng should h^ immediately done, if we did not wish to remain all night in the woods, we sMggesled the idea, in the mean time, of iiis conducting the foiemost horses as postilion, \vhilst one of our servanls should ddve the pair aexl to the wheel. This plan SKENESBOROUGH. 385 was not started with any degree of serious- ness, for we could not have supposed that a tall meagre fellow, upwards of six feet high, and clad in a pair of thin nankeen breeches, would very readily bestride the raw boned back of a horse, covered with the profuse exuda- tions which Ihe intense licat of the weather, and the hibonr the animat had crone through, net;essarily excited. As much tired, bow- ever, with our pleasantries asvve were of his vehicle, and thinking of nothing, I believe, but how he could best get rid of us, he eag«rly embraced the proposal, and accordingly, hav- ing furnished himself with a switch from the adjoining thicket, he mounted his hurnessed Rbsinante. In this style we proceeded; but more than once did our gigantic postilion tiirn round to bemoan the sorry choice he bad made; as often did we urge the necessity of ' getting out of the woods ; he could mak^ no answer; so jogging slowly along, we at last reached the little town of Skenesborough, much to the amusement of every one who beheld our equipag'e, and much to our own satis- faction ; for, owing to the various accidents we had met with, such as traces breaking, bridles slipping off the heads of the horses, and the noble horses themselves someiiuics slipping down, &c. &c. we had bi:en uo less 584; TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA*. than five houis in travelling the last twelve miles. Skencsborough stands just above the junc- tion of Wood Creek with South River, as it is called in the best maps, but which, by the people in the neighbourhood, is considered ai a part of Lake Champlain. At present there are only about twelve houses in the place ; but if the navigation of Wood Creek is ever opened, so as to connect Lake Champlain with th3 North River, a scheme which has already been seriously thought of, it will, doubtless, soon become a trading town of con- siderable importance, as all the various pro- ductions of the shores of the lake will then be collected there for the New York and Al- bany markets. Notwithstanding all the dis- advantages of a land carriage of forty miles to the North River, a small portion of flour and pot-ash, the staple commodities of the state of New York, is already sent to Skencs- borough from different parts of the lake, to be forwarded to Albany, A considerable trade also is carried on through this place, and over Lake Champlain, uetween New York and Ca- nada. Furs and horses principally are sent from Canada, and in return they get East In- dian goods and various manufactures. Lake Charaplain opens a very ready communica- MUSQUITOES. 2Sb lion between New York and the country bor- dering on the St. Lawrence; it is emphatically called by the Indians, Caniad— Eri Guarunte, the mouth or door of the country. Skenesborough is most dreadfully infested with musquitoes ; so many of them attacked us the first night of our sleeping there, that when we arose in the morning our faces and hands were covered all over with large pus- tules, precisely like those of a person in the imall pox. This happened too, notwithstand- ing that the people of the house, before we went to bed, had taken all the pains possible to clear the room of them, by fumigating it with the smoke of green wood, and afterwards se- curing the windows with gauze blinds; and even on the second night, although we de- stroyed many dozens of them on the walls^ after a similar fumigation had been made, yet we suffered nearly as much. These ineecti were of a much larger size than any I ever saw elsewhere, and their bite was uncommonly ▼enomous. General Washington told me, that he never was so much annoyed by mus- quitoes in any part of America as in Skenesbo- rough, for that they used to bite through the thickest boot. The situation of the place is indeed peculiarly favourable for them, being just on the margin of a piece of water, al- most stagnant, and shaded with thick woods. SS6 TRAVELS THnOUGlI NORTH AMERICA I The musquito is of the same species with th«5 common gnat in England, and resembles it very closely both in size and shape. Like the gnat, it lays its eggs on the surface of the water, where they are hatched in the course of a few days, unless the water h a-itated, in which last case they are all dc- ftroyed. From the egg is produced a grub, which changes to a chrysalis, atid afterwards to a musquito ; this last change takes place on the surface of the water, and if at the mo- ment that insect first spreads iis wings the water is not perfectly still and the air calm, it will be intvitably destroyed ; at those parts of the lake, therefore, which are most ex- posed, and where the water is oftenest agitated, no such thing as a musquito is ever seen ; neither are they ever found along a large and rapid river, where the shores arc lofty and dry; but in the neighbourhood of marshes, low grounds, and stagnant waters, they always abound. Musquitoes appear to be particularly fond of tlie fresh blood of Europeans, who al- ways suffer much more the first year of their arrival in America than tliey do afterwards. The people of the country seem quite to dis- regard their attacks. Wherever they fix their sting, a little tumor or pustule usually arises, supi>o!;cd to bo occasioned by the fermentation when mixed v,ith the blood, of a small quan- Mrs QUITO ES» ' gSt tity of liquor which the insect always injects into the wound it makes with its spicula, as may be seen through a microscope, and which it probably does to render the blood more fluid. The disagreeable itching this excites, is most effectually allayed by the application of vola- tile alkali; or if the part newly stung be scratched and immediately baihed in cold wa- ter, that also affords considerable relief; but after the venom bus been lodged for any time, scratching only increases the itching, and it may be attoaded with great danger. Repeated instances have occurred of people having been laid up for months, and narrowly escaping the loss of a limb^ from imprudently rubbing a part which had been bitten for a long time. Great ease is also derived from opening the pustules on the second day with a lancet, and letting out the blood and watery matter. 288 TRAVELS THROUGH NC ftTH AMERICA LETTER XXI. Embark on Lake Champlain.-^ Difficultly of procuring Provisions at Farms hordering upon it.— Ticoiideroga.— Crown Point.--" Great Beauty of the Scefieri/.— General De- ULTiption of Lake Champlain and the adja- cent Country. — Captain Thomas and 1m Indians arrive at Croivn Point. -^Character of Thomas. '- Reach St. John.'— Description of that Placer -G'\ at Dlivvrence ohseriahle in the Face of :h Country, Inhabitants, ^c. in Canada and in the States. — Chambly Castle.— Calashes.— Sons Dieux.—Town of La Prarie.— Great Rapidity of the River Saint Lawrence. — Cross to Montreal.— Astonishment on seeing large Ships at Mont- real.'-Great Depth of the Rive Montreal, July. SHORTLY after our arrival in Skencsbo- rough, we hired a small boat of about ten tons for the purpose of crossing Lake Cham- plain. It wais our wish to proceed on the voyage immediately ; but the owner of the boat asserting that it was impossible to go out with the wind then blowing, we were for thre» days detained in Skenesborough, a deli- 4>iouR feist for the bo igry musquitoes. The lAKE CHAM?LAm. Jgg ^ind shifted again and again, still it was not »air m the opinion of our boatman. At last oe..g most heartily tired of our quarters, and <'us-„.,t.„g that he did not understand his b„- "TT '™" "' '" '"'^'" '» '■"« d«»e> we re- ceived not to abide by his opinion any longer, but to make an attempt at beating out; and we had great reason to be pleased with' having . orks v.'^s destroyed; since the evacuation of it also, the people in the neighbourhood have been continually digging in difTcrent parts, in hopes of procuring lead and iron shot; a considex- able quantity was in one instance got out of the stores that had been buried by the explosion. The vaults, which were bomb-proof, have been demolished for the sake of the bricks for building chimneys. At the south side alone the ditches remain perfect; they are wide and deep, and cut througb immense rocks of lime- stone ; and from being overgrown towards the cuowN roiNT. §95 top with different kinds of shrubs, liavf a i^rand and picturesque appearance. The view" rora this spot of the fort, and the old buildings in it overirrovvn with ivj, of the lake, and of the distant mountains beyond it, is irnJeed altogc- tlior very fine. The fort and seven hundred acres of good cleared land adjoining to it, are the property of the statcof New York, andare leased out at the rate of one hundred and fiflj dollais, equal to 831. 10,. sterliiig per an- niiui, which is appropriated for the use of a college. The farmer who rented it told us, he principally made use of the land for graz- ing cattle ; these, in the winter season, when the lake was frozen, he drove over the ice to Albany, and there disposed of. Crowii Point is the most advantageous spot on the shores of Lake Champlaio for a mili- tary post, not hein- commanded by any rising grounds in the neighbourhood, as Ticonderogt js; and as tb( lake is so narrow here, owing to another pouit running out on the opposite side, that it would be absolutely impossible for a vessel to pass, without being exposed to the fire of the fort. The Indians call this place T(>k-ya-.dough>nigarigee, that is, the two points imnu'diately opposite to each other : the one opposite to Crown Point is called Chimney Point : upon it are a few houses, one of which is a tavern. While we staid there we w€r« 396 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA! very agreeably surprised, for the first time, with the sight of a large birch canoe upon the lake, navigated by two or three Indians in the drerses of their nation. They made for the shore and soon landed ; and shortly after another party, amounting to six or seven, arrived, that had come by land. On board our little vessel we had a poof Canadian, whom we took in at Skenesborough. Tempted by the accounts he had heard of the United States, he quitted his own home in Canada, where he lived under one of the seigniors ; and had gone as far as Albany, in the neighbourhood of which place he had worked for some time with a farmer: but finding, that although he got higher wages, he had to pay much more for his pro- visions than in Canada, and that be was also most egregiously cheated by the people, and particularly by his employer, from whom he could not get even the money he had earned ; finding likewise that he was unable to procure any redress, from being ignorant of the Eng- lish language, the poor fellow determined to return to Canada, and on his way thiiher w€ met him, without a shilling in his pocket. Having asked this little fellow, as we s: i'cd along, some questions about the Indians, he immediately gave us a long account of a Cap- tain Thomas, a chief of the Cachenonaga na- CAPTAIN THOMAS. 297 tion, in the neighbourhood of whose village he said he lived. Thomas, he told us, was a very rich man, and had a most excellent house, in which he said he lived as well as a seignior, and he was sure we should be well received if we v/ent to see him ; he told us also tbat he had built a church, and was a christian ; that he was very charitable, and that if he were ac- quainted with h'> present distress he would certainly make him a present of four or five dollars. " Oh je vous assure, messieurs, que " c'est un bon sauvage." It was impossible not to smile at the little Canadian, who, half naked himself, and nearly as dark as a mulatto, concluded his panegyric upon Thomas, by assuring us, ''he was a good savage;" at the tame time we felt a strong desire to behold this chief, of whom we had heard so much. It was not long before we were gratified, for the party of Indians that arrived whilst we wore at Chim- ney Point were from the Cachenonaga village, and at their head was Captain Thomas. Thomas appeared to be about forty-five years of age; he was nearly six feet high, and very bulky in proportion : this is a sort of make uncommon among the Indians, who are gene- rally slender. He was dressed like a white man, in boots ; his hair untied, but cut short ; the people who attended him were all in tlie Indian habit. Not one of his followers could k S98 TRATEtS TimOtTCta ^ORTH AMERICA t speak a word of English or French ; Thoma^^ however, could himself speak both languages. Eno-lish he spoke with some little hesitation, and not correctly ; but French seemed as fa- miliar to him as his native tongue. His prin- cipal attention seemed to be directed towards trade, which he had pursued with great suc- cess, so much so, indeed, that, as we after- wards heard, he could get credit in any store in Montreal for five hundred pounds. He had along with him at Chimney Point thirty horses, and a quantity of furs in the canoe, which he Avas taking for sale to Albany. His people, he told us, had but very few wants ; he took core to have these always supplied ; in return they brought him furs, taken in hunting; they attended his horses, and voluniarily accom- panied him when he went on a trading expe- dition : his profits therefore must be immense. During the course of conversation he told us, that if we came to see him he would make us Tery happy ; that there were some very hand- some squaws* in his \lllage, and that each of us should have a wife ; we promised to visit him if it was in out power, and parted very j^ood frwnds Thomas, as we afterwards found, is not a man respected among the Indians in ge- neral, who think much more of a chief that is ft good warrior and hunter, and that retains th« • Female h\dkin«. LAKE CHAMPLAIN. 295 habits of his nation, than of one that becomes a trader, and assimilates his manners to those of the whites. Lake Champlain is about one hundred and twenty mih's in length, and is of various breadths : for tlie first thirty miles, that is, from South River to Crown Point, it is in no place more than two miles wide ; bejond this, for the distance of twelve miles, it is five or six miles across, but then again it narrows, and again at the end of a few miles expands. That part called tlie Broad Lake, because broader than any other, commences about twenty-five miles north of Crown Point, and is eiditeen miles across in the widest part. Here the lake is interspersed with a great number of islands, the largest of which, formerly called G'rarwk; Isle, now South Hero, is fifteen miles in lengthy and, on an average, about four in breadth. The soil of this island is fertile, and it is said that five hundred people are settled upon it. The Broad Lake is nearly fifty miles in length, and gradually narrows for the boatman, although he was more anxious to get to St. John's than any one of us, and though he had himself in some measure induced us to go on, was so sleepy that he could not keep his eyes open. Re- lieving each other at the helm, we reached St. John's by day-break; one hundred and fifty miles distant from Skenesborough. Immediately on our landing we were con- ducted to the guard house, where we had to deliver to the serjeant on duty, to be by him forwarded to the commanding officer, an ac- count of our names, occupation, and place of abode, the strictest orders having been issued by the governor not to suffer any Frenchmen or other foreigners, or any people who could not give an exact account of their business ia Canada, to enter into the country. St. John's is a garrison town ; it contains about fifty miserable wooden dwellings, and barracks, in which a whole regiment is gene- rally quartered. The fortificatioas are entirely out of order, m much so that it wouai be cheaper to erect fresh work than to attempt to repair them. There is a king^s dock yard here, well stored with timber, at least when we saw it ; but in the course of the summer, after the armed brig which I mentioned was Uid up, all the timber was sold otf. The old Jiulks of several vessels of force were lying J'liHUheU Xevftc'^ /-OS MSMocUA^X^ Pi.; *st... t 'f '/ .Vfiirii'f iioS t,y J.Stofl<«Jnlc rtc,\uiUiy. ..v^" IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT.3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 1^ 2.5 2.2 2£ 1.8 U ill 1.6 •^ ^^ <^ Photographic Sdences Corporation m? m. ''- 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 '^^ ^ fc ^ opposite crease of Canada, i British p The C( very bare 1788 hav edall the of tbenei< ly during At St. . lar to tho! and set of banks of rect road but the in( ^hy Chamb account o the Frenc rapids in little distal jacent coi whole tog( The casth garrison is As you after havin over Lake cioly femii YOL. I. uM(y. .vv'^ CHAMBLt. 303 opposite the yard. In proportion to the in- crease of trade between New York and Lower Canada, this town must improve, as it is the British port of entry on Lake Champlain. The country about St. John's is flat, and very bare of trees, a dreadful fire in the year 1788 having done great mischief, and destroy- ed all the woods for several miles : in some parts of the neighbourhood the people suffer extreme- ly during winter from t!ie want of fuel. At St. John's we hired a light waggon, simi- lar to those made use of in the United States, and set off about noon for La Prairie, on the banks of the river St. Lawrence. By the di- rect road this is only eighteen miles distant ; but the most agreeable way of going thither is •by Chambly, which is a few miles farther, on account of seeing the old castle built there by the French. The castle stands close to the rapids in Chambly or Sorell River, and at a • little distance has a grand appearance ; the ad- jacent country also being very beautiful ; the whole together forms a most interesting scene. The castle is in tolerably good repair, and a garrison is constantly kept in it. As you travel along this road to La Prairie, after having just arrived Trom the United States over Lake Champlain, a variety of objects for- cibly remind you of your having got iato a YOL. I. X 303 TRAVELS Til KOUGIl LOWER CANADA: new country. The British flaj^, the soldiers on duty, the French inhabitants running about in their red nightcaps, the children coming to the doors to salute you as you pass, a thing un- known in any part of the United States; the compact and neat exterior appearance of the houses, the calashes, the bons dieux, the large Roman Catholic churches and chapels, the con- vents, the priests in their robes, the nuns, the friars, all serve to convince you, that you are no longer in any part of the United States : the language also diflers, French being here univer- sally spoken. The calash "is a carriage very generally used in Lower Canada ; there is scarcely a farmer indeed in the country who does not possess one : it I J a sort of one horse chaise, capable of hold- ing two people besides the driver, who sits on a kind of box placed over the foot board ex- * pressly for his accommodation. The body of the calash is hung upon broad straps of leather, round iron rollers that are placed behind by means of which they are shortened or lengthen- ed. On each side of the carriage is a little door about two feet high, whereby you enter it, and which is useful when shut, in prevent- ing any thing from slipping out. The harness for the horse is always made in the old French taste, extremely heavy ; it is studded with brass m miwim ('! '''^ t/,/^ ^^SK^i;^<^>^^:?^^.cc^ rA:N:AUTAl>r rALA«H or MARCHF.-.Dt » -^ - <>. 1 ■'■'/'/r ywn, %tru^ . tiaits^ an aniall be but to p.: Theb •ometimc placed o liighlj 01 pass they waj maki La Pra one hiind or two the real. Montrc name, on reiice to t] somewhat nine miles »ni!es and prodigious asjou cro stream J in impetuosit' save them j this would 1 not uiicomn the most de? at the mana After such rence, it wa •"""•RIAL, 307 »malMl.ofn„„«,thatIcouIdeverdiKover but to f nnoy the passenger. IV bonsdieuxare large wooden crucifixes, .omefmes upwards of twenty feet in height placed on the hin-hwav «„.„« e ,u l„„hi, ' '"S""")'. some of them are l"ghlj ornamented and painted : as the people pass they pull off their hats, or in some other way make obeisance to them. oJ^l^T'^t" '' '*^'"'*''''"« ^o-tains about one hundred houses Afi.r ..„ ■ orfwn.l. .' ^"" ''"PP'ng an hour oHwo there, we embarked in a bateau for Mont- Montreal i, situated on an island of the same name, on the opposite side of the river St. Law- rence to that on which La Prairie stands, but somewnat lower down. The two towns are nine miles apart, and the river is about two •niles and a quarter wide. The current here, is prod,g,ousIy strong, and in particular places as you cross, the boats are hurried down the stream, ,n the midst of large rocks, with «,ch impetuosity that it seems as if nothing could me them from being d. hed to piece, ; indeed this would certainly be the case, if the men were not uncommonly expert ; but the Canadians are the most dexterous people perhaps in the world at the management of bateaux in rapid rivers. Alter such a prospect of the River St. Law- rence, It was not without astonishment that on x3 SOS ^TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA- approaching the town of Montreal, we beheld ships of upwards of four hundred tons burthen Ijing close to the shore. The difficulties which vessels have to encounter in getting to Mont- real arc immense ; I have myself seen thcra with all their sails set, and with a smart and favourable breeze, stationary for an hour to- gether in the stream, unable to stem it, between * the island of St. Helene and the main land, just below the town : to stem the current at this place, it is almost necessary that the vessel should be aided by a storm. The ascent is equally difficult in several other parts of the liver. Owing to this it is, that the passage from Quebec to Montreal is generally more tedious than that across the Atlantic; those ships, therefore, which trade between Europe and Montreal never attempt to make more than one voyage during the year. Notwith- standing the rapidity of the stream, the chan- nel of the river is very deep, and in particular just opposite to the town. The largest mer- chant vessels can there lie so close to the banks, which are in their natural state, that you may nearly touch them with your hand as you stand on the shore. ( 20J ) LETTER XXII. Description of the Town of Mont mil. —Of the public J^uildings.^aiurchcfi.— Funeral Ce- rcmonics.-^Convents. — Barracks.— Fortify cations.— Inhabitants mostlij French.— Tlieir Cliaracter and Manners,— Charming Fros^ pects in the Neighbourhood of the Ihu'n.— Amuscuients during Snmwcr.— Parties of Fkasnre up the Mountain.— Of the Fur Trade— The Manner in which it is carried on.^Great Enterprise of the North IVeU Companij of Merchants. ^Sketch of Afr, M'Kcnsie's Expeditions over land to the Pacific Ocean.-— Dijf'ercnccs Ictwecn the Xorth West and Hudson's Bay Company. Montreal, July, THE town of Montreal was laid out pur- suant to the orders of one of the kings of France ; which were, that a town should be built as high up on the St. Lawrence as it -. e possible for vessels to ^o by sea. In fixing npon the spot where it stands, his commands were complied with, in the strictest sense. The town at present contains about twelve hun- dred houses, whereof five hundred onlj are within the walls ; the rest are in the suburbs, which commence from the north, east, and west 310 TRAVELS THROrCH LOWER CANADA : gates: the bouses in tlie suburbs are mostly built of woodj but the others are all of stone ; non« of them are elep;ant, but i'lere arrniany very comfortaltle habitations. In the lower part of the town, towards the river, where most of the shops stand, they have a very p;loomy appear- ance, and look like so many prisons, being all furnished at the outside with sheet iron shut- ters to the doors and windows, which are re- gularly closed towards eveninc;, in order to guard against fire. The town has sufieied by fire very materially at different times, and the inhabitants have such a dread of it, that all who can afford it, cover the roofs of their houses with tin plates instead of shingles. By law they are obliged to have one or more ladders in proportion to the size of the house, always ready on the roofs. The streets are all very narrow; three of them run parallel to the river, and these are intersected by others at righl angles, but not at regular distances. On the side of the town farthest from the river, and nearly between the northern and southern extremi- ties, there is a small square, called La Place d'Armes, which seems originally to have been left open to the wails on one side, audio have been intended for the military to exercise in ; the troops, however, never make use of it now, but parade on a long walk, behind the walls. MONTR EAl, :n\ ncaivr to tlic barracks. On the opposUr sid,. of the town, towards the wafer, is another small •quarc where the market is held. There are six churches in Montreal ; one for English Episcopalians, one for Presljyterians, and four for Roman Catholics. The cathedral church belonging to the latter, which occu- pies one side of La Place d'Arinos, is a very spacious building, and contains five altars, all very richlj decorated. The doors of this ca- thedral are left open the greater part of the Having ascended the Utawas River for ahout two hundred and eighty miles, which it takes them about eighteen days to perform, they then cross by a portage into Lake Nispissing, and from this lake by another portage they get upon French River, that falls into Lake Huron on the north-east side ; then coasting along this last lake they pass through the Straits of St. Mary, where there is another portage into Lake Su- perior; and coasting afterwards along the shores of Lake Superior, they come to the Grand Portage on the north-west side of it; from hence by a chain of small lakes and rivers they proceed on to the Rainy Lake, to the Lake of the Woods, and for hundreds of miles beyond it through Lake Winnipeg, &c. The canoes, however, which go so far up the country, never return the same year; those intended to bring back cargoes imme- diately, stop at the Grand Portage, where the furs are collected ready for them by the agents . of the company. The furs are made up in packs of a certain weight, and a particular number is put into each canoe. By knowing thus the exact weight of every pack, there can be po embezzlement ; and at the portages there is no time wasted in allotting to each M'KENZIeV EXPEDITIONS. S2l man his load, every one being obliged to carrj so many packs. At the Grand Portage, and along that im- mense chain of lakes and river., which extend beyond Lake Superior, the company has »- gular posts, where the agents reside ; and with suoh astonishing enterprize and industry have the affairs of this company been carried on, that trading posts are now established withia fiv« hundred miles of the Pacific Ocean. One gentleman, indeed, a partner in the house at Montreal, which now holds the greatest part of the shares of the company, has eve. pene- trated to the Pacific Ocean itself. The jour- nal kept by this gentleman upon the expedi- tion IS, ,t ,s said, replete with information of the most interesting nature. That it has not been laid before the public long ago, together with an accurate map of his track, is to be imputed solely to an unfortunate misunder. .landing which took place between him and a noble lord high in the confidence of govern- mentp In the fi„t attempt which this adventurou. gentleman a Mr. M'Kenxie, made to pene- trate to the ocean, he aet out early iu the •pring from the remotest of the ports belonj^ ■ngto the company. He took with "him , .mgle canoe, and a party of chosen men ,• and atter passing over prodigious Uacts of land 323 TRAVELS tHROUGH LOWER CAMADAI nfeyer before traTersed by any white person, at last came to a large river. IJero tlie canoc which was carried by the men on their shoulders, was launched, aud haviii{^ all cin- i barked, they proceeded do w a the streu«ii..>:i. . j From the course thi* river took foi- a vcty great distance, Mr. M'Kenzie was led to imagine that it was oue of those rivers he' was' J in quest of ; namely, oue which emptied itself ; into tim Pacific Ocean i. but at th . that they might have sufficient stores to sup-ua port them -through that dreary season. Mti--^ m'XENziir's rxPFDiTioxs. 3J3 M-Kcn/icv rcprcseuled tl« ,„,titer. i„ ii,„ „„„t open ter,,.,, t., hi, n>r„. an.l left il t„ tliem- «;»ves t.. tfin„i„o tl,e part tl.ey would take.' 'ne , , e for goin^ Imck at all lizards ; and (lie ftipiids ill • loiiteiid wi, returning, Wl The secBiid was, that they reached their 1 The difficulties they had to 1 Ihv. exertions tlicy made iu nost surpa-wins Iwlief. .; ,H Mr M.r< • '"-■'''*«•» <^n*<='-od upon by, JVl.. iU feen^ie, and which succeeded to his "■«).<«, M-a.,. undertaken about tl„x:c years ago. , Id ;;'"'*'" ■""'""■""""' '^•''-''^»- • '»«"atliewantofi„tJ,efii.fe™ditio„. He wa« «tremely well f.^niahed this time with -..onon,,,,,, instrni„en.s, and i„ particular - I a Jjood time-piece, that he procured from I*..do„: He took a course .oinewhat dif-t f«reni from, the fhst, and passed through many ™7 "^'-''---W never heforesu, face of a white n.an, a„,„.g,t son.e of. but he found „,e..ns at lart to conciliate their •• Sood will F,„„, ,„„„ „f ^,,^^^ j^^.^^^ Wned that t|..re was a ridge of „.o.,„,ains •'»■•■> Iteld (!,sta,K.e, heyond which the rivcr. all ■ .an ,„ a western direction. I|„,iK^ critra^ed-^ """:/ "'- "-for, fo. guided iie'^p::: .ame. to the niounfuius, and after a.coiidi ' V '■^ 32* TRAV^ ^ Tf ^U«ll lOWim CANADA : theni m\\i , lOo sTioiis labour found, to his great satisfaction, lait the account lh< Indians had given was true, and that the rivoi'§ on the op^tt« side did indeci! all un to the west. He Wlowpd the course of one of them, and finally came («- the Pacific Ocean, no far from Nootka Sound. Here he was given to understand by the na- tives, and their account was confirmed by the light of some little articles they had amongst them, that an English vessel had quitted the coast only six weeks before. This was a great mortification to Mr. M'Kenzie ; for had there been a ship on the coast, he would most gladly have embarked in it rather than encounter the fame difficulties, and be exposed to the same perils, which he had experienced in getting there; however there was no alternative; he set out after a short time on his journey back again, and having found his canoe quite safe under some bushes, near the head of the river, where he had hid it, together with some pro- visions, left on going down to the coast, lest the natives might have proved unfriendly, and have cut off his retreat by seizing upon it, he finally arrived at one of the trading posts in security. When I was at Montreal, Mr. M'Kenzie was not there, and I never hftd au opportunity ^7 seeing him afterwards. What I have heiTt ^ UtA rp.?pecting his two expe- HUDSON BAV. 325 ditioni is the substance, to the best of my re- collection, of what I hearu from his partncri. Man/ other individuals belonging to the North West Company, before Mr. M'Kenzie set out, penetrated far into the country in dif- ferent directions, and much beyond what any person had done before them, in order to establish posts. In some of these excursions they f«ll ill witli the agents of the Hudson's Bay Companjr vho were also extending their post? •; n another quarter: this unexpected meeting between the two companies, at one time gave rise to some very unpleasant alter- cations, and the Hudson's Bay Company threat- ened the other with an immediate prosecution for an infringement of its charter. By its charter, it seems, the Hudson's Bay Company was allowed the exclusive privilege of tradin- to the Bay, and along all the nverg «nd waters connected with it. This charter, however, wasgr;jutedata timewhen the north- ern parts of the continent were much less known than they are now, for to have the ex- clusive trade along all the waters connected with Hudson's Bay was, literally speaking, to have the exclusive trade of the greater part of the continent of North America. Hudson's Bay by a variety of rivers and lakes, is closely con- nected with Lake Superior, and from that chain of lakes, of which Lake Superior is one. 32(5 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWIR CANVDA! there is a water communication throughout all Canada, and a verj' great part of the United States ; however, when the agents of the North-west Company were fixing trading posts upon some rivers which ran immediately into Hudson's Bay, it luidoubtedly appeared to be an infringem'.'nt of the charter, and so in- deed it nuist strictly have been, had not tho Hudson's Bay Company itself infringed its own charter in the first instance, or at least neg- lected to comply with all the stipulations contained therein. A clause seems to have been in the charter, which, at the same time that it granted to the company the exclusive privilege of trading to Hudson's Bay, and along all the waters connected with it, bound it to erect a new post twelve miles farther to the westward every year, otherwi'^t: the char- ter was to become void. Tins had npt been done ; the North-west Company therefore rested perfectly easy about the menaces of a prosecution, satisfied that the otlier company did not in fact legally possesss those privileges to which it laid claim. The Hudson's Bay Company, though it threatened, never indeed attempted to put its threats into execution, well knowing the weak ness of its cause, but contiiiued nevertheless to watch the motions of its rival with a most jealous ejre i and as in exteuding their respect- TBAUING CGMPANIES. T^X^T 327 'ive trades; the posts of the two companies were approximating nearer and nearer to each other every year, tliere was great reason to imagine that their differences, instead of abating, would become still greater than thej were, and finally, perhaps, lead to consequences of the most serious nature. A circumstance, however, unexpectedly took place, at a time when the greatest enmity subsisted between the parties, which happily reconciled them to each other, and terminated all their disputes. Avery powerful nation of Indians, called the Assiniboins, who inhabit an extended tract of country to the south-west of Lake Winni- peg, conceiving that the Hudson's Bay Com- pany had encroached unreasonably upon their territories, and had otherwise maltreated a part of their tribe, formed the resolution of instantly destroying a post established by that company in their neighbourhood. A la;ge body of them soon collected together, and breathing the fiercest spirit of revenge, marched unperceived and unsuspected by the party against whom their expedition was planned, till within a short distance of their post. Here they halted ac- cording to custom, waiting only for a favour- able moment to pounce upon their prey. Some of the agents of the North-west Company, however, who were scattered about this partof tbe country, fortunately P-nf i'nft.lliov.,w.« «f4i...;« 328 TRATKLS THROUftR LOWER CANADA : design. They knew the weakness of the place about to be attacked, and forgetting the rival- ship subsisting between them, and thinking only how to save their countrymen, they im- mediately dispatched a messenger to give the party notice of the assault that was meditated ; they at the same time sent another messenger to one of their posts^ desiring that instant fuccour might be sent to that belonging to the Hudson Bay Company, which the Indians were about to plunder. The detachment arrived before the attack commenced, and the Indians were repulsed ; but had it not been for the timrfy assistance their rivals had afforded^ the Hudson Bay people were fully persuaded that they must have fallen victims to the fury of the Indians. This single piece of service was not under- Talued or forgotten by those who had been saved ; and as the Nerth-west Company was so much stronger, and on so much better terms with the Indians in this part of the country than its rivals, it now evidently appeared to be the interest of the latter to have the posts of the North-west Company established as near its own as possible. This is accordingly done for their mutual safety, and the two companies are new on the most friendly terms, and continue to carry on their trade close to each other. About two thousand men arc employed by FUR TRADE. 329 the North-west Company in their posts in the upper country. Those who are stationed at the remote trading posts lead a very savage Jife, but little better indeed than that of In- dians : some of them remain far up in the country for four or five years together. The head clerk or principal agent generally marries an Indian girl, the daughter of some eminent chief, by which he gains in a peculiar manner the affections of the whole tribe, a matter of great importance. These marriages, as may be supposed, are not considered as very binding by the husband ; but that is nothing in the opinion of an Indian chief, who readily brings his sister or daughter to you ; at the same time he can only be appeased by blood if a person attemps to take any improper liberties with his wife. Amongst no people are the wives more chaste, or more devoted to their hus- bands. Besides the furs and pelts conveyed down to Montreal from the north-western parts of the continent, by means of the Utawas River, there are large quantities also brought there across the lakes, and down the River St. Lawrence. These are collected at the various towns and posts along the Lakes Huron, Erie, and Ontario, where the trade is open to all parties, the several posts being protected by regular troons. nf fhp AYnpn#>A of i^'^ »»r. t *'*1 TRAVELS THROUGIT tOWER CANADA: oltieiit. Added likewise to wliat are thus co)- ilected by the agents of tlie Conipaiiy, and oi 'jjjrivtite merchants, there are coasiderable (juaii- thies brought down to Montreal for sale by tpciders, on their own account. Some of these traders coine from parts as remote as the Illi- nois Country, bordering on the Mississippi, jThe3i' ascend the Mississippi as far as Onisconj ing River, and from that by a portage of thrcf^ miles get upon Fox River, which falls into Lake Michigan. In the fill of the year, us 1 have before mentioned, these two rivers oyer flow, and it is then sometimes practicable to pass in a light canoe from one river to the othfa*, witliout any portage whatsoever. From Lake Michigan they get upon Lake Huron, after- wards upon Lake Erie, and so on to the St. Lawrence, Before the month of September is over, the furs arc all brought down to Mon- treal ; as they arrive they are immediately ship- ped, and the vessels dispatched in October, beyond which month it would be dangerous for them to remain in the river on account of the setting in of winter. Furs are also shipped in considerable quan- tities at Quebec, and at the town of Trois Ri- vieres. These furs are brought down the rivers that fall into the St. Lawrence, on the uortU- sidcj by Lidians. C 331 3 LETTER XXIir: I '■1-yr Voijagc to Quebec down the St. Zawrende.^d J^ateau preferable to a Keel Bmt.—Tuwn of Sorelle. - Ship-building there. -Dcscriptim of Lake St. Pitrre.-Baliscon.-Charmihn- Scenery along the Banks if St. Lawrence. 1 hi what respect it differs from the Scenery along any other River in America. -Canadian Ilouses.-Skelch of tl,e Character and Man^ ners of the lower Classes of Canadians.- Their Superstition.-Anecdote.-St. ^tgustin Cal- vaire.— Arrive at Quebec, ,. Quebec, August. WE remained ia Montreal until the first day of August, when we set off in a bateau lor Quebec, about one hundred and sixty miles lower down the St. Lawrence. A bateau is a particular kind of boat, very generaiiy used upon the large rivers and lakes in Canada. The bottom of it is perfectly flat, and each cud is built very sharp, and exactly alike. The sides are about four Ccei higli, and for the con- venience of tne rowers, four or five benches are laid across, sometimes more, according to the length of the bateau. It is a very heavy awk- ward sort of vessel, either for rowiui^ or sailino- P: if tl 333 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CAW ADA t but it is preferred to a boat with a keel for two very obvious reasons; first, because it draws less water, at the same time that it carries a larger burthen ; and secondly, because it is much safer on lakes or wide rivers, where storms are frequent : a proof of this came under our observation the day of our leaving Montreal. We had reached a wide part of the river, and were sailing along with a favourable wind, when saddenly the horizon grew very dark, and a dreadful storm arose, accompanied with loud peals of thunder and torrents of rain. Before the sail could be taken in, the ropes which held it were snapped in pieces, and the waves began to dash over the sides of the bateau, though the water had been quite smooth five minutes before. It was impossible now to counteract the force of the wind with oars, and the bateau was consequently driven on shore, but the bottom of it being quite flat, it was carried smoothly upon the beach without sustaining any injury and the men leaping out drew it up on dry land, where we remained out of all danger till the storm was over. A keel boat, however, of the same size, could not have ap- proached nearer to the shore than thirty feet, and there it would have stuck fast in the sand, and probably have been filled with water. From being fitted up as it was, our bateau proved to be very pleasant conveyance : it was 80RELLE. S33 one of a large size, and over the widest part of it an oilcloth awning was thrown, supported by hoops similar to the roof of a waggon : thus a most excellent cabin was formed, large enough to contain half a dozen chairs and a table, and which, at the same time that it afforded shelter from the inclemency of the weather, was airy and sufficiently open to let us see all the beau- ties of the prospect on each shore to the'''^ greatest advantage. It was about eleven o'clock in the morning when we left Montreal, and at five in the afternoon we reached the town of Sorelle^ fifteen leagues distant. The current is very strong the whole way between the two plafcesi Sorelle stands at the mouth of the river of the same name, which runs from Lake Champlain into the St. Lawrence. It was laid out about the year 1787, aod on an extensive plan, witbo very wide streets and a large square, but at pre- sent it contains only one hundred houses, are alll ? very indifferent, and standing widely asunder. This is the only town on the St. Lawrence, between Montreal and Quebec, wherein Eogw lish is the predominant language. The inha- bitants coniist principally of loyalists from the ' United States, who took refuge in Canada. The chief business carried on here is that of ship-building ; there are several vessels annually launched from fifty to two hundred tons bur- 8 I I, # 35^^. TRAVELS THROIjiGai KfTWrER CANADA! iheii; th{i9eai'e floated ilotvn to Quebec, and there rigged. Ship-ibuilding is not carried on to so much advantage in Canada as might be inaagiucd, all tlie bolts and other articles of iroHi: the blocks, and the cordage, feeing; im- ported!; so.thatwhat is gained by ha\ingnex'* ceUcttt^triral^er on the spot is lost in bringing ovc*- these' different articles, which are so bulky, fr(>rtt Eerope. The^river of Sprcllie is deep at the mouth, and affords good shelter for ships ' froaj. the ice, at the brbuking up of winter ; it is .nbt navigable fiwr beyond the towU;, even in ■' b(^a(is,.(oti account of tlie rapids. .#/,wOo,tn.> ii. {11*6 ndxt moriririg we left SorelliSj fecyond whicfeipkice the St. Lawrence expands to »• g?e4Jt breadth. IJere it abounds with stkiill ■ islandsy.firittiAted so closely 'to each other, 'that ^ itiis impbseible. 'to riiiiik without astohishment o£ large vessels, like tliose that go to* Monti-cal pasgjpg betvveen them: the channel through tlifemr.is. very intricate. This wide part of thjB river is called Lac St. Pierre ; the greatest br,eadth of it is about four leagues and a half, and its length from the islands at the heart of the lake downwards about eight leagues. From hence to Quebec the river is in no place more than two miles across, and in some parts it narrows to the breadth of three quarters of a mile. The tide ebbs and flows in tlie river within a few leagues of Lac St. Pierre ; the the iiJitt^ltJiwfi iit \ihix:H(*dis.otit'frijia;i»,/.ph!^, vo«fttits:»'i(fiioliliii-iipri an Uhv sir. ,-r ,;r^ ^vrri iiti.tj2q.jSt>i Riihey the sdibrcfe>oiili,cachisido ; iHyi. i»,,'a-fnd tojmtfj ana dh;ihe.mmt\i^6asi,/si6(i' Ati(x>iilf«3o«ri^;iD%i]uj.,,.whoipim|ty)iirl0)^^id7toK liable river, Uke the St. Lawij^^^^e, vvindi»T^-,f^,, iHiiidfeds of aultis throuj,^Ji; a^ji^idi cojiotfj^.tlirli Yiifs/li^d with rising g:rouij^ji, >v'ood]aiiittJ, jwidJi cultivatecl pliiins. W Ijjit partifQuWIy Sittfiiolij ^l^) «t^eation, however, ,;iH gojng dowii)il%1» river, is^ .the beautiAii disppsi.tion of tbe tow^v and\illages OH -its banks. 'IScarly all the.8elr,7 tliguicnt&. in Lower Canad.^ are situated close upon the borders of the rivers, and from tills chcunistance the scenery along the St. LaW- rance and others differs materially from' that along the rivers in the United States. - The ft* *- 536 TltATIlS THR0V6H t6WER CANADA: banks of the Hudson River, which are more cultivated than those of any of the other large rivers there, are wild and desolate in compa- rison with those of the St. Lawrence. For several leagues below Montreal the houses stand so closely together, that it appears as if it were but one village, which extended the whole way. All the houses have a re- markably neat appearance at a distance ; an4 in each village, tliough it be ever so small, there is a church. The churches are kept in the nei&test repair, and most of them Lave spires, covered, according to the custom of the country, with tin, that, from being put on in a pirticuiar manner, never becomes rusty *, $t is pleasing beyond description to behold one ^f these villages opening to the view, as you saiil round a point of land covered with trees, the houses in it overhanging the river, and the spires of the churches sparkling through the groves with which they arc en- circled, before the rays of the setting sun. There is scarcely any part of the river, where you pass along, for more than a league, without seeing a village and church. The second night of our voyage wo landed * Ihfi square plates pf^tin are nailed on diagonally, and the conlws are carefully folded over the heads of the naijj, *o as to prevent any moisiure frona getting to them. BATISCON. 551^ At the village of Btttiscon. It stands on the north-west side of the river, about ei<.hty milei below Montreal. Here the shore is very flat a.id marshy, and for a considerable distance from it, the water is so shallow when the tide is out. that a bateau even, cannot at that time come within one hundred yards of the dry ground. Lower down the river the shore is in some places extremely rocky. The first habcation we came to at Batiscort was a farm-house, where we readily got ac- commodation for the night. The people were extremely civil, and did all in their power to serve us. A small table was quickly set out, covered with a neat white table cloth, und bread, milk, eggs, and butter, the best fare which the house afforded, were brought to us. These things may always be had in abundance at every farm-house ; but it is not often that you can procure meat of any sort; in going through Canada, therefore, it is customary for travellers to carry a provision basket with them. The houses in Lower Canada are in general well furnished with beds, all in the French style, veiy large, and raised four or five feet high, with a paillasse, a mattrass, and a feather-bed. The houses for the most part are built of logs; but they are much more compac and better built than those in the United Slate* ; >'0'L. I, , nil A i 33S TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER f INAni : the logs arc made to fit more closely toge- ther, and instead of being let>, rough and un- even on the outside, are planed and white- washed. At the inside also vorking- upon that jou rnav make them do ^h^t yoi, please. Few of the men Can read orMT.te; the little learhiui,^ there is amongst llie inhabitants is confined to the women- a Canadian never makes a bargain, or takes ^ny step of importance, without consulting »»« wjfe, whose opinion is generally abided »>y. Both men and women are sunk in igno- rance and 8upersliti(m, and blindly devoted to their priests. The following anecdote may serve to shew how much they are so. On the (evening before we reached Quebec we stopped at the village of St. Augustin Cal- vaire, and after having strolled about for some time^ returned to Ihe farm-house where we had taken up our quarters for the night. The people had cooked mwe fish, that had been just caught, while we had been walking about, and every thing being ready on our re- turn, we sat down to supper by the light of a lamp, which was suspended from the ceil- ing. The glimmering light, however, that It afforded, scarcely enabled us to see what was on the table; we complained of it to the man of the house, and the lamp was ir con- sequence trimmed ; it was replenished with oil ; taken down and set on tjje table ; still the light was very bad. - Sacre Dieu \" ex- claimed he, " but you shall not .-at vnnr fl.i. 540 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA. " in the dark;" so saying, he stepped aside ta a small cupboard, took out a candle, and hav- ing lighted it, placed it beside us. All was now going on well, when the wife, who had been absent for a few minutes, suddenly re- turning, p5«ied forth a volley 'if tlie most terrible execrations against he; iroci husband for having presumed to have acteu as he had done. Unable to answer a sir.gle word, the fellow stood aghast, ignorant of what he had done to oftend her ; we were quite at a loss also to know what could have given rise to such a sudden storm ; the wife, however, snatching up the candle, and hastily extin- guishing it, addressed us in a plaintive tone of voice, and explained the whole aflair. It was the holy candle — " La chandclie benite," which her giddy husband had set on the table ; it had been consecrated at a neighbouring church, and supposing there shoidd be a tem- pest at any time, with thunder and lightning ever so terrible, yet if the candle were ])ui kept burning while it lasted, the house, th« barn, and every thing else belonging to it, were to be secured from all danger.. If any of the family happened to be sick, the candle was to be lighted, and they were instantly tore- cover. It had been given to her that morn- ing by the priest of the village, with an assur- ance that it poijiessed the miraculous power of ( 341 ) preserving the lamily from harm, and she was confident thiit whut he told her was true.— To hiise contraditted the poor woman would have been useless; for the sake of our ears, however, we endeavoured to pacify her, and that being accomplished, we sat down to sup- per, and e'en made the most of our fish in th« dark. The village of St. Augustin Calvaire is about five leagues from Quebec, at which last place we arrived early on the next morning, the fourth of our voyage. When the winc^ is fair, and the tide favourable also, it does not take more than two days to go from Montreal U> Quebec. ^'v LETT EH XXW, SituatiGn of the City of Quebec. ^Divided Mo Upper and Lou-er Town.-^DescripHon of each.^Great Strcngih of the Upper Town.-^ ■ Some Observations on the Capture of Quebec ht/ the English Army under General Wolf en — Observations on JMontgomery's and Ar^ noM's Attack during the American Wat. — Census of Inhabitants of Quebec. ^The ChaA tcau, the Residence of the Governor.-^ Monastery of the Recollcts. -^College of the- Jmdts. — One Jesuit remaining of great Si2 TRAVELS THROUGH tOWER CANADA : Age.— 'His great Wealth. — His Character. — Nunneries.— 'Engineer's Drawing Boom. — State House. — Armourij. — Barracks. — Market-place. — Dogs used in Carts. — Gran- deur of the Prospects from Parts of the Up- per Toxvn.— 'Charming Scenery of the En- virons.— 'Description of Montmorenci Water Fall. — Of La Cliaudicre Water Fall. Quebec, August. THE city of Quebec is situated on a very lofty point of land, on the north-west side of the River St. Lawrence. Nearly facing it, on the opposite shore, there is another point, and between the two the river is contracted to the breadth of three quarters of a mile, but after passing through this strait it expands to the breadth oi five or six miles, taking a great sweep behind that point whereon Quebec stands. The city derives its name from the word Quebec or Quebeioj which signifies in the Algonquin tongue, a sudden contraction of a river. The wide part of the river im- mediately before the town, is called The Bason ; and it is sufficiently deep and spacious to float upwards of one hundred sail of the line. - Quebec is divided into two parts ; the upper town, situated on a rock of limestone, on the top of the point ; and the lower town. lll T li m-TiT Beferences ^. . Gipe Diamcn d^ ^.The Glaciene ^'.Ursula. ■SfJo/m ThePotafie Jitdoult ofCapeDicanrnd •aZRedoudc afidBarradkd }pauphinefssJii'ti0ubtajidBan(icfM Jmuu Church ■S '.Johns Gate LFaiace fortSleiruf and Govctnonf House Wine Gun3a/t£ry GrecUBattay Caihedral U. Seimnan S.Jesm'nr Ci^//e,^c '\'./fclfi. fi.r^.n .i,» |i';i^" 346 TRAVEtS THROUGH LOWER CANADA : bold design of ascending- to the top of these banks, commonly called the Heights of Abra- ham. To prepare tho way for it, pogsession was taken of Point Levi, the point siluated opposite to that on which Quebec stands, and from thence a heavy bombardment was com- menced on the town, in order to deceive the enemy. In the mean time boats were pre- pared ; the troops embarked ; they passed the town with muffled oars, in the night, unob- served, and landed at a cove, about two miles above. The soldieri clambered up the heights with great difiiculty, and the guns were hauled up by means of ropes and pulleys fixed round the trees, with which the banks are covered from top to bottom. At the top the plain commences, and extends close under the walls of the city : here it was that the memo- rable battle was fought, in which General Wolfe unhappily perished, at the very moment wlien all his noble exertions were about to be crowned with that success which tliey so emi- nently deserved. The spot where the il- lustrious hero breathed his last is marked with a large stone, on which a true meridional line is drawn. Notwithstanding that tlie great Wolfe found it such a very difficult task to get pos- session of Quebec, and that it has been ren- dered so much stronger since his time, yet i i t « m V 1 K \sr ofV.WY, 1> I A M O ? V 1 V. W vf r .\VY. T> H A M O Xl> . Pab/i^heiJ Dec.n. i/<),f. fy I StvtMa/f JVaacMA- *■ #? the I imag ture an an their returi under ftequ( wouni But I for its from I the vai imagii AH siege when attemp that tl from t] first of and the in thre* were c part of and laic son it 1 make a would h cam we GENERAL ARNOLD. 34f the people of the United States confidently imagine, at this daj, that if there were a rup- ture with Great Britain, they need only send an army thither, and the yihce must fall into their hands immediately. Arnold, after his return from the expedition against the place, under Montgomery, in the year 1775, used frequently to declare, that if he had not been wounded he should certainly have carried it. But however that expedition may be admired for its great boldness, it was, in realitv, far from being so nearly attended with success as the vanity of Arnold has led his countrymen to imagine. All thoughts of taking the city by a regular siege were abandoned by the Americans, when they came before it; it was only by attempting to storm it at an unexpected hour that they saw any probability of wresting it from the British. The night of the thirty- first of December was accordingly fixed upon, and the city was attacked at the same moment in three places. But although the garrison were completely surprised, and the greater part of the rampart guns had been dismounted, and laid up for the winter, during which sea- son it was tho.fght impossible for an army to make an attack so vigorous that cannon would be wanting to repol it, vet the Amcri- cang were at once baflled in their attempt. mi kin U^ 548 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA : Arnold, in endeavouring to force St. John's Gate, which leads out on the back part of the town, not far from the plains of Abraham, was wounded, and repulsed with great loss. Montgomery surprised the guard of the first barrier, at one end of the lower town, and passed it ; but at the second he was shot, and his men were driven back. The third di- vision of the Americans entered the lower town in another quarter, which, as I have be- fore said, lies very much exposed, by passing over the ice : they remained there for a day or two, and during that time they set fire to some buildings, amongst which v/as one of the re- ligious houses ; but they were finally dislodged without much difficulty. The two divisions under Montgomery and Arnold were repulsed with a mere handful of men ; the different detachments, sent down from the upper town against the former, did not all together amount, it is said, to two hundred men. Arnold's attack was the maddest possible ; for St. John's Gate, and the walls adjoining, are stupendous, and a pcison need but see them to be con- vinced that any attempt to storm them must be fruitless without the aid of heavy artillery, which the Americans had not. Independant of what it owes to its fortifi- cations, and situation on tlie top of a rock, riTADEt. ,545 efore you, stupendous rocks, immense rivers, trackless forests and cultivated plains, mountains, lakes, towns, and villages, in turn strike the attention, and the senses are almost bewildered in contemplating the tast- ness of the scene. Nature is here seen on the grandest scale and it is scarcely possible for tlie -imagination tp paint to itself any thing more ■ ' SUBLIME VIBWI. S55 suWime tl,.„ are the several pro.ped, presented to the sight of the delighted spectator. From Cape Diamond, situated one thousand feet •bove the level of the river, and the loftiest part ot the rook on which the city is built, the pros- Pe«t » considered by many as superior to that from any other spot. A greater extent of «ountry opens upon you. and the eye is here e«abled to take in more at once, than at any other place ; but tome it appears, that the vie,, from the cap. i, by no means so fine as that, for mst«nce, from the battery; for in surveying tte different objects below you from such a «tove the city. The Montmorenci River runs in a very ir* reguk' course, through a wild and thickly wooded country, over a bed of broken rocfcf, till it comes to the brink of a precipice, do n' >yhich it descends in one uninterrupted and nearly perpendicular fall of two hundred and forty feet The stream of water in this river, except at the time of floods, is but scanty, hut being broken into foam by rushing with such rapidity as it does over the rrn ks at the top of the precipice, it is thereby much dilated, and in its fall appears to be a sheet of water of no inconsiderable magnitude. The breadth of the river at top, from bank to bank, is about fifty feet only. In its fall, the water has the exact appearance of snow, as when thrown in licapj from the roof of a house, and it seemingly de- 359 TRATEL0 THROUGH r.OWBR CANADA : 8cend«i with a very alow motion. The spray at the bottom is considerable, and when the »uii happens to shine bright in the middle of the 6B.y, the prismatic colours are exhibited in it in all '. whereon this little edifice is erected »rc i» .. state of decay, and many perg<)i)i are ffia«fui of entering into it, lest they shouid give way ; bui being ignorant of the danger, if indeed there was any, our whole party ventured into it at once, and staid there a considerable time, not- withstanding its tiv.mulous motion at every *tep we trod. That the beams cannot last for ever is certain ; it would be a wise measure, therefore, to have them removed or repaired in proper time, for as long aj, they remai» stand- ing, persons will be found that wili venture into the unsteady fabrick they support and should they give way at a moment when any persons are in it, the catastrophe must inevi- tably be fatal. The fall in the River Chaudiere is not half the height of that of the Montmorenci, but then it is no less than two hundred and Mty St .•'. i 1 1 ' 'Til i ,-,■ Mli 560 Tr.AVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA t feet in breadth. The scenery round this ca- taract is much superior in every respect to that in the neig-hbourhood of the Montmorenci. Contiguous to the latter there are few trees of any great magnitude^ and nothing is near it to relieve the eye ; you have the fall, and nought but the fA\\, to contemplate. The banks of La Chaudiere, on the contrary, are covered "with trees of the largest growth, and amidst the piles of broken rocks, which lie scattered about the place, you have some of the wildest and most romantic views imaginable. As for the fall itself, its grandeur varies with the sea* son. When the river is full, a body of water comes rushing over the rocks of the preci- pice that astonishes the beholder ; but in dry weather, and indeed during the greater part of the summer, we may say, the quantity of wa- ter is but trifling. At this season there are few but what would prefer the falls of the Montmorenci River, and I am tempted to imagine that, upon the whole, the generality of people would give it the preference at all times. ( 361 ) LETTER XXV. Of the Constitution, Government, Laxvs, and Religion of the. Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada.— Estimate of the Expences of the Civil List, of the Military Establishment, and the Presents to the Indians. —Salaries ofcevr tain Officers of the Cr own.— Imports and . Exports.— Taxes. Quebec. FROM the time that Canada was ceded to Great Britain until the year 1774, the inter- nal affairs of the province were regulated by the ordinance of the governor alone. In pur- suance of the Quebec Bill, which was then passed, a legislative council was appointed by his Majesty in the country; the number of members was limited to tweniy-three. This council had full power to make all such ordi- nances and regulations as were thought expe- dient for the welfare of the province ; but it was prohibited from levying any taxes, except for the purpose of making roads, repairing public buildings, or the like. Every ordinance was to be laid before the governor, for his Majesty's approbation, within six months from the time it was passed, and no ordinance, im- posing a greater punishment on any person or S62 TRAVELS THROtGH l6weR CANADA : persons than a fine, or imprisonment for three months, was valid without his Majesty's assent, signified to the council bj the governor. Thus were the affairs of the province regu- lated until the year 1791, when an act was parsed in the British parliament, repealing- so much of the Quebec Bill as related ia the ap- poiptmept of a council, and to the powers that had been granted to it ; and which egtablished the present form of government. The country, at the same time, was divided into two distinct provinces; the province of Lower Canada, and the province of Upper Canada. The former is the eastern part of the old province of Canada ; the latter, tlie western part, situated on the northern sides of the great lakes and rivers through which the boundary line runs that separates the British territories from those of the United States. The two provinces are divided from each other bj a line, which runs north, 24° west, commencing at Point au Baudet, in that part of the river St. Lawrence called Lake Francis, and continu- ing on from thence to tlie Utawas or Grand River. The city of Quebec is the capital of the lower province, , the town of Niagara is of the upper one. The executive power in each province is vested in the governor, who has for his advice an executive council appointed by his Bla CONSTITUTION OF CANADA. 3G3 jesty. The legislative power of each provinct is vested in the governor, a legislative coun- cil, and an assembly of the representatives of the people. Their acts, however, are subject to the controul of his majesty, and in some particular cases to the controul of the British parliament. Bills are passed in the council and iu th« assembly in a form somewhat similar to that in which bills are carried through the British houses of parliament; they are then laid before the governor, who gives or withholds his assent^ or reserves them for his Majesty's pleasure. Such billf as he assents to are put in force immediately ; but he is bound to transmit a true copy of them to the King, who in council may declare his disallowance of ^hem within two years from the time of their being receiv- ed, in which case they become void. Such as are reserved for his Majesty's assent are not to be put in force until that is re- ceived. Moreover, every act of the assembly and council, which goes to repeal or vary the laws or regulations that were in existence at the time the present constitution was established in the country respecting tythcs; the appro- priation of land for the support of a protestant clergy; the constituting and cndov^'ing of par- sonages or rectories; tlie right of presentation 5 564 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA : to the same, and the manner in which the in- cumbents shall hold them ; the enjoyment and exercise of any form or mode of worship; the imposing, of any burdens and disqualifications on account of the same: the rights of the clergy to recover their accustomed dues ; the imposing or granting of any farther due or emoluments to aay ecclesiastics ; the establish- ment and discipline of the church of England ; the King's prerogative, touching the granting of waste lands of the crown within the pro- ,vince; every such act, before it receives the royal assent, must be laid before both houses of parliament in Great Britain, and the King must not give his assent thereto until thirty days after the same has been laid before par-- liament ; and in case either house of parlia- ment presents an address to the King to with- hold his assent to any such act or acts, it can- not be given. By an act passed in the eighteenth year of his present Majesty's reign, the British parlia- ment has also the power of making any re- gulations which may be found expedient, re- specting the commerce and navigation of the province, and also of imposing import and ex- port duties ; but all such duties are to be ap- plied solely to the use of the province, and in such a manner only as the laws made in the council and assembly direct. ;;^; LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. 865 The legislative council of Lower Canada consists of fifteen members; that of Upper Canada of seven. The number of the mem- bers in each province must never be less than this; but it may be increased whenever his Majesty thinks fit. ^ j-f^i «•*>?> The counsellors are appointed for life, by an instrument under the greal seal of the province, sigr^ed by the governor, who is in* vested with powers for that purpose by the King. No person can be a counsellor who is not twenty-one years of age, nor any one who is not a natural-born subject, or who has not beea naturjiliz^d according to act of par- liament. ' Whenever his Majesty thinks proper, he may confer on any persons hereditary titles of honour, with a right annexed to tliem of being summoned to sit in this council, which right the heir may claim at the age of twenty-one ; the right, however, cannot be acknowledged if the heir has been absent from the province without leave of his Majesty, signified to the council by the governor, for four years toge^ ther, between the time of his succeeding iq the right and the time of his demanding it. The right is forfeited also, if the heir takes an oath of allegiance to any foreign powei be- fore he demands it, unless his M{\jesty,. by 366 TRAVlil^ TttKOCGH IrttVKtt CANADA ! fttt'-fttsttui^'^^t tindcr the gicai seal of the pro- titie'e^ shii^y decree to the contrary. Ifk cotinsdfot after having taken His seat, abscntt hirttseff from the province fbr two years successively, vnfhmit leave froih Iris Majesty, signified to the council by the g^veriior, hh ilekt is also iliereby Tacated. '<>ii'»*ft?if>:; ^^' All hereditary riglris, however*, of sitting in CdtiWiFi so forfeited^ are only to be suspended dtiHng the life of the defanltcn; jind on ^heir dei«th tlicy descend wit!< the titles fo the ne?;t heirs*. ' ' do-'y}m^\u /, ■ ^^In cases of trergorv both tlie title and right of sitting in th« cv jiicil af*e ettinguished. All questions concerning the right of being itfmmooed to the council are to be determined by the coimcil ; but an appekl may be had from their decision to his Majesty in his parliament of Great Britain. The governor has the power of appoifiting and removing the speaker of the cduncil. The assembly of lower Canada consists of fifty members, ai>d that of Upper Canada of sixteen ; neither assembly is ever td Consist of i less number. .*.,•., i, ' The members for districts, circles, or coun- •'• J- *' stances " as the Abbe Raynai »)bserves, '* that " Canada could experience ; as deliberate, ra- *' tionah public trials took place of the impe- " netrabjift mysterious transactions of a cruel *' inri'isition ; and as a tribunal, that had '' theret )fore been dreadful and sanguinary, was " filled with humane judges, more disposed to {f acknowledge innocence than t( suppose cri- " minality." The governor, the lieutenant-governor, or the person administering the government, the members of the executive council, the chief justice of the province, and the judges of the court of king's bench, or any five f them, form a court of appeal, ejii'geshc oyer except- ed of that district from whence the appeal is made. From the deci ion ofthis court an np- peal may be had in certain cases to the King in council. Every religion is tolerated i reviou8 to that period, they were accustomed to receive, as well as tithes, that is, from the Roman Catholic inhabitants ; but they cannot exact any dues or tithes from Protestants, or off lands held by Protestant^ although formerly su( h lands might have been subjected to due« and tithes O.r the support of the Roma" Catho- lic church. The dues and tithes from offthese lands are still, however, to be paid; but they are to be paid 1 > persons appointed by the j^o*. yernor, and the amount of them is to be reserved, i« the ha ids of his JMajesty's receiver general, for the si,',;.iort of the protestant clergy ac- tt'-»Uy residuig- in ^i. province. By thfe acf the vear 1 791, also, it was or^ dained,thai hego Mor honid allot out of all lands belonging to luccr^ wn, which should be gianted after that period, one-seventh for the L nefit of ,1 Protestant clergy, to be solely u^i plicable to their use; and all such .lUotments must be particularly specified in every grant of waste liinds, otherwise the grant is oid. With the advice of the executive C( uncil, the governor is authorized to constifutr or erect parsonages or rectories, a a to eqdow them out su3 n \ '" "yii ', :m'; If ^r S^K 37% TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA ! of tUvsoapLHopriationSj and to present iucuiu- henU io theni^ oiil«inod according to the ritei pf the chiircU of J^nglaud ; which incumbents ftre to perfqrni the tiume duties, and to hold their parson#^i| or rectorio'i in the same niun- tier as iacutiitt^utn of the church of England do in that country. The clergy of the church of Ens^land, iu both provt»c««, consists at present of twelve persons only itttludipg the bibhop of Quebec ; that of the church of Rome, however, consists of no \em than one hundred and twenty-six ; via. a bishop who takes his title from Quebec, ^is " eoadjuteur elu/* who is bishop of Canathe, three vicars general, and one hundred and sixteen curates md missionaries, all of whom are resident in the lower province, ex- cept five curaites and mitsioparies. The number of the dissenting clergy, in both provinccHj is cc^nsiderubly smaller, than that of the clergy of the church of England. TheeXpeuccs of the civil list in Lower Ca- nada are estimated at 20,000/. sterling per an- num, oine hiU of' which is defrayed by Great Britain; ^a^nd the remainder by the province, out of the duties.paid on the importation of certain articles. The expence of the civil list in Upper Canad>i£ i^ considerably less ; perhaps not so inuch asja fourth of that of the lower province. The raiiitaj-y establisbfueut in both provinces. FRE9ENTS J^UJ} SALARIES. 373 together with the repairs of fortifications, &c. are computed to coit Great Britain annutlly 100,000/. sterling. The presents distributed amongst the In- dians, and tlie salaries paid to the diifcrent of- licers in the Indian department, are estimated at 100,000/. sterling more, annualJy. Amongst the officers in the Indian depart- ment aie, supcrintendants general, deputy su^. perintfiidants, inspector general, deputy inspcc- torg general, secretaries, assistant secretaries, itorekeepers, clerks, agents, interpreters, issuerl of provisions, surgeons, gunsmiths, &c. &c. &c. most of M hom, in the lower province, have now •inecure places, as there are but few Indians in the country ; but in the upper province they have active service to perform. Of the policy of issuing presents to such a large amount amongst the Indians, more will be said in the afterpart of this work. The following is a statement of some of the salaries paid to the officers of government in Lower Canada. Governor general - . .^ Lieutenant governor - _ . Executive counsellors, each Attorney general Solicitor general Secretary and register to the province 2,000 1,500 100 300 200 400 374 TRAVELS THROUGH, LOWER CANADA Clerk of the court of appeals, wiih fire wood and stationary - r Secretary to the governor French secretary to the governor, and translator to the council Chief justice of Quebec, who is chief justice of the province Chief justice of Montreal Chief justice of Three Rivers Receiver general Surveyor general of lands Deputy, and allowance for an office Surveyor of woods - r Grand voyer of Quebec Grand voyer of Montreal r Grand voyer of Three Rivers r Superintendant of provincial post houses r - , r Clerk of the terraro of the king's do- main r • T Clerk of the crown r Inspector of police at Quebec Inspector of police at Montreal Four missionaries to Indians, each One missionary to Indians r Schoolmaster at Quebec - Schoolmaster at Montreal Schcohnastcr at Carlisle, Bay de Cha- leurs - r 12Q 20Q 1,200 900 300 40Q 300 150 200 lOQ 100 60 100 90 100 100 100 &p 45 100 60 25 IMPORT DUTIES. 375 Overseers, to prevent fires at [Quebec, and to sweep the chimneys of the ,poor - - - 60 Salary of the bishop of Quebec, who is bishop of both provinces - 2,000 The pensions, between January 1794 and Ja- nuary 1795, amounted to 1,782/. 6s. Id. A Statement of the Articles subject to Duty on Importation into Canada, and of the Duties payable thereon. Brandy and other spirits, the manufac- ture of Great Britain, per gallon Rum and other spirits, imported from the colonies in the West Indies, per gallon Brandy and spirits of foreign manufacture imported from Great Britain, per gallon ». .* - Additional duty on the same, per gallon Rum or spirits manufactured in the United States, per gallon Molasses and Syrups imported in British shipping, per gallon r. Additional duty, per gallon Molasses or Syrups legally imported in pth^r than British shipping, per gallon s. d. 6 1 3 1 3 3 6 d. S 6 3 3T6 TEATELS THROUOH LOW£R CANADA : Additional duty, per gallon Madeira winfii per gallon Other wine - „ N. B. Wine can be imported directly from Madeira, or from any of the Afri- can islands, iirto Canada ; but no Euro- pean wine or brandy can be imported, except through England. Loaf or lump sugar, per lb. Muscovado or clayed sugar Coffee, per lb. Leaf tobacco, per lb. Playing cards, per pack Salt, the miaot - - _ ^ N. B The mi««t is a measure commonly used in Canada, wJMch is to the Winchester bushel, mkOOkto i08, #65. The importf uHo €a>msda consist of all the Tarions articles whid» a young country, that docs no* msmvfmetmt mudt £»r rte cw^n use, can be supftotei to sttmd m aeei rf; luch as earthr «nware, hardware, and hotEsbdli fwnitiire, except «f the coafw* kii^ , wo^km dmk li«en cloths, haber4a»hery, b««biry, &r, paper, gta- tionary, leff^ji«r an# flMfcEi«ifactuf«a wi «alber, groceries, wiof^ spirits. West In^ks pmim^, Ac &c. ; porikage of every dam^uf^tm, amd I 2 2 2 4 SOIL AND MANUFACTTTREs. 3^7 evet, the coarser manufactures of iron, arcalid imported. The soil of the countrjr is well adapted to the growth of hemp, and great pains have been taken to introduce the culture of it. Hand- bills, explaining the manner in which it can be raised to the best advantage, have been as- siduouslj circulated amongst the farmers, and posted up at all the public houses. It k a dif- hcult matte/, however, to put the French Cana- .dians out oftheir old ways, so that very little hemp has been raised in consequence of the pains that have been thus taken ; and it is not propable that much will be raised for a con- siderable time to come. Iron ore has been discovered in various parts of the country; but the works for the smcltinff and manufacturing of it have been erected one place only in the neighbourhood of Trois Rivieres. These works were erected by the ting of France some time before the conquest they are now the property of the British go- vernment, and are rented out to the persons who hold them at present. When the lease expires which will be the case about the year 1800, itis thought that no one will be found to carry on the works, as the bank of ore, from whence they are supplied, is nearly exhausted. The works consist of a forge and a foundry : iron stoves *re the principal articles manufactured in the 37^ TRWELS TlTROtJGH LOWER tANADA. ktter ; but they are not so much esteemed at those from England. - Domestic manufactures are carried on in most part of Canada, consisting of linen and of coarse woollen cloths ; hut by far the greater part of these articles used in the country is imported from Great Britain, The exports from Canada consist of furs and pelts in iniricHse quantities ; of wheat, flour, flax-seed, pot-ash, timber, staves, and lumber of all sorts ; dried fish, oil, ginseng, and va* , rious medicinal drugs. The trade between Canada and Great Bri- tain employs, it is said, about seven thous^u^ tons of shipping annually. ( 379 ) LETTER XXVI. Ofthe ^oil and Produclivns of Lower Canada. "^Observafions on the Manufacture of Sugar from the Maple-tree. —Of the Climate of ■ Zoiver Canada.^ Amusements of People of all Descriptions during Winter. -^Corioles.-' Manner of guarding against the Cold.—Great Hardiness of the Horses.— State of the River ^t. Lawrence on the Dissolution of Winten— Rapid Progress qf Vegetation during Spring. r-AgreeaUcness of the Summer and Autunm Seasons. Quebec, . THE eastern part of I^ower Canada, be- tween Quebec and the gulph of St Lawrence, is mountainous: between Quebec and the mouth of the Utawas River also a few scatter- ed mountains are to be met with; but hi^^her yp the River St. Lawrence the face pf the coun- try is flat. . The^oil, except where small tracts of stony and sandy land intervene, consists principally of a loose dark coloured earth, and of the depth pf ten or twelve inches, lelow which there is a J)edof cold clay. Thib canh towards the sur- face is extremeij fertile, of v.'hi'J^ there cannot 5^0 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA: be a greater proof than that it continues to yield plentiful crops, notwithstanding its being worked vcar after year by the French Cana- dians, without ever being manured. It is only within a few years back, indeedy that any of the Canadians have begun to manure their lands> and many still continue, from father to son, to work the same fields without intermis- sion, and without ever putting any manure upon them, yet the land is not eihaustcd, as it would be in the United States. The manure principally made use of by those who are the best farmers is marl, found in prodigious quan- tities in many places along the shores of the River St. Lawrence. The soil of Lower Canada is particularly suited to the growth of small grain. Tobacco also thrives well in it; it i? only raised, how- ever, in small quantities for private use, more than one half of what is used in the country being imported. The Canadian tobacco is of a much milder quality than that grown in Maryland and Virginia ; the snutF made from it is held in great estimation. Culinary vegetables of every description come to the greatest perfection in Cauadai, as well as most of the European fruits : the cur- rants, gooseberries, and raspberries are in par- ticular Very fine'; the latter are indigenous, and are found in profusion in the woods ; tlie YEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. 381 vine is also kdigenous, but the grapes whicli it produces in its uncultivated state are very poor, sour, and but little larger than fine cur- rants. - s The variety of trees found in the forests of Canada is prodigious, and it is supposed that many kinds are still unknowa: beech tree*, oaks, elms, ashes, pines, sycamores, clie.nuts, walnuts, of each of which several different spe- t^ies are commonly met with ; the sugar maple t4:eeis also found in almost every part of the country, a tree never seen but upoii good ground. There are two kinds of this yery va- luable tree in Canada; the one. caUed the swamp maple, from its being generally found upon low lands; the other, the n^ouatam or curled maple, from growing, upon hi«h dry ground, and from the gr.v. ;,f the wood Kun; very beautifully variegatctt yruh little stripes and curls. The foriBer yields a mudi gv.u^r quantity of sap, in proportion to its s? c than the other, but this sap does not aHbrd so n h sugar as that of the curled maple. A pound of •ugar IS frequently procured from two or three gallons of the sap of the curled nmple, whereas no more than the same quantih can be had from six or seven gallons of tliat of the swajnp. The most approved method of getting the aap IS by piercing a hole with an auL-er in the SSt TRAVELS tHKoUeH LOWEH CAIiATi jLI side of the trce^ of one inch or an inch and 4 half in diameter, and two or three inches iti depth, obliquely upwards ; but the most com« mon mode of coming at it is by cutting a large gash in the tree with an axe. In each case a small spout is fixed at the bottom of the wound, and a vessel is placed underneath to receive the liquor as it falls. A maple tree of the diameter of twenty inches will commonly yield sufficient sap for making five pounds of sugar each year, and instances have been known of trees yielding nearly this quantity annually for a series of thirty years. Trees that have been gashed and mangled with an axe will not last by any means so long as those which have been carefully pierced with an auger ; the axe, however, is ge- nerally .used, because the sap distils much faster from the wound made by it than from that made by an auger, and it is always an ob- ject with the farmer, to have the sap brought home, and boiled down as speedily as possible, in order that the making of sugar may not in- terfere with his otlwr agricultural pursuits. The season for tapping the trees is when the sap begins to rise, at the commencement o£ spring, which is just ti^ time that the farmer is most busied in making preparations tor sowing his grain. It is a very remarkable fact, that these trees. j;^ • MAPLE TREE*. ' ' : SS3 tfler having been tapped fur six or seven suc- cessive years, a\y,ays yield more sap thun they do on being first wounded ; this sap, liowever, is not so rich as that \vhith :.:^ trcca distil for the first time; but from its coming in an in- creased portion, as much sugar is generally pro- cured from a single tree on the fifth or sixth jear of its being tapped as on the first. The maple is the only Bort of raw sugar made use of in the country parts of Canada; it is very generally used also by the inhabitants of the towns, whither it is brought for sale by the country people who attend the markets, just the same as any other kind of cbuntry produce. The most common form in which it is seen is in loaves or thick round cake?; pre • cisely as it comes out of the vessel where- it is boiled down from the sap These cakes are of a very dark colour in g'eneral, and very hard ; as they are wanted they are scraped down with a knife, and when thus reduced into powder, the sugar appear^ of a much lighter cast, asui not unlike West Indian muscovada or grained sugar. If the maple sugar be carefully boiled with lime, whites of eggs, blood, or any other articles usually employed tor clarifying sujrar. and properly granulated, by draining off of the melasses, it is by no means inferior, either in point of strength, flavour, or appearance to the eye, to any West India sugar v^hiif- 5^ THATELS THKOVOM LOVTBR CANADA I •ocvcr: simply boiled doMrn into caJtes with milk or whites of egg^ it is xeiy agree ble to the taste. The ingcniv lis Dr. Nooth, of Quebec^ who is at tlie head of the general hospital ia Ca- nada, has made a variety of experiments upon tlie manufacture of maple sugar ; he has gra- nulated, and also refined it, so as to render it equfti to the best lump wjrrar made in England. To convince the Canadians also, w ho arc as in- credulous on some points as they are credulous on others, that it was really maple sugar which they saw thus refined,^ be has contrived to leave large lumps, exhibiting the sugar in its dificr- ent stages towards refinement, the loM^er part of the lumps being left hard, siniilaf to tlie common cakes, the maiddle part granulated and the upper part re!?ufA|*fH -mt p-vv Dr. Nooth h, i'vculatcd, that the sale of the melasses alone . juld be fully adpquate to the expence of refining the maple sugar, if a manufactory for that purpose were established. Some attempts have been made to establish one of the kind at Quebec, but they have never succeeded, as the persons by whom they were made were adventurers that h?d not sufficient capitals for such an undertaking. It ought not, horvever, to be concluded from this, that a manufactory of the sort would not succeed if conducted by judicious pei^ous that had ample 4 itAttt tntti: 385 ftinds for the bu,i„e« ; , th« --ni.'ary^ it i( lUgMy probable that it would answer, Thers i* preat reason also to suppose, that a manufacto,^ for ™aki„g th, ,u„„ (.,„^ ^^^^ begmnm^, a, w^ll as to. relining it. might be ertabhshed with advanlago. Several acre, (ogether are often met with *" ^''"'"'»' -"""'r covered with maple trees "lone; but the tre,-, are most usually found rowing mixed with o.hen, in the (,, oportioQ ' of from thirty to fift, ,„aple tree, to every «cre. Iicusands and thousands of acres might b. pr .ured, withiu very short distance of th R.ver St. Lawre ., for less than one 'hill.og an acre, on each of which thirt, aple trees «„uld be luund; hut supposing that only twenty.five tree, were found on each acre then on a track of five thousand acr, s, sup- posing each tree to produce five pound, of sugar 3,580 cwt. 2 q„. i^lb. of . be made annually. The rnaple tree attains a growth .sufficient for yicdmg five pounds of sugar annu. y in the space of twenty years; a, the oaks .,.d- other kinds of trees, therefore, were cut . .ay for diflerent pui-poses, mapl.., „,ight be planted in their room, which would be ready to be appcd by the time that the oUmaJlc tree, fa ed. Moreover, if these tree, were planted out ,n row. regularly, the trouble of collect. *o ^y •^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V ^ // <. ^>. ^/ 'j Mr, ^ y. f/. 1.0 I.I 1.25 ^i^ IIIIIM IIIIIM If us 20 L8 lA. IIIIII.6 V] <^ /^ ^a 7 c"» Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 s ^ i\ \ % v c.\ -4 1. '•fe ^/J^ £ ^ 386 TRAVELS Tli;iOtJG« LOWER CANADA*. insf the sap from tlicm would be much less that* if they stood widely scattered, as they do in; theii: natural state, and of course the expence of making the sugar would be considerably, lessened . Added to this, if young maples were^ constantly set out in place of the other trees,, as they were cut down, the estate, at the end of twenty years, would yield ten times as much sugar as it did originally. It has been asserted, that the difficulty 6f inaiutaining horses and men in the w *od at the season of the year proper for it^i. mg the sugar would be so great, as to render every plan for the manufactory of the sugar on an extensive scale abortive. This might be very true, perhaps, in the United States, where the subject has been principally discussed, and where it is that this objection has been made; but it would not hold good in Canada. Many tFa,<-ks, containing fiv; thousand acres each, or sugar maple land, might be procured in various parts of tlie country, no part of any of ^vhich would be more than six English miles distant from a populous village. Tlie whole labour of boiling in each year would be over iu the space of six weeks; the trouble there- fo.re of carryiiig food during that period, for the m n and horses that were wanting for the manufactory, from a village into the woods, would be trifling, an : w huts might bQ built for their accommodation In the woodi «Ui a small expence. The great labour requisite fot conveying the top from the trees, that grow so far apart, to the boiling house, has been adduced as another objection to the establishment of an extensive •ugar manufactory in the woods. The sap, as I have before observed, is col- fected by private families, by setting a vessel, ^o wich it drops, under each tree, and from thence carried by hand to the place where it ^ to be boiled. If a regular manufactory, however, were established, the sap might be conveyed to the boiling house with far less la- bour ; small wooden troughs might be placed unoer the wounds .'n each tree, by which means the sap might easily be conveyed to the distance of twenty yards, if it were thought necessary, into reservoirs. Three or four of these reservoirs might be placed on an acre, and avenues opened through the woods, so as to admit carts with proper vessels to pass from one to the other, in order to convey the sap to the boiling houses. Mere sheds would art- swer for boiling houses, and these might be erected at various different places on the estate, in order to save the trouble of carrying the sap a great way. * ^ The expence of cutting down a few trees, ' saaato.cleai- an avenue for a cart would roI^ cc3 388 TRAVELS THROUGH L6WER CANADA ! be much ; neither would that of making the spouts, and common tubs for reservoirs, bg gi*eat in a country abounding with wood ; the quantity of labour saved by such means would, howerer^ be very considerable. When then, it is considered, that private families, who have to carry the sap by hand from each tree to their own houses, and often at a considerable distance from the woods, in order to boil it, can, with all this labour, aft'ord to sell sugar, equally good with that which comes from the West Indies, at a much lo^er price than what the latter is sold at ; when it is considered also, that by going to tlie small ex pence, on the first year, of makitjg a few wooden spouts and tubs, a very great portion of Ijftbour would be saved, and of course the profits on the sale of the sugar would be far greater ; tl>ere i» good foundation for thinking, that if a manufactory were established on such a plan as I havehiiikted at, it would answer ex- tremely well, and that maple sugar would in a short time become a principal article of foreign commerce in Canada. The sap of the maple tree is not only use- ful in yielding sugar ; most excellent vinegar may likewise be made from it. In company with several gcntletuen I tasted vinegar made from it by Dr. Nooth, allowed by every one^ present to be much superior to the best French -^■^ Am AND CLIMATE. 3S9 white wine vinegar ; for at the same time that It poHsessed e^u^l acidity, it had a more ddj- cious flavour. Good tabic beer may likewise be made from thc.sap, which wauy would mistake for malt liquor. , If distilled, the stt}) affords a very fine spirit. The air of Lower Canada is extremely pure, *ndtiie climate is deemed uneommoniy salul brious, except only in the western parts of (he province, hi-i, up tJie River St. Lawrence, >vhere, as is the case in almost everv part of ttie United States south of New England, be- tween the ocean and the mountaihs, the inha- bitants suffer to a great degree from intermit- tent fevers. From Montreal downwards, the climate resembles very much tha. of the states oi New England ; the people live to a good old age, and intermittents are quite unknown. This great difference in the healthiue.^s of the two parts of the province niUst be attri- buted to, the different aspects of the country ; to the east. Lower Canada, like New E.ig. land, is mountainous, but to the west it js aa extended flat, The extremes of heat mV, cold in Canada are amazing; i„ the month of Julv and August the thermometer, according to Fahren- heit, is often known to rise to 90", yH a winter *^c^rcely j)asses over but eycn the mercurv itself 390 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA ! freezes. Those very suddeq transitions^ how« ever^ from heat to cold, go comiHon in the United StateSj and so very ii\jurious to tho constitution^ are unknown in Cani^da ; the seasons also £|,re much mor^ regular, The snow generally begins to fall in No- vember i but sometimes it comes down as early as the latter end of October. This is the most disagreeable part of the whole year ; the air is then cold and raw, and the sky dark and gloomy ; two days seldom pass over together w^ithout a fall either of snow or sleet, By the i« the evening; for the great pleasure of carioling consists in seeing Jind being seen, and the ladies always go out in most superb dresses of furs, The carioles glide over t!,c snow with great smoothness, and so Jittle noisc do they make in sliding along, that It IS necessary to have a number of bells nt^ t^ched to the harness, or a person continuallj sounding q. horn to guard against accidents. The rapidity of the motion, with the sound of these bells and horqs, appears to be very con^ ducive to cheerfulness, for you seldom sec a dull face in a cariole. The Canadians always take advantage of the winter season to visit their friends who live at a distance, as travel- ling is then 50 very expeditious; and this is another circumstance which contributes, pro- bably not ti little, to render the winter so ex- tremely agreeable in thejr eyes. Though the cold is so very intense in C»- liada, yet the inhabitants never suffer froA it, constant experiencp having taught them how ip guard against it effectually. In the first place, by means of stoves tl- bj jkeep their habitations as warm and comfort- J^ble as can be desired. In large houses they generally have four or ^ve stoves placed ip the r: SSI- TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA ! balL and in the apartments on the ground floor, from whence flues pass In (lilTercnt di- rections through the Ufper ronnis. Besides these stoves, they likewise frequently have Open fires in the lower apartments ; it is more, however, on account of the cheerful appear- ance they give to the room, than for the sake 6f the warmth they communicate, as by the stoves the rooms an be heated to any degree. I«st any cold blasts should penetrate from 'Vvithout, they have also double doors, and if the honse stands exposed, even double windows, about six inches apart. The windows are made to open lengthwise in the middle, on hinges, like folding doors, and where they meet they jock together in a deep groove ; "windows of this description, when closed, aro found to keep out the cold air much better than the common sashes, and in warm weather ihcy are more agreeable than any other sort, as they admit more air when opened. Nor do the inhabitants suffer from cold when the" go abroad ; for they never stir out without first wrapping themselves up in furs from bead to feet. Their caps entirely cover the ears, the back of the neck, and the greatest part of the face, leaving nothing exposed except the eyes and nose ; and their large and thick cloaks ef- fectually secure the body ; besides which they wear fur gloves, rauil's, and shoes. DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 395 It h surprising to see how well the Ca- nadian horses support the cold; after standing for hours together in the open air at a time when spirits will freeze, they set off as alertly as if it were summer. The French Canadians make no scruple to leave their horses standing at the door of a house, without any covering, in the coldest weather, while they are them- selves taking their pleasure. None of the other dolnestic animals are as indifferent to the cold as the horses. During winter all the do- mestic animals, not excepting the poultry, are Jodged together in one large stable, that the/ may keep each other warm ; but in order to »void the expence of feeding many through the w inter, as soon as the frost sets in they generally kill cattle and poultry sufficient to last them till the return of spring. The car- cases are buried in the ground, and covered with a heap of «uow, and as they are wanted they are dug up ; vegetables are laid up in the same manner, and they continue very good throughout the whole winter. The markets in the towns are always supplied b( i ait this season, and provisions are then also the cheapest ; for the farmers having nothing else to engage them, and having a quantity of meat on hand, that is never injured from being sent to mar- ket, flock to the towns in their carioles in great numbers, and always well supplied. 3% TRAVELS THROU0IT LOWER CANADA : Tlic winter p^cncrally rontimies fill the latw tcr end of April, and sometimes even till May, when a thaw comes on very suddenly. The snow goon disappears ; but it is a long time before the immense bodies of ice in the rivrr<» arc dissolved. The scene which presents itself on the St. Lawrence at this seavon is most ircmendouK. The ice first begins to crack lironi side to side, with a report as loud as that of a cannon. Afterwards, as the waters be- come swollen by tjic melting of the snow, it is brol^en into pieces, and hurried down the stream witli prodigious impetuosity; but its course is often interrupted by the islands and shallow places in the river; one largo piece i» perhaps first stopped, other pieces conic drifting upon that, and at length pro- digious heaps are accumulated, in some places rising several yards above the level of the water. Sometimes these nK.'.inds of ice are driven from the islands or rocks, upon which tlicyhave accumulated, by the wind, apd are floated down to the sea in one entire body ; if in going down they happen to strike against any of the rocks along the shore, the crash is borrible: at other times they remain in the same spot where they were first formed, and continue to obslruct the navigation of the river for weeks after every appearance of frost is banished on shore; so vpry widely ^iso da THA y. 397 tliey frequently extend in particular parts of the river, and to solid are they at the same time, that in crossing from shore to shore, the peojile instead of heinj^ at tlic trouble of going round them, make directly for the ire, disem- bark upon it, drag their bateaux or canoci across, and launch them again on the opposite aide. As long as the ice remains in the St. Lawrence, no ships attempt to pass up or down; for one of these large bodic* of ice is equally dangerous with a rock. The rapid progress of vegetation in Canada, as soon as the winter is over, is most aston- ishing. Spring has scarcely appeared, when you find it is summer. In a few days the fields are clothed with the richest verdure, and the trees obtain their foliage. The vari- ous productions of the garden come in after each other in quick succession, ami the grain sown in May affords a rich harvest by tlic latter end of July. This part of the year, in which spring and summer arc so happily blended together, is delightful beyond descrij)- lion ; nature then puts on her gayest attire ; at the same time the heat is never found op- pressive; it is seldom that the mercury in Fahrenheit's thermometer then rises above 84' : in July and August the weather becomes warmer, and a few days often intervene when the heat is overcoming; during these mouths 39d TRAVELS THROVGH LOWER CANADA. the mercury sometimes rises to 96°. There is a great difference, however, in the weatlier at this season in different years : during the whole of the time that I was in the country, I never observed the thermometer higher than 88"; fop the greatest part of the months of July an LETTER XXVir. Inhabitants efZoxvcr Canada. ^Of the Tenures by uliich Lands are held.— Not favourable to the improvement of the Countrij—Somti Observations thereon — idvantages of retains in Canada and the United States compared.^ Why Emigrations to the latter Country are^ more general— Description of a Journey to Stoneham Township near Quebec.- -scrip- tion of the River St. Charlcs.^Of Lake Su Charles.— Of Stoneliam Township. Quebec. ABOUT five-sixths of the inhabitants of Lower Canada are of French extraction, the bulk of whom are peasants, li\iiig- upon the lands of the seigniors. Among- the English, inhabitants devoted to agriculture, but few,, however, are to be found occupying land un- der seigniors, notwithstanding that several of the seigniories have fallen into the hands of Englishmen ; the great majority of them hold the lands which they cultivate by virtue of cer- tificates from the governor, and these people for the most part reside in the western parts of the province, bordering upon the upper parts ©f the river St. Lawrence. I * 400 TBATEtS Tl!ROUGH LOWER CANADA .' The seigniors, both French and English^ live in a plain simple stjrle ; for although the teignories in general are extensive, but few of them afford i ii&ty large income to the pro- pTieiors. I'he revenues of a seigniory arise from cer- tain fines called lods and vents, which are paid by the vassals on the alienation of property, as when a farm, or any part of it, is divided by a vassal, during his lifetime, amongst his sons, or when any other than the immediate issue of a vassal succeeds to his estate, &c. &c. The revenues arise also from certain fines paid on the granting of fresh lands to the vassals, and from the profits of the mills of the seignior, to which the vassals are bound to send all their corn to be ground. This last obligation is sometimes extremely irksome to the vassal, when, for instance, on a large seigniory there is not more than one mill; for although itshoiild be ten miles distant from his habitation, and he could get his corn ground on better terms close to his own door, yet he cannot send it to any other mill than that belonging to the seignior, under a heavy penalty. The extent of seigniorial rights in Canada, particularly in what relates to the levying of the lods and vents, seems to be by no means clearly ascertained, so that where the seignior SEIGNiC'5-i ■»« 401 happens to be a man of a rapacious disposition, the vassal is sometimes compelled to pay fines, which,^ in strict justice, perhaps, ought not to' be demanded. In the first provincial assem% that was called, this business was brought for- ward, and the equity and policy was strongly urged by some of the English members that possessed considerable abilities, of having pro- per bounds fixed to the power of the seigniors, and of having all the fines and services due from their vassals, accurately ascertained, and made generally known : but the French mem- bers, a great number of whom were themselves seigniors, being strongly attached to old habits and thinking that it was conducive to their interest, that th^ir authority should still con- tinue undefined, opposed the measure with great warmth ; and nothing was done. Nearly all those parts of Canada which were nihabited when the countiy was under French government, as weU as the unoccupied lands granted to individuals during the same period, are comprized under different seigniories, and these, with all the usages and customs thereto lorraerly pertaining, were confirmed to the proprietaries by the Quebec bill, wlrich began to be in force in May 1775; these lands, Micrefore, are held by unquestionable titles. All the waste lands, however, of the crown, that have been albtted since the conquest,' i VOL. I. D n 403 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA ! have been granted simply by certificates of oc- cupation, or licences, from the governor, giving permission to persons who applied for these lands to settle upon them, no patents, convey- ing a clear possession of them, have e\er been made out; it is merely by courtesy that they are held ; and if a governor thought proper to reclaim them on the part of the crown, he has only to say the word, and the titles of the occupiers sink into air. Thus it is, that al- though several persons have expended large sums of money in procuring, and afterwards improving townships*, none of them are yet enabled to sell a single acre, as an indemnifi- cation for these expences; at least no title can be given wit-h what is offered for sale, and it is not therefore to be supposed, that purchasers of such property will easily be found. It is true, indeed, that the different proprietaries of these townships have been assured on the part of government, that patents shall be granted to every one of them, and they are fully per- suaded, that these will be made out some time or other; but they have in vain waited for them for three years, and they are anxiously waiting for them still f. * Tracts of waste land, usually ten miles square. t I received a lettef, dated early in the year 179^ > froni a gentleman in Canada, who has taken up o--: of these towo- SPECULATIONS. ^Qg T)i(fereut motives iiave been assigned for this conduct on the part of the British government, in the first place it has been alleged, that the titles are withheld, in order to prevent specu- ation and land-jobbing from rising to the same height in Canada, as they have done in the United States. It is a notorious fact, that in the United states land-jobbing has led tci series of the most nefarious practices, >vhereby numbers Have already suffered, and by which still greater numbers must suffer hereafter. By the ma- chinations of a few interested individuals, who have contrived by various methods to get im- mense tracts* of waste land into their posses- sion, fictitious demands have been created in the market for land, the price of it has conse- ihips, which contains the following paragraph : -At present the matter remains in an unsettled state, although every step has been taken on my part to accelerate the comple-' ^^ tion of the business. Mr. D— 's patent, which was sent home as a model, is not yet returned. I received a letter lately from Mr. Secretary R , in which he in- forms me, that M. G is again returned to the sur- " veyor's office, and he assures me, that in conjunction with f him, he will do every thing in his power to expedite my " obtaining a patent. The governor, he says, means that the land business should go forward." * There have been many instances in the United States of a single individual's holding upwards of three millions of acres atone time, and some few individuals hav, been known to hold even twice that quantity at once. DP S 404 TRATEIS THROUGH LOWER CANADA T quently been enhanced much beyond its in- trinsic worth, and these persons have then taken the opportunity of selling what they had on hand at an enormous profit. The weahh that has been a^rumuhited by particular per- sons in the United States, in this manner, is prodigious; and numberless others, witnesses to their prosperity, have been tempted to make purchases of knd, in hopes of realizing for- tunes in a similar way, by selling out small portions at an advanced price. Thus it is that the nominal value of waste land has been raised so suddenly in the United States; for large tracts, which ten years before were selling for a few pence per acre, have sold in rum* berless instances, lately, for dollars per acre, an augmentation in price which the increase of population alone would by no means hav« occasioned. Estates, like articles of merchan* dize, have passed, betbre they have ever been improved, through the hands of dozens of people, who never perhaps were within five hundred miles of them, and the consumer or farmer, in consequence of tlie profits laid on by these people, to whom they have severally bfl|r longed, has had frequently to pay a most exor- bitant price for the little spot which he ha& purchased *. * In the beginning of the year 1796, this traffic was at its highest pitch, and at this time General Washington, $• LAND-JOBBING. 405 Speculation and Uud-jobbing carried to such a pitch cannot but be deemed great evils in the community; and to prevent them from ex- tending into Canada appears to be an object ^veU worthy the attention of -overnment ; but it seems unnecessary to ha>e recourse for that purpose to the very exceptionable measure of >vithholding a good title to all lands granted by the crown, a measure disabling the land- liolder from taking the proper steps to improve his estate, which gives rise to distrust and sus- picion, and materially impedes the growing prosperity of the country. It appears to me, that land-jobbing could never arrive at such a height in Canada as to be productive of similar evils to those already sprung up from it in the United States, or similar to those further ones, with which the country is threatened, if no more land were emmently distinguished for his prudence and foresight, per- ceiving that land had risen beyond its actual value, and per- shaded that it could not rise higher for son^^ years to come, advertised for sale every acre of which he was possessed, ex. cept the iarms of Mount Vernon. Tlie event shewed how accurate his judgment was. In the close of the year, one of the great land-jobbers, disappointed in his calculations, was obliged to abscond; the land trade was shaken fo its very foundiitioni bankruptcies spread like wildfire from one great city to another, and men that had begun to build pa- laces found themselves likely to have no better habitatiotx. tor a tmie than the comraon gaol. 406 TRAVELS TIinOUGlI LOWER CANADA: granted by the crovvn^ to any one individual, than a townshi]) of ten thousand acres ; or should it be thoui^ht that grants of such an ex- tent even opened too wide a field for specu- latioUj certain restrictions might be laid upon the grdntee; he might he bound to improve his township by a clause in the patent., in- Talidating the sale of more than a fourth or fifth of it, unless to actual settlers^ until a cer- tain number of people should be resident thereon *. Such a clause would cflcctually prevent the evil ; for It is the granting of very extensive tracts of waste lands to individuals, without binding them in any way to improve them, which gives rise to speculation and land- jobbing. By others it is imagined, that the with- holding of clear titles to. the lands, is a mea- sure adopted merely for the purpose of pre- venting a diminution of the inhabitants from taking place by emigration. Not only townships have been granted by certificates of occupation, but also numberless ' small portions of land, from one hundred acres * The plan of binding every person that should take up a township to improve it, by providing a certain number of settlers, has not vi'hoUy escaped the notice of government j ■for in the licences of occupation, by which each township is allotted, it is stipulated, that every person shall provide forty settlers for his township ; but as no given time is mentioned for the prociii ing of these settlers, tlie stipulation becomes nugatory. EMIGRATION. 407 upwards, particularly in Upper Canada, to royal istb and others, who have at different pe- riods emigrated from the United States. These people have ;ill of them improved their several allotments, kiy withholding any better title, therefore, than that- of a certificate, they are completely tied down to their farms, unless, indeed, they think proper to abandon them, together with the fruits of many years labour without receiving any compensation whatso- ever for so doing. It is not probable, however, that these peo- ple, if they had a clear title to their lands, would return back to the United States; the royalists, who were driven out of the country by the ill treatment of the other inhabitants, certainly would not; nor would the others, who have voluntarily quitted the country, re- turn, whilst self-interest, which led them ori- ginally to come into Canada, operated in favour of their remaining there. It was the prospect of getting land on advantageous terms, which indtsccd Ihcm to emigrate; land is still a cheaper artjcle in Canada than in the United States; and as there is much more waste land in the former, than in the latter country in proportion to the number of the inhabitants, it will probably continue so for a length of time to come. In the United States, at present, it Ls impossible to get land without paying for it 408 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANABV: and in parts of tlic countrv where the soil is rich, and where some settlements arc already made, a tract of land, sufficient for a mode- rate farm, is scarcely to be jirocured under hundreds of dollars. In Canada, uowevcr, a man has only to make application to govern- ment ; and on his taking- the oath of allegiance, he immediately gets one hundred acres of ex- cellent uncleared land, in the neighbourhood of other settlements, gratis; and if able to im- prove it directly, he can get even a larger quantity. But it is a fact worthy of notico, which banishes every suspicion relative to a diminution of the inhabitants taking place by emigrations into the States, that great num- bers of people from the States actually emigrate into Canada annually, whilst none of the Ca- nadians, who have it in their power to dis- pose of their property, emigrate into the Unit- ed States, except, indeed, a very few of those who have resided in the towns. According to the opinion of others, again, it is not for either of the purposes already men- tioned, that clear titles are withheld to the lands granted by the crown, but for that of binding down to their good behaviour the peo- ple of each province, more particularly the Americans that have emigrated from the States lately, who are regarded by many with an eye «f suspicion, notwithstanding they have taken 01SERTATI0N8. 400 llie oalhs of allegi rice to the (rown. If if very unfair, however, to imac^ine thai, these people Mould he ready to revolt a second time from Great Britain, if they were made still more independant than they are now, merely because they did so on a former occasion, when their liberties and rights, as men and as subjects of the Brilish empire, were so shamefully disre- garded ; on tjie contrary, were clear titlci g-ranted with the lands bestowed by the crown on Ihem, and the other subjects of the pro- vince, instead of giving rise to disalfection, there is every reason to think it would make them still more loyal, and more attached to the British government, as no invidious distinc- tions could then be drawn between the con- dilion of the landholders in the States and those in ('anada. The material rights and li- berties of the people would then be full as ex- tensive in the one country as in Ihe other; and as no positive advantage could be gained by a revolt, it is not likely that Americans, of all people in the world tlie most devoted to self- interest, would expose their persons and pro- perties in such an attempt. If, bowever, the Americans from tbe States are people that w ould abuse sucb favours from the crown, why were they admitted into the province at all ? The government might easily have kept them out, by refusing to them any grants of lands; but at any rate, were it thought 410 Tl»<' "T« 'r^i^yuH LOWER CANADA! e.^^dient <• . nit them, and were such mea- 8nr«i iliece>sary i» ^i*^ep fhem m due •objection, k fWHiw hnrd Ihat Icly because th^v can- not i^ct lands with sin indisputable title. I havo rrj)ealcdly met ^vith these people n.vsclf in \ pper Canada, and have heard them exprr"<8 the utmost disa])pointment at not being: abla to get lands on such terms even for money; 1 have heard ethers in the States also speak to the same purport after they had been in Ca- nada. It i^ hip;hly probable, moreover, that innny of the people, who leave Great llritaiu and Ireland for America, would then be in- duced to set lie in Canada instead of the United States, and the British empire would not, in that case, lose, as it does now, thousands of valuable citizens every year. What are the general inducements, may liere be asked, to people to quit CTroat- Britain for th ! United States ? They have been sum- med up by Mr. Cooper*, in his letters ])ub- lished in 1794, on the subject of emigrating to Ameri( a ; and we cannot have recourse, on the xcholc, to better authority. " In my mind," he says, 'Uhe first and prin- " cipal inducement to a person to quit Eng- " Inr. J for America, is. Die total absence ofanx- H Tm o*-''^ * Mr. Cooper, late of Manchester, who emigrated to America with all his family, and uhose atithority has been very generally quoted by the Americans who have binc« written on the subject of emigration. 412 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADl! *' /f/// respecting the future success of a family. *' There is little fault to find with the govern- " mcnt of Amerira, that is, of the United *' Siiitcs, either in principle or practice. There *' arc few taxes to pay, and thove are of " acknowledged necessity, and moderate in *' amount. There are no animosities about re- *' ligion, and it is a subject about which few *' questions are asked ; there are few respecting *' political men or political measures ; the prc- " sent irritation of men's minds in Great Rri> *' tain, and the discordant state of society on *' political accounts, is not known there. " The government is the government of the " people, and for the people. There are no *' tythcs, nor game laws ; and excise laws, upon '* spirits only, and similar to the British only in " name. There are no great men of rank, nor " many of great riches ; nor have the rich the *' power of oppressing the less rich, for poverty " is almo&t unknown ; nor are the streets *' crowded with beggars. You see no where " the disgusting and melancholy contrast, so " common in Europe, of vice and filth, and " rags and wretchedness, in the immediate *' neighbourhood of the most wanton extrava- *' gance, and the most useless and luxurious pa ■ *' rade ; nor are the common people so de- *' pravcd as in Great Britain. Quarrels are " uncommon, and boxing matches unknowu *c OESERVATIOlS^S. i]^ in tlie streets. There are no military to " keep the people in awe. Robberies arc verjr *' rare. All these are real advantages ; but "' great as thej are, they do not weigh with " me So much g.s the single consideration first ** mentioned." Any person that has travelled generally through the United States must acknowledge?, that Mr. Cooper has here spoken with great partiality; for as to the morality And c-ood order that prevails amongst the people, he has applied to all of them what only holds true with respect to those who live in the most im- proved parts of the country. IJe i« extremely inaccurate aliso^ in repre- senting tlie people of the States as free from all animosities about political measures ; on the contrary, there is no counfry on the face of the globe, perhaps, where party spirit runsi higher, where political subjects are more fre- quently tlie topic oi' conversation amongst all classes, and where such subjects are more fre- ouently the cause of rancorous disputations and lasting differences amongst the people. 1 have repeatedly been in towns where one half of the inhabitants would scarcely deign to speak to the other half, on account of the difference of their political opinions ; and it is scarcely pos- iiible, in any part of the country^ to remain I'or a few hours -n a mixed company of men. v. ilh- I 414' TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA: out witnessing some acrimonious dispute from the same cause. Let us, however^ compare the inducemcnti which he holds out to people in England to leave that country for America, that is, for the United States, with the inducements there would be to settle in Canada, under the pre- mised supposition, that the land was there granted in an unexceptionable manner. From the land being plentiful in Canada, and consequently at a very low price, but likely to increase in value; whilst in the States, on the contrary, it has risen to an exorbitant a a- lue, beyond which it is not likely to rise for some time to come ; there can be no doubt but that a man of moderate property could provide for his family with much more ease in Canada than in the United States, as far as land were his object. In Canada, also, there is a much greater opening for young men acquainted with any business or profession that can be carried on in America, than there is in the United States. The expence of scttluig in Canada would be far less also than in any one of the States ; for in the former country the necessaries and con- veniences of life are remarkably cheap, whilst, on the contrary, in the other they are far dearer than in England ; a man therefore would cer- tainly have no greater anxiety about the future OBSERVATIONS. 4J5 success of a family in Canada than in the United States, and the absence of this anxiety according to Mr. Cooper, is the great induce- ment to settle in the States, which weighs with him more than all other considerations put to- gether. The taxes of Lower Canada have alrcadr been enumerated ; they arc of acknowledged necessity, and much lower in amount and num- ber than those paid in the States. There are no animosities in Canada about religion, and people of all persuasions are on a perfect equality with each other, except, in- deed, it be the protestant dissenters, who mar happen to live on lands that were subject to tithes under the French government; they have to pay tithes to the English episcopalian clergy ; but there is not a dissenter Ihiug on tithe lands, perhaps, in the whole provhice. The lands granted since the conquest are not liable to tithes. The English episcopalian clergy are provided tor by the crown out of the waste lands ; and all dissenters have simply to pay their own vlcrgy. There are no game laws in Canada, nor any excise laws whatsoever. As for the observation made by Mr. Cooper, in respect to the military, it is almost too futile to deserve notice. If a soldier, however, be an object of terror, the timid man will not find 416 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA! Iiimsclf at ease in the United States any more than in England, as he will meet with soldiers in New York, on Governor's Island, at Mifflin Fort near Philadelphia, at the forts on the North River, at Niagara, at Detroit, and at Oswego, &c, on the lakes, and all through the western country, at the different posts which were established by General Wayne. In every other respect, what Mr. Cooper has said of the United States holds good with regard to Canada ; nay more, it must certainly in addition be allowed by every unprejudiced person that has been in both countries, that moralit,y and good order are much more con- spicuous amongst the Canadians of every de- scription, than the people of the States; drunkenness is undoubtedly much less com- mon amongst them, as in gambling, a^id also quarrels. But indei>endant of these induceincnts to settle in Canada, there is still another circum- stance, which ought to weigh greatly with every British emigrant, according to the opi- nion even of Mr. Cooper himself After ad- vising his friends '' to go where land is clieap ** and fertile, and where it is in a progress of " improvement," he recommends them " to " go somewhere, if possible, in the fieighbour-^ " hood of a fexo FrngUsh, whose society, even in America, is interesting to an English set- t( 0BSERV1TI0N§. 417 "tier, who cannot entirely relinquish the ^ne- ' moria temporis acti;" that is, as he parti- cularly mentions in another passage, - he will " find their manhers and conversation far more " agreeable than those of the Americans," and from bemg chiefly in their company, he will not be so often tormented with the painful reflec tion, that he has not only left, but absolutely renounced his native country, and the men whom he once held dear above all others, and united himself, in their stead, with people whose vain boasts and ignorant assertions, however harsh and greeting they may sound to his ears, he must listen to without murmuring. Now in Canada, particularly in Lower Ca- nada, m the neighbourhood of Quebec and Montreal, an English settler would find him- self surrounded by his countrymen; and al- though his moderate circumstances should have induced him to leave England, yet he would not be troubled with the disagreeable reflection that he had totally renounced his native land and swore allegiance to a foreign power; ho would be able to consider with heartfelt ^atis- faction, that he was living under the protec- tion of the country wherein he had drawn his first breath; that he was contributing to her prosperity, and the welfare of many of his coun- trymen, while he wa^ ameliorating his own fortune. VOL. I. £ E 418 TRATEL8 TJQROUCH LOWER CANADA ; From a due consideration of every one of the before mentioned circumstances^ it ap- pears evident to me, that there is no part of America so suitable to an English or Irish set- tler, as the vicinity of Montreal or Quebec in Canada ; and within twenty miles of each of these places there is ample room for tkousands of additional inhabitants. I must not omit here to give lome account ""of a new settlement in the neighbourhood of Quebec, which I and my fellow traveller* visited in company with some neighbouring gentlemen, as it may in some degree tend to confirm the truth of what I have said respect- ing the impolicy of withholding indisputable titles to the lands lately granted by the crown^ and as it may serve at the same time to shew how many eligible spots for new settlements, are to be found in the neighbourhood of this city. We set ofi' from Quebec in calashes, and fol- lowing, with a little deviation only, the course of the River St. Charles, arrived ou the margin of the lake of the same name, about twelve miles distant from Quebec. The River St. Charles flows from the lake into the bason, near Quebec ; at its mouth it is about thirty yards wide, but not navigable for boais, •xcept for a few miles up, owing to the nuuia- f«u» rtcks and fl\U. In the spring of the illVEft AND LAK£ ST. CHAttLES. 4\^ ycaif, when it is much swollen bj floods, rafts liave been conducted down the whole way from the lake, but this has not been accomplisiied without greot difficulty, some danger, and a condderable loss of time in passing the differ- ent portages. The distance from the lake to Quebec being so short, land carriage must al- ways be preferred to a water conveyance along this river, except it be for timber. The course of the St. Charles is very irregu- lar ; in some places it appears almost stagnant^ whilst in others it shoots with wonderful im- petuosity over deep beds of rocks. The views Upon it are very romantic, particularly in the neighbourhood of Lorette, a village of the Huron Indians^ where tlie river, after falling in a beautiful cascade over a ledge of rocks, winds through a deep dcU, shaded on ca h .side with tall trees. The face of the country between Quebec and the lake is extremely pleasing, and in the neigh- bourhood of the city, where the settlements aro numerous, well cultivated; but as you retire from it, the settlements become fewer and fewer, and the country of course appears wild- er. From the top of a hill, about half a mile from the lake, which commands a fine view of, that and the adjacent country; not more than' five or six houses are to be seen, and beyond these, there is np settlement besides that on ££ '^ 420 TRAf ELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA I Stoneham township, the one under immediate notice. On arriving at the lake, we found two ca- noes in waiting for us, and we embarked on board them. Lake St. Charles is about four miles and a half in length, and its breadth on an average about three quarters of a mile. It consists of two bodies of water nearly of the same size ; they communicate together by a narrow pass, through which a smart current sets towards Quebec. The scenery along the lower part of the lake is uninteresting, but along the upper part of it, the views are highly picturesque, particularly upon a first entrance through th« pasi. The lake is here interspersed with large rocks ; and close to the water on one side, as far as the eye can reach, rocks and trees appear blended together in the most beautiful man- ner. The shores are bold, aiul richly orna- mented with hanging woods ; and the head of the lake being concealed from the view by se- veral little promontories, you arc led to imagine that the body of water is far more extensive than in reality. Towards the upper end, tho view is terminated by a range of blue hills, which appear at a distance, peeping over the tops of the tall trees. When a few settlements -come to be made here, open to the lake, for tb« laud bordering upon it is quite in ils STONEIIAM TOWNSHIP. 421 natural state, this indeed must be a heavenly little spot. The depth of the water in the lake is about eight feet, in sonic places more, in others less. The water is clear, and as several small itreams fall into it, to supply what runs off by the River St. Charles, it is kept constantly in a state of circulation ; but it is not well tasted, owing, as is conceived, to the bottom being in some parts overgrown with weeds. Prodigious numbers of bull frogs, however, are found about the shores, which shews that springs of good water abound near it, for these creatures are never met with but where the water is of a good quality. At the upper part of the lake we landed, and having proceeded for about half a mile over some low ground bare of trees, from being annually flooded on the dissolution of the snow, mc struck into the woods. Here a road newly cut soon attracted our attention, and following the course of it for a mile or two, we at last espied through a sudden open- ing between the trees, the charming little set- tlement. The dwelling house, a neat boarded little mansion painted white, together with the of- lices. were situated on a small eminence; to the ri;iht, at tlie bottom of the slope, stood ihe 422 TRATELS THROUGH tOVE|l CANADA : barn, the lingcst in all Canada, with a farm ^'ard exactly in the English style; behiiul the barn was laid out a neat garden, at the bottom of which^ over a bed of graved ran a purling stream of the purest water, deep enough, ex* cept ill a very dry season, to float a large ca- noe. A small lawn laid down in grass ap- peared in front of the house, ornamented with clumps of pines, and in its neighbourhood were about sixty acres of cleared land. The com- mon method of clearing land in America is to grub up all the brushwood and small trees merely, and to cut down the large trees about two feet above the ground : the remaining stumps rot in from six to ten years, according to the quality of the timber ; in the mean time the farmer ploughs between them the best way he can, and where they are very numer- ous, he is sometimes obliged to use even the spade or the hoe to turn up the soil. The land, however, at this settlement had been cleared in a different manner, for the trees and roots had all been grubbed up at once. This mode of proceeding is extremely expensive, so that few of those destined to make new settle- ments could afford to adopt it ; and, moreover, it has not been accurately proved that it is the most profitable one; but the appearance of lands so cleared is greatly superior to those cleared in the common method. NEAT FARM. 4!?3 In another respect also the lands at tliis aet- tlenieut had been cleared in a superior manner to what is commonly to be met with in Ame- rica ; for latg:c clumps of trees were left ad- joining to the houscj and e?ich field was 'en- circled with wood, whereby ti»e crops were se- cured from the bad effects of storms. The ap- pearance of cultivated fields thus situated, as it were in the midst of a forest, was inconceivably beautiful. Th-. economy of this little farm equalled its beauty. The fields, neatly fenced in and fur- nishe . with handsome gates, were cultivated according to the Norfolk system of husbandry, and had been brought to yield the most plenti- ful crops of every different sort of grain ; the farm yard was filled with as fine cattle as could be seen in any country; and the dairy afforded excellent butter, and abundance of ffood cheese. Besides the dwelling-house before mention- ed, there were several log-houses on different parts of this farm, inhabited by the people who were engaged in clearing the land. All these appeared delighted with the situation ; nor were such of them as had come a short time before from England, at all displeased with the climate; they informed me, that they had enjoyed perfect health from the moment of their landing, and found o incon:venienc6 4'H TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA ! from the intense cold of \herc the most remote of the old seigniories end, that is, wieyed, the township marked out, and it was REFLECTIONS. 425 allotted to him merely, however, by ""-tificatt of occupation. Several other gentlemen, charmed with the excellent quality and beautiful disposition of the lands in this paU of the country, have taken up adjoining townships ; but at none of them have any settlements been made, nor i^ it probable that any will be until the proprie- taries get better titles ; indeed, it has excited the surprise of a numerous set of people in the province, to see even the little settlement [ have spoken of, established on land held under nuch a tenure. That unexceptionable titles may be speedily made out to these lands, is sincerely to be hoped ; for may we not, whenever that mea- sure shall take place, expect to see these beautiful provinces, that have so long remain- ed almost unknown, rising into general no- tice ? May we not then expect to behold them increasing rapidly in population, and making hasty strides towards the attainment of that degree of prosperity and consequence, which their soil, climate, and many other natural ad- vantages, have so eminently qualified them for enjoying? And surely, the empire at large would be greaily benefited by such a chano-e in the state of Canada; for as the country in- creased in population, it would increase in ' M KaMBa&fflSii 4S6 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CAJJADA : ricbei, and there would then be a proportion* able greater demand for English manufac- tures ; a still greater trade would also be car- ried on then between Canada and the West In- dies than at present, to the great advantage of both countries * : a circumstance that would give employment to a greater number of Bri- tish ships : as Canada also increased in wealth, it would be enabled to defray the expences of its own government, which at present fall so heavily upon the people of Great Britain: neither is there reason to imagine that Canada, if allowed to attain such a state of prosperity, would be ready to disunite herself from Great Britain, supposing that Great Britain should remain as powerful as at present, and that Ca- nada continued to be governed with mildness and wisdom; for she need but turn towards the United States, to be convinced that the great mass of her people are in the possession of as * All those articles of American produce in demand in the West Indies may be had on much better terms in Ca- nada than in the United States ; and if the Canadian mer- chants had sufficient capitals to enable them to trade thither largely, there can hardly be a doubt but that the people of the British West Indian isles would draw their supplies from Canada rather than from any other part of America, The few cargoes at present sent from Quebec, always com- mand a preference in the West Indian markets over those sent from any part of the United States. REFLECTIONS. 421 much happiness and liberty as those of the neighbouring country ; and that whatever she might lose by exposing herself to the horrors of a sanguinary war, she could gain no essential or immediate advantages whatsoever, by assert- ing her owB independence. £ND OF THE FIRST VOLUME. T. Cillct, Priater, Wiid Court, Lincoln's-Iajti fieldf .