i 
 
 lyfl 
 
THE 
 
 LIFE, 
 
 AB VENTURES, 
 
 AND 
 
 UNPARALLELED SUFFERINGS 
 
 OF 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 An Account of his Travels through France, Italy, the F/ast a fed 
 West Indies, and part of the United Spates : his Imprison- 
 ment in France, Germany and Spain ; and the Lati- 
 tude, Soil, Climate, Productions, Manners and 
 Customs of the different Countries 
 
 WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. 
 
 TRENTON 
 
 PUBLISHED BY D. FENTON, NEARLY OPPCSI1 F, 
 
 THE BANK. 
 1.i. Deare, Printer, N. 
 
m-Jemcy^ to ivi-., 
 
 Co it remembered, That on the first da}- of Jur.e, in the iim y 
 ear of the Independence of the United States of America, 
 \ DREW OEIILER, of the suid district, hath deposited in this office 
 the title of a book the right whereof he claims as author in the words 
 l\ il;nvittg, to -wit, " The Life, Adventures, and Unparalleled Suf- 
 1'i-ri igs pf Andrew Oehler : containing an account of his Travels 
 Through Prance, Italy, the East and West Indies, and part of the 
 'Jn'tted States : his Imprisonment in France, Germany, and Spain ; 
 arid the Latitude, Soil, Climate, Productions, Manners and Cns- 
 r.f the different Countries. Written by Himself." In conform- 
 i'y to the act of the Congress of the United" States, entitled "an act 
 ti>;/ the enco'irsipjem^nt cflejarning, by securing the copies of maps, 
 ;', and bopks,;t<j .t"r,e anchors and proprietors of such copies dur- 
 ing (fee times t'h'erehi' mentioned," and also to the act entitled " an 
 ^.ct sii](j>lpnientp7;y t to a,n a.ct eritHled an act for the encouragement of 
 &:r/ir,S^liy Securing |hexogies of maps, charts, and books to the 
 '. aitihoWaJict ^'roprietors of such'copies during the times therein men- 
 d, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, 
 n ---:i\ir'% and etching, historical and other prints." 
 
 KOPERT BOGGS, Clerk of the District of New -Jersey. 
 
PHEFACE, 
 
 HE following narrative is presented to li^ \ 
 more especially to my friends and ac , in 
 
 order to. give them a history of the .-.' 
 kir sufferings, and providential circu; 
 have passed through, than ir.,: \ any \..v- to p 
 advantage ; and especially as it wiii serve tj 
 many things which have not had the ; 
 did investigation) and have often beet) viewed in UneA n 
 scales. My steady and firm determination h:;s ! a 
 set every material circumstance in a c. i;i ct % 
 
 view : many things of small consequence ha 
 purposely omitted, as my friends or; 
 bafrassed with re 
 
 every where common. enclcuvoj 
 
 the most profitable r.n:l entertaining stylo, 
 died brevity and conciseness throughout In 
 work. As for the truth of \vhr-t the - 
 will find here recorded, I ask no man to believe-. 
 shall entreat no man's charily, well knowing that the 
 candid and learned amongst men will form i;o conclu- 
 sion without first laying down a foundation, built or 
 the strong basis of reason and good sense. To 
 racters of this description I can be generous and can- 
 did enough to say, that as they re?d they may rtCxtlvc 
 the pleasure of believing tnat these relations are real 
 facts, and a colouring us true as 'possible given to every 
 circumstance : for the information of the curious and 
 inquisitive amongst the rising youth, I have irpokiu 
 largely on the most material things relating to 
 the different countries : and with respect to tne.exhi- 
 bitions herein mentioned of some extraordinary ftv.t.s 
 .performed at the times related, they vUl fi.nd the 
 
 0817 
 
.Tts; explained' -at the latter end of the nar- 
 
 Th'e /.;..< .Jia-r"eoffei-lngs and imprisonments in 
 
 opa in ul the southern puns of Amenca 5 through 
 
 prejudice a v id jealousy, and the different scenes of 
 
 spciity and .dversiiy alternately following, explain 
 
 mutability ?;rd uncertaii ty of all human things, 
 
 Vi'iiich m^- be ^ c cle?i'iy sc!,n as face to iace in a glass. 
 
 'J hat a p. of table r ; iid r.clvania^eous improvement 
 ;::/ c\ r iso to all, the :i ing pcncrution in particular, 
 i cosy pl'.^.e LJ p-cru:^' ; heto sheets, is the sincere 
 pttblick's hunvble servant) 
 
 ANDREW OEIILEU. 
 
OF 
 
 ANDREW OEHLE1L 
 
 A WAS iDorn in Alstadt, in the district of 
 Franckfort on the Maine, in Germany, ( it fu-t 
 and independent city, which abounds in all the 
 luxuries and necessaries of life), on the 16th 
 clay of March, A. D. 1 78 1 . jYIy father's name 
 was Ryneheart Odiler ; the son of Anthony 
 Oehlcr, who was a lieut. in the militia under 
 the Prince of Hesse: my father's business was. 
 trading from Frarickfbrt to Holland in wines, 
 brandy, timber, &c. My mother was the 
 daughter of the Episcopal minister of the same 
 district: her name was Catharine Assuvnus : 
 she was religious and well educated, and used 
 to take great pains in instructing her little fam- 
 ily : this I can well remember from the time 
 that I was quite young. My father was captain, 
 before his marriage, in wlni v,~as called the 
 seven years wars, that engaged Austria. Fr.v. 
 ancTRussia against Frederick the Great! 1; 
 of Prussia. _ He had five sons and five daii 
 ters. and as I was his young '-.e took can" 
 
 to keep me under his more imine-': 
 A 2 
 
lion, and used to take me along with him as 
 constant attendant in all his business to Am- 
 sterdam ; from the time I was six until I was 
 ten years of age, he used to make two voyages 
 there in a year: during this short period I had, 
 at intervals, been instructed in the common 
 branches of education which were generally 
 taught in the city. But my brother George 
 being of an enterprizing turn, was willing that 
 I should be brought up in a different manner; 
 from what I then followed, and wished me to be 
 placed at school and prepared for a better kind 
 of business. There was, I believe, some al- 
 tercation and debate on the subject, yet the 
 opinion of my Father must be first regarded, 
 and 1 was placed at the taylor's shop to learn 
 his trade first ; and as the chief object of my 
 brother George was that I should be brought 
 up under his superintendance and instructions, 
 he was promised by my father, that when I had 
 served three years at that business, I should 
 spend the rest of my time with him in the mer- 
 cantile line, until I should be twenty- one years 
 of age ; this my father had determined on, that 
 if ever I should be unfortunate in the world, 
 (and he had not an independent fortune to give 
 me), that I should not be left without any 
 means of subsistence ; and his ideas were very 
 good, as by experience I have found that my 
 trade has often been of very singular use to me 
 in instances, when, without it, I must inevita- 
 bly have perished. I do not expect that he had 
 any prognostications of my travels, but this hfr: 
 
knew, that the Germans were a people subject 
 to vdveiiing more than any nation on earth , \s 
 it is a common saying in German}-, that * the 
 Germans are great travellers ;' and it is a very 
 common saving among them, that k no man is 
 so sure of a good'living as he that lias a trade.' 
 I was accordingly bound to a taylor, to be 
 instructed in the best manner possible in the 
 taylor's trade, from the time that I was ten un- 
 til I was thirteen years old ; and my father was 
 willing to pay something extraordinary in order 
 that I might acquire my trade quick, or as I 
 was very young, that I might acquire so much 
 knowledge of it that I should be able at ma- 
 turer age, with a little more insight, to follow 
 the business respectably : this I believe must 
 ,. have been their intention; and according to the 
 common saying, ' what is sown in youth, by 
 early impregnation, is rooted/ i. e. is remem- 
 bered ; at that time I acquired such a degree of 
 information that I was, when necessitated after- 
 Wards to make' use of it, well enough skilled to 
 make easy advancements to new acquirements, 
 and without expence to myself, or any parti- 
 cular trouble, to attain a respectable degree in 
 the same line of business. 
 
 But whilst my father was providing a degree 
 0f good acquirements for his children, misfor- 
 tunes began to spring and bud on his own foun- 
 dation ; anid although I might be inaccurate 
 should I attempt to give in detail an account 
 of the progress 'of these misfortunes, yet I will 
 observe, that they were occasioned by the pro- 
 
8 
 
 ceedings and the rash conduct of the French 
 Revolution, through the plans, ungenerous and 
 unprincipled, of the National Convention of 
 France ; they plundered, burnt and destroyed, 
 This, however, they say was not under the in- 
 structions or superintendance of the Great Gen- 
 eral Bonaparte, who they pretend to say is of a 
 humane and generous disposition. Be it as it 
 may, his property was taken from him with 
 savage cruelty and inhumanity. 
 
 Whilst my father decreased in property, my 
 brother George increased, and continued to 
 establish himself more and more in the mercan- 
 tile line of business, in Franckfort upon Maine. 
 All this time I was growing discontented in the 
 place of my apprenticeship, for my master, al- 
 though thought well of at first, having found ^ 
 himself possessed of my time for so long a pe- 
 riod, treated me with the greatest disingenuitv ; 
 am! finding myself powerfully pressed by my 
 father, "and that a master must be my patron and 
 no? m y hither, and no relief, I grew entirely 
 discouraged. 
 
 My master was one of those men who had no 
 h^-v-r in combat with either his superiors or 
 eqiL'is, but cruel and extremely ungenerous to 
 his subjects and dependents; the true mark of 
 a cowardly and dastardly spirit : for my part, 
 I too sensibly ielt the indignities and rough 
 tisane which he gave me the short time tha; I 
 tav:icd with hi<.*, ever to consent to being 
 bound out a second time, although I had faith- 
 fully served until J had finished my apprentice- 
 
ship. Thi$ man's usage to me was cruel and 
 almost indescribable. 
 
 Immediately after this, my brother George, 
 who had been waiting my release from my ap- 
 prenticeship, made a new application to my 
 father to bind me to him to serve one more 
 apprenticeship in the mercantile business. Had 
 my father at first bound me out to a person of 
 a humane and gentle disposition, 1 might have 
 been willing to have accepted of this generous 
 offer of my brother ; but the proverb (the burnt 
 child dreads the fire) held, unfortunately, true 
 with me in this critical and unfortunate period ; 
 for having been so cruelly abused by my mas- 
 ter, Mr. Crembalhjoyne, I had concluded that 
 all masters were thus cruel to servants. In a 
 fatal moment I concluded, that I never would 
 be under an other master as an apprentice ; but 
 fearing my father would bind me to my broth- 
 er, I resolved to use one violent effort, to pre- 
 vent it. It was now that I left all my Mends in 
 Franckfort of Maine, and threw myself into a 
 world of troubles, perils and sufferings, per- 
 haps unequalled in some respects for several 
 centuries, as the succeeding history will shew. 
 And indeed the consideration of my disobedi- 
 ence to my parents, my unparalleled ingrati- 
 tude to my brother George in particular, which 
 was the prime cause of all my sufferings and 
 calamities, bears no inconsiderable part in the 
 trials which 1 endured. 
 
 It was the 27th of May, 1794, that I left my 
 native place, without the consent of my fr 
 
10 
 
 ther or any of my acquaintance, and took my 
 departure for Slrasburgh. Here I came into a 
 new train of reflections, in the fourteenth year 
 of my age, on quitting all my former friends 
 and acquaintance, and launching forth in an 
 unknown world of strange and unforeseen 
 events. I had with me a trifling sum of money 
 in my small purse, which I had laid up daring 
 my three 3- ears' apprenticeship. This little 
 sum, which was accumulated by Receiving small 
 presents fromgentlemen to whom I had been 
 sent by my master with clothes, was the whole 
 of my dependence for support until I could get 
 employment ; however, one of my sisters hav- 
 ing been married to a gentleman who now liv- 
 ed in Strasburgh, I concluded, as I had calcu- 
 lated, to call on her for some assistance : (this 
 place \viis situated about fitly le'.nics from 
 Fianckfort, where my L Lher ii-cO) : ner hus- 
 band ^m a n?.tive of Strasburgb, a^d a re- 
 spectaJR French merchant. I an ived here on 
 the 10th cla v of Jane. This fair and well in- 
 habited city lies i; bout one league West of the 
 river Rhine, and within the limits of Palestine, 
 in 43 degrees and 36 minutes of North latitude, 
 and 8 degrees 10 minutes East longitude: it is 
 very handsomely situated; the public streets are 
 straight and handsome ; the alleys are beauti- 
 fully adorned with trees of an elegant kind, and 
 well fitted to refresh the weary traveller, or the 
 inhabitants of the city after the labours of the 
 day are over. I have seen about one thousand 
 people walking ia them on a pleasant surnmer'3 
 
li 
 
 evening ; they are situated near the play-house, 
 and at a convenient distance from the bustle of 
 the city. There is in this city a Roman Cath- 
 olic church called the Minster, which I myself 
 have seen at fifteen leagues distance on land, 
 and it is reported to have been seen by others 
 in a clear day at the distance of twenty leagues 
 with the naked eye : however, it is remarkably 
 high and elegant, built of stone and marble, 
 with ornamental images, which beautifully and 
 surprizingly grace the outside -of the building : 
 it is reported there, that four kings made them- 
 selves poor in rearing this costly and magnifi- 
 cent fabric ; how true or false soever this may 
 be, it is beyond all doubt that it cost an im- 
 mense sum of money and labour to build it ; 
 but it is a great part of the religion of the Ro- 
 man Catholics to build costly and magnificent 
 houses of worship in all countries. This city 
 is situate in a healthy climate, and well, water- 
 ed, but the great hindrance to its populating 
 is its great distance from the sea, about one 
 hundred and fifty leagues ; small boats only can 
 come here by water, and the conveyance is 
 chiefly by land : the number of inhabitants are 
 about fifty thousand ; since the French Rev- 
 olution, the French language is generally spo- 
 ken here. 
 
 After I had been in Strasburg, one day, and 
 was a little recovered from the fatigues of my 
 journey, I put on the best suit of apparel I had 
 brought with me, and made enquiry for my 
 sister : her husband being a noted man, I was 
 
12 
 
 soon directed by a young gentleman, (who ac- 
 companied me) to the place of her residence. 
 I made myself known; she welcomed and re- 
 ceived me with great affection, and immediate- 
 ly introduced me to the gentlemen and ladies 
 who happened then to be in the house on a 
 tea-party . some of them were of her husband's 
 relations. After I had sat some time in the 
 company and felt myself very happy in the 
 agreeable conversation that passed, my sister 
 called me into another apartment, and enquir- 
 ed more particularly of many things in her fa- 
 ther's family at Franckfort of Maine ; amongst 
 the rest of her interrogatories, What had been 
 my employment ? I answered that of a taylor ; 
 but how much surprised and astonished was I 
 to hear her exclaim, ' you are no relation of 
 mine, but an impostor ! make the best of your 
 way out of my house,' &c. She gave rne no 
 time-to enquire into the cause of this sud- 
 den change, but immediately withdrew, and 
 shut the door in passion and apparently with 
 deep resentment ! and added to this, her 
 countenance denoted every degree of displeas- 
 ure imaginable, and that nothing remained for 
 me to expect, or hope, for any thing like 
 friendship to be received from her in any fut- 
 ure period. 
 
 Here I was in a strange country, without 
 friends or acquaintance, and one hundred and 
 fifty English miles from my father's house, 
 having fkd f r -r safety from the hand of tyran- 
 ny : my money was not all spent ; but, to 
 
have the character of an Impostor ! and that 
 given me by a sister whom I loved ai.d es- 
 teemed, and from whom I had hoped for pro- 
 tection and deliverance ; and added to this the 
 scandal and disgrace which would naturally 
 follow, was more than my tender heart would 
 well bear, and all this for having obeyed my 
 father's commands in suffering myself to be 
 taught the trade of an honest mechanic.- -It 
 pierced me to the soul ! I wept and cried, was 
 tossed to and fro by various passions ; those 
 of love and fear being predominant, produced 
 inexpressible grief ! My sister's pride would 
 not suffer her to acknowledge that any of her 
 family was a tradesman ; the young gentleman 
 who accompanied me to the house came out 
 of the parlour, and found me in the entry or 
 porch in this lamentable situation, so impress- 
 ed with grief, and in a flood of tears, that it 
 moved his gentle heart with pity, and with an 
 affectionate tone of voice he put his hand on 
 my shoulder, and said, young man, never mind 
 it, but take courage ; perhaps the road may 
 turn after a while ; and as he evidently saw 
 that it was my sister's pride, at finding that 
 I was a mechanic, which caused her to reject 
 me, he advised me to bid her an everlasting 
 and eternal farewell and leave the house ; ac- 
 cordingly seeing one of the maids just passing 
 by, 1 sent in word, that I wished to see my 
 sister once more before I left the house. I 
 believe she did the errand, for in a few min- 
 utes my sister came out, then taking hold of 
 
14 
 
 ner hand I said, * I bid you now an eternal and 
 everlasting farewell ! if now you are too proud 
 to acknowledge me your brother, because of 
 my decent occupation which my father has 
 seen fit to give me, how much soever you 
 may reflect or repent of it hereafter, yet re- 
 member, that you shall never see my face 
 again ! I will see you no more forever ! but 
 bid you an everlasting, and an eternal farewell i* 
 Here my reader will conclude, that my re- 
 sentment was raised, perhaps a little too high ; 
 it was high I will acknowledge, but when we 
 look at defamations and dishonor, cast at us 
 by the persons who have always professed 
 themselves our friends, such things as these 
 fail on us like sudden claps of thunder with a 
 seven- fold weight ! We are confounded at 
 the suddenness of the shock ! and taught the 
 mutability of all human things, as it were 
 in a moment of time ! We are surprised at 
 the deceitfulness that can reign in the human 
 breast ! and whilst these subjects present 
 themselves to our view, every discordant 
 passion stands on the pinacle of the soul ! and 
 creates the most inexpressible anxiety, grief, 
 fear and dismay ! If the consequences are im- 
 portant, we give a few minutes to reflect, and 
 strike a full and a decisive blow ! And this 
 indeed was the case in the abovementioncd 
 circumstance with myself, although former 
 affections, still not wholly eradicated, obliged 
 me to perform it with tears and grief. This 
 being done, I gently turned myself round froii) 
 
IB 
 
 my sister and went down the steps at the door 
 and passed off from the house. Now it was 
 that heaven touched the heart of steel ! My 
 sister instantly felt a gleam of pity for the de- 
 jected and afflicted son of sorrow ; she knew 
 that I had taken that course from my father's 
 house in preference to many other places, in 
 order to see my long absent and beloved 
 sister; that Iliad placed great dependaftce on 
 her humanity and affection for me, when I 
 left the place of my nativity, and that the 
 strong presumption that 1 should enjoy her 
 friendship and protection was the prime cause 
 of my venturing to break the shackles of my 
 former slavery ; and whether I was right or 
 not in such proceedings, she knew that 1 had 
 acted conscientiously ar.d with good regard to 
 propriety ; and whether she considered the 
 great distance and perils of the way, if I 
 should be obliged to return home, or the 
 perils of the sea if I were to flee to another 
 country ; or of bad company, or unfortunate 
 events in the city, I know not ; but this I 
 well remember, she was powerfully affected, 
 and instantly melted into a flood of tears : with 
 tenderness and sympathy she called me back, 
 acknowledged me to be her brother, and again 
 once more invited me into the parlour ; a re- 
 conciliation soon took place between us, and 
 I found myself under the protection of a bro- 
 ther-in-law, a merchant of the first respecta- 
 bility ir^ the city : my sister was also very 
 affectionate and kind, and under their hospita- 
 
16 
 
 ble roof I solaced myself in pleasures for aboufc 
 eighteen months During all this time they 
 spared no pains in educating me in the difter- 
 ;: branches and sciences of Strasburg fitted 
 to the capacities of youth, together with mil- 
 itary discipline : here I did nothing but what 
 my natural inclination and ambition approved ; 
 my brother-in-law and my sister being .so far 
 my superintendants as to preserve me from 
 the immoralities of the city. As they had 
 during this time become acquainted with my 
 circumstances when I k ft my father, by let- 
 ters written from Franckfort of Maine, where 
 rny father lived, and doubtless being informed 
 of his intention of bringing rne into the mer- 
 cantile line of business with my brother 
 George, as I had before related, they generally 
 humoured me in such exercises and employ- 
 ments as tended to give me instruction and 
 lead my mind that way. 
 
 There were several letters written by my 
 father and my brother George, wishing me to 
 return to my native place, but all to no pur- 
 pose ; for I cared little about the advice of my 
 sister to go back, so long as I found that she 
 and her husband used me so politely, and 
 seemed so much pleased with my company. 
 My father using no authority, I was establish- 
 ed in my opinion of things and measures, and 
 thought that it was best for me never jto return. 
 
 It was in this city that I regaled myself with 
 pleasures, and saw my happiest days ; it was 
 a place of many curiosities ; and one thing- 
 
17 
 
 which would be entertaining 1 to the reader, 
 amongst many others that are not seen in other 
 countries, is a description of the very elegant 
 clock which is fixed in the Roman Catholic 
 church in Strasburg. A full description of 
 it cannot conveniently be given in this small 
 narrative, but it may be observed that it does 
 not go in all its parts at present : its curiosities 
 have been the admiration of all Europe, as 
 in the work there may be seen the operation 
 of the sun, moon, and planets, the chime of 
 bells and the artificial cock, (which stands on 
 the top of the tower), that at a certain hour 
 would crow entirely natural. For a full des- 
 cription of this work, I refer the reader to the 
 Methodist Magazine, printed in Philadelphia, 
 1799, Vol. i, Page 471 : but two or three 
 of its greatest curiosities I will here brieily 
 mention ; there are four little bells whereon 
 the quarters of the hour are struck ; at the 
 first quarter comes forth a little boy and strikes 
 the first bell with an apple, passes on, and stops 
 at the fourth bell until the next quarter ; then 
 comes a lusty youth, and he with a dart strikes 
 two bells, and succeeds to the place of the 
 child ; at the third comes forth a man in arms, 
 with a halbert in his hand, and strikes three 
 bells, he succeeds to the place of the young 
 man ; at the fourth quarter comes an old man 
 with a staff, having a crook at the end, and he 
 with much ado, being old, strikes the four 
 bells, and stands at the fourth quarter, until 
 next quarter :~ immediately to strike ths. 
 B. 2. 
 
13 
 
 clock, comes death, in the room above the 
 other; and this understand, that at each quarter 
 he comes forth to catch each of thoce former 
 ages away with him ; but at a contrary side, in 
 the same room where he is, comes forth 
 Christ, and drives him in ; but when the last 
 quarter is heard, Christ gives him leave to go 
 to die btll which is in the midst, and so he 
 strikes with his bone, according to the hour : 
 and he stands at the bell, as tl\e old man doth 
 at his quarter-bell, till the next quarter, a:-cl 
 then they go in both together. The last thing 
 which I shall mention more particularly, and 
 which was hinted before, is the tower at the 
 top of the work, wherein is a noble, pleasant 
 chime which goes at three, seven, and eleven 
 o'clock, each time a different tune ; and ai 
 Christinas, Easter, and Whitsunday, a thanks- 
 giving unto Christ ; and when this chime has 
 done, the cock, (which stands on the top of 
 the tower on the north side of the main work), 
 having stretched out his neck, shook his comb, 
 and clapped his wings twice, crows twice ; and 
 this he does so shrill and natural that it would 
 excite astonishment in any one ; and if they 
 ehuse, who attend the clock, they can make 
 him crow more times. From this tower arc 
 conveyed all the instruments of those motions 
 which are in the aforesaid things. But as 
 was before observed, this clock does not now 
 perform in ail its parts ; the circumstances are 
 as follows ; the gentleman who was the chief 
 workman, and who invented the curiosities in 
 
19 
 
 this clock, told the inhabitants of the city of 
 Strasburg, that in consequence of his not being 
 fully compensated for his labour in inventing 
 and performing the work for them, he would 
 be under the necessity of travelling to another 
 city, and building another of the same kind ; 
 but that he had determined that the work 
 should be superior in elegance and fame to 
 that performed in Strasburg ; upon this, the 
 jealousy of the priests of the Roman Catholic 
 church immediately arose, and they confined 
 him in the common prison. In order to re- 
 venge himself, or make his escape, or both, 
 he told them that there was something impor- 
 tant still deficient in the work, and some assert 
 that the clock had stopped, and needed re- 
 paLirg : be that as it may, he \vas taken out 
 of prison and accompanied to the Minster 
 under guard until he had finished the work. 
 But whilst he apparently completed the work, 
 he made such alterations in it as to prevent it 
 from going longer than two or three weeks in 
 some parts cf it ; he moreover told them, that 
 if they confined him in the city of Strasburg, 
 it would not prevent him from writing to .the 
 inhabitants -(I think of Vienna in Germany) 
 and directing them how to perform the Work 
 themselves. When they discovered the pos- 
 sibility of his doing this, they cut out his eyes 
 to prevent him from writing, and confined him 
 ;;.; ua in prison, where he died a short time 
 aft jr ; his corpse .was carried forth fronvprison 
 und interred ; his funeral was much honored 
 
20 
 
 by the citizens in general, though pretendedly 
 despised by the Roman Catholic priests. 
 
 But to return to my former employments in 
 Str-asburg ; as I have related, they were all 
 pleasant and entertaining, and could any thing 
 have made me contented at that time I might 
 have found it here, in a place where the chief 
 productions of the soli were wheat and wine 
 in plenty, with a variety of fruits, united with 
 a respectable people of very ar. liable and cour- 
 teous deportment ; nevertheless, the planet 
 which directed my unfortunate travels, was 
 just beginning its most energetic influences; 
 whereupon my ambition for seeing new coun- 
 tries, and for acquiring a far higher degree of 
 the knowledge of the world, began to make 
 me weary and discontented in this best of 
 places ; accordingly I made known my inten- 
 tions to my sister and her good husband, who 
 used all their influence to dissuade me from 
 my intentions, but all to no purpose ; I re- 
 mained fixed in my determinations, and ac- 
 cord ingly I prepared for my journey ; and 
 after taking an affectionate farewell ! of ail the 
 family and my new acquaintances, I took stage 
 and set off for Basle in Switzerland, leaving 
 behind me the pleasant climes of Strasburg to 
 the possession of all its happy inhabitants. 
 Thus, on the 19th day of Dec. in the fifteenth 
 year of my age, I took my departure for ex- 
 ploring the magnificent cities and countries 
 of Europe, and after- an impleasant passage 
 ef ten days, I arrived in Basle, in a country 
 
convulsed with arms and mad with revolution- 
 ary wars ! Here liberty without substance 
 seems to be the order of the day ; but how 
 this will end, and the pretentious of the French 
 declaring in favour of their liberty, time only, 
 the true test of all things, will determine. 
 This city lies on the river Rhine, about 24 
 leagues from the city of Strasburg ; not entire- 
 ly level, but conveniently situated for trade : 
 merchandise is conveyed to and from this city 
 chiefly by land carriages, as goods cannot be 
 conveyed by water but in small craft, such 
 as boats, &.c. Their chief advantage in trade 
 is to and from Franckfort of Maine. It lies 
 in latitude 44 deg. nearly ; good soil, produ- 
 ces chiefly grain, wine, and other articles of 
 trade common with the European countries ; 
 they have a temperate climate, the air is clear 
 from gross contagious diseases, and it is call- 
 ed a healthy country; their language is Ger- 
 man ; their religion is a mixture of Protestant 
 and Roman Catholic, about an equal number 
 of each ; their houses are built of wood and 
 stone, in the common form of buildings in 
 this country ; the streets are not very much to 
 be praised for their elegance, being mostly 
 narrow ; it lies on the river Rhine ; they are 
 generally plain in their dress and language ; 
 but honest and well meaning people. I re- 
 mained in this city fourteen days ; then I be- 
 gan travelling from one town to another 
 through the fountains of Switzerland seeking 
 employment at my trade : seven weeks passed 
 
m 
 
 flf in the greatest state of anxiety and wretch- 
 edness ! during which time, I suffered every 
 hardship, (death excepted,) which human na- 
 ture was capable to endure, but could find no 
 employ at my trade ; and now my money be- 
 ing gone, famine and every other affliction 
 attendant on a state of poverty stared me full 
 iu the face : still I continued travelling until 
 J was obliged to part with some of my best 
 clothing to get me a pair of shoes, and a tern- 
 p- -try subsistence : oh the 26th day of the 
 s?me month I arrived at Newichatel, thinking 
 to get into business : here I went into business 
 of the worst kind imaginable, seeking employ, 
 mcnt but finding none, no not the least encou- 
 ragement ; and doubtless owing to my mean 
 appearance ; having b< ot *n, a's 1 before related, 
 * c ; 1 to part with , ae of my best apparel ; 
 1 Lud not a coat, e> .,p ting one suitable for the 
 s^ar.iicr season ; and to complete my misfor- 
 tunes, as I was passing along by the side of a 
 Jak'j not far distant, on a sudden a gale of wind 
 deprived me of my hat, by blowing it off into 
 the water. In this sad and dismal plight I 
 entered houses and shops, seeking lor employ- 
 ment, but the people laughed me to scorn, 
 declaring that I was some profligate vagabond : 
 in this manner they scoffed at my misery and 
 seemed delighted with my wretchedness. It 
 was now that I remembered the excellent ad- 
 vice of my beloved sister and her good hus- 
 band ; and it was now that I v^shed myself 
 back in Strasburg under their hospitable roof: 
 
21 
 
 but, alas ! the sad difference ! almost nakeii 
 and half starved. I left the city of Ncwfchatcl 
 for Louisana. Soon after my departure> the 
 snow began to fall so fast, that the hean ie 
 were dark over me ; it filled all the path which 
 I travelled ; I was alone without a guide, with- 
 out money, without food, without clothing ; 
 extreme cold, storm, fear, terrors, and confu- 
 sion were my only attendants ; the reflection 
 on my past misfortunes and present despicable 
 situation, created in me a wish that I had never 
 been born ! but it is impossible for wovJ.s to 
 declare, or those who have not experienced 
 the like calamities, to conceive the melancholy 
 situation which 1 was then in : this is the 
 situation in which I travelled over the pathless 
 mountains, rallies, and forded the creeks of 
 Switzerland. I believe for about twelve or 
 fifteen miles in this gloomy and distressing 
 storm I travelled, and ascended the craggy 
 rocks and deserts, famished with hunger and 
 benumbed with cold, until I saw nothing left 
 but to lie down and perish ! Never before was 
 I so well able to prize a good house, and 
 such agreeable accommodations as I had left 
 in Strasburg. Here I would give one word 
 of advice to y -nth, which is, that they always 
 ask counsel of the wise and experienced, espe- 
 cially of such as are friends not only to decent 
 and virtuous conduct, but of such as are well 
 acquainted with the world, and with the un- 
 certain fort u'nos of a travelling life; the want 
 <af which has been the destruction and- misery. 4)f 
 
thousands. Perhaps the virtuous part of 
 kind are read) to observe, that my disobedience 
 to my parents when I left Franckfort of Maine, 
 produced and brought on these unparralleled 
 sufferings ; and at the time 1 was reluctantly- 
 forced to reflect on my misfortunes in this 
 point of view ; and I verily believe, that a 
 disobedience to parents and the moral com- 
 mands of superintendants, brings down the 
 severest punishments from the hand of the 
 Supreme Being ; indeed 1 then received it in 
 this point of light, and thought that my sit- 
 uation was worse than death, and that the all- 
 wise disposer of every circumstance and event, 
 was now repaying my stubbornness and re- 
 bellion against them, on my own head ; and 
 it was doubtless the case ; for I here found no 
 relief, until I applied to that almigluy being, 
 whom I had so heedlessly disregarded before ; 
 and now, in this distressing situation, I tell 
 down on rny knees, and implored heaven to 
 compassionate my unfortunate case. Just as 
 I ended my prayer, night began to approach ; 
 I however pursued my journey, but the fa- 
 tigue which I had endured, and the chill pro- 
 ceeding from the coldness of the storm, so 
 overcame me, that I almost despaired of seeing 
 the light of another morning : my spirits sunk 
 within me ! I expected nothing but to perish ! 
 and consequently to die a miserable death ! 
 Here my necessity again led me to put up 
 another petition to heaven for 4^1ief, and the 
 reader will naturally conclude that my' prayer 
 
25 
 
 was of the most fervent and importunate kird, 
 as it really was : I think that if in any thing I 
 was ever sincere I was in this ; I then travel- 
 led on a few rods, and turning my head round 
 I espied a light not fur off, glimmering through 
 the trees ; my fainting spirits now revived ; I 
 concluded that heaven had condescended to 
 hear my request ; I took immediate courage : 
 yes, hope enkindled joyful surprise at my 
 siidden and unexpected deliverance ! it seemed 
 as if designed by heaven for my relief ! I was 
 so overjoyed that it appeared something like 
 supernatural, and with great difficulty I made 
 my way to the place from whence the light 
 proceeded, which proved to be the cottage of 
 an old man. I made my way to the door of 
 the house and desired admittance ; the old 
 gentleman came to the door and bid me come ^ 
 in ; I immediately entered, and was seated by 
 the fire until conveniently warm, after which he 
 gave me the best refreshment his little cottage 
 could afford. After supper the old gentleman 
 asked me many questions, by what accident I 
 came hither, Sec. After i had related every 
 material circumstance of my case, he seemed 
 much affected with my sufferings ; I then took 
 my leave of the hospitable old gentleman for 
 the night, and repaired to the lodging which 
 he had kindly provided for my rest, with the 
 following lines strongly impressed on rny 
 mind, 
 
The traveller benighted and lost. 
 Pursues o'er the mountains his way ; 
 
 The streams are all landed with frost, 
 And the icicle -hangs on the spray ; 
 
 He wandered about, some kind shelter to find, 
 Whilst thro' the sharp cold he was blown. 
 
 In the morning I enquired of my kind host 
 the direct road to Louisaria ; this he with 
 much civility pointed out to me, but still re- 
 questing me to tarry with him longer ; this I 
 declined, being very desirous to find some 
 employment at my trade : he then presented 
 me with an old blanket coat, an old fashioned 
 cocked up hat, and a French half crown, anc\ 
 his blessing ; he then gave me liberty to pro- 
 ceed on my voyage. I returned the kind, 
 benevolent, and hospitable old gentleman ac- 
 knowledgments for all his 'goodness to me 
 during my short stay with him, and bidding 
 him a friendly farewell, set off for Louisana. 
 To be sure, I made a fine appearance, and 
 would have affrighted almost any thing that 
 was human, had 1 been in a forest; but no- 
 thing transpired material, and on the same 
 <Jay, in my Harlequin dress, I arrived at Lou- 
 5 sana. I will here give my readers some short 
 -account of this city, as well as -of Switzerland 
 in general. 
 
 Switzerland is a famous Republic, compos- 
 ed of states, or n.thcr counties, consisting of 
 thirteen in number, each having a separate 
 government, after the republican form ;, ; the 
 country is rich, and productive of wi." 
 
27 
 
 manufactures of different kinds ; the people 
 are tali, hardy, robust and industrious even 
 to excess : their country in its infancy was 
 wild and barren, but by their industry and 
 economy is now converted into beautiful and 
 fertile fields. The Swiss are distinguished 
 for their honesty and fidelity in all their deal- 
 ings ; none excel them in bravery ; their 
 chief manufactures are cambricks, calicoes, 
 muslins, siiks, watches, &x. Great quantities 
 of produce are raised in all parts of this coun- 
 try ; their language is chiefly German, as has 
 been before related ; Louisana lies in lat. 45 
 deg. and 48 min. north ; the longitude I do 
 not so well remember. When 1 arrived in 
 this cityj*. I traversed the streets in search of 
 employ, and was at last directed to a merchant 
 taylor, who lived in a very elegant brick build- 
 ing four stories high ; * when 1 entered the 
 house the singular appearance which I made 
 with my new coat and cocked up hat, excited 
 much laughter among the people : wlu n 1 had 
 mude known my business, the master of the 
 shop said he would employ me to work for 
 him, but that there would be no lodging for 
 me in his house, for that it was haunted with 
 evil spirits, &cc. I then asked him if he could 
 lodge in the house himself; he answered me 
 that he did lodge in it ; I then told him that 
 if he could lodge in it I could also ; for 1 feared 
 neither the devil or any of his angels, accord- 
 injjy after some time had passed, and much 
 conversation had closed the subject, it was 
 
that I should sleep in the' house thitt 
 night for trial, and he lighted me to Ixd ; but 
 before he left me, insisted on treating me with 
 a bottle of wine ; then laking the candle in his 
 hand he bid me farewell, saying, perhaps I 
 shnll never see you alive again, i went to bed, 
 but not very well contented, and to tell the 
 truth, I w f \$ soraewhat intimidated, and often 
 laid very still iad silent to hear. About twelve 
 o'clock, i heard a. noise of thunder, and saw 
 fcibhes of lightning in the house ; this so ter- 
 d me and 'shook my resolution, that I was 
 lost in surprise, a*'d scarcely knew where I 
 Vi'uS for a lew minutes ; I sprang out of my 
 Lkd, and ran to the head of the stairs, there I 
 was met by a cask (vvliich came thundering 
 down over another pair of stairs above,) that 
 ne immediately down on the floor, 
 d that my former boasting was but 
 talk only, and that (as the common phrase is) 
 doing was the naked truth. 1 had formerly 
 played with .the notion that there was a Devif,, 
 but I was now much afraid that I had been 
 mistaken, and was so terrified, that I eried 
 murder with a voice as loud and shrill as pos- 
 sible : however, the way was passable down 
 stairs ; thence I made my escape, and ac- 
 quainted the people of the occasion of my 
 fright ; having some jealousy still, that they 
 were too passive and easy to be wholly igno- 
 rant of this business ; but they affirmed that 
 they had no hand in the business, and repre- 
 sented to me, that it was something super- 
 
natural, and had happened almost every night : 
 I then said, if that be the case I will return 
 once more, whether they be good spirits or 
 evil ones ; they endeavoured to dissuade me 
 from my purpose, by every forcible argument, 
 that I might loose my life, &c. but the result 
 was I was determined to know, whatever might 
 be the consequence, whether there was just 
 cause for my fears or not. I then took a light- 
 ed candle in my hand and proceeded up the 
 same stairs I came down, and from thence pro- 
 ceeded up the garret stairs, where I found 
 the master of the house, and the machinery 
 with which he had caused the thunder and 
 lightning. I demanded of him his reasons for 
 making such a noise to frighten strangers ; he 
 then told me as follows ;- this house, said he, 
 v/as lately owned by a noted miser, who took 
 all advantages of making property, by extor- 
 tion, and grinding the faces of the poor ; this 
 miser has lately died, and this house is to be 
 sold in a few days at public sale -.---that he had 
 done all this, in order to infuse into the minds 
 of the people a belief that the house was haunt- 
 ed ; so great is the superstition of this part of 
 the country, that such pranks have great wci 
 with the ignorant and deluded populace ; he 
 said farther, that he intended to buy the house 
 himself, as nobody would bid against him, and 
 consequently it would full to him a dead bar- 
 gain : he then offered me one hundred and fifty 
 dollars to keep the secret to myself, and assist 
 him in his undertaking, which I promised to 
 e 2 
 
30 
 
 do ; the bargain being finished and the plan 
 laid, I returned to my chamber. I ought to 
 have mentioned there was given me (when I 
 went to bed) a candle and a sword, which I 
 had dropped in my fright at the foot of the gar- 
 ret stairs ; this candle I newly alighted, took 
 my sword, and proceeded into the chamber, 
 and from the front window cried murder ! and 
 fire ! with all the force in my power. He kept 
 still in the garret, until I had collected one half 
 the city ; they came running in great haste in- 
 to the house ; but when these deluded people 
 heard the artificial thunder and saw the flashes 
 of lightning, they were as much terrified at it 
 as 1 was at first, and retreated in great haste 
 and confusion ; I followed them with prayers 
 and intreaties to come and deliver me, and 
 as I appeared to them as one going into con- 
 vulsions, and in danger of immediate death, 
 some of them put on courage, made one vio- 
 lent effort, and venturing into the chamber, 
 took hold of me and carried me out : they im- 
 mediately reported the terrible and frightful 
 scene of horror which they had witnessed, and 
 were readily believed by the credulous and 
 bigotted Swiss, who place implicit faith in all 
 manner of necromancy. The merchant taylor 
 soon after purchased the haunted house which 
 was worth about six thousand dollars, for nine 
 hundred ; he paid me the one hundred and fifty 
 dollars according to agreement. 
 
 I now bought me decent wearing apparel, 
 and felt an inclination increase once more to 
 
31 
 
 travel ; that I might learn more of the world ; 
 my mind was ?olely bent on seeing new coun- 
 tries and new things : this may appear strange 
 to one whose chief happiness consists in eating 
 always of his own bread and warming himself 
 by his own fire ; but, it must be remembered, 
 that the general voice of the people in all coun- 
 tries is, recommending a knowledge of the 
 world to the youth ; and the natural propensity 
 of my heart caught fire at every expression of 
 this kind, and life seemed to me as of no value 
 whilst I must spend my days in a corner : but 
 I did not see the slavery that attended it : all 
 that I had undergone before in travelling ap- 
 peared as nothing ; but go I must, hazarding 
 life with all its domestic pleasures and happi- 
 ness for this one great and noble attainment, a 
 great part of which has been very much like 
 the wise man's experience, nothing but vanity 
 and vexation of spirit. Howbeit, I proceeded 
 and bought me a horse, and every thing else 
 to complete a full equipage fitted for my jour- 
 ney, and on the 29th day of February, 1796, 
 I left Louisana, and with it all the fine country 
 of Switzerland ; a country in which I had un- 
 dergone many hardships and severe trials ; and 
 having suffered so much in my travels there, 
 nothing appeared pleasant and inviting enough 
 to fix my attention sufficiently to spend with 
 them one week longer : accordingly I bid a 
 final farewell to my small number of associates., 
 and gladly set off for Andoverin Italy. 
 
32 
 
 I arrived at Andover, after a pleasant jour- 
 ney, on the 24th day of March following. I 
 was now once more a stranger in a strange 
 land, ignorant of the language, modes or cus- 
 toms of the inhabitants : here the people, as 
 well as in Switzerland, are superstitious in the 
 extreme ; and far more tenacious and jealous, 
 of their forms of religion, and of every thing 
 else which have any connexion with it ; and 
 yet they seem to be very little influenced in 
 their morals by the principles which they pro- 
 fess ; and I have generally observed, that the 
 more tenacious any denomination of people 
 are, of the dry forms and ceremonies of reli- 
 gious exercises, the less sincerity appears in 
 their profession : they soon found that I little 
 regarded their cases of conscience, doing pen- 
 ance, praying souls out of purgatory, &c. but 
 they boon began to despise me in their turn : 
 they are called remarkable for their address, 
 affability and generosity to strangers ; but I 
 conceive it must be to such as are of their 
 sentiments, and accord with their superstitious 
 religion. Nevertheless, it must be acknowledg- 
 ed that Italy must be considered as a rival or 
 superior to any kingdom in Europe for many 
 things ; her architecture, painting, sculpture, 
 magnificent cities, elegant palaces, and lofty 
 towers, are so many monuments of her fame ! 
 Rome, the capital of Italy, lies in lat. 41 deg. 
 and 54 inin. North latitude, and 12 deg. and 
 45 min. East longitude. I felt such an aver- 
 sion to the inhabitants of this country? that I. 
 
determined my stay should be very short with 
 them ; and in three days set off and left them, 
 with a view of going to Marseilles in France, 
 at which place 1 arrived on the 24ih dav of 
 April : but as a farther description of Italy, 
 may be pleasing to some of my readers, I 
 add, the Italians are said to be about twenty 
 millions ; many things have been said concern- 
 ing these atalians, and often very contradic- 
 tory ; the settled boundaries of this nation are 
 fixed far towards the East and South West 
 bv the Adriatic and the Mediterranean seas; 
 and Northward it is bounded by the high and 
 lofty mountains called the Alps ; this long 
 chain of mountains begia at the river Var, 
 and run an irregular course, with many wind- 
 ings, and end near the river Arsia ; they 
 divide Italy from France, Switzerland and 
 German}" ;- the principal mouutuins of It:V!y 
 are the Alps, which iTKike the separation above 
 mentioned ; one of the principal and most re- 
 markable rivers in Italy is the Po, a river as 
 rapid as any im the world ; it takes its rise 
 near mount Rese, the highest of all the Alps ; 
 and after receiving upwards of thirt) small 
 rivers, discharges itself into the Adriatic by 
 seven different mouths : the Aduige also rises, 
 out of the mountains called the Apennines, at 
 a small 'distance from the great capital, the, 
 famous city of Rome, and empties itself into " A 
 the Tuscan sea : there are other rivers in Italy 
 of lesser note. Italy produces all the necessit- 
 ies of life in great plenty ; and all the luxuries 
 
34 
 
 of the old and new world, which are so mucii 
 admired by travellers, are to be found here in 
 abundance ; these consist of corn and other 
 grain, the richest of wines, and the most choice 
 fruits, such as citrons, oranges, olives, prunes, 
 raisins, almonds, sugar, oils and mulberries in 
 the greatest profusion : their manufactures 
 consist of silk in great abundance, gold, silver, 
 iron, sulphur and elastic. The original lan- 
 guage of the Italians is derived from the latin 
 language, which is the same spoken by the 
 ancient inhabitants of Rome ; but being mix- 
 ed with the Goths and Huns, it has so ming- 
 led the language, that it is almost reduced to 
 a kind of jargon ; but by the labors of the 
 refilled and polished, it is now brought to a 
 proper standard For ages past Italy has been 
 the seat of convulsions, wars, and bloodshed ! 
 many have been the throes and eruptions of 
 this nation ! It was invaded by the Carthagi- 
 nians, led on by the famous generals, Hanni- 
 bal Charlemagne, and Francis the First; but 
 above all, arid more than all the others, Napo- 
 leon Bonaparte has covered the soil of Italy 
 with human blood ! in contending for its 
 dominions. 
 
 In this place I sold my horse, and worked at 
 my trade two months ; after which, on June 
 the 14th, I left Marseilles and took my 
 journey on loot for Bordeaux, where with 
 much<lifficuity, not being accustomed to tra- 
 velling on foot, I arrived July the 14tb- Here 
 I tarried but three weeks, seeking for employ- 
 
35 
 
 ment hut found none ; my stock of money 
 being by this time nearly exhausted, I felt 
 somewhat uneasy and discontented ; but it 
 happened that as I was one day walking with a 
 friend of mine, we met a master taylor, to 
 whom my friend introduced me as a good 
 workman, and with him I got employ tor 
 two wet ks, in which time 1 saved some mo- 
 ney, for my necessities before had taught me 
 now to be very sparing of what I earned ; but 
 to do this I was obliged to keep myself out of 
 almost all kinds of what they called civil com- 
 pfany. Bordeaux is a large and flourishing 
 city ; it is a sea- port, and a place of the greatest 
 trade of any in France. 
 
 I left this place on the 22d day of August, 
 and pursued my journey towards Paris. I 
 travelled a very dry and sandy road ; the wea- 
 ther also proved extremely hot, and I was very 
 uncomfortable ; my feet blistered, my money 
 was expended, and famine once more stared 
 me in the face ! I travelled two days without 
 any subsistence but water, and once in a while 
 a raw turnip, a few grapes, and such vegeta- 
 bles as I found by the road, and in the fields 
 by the way -side. The case of the French na 
 tion at this time Was very distressing, and to 
 mention one thing which may be ranked 
 amongst many, is- the allowance of bread 
 \vhic! . was given to every family according to 
 the national allowance; the property, provision, 
 smd every thing else, was in the hands of gov* 
 c-rnment, and the nation experienced a tin?.- 
 
30 
 
 -vo^sai scarcity; one ounce of bread only was* 
 allowed to every person ; so that if* there was 
 a family of ten persons, they were allowed but 
 ten ounces of bread each day, and provision 
 of every kind was scarce ; but this is well 
 known to those who have read the history of 
 th*:' Revolution ; hunger, at last, that messen- 
 ger that unbolts every lock, would bear off 
 no longer, and I was obliged to implore the 
 assistance of the generous peasantry for relief; 
 for hunger by this time had worn me down 
 to such a degree, that I was almost exhausted 
 of strength and ability to travel ; at length I 
 came to a farmer's house hard by the way; 
 I approached the door, and told the good wo- 
 man my situation, and entreated her compas- 
 sion for a little food, but she cast on me a dis- 
 dainful look, and said that she had nothing 
 for herself; and probably she told very near 
 the truth, for I doubt -if she had much ; such 
 was the situation of the miserable inhabitants 
 at this period of the revolution : as I stepped 
 out of the door of the house, I found a crust 
 of bread, which I took up and soaked in wa- 
 ter and eat it up with as good an appetite as 
 ever 1 eat the best of food, although it was 
 extremely hard and doubtless had laid there 
 for days ; such is the extremities of hunger 
 with many of the inhabitants of a famish ing 
 country : the night however soon came on, and 
 I was compelled to take up my lodging under 
 the covert of a tree, where the heavens only 
 were my covering, and the cold ground my 
 
37 
 
 bed of rest ; after a hard night's lodging here, 
 I arose and pursued my journey toward Paris, 
 the capital of France, There I soon arrived 
 in my destitute situation, on 1st Sept. 1796 ; 
 here again I found myself surrounded with 
 great and magnificent buildings ! riches in 
 abundance, and an immense people ; but I 
 was pining for want of food, and entirely des- 
 titute of friends ; here I went into MI inn, and 
 began to inquire for business, and was direct- 
 ed to a merchant tn lor in the city; here I 
 caUed for food and lodging, but h id nothing 
 to pay, though I had cut" uragtmrnt that I 
 should soon be able to get some by my la- 
 bour ; there was also one quarter of a dollar 
 due to the man who directtd me to this place, 
 for his labour in conveying me in his carriage 
 to this inn, and he being an inhabitant of a c's- 
 tant part of the city, would insist on having 
 his money paid immediately ; I hnd no face to 
 ask him to credit me five, minutes ; how to 
 pay him I did not know,. and being put to my 
 word hard, and in a great strait for my char- 
 acter in promising to pay money when 1 had 
 not one cent about me, nor knew where I 
 could get any, brought me to a nonplus ; if 
 I had made known my destitute situation to 
 the inn- holder, 1 conjectured for certain that 
 he would have disdained to relievelme ; and 
 making fiction answer for reality, I immedi- 
 ately made myself appear affluent and full of 
 money ; called for a bottle of wine, supper 
 and lodging ; after which I informed the good 
 
 T) 
 
host, that I had no small money in my pocket, 
 -and would thank him for the use of a quarter 
 of a dollar a short time, until I could get some 
 mo ey changed ; this being expressed with 
 a high and princely sound, and feigning a ma- 
 jestic appearance, it answered just to my 
 wishes ; he immediately answered, yes, as 
 much as you want, if it be ten dollars. I tar- 
 ried with this gentleman until the next morn- 
 ing, and after breakfast, he went with me to 
 the merchant, tay lor to whom he had formerly 
 recommended me, and after having agreed to 
 work with him, I told him, that there was my 
 expences yet due to my good host for my en- 
 tertainment, that a piece of gold which I did 
 not well li^e to have changed into small 
 money, was the smallest piece that I had by 
 ine, would therefore thank him to settle my 
 'small ex pence and place it to my account; 
 this request he readily granted ; I immedi- 
 ately went to work, and found him generous, 
 courteous, kind and affectionate ; he proved 
 an excellent acquaintance ; I tarrit d with him 
 eighteen months in this large and flourishing 
 city : here is the residence of the rich, the 
 brave and the lenrned ; here by my industry 
 ar.fi frugality, I was soon able to restore my 
 e'othing; but my employer always treated me 
 with the greatest friendship, and bis family 
 conducted toward me with the greatest res- 
 pect and familiarity ; and recommended by 
 ?nv generous employer. 1 b;.<i rhc honour of 
 -being admitted to the acquaintance of several 
 
39 
 
 very respectable gentlemen in the city, all of 
 whom favored me with their friendship ; when, 
 there was an opportunity and agreeable weath- 
 er, I often passed away a leisure hour in view- 
 ing the novelties and curiosities of the city ; 
 I here enjoyed myself with more satisfaction 
 than ever I enjoyed any part of my life ; the 
 road is said to be long that has no turn, my 
 friends were increasing in the city, people of 
 note and fortune favored me with their salu- 
 tations : my credit now flowed with ripidity 
 and gained fast ; then I thought that it might 
 be advantageous to set up for myself, but the 
 difficulties attending, where a person must go 
 chiefly on credit, and where I could not com- 
 maud a capital of my own, eventually discour- 
 aged my plan : I therefore thought, that it 
 would be safe to defer it, until I could pro- 
 ceed on surer grounds ; seeing the necessity 
 of more property, I offered myself as foreman 
 in the royal palace, so called, i. e. a place of 
 great trade and filled with stores and hotels ; 
 it is one of the finest places in Paris : to this 
 employment I was recommended to Mr. Hoff- 
 man, one of my own countrymen, and with 
 him I agreed as master workman of his shop : 
 I shall now mention some things concerning 
 this gentleman, he was a man nearly sixty 
 years of age, and his wife, Mrs. Hoffman, a 
 young woman of twenty -four years of age; 
 she was both handsome and insinuating, and 
 given much to pleasure and high life ; she 
 was brought up and educated in this great and 
 
40 
 
 dissipated city, and consequently was much 
 like to the rest of the inhabitants, given up to 
 all kinds of luxury, passion, and dissipation, 
 as will be more fully seen in the following 
 sheets. It will not be amiss here, to give some 
 account of the inhabitants and a general des- 
 cription of the city. Paris is divided into three 
 p;srts ; the first part is called the Old City, 
 the second the University, and the third the 
 Town ; which third part, is in the middle of 
 the city. ,^The University and the Town are 
 called New- Paris, containing more works of 
 magnificence and grandeur than profit and util- 
 ity : some of its palaces are showy and splen- 
 did ; and some of .its streets, squares, hospi- 
 tals and churches are superbly decorated with 
 a profusion of paintings, tapestry and images : 
 in the Thuilleries there are yet standing hun- 
 dreds of statues, representing kings, queens, 
 generals, princes, statesmen, Indians, and al- 
 most every thing else which can decorate and 
 agrandize the great capital : but what appears 
 the most extraordinary, is the tapestry of the 
 gobelines, of unequalled and unparalleled 
 beauty ! in the palace of the Thuilleries are 
 to be seen the valuable collection of superb 
 ornaments which were brought from Rome ; 
 like the history of ancient ages, they have 
 changed their places, and taken their residence 
 in another kingdom ; have beautified them- 
 selves bv being transported to France : they 
 coii^t of paintings brought from Rome, and 
 other parts of Europe, during the wars of 
 
41 
 
 France under the reign of the present Empe- 
 ror, Napoleon Bonaparte. The library, the 
 guiided hall, and the royal hospital for invalids, 
 are superb ; the streets of Paris ar f : mostly 
 very narrow and crooked ; the houses v are very 
 high, many of them seven stories : in Paris 
 there are many coaches and hacks which daz- 
 zle the eyes to behold ; they are employ- 
 ed chiefly by strangers ; and in fact, the 
 greatest part of the trade in Paris arises from 
 the influx of foreigners that frequent this 
 great metropolis. France is situated between 
 70 and 83 deg. East longitude, and 4:2 deg. 
 and 51 North latitude ; it is six hundred miles 
 long, and five hundred and sixty miles broad ; 
 its climate in general is mild and healthy, and 
 its soil is excellent, and produces almost every 
 luxury of life in abundance : there are some 
 mountains in France of particular note ; those 
 are the Pyrennees in the South and in the 
 West, which are the greatest iri France ; the 
 principal rivers are the Loire, the Rhone and: 
 Seine, which latter runs through the middle 
 of Paris ; and two others, all which are large 
 and navigable. The religion and language of : 
 France differ but little from the capital, the 
 eity of Paris ; their religion, wuh few excep- 
 tions, is Roman Catholic, and their language 
 is latia and German chiefly, and one of the 
 most universal of the living languages, and is 
 calculate,:! rather to express familiar sentiments 
 than sublime. The arcs an 3 sciences in France 
 ka\c not been so far cultivated, as in some 
 
42 
 
 other parts cf Europe ; the reason of which 
 is, the many wars and revolutions both do- 
 mestic and foreign, in which they have been 
 engaged ; we may witness the present calam- 
 ities, -the devastation and destruction that has 
 issued and sprung forth from the last revolu- 
 tion which commenced in 1790 ; and instead 
 cf being brought to a crisis, and settled in a 
 peaceable and liberal government, they seem 
 almost ripe for a new one to burst forth on the 
 heads of their posterity ; and although they 
 have of late destroyed and trampled on every 
 thing sacred and moral, yet it must with jus- 
 tice be said of the French nation, that it has 
 produced men of very eminent talents ; some 
 of them have been men of great military skill. 
 But to return, I had not been long at Mr. 
 Hoffman's, before his lady began to frequent 
 the work shop, which it was said she v/as not 
 known to do before ; and on a certain day, in 
 the afternoon, she gave me an invitation to 
 take tea with her ; I immediately refused, but 
 after pressing me some time, and saying that 
 it was Mr. Hoffman's request also. 1 1 consent- 
 ed and went ; but was surprised to find none 
 at table but ourselves : this handsome and well 
 bred lady discoursed with great freedom and 
 an unusual degree of sociability ; but as the 
 passion of love had never entered my heart, 
 and withal concluding that it was either the 
 fashion of the place, or the general disposition 
 of the women, I took no particular notice of 
 her familiarity for that time. The next day 
 
43 
 
 she came into the shop as before, and invited 
 me to take tea a second time ; I consented, 
 and now she treated me with more boldness 
 and famliarity than before ; several days pass- 
 ed off in the same manner ; and I soon per- 
 ceived that her fondness for rie increased : 
 she invited me into the different apartments of 
 her house, and into her bed chamber, and 
 shewed me the costly and shining furniture ; 
 adding", these, sir, are all mine, not Hoffman's ; 
 and in many expressions, there seemed so 
 many strong intimations (not necessary here 
 to trouble the reader with particulars) that 
 they cou'd not be passed by unnoticed ; and 
 caught in the snare of fatal and unlawful pass- 
 ion, I too soon fell before its destructive influ- 
 ence ! Destructive ! I say, and which ended in 
 loss of property, fear, shame, and imprison- 
 ment ; if we had not been too often influenced 
 by the same principles which led us at first to 
 make this unjust and illegal connexion, I 
 should have had more excuse for the fault ; 
 but being cast on the scale of temptation, by 
 first giving place to the delusive enchantment, 
 it is hard telling where the progression will 
 end ; there is no evil habit which a man may 
 give himself up to, that ever grows weaker 
 by a continuance in if, but on the contrary 
 increases its strength under the habit : -this 
 is probably the case with all the principles and 
 habits of virtue, as far -as I can learn either 
 from my own or other men's experience : this 
 was, however, the case with myself, as the 
 
44 
 
 following lines will disclose. Two or three 
 months passed on, when, instead of being 
 convinced of the wickedness and folly of our 
 proceedings, she proposed to leave Mr. Hoff- 
 man and spend the remainder of her days with 
 me ; and it appeared that she did not much 
 relish the company of the venerable old gen- 
 tleman ; such, reader, are the fatal effects of 
 parent's desires after riches for their children 
 in their marriages ; for to say the best oi this 
 match, it was imprudently made, as there was 
 near 40 years differeirce in their ages. She 
 was a great limner, and would paint many 
 things to the life ; and often kept U^r paint- 
 ings by her side, in order that if any question 
 was put why she was in her chamber so often, 
 that she was employed in painting : she pre- 
 tended to instruct me in the French language, 
 but the business was but a pretention, as the 
 reader will judge : I suspected that her hus- 
 band had some notion or jealousy of our famil- 
 iarities, and accordingly mentioned it to his 
 lady, and told her that 1 conceived it was 
 wisdom for us to desist ; but this only redded 
 fuel to the fire of her passions. I then men- 
 tioned, that there was reason to suspect that 
 all was on the verge of discovery by her hus- 
 band, and that he was probably only waiting 
 for full and demonstrative evidence of the 
 facts ; and if so a fire would soon be kindled 
 that never would be extinguished : this I did, 
 in hopes to gain her full consent to relinquish 
 and forsake that, which might eventually be 
 
the destruction of us both ! But it was no 
 sooner mentioned than, as before, she backed 
 those objections with other arguments which 
 she had deemed conclusive, although they did 
 not satisfy me, nor banish the perplexing fears 
 which continually troubled my breast. I saw 
 that I was the person who was the most in 
 danger of the evil consequences which might 
 flow from this unlawful intercourse, therefore 
 I used every possible argument which might 
 tend to moderate her desires ; and when she 
 had time to consider and adjust the arguments, 
 she seemed more composed and resigned. 
 The reader may think that I was acquainted 
 with a person of singular character ; to this, 
 I answer, that she was never before esteemed 
 as wanting virtue ; but we must remember, 
 that circumstances alter cases, and Mrs. Hoff- 
 man probably justified herself by this consid- 
 eration, that her case was singular, and differ- 
 ent from that of most others ; her parents 
 having pressed her into marriage, entirely 
 against and contrary to her own will and incli- 
 nation ; and for my part, if I should give my 
 opinion on a subject of such a delicate nature 
 as this, it would be that parents advise their 
 children, and give reason why they so advise, 
 and then leave them to their own choice ; 
 they certainly know best where the shoe pinch- 
 es that wear it ; and they only ought to de- 
 termine what dispositions will best accord with 
 their own. And again ; who shall have the 
 right of choosing, for me a companion that 
 
46 
 
 shall attend my steps in all the most important 
 concerns of this and a future world, and have 
 their influence in directing my happiness or 
 misery, for years after their heads are laid in 
 the dust! I answer none; but this still did 
 not justify me in acquiescing in things subser- 
 vient to the prejudice and passions of another. 
 However, fortune still seemed to favor me, 
 for about this time, on a certain day, as I was 
 carrying a suit of clothes to a gentleman in a 
 distant part of the citv, I accidental!} passed 
 by a lottery office, as they were drawing the 
 lottery ; the owners of tickets undrawn, ,>nr- 
 suaded me to purchase one of them, which on 
 the same day came out of the wheel a prize of 
 two thousand five hundred dollars. I returned 
 kome and informed Mr. Hoffman and his 
 lady of my good fortune; they both express- 
 ed themselves in terms very pleasing and flat- 
 ter-ing at my fortunate adventure and advance- 
 ment ; and in a few days, he proposed to t-ke 
 me into partnership with him in ail his busi- 
 ness. I now gladly accepted of his proposals, 
 well knowing that I could very easily advance 
 my capital with but little trouble, for he had 
 a good run of custom, besides a very genteel 
 stand for new customers and public business. 
 Accord i.ngly we proceeded and entered on a 
 large scale. in his line of business. 
 
 Now it was that my days were tranquil and 
 delightful ; prosperity attended my steps, and 
 shone in every path ; I wanted for nothing to 
 make me joyful and happy that the city of Pa- 
 
4f 
 
 ris could afford. At Mr. Hoffman's request I 
 often waited on his lady to different parts of 
 the city, the country, and every place of plea- 
 sure : by this time I found that he had no idea 
 or jealousy of our familiarity ; but this mode 
 of proceeding only served to augment irregu- 
 lar passions, and create a natural aversion t 
 her husband. The former proposals were now- 
 mentioned again, but as soon repulsed by the 
 objections before named, and enhanced by the 
 consideration of Mr. Hoffman's late kind and 
 friendly conduct toward me. I proceeded to 
 make additional and new objections not before 
 named, and enhanced by the consideration of 
 Mr. Hoffman's late kind and friendly conduct 
 toward me. I proceeded to make additional 
 and new objections not before named, and told 
 her that I must consequently be resolved 
 against any further illegal connexions: and 
 having formed this resolution, nothing now 
 remained but to put it in execution ; in order 
 to this, *I fixed a plan to ride out into the 
 country a few miles distant from the city Oif 
 Paris, and from thence wrote a short letter to 
 Mr. Hoffman, informing him I was unwell, 
 but that doubtless 1 should feel myself better 
 shortly ; nevertheless had determined to settle 
 my business in Paris immediately, and return 
 to my own native country ; that I should re- 
 turn soon to Paris, and wished him to take an 
 -account of our stock in trade, and be n.ady to 
 settle and adjust all our accounts when I should 
 back. He received the letter as he sat 
 
48 
 
 at tea, the contents of which so agitated and 
 confused the kind and infirm old gentleman, 
 that the cup fell from' his hand. I confess, 
 that I was too sudden in my plans for the old 
 gentleman's interest ; but his wife was the 
 occasion of it. The letter was written in the 
 German language, which his wife could not 
 understand, and he did not let her know its con- 
 tents ; but being so suddenly affected by my 
 sudden resolution, he cast towards her a look 
 unusually singular, as though he had said, be 
 not too inquisitive : his wife hereupon thought, 
 that in his countenance she read the contents 
 of the letter, and began to excuse herself, 
 saving, it is none of my fault, &c. &c. He 
 was crafty and politic enough to let her pro- 
 ceed in her declarations of innocence and 
 virtue until she had exposed the whole affair 
 of all our familiarity, before unknown to him. 
 I luv-e many times thought that there was 
 something very singular in jealousy ; the fa- 
 tal effects of which \ras here the destruction 
 or wretchedness beyond description of us 
 bo' h ; for although ahe was doubtless igno- 
 rant, yet I too well knew the fatal consequences. 
 The women concluded that 1 had betrayed 
 her ; and therefore after a short conversation 
 between her and her husband, the whole riddle 
 was explained, with several additions, which 
 she intended should be a barrier to her own 
 safety. He immediately issued a warrant 
 agnlnst me, and I was seized by a band of 
 the Parisian soldiery, who by force conducted 
 
49 
 
 ie to a loathsome dungeon ! where I re- 
 mained until the next morning. Let the 
 reader imagine what was my dubious and 
 frightful situation ! Let him say how change- 
 able is the state of man ! And let it teach 
 him the mutability of all human things ! So 
 said a slave in the histories of antiquity ; it is 
 related of a certain ancient emptror of Egypt, 
 that had his charriot drawn by four kings 
 whom he had taken in battle, and having ob- 
 served that one of them kept his eyes much on 
 one of the wheels, he asked him why he did 
 so ; to which he answered, it teaches me the 
 mutability of ail human things, for 1 observe 
 that that part of the wheel which is no- up, 
 is presently down, and that part which is n >w 
 down, is presently up again: thus a considera- 
 tion of the changeable situation of hunirtn af- 
 fairs consoled my long and disconsolate hours; 
 although gloomy, dismal apprehensions would 
 sometimes appear, yet being naturally of a 
 courageous disposition, I thought with myself, 
 that although they will not tell me for what 
 they confine me here, yet I have committed no 
 crime worthy of imprisonment, and especially 
 of death ! My innocence would often give me 
 courage ; I had no idea that the small affair had 
 so accidentiy been divulged; at other times I 
 concluded, that I had some powerful and secret 
 enemy who might prosecute a secret plan 
 against me that would cost me my head, and 
 indeed although the barbarities of the revolu- 
 tion was chiefly past, yet even then they took 
 
 
 
50 
 
 away the life of many individuals for almost 
 nothing. 1 expected nothing but death, with 
 all the horrors of the guillotine ! Weeping 
 and fears were my constant companions ! 
 
 After the chief part of the night had passed 
 off I fell into a dose and slept ; I awoke, and 
 looking around me, espied a small chink in 
 the wall which let in a glimmering of light, and 
 soon after the jailor came to my apartment, 
 and asked me if 1 should like to take a little 
 fresh air, and invited me to come into the 
 house ; he gave me some refreshment, and 
 liberty to walk out at a distance from the 
 house, and said I am not afraid of your going 
 off, for you do not look like a man that is guilty 
 of any great crime-, &c: here I iound borhe 
 picasing ideas saluting -my contemplative hours, 
 iu rehearsing to myself the follow lines, 
 
 Nature with all her charms of art, 
 
 Her blooming blossom blows ; 
 How soon her fading colours die, 
 
 Exposed to cruel' foes. 
 
 But see on yonder landscape rise, 
 
 1 he flow'ry meads in view ; 
 They rise and churm the lofty skies, 
 
 And hail the spring anew. 
 
 Just so the rough and boist'rous sea, 
 
 On life's tempestvu, us waves ; 
 They sudden rise, <ind frightfully 
 
 Prepare their dismal graves. 
 
 Amidst the roaring frightful storm, 
 
 Whilst all on bourd opprest ; 
 Tb^ winds shall cease, j.ml w^ves be csdflh 
 
 To give the suiTrers rest. 
 
51 
 
 Here my contemplations were interrupted by 
 thc j call of a new set of officers and so-tikrs, 
 who conducted me to thr place of trial bei< re 
 the justice's court; the first question win h 
 he put to me \\ r as, are you guilty of this 
 charge, viz of violating the chastity of the 
 wife of John Hoffman ? At this question I 
 was utterly astonished ! to which 1 answxn d 
 with a degree of contempt that I was i.ot ; 
 thut having done nothing to dc lude or 
 force her virtue, I could answer this question 
 in the negative very freely, ai.d in good con- 
 science : but as I had no evidence in my fa- 
 ror present, was obliged to bi silent on that 
 head : but without romance or jesting, 1 res- 
 pected the woman too much to expose her, 
 iiM'.il 1 should receive some information how 
 th< matter came to be divulged. The reader 
 wi.i recollect, that as this charge was quite un- 
 expected, I had not time ro think what p<cas 
 to make, but stood confounded, amazed and 
 astonished, to think how it con id be possible 
 for a lady of Airs. Hoffman's cast and honor 
 to use me so deceitfully a; id inhumanly, and 
 withal to charge me with the violation of her 
 chastity ; but the thing that I had fcartd, now 
 came upon me, and 1 am ready to conclude, 
 that Providence has more to do in the 
 affairs of men, than many are willing to be- 
 lieve. But to return ; I as here ordered to a 
 common gaol until I could have my trial : 
 here 1 could not be liberated, lor if it should 
 be proved that 1 had violated her chastity, it 
 
had been death, or labour for several years iu 
 the public service with criminals ; but if the 
 truth con.ci have been known arid proved in 
 court, the laws of France would have set me 
 free : this was more wished for than hoped, 
 and when I considered the sudden transition 
 from a state of wealth and opulence, to pov- 
 erty and disgrace, from that of honor and pre- 
 ferment, to scandal and dishonor, without a 
 friend, and in prison, these thoughts of my 
 former respectability and honor rendered me 
 \rretched beyond description : 
 
 When ev'ry hand would grasp the prize, 
 The stroke is given and glory dies. 
 
 However, my situation in prison was not 
 so i intolerable and dishonorable as I had fear- 
 ed ; for eight days only, was I used as a com- 
 mon prisoner ; my lodging was on straw, and 
 bread and waier my food ; but after that,- I 
 xvas taken out, and invited into a room in a 
 better and more respectable apartment ; and 
 as I entered the room, I was much surprised 
 to find it neatly furnished : a good bed, a 
 handsome table, and good victuals; in fact, 
 there was every thing sufficient to accommo- 
 date a gentleman of character. Here I con- 
 tinued until I came before the court, and re- 
 ceived my acquittance. 
 
 I shall now for a moment return to the fam- 
 ily of Mr. Hoffman. Stung to the soui, IW 
 was bent on revenge, and eager to make a 
 prize of my property, which was wholly in hb 
 
53 
 
 own hands, he used all the means in his pow- 
 er to get me convicted and executed ! As 
 for his wife, when she came to find out that I 
 had not been treacherous and deceitful, she 
 greatly relieved me and alleviated my suffer- 
 ings, by sending me bread, wine, and other 
 small refreshments ; and 1 believe that it was 
 owing to her influence that my accommoda- 
 tions in prison were so generously advanced, 
 She seemed fully sensible of the wrong charge 
 laid at my door, by the jealousy of her ( 
 heart, and the guilty fancy which played in 
 her own imagination, whilst she painted out to 
 he: self the contents of my short letter. The 
 guilty mind is never free from fear and con- 
 jecture, and such was the situation of Mrs. 
 Hoffman. Whilst I was in prison, a fire 
 broke out in Paris, and destroyed upwards of 
 one hundred and fifty houses. My property, 
 and that of Hoffman's was entirely consumed ; 
 at this misfortune I was heartily glad, as far 
 as it respected Mr. Hoffman's property and 
 my own ; for his expectation of holding n.y 
 property was what made him so set .on ray ck - 
 struciion ! A man's property may sofrrir-.nes 
 be the instrument of his own wretchedness. 
 After three months imprisonment, I vviui 
 brought forth for trial, and .he d.iy before ex- 
 arnnvjcl by a iV p-r--oiis in a neighbouring 
 ofiie.M-, The jailor was uncle "to Mrs. Koil- 
 rr.an ; he, his wife, and the state vey 
 
 were ?'! prc?>'.T't: it aeerns that they thought 
 before iiiv trial, it would be best to exam, 
 E 2 
 
 
54 
 
 me ; the latter, perhaps authorized by some of 
 my friends, asked me if I was guilty or not ; 
 to which I answered him, not guilty of the 
 charge laid against me, i. e. by force violating 
 her chastity. Mrs. Deuboune, the wife 
 of Mr. Deuboune the jailor, having call- 
 versed with Mrs. Hoffman quite often before, 
 whilst I was in the prison, had doubtless 
 acquired a familiar acquaintance with the 
 chief pillars of this mystery, and hearing 
 me declare myself innocent, she arose 
 up, and said she believed me free from the 
 charge ; she also begged the gentlemen to give 
 me a discharge as quick as possible ; that I 
 had suffered long enough, &c. Her husband 
 said only a few words in. ..my favor, but no- 
 thing against me ; for he seemed willing to let 
 her talk all. Some other gentlemen arose ; all 
 spoke in my favor ; I had an idea that this 
 was my place and time of trial, until a well 
 built and brave looking gentleman arose, who 
 before had been sitting in perfect silence ; he 
 spoke to this purport, that he could say noth- 
 ing there, but that the next day he would do 
 all for me that lay in his power : after this, I 
 was dismissed and the jail- keeper hailed me 
 back again to prison until the next day, when 
 I was taken out and conveyed to my place of 
 trial ; as I was riding there, the manner of my 
 eonreyance told me, in awful and terrific ac- 
 cents, that rny fate was already determined, 
 and I expected an existence but a little time 
 longer in this world. 
 
In Paris, when a man is condemned to die, 
 he is taken from prison to the place of exe- 
 cution in a waggon of large size^ boarded on 
 all sides around, and over the top ; covered 
 all over with bfock leather on the outside : at 
 the hinder part is the door to enter in, and 
 then the criminal is (when entered) locked 
 fast, and shut up in impenetrable darkness ! I 
 was led on and conveyed in* > this great car- 
 riage, the door was locked, and now nothing 
 appeared before me but certain and immediate 
 death ! The driver drove on at an unusual 
 rate, and it was with difficulty that I could 
 keep myself on the seat in the* dismal place ; 
 but the thoughts of immediate death kept me 
 in a continual tremor : my dismal imagina- 
 tion was continually employed about the man- 
 ner of my execution, and the lamentable cir- 
 cumstances of my death I having driven the 
 carriage four or five miles the door was open- 
 ed, and I invited to come forth. Here I found 
 myself at the place of my trial, instead of my 
 execution, and Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman both 
 appeared against me in court. As I passed 
 up before the judges appointed for the trial 
 of criminal causes, the chief judge spoke of 
 me as of one already condemned ! but pass- 
 ing out, and returning again, he cast on me 
 a smiling countenance, though he said noth- 
 ing ; indeed I needed no additional fright, I 
 was already miserable enough. However, in 
 a short time, the states- attorney (as men of his 
 office are called in America), took me privily 
 
56 
 
 into another apartment, and spake friendly to 
 me, and said, now my son, tell me the whole 
 truth and nothing bat the truth, and I will 
 befriend y >u all that is in my power ; I then 
 rehearsed to him the substance of the whole 
 affair ; I told him the whole truth briefly, and 
 gave him as clear an account as possible. He 
 returned, seemingly well satisfied, and I was 
 soon called up. Mrs. Hoffman was asked 
 the question, if I was the man who was 
 accused of the crime in question ? She an- 
 swered that I was the accused, but was inno- 
 cent. I was immediately discharged from the 
 bar of justice, to full liberty. 1 found myself 
 once more at liberty, and though a free man, 
 I walked the streets of Paris with a heavy 
 heart, and heavy looks, and a downcast coun- 
 tenance ; these were my miserable attendants ; 
 for with my confinement I lost all my proper- 
 ty and most of my friends. I could not con- 
 tent myself in Paris an hour longer, but where 
 to go. and what to do, I did not know ; for 
 my property, friends, credit, and every thing 
 else were gone and departed from me. All 
 Paris itself, with all the beauty and novelties 
 of the city, appeared to breathe the accents of 
 misery, wretchedness, and wo ! The counte- 
 nances of my former acquaintance turned from 
 me with disaffection and disgust : this was the 
 case in general, and my life was rendered mis- 
 erable bevond description ! the carnage and 
 deportment of my most affectionate aud dear- 
 
57 
 
 est associates warned me to flee from the 
 streets and habitations of Paris. 
 
 Now I wished that I had never been born ! 
 now I reflected with sorrow that death had 
 not relieved me from the shackles of mortali- 
 ty before I was left subject to the alluring en- 
 chantments of this deluding and wretched 
 world ! I was silent as the house of death ! 
 sorrowful as those who experience the fate of 
 shipwreck, and mournful as the grave ! The 
 sun shone, the moon gave her feeble light, the 
 planets rolled on and united to cast forth their 
 flying panicles of light ; but it was only to add 
 sorrow to sorrow, and misery to my wo, to 
 increase the terrors of my distracted mind ! 
 To me the pleasant and exhilarating beams of 
 life had withdrawn their- shining, and the 
 clouds returned after the rain f the. disgrace, 
 wretchedness and misery of my imprisonment, 
 (although alleviated m some measure by the 
 keeper of the prison), wore down my natural 
 vivacity ; but still as long as there is life, 
 there is hope ; and determined to escape in 
 future the inexpressible calamities of the past, 
 I set out and travelled from Paris to Versailles, 
 a distance of twelve miles, and o fit red myself 
 as a journeyman in the tayloring business : 
 but here I found no employment ; they had 
 heard of my misfortunes and imprisonment 
 in Paris, and as a tale looses nothing in trav- 
 elling, be the distance ever so great, so this 
 affair, rendered extremely odious by exagge- 
 ration, made my situation helpless and deplo- 
 
58 
 
 rable ! I win not attempt to justify my con- 
 duel, by complaints of my misfortunes ; no, 
 rather let them be a warning to all who look 
 for the protection of that kind and benignant 
 providence which supports all. However, 
 finding myself hedged in on every side, my 
 spirits ^uuk, and my courage fled ! that ex- 
 hilarating and animating disposition of soul wich 
 which i had been formerly blessed, now fled 
 as on the wings of the wind ; as my ideas 
 Cut back on the wretchedness of the past, so 
 they alternately cast ibrwaid with more pun- 
 gt it dread on the wretchedness of the future ! 
 to f.Ki more miserable than I was then, appear- 
 ed impossible, and death, uiUo ! that terror to 
 k--;^s, and king of terror ! was now my 
 fru/: *d; from his majestic and awful counte- 
 nance it was that I b'eathed the vital air of 
 hope ; it was ihen I concluded, th.u better 
 are r.he de<d who are already cl r.d, than 'he 
 living who .ire yet alive, especially in my sit- 
 u u -on ; and now, disarmed of all his terrific 
 appearance, I embraced him as my best friend; 
 and having collected a confident expectation 
 ot being better and less miserable in a future 
 stare than in this, 1 prepared myself for the 
 awful event ! and when I had fully consulted 
 the propriety of suicide, on which I had now 
 determined more fully, I soon put in order 
 my small preparations, and walked to the sub- 
 urbs of the city. 
 
 As I travelled along, with my pistol and 
 ammunition, I often looked at that bright lu- 
 
minary the sun, and it- genial influence on the 
 pleasant grove, b and spires cf the temples ; but 
 although brilliant and animating to the man of 
 pleasure, they were all to me as melancholiy as 
 the hearse that contains the sable bier ! to me, 
 time was no more ! the angel spoken of in the 
 apocalypse, had cried to my imagination, yea, 
 to my very soul ! that time shall be no longer! 
 a d the end of all things was now at hand ! 
 QT d as I travelled on, death seemed to con- 
 verse with me as complaisant as a friend ; he 
 told me, that he was the end of all my sor- 
 rows ; where the wicked ceased from troub- 
 ling", and the weary were at rest : that this life 
 was but the first short stage in the existence 
 of man ; and that, if I did not like the unfor- 
 tunate scenes and stages of the first, I had an 
 undoubted right, to move my station onward, 
 and take my lot in the yet undiscoved employ- 
 ments of that better and le^s fluctuating stage 
 of existence ! 1 concluded that by my afflic- 
 tions, I had been brought down to a state of 
 pennitential sorrow and repentance, suiting 
 well enough the character of all such as were 
 ready and fitted to leave this afflicted and wick- 
 ed tabernacle in the earth. Thus being no 
 better mistrusted, I b lieved that if any per- 
 sons felt themselves prepared, their sins for- 
 given and they at peace with heaven, as I be- 
 1m d that 1 then was, they could conscien- 
 tiously put an end to their own existence here, 
 and be happy hereafter ! that if they believed 
 that they should be happy, they would be so ; 
 
68 
 
 and that these things would be according i& 
 their faith. Having well prepared my sell to 
 meet the fatal blow, I mended my pace : but 
 unwilling to leave the world without giving my 
 friends in Franckfort some account of the rea- 
 sons of my untimely exit, I thought of writ- 
 ing a short history of my misfortunes, direct- 
 ed to them, which the public might find after 
 my death. The substance of what I then 
 wrote was as follows : 
 
 Dear Brother, 
 
 Since I left Franckfort I have passed 
 through various scenes, both prosperous and 
 adverse. I was eventually established in good 
 business in the city of Paris, with about twenty 
 five hundred dollars capital ; but being un- 
 fortunately and unjustly imprisoned, the fire 
 consumed my property, my friends are vanish- 
 ed and my reputation is lost ; in consequence 
 of which I have but a few minutes longer to 
 call myself an inhabitant of this world. Hav- 
 ing no ink by me 1 draw these lines with my 
 own blood, which you will keep in remem- 
 brance of him whose fate will prevent him from 
 seeing the face of his friends until he meets 
 them in a future and unknown world, where he 
 expects shortly to be. 
 
 Your affectionate brother, 
 
 ANDREW OEHLER. 
 
 Just then a poor old man, whose tattered 
 garments spoke his misery and distress, pas-. 
 cd by me, and as he passed, he humbly asked 
 
61 
 
 me for, a little money: thousands in France 
 were reduced to his wretched situation, by 
 the unpralleled situations of the revolution ; 
 he found me pennyless ; but unwilling to pass 
 bv his humble request, and viewing myself 
 at the end of the race, I took the gold ring 
 from off my finger, and gave it to him very 
 freely : this ring was given me in Strasburg 
 by my sister, when I left her house, that I 
 should keep it in remembrance of her kindness 
 and affection for me. As I passed on in search 
 of a place convenient to accomplish this im- 
 portant business, 1 espied an entrance opened 
 just by me, which ltd into a common, around 
 a garden fence, where 1 might be secreted ; 
 having entered, and arrived at the long wished 
 for spot, I kneeled down and prayed ; think- 
 ing myself better prepared, I presented the 
 pistol to rny breast! just before I attempted 
 to draw the trigger, 1 thought best to kneel 
 d vn and pray away a remaining doubt ; I 
 thought, that I felt now entirely ready ; expect- 
 ing that the merciful and all wise Creator would 
 pardon my sin in this thing if there was any, 
 and convey me into the land of peace ; but 
 wishing to beg of him all the favor possible, 
 sh<>uld there be any iniquity in the action, I 
 kneeled down the third time, and prated ear- 
 nestly ; and thought that I felt now the true 
 love of God and my neighbor influencing my 
 whole soul ! I also cona ived that I was at 
 peace with God, and fully willing- to die : I 
 arose, and presented the pistol a third time at. 
 F 
 
62 
 
 my breast ; and now, one moment would have 
 determined and closed the scene ! but just by 
 the enclosure which covered me from the 
 streets opened a garden gate, and an old lady 
 presented herself immediately before me ; and 
 seeing me in the alarming situation which ex- 
 hibited itself to her view, she cried out, and 
 with a lamentable and an alarming voice said, 
 for God's sake ! young man, what is the mat- 
 ter ? what are you about ? At this instant the 
 pistol fell out of my hand, and the temptation 
 vanished from me : having come to my senses 
 a little, I stood still for some time, with amaze- 
 ment and surprise at what I had been about ! 
 the goodness and mercy of the Supreme Being, 
 at once, so poured in upon me to that degree, 
 that it overpowered me as much with grati- 
 tude and thanksgiving for my deliverance, as 
 the temptation had done before, when I viewed 
 mvstlf on the borders of the eternal world ; in 
 a flood of tears, I immediately fell on my 
 knees, 10 return my thanks to the God of 
 heaven for my deliverance ; and more than all, 
 that I should be so near to striking the fatal 
 blow ! and be prevented in such an unex- 
 pected and wonderful manner. Surely, the 
 Supreme Author of nature could not have had 
 in view my worthiness or merits, but must 
 have calculated on the scale of his own great 
 goodness and grace, by which he upholds the 
 world. The good old gentlewoman seemed 
 wonderfully animated at having been the in- 
 strument of rnv deliverance, and advib.ec m? 
 
to take courage again ; that fortune might yet 
 favor me, as it had thousands before who had 
 been in a worse situation than myself; she in^ 
 vited me into her house, and entertained me 
 two or three days : I told her my misfortune, 
 and she made use of all the arguments in her 
 power to encourage me and keep up my 
 spirits. 
 
 I had full reason to take courage now, and 
 once more step forward ; for the consideration 
 of the mercy of God in my late deliverance, 
 gave me good reason to believe that he \vi;s 
 on my side ; and I then concluded, that if 
 God himself was for me, all that should mili- 
 tate against me could not prevail ; this thought 
 alone was enough to set me on my feet CMCC 
 more, and being now more Confident than 
 ever uf his protection, it was no mailer where 
 I was, what business I was in, provided it. be 
 lawful ; whilst my protection seemed secure, 
 and being cut off from employment in my 
 occupation, I must look out for some other 
 business, which soon presented itself, viz. 
 to list myself in the war, then carrying on 
 against the Austrians. Accordingly, 1 enlist- 
 ed myself a hussar. I was then under military 
 subordination, and good order was generally 
 kept in the army. 
 
 Being once more in some employment, I 
 had lime to reflect on what had passed before ; 
 and here I cannot but remark, that whilst I 
 was imploring the aid of the Supreme Being, 
 the interposition of his providence prevented 
 
64 
 
 my fill ! This may seem trifling to those wht* 
 havv nruher iroubii' nor .vjp'ow ; bur to myself 
 it appears like a special reality ; and those scrip- 
 tures which formerly 1 h<.mi with, indifference, 
 are now remembered \viih reverence and expe- 
 rience : we read somewhere in the language of 
 tlu prophets, " Call on me in the day of thy 
 trouble, and I will hear thee, and thou shxlt 
 giorif} me;" and again, u When the poor and 
 needy seek water, and there is none, I the 
 Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will 
 nut forsake them," i e when a person is in 
 extreme want, and perishing in distress, they 
 :>re invited to call on God in prayer, let their 
 s^ase and circumstances be what it may, viz. 
 f ernptations of any kind that bring Trouble and 
 distress ; and perhaps the manner ac sea in a 
 violent storm has ofcen experienced deliver- 
 ance in this way from the hands of a benign 
 providence ; when he may not have (as yet) 
 revived grace sufficient to give him a title to 
 .heaven ; and I believe that God the Father 
 will hear all that sincerely pray, according to 
 >is will, in the name of his Son Jesus Christ ; 
 I e. pray for such things as are agreeable to 
 his own honor and glory ; and thai answering 
 of the prayers of the needy and afflicted is not 
 the privilege of the Christian only, but of all 
 such as have ndt yet sinned away their day of 
 grace ; they having still, through the merits of 
 the great advocate, an undoubted liberty to 
 apply for assistance ; for, as said an ancient 
 apostle, "He is the propitiation for the sins of 
 
G5 
 
 the whole world ;" and again, it is wnucn ir, 
 the book of Isaiah the prophet, by inspiration, 
 " Look unto me all the ends of the earth, ami 
 be ye saved :" and many other such scriptures, 
 which plainly declare, that all mankind are on 
 level ground with respect to their part or priv- 
 ilege in these things ; and if so, the Son of 
 God now intercedes for all, and accordingly 
 every man may safely be advised to esteem, 
 himself possessing these privileges ; not that I 
 would advise him to consider himself con- 
 demned, by an irrevocable decree of the Al- 
 mighty before he was born, for if he will con- 
 sider the scriptures rightly, he will be obliged 
 to believe that he is a probationary creature, 
 and in a probationary state ; and my opinion 
 is, that mankind will never find reason to com- 
 plain of any partiality in the Deity in the great 
 day of judgment, when all things must be 
 placed in a true and clear light ; every mouth 
 will be stopped, and the guilty confess them - 
 selves justly condemned; that the foreknow- 
 ledge of God, and the doctrine of the divine! 
 prescience governing all things, makes no dif- 
 ference with the human family ; and the most 
 ^orthodox presbyterians, in the state of New- 
 York have, not many years since, republished 
 Dickenson's " Five Points," wherein it is ac- 
 knowledged, that the Deity predetermined 
 that his foreknowledge should never militate 
 against the happiness of any of his creatures ; 
 and that he predetermined to give more grace, 
 even to the reprobate, than ever they would 
 F 2 
 
66 
 
 make use of. Thus the presbyterians, when 
 objections made against the doctrines publish- 
 ed on the decree of election were answered, 
 fdl directly into the sentiments of the church 
 of England, the methodist, free-will baptist, 
 new-lights and quakers; so that, when brought 
 to the test of critical examination, we may 
 observe the chief difference between the lead- 
 ers of all these denominations consists in forms, 
 manner, and an ungrounded prejudice, and 
 often an unjustifiable attachment to tradition, 
 or sensual and worldly motives ; and I have 
 generally observed, that the more tenacious 
 any denomination or particular sect are of 
 their manner and form of worship, the less I 
 have generally found of that sum of all true 
 religion, the love of God and their neighbor, 
 without which all other professions and abili- 
 ties shall profit us nothing. And here let my 
 readers be candid and charitable enough to 
 believe, that I do not undertake to give them 
 that advice, which I myself am not willing to 
 follow ; for the consideration of the great favor 
 shewed to me in this remarkable deliverance, 
 had a very powerful and lasting effect on my 
 mind ; I believed that my petition was so 
 immediately answered, that I ever afterwards 
 considered it an invaluable privilege to have a 
 God of power and grace t;o apply to in the 
 lime, of danger I and in nothing of great im- 
 portance (since that time) have I been willing 
 to proceed, without desiring the approbation 
 and blessing of that same benign and gracious 
 
preserver of men to attend it, desiring above 
 all things to be guided by his protection : and 
 my candid and solemn advice to all men now 
 dwelling on the face of the whole earth is, that 
 they by no means ever proceed on any thing 
 very important, and especially in affairs of 
 eternal consequence, without applying to this 
 great fountain of light and grace, for direction 
 and assistance ; and if I should at any time in 
 my life hereafter, err from this general rule in 
 my former life, and appear dilatory in the per- 
 formance of this duty, let my reader remember, 
 that I shall by no means justify my own con- 
 duct, although I hope that I shall never be 
 left so devoid of gratitude as not to improve 
 such an unparalleled and inexpressible privi- 
 lege ; for surely the life and eternal salvation of 
 the sou) are things not to be trifled with ; and 
 I have no reason to doubt, but that if I had 
 then put an end to iny own existence, I should 
 have been miserable forever. 
 
 But to return to my enlistment. In about 
 one week after I joined the army, we re- 
 ceived orders to march against the enemy 
 in battle ; but although I regretted that I must 
 fight against my own countrymen, yet it was 
 not. in my power to prevent it ; we marched 
 accordingly ; and the French being courage- 
 ous in fighting for their expected liberty, 
 (unhappy men), rushed forward with great 
 priije arid -Ambition ; the contest was hot and 
 ob bicUc o-. both sides ; and the French had 
 the good fortune to gain a complete victory ; 
 
68 
 
 and it was computed that both armies left fifty 
 thousand dead on the field of battle ! Some of 
 my young readers may be entertained with a 
 brief account of this awful work ! indeed it is 
 a business which cannot be performed with 
 indifference. As I was one of the dragoons, 
 I was, with my fellows, placed on an eminence 
 a little space back of the army, and we all had 
 a clear view of the Austrians, moving towards 
 us on quick march ; they, at first appearance, 
 were three or four miles distant ; this was in 
 a level country in Alsace in France, a few 
 miles from Strasburg. When I first saw the 
 numerous regiments of the enemy, filling the 
 whole country on the right hand and on the 
 left, and pressing forward to destroy us, and 
 knowing them to be strong and valiant in 
 battle, my heart began to beat with fear and 
 dread ! but a competent portion of animating 
 spirits were given to every one of us ; and 
 the music commenced playing the most cheer- 
 ful and animating tunes ; this answered well 
 the purpose intended ; viz. to raise the courage 
 of the soldiers. As the enemy drew near, 
 within about one hundred rods of our army, 
 they had gotten engaged in good earnest ; our 
 cavalry, in some parts, were commanded out ; 
 especially on the right wing, which was first 
 engaged : at length it came warm on the left 
 wing where I was stationed ; our regiment, 
 had got within about sixty yards of that of the 
 enemy ; fury, death and destruction was in- 
 creasing through the ranks! the cannon roaring! 
 
69 
 
 the mighty falling ! the blood running in 
 brooks ! and the gioans of dyii'g men \vere 
 dartingvthe melancholy sound through the air ! 
 Ju^t now it was that our A giment of horse 
 received the brave command ; they were 
 fighting for liberty, and tuii of revenge : there- 
 fore pressed forward in the highest ambition, 
 and eng iged the German horse , we soon cut 
 them up, and dispersed them, and (ell imme- 
 diately upon the infantry : the work was terri- 
 ble here ! as we had the advantage ; many 
 lav dving and cursing the day that they were 
 born ! one half of our regiment of horse were 
 cut up and destroyed ! but we had recniits 
 from other regiments ; and in the whole, I 
 was four or five hours engaged in this manner, 
 excepting a few short retreats ordered, in or- 
 der to gain recruits ; the whole army was en- 
 gaged seven hours ; and at last, took several 
 prisoners both of the horse and of the infantry. 
 
 We remained at Alsace, the place of victo- 
 ry, for near three weeks, during which time 
 we had several skirmishes with the enemy, 
 in one of which we took several of my former 
 friends and acquaintance. From Alsace we 
 marched about fifty leagues up into the coun- 
 try toward Switzerland, where we encamped. 
 
 I was now resolved to fight no more against 
 my own countrymen, and determined to de- 
 sert the French service as quick as possible : 
 there was also official accounts that the Rus- 
 shins were coming on us with rapid marches ! 
 this helped forward my former resolutions, and 
 
70 
 
 having engaged two more of my companions 
 in arms, on the '25th of Sept. 1798, we set 
 off in the night, and had the good fortune to 
 pass all the centinels. When at first, I propo- 
 sed this hazardous expedition to my two com- 
 panions, they startled at the thought ; and 
 asked me, if I did not remember the reading 
 of the warning and admonitions about an hour 
 past, given to all who should be under a temp- 
 tauon to desert the arrm- ? viz. all who should 
 desert with a horse and armory were imme- 
 diately to be shot ! all who deserted without a 
 horse, under arms, were to be enslaved during 
 liu ; ail who deserted m their regimentals, 
 without horse and .rms, were, if taken, to be 
 condemned to be soid as slaves for a certain 
 muuber of years, to the benefit of the govern- 
 ment. To this I answered, that I perfectly 
 recollected every feature of their threats ; but 
 it had little effect on me, for the probability 
 was that to tarry in the army would be death ! 
 and nothing worse was threatened if we should 
 be taken by the centinels ; besides if we left 
 our horses and arms, there was less to be 
 feared still ; but notwithstanding that, I was 
 determined to go with my regimentals and 
 sword ; and as has been related, we all agreed ; 
 night fast approaching, we summoned up 
 all the resolution possible; and promising, 
 under the strongest obligations, to stand by 
 each other in every danger presenting itself 
 through the flight, until our escape should 
 be fully effected, we set out. 
 
The centinels were placed round the en- 
 campment, within one hundred yards of each 
 other ; and two of them being placed each 
 side a piece of wood, vve thought it most pru- . 
 dent to pass through these woods. Night be- 
 ing come, and a general silence observed 
 through the camp, \ve proceeded to the peri- 
 lous business ; and in order to make as little 
 noise as possible, and ensure the pass, we 
 crept along on our hands and knees until we 
 were in the middle; about this time we made 
 a *mall rustling amongst the leaves ; the cen- 
 tinels hearing the noise, fired, and discharg- 
 ed a few shot at us ; it was no time now to be 
 idle, and we were obliged to make quick 
 steps ; vve then sprung up, and fled with all 
 haste ; we had one fence to surmount, and 
 the balls flying merrily round vis; we felt our- 
 selves pretty light, and were obliged to fly 
 wherever we could ; there was no chusiug 
 which way to run, and coming athwart a small 
 river, we dashed ourselves in, and swam across 
 as quick as possible ; and on the other side 
 finding some of the soldiers out on the scout, 
 I supposed after fruit, I was aware that I 
 might be taken up under suspicion. To pre- 
 vent this misfo;tii;-e, I run my sword i;itothe 
 ground, and complained and murmured at not 
 finding some potatoes, which it was said were 
 buried there ; this drew suspicion from me ; 
 by this policy I had almost lost my two com- 
 panions, who took me for one of the soldiers 
 out on patrole, but seing them stand at a dis- 
 
72 
 
 tancc from me, I gave them the countersign 
 and regained their confidence. We then pro- 
 ceeded forward for Switzerland : the night 
 being very cold, we suffered much, for we 
 were obliged to ford several rivers and small 
 streams of water ; indeed the rivers were so 
 deep that we were obliged to swim several of 
 them. We travelled all night, as we expect- 
 ed tovyard Switzerland ; but to our surprise 
 and amazement found ourselves, in the morn- 
 ing, within cannon-shot of the French camp. 
 Cold, hungry, and worn down with fatigue, 
 my two frier ds pic posed going into the 
 camp and giving ourselves up ; but I again 
 encouraged them to look forward and travel, 
 hoping for the best. Accordingly we set off 
 again, without food or x any kind of refresh- 
 ment : they at one time began to despair, but 
 I said every thing in my power to keep up 
 their courage, and they eventually followed 
 me over mountains and rivers, not venturing to 
 travel the road, through fear of being taken up. 
 At night we loged in an old barn, in the morn- 
 ing we pursued our journey, and by twelve 
 o'clock we reached the stream that divides 
 France from Switzerland ; this river we swam 
 across. Being now out of danger, we began 
 to think of refreshing ourselves ; but neither 
 of us had any money, and we were obliged to 
 cast lots, to determine which of us should part 
 with some of our clothing ; the lot fell on my- 
 self, and I was obliged to part with my coat : 
 the day following, one of my comrades was 
 
n 
 
 obliged to do the same . On this day, the 28th 
 of Sept. we arrivtd at N< ufchaitei, in the same 
 miserable and wretched situation that 1 was in 
 when there once before. I was generally 
 known here, having entered the town pretty 
 much in the same plight. We begun to ask 
 for business amongst the taylors, but for some 
 time to little purpose ; the people now drclar- 
 ed, that I must be some abandoned vagabond, 
 and not worthy of being employed, or I 
 should not have appeared amongst them twice 
 in the same despic^b e situation : houbeit, one 
 of them more humane than the rest, treated 
 my misfortunes with more respect and becom- 
 ing decency, and offered me his assistance. 
 In his employ I soon gained the character of 
 a good workman : here I had some thoughts 
 of setting up for myself, but having as ye t earn- 
 ed only a small sum of money, I wrote to rny 
 relations for assistance : they soon sent nit an 
 insolent letter, but no money, except what my 
 youngest sister of her free bounty was pleased 
 to send nie. With indignation I read the 
 letter, and from that moment 1 determiiied 
 never to behold the face of any of my father's 
 family again ; my sister excepted, who had 
 taken notice of me in the time of need. I now 
 drew up a firm resolution to depart for Amer- 
 ica, as soon as my business would admit of it. 
 On the 25th day of May, 1790, I left Ncuf- 
 chattel, and on the Qd day ol June following 
 arrived at Stra.iburg, the same city which I 
 lett when 1 first set out for travelling ; but 
 
 
\vliat sorrow and reflection seized my breast, 
 when my ears were saluted with the death <.i iv y 
 friendly and affectionate brother- in -law ! Fie 
 was no more seen to tread the delightful vu;k, 
 to sit beneath the pleasant and shady bower, 
 or brighten the joy and magnificence of his 
 duelling ! Sorrow now pervades the apart- 
 ments oi his house ! the consolation and joy 
 of his friends are turned into mourning- ! cks- 
 pair is on every countenance, and sack- cloth 
 covers his pleasant paths ! He fought braved 1 
 lie fell in the cause of his injured country ! 
 My sister was now gone, I knew not where, 
 and no one could tell me ; her joyful days had 
 vanished as a -dream, and as a cloud that cov- 
 ers the sun when thunders and tempest rise ! 
 as the sudden destruction of a fair city ! and 
 as the flower falieth in the field ! so her glory 
 hod vanished ! Thus all that was near and 
 d< <>r to me in Sirasburg had passed away, and 
 the glory of my best and ablest friend was 
 ihH'gled with the dust. 
 
 I .immediately left this city, and took my 
 departure for Franckfort. In walking the 
 .Streets here I met my brother George, but 
 did not speak to him. 1 proceeded to make 
 enquiry for my youngest sister, who 1 found 
 in a very low state of health ; to her 1 made 
 known my intentions of going to North Ann r- 
 ic;: : she was much surprised, and used every 
 a L r um< nt in her power to dissuade and jm vt nt 
 ri; . accomplishing rm j;inp( .-:- , *l-e hud 
 regard for me, and entreated me 
 
75 
 
 but her entreaties were in vain ; she then cast 
 herself on her knees and plead in tears. I 
 was fully bent on the voyage, and told her that 
 it -VMS our of her power to prevent or alter my 
 mind She then gave me what money she 
 had, and the next day being the 18th day of 
 June, 1 took a solemn and affectionate leave, 
 and departed for Friesburg ; which, passing 
 through, I proceeded on my journey, and 
 arrived at H mover on the fourth day of July. 
 H re an acr.ident happened which is very sin- 
 gular.. O.i a certain night, in the inn in which 
 1 lodged, I was taken very ill, and got up out 
 of my bed and went out : returning to my 
 b d, I missed my way; there were serial 
 doors in this hall that opened i*to different 
 rooms, and passing into a room adjoining 
 mine, I struck my feet against the body of a 
 d< id man which lay on the floor ! It threw me 
 down across the bodu and feeling around me, 
 I lound b'iood on (he floor and on his cloth* ^ ; 
 and having an idea that he was murdered I 
 feh over his head and neck, and found that his 
 throat was cut from ear to ear ! This was 
 about 2 o'clock in the morning, and all in 
 the house in bed. I immediately called out 
 for assistance ; the host arose and came in with 
 a light; he saw me covered with the blood 
 occasioned by falling over the dead body, and 
 instantly concluded that I was the mu 'der- r, 
 and that the cry proceeded from the expiring 
 man, who lay on the floor, instead of iro.Ti 
 myself ; I was seised, put in irons, and con- 
 
p 
 
 veyed to prison. This was the second time 
 that I was imprisoned in the course of my 
 travels, and both times unjustly, and eventu- 
 al!}' declared innocent. In this prison I wait- 
 ed several weeks, or near two months, for my 
 trial ; the trial came, and all the evidence this 
 brave court could find against me was a bare 
 and naked supposition, without any corrobo- 
 rating circumstances whatever attending, or 
 agreeing with the supposition ; the very com- 
 mon thing called suicide, was not allowed to 
 make any part of the plea in favor of my 
 own life, although I declared the whole cir- 
 cumstance of finding the man in his awful 
 situation with surprize and amazement ! My 
 countenance and my language declared my 
 innocence ; yet they accounted me only daring, 
 and grov/n bold in infidelity ; and accordingly 
 they consigned me to that punishment which 
 the wilful and unprovoked murder of my 
 fellow countryman deserved ; . and I was 
 " : ^ed to hear the terrible and awful sentence 
 leath ! read off to me in the court. Know- 
 ing that I was innocent of his blood, I bore it 
 with a greater composure than people generally 
 do, who are condemned justly, and where 
 they have been guilty ; but a few days before 
 I was to be executed, i. e. to be beheaded, 
 for that was to be the manner of my death, 
 it came to pass, as if heaven designed to 
 clear the innocent, that on examining his pa- 
 pers, they found a letter amongst them, left 
 
behind him for the satisfaction of the puL 
 which was to this purport : 
 
 " Being 1 deprived of my parents, the only 
 object oif my heart, which renders life a;i 
 insupportable burden to me, I am dctermin- 
 .ed to put an end to a miserable existence, 
 by cutting my own throat ! Therefore, accuse 
 no man of my death, should 1 be found in 
 this situation," 
 
 The acquisition of this writing- was of 
 infinite importance to me ; and the manner in 
 which the kind inhabitants of Hanover inform- 
 ed me of it, was most pleasing, elevating and 
 satisfactory, especially at a time when death 
 apparently drew so nigh, as within three or 
 four days ! The jailer and the inn- holder 
 where the suicide or supposed murder was 
 committed, with several of the imst respected- 
 in the city of Hanover, came joyfully into the 
 prison, and informed me of the writing- which 
 they had found; with a pleasing and joyful 
 countenance, they took off my chains, and 
 declared to me my innocence ; they left open 
 'the prison doors and went out, telling me, 
 I might take my pleasune in walking tlirough 
 the house wherever I pleased ; hut that it 
 would be best that I should tarry in the house 
 until they had procured my discharge from 
 the judge of the court; that the messenger 
 was already gone, and would shortly return 
 with it ; he accordingly soon returned, and 
 they delivered to me my final acquittance and 
 Jorn ; this was to them a day of joy aiul 
 <; 2 
 
dadncss ; and probably they had an idea that 
 I ought to feel myself more elated than them- 
 selves ; but I, having calculated on soon leav- 
 ing this miserable and wretched world, for a 
 better habitation beyond the skies, had my 
 mind at that time so far reconciled to my sit- 
 uation, that I seamed to desire life, only as a 
 mean of doing good on the earth ; I thought 
 that my peace was made with heaven ; all my 
 bins were wiped away by the merits cf the Son 
 of God ! and my mind now reconciled in 
 peace ; I was willing to leave the world ; the 
 fear of death had vanished from me. 
 
 I know that it is possible for mankind 
 to be deceived and deluded in these things, 
 and it might have been so with me ; yet I did 
 not doubt then, and have often thought since 
 that time, that if I had then made my exi!-, 
 I should have been happy afterwards, in a 
 better state of existence than in this world ; 
 but on mature deliberation, I felt thankful to 
 heaven, to that God who governs in the king- 
 dom of providence, and with pleasure I sung 
 the following beautiful lines : 
 
 The counsels of th' Almighty wise^ 
 
 Arc <-ver failing skill ; 
 lie 'easu i up his vasi ci< ^H-.^S, 
 
 And woi-ka his sovereign AvUl ; 
 
 When he reveal'd his gracious name, 
 And changed my n ouniful state ; 
 
 The rupture btxnu-'.i a pieusint dreum* 
 "Che grace uppeur'd so great. 
 
Loud hallelujahs to the Lord : 
 Let earth and skies resound, 
 
 He saves the needy with a word, 
 And ull their foes confound. 
 
 I was now released from prison, and thought 
 once more of prosecuting my vo} age to Ameri- 
 ca: but beingdestitute of .money to bear my ex- 
 pences, my former enemies turned to friends, 
 .and furnished me with near fifty dollars to 
 .help me on my journey ; they also gave me 
 letters of recommendation, and I then set out 
 for Bremen, where I arrived without meeting 
 with any thing material by the way, on the 
 20th of Sept. Hanover is a flourishing and a 
 thriving city : it stands on the river Seine, 
 and contains about fifteen thousand inhabitants. 
 Bremen is a place somewhat smaller, and car- 
 ries on a considerable trade-" by the We-er. 
 I waited here seven weeks before I could 
 procure a passage, during all which time I 
 was nut of employ ; my expence :> for some 
 necessary clothing 1 , besides my necessary ex- 
 pences at public inns, reduced my srmii purse^ 
 of money, and what to do in this situation or 
 how to proceed I was at a loss to know, but 
 .at last was necessitated to ruu in debt for my 
 .pa^age until I shmiid arrive at Bai-.iD-ore. 
 
 We left Bremen on the 26th dav of No- 
 verni^T, and after a severe ami dangerous 
 voyag'% in which I \vas a greater ]xrt of the 
 time sea-sick, we arrived in Bnltlruor.'v Our 
 .p'ls^age was fourteen weeks i i \ 'i storm ilv-it 
 
 t us we were driven fur North, out of our 
 
80 
 
 course. When I arrived at Baltimore, I shew- 
 ed my letters of recommendation in order to 
 borrow money to pay for my passage ; but 
 my friends, or those who became such by 
 virtue of the letters which I delivered them, 
 being Germans as well as myself, they 
 knew the disposition of their own nation, that 
 they were great travellers ; and fearing that 
 my natural disposition for roving would prove 
 a disadvantage to me, they advised me to bind 
 myself out until I had earned the full sum 
 required for my passage ; and that sum being 
 sixty five dollars, was too much money to 
 think of hiring of strangers. Accordingly, I 
 engaged to work with a Mr. Welkens two years 
 for this sum, which he advanced to my cap- 
 tain. I had not been long with this man be- 
 fore he made me foreman of his work shop ; 
 when I had been with him six weeks, he said 
 that if 1 would hear to him, he would put me 
 in a way to make a fortune. I asked him in 
 what way ? The way he told me was, that 
 he had six thousand dollars worth of property 
 in his hands but that he owed for the whole 
 of it to different persons in the city ; and if I 
 was agreed he would make it all over to me, 
 ind then go to jail and take the benefit of the 
 insolvent act ; and when he should be set at 
 liberty, we would divide the property between 
 us. I could not help rejecting such bare- 
 faced villainy, with scorn and indignation, 
 and plainly told him that I could not, and that 
 
SI 
 
 mv conscience would not suffer me to deal so 
 unjustly and ungenerously with any man. I 
 fell myself in bondage whilst 1 was necessitated 
 to live with a man f such a character, and so 
 devoid of principle ; aad when three months 
 were expired, by the assistance of my friends, I 
 offered him double the money which he paid 
 for ny time to let me go free ; but he rtfu .ed 
 it. 1 had formerly thought a little hard of those 
 who pretended to be my friends, because they 
 did not at first advance the money themselves ; 
 bur they satisfied me that their intentions to- 
 ward me were friendly ; they knew that it was 
 much better for me to tarry steadily at one 
 place in Baltimore, in the state of Maryland, 
 until I could learn the English language, the 
 manners "of the inhabitants, and make myself 
 known, and raise my credit as a workman : 
 this was a piece of wisdom in them, and I 
 had reason very soon to thank them for it ; for 
 I found that I learned many things very ad- 
 vantageous to me afterwards. At the end of 
 j.b: months from the time of my arrival. I again 
 made my employer another offer of double the 
 money ;. but he again refused. A few days 
 afterwards I told him plainly that I would 
 work for him no longer ; he threatened to pros- 
 , eciite me, and I told him to do it immediate- 
 ly. ; determining that he should have very 
 good fortune if he found me in the city one 
 day longer ; and by the aid of my friends I 
 procured a passage to Alexandria, a city in 
 Virginia : to go there was not just now 
 
l 
 
 my choice, but I did it only to escape a faw- 
 sui r "with Weikens. 
 
 Ba!iimore is a pleasant and an agreeabfe 
 city: lies in lat. 39 deg. 21 .min. on the 
 North side of Patapsco river : this pleasant 
 and agreeable city, is built on the bunk, or side 
 of 'he river, in form of a half-moon ; the river 
 is cuiiv-d the bason, in u Inch the water at cnm- 
 p --'i tides is ab<iir five or six feet deep ; it 
 li- s low, yet the streets being h.r-dsoM-.ey pav- 
 ed, it is tolerable healthy, and business of 
 even kind is current and prosperous here, and 
 as good a place* for my business as any in 
 the states of America. Here are different pro- 
 fession 1 * of religions people, viz. the Ger- 
 man, Calvinis^, Lutherans, Episcopalians, 
 P sbyterians. Roman Catholic. Baptist. Me- 
 thc;dist, Quakers, and New-Quakers. The 
 number of inhabitants, including Fells Point, 
 and the precincts, according to the census of 
 1800, was '16.-5 14, of whom 2.843 were suives. 
 M-. Act-street is the principal street in the 
 to v vn, and runs nearly a mile and a quarter in 
 le.igth, East and West, parallel with the wa- 
 ter ; it is- crossed by several very handsome 
 streets leading from the water up into the heart 
 of the town. On the North and Eas* part of 
 the town, the land?rises, and affords a fin pros- 
 pect of the city and bay ; the town the bay, 
 as far as the eye can reach -the Point the 
 shipping both in the bason and at Fell's Point-- 
 rising ground on the right and left of the har- 
 feour a grove of trees on the declivity to the 
 
S3 
 
 right a stream of water breaking over the 
 rock* at the foot of the hill on the left all 
 conspire to complete the beauty and gran- 
 deur of the prospect. There is a bank esta- 
 blished in this town, with a capital of three 
 hundred thousand dollars by the name of the 
 Maryland Bank ; there is, besides, a branch of 
 the Bank of the United Suites. A new bank, 
 was established by law in i796, with a capital 
 of five millions of dollars, called the Bunk of 
 Baltimore ; a public library has lately been 
 instituted in the town. Some idea may be 
 formed of the amazing trade of this place from 
 the number of vessels which are said to have 
 passed up to Baltimore in 1795, which were 
 109 ships, 162 brigs and snows, 350 schoo- 
 ners and sloops, 5464 bay craft ; and before 
 the embargo 4 was laid on the American ship- 
 ing, it was thought that the trade in this port 
 increased double to anv other port in Ame- 
 rica. A battery and barracks have been con- 
 structed, and some guns mounted for the de- 
 fence of the town in case of invasion. The 
 laches here are generally polite and well edu- 
 cated ; and I do not recollect of seeing a grea- 
 ter number of industrious, discreet, amiable, 
 gei teel, and handsome women in the&course 
 ot ay travels in North- America, than there is 
 in Baltimore, in proportion to the number of 
 inhabitants. 
 
 Ther are colleges in this state, viz. Wash- 
 ington College was iiihUtuud in i78^, at 
 CJiic&tertown in Kent County, and was honor* 
 
u 
 
 ed with the name of Washington College, af- 
 ter President Washington: tht second is at 
 Annapolis, and called St. John's College ; it 
 was instituted in 1784, to have 25 trustees, 
 with power to ket- p up the succession by sup-^ 
 plying vacancies, and to receive an annual in- 
 con je of 9 GOO/. 
 
 The Roman Catholics have also erected a 
 college at George Town 
 
 In 1785, the Methodists instituted a college 
 at Abington, in Hertford county, by the name 
 of Cokesbury Coilege, after Thomas Coke and 
 Francis Asbury, bishops of the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church. The college edifice was 
 of brick, handsomely built, on a healthy spot, 
 enjoying a fine air, and a very extensive pros- 
 pect. This building was burned to the grourd 
 some years ago, and the society purchased a 
 large and elegani building in Baltimore, where 
 they had a flourishing- seminary ; but in the 
 year 1797, this was likewise consumed by 
 fire : since that period they have made some 
 ineffectual attempts to carry their original pian 
 into operation, but it is believed that their 
 funds have not proved adequate to the purpose. 
 The truest religion was always the most per- 
 secuted^ and if the remark holds good here, 
 the Methodist must have the pre-eminence, 
 and be considered as holding the purest prin- 
 ciples and doctrines of religion. 
 
 But to return ; I was now in Alexandria, 
 a citv in Virginia, situate on thf banks ot the 
 Potomac river ; it is handsomely built, and 
 
8* 
 
 lies about eight miles from the city of Wash- 
 ington. Here I turned dancing- master, a busi- 
 ness much esteemed and of reputation with 
 the people of Virginia ; here 1 tarried, and 
 taught school, I think about t\v.o months. 
 This city lies in the district oi Columbia, on the 
 South West bank of Potomack river, in Fair- 
 fax county. Its situation is elevated and plea- 
 sant. Its soil is clay. The original settlers, 
 anticipating its future growth and importance, 
 laid out the streets upon the plan of Philadel- 
 phia. In 18Q5, it contained about 700 hous- 
 es, many of which are handsomely built ; and 
 about 5000 inhabitants. This town,, upon 
 opining the navigation of Potomack river, 
 and in consequence of its vicinity to the < ity 
 of Washington, will probdblv be one of the 
 most thriving commercial places on the con- 
 tinent. The inhabitants are very genteel in 
 their dress and deportment, and are a very 
 pale and wholesome looking people. The 
 houses are mostly built of brick, and the 
 streets are very level ; and upon the whole, 
 the situation of this people, art- almost envia- 
 ble ; their trade is chit fly in grain and tobacco, 
 or at least was so in the year 1 800. 
 
 I left this place for Port- Tobacco, on the 
 llth day of Feb. 1800. In this small place I 
 found no employ, and proceeded forward to 
 Leonard Town, in Maryland. Being short of 
 money, I was under the necessity of teaching 
 a fencing- school in this place, where I remain- 
 ed near two months. Having cleared about 
 
86 
 
 eighteen dollars, I proceeded on to Norfolk. 
 cicros:; IMC same river Potornack. This sea- 
 port lies bordering on .Chesspe?k bay, or 
 Junes river. I labored about iwo months at 
 my trade. This is one of the greatest place's 
 for trade in Virginia ; and contained in the 
 year 1800, about 6.900 inhabitants. Nothing 
 peculiar, or worth relating, happened in this 
 place ; but having a generous offer, and a de- 
 sire yet to sec more of the world, I started for 
 St. Domingo, on the 20th day of March, 1801. 
 We arrived at this place on the 7th day of 
 May following : this was at the time of the 
 insurrection on the island amongst the blacks. 
 A few days after my arrival, I took a walk 
 into the interior with a view of seeing the 
 country ; but having gone too far, before I 
 discovered my error, I was taken in ambush 
 by a party of blacks, and carried before Tons- 
 saint, their chief commander, who immediate- 
 ly demanded my passport. I told him that I 
 had none, and proceeded to give him an ac- 
 count how I came there, in hope that he would 
 give me a passport back to my vessel ; but 
 all this was to no purpose ; he sternly replied, 
 that! must either join with them, or death 
 should be my portion immediately ! I was 
 willing if possible to live yet long enough to 
 ^ee niy native land ; I agreed to join them 
 out of policy, in hopes of an opportunity to 
 leave them to advantage ; this 1 was deter- 
 mined on the first good chance which I could 
 -meet with. Their famous general, after hav- 
 
87 
 
 inp- examined me v\v.!i many questions of my 
 abilities inlar and dur.i./u* - , in which he re- 
 quire., -nt I should irca*-k out the mountains, 
 rivers, &c. and he enemy advancing ; and 
 th..i I should tell him in what manne>- I w ild 
 command in order to defeat the en.jny and 
 gain the victory ; being more willing to com- 
 mand than to obey, I answered him. and in- 
 formed him. as fully and discreet as possible : 
 he instantly clapped lib hand on my shoulder, 
 and with a smile said, well done, very well 
 done, Sir; i will give you the command of 
 one of my regiments, and do you perform 
 valiantly and you shall have your reward. 
 Accordingly, the next day he gave me the 
 command as colonel over a regiment of liftmen 
 hundred men, and a handsome suit of uniform. 
 We received orders immediately to prepare 
 for a sham fight, in which I came off with 
 honor. After this, it was not long before we 
 came to an engagement, in which we defeat- 
 ed the whites, and took great spoil. Ano'li^r 
 battle soon followed. I secured eight hundred 
 Joannes in different parts of my clothes. Some 
 days after this we came to another engagement, 
 and we were entirely defeated ; the situutioa 
 and circumstances of this battle were as fol- 
 lows ; Toussaint and his army lay about five 
 miles from the sea, and in a place which was 
 about fifteen miles from St. Louis, woe; . he 
 had retreated to recruit his army. Although 
 we had formerly gained the victory over the 
 \yhites in battle, yet knowing that they expect- 
 
88 
 
 fcd recruits from France, we wera^continually 
 on the look out. Toussaint at this time had 
 with him about eighteen or twenty thousand 
 men ; and being informed of the approach of 
 the French/with the light-horse in full spirits, 
 marching down on us with great haste, he 
 prepared himself for battle! He gave me 
 on iers to march at a distance from him on his 
 right wing, about three miles, in order to check 
 a part of the enemy who mighr be sent round 
 upon his rear ; this stand I took, at near three 
 miles distant from him, as observed ; in my 
 rear was the sea ; on my right was a small 
 river and lofty mountains. I took this stand 
 without precipitation or fear, expecting only 
 a few of the enemy to combat with ; but being 
 obliged to defend this passage, there was no 
 other stand to take where I could calculate on 
 a safer place for retreat in case of necessity ; 
 however we did not calculate much on retreat- 
 ing, and the event proved fatal ! for Toussaint,. 
 iging the right wing of the enemy, and the 
 cst being very hot and obstinate, they 
 gave way, and retreated before him ; he having 
 observed that they were pressing down on rne, 
 sent orders immediately that I must defend 
 my post until the last man was killed on the 
 spot ! Doing different from his orders I knew 
 would be immediate death ! and I was obliged 
 to fight. Six or eight thousand came down 
 upon us with great courage and force, and 
 well they might, seeing themselves to be four 
 or five times the number ; but the little hand- 
 
89 
 
 full of black men gave them a very warm re- 
 ception ; Ljjiink that I never saw any kind of 
 men fight so furious, and that appeared so };t- 
 tle daunted at the view of death ! But they 
 believed that slavery was worse than death ! 
 they were very strict in their discipline, and 
 if one of them stooped down whilst they were 
 marching, or created the least disorder, he was 
 shot through immediately. When the enemy 
 came within shot, I gave orders to the platoons 
 to stand firm to their posts, and repulse them 
 or die on the spot ! The platoons of the enemy 
 advanced, and gave the first fire ; it was re- 
 turned with spirit ; we had not engaged them 
 on their right but a few minutes, where I had 
 concluded to make my retreat if possible, and 
 indeed the enemy engaged us first on our left 
 to cut off our dependance on, and relief from 
 the main army, before the enemy's horse ad- 
 vanced ; the platoons of the enemy ceased 
 firing, and they cut up the chief of this regi- 
 ment in a few minutes. Such a furious, 
 stubborn and unequal engagement I believe 
 was seldom, if ever fought ; to see such wretch- 
 ed havoc made of human flesh and blood, al- 
 though they were men of colour, was intol- 
 erable ! this was, however, not a time for the 
 exercise of the feelings of humanity ; and my* 
 only care devolved on the security of my own 
 life ; my only way of escape was on the right,, 
 and with all the power of flight I passed the 
 river, and climbing over the ragged and lofty 
 mountains, I hastened toward the sea ; and 
 
 H 
 
 .U A*. 
 
90 
 
 finding two pieces of hewed timber, fastened 
 together, about two feet in width, sixteen feet 
 in length, and swiming two inches out of the 
 water, I ventured to embark on them ; with 
 a small stick, which 1 found on the shore, I 
 paddled out to sea. When about one mile 
 from the shore, I was taken up by a British 
 vessel bound to the city of Alexandria in 
 Egypt ; this may be thought by some timo- 
 rous people to be great presumption in me, 
 to venture into the broad ocean, commit my- 
 self to the rnercy of the waves, and be liable 
 to be swallowed up every minute ; but, to 
 tarry on the shore was death ! and there was 
 hope in this adventure, for the sea was very 
 calm, and at no great distance I saw stveral 
 vessels from whom I expected relief, and by 
 this means my life was saved. 
 . My readers will expect a brief description 
 of this island. It lies between the 17th and 
 21st degrees of North latitude, and the 67th 
 arid 74' h of West longitude, being in the mid- 
 dle between Cuba and Porto Riro ; and is 450 
 miles long, and 150 broad. The face of the 
 island presents an agreeable variety of hills, 
 vallies, woods and rivers ; and the soil is allow- 
 ed to be extremely fertile, producing sugar, 
 cotton, indigo, tobacco, maize, and cassava 
 root. I was informed, that before the revolu- 
 tion this island was one of the most enviable 
 spots on the earth : it was the garden of the 
 world ! such was r French part of Si D; min- 
 go in 1789, biu, aias ! it is no more; destructive 
 
91 
 
 uavages'of an unrelenting insurrection, oF fright- 
 ful massacres, and conflagrations, have laid 
 waste ail those beautiful settlements ; reclucx d 
 thr buildings to ashes, and laid low in dust, 
 or scattered in exile its wretched inhabitants* 
 In two battles in which I was obliged to 
 fight, before the last, and in which we gained 
 the victory, they put all the white inhabitants 
 to the sword, and took the spoil ; this spoil was 
 delivered to the chief general, who divided it 
 as it pleased him amongst his officers, and the 
 officers distributed among the soldiers, as they 
 saw fit. The black man of this place were 
 far more sensible than those which 1 find in 
 North America, or it might appear so ; as 
 black men, possessing their liberty, hav more 
 roo n for the exercise of their talents tj.v?n 
 those who are in a state of slavery. In short, 
 this island has now a black Emperor, by the 
 iwme of Crisrophe : he has declared him ; <:lf 
 Emperor of Hay ti, and St. Domingo may now 
 be* considered as an empire of blacks. How 
 long he will ho;d his dominions against the 
 arms-and opposition of the European Nations, 
 time only will determine. 
 
 But, as I before related, I was now in a 
 good ship, bound to Alexandria ; this was far 
 from my wishes, as my o.ily and chief desire 
 was to get a passage back to America ; but 
 glad of any fortune whi^h relieved me from 
 m< captivity in S; Domingo, prt pared my- 
 seif to be contented with my lot. T!V.' mo- 
 ney which I had about me, amounting to 
 
92 
 
 about 12.800 dollars, was sufficient to bear 
 my expences, without labor or difficulty, to 
 any part of the world. We arrived at Alex- 
 andria on the 16th of Oct. this same year, 
 A. D. 1801. Egypt like many other refined 
 nations of antiquity, has greatly degenerated 
 into a state of rudeness, ignorance and barbar- 
 ity, i. e, if what history has said of their for- 
 mer grandeur, riches and glory be true, for 
 at the present time they are a most worthless, 
 abject people. The streets of Alexandria, are 
 now continually filled with fortune-tellers, 
 those who practice slight of hand, and almost 
 every other evil practice imaginable : some of 
 almost all nations are to be found here, but 
 strangers resort here only for traffic, and to make 
 money. This famous city lies on the Levant 
 coast : it was once the emporium of all Eu- 
 rope, and by means of the red Sea, furnished 
 them with the riches of the Indies : it owes 
 its name, to its ancient founder Alexander the 
 j^reat. Mahometanism is the prevailing reli- 
 gion throughout Egypt ; and the Coptic lan- 
 guage, and the modern Greek, is the common 
 language. There are no men of learning in 
 Egypt worthy of notice in histor^. 
 
 The greatest curiosities of note in this an- 
 cient and noted country, is their pyramids of 
 prodigious height ; their antiquity is beyond 
 the bounds of history itself; and their original 
 histories and uses are still unknown ; the basis 
 of the largest covers eleven acres of ground, 
 and its perpendicular height is 500 feet, but 
 
if measured obliquely to the terminating point 
 it is 700 Her. In short, the pyramids oi Egypt 
 are the most stupendous, and, to appearance, 
 the most useless structures that ever were 
 raised by the hands of men. 
 
 As 1 once mentioned something* of the 
 practice in legerdemain and slight of hand, I 
 shall now mention a concluding curiosity which 
 is found in Egypt, viz. a certain people here, 
 that appear to some entirely a mystery ; they 
 are called Psylli, who have the faculty of en- 
 chanting the most venomous serpents, so that 
 they shall have no power to bire or hurt 
 them, though they retain all their mischievous 
 qualities with regard to others- Some of them 
 will handle the most venomous reptiles of this 
 kind as if they had been laces, and some of 
 them will eat living serpents, beginning at the 
 tail, and proceeding all the way up to its head, 
 without the creatures offering to resent such 
 a violent ir.jury ; and such of them as prac- 
 tice these things, appear mysterious, and will - 
 not say any tiling algtfK it, from whence they 
 derive their power orauthority. But 1 believe 
 it is all done by slight of hand. 
 
 The productions of Egypt are grain in plen- 
 ty, corn, mellons, dates, figs, plantains, sugar- 
 cane, olives, flax, -cptton, indigo, &c. It 
 abounds in cattle and many other things, I 
 think that at former times it must have pro- 
 duced every thing necessary for human sub- 
 sistence, in profusion, (if the scripture be true), 
 which 1 cannot say that I have any reason to 
 
 
94 
 
 doubt ; and that if it was as well cultivated 
 as formerly, rt is probable it would produce 
 in the same abundance : but there has been 
 so many overturns, destructions, Sec. in Egypt, 
 and good husbandry, has been so discouraged 
 by the im-g'.iior establishments of conquerors 
 in'jxist cenniries, that it is no wonder it pre- 
 sorts a scene of destruction and dissipation, 
 as it is at ih<- present period ; and Egypt may 
 thank its ia^t conquerors and governors for its 
 present wretched situation ; for human lan- 
 guage is insufficient to describe the misery of 
 an Egyptian village ! The huts of the Irish 
 are palaces compared with the Arab's style : 
 each dwelling is entirely of mud ; in form like 
 an oven, ten feet square, high enough in the 
 middle for a man to stand upright; , here the 
 whole family live, eat and sleep. A miserable 
 people ! the curse of the whole earth. 1 was 
 tired of such a wretched place of residence, 
 and quit them, as soon as possible. 
 
 I will not omit mentioning one thing more, 
 viz, the extraordinarjJteLress of the women ; 
 the left shoulder and^KiIf of the lefift>reast 
 is naked in their best dress, as they walk the 
 streets ; they are but thinly covered with chains 
 of gold and laces, loosely hanging round and 
 over their breast ; their -g owns reach but a few 
 inches below their knees ; but for a substitute, 
 their stockings reach some distance above the 
 knee, and are adorned with very handsome 
 ribbons, crossed six or eight times from the 
 .shoes up across the leg, under the short 
 

 95 
 
 clothes ; their shoes are made of morocco 
 leather, or very good silk, and their gowns 
 are generally of red and white chintz, silk, 
 muslin, &c : upon the head they have a very 
 flashy and rich kind of head-dress, adorned 
 with jev vels, according to their several abili- 
 ties ; and upon the whole, a stranger on his 
 first appearance in the streets of Alexandria, 
 would hardly know what kind of creatures 
 they were at first sight ; but by their pride 
 and seeming importance they must think that 
 they make a very fine and splendid appearance. 
 The more I have travelled the world, the 
 more I find that fashion has made every thing 
 look decent and elegant. 
 
 However, I prepared for leaving this place, 
 as I have already observed, and enquired for 
 a passage for the continent of America, but 
 could find none. Finding a vessel direct for 
 China, I bought a parcel of coffee and other 
 merchandize, with an intent to trade with the 
 Chinese. 1 embarked on board of her on the 
 30th day of Oct. and, sailed for Canton. Af- 
 ter this voyage I was determined to sail for 
 America. We had a pleasant voyage until 
 we were within three days sail of Canton. 
 Our captain was a small, slim man, of an in- 
 nocent character ; and although the chief part 
 of the cargo was owned in France, yet the cap- 
 tain as well as myself had a very handsome 
 property on board the ship ; but missing in 
 his reckoning I expect he run his vessel too 
 the land, and when he endeavoured to 
 
her off, the wind b> ing heavy and blow* 
 ing a v-c-ry iresh gale would not permit ; it in- 
 creased to a storm, greu exc- vding violent, and 
 drove us on a bar ; the ship was immediately 
 wrecked, and fast filling with water ; ail the 
 hands on board, were in great consternation 
 and amazement, the night was dark, neither 
 moon nor stars appeared, the heavens were 
 covered with universal darkness, and we 
 could not tell how far we were from the shore ; 
 at first thought, we expected that every soul 
 of us would be inevitably lost, but our cap- 
 tain, whilst the women were crying and wring- 
 ing their hands in the cabin, and their husbands, 
 with the sailors, looking with amazement and 
 confusion on each other, ordered the long boat 
 to be hoisted over into the sea. I observed 
 this movement of the captain, as I run back 
 and forward on deck ; and went to my trunk 
 to take out the money, about thret hundred 
 joannas, which I had deposited there in my 
 purse for trade with the Chinese. Just as I 
 returned to the side of the ship, I heard the 
 sound of the captain's voice on board the boat ; 
 I also observed two r three men in it, by h< ip 
 of the flash of lightning which came just then, 
 attended with rolling thunder ; but striving to 
 save my property, had like to cost me my life : 
 for when I espied the boat, she was started off 
 from the ship, and I sprung into it, leaving 
 my money on deck. It being dark, I fell on 
 the gunnel of the boat, with one leg a< H o e 
 arm in the water ; one of the sailors took hold 
 
( J7 
 
 of me, and drew me into the boat; the captain 
 let her di ive before the storm, we had oars in 
 the boat, but the sea was too rough to make 
 any use of these ; we were, however, soon un- 
 der way enough to fill the helm ; how far we 
 were from the shore we could not tell, but 
 having often thrown the lead on board the ship, 
 and finding but shallow water, we deemed 
 that we could not be far from land ; but before 
 we had been driven many minutes, we had ta- 
 ken in considerable water, and was every 
 minute terrified with the apprehension of sink- 
 ing to the bottom ! We soon struck on land, 
 it \vas so dark that we were unable to tell 
 whether it was the main land, an island, or a 
 bar of sand ; but feeling around the boat with 
 one of our oars, we found that it was land ; 
 and quitting our boat, we hailed each other 
 with tears of joy for the happy deliverance 
 from the general fate of our unfortunate feliow- 
 sufterers on board the ship ! -They only who 
 knew by lameatable experience my feelings for 
 the poor sufferers, can have any idea of their 
 wretchedness and misery ! When we left the 
 ship, some of them were running back and 
 forward in the vessel ; some praying end cry- 
 ing for mercy, and the cabin ringing with the 
 shrieks and lamentations of the poor p vs^en- 
 gers ! They knew that the Jong boat .vas 
 put out, but the prospect to them appcarcu at 
 the best but a trlfie better than death ! To 
 tarry on board was certain destruction ! and 
 thev were all preparing to leave the ship as 
 
 i 
 
98 
 
 soon as they could clothe themselves sufficient- 
 ly to endure the storm ; and had not the cap- 
 tain pushed off the boat just as he did, it would 
 doubtless have been so filled that the whole 
 company would have sunk to the bottom. 
 
 As soon as we found ourselves safely on 
 land, we composed ourselves as well as the 
 circumstances would admit, under a tree, until 
 the morning light ; we then arose and looked 
 after the ship, but could see nothing of her : 
 beyond a doubt, she stove to pieces and went 
 to the bottom with every soul on board ! We 
 had no fire, and no tinder- box to kindle any ; 
 but by rubbing two pieces of wood together, 
 we soon brought fire. On this desolate and 
 uninhabited island we continued three weeks 
 before we had any relief ; here we subsisted 
 entirely on the fruits of the different trees and 
 shrubs that grew on the island. We travelled 
 over part of the island at different times, but 
 found nothing but wild beasts, reptiles ard 
 vermin that inhabited this terrible desart. We 
 saw the tracks of beasts that were uncommon- 
 ly large, and with which we were entirely un- 
 acquainted, I had heard the roaring of a lion 
 when I was young, and here I heard the same 
 sound at a distance on the island : the captain 
 said that as he travelled out a small distance, 
 lie often heard the roaring of lions ! and 
 would often say that our lives were in danger ; 
 but they came not near in the day, and at 
 night we made a fire sufficiently large to 
 affright them from us : we had heard that no- 
 
99 
 
 thing terrified these be r * so mud- ?.s fire. \Ve 
 passed away the tim- i re. in hunting after 
 something to eat, and wood to keep up our 
 fire ; in this manner we subsisted three wet 
 as I observed, before we .suw any ..'dice w! :i 
 fortuan? teh' one night we discoveied a ship, by 
 her lights, not far off ; we immediately hailed 
 her with all 'the art and strength in our power ; 
 she answered us, and the captain sent his boat 
 on shore and took us on board. When we 
 came on board, we found that she was bound 
 for Charleston in the state of South-Carolina 
 in North America ; at which port, after a plea- 
 sant passage, we arrived on the 1 6th day of 
 Feb. A. D. 1802. Iwas now in a good coun- 
 try, but having lost all my property, was again 
 as poor as ever. 
 
 The island in the East- Indies on which we 
 suffered this ship wreck, lies in lat. 2S deg. 
 North, and about 95 deg. East longitude. 
 
 Being now in America, I concluded to be- 
 gin to work again at my trade. I entered 
 into the employ of Mr. Inglesby, the first 
 merchant, tay lor in this city ; but as might be 
 expected, after a ship wreck, very short o 
 cloathing ; however this was not a thing that 
 I was entirely unacquainted with, and I soon 
 recruited a fresh stock. With this gentleman 
 I worked three months, until I acquired both 
 clothes and money. The poor captai'i was 
 not so well provided for ; he, nevertheless, 
 found a passage to France, by a vessel out 
 of Charleston. I was advised to go to 
 
100 
 
 fort, which I did, and commenced business 
 for myself. I carried it on with good advan- 
 ta^t for a few moiiibs ; but all things did not 
 suit me here, ar-c] I ^rew discontented and re- 
 turned to Charleston, where trade and business 
 was more brisk and lively, t-nd flowed in from 
 every part. I hired an apartment in a public 
 house, and carried on business ; several of 
 my old companions coming to see me, we 
 took a walk on a certain evening, and seeing 
 several young gentlemen very busy and very 
 earnestly engaged in some seeming business 
 of importance, we stepped in to see what 
 they were about, and, soon found it to be a 
 gambling- house. Observing many that won 
 great sums, I thought that I must try my 
 fortune too ; I accordingly soon commenced 
 the business, and having a good run of luck, 
 I won 550 dollars ; thus, for the first time in 
 my life, I commenced gambling ; the next 
 clay, being the i5th day of Aug. I waited 
 with intolerable impatience for the approach of 
 night, that I might have another opportunity 
 of increasing my purse, for I had a great 
 opinion of my own abilities in this new busi- 
 ness, and withal, I thought it was a very easy 
 way of making money and acquiring an es- 
 tate. Night approaching, I repaired to my 
 new occupation, with exhilarated spirits and 
 abundance of success, in my own imagination ; 
 but fortune however favorable before, was 
 not willing to encourage a practice, which was 
 so much the source and fountain of every kind 
 
IGi 
 
 of evil; and especially h.id va -^ -a vend- i 
 to destroy my own spin ; and diirii g this 
 
 ;-oru a-f tJ?e>iiiu< 
 
 night it deprived me pt;-oruy 
 which I took from the bank, the night before, 
 but also took away all the money which I had 
 before in my purse. I then returned to my 
 lodging with a disconsolate and heavy heart, 
 and resolved never to gamble any more during 
 life, let the temptation be what it would. 
 
 This district contains about 57.000 inhab- 
 itants of which 16.000 are computed to be 
 whites. It is the only considerable town in 
 South Carolina, and is almost surrounded with 
 water; the refreshing sea-breezes, which are 
 regularly felt here, render Charleston more 
 healthy than any of the low countries in the 
 southern states ; on this account it is the resort 
 of great numbers of gentlemen, invalids from 
 the West- India islands, and of the rich plant- 
 ers from the country, who come here to spend 
 the sickly months, (as they are called), in quest 
 of health, and of the social enjoyment which 
 the city affords; and in no part of America 
 are the social blessings enjoyed more rationally 
 and liberally than in Charleston ; unaffected 
 hospitality, affability, ease in manners and ad- 
 dress, and a disposition to make the guests 
 welcome, easy and pleased with themselves, 
 are characteristics of the respectable people in 
 Charleston. The land on which the town is 
 built is flat and low, and the water brackish 
 and unwholesome. The streets from East to 
 West, extend from river to river, and running 
 i 2 
 
102 
 
 in a: straight iin^v not only open beautiful pros, 
 pects each way, butufford excellent opportu- 
 Vii ties.' 1 Toy means/of subterranean drains, for 
 removing all nuisances, and keeping the city 
 clean and healthy. These streets are intersect- 
 ed by others nearly at right angles, and throw 
 the town into a number of squares, with duell- 
 ing houses in front, and office houses and little 
 gardens behind. Some of the streets are con- 
 veniently wide, but most of them are much 
 too narrow, especially for so populous a city, 
 in so warm a -climate. Besides narrow streets 
 being a nursery for various diseases, from 
 their confined situation, they are found ex- 
 tremely inconvenient in case of fires, the des- 
 tructive effects of which have been frequently 
 felt in this city. The houses lately built are 
 brick with tiled roofs : some of them are ele- 
 gant and well finished. The public buildings 
 are a state- house, an exchange, armory, poor- 
 house, two large churches for Episcopalians, 
 two for Congregationalists, or independents ; 
 one of these lately built is of brick, of a 'ir- 
 cular form, the diameter of the circle within 
 the wails 88 feet, an elegant edifice, erected 
 at an ex pence of more than 30.000 dollars; 
 one for Scotch Presbyterians; one for Baptists, 
 one for German Lutherans, two for Methodists, 
 (a large house for worship being lately finish- 
 ed by them), one for French Prottsta '$, 
 besides a meeting house for Quakers, d Ro- 
 man cutholic chapel, and a Jewish synagogue. 
 Jn 1767, it was computed that there were 
 
103 
 
 1600 houses in Charleston, 9.600 white 
 inhabitants, and 5.400 negroes, and what 
 evinces the healthiness of the place, upwards 
 of 200 of the white inhabitants were above 60 
 years of age. In 1791, there were 16 ^59 
 inhabitants, of whom 7.684 were slaves ; in 
 the year 1800, there was 18.712, of whom 
 9.053 were slaves. 
 
 1 mentioned my passing through Beaufort : 
 a description of this place was neglected on 
 account of its being small, and not of much 
 note in the commercial world ; but I A ill just 
 mention that it is a very healthy place ; it is 
 an island, and lies about sixty miles South of 
 Charleston ; its growth is very rapid, and con- 
 tains about 150 houses. 
 
 Having given a general description of 
 Charleston and its inhabitants, 1 proceed with 
 my journal ; and as 1 noticed, I lost all my 
 money, and determined to leave the uncer- 
 tain fortunes of gaming for a steady and res- 
 pectable employment in some other line of 
 business. I now took my departure for Co- 
 lumbia, at which place 1 arrived on the 26th 
 da>; of August. In this place I remained 
 two months : this is the seat of government, 
 and a college has been built here since I left 
 the place ; its situation is West of Charleston, 
 ab-.mt one hundred miles; it is a very plea- 
 sant place ; the chief products, are grain a id 
 co; ; on ; tin -re are only two long handsome 
 streets, with a few cross ones at right angles, 
 
104 
 I 
 
 in this town : it lies half a mile from the river, 
 with four stores, and public inns in plenty, and 
 very good accommodations and civil behavior 
 amongst the inhabitants ; the soil is very good. 
 Daring the time that I tarried here, I became 
 acquainted with a certain French Doctor, and 
 in fact a gentleman ; he was disinterestedly 
 my friend ; his name was Delaine : he propos- 
 ed putting me in a fair way of making my 
 fortune, by sending me as super-cargo on a 
 voyage to the West- Indies in a vessel of his 
 own ; but he had a notion of sending me to 
 college, to acquire the knowledge of the 
 English language, navigation, &c. This plan 
 of his originated from friendship to me, as he 
 always told me he had a peculiar fancy for my 
 turn and disposition. But something partic- 
 ular in my views of business and enjoyments 
 at that period, prevented me from accepting 
 of his kind and generous offer ; and I shall 
 ever mention his name, the name of Delaine, 
 with expressions of the highest respect and 
 esteem. 
 
 Being desirous of seeing more of North- 
 America, and finding nothing peculiar to pre- 
 vent my travels, I set off once more, and took 
 my leave of this friendly gentleman. Full 
 spirited I left the place, and proceeded to 
 Augusta in Georgia, about sixty-five miles 
 from Columbia. At this place 1 arrived on 
 the 3d Nov. 1803. Here I remained about 
 eighteen months, and carried on my business 
 with very good success : I empio) ed eight or 
 
105 
 
 ten journeymen the chief of the time, and had 
 plenty of employ ; here I furnished myself 
 with books on philosophy and chemistry ; 
 these. books I studied with attention and plea- 
 sure during my leisure hours. Georgia was a 
 climate by far too warm for my constitution, 
 especially if I subjected myself to labor, and 
 accordingly I did nothing at my business, but 
 cut out and sold the work, and by this means 
 had often an opportunity to peruse my books : 
 these books infused the notion that I could 
 build a balloon ; and being minded to make 
 money a little easy sometimes, as well as my 
 neighbors, after several fruitless attempts I 
 succeeded in building a small one, and let it 
 go up ; but before I completed this one, I 
 had made as many as eight or ten, which cost 
 me five or six dollars each, besides all my 
 trouble, and was often heartily laughed at be- 
 fore I had made one to answer my purpose : 
 indeed almost every where I went they would 
 laugh about my balloons. 
 
 I now bought me a horse and chair, settled 
 my business, and taking with me about eight 
 hundred dollars, departed for Nashville, in the 
 state of Tennessee. 
 
 Georgia is a state of some commerce ; its 
 length is 260 miles, and its breadth 250 : it 
 lies in lat. 31 and 35 North, and Sand 10 
 cleg. 40 rnin. West longitude from Philadel- 
 phia Bounded East by the Atlantic ocean, 
 South by East Florida, West by the Cherokee 
 nation, Northeast and North by South Caro- 
 
106 
 
 lina ; it is sickly in this state, during the 
 mouths of July, August and September. 
 Savannah, Oakmulge and the Oeone, are the 
 only great rivers in Georgia. The seat of 
 government now, is in Millegeville, in the 
 new purchase which was made in 1806 ; in 
 this place are already 200 houses ; the beauti- 
 ful state- house here, cost the state of Georgia 
 1 10,000 dollars ; it stands in the centre of the 
 city on an elevated part. This town, is si-.uate 
 within one quarter of a mile from the river 
 Ocone, about 180 miles from Savannah. 
 But, as I said, 1 was now in Nashville on 
 the 16th day of April 1 805 : with six hundred 
 dollars which I had in my pocket, I concluded 
 to try my ingenuity, and proposed to build a 
 balloon, and gave out a subscription paper, 
 to find what the people v/ould subscribe to 
 see it rise ; and being fond of novelty, they 
 subscribed eight hundred dollars. When my 
 balloon was completed and the time appointed 
 for the exhibition, the people assembled, about 
 ten thousand ! and contributed about five 
 hundred dollars more. All things being ready, 
 I entered the balloon, and gave orders to 
 cut the ropes and let it ascend ; they obeyed 
 orders, but it ascended only four or five feet, 
 before it fell again : on examination, 1 found 
 that there were three holes cut through it, 
 by which the inftarnable air escaped and 
 passed out, which prevented it from rising ; 
 we mended the balloon, and made new in- 
 flamable air and infused into the balloon, but 
 
107 
 
 it burstcd, bearing heavier on these places 
 than others ; and I then gave up the business, 
 and offered them their money back again : 
 some of them took it back willingly, others 
 reluctantly ; but eventually all received it : 
 these holes, were cut by designing men who 
 had previously laid wagers in heavy suins^ 
 that the balloon would not rise ; but having 
 addressed the people, informing them of my 
 misfortunes, they expressed themselves in 
 terms the most grateful and friendly on my 
 behalf ; the cost of this air balloon was six 
 hundred dollars, which, with other expen- 
 ces, amounted to the chief part of what I 
 possessed in the world. 
 
 The gentlemen of character seemed to com- 
 miserate my situation ; they followed me to 
 the public house where I put up, and one 
 Gen. Robinson came to me and in an affec- 
 tionate and friendly manner offered me two 
 hundred dollars ; I was unwilling to accept it 
 of him, as I believed that it was given from 
 his own private property, but he crowded a 
 one hundred dollar bill into my waistcoat 
 pocket ; after him, Maj. Lewis came and in- 
 sisted that I should take of him one hundred 
 dollars more, which I did ; after him came I 
 think Mr. Jones, a tanner; he lived about six 
 miles from Nashville, about South- East, and . 
 without suffering me to express any reluctance 
 to his generosity, gave me two hundred dol- 
 lars, saying, that if I ever possessed indepen- 
 dent property, I might send it back to him 
 
108 
 
 again; and that if I would consent to set up 
 any business in Nashville, he would let me 
 have in advance one thousand dollars. These 
 friendly donations from gentlemen of the first 
 character, very seriously affected me and drew 
 tears or joy from my eyes. This sum of four 
 hundred dollars was restoring two thirds of 
 my expence in building of the air-balloon. 
 Thus, by the vulgarity and envy of a few ill 
 bred men, ten thousand honest and good ci- 
 tizens lost the satisfaction of seeing this great 
 improvement in nature, for which they came 
 many of them ten and fifteen miles ; so it is 
 sometimes, that, as said the wise man Solo- 
 mon, one sinner destroys much good ; there are 
 always some people, who live as a moth to the 
 community at large ; those characters, that are 
 not profitable either to God or man, or to 
 themselves, are generally of short duration on 
 the earth ; for the supreme judge and gover- 
 nor of the world reckons them as chaff, and 
 like the husbandman sweeps them away as 
 the chaff of the summer threshing-floor : soon 
 ihey receive their payment, or shortly will, ac- 
 cording to their works. 
 
 Being tired and provoked by the inhuman 
 conduct of this people, I settled all my busi- 
 ness and departed for Natches, in the Mis- 
 sissippi Territory. In this journey we were 
 very much di scorn ITU ded by the heat and small 
 flies, or musquittos; the afflictions and trouble 
 we had with these creatures were intolerable. 
 It was on the 22nd day of August, that I 
 
109 
 
 out on my journey for this fifteen hundred 
 mile voyage, and all the way by water. In our 
 passage, there were six of us in company, 
 these terbultnt creatures, like an army of un- 
 relenting fruies, seemed determined to eat us 
 up, if possible, before we had arrived at the 
 end of our journey, for we could have no 
 rest day or night ; in the day time we would 
 make out to travel well, but. in the night sea- 
 son it was impossible to rest ; and if it had 
 been possible that we could have laid still, we 
 should have been deprived of every drop of 
 blood in our veins by the morning light ; but it 
 was impossible; however, we slept by turns, and 
 those who kept awake brushed oft' the musquit- 
 toes from those who slept, until we had descend- 
 ed these Mississippi waters. This river is from 
 a mile to a mile and half wide ; as we descended, 
 we observed that on the left side the banks 
 were uneven, sometimes rising into hills, at 
 other times sinking into almost a level with 
 the river ; on the right hand, the banks were 
 very level, and afforded a very handsome pros- 
 pect where the land was cultivated and cleared 
 up ; but in general it was a wilderness, or ra- 
 ther a thicket of caries, shrubs, &c. We went 
 on shore to tarry and take our rest at night, 
 for thestream, i.e. the waters of the Mississippi, 
 were so rapid that we were unable to proceed 
 in the night season. 
 
 Nashville, the place where I built my air- 
 balloon, was a place of -some importance, 
 ihough not of much trade; it is situated "m 
 
no 
 
 latitude 35 deg. 45 min. North. It is called 
 after Brigadier- General Francis Nash, who fell 
 on the 4th of October, 1777, in the battle at 
 Germantown, in defence of his country ; is a 
 growing town, situated on the banks of Cum- 
 berland river ; the U. States superior courts, 
 the district court for West Tennesee, are held 
 twice a year at this place. The court for the 
 District of Mero, and for the county of David- 
 son, are also held here. It is about 200 miles 
 from Knoxville, and has now about 500 inha- 
 bitants. Nothing could be made here by buy- 
 ing any articles of trade, arid transporting 
 down the river ; howbeit, on my passage I 
 came athwart some very good whiskey, and 
 very cheap, and expecting to make something 
 of the bargain, I bought 500 gallons of it, and 
 embarked it to sell at Natches. When I arriv- 
 ed at this place, I offered it for sale at an ad- 
 vanced price, but could get no more than 
 what at first it cost me, losing my trouble, 
 expence, &.c. I was about three weeks on this 
 passage, and nothing peculiar happened neces- 
 sary to mention, except what I have written. 
 
 In Natches I arrived on the 22nd day of 
 August, 1805. Knowing that I was now ca- 
 pable of building a balloon that would rise, I 
 concluded to satisfy my curiosity for once, in 
 having the pleasure to rise up in -one of them 
 that I might have die satisfaction of viewing 
 the beautiful country of America, in one beau- 
 tiful landscape ; to see the distant hills, the val- 
 lies and rivers, and in short the face of the whole 
 
Ill 
 
 country, as far as the eye could extend, I consi- 
 dered as no small satisfaction. Accordingly, I 
 should have given out subscriptions for the pur- 
 pose, as it is a place where novelty and curiosi- 
 ties are subject to meet with great encourage- 
 ment ; but finding my own purse too light, I 
 concluded' to abandon the idea. However, 
 to satisfy the curiosity of the inhabitants, I 
 made one of paper, and let it go. It rose 
 up and went out of sight, we never saw it any 
 more ; this balloon was about twenty feet high, 
 and cost me about fifteen dollars, 
 
 Natches is situated about iat. 31 deg. 30 
 min. North, about a quarter of a mile from 
 the Mississippi, and is an incorporated city, 
 containing about uvo hundred houses, and six 
 hundred inhabitants; they trade chiefly from 
 Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio ; their articles 
 of commerce are mostly cotton, indigo and 
 grain ; their exports consist in cottoji and 
 indigo ; they are chiefly Episcopalians and 
 Presbyterians. Fruits are plenty here, such 
 as oranges, pears, peaches, apples, figs, warer- 
 mellons, &c. &c. It was said that snow is 
 seldom if ever seen in this latitude. This 
 country bids fair to become in a few years a 
 wealthy, powerful part of the United States. 
 
 I left Natches and went to Point Coupce, 
 a French settlement : it lies about 150 
 miles from Natches and New- Orleans, from 
 each an equal distance ; a handsome and 
 wdl regulated settlement on the bank, the 
 West sicL-2 of the Mississippi : the people arc 
 
112 
 
 very hospitable and kind to strangers, very 
 rich and wealthy ; their trade is carried on to 
 New-One.ms chiefly, and the soil affords al- 
 mooc every l;'.'i r i <-/: fruit pleasant to the taste ; 
 the productions for exportation are sugar, cot- 
 ton, indigo, rice, oranges, figs, apricots, 8tc. 
 Peaches, plumbs, and a few apples for com- 
 mon use are found here ; the prospect is very 
 delightful : on the whole it is in my opinion 
 the best and pleasantest place in North- Amer- 
 ica : to see the vessels passing the river, and 
 so many handsome buildings on both sides 
 for near one hundred and fifty miles, increases 
 the beauty of the country beyond description, 
 giving it an elegance and beauty excelling any 
 thing in the United States of America. I 
 made another air-balloon here, in form and 
 quality like that in Natches. 
 
 From this place I took a passage by land 
 and went to New- Orleans, where 1 arrived on 
 the 18th day of November. Here I built me 
 another air balloon, the exhibition of which 
 brought me something handsome ; I believe 
 it cost me about one thousand dollars, and 
 i lie sums of money which I took in by sub- 
 scriptions amounted to about twenty-five hun- 
 dred dollars ! A great number of spectators 
 attended the exhibition of this (to them) 
 strange phenomenon ! I gave orders to my 
 attendants to cut the ropes ; they immediately 
 obeyed, and the balloon arose and ascended 
 about half a mile, with myself only in the 
 ch lir ; when I let out the inflamable air, and 
 descended. I -had an agent to coltett this 
 
ll'S 
 
 money, who took it with him and absconded , 
 where he went I knew not, but 1 entirely 
 despaired of ever seeing him again : this man 
 I had been acquainted with before, and he 
 had been well recommended to me as a just, 
 respectable and honest man ; he was a Span- 
 iard, and as the Spaniards have the name of 
 being very honest to their trust, I thought 
 that I had the more reason to confide in his 
 veracity. 1 have found bv fatal and sad ex- 
 perience, that it is not this nation or that ; 
 but a traveller must confide in him only whom 
 he has found to be an honest and generous 
 man whoever he may be, whether he be Turk, 
 Jew, German, Frenchman, Scotchman, Irish- 
 man, Englishman; or American ; an honest 
 man is an honest man, let him belong to what 
 nation he may ; and what chic fly concerns me, 
 is first to find out the principle of a man, 
 whether he be a man of ability and virtue ; if 
 he is so, I am done with either jealousy or 
 prejudice against him on account of his nation 
 or pedigree. 
 
 Having lost almost all my money, I knew 
 not which way to turn, or what to do ; but by 
 accident I found that there was always busi- 
 nes enough for all, provided th;*t they were 
 disposed to take hold of it ; i. e. there was a 
 gentleman in town that understood the- nature 
 of Legerdemain very well. Necessity drove 
 me to him. I went and conversed on the sub- 
 ject of my loss, and on the uncertainty of 
 fortune ; he was one of my former acquaint. 
 }< 2 
 
114 
 
 ances, and acquiesce/i cheerfully in my senti- 
 ni-.v-'ts respecting many things, and as 1 was 
 a -ranger as well as himself, and thrown in 
 d< b< and difficulty by means of my absconding 
 agent, he offered me his assistance, which I 
 accepted ; he instructed me in his art, and re- 
 ceived me into partnership in all his exhibi- 
 tions, by which fortunate circumstance, I was 
 able to make remittances to my creditors, and 
 also acquired money to perform my journey 
 to the Havanna, in pursuit of my absconding 
 agent. Four or five days concluded this short 
 voyage ; it is but a few days sail from New- 
 Orleans. 
 
 Havanna is the capital of the island of Cuba, 
 and a place of great strength and importance, 
 and contains about 2000 houses, with a great 
 number of churches and convents, It was 
 taken by the English in the year 1762, but 
 restored in the subsequent treaty of peace. 
 A small part of this island only is yet cleared, 
 and the chief part of the plantations are on 
 the beautiful plains of the Havanna ; they are 
 cultivated by about 25.000 slaves. The other 
 inhabitants are about 30.000. They are Span- 
 ish, and their religion the Roman catholic. 
 The latitude of this island is between 20 and 
 23 deg. 30 min. North, and 74 and 55 deg. 
 15 min. West longitude. The soil is called 
 the best of any in America, and produces all 
 the commodities known in the West-Indies. 
 The climate is very hot, and often very sickly ; 
 '-.h'.Te is a fine breeze of wind from the 
 
115 
 
 land every forenoon, beginning about nine or 
 ten, and lasthg until near twelve o'clock; 
 there is an afternoon breeze which comes in 
 from sea ; it begins at about three o'clock 
 and lasts till in the evening; this make a 
 great part of the day very comfortable. The 
 dress of the inhabitants is very old fashioned ; 
 the men are of a very dark complexion, like 
 the Spanish nation in general ; the ladies are 
 of much fairer complexion, though not so 
 fair as the French, English, or American 
 ladies ; their food is not prepared with that 
 elegance or taste, which might be expected 
 from the wealth of the inhabitants. Their 
 religion is of the spurious kind ; they will 
 attend mass in the forenoon, confess their 
 sins and receive the sacrament, and in the 
 after part of the day attend the ball. room, 
 and other places of merriment with dancing, 
 playing on instruments of music, and all 
 kinds of indulgences, the same as on any 
 *)ther day of the week. 
 
 I sai'ed from New Orleans on the 2?d of 
 D-c. and arrived in Havanna on the 25th, 
 and b ing disappointed of seeing my agent, 
 who had absented himself before my arrival, 
 I was again in low circumstances. I had 
 now no other way bat to build an air-bal- 
 loon again; not having money sufficient to 
 erect it, I made use of a letter of recom- 
 mendation which I received of the Spanish 
 Governor in New- Orleans ; by virtue of this 
 letter I acquired the friendly aid of a meiv 
 
116 
 
 chant in the city of Havanna, to perform a 
 fi r achievements with fire- works, though 
 In- vas not willing to assist me in the build- 
 ing of a balloon : in the performance of these 
 wo-'ks I met the entire approbation of the 
 public in general, and those of note in 
 particular; by these exhibitions I received 
 six hundred and seventy five dollars. 
 
 Taking with me a complete recommendation 
 from the Spanish Nobility in the Havanna, I 
 immediately embarked for Ln Vera Cruz, at 
 which place I arrived on the 19th day of Jan. 
 1806. I had a very agreeable passage and 
 a quick voyage to this place. On my arrival, 
 I presented my letters of recommendation to 
 the governor, and requested his permission 
 to exhibit in such feats, as 1 should find 
 most convenient ; he granted me my request, 
 but jhere again, I had not a sufficiency of money 
 to proceed : however, according to my for- 
 mer fashion, I applied to my best friends, 
 the nobility ; 1 called them my friends as 
 they were the most fond of plays ; by their 
 assistance I was able to proceed, and built 
 a balloon in about three weeks ; I prepared, 
 and made ready for exhibition ; but before I 
 "began my exhibition, I took care to secure the 
 money subscribed by the inhabitants, which 
 amounted to t\vo thousand four hundred dol- 
 lars. After which, I arose and ascended 
 ab jut one mile up in the air ; and then de- 
 scc nded, at a distance of about two miles from 
 the place where I went up ; 1 believe there 
 
117 
 
 were eight or ten thousand spectators, to 
 view this scene of novelty : in about three 
 weeks after this, I erected an illuminating 
 lire- work ; this so attracted the attention of 
 the people, that it became the object of their 
 admiration and applause ; they made full com- 
 pensation for my labor in all these achieve- 
 ments. In about two weeks after this last 
 performance, I received a recommendation 
 from the governor and nobility at Vera-Cruz, 
 to the governor and nobility of Mexico ; but 
 as we are about to leave this island, I will here 
 give a short description of it. It is situate on 
 the gulph of Mexico, between lat. 20 and 25 
 deg. North, and carries on a great trade with 
 Mexico in Spanish America. The soil is 
 very good and fertile, producing cotton, coffee, 
 rice, sugar, and grain, and fruits of various 
 kinds which are common in the West- India 
 islands. The climate is very hot, but fine 
 breezes from the sea are common in the fore 
 and after part of the day ; in July, August 
 and September, it is generally sickly ! The 
 manners and customs of the people, are much 
 like those of the people of the Havana ; 
 it is a place of commerce with all parts of 
 Europe, and is a great place for shipping. 
 
 Oa the 12th Oct. I left Havanna for New- 
 Mexico, and arrived there on the 18th day of 
 the same month in 1806. This city lies ujjl 
 lat. 19 deg. 26 min. North ; it is the oldest 
 city in America, of which we have any ac- 
 count ; by the account of its inhabitants, it 
 
118 
 
 was founded long before the discovery of this 
 wevbiem world by Columbus, in the year 1492, 
 for, it is said to be founded by the natives, as 
 eajriy as the year 1325. It is situated, in the 
 charming vale of Mexico, on several small 
 islands, in lake Tetzuco, in North lat. 19 
 deg. 26 min. and 276 deg. 34 min. of West 
 longitude from Ferro. This vale is surround- 
 ed with lofty and verdant mountains ! and 
 formerly contained no less than forty eminent 
 cities, besides villages and hamlets. The city 
 is subject to frequent inundations, as is easily 
 accounted for from its local situation, the lake 
 in which it stands being the reservoir of the 
 v/c) ers flowing from the neighboring moun- 
 ts i as. There are various opinions concerning 
 the ancient population of this city ; such his- 
 torians as are mostly to be relied on, say that 
 it was nearly nine miles in circumference, und 
 contained upwards of 60.000 houses, contain- 
 ing from four to ten inhabitants each : others 
 hnve reckoned 120.000, and some 130.000 
 houses. By .a Jate accurate enumeration, 
 iv,ade by the magistrates and priests* the 
 present number of inhabitants exceed 200.000. 
 The ancient inhabitants of South- America 
 seem to have been emigrants of different 
 ir.u'^ns, from the ancient inhabitants of this 
 northern r-uiiuaent ; this opinion, I have drawn 
 their having built such commodious and 
 nt cities, at such an early period, and 
 t- ; huivinrr. according to the history of their 
 rb, lived muchaUer the customs and 
 
traditions of some of the eastern nations ; 
 but when it was by them discovered and 
 at first inhabited, is unknown. 
 
 The greatest curiosity in Mexico is their 
 floating gardens. When the Mexicans, about 
 the year 1325, were subdued by the Coihuan 
 and Tapanecan nations, and confined to the 
 small islands in the lake, having no land to cul- 
 tivate they were necessitated to form moveable 
 gardens, which floated on the lake : their con- 
 struction is very simple ; they are made of 
 light wood, or willows twisted together and so 
 firmly compacted as to form a sort of plat- 
 form that is sufficiently strong to bear up the 
 earth which makes the garden ; on this founda- 4 
 tion they lay light wood and bushes which float 
 on the water, and over them spread the mud*-* 
 and dirt which they draw up from the bottom 
 of the lake. Their regular figure is quad- 
 rangular, or nearly square ; their length and 
 breadth various, generally from 6 to*8 rods 
 long, and about half as wide ; they swim about 
 a foot out of water : these were the first fields - 
 that the Mexicans owned after the foundation 
 of Mexico ; there they cultivated the maize, 
 great pepper and other plants, necessary for 
 their support. From the industry of the peo- 
 ple, these fields soon became numerous. 
 They now cultivate flowers of every kind .upon 
 them. I was never on one of them, but daily ? 
 saw them floating by the city on the lake. 
 Every day of the year, at sun rise, innumerable 
 vessels orjboats., loaded with various kinds of 
 
120 
 
 flowers and herbs which are cultivated in these 
 gardens are seen arriving by the canal, at the 
 great market place of Mexico. All kinds of 
 plants thrive in them exceedingly ; the mud of 
 the lake makes a very rich soil, which requires 
 no water from the clouds. In the largest gar- 
 den there is commonly a little hut and a little 
 tree, to shelter the cultivator or gardener from 
 the sun or rain ; they move these gardens at 
 pleasure, and wherever they please. That 
 part of the island where these gardens are, is 
 the most delightful part of the island ; here 
 the traveller may enjoy the highest satisfaction, 
 being surrounded with every possible gratifica- 
 tion. The buildings, which are of stone, are 
 convenient ; and the public edifices, especially 
 the churches, are magnificent ! and the city 
 has the appearance of immense wealth. 
 
 The trade of Mexico is carried on in three 
 great branches, which extend over the whole 
 world. By La-Vera-Cruz, it is extended 
 throughout Europe ; with the East Indies, by 
 Acapulco, which is about 2 10 miles to the south 
 west of Mexico; and with South America, by the 
 same port ; and although the two-places men- 
 tioned, are keys to the trade of the eastern and 
 European world, yet Mexico is to be consider- 
 ed as the centre of commerce for this part of 
 the world ; for here the principal merchants 
 trade and reside, and the greatest part of the 
 business is negociated. The East- India goods 
 from Acapuloo, and the European from Vera 
 Cruz, also pass through this city Cither nil 
 
121 
 
 the gold and silv r er comes to be coined, here 
 king's fifth is deposited, and here are wrought 
 all those utensils and ornaments in plate which 
 are every year sent through Europe. 
 
 History informs us that the empire of 
 Mexico was subdued by Cortes in the year 
 1521. Monte zu ma was at that ti me em peror 
 of Mexico. In the course of the war, he was 
 treacherously taken by Cortes, and held as a 
 prisoner. During the imprisonment of Mou- 
 tezuma, Cortes and his army had made re- 
 peated attacks on his subjects, but without 
 success. Cortes was now determined, as his 
 last resource, to try what effect the interpo- 
 sition of Monte z urn a, might have, to soothe 
 or overawe his subjects. This unfortunate 
 prince, at the mercy of the treacherous Span- 
 iards, and reduced to the sad necessity of 
 becoming the instrument of his own disgrace, 
 and of the slavery of his subjects, advanced to 
 the battlements in his royal robes, in all the 
 pomp in which he used to appear on solemn 
 occasions ! At sight of their sovereign, wliom 
 they had been long accustomed to honor, and 
 almost to revere as a god ! the weapons 
 dropped from their hands, every tongue was 
 silent, bowed their heads, and many prostrat- 
 ed themselves on the ground ! Motxtezwrna, 
 addressed them, with every argument that 
 could mitigate their rage, or persur.de them 
 from hostilities! When he ended bis discou 
 a sullen murmur of disapprobation ran 
 crovvd ; to this, succeeded reproaches 
 
122 
 
 threats ; and their fury rising in a moment, 
 they violently poured in whole flights of ar- 
 rows and vollies of stones upon their unhappy 
 monarch ! two of the arrows struck him in 
 his body, which, with the blow of a stone on 
 his temple, put an end to his life. 
 
 Guatimozin succeeded Monte zuma, and 
 maintained a vigerous opposition against the 
 assaults of Cortes. But he, like his prede- 
 cessor, after a noble defence was forced to 
 submit. Previous to this, being aware of 
 his impending fate, he had ordered that all 
 his treasures should be thrown into the lake. 
 While a prisoner, on suspicion of his having 
 concealed his treasure, he was put to the tor- 
 ture ; this was done by laying him on burn- 
 ing coals ; but he bore whatever the refined 
 cruelty of his tormentors could inflict, with the 
 invincible fortitude of an American warrior. 
 One of his chief favorites, his fellow- sufferer, 
 being overcome by the violence of the anguish, 
 turned a dejected eye towards his master, 
 which seemed to implore his permission to 
 reveal all that he knew ; but the high spirit- 
 ed prince darted on him a look of authority 
 mingled with scorn, and checked his weak- 
 ness by asking, " Am I reposing on a bed 
 of flowers?" Overawed by the reproach, he 
 persevered in dutiful silence and expired. 
 Cortes, ashamed of a scene so horrid, rescued 
 the royal victim from the hands of his tortur- 
 ers, and prolonged a life of new indignities 
 and bufferings ! Cortes died in Spain, in the 
 
123 
 
 year 1547, in the 62nd year of his age. En- 
 vied by his cotemporaries, and ill requited by 
 the court which he served, he has been admir- 
 ed and celebrated by succeeding ages. By 
 his own desire he was carried to Mexico, and 
 buried there. 
 
 This is the place where, and the people 
 amongst whom, I had the misfortune to spend 
 the most prosperous and most afflictive part 
 of my life ; prosperous in the course of my 
 first acquaintance with them, and afflictive, on 
 account of the superstitions of the people, 
 during all the remainder of the time which 
 I spent amongst them. When at iirst I en- 
 tered the city, I presented my credentials to 
 the Governor and nobility, desiring their 
 probation for the exhibition of the things 
 which were performed in Vera-Cruz ; I gain- 
 ed their consent and approbation,* and imme- 
 diately proceeded to construct an air- balloon, 
 which I accomplished in six weeks. By the 
 assistance of those who were friendly to the 
 novelty of the exhibition, I received subscrip- 
 tions to the amount of six thousand seven 
 hundred dollars* I then proceeded to the 
 exhibition, and ascended in the balloon about 
 three miles up in the air, and without difficulty 
 descended again. This was matter of agree- 
 able surprise and astonishment to the ignorant 
 and superstitious Mexicans. As I was well 
 paid, and had collected the money subscribed 
 for my ex pence in this business, I v, 
 well satisfied. I should have ascended higher, 
 
124 
 
 bn t the probable difficu I ty of alighting on ac- 
 count of (he lakes and rivers, if the wind had 
 arisen, : :d ; UT i'- : -hose parts oi Ameri- 
 
 ca sudden gusts of wind with showers of rain 
 are apt to rise unexpectedly and with but 
 liitle warning ; and the movement of a balloon 
 should be slow, if we go with safety. 
 
 Having now exhibited one of the most curi- 
 ous philosophical novelties which the inhabi- 
 tants of this city had ever witnessed, I was 
 contented with the praise and adulation that 
 I continually met with from persons of every 
 class and description. I concluded that they 
 had much more than rewarded me for my ex- 
 pence aixf trouble, and on the whole they appear- 
 ed a very kind and generous people. In re- 
 turn for their gratitude I determined to exhibit 
 something still more pleasing and entertain- 
 ing if possible ; and accordingly prepared in 
 three weeks after my descent in the balloon an 
 illuminating lire- work, and exhibited it gratis, 
 i iv- re turn for their liberality. This also met 
 the high approbation of the people, and in par- 
 ticular those of the learned and nobility ; the 
 ju'xt day I received an invitation from the Go- 
 vernor of Mexico, to come and dine with him ; 
 to this invitation I was obliged to signify my as- 
 sent through fear of an exception being taken, 
 if I refused what they termed a high honor ; 
 though I cannot say but that I had some fears 
 with respect to the friendship pretended in 
 the invitation. When I came to the Gover- 
 nor's house, 1 found several officers of distinc- 
 
125 
 
 tion, and a great number of the nobility present, 
 where we a^nt the dav in ail possible spltn- 
 dor. The pople here having a much more 
 exalted opinion of my abilities, than what I 
 had formerly thought myself to possess, flat- 
 tered my pride to the highest degree imagina- 
 ble ; they treated me like a prince ! their ad- 
 dresses evinced the greatest possible attention, 
 and they extolled me to excess, even to the 
 clouds ! but this is always the case \viih those 
 who are brought up in superstition and bigo- 
 try ; at one moment we are almost gods ! and 
 at the next we are almost demons unfit to live, 
 By such bigoted people as these, Paul and 
 Barnabas, at the commencement of the Chris- 
 tian aera were first declared to be gods come 
 down to them in the likeness of men ! and in a 
 short period of time afterwards they were ston- 
 ed and dragged out of the city ! 
 
 But to speak of my days of prosperity in 
 Mexico. I now thought that my days of 
 trouble and anxiety on the earth were finished ! 
 and pleasures were now returning, to console 
 the heaving sigh, and bless the afflicted son of 
 sorrow ! I had money in plenty, but needed 
 it not ; my friends in this noble city had given 
 the spontaneous flow to the full supply of all 
 my wants ; here were my happiest duys, and 
 I only waited a few more rolling suns to waft 
 me on the prosperous gaJe of riches, honor, 
 joy and independent happiness ! My days 
 were now as pleasant and calm as the eve of 
 summer, and not a murmur or unpleasant 
 
 ' 
 
126 
 
 countenance from morning to evening appear- 
 ed > and I contemplated fortune, with all its train 
 or attendants, for my happy companions. And 
 now my ambition peculiarly inspired with a 
 desire to please, prompted me forward ; and I 
 conceived that I must continually feed the 
 luxuriant expectations of these people with 
 some new phenomenon ! I accordingly gained 
 the Governor's permission to eiect a machine 
 that would attract the Helming from the 
 clouds : my utensils being in readiness, I took 
 the advantage of a very warm and sultry day 
 when, according to the common course of na- 
 ture, the showers and lightning passed over us ; 
 and, as I perceived them coming near, 1 ad- 
 vanced with my machinery to the top of a very 
 high tower in the city, and prepared it to at- 
 tract an unusual degree of the lightning. 
 Some of the nobility were attendant with me 
 on this occasion, "and I pointed with my fin- 
 g r to a certain point, saying there is the place 
 where you will see the livid lightning decend- 
 in^ I spoke this with some doubt as 1 knew 
 not exactly the nature, or power of the clouds ; 
 1 trembled for my honor, lest it should nor be 
 much increased by this operation ; hou ver, 
 it fully answered my ex '>ectut.ions and the 
 lightning descended and struck or. the point 
 to which it was directed. This rtw electrical 
 work pleased to the life, especially the higher 
 ranks of nobility : the lightning poured down 
 wH* Mich rapid, livid fl^me, that I found my- 
 self in dagger, aud was oUiged to withdraw 
 
127 
 
 with my instruments. This strange pheno- 
 menon in ai^literate and uncultivated part nif 
 the world, dfew again the admiration and p 
 li applause to excess ; but having a few of the 
 first characters with me, who had read Doct. 
 Franklin on electricity, and who well knew 
 the nature of such things and that there was 
 danger of the city's being damaged by the 
 lighmirig, 1 was then advised to withdraw 
 the machine ; and as a very heavy cloud seem- 
 ed to hang over us, I was afraid that it was 
 not safe to continue it, and accordingly vvi^d. 
 drew it as above mentioned, When I returned 
 from the exhibition, some of the inhabitants 
 e ed me with a mixture of jealousy and ad- 
 m'-ation, as though it had been something su- 
 pernatural 
 
 After this was done, to draw the attention 
 and please the inhabitants, I prepared my ma- 
 chines for something of a more extroardin.iry 
 nature. I first engaged three rooms in a public 
 house or hotel, and prepared machineries !br 
 the exhibition of several extraordinary, nnd 
 (to them) surprising feats ; this exhibition was 
 intended to be the iast that I should exhibit in 
 the city of M xico ; and w is given as a present-- 
 for the generosity and kindness of the inhabi- 
 tants, and in panicuJnr those of the first in re- 
 putation. Accordingly I invited the Governor 
 and his lady, and about forty or fifiy of the 
 mo>? noted and respect ;ble inhabitants, i e, 
 ladi< - jnd gent'e.nen of the city. In orde- o 
 make the exhibition as new and 
 
128 
 
 possible, I made all the preparation necessary 
 fur the accomplishment of my yjfcrpose, little 
 expecting that I was preparing iPcast myself 
 from the pinacle of honor and applause to the. 
 disgrace and miseries of a loathsome dungeon, 
 as will be seen in the succeeding history. 
 
 The appointed h ur being come, I entered 
 my apartment, and having this honorable com- 
 pany all before me, proceeded to the perfor- 
 mance of the achievements for which I had 
 prepared ; the hearts of my attendants were 
 now all highly primed with the expectation of 
 seeing some wonderful performance ! and every 
 feature and every countenance indicated the 
 anticipation of high satisfaction ; and now my 
 chief concern was that they should not be dis- 
 appointed ; and probably their expectations 
 were drawn up to the high pitch by the ap^ 
 pearance of the rooms, for they were furnish- 
 ed and equipped with several utensils and ap- 
 paratus for the performance. As I was deter- 
 mined to quit this part of the world and retire 
 to my own native country, after this perfor- 
 mance was over, I felt myself somewhat 
 ambitious to record a pleasing fame in this 
 famous city ; and accordingly led on the per- 
 formance to the extent of my abilities. 
 
 And first, I prepared three rooms in an inn 
 for the exhibition, and lined the walls with 
 black tapestry throughout ; over the tapestry 
 I hung skeletons of the dead ; in the first 
 room sat a candle, just sufficient (bv its glim- 
 mering light) to bring to remembrance th 
 
129 
 
 solemn mansions of the dead ! The second 
 room was paired with ad6-t ; ci:ui gloomM^ss, 
 and was stilWfiore frightful ! Tne third, and 
 last, was increased in every solemn and fright- 
 ful form, and seemed to the spectator as T hough 
 he had entered the gloomy house of .lemons 
 and departed ghosts, who \vr T ; implacable 
 malice stood fixed and ready to seize upon 
 their prey ! In this room, I had fixed all 
 these utensils and accoutrements necessary 
 for the various feats of the awful scene, a few 
 trifling things excepted. On entering into 
 this room, the spectator, on stepping on the 
 floor, was unexpectedly shocked wiLha strong 
 touch of electricity ; stepping- forth on an in- 
 sulated platform, amongst his fellow spectators, 
 he saw their countenances pale and frightful 
 as death ! The room was in perfect darkness ; 
 but the rays of light, which were emitted from 
 two burning candies, just lighted and placed 
 so as to discover frightfulness and horror ; 
 these were prepared for the solemn occasion, 
 and placed by the side of the wall. The spec- 
 tators were informed that I was about to raise 
 a departed spirit, and that I should probably 
 converse with him, and ask him several ques- 
 tions, which he doubtless would readily an- 
 swer ; but I bid them not fear or be terrified ; 
 that I would assure them, that the spirit which 
 I would raise should not hurt them, but only 
 answer the questions which I should ask him ; 
 and at my command, should disappear. I 
 then proceeded with my achievments to bring 
 
130 
 
 him forth, at which we heard the rolling of 
 heavy thunder over our heads, a heavy show- 
 er of rain immediately followea? and both of 
 our candles went out apparently of themselves, 
 and left us in impenetrable darkness ! I should 
 have mentioned that prior to this I addressed- 
 the gentlemen in company, saying, gentlemen, 
 is there one of you who is willing that I 
 should raise his father, or friend, at the pre- 
 sent time. I was answered by one of them, 
 that if it should please me, I would do well 
 to raise his father ; and this was the noble sire, 
 who was to come forth. But the candles 
 having refused to give us light, the thunder 
 continued to roll, the rain to descend, and the 
 wind to blow extremely ; crankling lightning 
 flew around the room in every direction ! 
 With a solemn and commanding tone of voice, 
 I bid the spirit or ghost of the deceased to 
 CGine forth ! when I had called the third and 
 last time, he made his appearance in the room, 
 and demanded of me an answer to the im- 
 portant questions, Why I had called him up 
 from the dead? Why I had disturbed his 
 rest and repose ? I answered him, und in 
 an authoritative voice, demanded of him to tell 
 from whence he came ; whether from the 
 dismal and doleful deep ! the infernal pit ! or 
 from the happy regions of endless felicity 
 above ! He iinmfediately told us that he came 
 down from above, from the glorious world of 
 light, the place of consummate happiness and 
 felicity I I questioned him in several parti 1 * 
 
131 
 
 culars, in all which he answered me in a 
 proper and^jteiligible order, although his 
 voice was Hollow and mournful ! When I 
 had done conversing with him, I told him 
 that I should soon give him liberty to de- 
 part, but that as he had extinguished our 
 lights at his approach, he would be requested 
 to light them up again at his departure. The 
 gentleman who had told me that I should do 
 well to raise his father, had now both seen 
 and acknowledged that it was the ghost of his 
 father in very deed ! that it was both his coun- 
 tenance and form, although his voice was 
 somewhat hollow, and consequently more like 
 that of a ghost than that of a living person. 
 His appearance was of a lucific cast, and af- 
 forded light enough to view him in every 
 feature. Having finished conversation in every 
 important question, I now gave him liberty 
 to disappear ; he immediately received the 
 precept and departed, but as he left the room, 
 he forgot not to obey the injunction laid on 
 him at his departure, and our candles lighted 
 up again of themselves : at first the tops of 
 the snuffs appeared red with fire, as it will 
 if a candle be blown out, but it immediately 
 rose up into a steady "blaze. After this, the 
 candles suspended their lights again, going 
 out of themselves ; and the atmosphere 
 throughout the room was all on fire ; i. e. 
 the whole room appeared a solid flame of fire ; 
 yet* none were injured ! To see what they 
 understood was a real ghost, without the sign 
 
132 
 
 of fiction to hear awful thunder, great rain, 
 and wind to view the cranking lightning 
 running round the room hear me converse 
 with a departed spirit and then see the can- 
 dles going out and lighting up of themst-ives-r- 
 the whole room filled with flames of fire ! 
 was to them truly astonishing: they could 
 not but believe I must be assisted by su- 
 pernatural agency. Ignorant of philosophy 
 and the powers of nature, they judged these 
 appearances to be real and substantial facts ; 
 yet when seen through and understood, they 
 appear no longer mysterious ; and though 
 they appear wonderful and strange to those 
 who are not conversant in them, yet they are 
 wholly the productions of art, as will be seen 
 in an explanation at the latter part of this 
 narrative. 
 
 When this latter part of the play was per- 
 formed, I thought that I heard a murmuring 
 amongst the spectators, and immediately with- 
 drew the exhibitions ; I then made up towards 
 the Governor to speak to him, but instead of 
 using me with free and sociable complaisance, 
 as was his general manner, he turned himself 
 round, cast a disdainful look back at me, and 
 sheared off with disgust and silent contempt. 
 I spoke to him, but received no answer. The 
 whole company seemed to conduct themselves 
 toward me, as though they knew me to be in 
 league with devils, and to have produced my 
 achievements from the infernal regions of the 
 deep, and I now saw that my fortune was lost in 
 
133 
 
 the beautiful clime of Mexico. I expected 
 this was the opinion which they had for nud 
 of me, on amount of the artificial light that 
 was infused through the room at the close of 
 the feats ; my having endeavoured to please 
 the curiosity of these people, entirely out of 
 friendship, was now like to bring me into trou- 
 ble, and being in doubt about the consequen- 
 ces which might flow from the superstition of 
 these people, I went to my lodgings with a 
 heavy heart : besides, I knew that the Roman 
 Catholics are in general very cruel where they 
 undertake to afflict ; however I had but little 
 quiet the first part of the night, after which 
 1 fell a sleep and did not awake until 4 o'clock 
 in the morning, when to my astonishment my 
 room, was visited with a guard of soldiers who 
 without waiting for ceremonies, burst open my 
 chamber door, and seized me as they would 
 a person whom they thought was some kind 
 of a supernatural creature ; they were so furi- 
 ous and ignorant that they scarcely gave me 
 time to dress myself, before they had put me in 
 irons or rather chains ! From thence they forc- 
 ed me to a tower or an old shattered building, 
 apparently falling to wreck in the city, and 
 opend one of the doors : here the captain of 
 the guard, in language very humane and pa- 
 thetic, thus addressed me, Young man, you 
 are now about to be consigned to a dungeon ! 
 to a dungeor., from \vhence you will never 
 return ! The sun just ihen rising, and beam- 
 ing above the horizontal plain, und o'er the 
 
 M 
 
134 
 
 distant hills, lie pointed his finger to the bright 
 luminary, and said, You may now, for once, 
 and the last time, take a view of yonder sun, 
 and pointing with his finger, said, behold him 
 now, 1 say for the last time, for you will never 
 see him again, spreading his golden rays 
 abroad, to lighten the inhabitants of the world ! 
 What was my surprise at this new and unex- 
 pected destruction ! It had never been told 
 me that I was guilty of any offence against 
 the laws of the country, or that 1 had offended 
 God, or the ministers of the established reli- 
 gion ; they never pretended that they were 
 going to imprison me for any particular fault, 
 and as I was conscious of none, I expostulated 
 with the captain upon the unreasonableness of 
 the conduct. 1 requested him, that if in any 
 thing I was guilty of doing wrong, for the 
 sake of the humanity which he, and which 
 all ought to possess, that he would but once 
 present me before the Governor, that I might 
 have a trial, and have the opportunity of mak- 
 ing if but one plea for my life! and that, if 
 in the feats which were performed the night 
 before there was an? thing criminal, I would 
 answer in a clear and satisfactory manner to 
 the charge, or endeavour to reconcile my self 
 to this awful condemnation ! But he said that 
 his orders \vere, to commit me to that dun- 
 geon without consenting- TO hear any thing 
 which I h'-id to say in my ov. a -bthulf* All 
 this he spoke in tlxe.f reach language, m order 
 that I should understand, ra.d ilui I J.uuid 
 
135 
 
 fully know the worst of it. I entreated him 
 to give me fifteen minutes time to write a let- 
 ter to my relations, but all in vain. 
 
 To be sent clown one hundred and fifty 
 feet (for that was called the depth of the pit), 
 into the heart of the earth, and without being 
 allowed to speak so much as one word in my 
 own defence, was more than any person could 
 ever have made me believe before : that the 
 brave, kind and generous Governor ; that 
 those who claim characters worthy of noble- 
 men and gentlemen of Mexico ; that the re- 
 ligion of all the priests of the famous and 
 noble city ! I say that all these generous and 
 hospitable people should condemn any person 
 to an eternal banishment and exile from the 
 inhabitants of the world, and according to 
 their religion, to hell itself at death ! which 
 they eventually intended ; I say, to believe ail 
 this, was more than I or any other person 
 could be capable of believing, who was unac- 
 quainted with their dispositions : and although 
 the Spaniards are said to be honorable in some 
 particular things, yet in cruelty and deceit .they 
 are excelled by none ; their religion is of 
 such a nature, generally, as to influence them 
 in direct opposition to all the doctrines of 
 the gospel of the Son of God. For my part, 
 1 never had the pleasure of seeing one of 
 them who conducted like a real and sincere 
 worshipper of God, whilst I tarried amongst 
 them. But again ; to think of descending so 
 suddenly from the height of honor, friendship 
 
156 
 
 arid pleasures, to such unjust and disgraceful 
 puni'ihm- -i;L ,<h >-d me with amazement 
 
 and ataost disti ! But, they knew no 
 
 mercy; an;I instead of hearing my expostu- 
 lations and arguments in favor "of the feelings 
 of humanity and mercy, they seemed to value 
 my life as of trifling consideration ; and so I 
 believe they valued the lives of the chief part 
 of the inhabitants : they hurried me to the 
 place by which they would send me down to 
 this dismal and frightful abyss of woes ! See- 
 ing noilni'i? kft, but that 1 must resign my - 
 seif to this inconceivable wretchedness, I en- 
 deavored to look to the God of heaven for his 
 merciful interposition in my behalf; my soul, 
 strung up to the highest degree of surprise, 
 was now the seat of ten thousand anxieties 
 and distresses ! far from friends and relatives, 
 ail hope had taken an everlasting flight ! It 
 Tvii.s now t-nt I found the necessity of pray. 
 er ; ' ' snuil part of n;y hie it 
 
 was that I cried for iuvor once more to the 
 Most High. I wrung my hiu";d? in bitter re- 
 flections ! a flood of tears flowed spontaneous 
 from my heaving bosom ! an existence, far 
 worse than death seven times repeated, was 
 then my unhappy lot ! Well might the an- 
 cient prophet say, " let me fall into the hands 
 of God, but let me not fail into the hands of 
 man !" After they had heard me make my 
 mournful petition, and spent myself in my 
 co 'u plaints, they forced me to enter the Dun- 
 geon, but were obliged to do it by violent 
 
ibrce of the guard. This dungeon was un- 
 doubtedly made for the reception of those 
 unhappy wretches who have the misfortune 
 to deny their modes and forms of religion, 
 for such persons as these, they have a tradi- 
 tion, that they can never punish too much ; 
 and I have sometimes thought that my having 
 apparently (as they concluded) turned water 
 into wine, which added to the other feats 
 mentioned* caused a jealousy still greater to 
 spring up in their hearts, that I was endeavor- 
 ing to counterfeit the miracles of Christ, and 
 that I was deistically despising the great author 
 of all our religion. Howbeit, I shall give a 
 brirf and concise description of this dismal pit, 
 and of my imprisonment and sufferings during 
 the six months of my stay there. 
 
 This prison is constructed in a manner en- 
 tirely unknown in many other parts of the 
 earth where I have had the fortune to travel ;. 
 it is dug down, I suppose, about one hundred 
 and fifty feet under ground, and to such an 
 extreme depth, probably, to prevent the cries 
 and groans of the wretched prisoner from 
 being heard and troubling the people in the 
 city ; the diameter, I think, was about fifteen 
 feet, and holds its bigness nearly to the bot- 
 tom ; the way they enter it is by winding 
 stairs, which are built on the sides, all of hewn 
 stone ; a rope reached from the top down to 
 the bottom of this dungeon,, by which, the 
 prisoner lets himself down the stom way with 
 safety and Jess difficult v ; these stairs on thg 
 K 2 
 
138 
 
 sides are bnilt out about three feet from the 
 \\- i When we had reached the bo'tom, 
 (.'.- the captain descended with me with a light 
 in Ins hand), I found that it was paved with 
 stone ; there was also a small stone stool to set 
 on to rest myself and to eat my food ; there 
 was some straw on the paved floor for my bed, 
 which it was conceived I should want but a 
 few weeks. The feelings of this gentleman 
 were very sensibly touched on this solemn 
 occasion ; he told me that I must there stay, 
 during my existence on earth, and that we 
 should see each other no more until we met 
 again in an eternal world, in the great day of 
 judgment, and he hoped in heaven ! He ad- 
 vised me to make my peace with God, the 
 judge of all, and prepare myself for death I 
 (concluding doubtless, and from good reasons 
 too, that my dissolution was now nigh at 
 hand !) that I should be fed with bread and 
 water only, during my miserable existence 
 there : he left me with tears and a melancholy- 
 heart ! There was a door, I suppose about 
 twenty feet above my head, which he passed 
 up through, and I heard him sigh as he shut 
 down the door over my head ; but it is more 
 than probable that his feelings were tender, 
 being moved by the lamentable sound of my 
 own voice, i. e. my distracted and distressing 
 cries, in the moment of his shutting clown the 
 door. He ascended and left me in the dismal 
 place which he himself esteemed far worse 
 ana more deplorable than death ! This captain* 
 
139 
 
 Oi* rather gentleman, was a Frenchman in ap- 
 pearance, though a Spanish officer ; but he 
 knew that my state was inconceivably wretch- 
 ed : he had knowledge, in former days, of the 
 French customs, and the habits of their coun- 
 try ; but as he was obliged to leave me by 
 the authority of the state, his concern for me 
 was entirely without profit or avail : the feel- 
 ings of my heart at this crisis is not to be told. 
 Such is the uncertainty of human life, such 
 the uncertainty and mutability of all human 
 things, that all may ask the high, the most 
 important question, Where is happiness? 
 where is now, (said my sou 5 ), where is now 
 my dependence on the friendship of the Gov- 
 ernor, and where my dependence on the no- 
 blemen of Mexico ? where is my dependence 
 On the friendship of the great ? Once it was, 
 whilst flourishing in this city, that I could 
 repeat these lines : 
 
 My fame increased my friends arose, 
 
 High as the arched skies ; 
 I feast on every flower that grows j 
 
 And glory never dies. 
 
 J envied not the king his throne, 
 
 Nor fear'd his dreadful power : 
 I took the prime of every rose, 
 
 And feasted, every hour. 
 
 I now considered myself as forever banished 
 from the society of mortals ; and well I aiight, 
 for not one in a hundred that have been put 
 in these dungeons and pits of woe, have eve* 
 
140 
 
 Sf f n the light of the sun afterwards. Here I 
 was obliged to cast my deep thoughts, first 
 on time past ; and secondly, on eternity to 
 come ; then on the nature of a right prepara- 
 tion to meet them all : I now considered that 
 my glass of action was run, my die was cast, 
 and my time on the earth was at a period J 
 And first, for time past ; I considered that 
 I had seen many fair opportunities of making 
 an honorable and agree? b!e living in the world, 
 which I had refused, and that heaven had 
 rewarded most justly my disobedience to my 
 parents, in coming away from them in my 
 younger years ; that the God of providence 
 had also rewarded my ingratitude to him for 
 his favors granted me in Paris, when he pro- 
 videntially gave me 2,500 dollars by a lottery,, 
 and I had the presumption and impenitence 
 to give way to intoxicating and unlawful plea- 
 sures, far distant from that humility of mind 
 which ought to have been produced by such 
 singular favors, well adapted to give me an 
 opportunity to consider of my latter end, if 
 rny heart had been rightly disposed. And 
 after this my peculiar deliverance from pun- 
 ishment, to which add, the peculiar hand of 
 providence in Hanover, where I escaped, from 
 the impending and destructive sentence of 
 condemnation which awaited me there ; in 
 short, my whole life now appeared a scene of 
 wonderful mercies ! my whole life appeared 
 like a dream when one awakes, and myself 
 
141 
 
 confounded with a sense of my rebellion 
 against the God of heaven. 
 
 A dream just now came into my mind 
 which I had dreamed on my passage whilst 
 sailing toward America. I thought that I saw 
 in my dream, that three heavens were succes- 
 sively opened just over my head ; the first 
 heaven contained nothing that was very re- 
 markable ; the second was the residence of 
 beings, and of actions far more expressive of 
 elegance and grandeur supernatural ; the third 
 was apparently blessed with inconceivable 
 light and glory, and in its effulgent beams 
 was placed a glorious throne of inaccessible 
 light ! and one sat thereon high and lifted up, 
 in his hand was a bright and furbished two 
 edged sword : I thought that he descended 
 and come even to the humble spot just over 
 fny head where I stood on the earth, and spake 
 to me in a friendly and loving voice, and said, 
 (giving n ..- ihis sword and 
 
 make good Cfse of u, walking in the ways of 
 virtue, and the religion in which you are en- 
 gaged and you shall arrive to great honor in 
 the new found land, L c. America, as I then 
 understood it. In this same dream I thought 
 that I afterwards saw my parents, who both 
 embraced me ; that I was dressed in very 
 handsome uniform, with my sword by my 
 side. Bat not having fulfilled the conditions, 
 thr promise is of none effect, but void. Here 
 I utn under the necessity of relating, that I 
 had been ah through tfeis voyage of a very 
 
142 
 
 religious turn of mind ; and although we had 
 several passengers who were all very merry 
 and of facetious dispositions, yet this could not 
 prevail on me to neglect the reading of my 
 bible ; but I had strong reasons, being just 
 then escaped from a shameful and ignomini- 
 ous death in Hanover. I was more sensible 
 of this important and great truth, this wo:- Id 
 is not our rest ! and the promise of my being 
 exalted to greatness was annexed to my con- 
 tinning in obedience to the commands of God, 
 all which I had to6 fatally forsaken ! This 
 reflection now came home to my heart with 
 ten fold weight ; and I said, the harvest is 
 past, the summer is ended, and 1 am not 
 saved ! If I could have repented, 1 needed 
 rot their Romish priests and friars to pardon 
 my sins ; for, having been trained up under 
 the inspection ai d superintendance of the 
 church of England, 1 knew better than to be 
 taught by the blind supeistitioii of the papist. 
 I, indeed, endeavored to pray, and to call on 
 that God who afflicts that he may reclaim, 
 and often pui^shes that he may bring to re- 
 pentance ; but how my prayers were perform- 
 ed I cannot well remember, only that they 
 were the petitions of a helpless and despairing 
 sinner, ready to perish ! 
 
 My thoughts were forced forward toward 
 a never ending existence in an untried and 
 unknown state ; and that state soon to com- 
 mence. I must now, for the short pleasures 
 and gratifications of a few months on earth, 
 
143 
 
 be hurried into a miserable hereafter, and 
 without an evangelical and saving faith in the 
 Son of God, (which I do not know that I can 
 ever obtain), to the place where the worm 
 dieth not, and the fire is not quenched ! Here 
 I have no friend to console the flowing tear, or 
 encourage the fainting heart ; cast out, not from 
 a house of poverty and wretchedness, from the 
 perplexities of pursuing creditors and consta- 
 bles, from the distresses of poverty and con- 
 tempt, from a state of war and trouble, nor 
 from months of confinement in a common pri- 
 son in the city ; but from the sh? f dy bower of 
 prosperity and peace ; from the laurels of honor 
 and the friendships of the great, and the 
 mighty ; from the happy prospect (above all) 
 of soon regaling myself in all the joys of hap- 
 py and virtuous life in my own country. O, 
 my God ! have I been so unmindful of thy fa- 
 vors ! have I so deserved thy judgments! 
 What will my dear friends, and people who 
 are my relations say, what will they feel, when 
 they shall hear of my miserable and unhappy 
 exit ? Having finally exhausted my strength in 
 bitter reflections and inexpressible grief whilst 
 I sat upon the stool, I was obliged to seek rest, 
 .and feeling round me, I collected the straw to- 
 gether and laid me down, and endeavoured to 
 compose myself as well as my circumstances 
 would permit 
 
 1 had nothing now to do but prepare rnv- 
 self for cl; ijLh iitid a judgment/to COOK ! I saw 
 more clearly than at any former period 
 
144 
 
 every man in his best estate in this life, (li- 
 terally ^peaking), is altogether vanity ! happi- 
 ness but a name ! that there was no depen- 
 dence on any thing under the sun ! I consi- 
 dered on all my labors, and the various em- 
 ployments in which I had been, engaged whilst 
 in the. world, and wherein I had promised my- 
 self happiness arid honor, and saw them all, in 
 the glass of experience, to be but vanity of 
 vanities and vexation of spirit. 
 
 Having been confined in this dreary and de- 
 solate mansion, as I supposed, three or four 
 days, I began to conclude that my fortune, 
 temporal and spiritual things both cast into 
 the scale together, was not so unfavorable as 
 what I had concluded ; that my imprisonment 
 might be the effect of kindness from the au- 
 thor of my being intended only for my good 
 and final salvation in the end ; the thought 
 very solemnly past through my heart, |that 
 I had tasted my share both of joys and sorrows 
 amongst the inhabitants of the world ; that I 
 had seen different kingdoms, cities and villa- 
 ges; that. I had been in different employments, 
 that I frad run my race, spent my days in great 
 activity, and had soon finished my course; 
 my glass was run ! 1 had no hopes now of ever 
 beholding the sun with the inhabitants of the 
 world ! and seeing that my destiny was fixed, 
 and my die was cast, I had now the full 
 sum of my business ali before me ; which was, 
 to accept of this awful dispensation of provi- 
 dence, and prepare myself for rny final disso- 
 
145 
 
 lution ! to be reconciled to a confinement like 
 this was not easy to flesh and blood, j et I con- 
 sidered that if I could look on this imprison- 
 ment in the aforementioned view, it would 
 make my situation more tolerable. I believe 
 that at this critical period the God of all grace 
 assisted me in the conclusion v/hich I drew up 
 in this solemn Lonr, for had I been wholly 
 left to struggle with the temptations of the 
 spirits of wickedness, it M more than proba- 
 ble that I should oave put rri en J to my life in 
 a short time. But I was ready *o L^^.v,, that 
 if I had lived longer in a tempting world like 
 this, that it was quiie probable that I should 
 have continued in &in, until sudden death pcr- 
 Ifaps without an oppoitunity of repentance, 
 might cast me into irrecoverable ruin ! and I 
 very well knew, ihat many of my former ac- 
 quaintance had been hurried out of time, un- 
 prepared and without warning ; and if that 
 mighty and awful providence which governs 
 the lives and actions of mtn, has thus favored 
 me, above thousands and millions of my fel- 
 low creatures, what reason havg I to complain : 
 to this I answered none ; I then conch c<cd 
 that I was yet happier and more favored 
 many of the nobility who were walking ;he 
 pleasant streets or Mexico. . This disposition 
 of reconciliation to my unfortunate lot, had this 
 wonderful effect, i.e to make me thus so well 
 composed, in a place where, but a few days 
 before, I viewed my situation vviih the utmost 
 horror ! as I hud now nothing to uttr.ici mv 
 
146 
 
 attention to the earth, it was easy for me to 
 make a resignation of myself to the feet of the 
 divine mercy, and willingly subscribe myself 
 voluntarily to the conditions of salvation pre- 
 scribed in the everlasting gospel ; and this I 
 thought I did most fully and without re- 
 serve, for I was entirely dead to ^11 hopes 
 and enjoyment of things on earth. Having 
 been in this desolate prison I suppose near 
 two weeks, I felt myself strangely resigned to 
 my sequestrated and melancholy state ; my 
 food was let down to me by way of the air 
 holes which went up, I believe, on a slant, 
 through the sides of the dungeon, by some 
 contrivance with ropes, once a day, and my 
 drink likewise ; it never consisted of any thing 
 better than bread and water, I had the good 
 fortune to have bread that was of the best qua- 
 lity ; the darkness of the dungeon, although 
 at first it was so thick that I could see nothing 
 for two or three weeks, yet at that time my 
 eyes having been as it were used and natural- 
 ized to the place, I could now discern some 
 rars of light, which I concluded penetrated 
 thvough the crevices which where left me to 
 air the dungeon ; and in two or three months 
 I could observe things around me nearly as 
 cloudy as I now can by moonlight ; this differ- 
 ence I conceive >*as not made by the letting 
 in of more light, but through the means of ha- 
 bit 'ind use. for when I was afterwards brought 
 out to trie light of open day, I could by no 
 ni^ins bear it. The heavy and damp air of 
 
147 
 
 the prison after about four or five months, 
 much impaired my health ; and doubtless the 
 wnit of free r.irculation aided and helped for- 
 ward the decay, for the dungeon being small 
 there was not much room for walking or ex- 
 ercise, and I grew so weak that J could 
 stand or set up but very little and very seldom 
 too, but was necessitated to lay myself down 
 on my straw. 1 now concluded that my dis- 
 solution was nigh, and the time of my de- 
 parture at hand ! I felt my moments of time 
 draw slowly on, and, full willing to die, I 
 felt myself decay with a composed mind, my 
 weakness was so great that it was a labor 
 with me to arise and take my food when it 
 was sent down into the dungeon, and had I 
 continued much longer there, in all proba- 
 bility I should have been past recovery by 
 the art of man. 
 
 When I had been here, I think about six 
 months, I dreamed a singular dream, i, e. that 
 I saw the sun, the glorious luminary of the 
 world arising and spreading his golden beams 
 over the western hills ; that I alone was drawn 
 up before the judge of the world, and passed 
 through my trial, and was declared innocent, 
 justified, acquitted and set at liberty ! I awoke, 
 and found myself in the body. Whilst I laid 
 ruminating a few hours on what the meaning 
 of this singular dream might be, there was a 
 sound of a rumbling over my head ; I listened, 
 and directly it seemed to increase ; the ofiicor 
 was drawing nearer and directly lifted up the 
 
148 ! 
 
 List trap or great door opening into my solita- 
 ry apartment ! At this I cast up my languid 
 eyes and beheld a light ; having been so long 
 accustoffoed to darkness, the effusion of the 
 t so buJclenly bursting upon my eyes, 
 ; powered the sight, ard T was obliged to 
 cover them with my diriy habiliments, that 
 like myself bad gotton well inured to the dun- 
 geon ! Presently he came to my lonely bed, 
 and found me lying pensive on the homely 
 conch ; he tapped me gently on my shoulder, 
 and said, Young man, would it not be more 
 iSiirattle to you to quit this horrible place 
 i;nd become an inhabitant of the world of light, 
 than to tarry here and pine away in such a 
 loathsome dungeon ? The question turned 
 my mind, indeed, from my meditations, but 
 it was only for a moment ; and as I had full 
 L::h hi the dicatn at that Mirje, that my final 
 dijsoluti-on was near, and i should be soon 
 transported to realms of everlasting happiness 
 and eternal felicity, I really chose to decline 
 the offer of corning again into a world of sin 
 and temptations, and esteemed it like ex- 
 changing heaven for earth, the realms of bliss 
 for a world of anxiety, deceit and cruelty. 
 I answered him. No ; that I chose to remain 
 in my present situation ; that I believed I had 
 not long- to tarry there, but hoped that soon 
 I should be in a better world, and desired 
 that he would let me alon< as of ch.n e I 
 h:id rather be where I was. that 1 sh< d 
 soon be happy : to ilns he immediately au- 
 
149 
 
 sxvered me, that T must not be discouraged; 
 that my fortune might turn; that it was prob- 
 able, that the storm was past ; he said that the 
 thick clouds and rains of affliction were scat- 
 tering, and I was likely yet to prosper and do 
 well ; that it was my duty to preserve my 
 life ; that if I wished not to live for my own 
 sake, yet I ought to think of doing some good 
 to the inhabitants of the world : he said, you 
 may yet prosper anct be happy ; and taking 
 gently hold of my clothes he bade me follow 
 him. He spoke quite affectionately and with 
 a voice of humanity, I suppose at seeing my 
 misery. As he spoke these words, I conclud- 
 ed that as providence had sent for rne out of 
 the dungeon, it was my duty to obey, and 
 hesitating no longer, I immediately arose and 
 followed him. I have often thought that this 
 gentleman (for so I must call him) had an kk j a 
 that I was delirious, and tliat my imprisonment 
 had deprived me of reason ; doubtless this 
 would naturally follow, and be the effects of 
 an emaciated body worn down by long con- 
 finement ; but he was ignorant that my answer 
 originated from the consolation received by 
 mv remarkable dream ! Perhaps hundreds 
 who may read these pages, may be ready to 
 say that I am relating a thing very singular and 
 almost incredible : to this kind of readcTs I 
 sh'sl! only sav, that many things which appear 
 singuhritnd uncommon to one, will appear to 
 another qviitr probable and VCTV easv to be- 
 lieve ; and for myself I can say, that i 
 N 2 
 
150 
 
 passer! th rou eb many scenes of affliction which 
 now appear lik* a dream; vet let this be re- 
 membered, that I have been very particular 
 in this narrative, and published nothing but 
 what I have critically considered ; I have 
 thrown out every thing spurious in a former 
 manuscript unintelligibly drawn, and recorded 
 nothing here but what will bear the test of 
 d* bate, founded on the firm basis of truth. 
 I just mention this for the satisfaction of my 
 friends and of those who take pleasure in read- 
 ing only such books or narratives as are found- 
 ed on fact. 
 
 But to return ; I followed the officer up the 
 stony and desolate way, until we reached the 
 top of the dungeon ; when 1 came above 
 ground, and especially into the broad street of 
 the city, I could not bear the effulgent rays of 
 light ! for the sun shone clear, and in lucid 
 rays poured his transparent beams on the lair 
 pavements of the streets ; I covered my face, 
 and gave up m\ self to be conducted wherever 
 my gentle leader was pleased to comey me. 
 He soon led me to the Governor of the citv, 
 who when viewing me in my forlorn and 
 \yretohed condition, with pale and meagre 
 visage, my beard grown three or four inches 
 in length hanging down over my face, my 
 dress which was altogether of silk ( uited to 
 the climate) torn and tattered against the stony 
 pavements and straw and dirt, bdng worn 
 iii'o a wr.etr.hed representation of Mip< rstitious 
 tjriuirij and cruelty, all presenting che ingrat- 
 
151 
 
 itude of the ignorant and inhuman conduct 
 of r he inhabitants : my unjust and cruel pun- 
 ishment caused the heart of the Governor to 
 melt, and his eyes to drop a tear of compas- 
 sion ! He appeared very much afflicted, for 
 having sent me to this wretched place of con- 
 finement. Being overcome and much affected 
 with the view he had of my misery, he with- 
 drew to weep and dry up his tears ; but he 
 soon returned, and commanded that 1 should 
 be decently apparelled, and mv beard taken 
 off as quick as possible ; his orders were 
 immediately obeyed, and I soon appeared be- 
 fore him as in former days. This superstitous, 
 though generous hearted man, now began to 
 explain to me the true cause of all my mis- 
 fo une, and likewise of my deliverance ; he 
 said that I should be compensated for all my 
 unlawful confinement, and further added, that 
 he never meant to deal by me in the manner 
 that he had done, but was necessitated so to 
 d > iti order to silence the clamours of the 
 Spanish monks and friars, who are very nu- 
 nit-rous, and have great influence in the g->v- 
 erv.n.ent, and withal are ignorant and super- 
 stitious in the highest degree ; so absolute and 
 predominant are they in these parts, that what- 
 ever they siv is almost the law of the coun- 
 try ; such influence has the veil of sanctitv in 
 some parts of the worid. that like a torrent, 
 it ca'-rk s all before it ; and to my great injury, 
 
 h vas the case with the cieigy of the city 
 
 Mexico. 
 
152 
 
 Bnt to proceed ; the reader vvoulr! perhaps 
 be pleastd to know how and in what manner 
 I obtained my release from this worst of bon- 
 d ire. It happened that a nobleman, called 
 Marquis Cornelius, came from old Sp?in on 
 a VHH to the Governor of Mexico ; being at 
 di r.ner together on a certain day, the Governor 
 of Mexico in the course of conversation in- 
 formed the Marquis of some astonishing feats 
 that were lately performed by a young gen- 
 tleman from Europe, which appeared so ob- 
 vious to the clersry to be a compound of the 
 basest witchcraft, that they caused him to be 
 taken and confined in a dungeon during life. 
 The Marquis being a nobleman of great rank 
 and influence, and very desirous of seeing 
 some of those feats performed in his presence, 
 told the Governor that I was no wizard or 
 sorcerer, but that my performances were the 
 result of a good education, Sec. and that my 
 imprisonment was both cruel and unjust ; he 
 insisted on my innocence and the blind su- 
 perstition of the people and the clergy ; that 
 for his part, he should like much to see an 
 exhibition of these feats himself. This opin- 
 ion of the Marquis, flowing from a fund of 
 superior knowledge of the nature of things, 
 was the sole cause of my fi ; -al release, and 
 di charge from mv impending dissolution; 
 and it was some pleasure to me to come out 
 of my dungeon in the manner I did, for I 
 was at once honored and rrspected bv the 
 citizens, i> e. the noblemen and gentry of the 
 city. 
 
153 
 
 Being now at liberty in this fair and flour- 
 ishing city once more, I could not help feeling 
 a degree of thankfulness to the author of my 
 being for my singular deliverance ; although 
 (whilst in prison) I had felt myself so much 
 reconciled 10 my fate ; but few of us know 
 what we are until we are tried, neither do we 
 know what we should be in many or I mny 
 say in any new circumstances, until experi- 
 ence telis us. When I had clothed myself in 
 new apparel, and was again dressed in a res- 
 pectable and suitable habit, I began again to 
 feel myself recovering strength, and to act and 
 conduct myself with my former agility and 
 ease of manners. By the influence of the 
 Marquis, the Governor was, probably, induced 
 to make a public confession, for his having 
 ungenerously consented to my imprisonment ; 
 he gave an invitation to the first characters of 
 the city to ;^tu nd and take dinner with him in 
 his own house on a certain clay ; and when 
 all were collected with him, I .was invited to 
 be present. The Governor wished me to go 
 to my former lodgings, and make search for 
 the property which i hud left there at the time 
 of my imprisonment ; I accordingly did, but 
 found that the host, or landlord, had removed 
 and gone to Peru in Souvh- America, at a vast 
 distance from Mexico, and was entirely out of 
 ITU reach ; my property which he carried off, 
 was a trunk with clothes, and more than six 
 thousand dollars, chkfly in gold. The Gov- 
 ernor had requested that whatever might be 
 
154 
 
 the event, I should return to him immediately. 
 I accordingly did, and related to him the 
 circumstances of my loss ; I believe, that he 
 had not any idea of my having so ranch pro- 
 perty or cash at that time in my possession, 
 or it would have been thought, agreeably to 
 the print: i pies of my imprisonment, that it 
 was in the diocese of the Governor or clergy, 
 and they would have taken it for the benefit 
 of the state : they (the clergy) are like insa- 
 tiable, greedy, hungry wolves of prey in grasp- 
 ing- at property, and as they had influenced 
 the Governor to intend my imprisonment du- 
 ring life, they certainly would have (somehow 
 or other) took ^ood care of rny effects ; whe- 
 ther they did this in reality, and only sent 
 me to the place of my former lodgings out of 
 pretence for a covering of their theft, I cannot 
 tell ; howbeit, it was an affair too delicate for 
 me to enquire much if any thing about ; and 
 again, it was more than probable, that as it was 
 cash, and not goods, the landlord had secreted 
 it. pretending that there was nothing left with 
 him but the cloathing ; this was most .prob- 
 ably the case, from his having quitted his 
 country in the manner in which he did. 
 
 But, be this as it may, I returned to the 
 Governor, and informed him how the circum- 
 stances were ; he and the noble Marquis de- 
 clared their sorrow and affliction on account 
 of my loss of the property, as well as my un- 
 happy imprisonment ; however we were all in- 
 Vitt-d to partake of the sumptuous dinner, after 
 
155 
 
 which they requested (die Marquis in particular) 
 that I should explain to them the whole busi- 
 ness ; i.e. my intentions in entering the city of, 
 Mexico, and how 1 had performed the public 
 exhibitions, especially the last, and wished 
 that I would explain to them the way that I 
 raised the ghost and lighted up the room in 
 such a remarkable manner. It now became, 
 on several accounts, necessary that I should 
 give an explanation ; and first on account of 
 my own credit, secondly on account of the 
 Marquis, and thirdly on account of the no- 
 blemen of Mexico, who all had a hand in en- 
 couraging the plays. And now they had the 
 satisfaction of hearing the whole explained to 
 them, which I did as fully as was in my pow- 
 er ; they were ail perfectly satisfied, and|acknow- 
 Icdged that there was nothing mysterious or 
 wicked in the performances more than in any 
 other public amusements and plays. I believe, 
 however, that my having made it appear that I 
 turned water into wine, was the greatest occa- 
 sion of offence, and was the chief means of 
 my imprisonment ; and as it might have help- 
 ed the Deist to argue against the true miracles 
 of the Son of God himself, I concluded that I 
 did entirely wrong in the perform an oe of this 
 sleight ; and indeed, I now see better the evil 
 effects of all such things, and am sensibly con- 
 vinced of the folly and absurdity of all such 
 proceedings, as it is a foolish and unprofitable 
 way of spending both time and money, which 
 might be much belter employed , and am fully 
 
156 
 
 determined never to make such an unprofitable 
 and unchristiun use of my abilities again. 
 The) have lately appeared to me to be things 
 that the devil makes use of, in order if possible 
 to draw and attract the attention of the world 
 toward its seeming mysteries and curiosities, 
 until they shall have spent that timeabout them, 
 which they had allotted them for making a 
 preparation for an eternity of better improve- 
 ments hereafter. 
 
 But to return to the Governor ; he having 
 heard and understood the nature of these things, 
 immediately presented me (in presence of a 
 numerous assembly) one thousand dollars ; he 
 further added, that if I would stay in his do- 
 minions, he would make me a present of two 
 thousand acres of land lying in the country, I 
 think not more than sixty or seventy miles 
 from the city of Mexico ; but I must take the 
 oath of allegiance to the superstitious laws, 
 and I suppose religion too, of the country ; 
 and then obligate myself to cultivate such a 
 part of the land, build on it, &c. &c. To be 
 obliged to live in the country, under these 
 conditions, would have been to me a second 
 imprisonment. I however (to please the Go- 
 vernor) formally accepted the land as well as 
 the money, lest my refusal should have dis- 
 pleased him ; but my only motive in so doing 
 was to get out of the country as peaceably and 
 quick as possible, for I began to abhor Mexi- 
 co, and with it the Spanish name. And now I 
 took an everlasting and eternal farewell of the ^ 
 
157 
 
 Governor, and all my friends in the city. I took, 
 my departure in a French vessel, bound to 
 New- Orleans ; my intentions were now to sail 
 first to New- Orleans, and from there to the 
 United States of America. We had a very 
 pleasant voyage, until we came to the mouth 
 of the Mississippi ; (none but those who have 
 experienced can tell the pleasure which I felt, 
 when I had got free from the worse than 
 Spanish savages, and was quitting the shores) : 
 at this place we fell in with an English man of 
 war! She appeared very willing to give "us 
 battle, but our captain knowing better the 
 way up the channel, and withal having but 
 few guns to fight with, was induced to make 
 use of policy in decoying the "British ves- 
 sel, and accordingly she went on a b;r, and 
 we safely proceeded on our way and landed at 
 New- Orleans on the 7th day of January, 1807. 
 On my arrival here, I went and visited my 
 former friends, who all received ire with all 
 the demonstatians of joy and distinction as 
 formerly, and even more so, on account of my 
 long absence. But to say something more 
 concerning the British ship. After she was 
 grounded, our captain commanded and fired 
 into her, set her' on fire, and she burnt until 
 bhe sunk ; whilst she was burning the men 
 endeavored to get from her ; some of them 
 came on board of our ship by a generous in- 
 vitaton of our captain, and i beiiev:-. that J.ey 
 were set free when we had arrived at Ncw"~ 
 Orleans ; the others, indeed, who did not chiiiie 
 
158 
 
 to come on board of our ship many of them 
 drowned endeavoring to swim on shore ; the 
 captain himself escaped. 
 
 To return to my travels ; the reader will 
 recollect that I was now in the city of New- 
 Orleans, and well received by my old friends : 
 as I happened, however, on a certain evening 
 to be in a public house, I fell into conversa- 
 tion with two gentlemen who were much in 
 the same situation with myself, and under the 
 same necessity of seeking their fortunes ; 
 I discoursed with them from time to time, 
 and eventually contracted an intimacy ; we 
 agreed to unite in some trading business, and 
 making one general fund of our property, we 
 drew writings and entered on business ; our 
 purpose was speculation ; the whole of our 
 stock amounted to about three thousand doll- 
 ars ; and as they understood my character pretty 
 well, as I had been there before, and well re- 
 commended, they wished me to take the chief 
 of the business on myself; and placing an un- 
 common large share of confidence in me, by 
 committing to my care all the money, I en- 
 deavored to lay a plan to get them and myself 
 an independent fortune as soon as possible ; 
 they were both of them honest Germans, the 
 one was John Lewis and the other Abram 
 Johnson. They were undoubtedly a couple 
 of pretty honest men themselves, or they would 
 not have trusted all their fortune in your pos- 
 session, the rogue would say. Bui stop, sir, 
 and consider first there is no such thing as do- 
 
159 
 
 ing any kind of business unless we have faiih 
 enough to trust somebody ; and although they 
 have the best recommendations in the world, 
 I will allow that unless we ourselves see some- 
 thing in them to help forward and establish 
 these recommendations, we are still doubtful 
 that the person .recommended is not what 
 (perhaps) he is recommended to be ; that the 
 persons who have recommended him, may 
 have been entirely deceived in his character ; 
 and, if I should take him for an honest man, 
 as he is said to be, he may make me repent of 
 it when too late. These observations are 
 good ; but, what if we are made to believe, 
 from a gentleman's own declaration of his life 
 and principles, which he delivers to us from 
 the simplicity of his heart and in a disinterest- 
 ed manner, or before he has any idea of being 
 profited by his declaration, we may then have 
 good reason to believe him ; but nevertheless, 
 there is no certainty in any thing under the 
 sun, and we are always necessitated to trust : 
 such however was the case with us all ; I think 
 that we had an unshaken confidence in each 
 other. 
 
 We bought a boat, sufficiently large to carry 
 our goods, which were merchandise of differ- 
 ent kinds, and immediately we proceeded up 
 the Mississippi, to the town of Nachitoches, 
 up the Red river in the Louisiana Territory, 
 on the other side of the Mississippi ; but be- 
 fore we arrived at the place of our intended 
 we were obliged to take licence of 
 
160 
 
 commander in chief, who had had dominion,' 
 isr;d govr-nied this part of the continent, after 
 which, v\ r e proceeded up Red river to the place 
 ( f commerce, sold our goods, and purchased 
 wild horses, which are to be had here for a 
 mere trifle, i. e, from one to two dollars each ; 
 we purchased four hundred of them, and tying 
 them together in a convenient mode for driv- 
 ing, we hired a pilot, and commenced our 
 journey back ; we proceeded towards the 
 Hatches; having hired some Indians and a 
 good Spanish piiot, we had in a few days made 
 great progress in our journey, and although 
 we travelled through such a vast and terrible 
 wilderness, yet there was a way or road cut 
 through which was quite passable. We had 
 gotten within about ten miles of the Spanish 
 :md American line, when we met with, and 
 were attacked by a banditti of Spanish brava- 
 does, or robbers, who lie in the woods and 
 amongst the rocks ; they follow robbing for a 
 living ; they are bold, and determined in what- 
 ever they undertake ; having many of them 
 seen through the falsity of their own religion, 
 and not having had wisdom enough to find 
 out a better, or something to help them to the 
 support of a moral character, they are entirely 
 cast out as the bond- slaves of satan, and have 
 given themselves up to the devil without fre 
 or reward. Having previously dispatched our 
 & ;>:mish guide to look out the way, ue enter- 
 til.; iecl afterward, a strong suspicion that he 
 liud mfc.fmed then) of the great booty that was 
 
161 
 
 behind, and what confirmed me in th>s opin- 
 ion was his appearing in sight of us a sec ->d 
 time. When we were attacked by this club 
 of wretches, the ideas that struck me were 
 very disagreeable ; I knew that such a banditti 
 of villains would not be found in such a place 
 as this on any respectable business ; however^ 
 they came up to us, and demanded of us the 
 property or horses ; we were obliged to yield 
 to them without resistance. After this sud- 
 den and unexpected loss, I and my compan- 
 ions rode on our journey together, and 1 heard 
 a murmuring with them at the loss of all in 
 such an unjust manner ; for my own part, my 
 resentment was raised to the highest pitch im- 
 aginable ; I told them that if they would go 
 buck with me, as we all had pistols and swords, 
 we would be revenged on as many of them as 
 possible : they answered that life was sweeter 
 to them than property, &c. I told them that 
 as they were only armed with knives and 
 clubs, there was not much danger in my opin- 
 ion, and we might perhaps scatter and drive 
 them, and gain the property ; for my own part,, 
 the aggravation was far greater and heavier 
 than what it could be on them, for by the 
 Spanish robbery and cruelty I had before been 
 robbed in New- Orleans, and in, Mexico ; and 
 siow again robbed of all my property and 
 dependence for subsistence in a country where 
 they received not the least aggravation to the 
 crime ; no, not so much as a pretence : these 
 thoughts passed through my mind like light 
 
162 
 
 ning, and there was not time to mention them 
 now to my companions, and if I had, 1 did 
 not expect that it would have much influenc- 
 ed their conduct, as the human heart is liable 
 to feel but very little the dishonors and aggra- 
 vations, done to others ; but from selfish mo- 
 tives, I had the fortune, or rather misfortune, 
 to influence and encourage them so much, 
 that they both agreed to go back and do the 
 best they co_uld. We rode on, having each 
 of us a pair of double barrelled pistols, well 
 charged, and all in readiness for a sudden and 
 spirited attack. I felt at this time so much 
 injured and imposed on by these inhuman 
 wretches, that I thought but little about my 
 I own life, and accordingly rushed on them 
 with violence. 
 
 I discharged one of my pistols, at which 
 one of them fell : I immediately discharged 
 the second, and brought down another.; I 
 made what use I could of my sword, and both 
 of my companions were doubtless engaged, 
 and did execution; yet, how much or how 
 little they did I could never tell, as I had as 
 much to do as I could turn my hands to; 
 the banditti surrounded me, and fiercely 
 fought me with knives and clubs ; in this 
 battle I lost sight in a few minutes of my com- 
 panions ; whether they were killed or fled, I 
 could never learn ; however, I wounded two 
 or three, besides the killed, and took my 
 flight as fast as possible. I concluded that 
 my companions had fled, and pursued the way 
 
163 
 
 on that point of compass which I supposed 
 the v had go Me, but to my surprise 1 had taken 
 a different way from what I had expected, and 
 was soon put to a stand by finding the Red- 
 river just before me : this brought me up to 
 short quarters : the Spaniards pursued me 
 hard, and expected, doubtless, that 1 was now 
 a free victim to their savage rage : but heaven 
 designed for me a better fate, and although I 
 was on a bank six or eight feet above the sur- 
 face of the river, 1 pur the spurs to my horse, 
 ind bti'ig naturally high spirited, he coura- 
 geously sprung into it and soon wafted me 
 over to the other side, out of their reach. 
 This river was quite deep, nnd my horse 
 sunk down with me entirely under water for 
 a few seconds ; but, being now safe on the 
 other side of the river, the first thing which 
 came under consideration was, how to find my 
 way out amongst the civilized inhabitants* To 
 trouble my;-eif about my loss, was now im- 
 practicable, Mnd my thoughts were wholly occu- 
 pied in finding my way through the trackless 
 \vilderness ; tlie sky was overcast with thick 
 clouds, so thick that I could not discover the 
 sun, and could only tell the point of compass 
 by the moss on the trees, and by the limbs 
 at u boughs of the trees; as 1 had her>rd it ob- 
 served that the North side of the trees were. 
 generally mossy, or the moss on the trees wa 
 always on the North side, and that the largest 
 and heaviest limbs grew on the North side of 
 trees: by these remarks I was able to 
 
keepapreny steady course to Matches, 
 lay in about a north-east direction from n-hcre 
 I then was ; here I was in a destitute situation, 
 because I knew not where to go, or in what 
 direction to steer in order to find a path to 
 travel iii ; and although I knew nearly the 
 point of compass which the Natches lay from 
 me, yet how to get there through a wilderness 
 of creeks, swamps, and wild beasts, I knew 
 not ; but, live or die on my passage, I was 
 obliged to set off and do the best in my pow- 
 er, and trusting in the God of providence 
 whose protecting hand supports us all, 1 
 mounted my horse and set out on this dubious 
 and melancholy journey. 
 
 Thu.s, taking rm journey through this track- 
 less and melancholy wilderness, I travelled 
 through swamps, ditches, and creeks : every 
 thing of a disconsolate nature was my lot, in 
 this tremendous desart, that could deject the 
 thoughts and afflict the heart of man. 1 took 
 up my rest at night ia this lonely wilderness. 
 The next day was still more distressing, for 
 as I advanced on the way, the passage grew 
 worse; I had such melancholy thoughts about 
 ever getting through safe, that my appetite for 
 food seemed entirely to leave me, although I 
 had some with me, and might have taken suf- 
 ficient refreshment. At night I rested my- 
 
 if under a tree, and reposed myself as well 
 as possible until the morning. I arose and 
 pi!' sned my journey ; as for my horse, he fed 
 -at times on such things as the desert afforded;. 
 
1GS 
 
 on this .unfortunate day I travelled about six 
 mile:; over a miry piece of ground, and every 
 minute 1 was in tear that my hazardous jour- 
 ney was at an end, for I was often i;i- clanger 
 of sinking into the mire ; at length looking 
 forward, I saw the whole face of the country 
 covered with water; this put me quite at a 
 stand for a few minutes ; however, 1 conclud- 
 ed that some way might be found out to pass 
 on another side, and rode backward, and on 
 the right hand and left, but found no way pos- 
 sible ; at last making a virtue of necessity, 
 with the fox in the fable I forbore to complain, 
 and ventured myself forward ; I could per- 
 ceive no stream flowing from any point of 
 compass, therefore, prepared myself to cross 
 a miry and watery swamp ; these swamps 
 I had learnt were very common in this 
 part of the country : here I stood for 
 some time, with a dejected and melancholy 
 heart, death was the consequence if I should 
 not reach over, i;nd the bottom was all mud 
 and mire, without doubt ; however, I was 
 more afraid of losing my horse, than meet- 
 ing with much difficulty in getting across my- 
 self, unless I was interrupted by the tortoise 
 or water-snake ; but considering that we sel- 
 dom know what we are able to undergo un- 
 til we are put to the trial, I thought it better 
 to venture, than to stay and perish where I 
 was ; accordingly I mounted my horse and 
 proceeded to the dreadful ta*k; I ventered in- 
 to the swamp, went abu.ut four huudnd 
 
166 
 
 yards, when I found that my horse was sink- 
 ing in the mire ; this terrified me, and my 
 heart begun to sink ; I recovered a little of my 
 courage, and by a violent effort spurring up 
 the beast, he sprung out again ; I then pro- 
 ceeded forward, but not knowing what might 
 yet happen, I took off all my clothes, (my 
 shirt excepted) determined to save myself (if 
 possible) by swimming, if my horse should 
 fail me, and proceeded forward about fifty 
 yards further ; here my horse stuck fast in the 
 mud, being now two or three feet deep in 
 mud and water, with the probability of its be- 
 ing ten times worse. I was obliged to leave 
 him, in this wretched state to perish and die, 
 or extricate himself as well as he could. I 
 left him, with saddle, portmanteau and all my 
 clothes on his back : it was a melancholy 
 signt ; but it was out of my power to prevent 
 it ; I could only pity the pcor creature ; and 
 as he was ah extraordinary good beast, and 
 very faithful, I felt the loss of 1 .u the more. 
 When I quit his back the water was breast 
 high and the bottom a very soft quaggy mud ; 
 I was afraid to stand on the bottom, lest I 
 should endanger myself, and swam to a dis- 
 tant, tree and rested ; then looking back once 
 more to my horse, I saw him give one more 
 struggle, one more effort to extricate himself, 
 and follow after his master ; but in vain 5 
 his feet were too fast in the mire, and having 
 spent all his strength in struggling to get out, 
 be sunk down : I saw him fail on one side 
 
167 
 
 unable to keep an erect position any longer, 
 and not knowing but my own fate would be 
 nearly allied to his, I had enough to do to take 
 care of myself, and plunging again into 
 tqe pond soon swain to one tree, and then 
 to another : thus I proceeded about one him- 
 dred and fifty rods across this dismal place, 
 and arrived safe on dry ground 1 I now once 
 more looked back and saw the good and faith- 
 ful beast, expiring and sinking down in the 
 mud and water, with saddle, portmanteau, and 
 all my clothes, some money, my watch, and 
 every thing which was of any value to me. 
 He was one of the kindest and b;.st of horses 
 that the country afforded ; thus my all was 
 gone, and I was obliged to shift for myself as 
 well as 1 could. I never before believed that 
 I could feel so much pity for a beast, as I now 
 felt for my poor horse. Here I sat down to 
 rest and wept ; and now, considering mvself 
 as bare of property as I came into the world, 
 (my shirt excepted), I thought best to keep 
 my way forward until I reached some white 
 inhabitants, tell them my misfortune, and 
 humbly ask for their assistance ; here, almost 
 distracted, worn down with fatigue, fears and 
 hunger, I was almost ready to despair and die 
 in the wilderness ; but whilst there is life 
 there is hope, and I concluded that in a short 
 time I might reach some inhabitants. I tra- 
 velled the remaining part of that day without 
 seeing inhabitants of any kind ; I satisfied my 
 f.iintness and hunger with berries and plumbs 
 
163 
 
 which were in the woods ; night at last came 
 on, and I was obliged to take up my lodging 
 for once more in a howling and tremendWs 
 desert, without any covering but such as the 
 God of nature afforded me ! in this deplorable 
 situation I spent a very restless night ! I knew 
 not, but often feared, that I should be des- 
 troyed before I awoke, if I dared to close my 
 eyes in sleep. However dangerous it may 
 appear at night, in such an uninhabited and 
 trackless desert, yet, it was not so dangerous 
 on the account of wild beasts as in the day, 
 for at night they are generally all of them in 
 their dens, or at their places of rest. I slept 
 but little, and at the dawn of the day, I awoke, 
 and proceeded on my journey. This day 
 I concluded to travel as near as possible in an 
 easterly direction ; nothing happened materi- 
 al during the day, excepting this, that I grew 
 extremely hungry and faint with my fatigue ; 
 when the night again approached, and the 
 sable curtain of darkness was fast spreading 
 its gloomy wings over the face of the horizon, 
 just now, looking round about on every side, 
 I espied a light as of fire shining and gleam- 
 ing through the trees ; the sight of this light 
 gave me a transport of sudden and unexpected 
 joy, as this was a savage and inhospitable 
 wilderness ; I was afraid, on a second reflec- 
 tion, that I might encounter indians, who 
 would soon put an end to my life ; but ven- 
 turing still nearer, I found that they were white 
 inhabitants, who were out in the woods, and 
 
169 
 
 for what end or business I knew not ; draw- 
 ing still nearer, I found by thtir conduci and 
 language, that they were making sugar. Of 
 the company there were three men and four 
 women ; decency obliged me to stand and 
 call to them at some distance, and I 'asked 
 them if it was in their power to shew favor, 
 to a poor and distressed traveller ? And, briefly 
 relating my misfortunes and wretched situa- 
 tion, they were immediately moved with my 
 helpless condition, and gave me a gentle and 
 kind invitation to their camp ! The reason of 
 my being obliged to stand and call on them 
 at a distance was, as 1 would be undeist' 
 that the laws of delicacy demanded it, as I 
 was, as has been related, almost, naked. They 
 all appeared to sympathize with me in my 
 sorrows and woes, and imparted to the supply 
 of my necessities, of such things as they had : 
 they gave me victuals and clothing ; the food, 
 indeed, was dry and indifferent, but it was the 
 best that the camp afforded, and as for the 
 clothing, what they gave me was the only 
 garments which they could part with ; one of 
 the men gave me his doublet, or outside 
 waistcoat, and one of the ladies gave me her 
 spare petticoat, which I made to answer install 
 of pantaloons ; the men were not in circum- 
 stances to part with any of theirs. J had joy 
 for my happy deliverance on one hand, and 
 sorrowful reflections for my loss on the o'her, 
 but I h .-,-(! now pretty good company, and we 
 -'.xl o^T the evening as cheerfully as my cir 
 
170 
 
 cu instances would admit ; my rest with them 
 was tolerable comfortably, and early in the 
 morning they gave me a portion of their pro- 
 visions, and direction to go the most direct 
 way to the Mississippi river, which they said 
 was not more than ten miles distant. 
 
 I now took new courage, and travelled, on 
 without meeting with any thing material, un- 
 til I reached the river opposite the town of 
 Natches. I gave my signal to be carried over 
 and was quickly conveyed across the river to 
 the town. I had formerly been in this place, 
 as the reader will recollect, and sold five 
 hundred gallons of wiskey to a merchant who 
 lived still in the same place. He was very 
 much surprised to see me in such a wretched 
 and forlorn situation, and asked me (no won- 
 der) what I followed^, or intended to follow ; I 
 then related to him (in short) the various 
 scenes and changes which I had passed through 
 since I had seen him last : he compassionated 
 my case, and recommended me to a respecta- 
 ble taylor by the name of John Collins. He 
 furnished me with clothes ; I took new cloth 
 out of his store, and made them up myself; 
 I had also made the petticoat into a form 
 somewhat like pantaloons, at the carnp where 
 it was given me ; having no needle or thread 
 there, I had made use of pins to pin the sides. 
 
 At the end of two weeks, whilst at work 
 with Mr. Collins, I went with one of my new 
 acquaintances to a public house to drink with 
 him a glass of wine. I fell into -conversation, 
 with a gentleman, late from New- Orleans : 
 
171 
 
 he informed me that his intentions were to 
 spend the summer season in those parts. I 
 soon found that he was no American by his 
 language as he spoke broken English. I then 
 spoke to him in the French language, and he 
 anwered me in French, and immediately in 
 terrogated me in the German : this raised my 
 curiosity to enquire of what nation he was, 
 and where was the place of his nativity. H(" 
 informed me that he was lately from Germany, 
 and followed a commercial line of business. 
 On a more particular inquiry, I found that he 
 was from the very same place where I was 
 raised. He then asked me my name : I an- 
 swered him that my name was Andrew Ochler, 
 and furthermore told him the place of my na- 
 tivity : at this information, \jith which he ap- 
 peared extremely pleased, he asked me jf I re- 
 membered one John Grossman, an old school 
 mate of mine at the time 1 was bound to tlte 
 taylor's trade : I answered him in the affirma- 
 tive, and related some things concerning the 
 boy which he knew to be perfectly correct ; 
 he then enquired of me my present profession, 
 expecting, doubtless that 1 had by that time 
 acquired a better and more lucrative employ- 
 ment : I related to him in a brief and concise 
 form the singular adventures which I had 
 passed through, together with my fortune in 
 all my enterprises, both prosperous and adverse 
 since I had left my native country. At the 
 relation of my unfortunate tale of wo he ap- 
 peared to be sensibly impresstxl with my loss, 
 
172 
 
 M'icl my melancholy situation ! he how gave 
 me a presiiiig invitation to return to my na- 
 
 tve country, to my friends arid relations, and 
 
 them of the plenty of flowing 
 riches in which they abounded; but I inform- 
 ed him, that it was out of my power to com- 
 ply with his ivc]Ui:st at present, that I was not 
 in circumstances suriiciently equipped for such 
 an expensive voyage, and totally unsupplied 
 Yviui money; just then he further asked me if 
 1 was not a brother to George Oehier the 
 ro-jrfehant in Franckfort of Maine: I replied that 
 as : lie then discoursed with me on several 
 s of my father's family more largely and 
 my brother George in particular, until 
 he was perfectly satisfied that if I had intended 
 to impose on his seeming credulity, that 
 I should have been thwarted in the imposture 
 r?} more than twenty instances ; having explain- 
 ed many things so accurately, and asked him 
 so rr.any questions concerning the welfare and 
 condition -of my relations and friends, that he 
 appeared perfectly .satisfied beyond a doubt, 
 that I was a brother to George Oehier the 
 merchant in Franckfort on the Maine : he then 
 said, if you will go with me to your brother, I 
 will engage to defray the ex pence and outfit 
 of the voyage; and further informed me that 
 my brother and father were in partnership in 
 trade and commerce in mercantile business, 
 which they followed very extensively, and that 
 he was sent on speculation ; that he came into 
 tliia country to enquire into the sale, quality 
 
17S 
 
 and prices of the different commodities and ar- 
 ticles of commerce, and to carry the best in- 
 formation possible back to the company, for 
 that on his information depended the extension 
 of their commerce to this part of the Ameri- 
 can contient; that he should tarry in those 
 parts about three months and then return to 
 Germany, and if I would go with him, he 
 would engage that my brother should intro- 
 duce or place rne in profitable business where 
 there would be no doubt I should do ex- 
 tremely well. I then candidly informed him 
 of the resolution which I had formed, i. e. 
 never to enter the bounds of my native coun- 
 try again. My thoughts were then bent on 
 my afflictions when I wrote to them for a 
 little money, and received in return from them 
 an insolent and degrading letter ; though, in- 
 deed, my young? st sister was of another spirit, 
 and when I visited her afterwards and informed 
 her of my intended journey to the American 
 colonies, she did by argument, every thing in 
 her power to dissuade me from the hazardous 
 voyage ; and finding that my plan was not 
 to be altered, gave me all the money she could 
 raise to assist me on my voyage. I informed 
 him of the letter which I received in Paris, 
 and that owing to the exaggerated tale of my 
 imprisonment there, it probably was that I 
 had received such an insolent answer in the 
 time of my distress ; that if I was in fault, 
 still it was not of such a criminal nature as 
 what they expressed in the ridiculous letter* 
 p 2 
 
174 
 
 and that niv accuser acknowledged that I was 
 innocent of the charge, of the crime laid 
 against me ; the letter also intimated their 
 willingness to believe the worst, which to me 
 argued a profession of prejudice, originated 
 long before an account of rny having left 
 them in my younger years ; their prejudice 
 having founded itself on the actions of my 
 youth, a trifle would keep up the blaze, and it 
 might cost more than I should be able to 
 perform to bring it down to a tolerable degree 
 of gentleness ; therefore, I should be happier, 
 in my judgment, to tarry in this country until, 
 at least, I should acquire so much property 
 as to visit them in an independent form, or in 
 a manner independent of them. Here our 
 social communications ended. The next day 
 he presented me with the generous sum of 
 two hundred dollars, to assist me to go into 
 business ; 1 shall ever remember such a friend. 
 I gave him my bond for the money, and the 
 day following bought me several kinds of 
 goods in order to prosecute a trading voyage 
 amongst the Indians ; with these goods 1 took 
 four hundred dollars worth more on credit, 
 then I purchased a small boat sufficient to 
 carry them, hired two men to assist me, and 
 on the 26th day of August 1807, took leave 
 of al ! my good friends at the Natches, and 
 sai :'i d up the Mississippi until we entered the 
 H osack river in order to trade with the H..O- 
 sa:k nation. This settlement of ird':-n is 
 about fifty iniks iroin the mouth of the Hoc- 
 
175 
 
 sack river, which empties its waters into the 
 Mississippi. This tribe of savages were very 
 friendly and hospitable, and willing to trade, 
 and with them I exchanged the chief part of 
 my goods for skins, or furs of different kinds. 
 Amongst them were some French and half 
 coloured inhabitants. Having finished my 
 business, 1 with my two men put on board 
 our load of furs, and made the best of our 
 way down the river toward the N -itches. On 
 our journey there was only one circumstance 
 of any consequence that happened, and that 
 was a pretty serious aff.ir ; I shall be brief, 
 and relate it in the following manner : on our 
 passage a gale of wind unexpectedly sprung 
 up, and we were compelled to make the shore ; 
 and we went in near to a house ; we went in to 
 the. house after tying our boat, and found 
 there two men and two women. After an 
 introduction, as is common, we po itely askrd 
 of them something to eat and told rhem that 
 we should be glad to pay them generously 
 for it, -as we had been some time without food ; 
 but by their conversation it appeared that they 
 had nothing to eat for themselves : I then 
 told one of my hands to return to the boat, 
 and bring some provisions, with a bottle of 
 spirits ; he immediately obeyed, and we made 
 a comfortable dinner : we invited the gentle- 
 n<'i ot the house to drink some of the spirits; 
 th y very wiliitigiy accepted, and w<->re soon 
 p. 't\ merry. 1 rtqu.* ,ved my men to lake- a 
 loo* at the boat and bte if nothing had hup- 
 
176 
 
 pened to it ; in the mean time, our hosts 
 threw themselves into a conversation about 
 free masonry, and insisted on my leading 
 them into the secret. I told them that it was 
 out of my po ; .verto comply with their request ; 
 but they sternly toid me, that if I would not 
 comply with the request quietly that I should 
 be forced to it ; and instantly they dragged 
 me out of the house into a piece of woods 
 not far distant ; here they appeared determin- 
 ed to use force, and being in^d anger of my 
 life, I cried for help : at this critical moment, 
 my two men came running to my assistance, 
 and we were all soon in a sharp combat. 
 Whilst the combat lasted, one of the women, 
 no less wicked or inhuman than the men, 
 loosed our boat and sent her drifting down the 
 river. My two men, being too strong and 
 courageous for my enemies, overpowered 
 them, and gave them a handsome correction. 
 Having seen how agreeably the affair had 
 turned with my enemies, I looked around, and 
 saw our boat floating down the river. I im- 
 mediately ran to the shore on the river side, 
 and finding a small canoe, I called to my two 
 men and we got into her and made after our 
 boat ; she had unfortunately stuck in a tree 
 top, which lay fastened in the river at the 
 but end ; one of our oars were broken in two 
 pieces about in the middle, and as for the 
 rudder of the boat, it was entirely broken to 
 pieces. Seeing the danger that we were in 
 the current of the river, of losing our 
 
m 
 
 boat and property, we were obliged to call 
 on the enemy for assiatar.ee, and -offered them 
 a keg of spirits or a barrel of flour, if they 
 would as:st us in getting offlly b at. They, 
 after a short pause, fell in with the offer, and 
 came to our assistance ; one V*f them who ap- 
 peared most backward at the first invitation, 
 afterwards put himself the most forwiiid in the 
 business, and in order to extricate the boat 
 which was entangled in the tree- top, he got 
 hi* feet on the fore part of the gtmnel of the 
 bo:it, and his hands against the tree-top to 
 push off the boat, when on a sudden the boat 
 went off; unable to spring back ir-to the boat, 
 he hung over the water with his hands hold of 
 the limbs ; in this deplorable state he called 
 out for help. With one of cur oars broken 
 and rudder shattered to -pieces, we were unable 
 to make our wav back to him against the tor- 
 rent of water which so swiftly set us down 
 the stream ; and accordingly we proceeded on 
 our voyage with the other blockhead in the 
 boat. There appeared a special providence 
 in the sudden destruction of this wretched 
 man hanging in the tree ; he doubtless held 
 on by the limbs until his strength was so ex- 
 hausted that he was too weak to swim against 
 the strong current of the river and perished : 
 I have remarked that sooner or later my ene- 
 mies have generally seen an end to their boast- 
 ings ; and I have often seen them fall into the 
 sieves uhich they have spread for my feet : 
 for iiiy own part, I have endeavored to use all 
 
173 
 
 men in a just and decent manner, and those 
 who have pat themselves forward and shewn 
 themselves' my enemies, have been prompted 
 by the depraved principles which those char- 
 acters only possess who tread on the liberties 
 and destroy the rights of the stranger, because 
 he has no protector. Ye sons of Belial ! and 
 all ye flagrant children of wickedness! hear 
 the awful warning from the mouth of the 
 Supreme Judge, who rules in the armies of 
 heaven above, and amongst the inhabitants of 
 the earth beneath ! delivered by the mouth of 
 his holy prophet to the ancient rebels of the 
 house of Israel, and will remain in force to 
 the end of time : the words are nearly in 
 this form, " What mean ye, that ye grind 
 the faces of the poor, and turn away the stran- 
 ger from his right, and fear not me, saith the 
 Lord of host." Here the character who grinds 
 the faces of the poor, and turns away the 
 stranger from his right, are denominated char- 
 acters which are devoid of the fear of that 
 God who rules and governs all rational intel- 
 ligences : and again, those who have any 
 belief in the scriptures, would do well to re- 
 member, that to this character, devoid of the 
 fear of his God, is united several other traits 
 of character of the darkest hue which any 
 man of sense or thought would tremble to 
 think himself related to ; such as, first, they 
 walk with slanderers ; 2nd they will deceive 
 every one his neighbor, and will not speak 
 the. truth ; 3rd they have bent their tongues 
 
179 
 
 like bows, and taught them to speak lies and 
 falsehood ; 4th they weary themselves to com- 
 mit iniquity ; 5th their habitation is in the 
 midst of deceit; 6th they refuse to know or 
 hear the truth ; 7th their tongue is an arrow 
 shot out ; 8th they speak peaceably to their 
 neighbor with their mouth, but in heart are 
 spreading snares for their feet ; 9th destruction 
 and misery are in their ways ; 10th their feet 
 are swift to shed blood, as is above related ; 
 llth they are entire strangers to peace ; 12th 
 there is no fear of God before their eyes ; 
 and to end the awful and solemn catalogue, 
 many of them are full of sin, bond- slaves of 
 satan ! and led captive by him at his will, into 
 all manner of wickedness ! But worse than all 
 the rest for the poor wretches, they are threat- 
 ned, that their feet shall slide in due time ; 
 when they shall have filled up the measure of 
 their iniquities, then their destruction shall 
 come upon them as a whirlwind, and they 
 shall not escape ! 
 
 I believe, that I have given a general por- 
 trait of the character of these two wretches ; 
 and whilst I am writing, mcthinks I see one 
 of them fall into the passing torrent to rise no 
 more ; as for the other on board our boat, we 
 then threatened him, that we would convey him 
 on the Natches, and there have him tried at 
 the court appointed for the trial of criminal 
 causes. He feared the event, and leaped out 
 of the boat into the river ; we were then pass- 
 ing a point ; he swam toward it, t:nd we saw 
 the less criminal wretch arrive safe on the shore. 
 
ISO 
 
 In four days after this we arrived safe at 
 Hatches. Our friends were agreeably disap- 
 pointed at our having made such a short and 
 prosperous voyage. I now disposed of my 
 little cargo, paid off my hired men and my 
 creditors, and found myself possessed of six 
 hundred dollars free of debt and of every in- 
 cumbrance. In a tew days I took my depar- 
 ture for New- Orleans : this was on the 2nd 
 day of Nov. 1807. Frocn Matches, New Orleans 
 lies about 300 miles down the Mississippi ; 
 as we passed down, I had a fine opportunity 
 to view the country-seats and plantations on 
 each side the river : the buildings, extending 
 along the sides of the river on each plantation 
 are very elegant and handsome ; the planta- 
 tions on which these buildings stand are beau- 
 tiful and the houses are about a quarter of a 
 mile from each other ; they are handsome and 
 well cultivated ; they extend into the interior 
 of the country, and form a delightful prospect 
 from the river. The original inhabitants were 
 from Nova- Scotia and Germany; the former 
 were French, driven here by the persecutions 
 of the English about the year 1755 ; the latter 
 have imbided the customs and language of the 
 French. 
 
 I ought not to omit mentioning a singu- 
 lar and unfortunate event which happened at 
 the Matches just after my arrival there this last 
 time, i. e. there were a great number of build- 
 ings on one of the lower streets, next to the wa- 
 ter, (between sixty and an hundred) the ground 
 
181 
 
 above those buildings at first opened about 
 one inch, when the inhabitants began to no- 
 tice it ; it increased still wider and wider, un- 
 til it was opened about a foot ; the people 
 then moved their goods out of their houses, 
 moving them into the back part of the town ; 
 the shore part adjacent to the water was still 
 sinking down under the water by slow de- 
 grees ; and by slow degrees, the large crack 
 in the ground grew too wide to pass over ; un- 
 fortunately for one man, who was a barber, 
 he neglected too long to pass the line, and 
 was carried with all the bivJdings into the ri- 
 ver. It was said, the sound or noise of the 
 fall when these buildings were precipitated 
 into the river, was heard at a distance of five 
 miles. It was afterwards discovered, that a 
 stream of water had made its way underneath, 
 and washed away the ground on that side next 
 to the river ; the heaviest part of the street ly- 
 ing over toward the water ;md overbalancing 
 the other part, was the occasion of this vast 
 fall of buildings. Some have attempted to ac- 
 count for this extraordinary phenomenon, or 
 remarkable circumstance, and pretend, that 
 the extraordinary dissipation of the inhabitants 
 of that part of the town drew from the hand of 
 providence the strange catastrophe ! Dissipation 
 and wickedness will surely bring judgments 
 sooner or later, but yet accidents of; en happen 
 to the j'ist as well a-3 to the unjust ; as it hap- 
 peneth to the good man so it happeneth even 
 10 the fool or wicked man, saith SoBfciion ; i.e. 
 
182 
 
 the conduct of providence is in many respects 
 toward all men alike ; or, we are not able to 
 tell in this world the good from the bad by 
 their prosperity ; and the reason is given, 
 namely, that man may live by faith and not by 
 sight. It seems that the operations of the 
 heart are secluded from the world in impene- 
 trable darkness. But the ways of Providence 
 are often incomprehensible. 
 
 I arrived at New Orleans on the 22nd day 
 of Nov. 1807. This was now the third time 
 that I \isited this city. On my arrival 
 here, I was informed that corn was very high 
 at Pensacola ; I purchased twelve hundred 
 bushels for that market, and took my depar- 
 ture with it from New- Orleans on the 4th day 
 of December ; and in four days sail I landed 
 safelv with my corn in Pensacola. Here I 
 sold my corn, and cleared a handsome sum of 
 money for my adventure. Having now, for 
 the last time, visited the city of New- Orleans, 
 I shall give a brief description of it, especially 
 as it has been lately ceded to the United States 
 of America by the Spanish Government. 
 This city is the capital of Louisiana, and 
 this place, indeed, with the whole of the Lou- 
 isiana Territory, was sold to the American 
 government for fifteen millions of dollars, 
 This large and extensive country lies West 
 of the Mississippi ; being bounded on the 
 South by the Gulph of Mexico ; on the East 
 by the Mississippi ; on the North by unknown 
 lands ; awd on the West by New-Mexico. 
 
There are several rivers in this country, the 
 chief of which are the Natchitoches and the 
 Mexicano rivers ; at the wet season of the 
 year, when the Mississippi rises high, the 
 waters pass over a large tract of land West of 
 New- Orleans, and form this small city into an 
 island ; it is across ^these low grounds, on the 
 West side principally, that the vast quantity 
 of surplus waters, which flow into the Missis- 
 sippi above, are discharged ; the channel of 
 that river alone, which is upon an average not 
 more than three fourths of a mile wide, could 
 not vent the fiftieth part of these surplus wa- 
 ters, if it was not conveyed over these low 
 grounds, through ten thousand channels, to- 
 wards lake Barataria and other lakes on the 
 North coast of the Gulph of Mexico and St. 
 Bernard's Fay, and others towards the confines 
 of Mexico, which makes all the country to the 
 West and South of the Mississippi, a low, un- 
 inhabited country for many hundred miles up ; 
 and what is worse, all the labor and art of man 
 cannot prevent it. 
 
 The Mississippi is the principal river of 
 Louisiana, and the largest in the United 
 States. It rises in White Bear lake, lat. 48 
 deg. 15 min. N. Its course is southerly, and 
 its tributary streams large and numerous. In 
 lat. 37 deg. N. long. 5 h. 55 min. 38 sec. \V. 
 from Greenwich, it receives the Ohio, a noble 
 river, 1188 miles long. The confluence o 
 these two mighty rivers, does not present a 
 scene grand or romantic, The- country is 
 
184 
 
 level, and the prospect of their union' 5s- not 
 different from the meeting of sounds or rivers 
 on the sea-coast. These rivers unite in that 
 immense swamp through which the Missis* 
 Sip---i passes into the GuJph of Mexico. This 
 swmp extends frora the high lands in the* 
 United States, to the high lands in Louisiana, 
 through different parts of which the river has 
 had its course at different times. It is gene- 
 rally from 36 to 45 miles wide, and at every 
 inundation is many feet under water; the 
 greater part of it being on the West side of 
 the river. From the mouth of the Ohio to 
 the southern line of the United States there 
 are but two or three places not covered with 
 water a part of every year, and those for a 
 time are annually inundated. On the east side : 
 are eleven places elevated above the highest 
 floods. Like the Nile, and all rivers subject 
 to inundation, the banks are -higher on the 
 margin of the river than at a distance from 
 them. Those swamps and lakes which com- 
 municate immediately with the Golph of Mex- 
 ico, never become full, consequently streams 
 run from the Mississippi into them till its wa- 
 ters fall. On these periodical and temporary 
 streams valuable saw-mills are erected in the 
 vicinity of New- Orleans. On the low back 
 swamp, something of the above description, is 
 the place where I lost myi-exct ilent and highly 
 valued horse as aforementioned. 
 
 New- Orleans is an inland city, and is about 
 100 miks from the mouth of the .Mississippi, 
 
185 
 
 the only way of access to it ; this city lies in a 
 very advantageous situation, and pro r- uses to 
 become a place of great commerce : it con-^ 
 tained, in 1804. about 8000 inhabitants, of 
 French. Spanish and slaves ; but since that 
 time, it having been ceded to the government 
 of the United States, its population has been 
 rapidly increasing ; it is now a fair and popu- 
 lous city, or was at the time I was there ; the 
 increase since must have been very great. 
 The number of houses in New Orleans, is 
 greater in proportion to its number of inhab- 
 itants than any other city in the United States 
 of America ; this is chiefly owing to their 
 having mostly been built but one story high, 
 and consequently will not, according to their 
 number, contain more than half as many per- 
 fions in each house. It contains about 3000 
 houses, and from fifteen to twenty thousand 
 inhabitants ; thus the number of houses in thk 
 city are half equal to those of the city of Phila- 
 delphia, but the number of inhabitants in the 
 latter would amount to that of three to one of 
 the former. The greatest inconvenience with 
 the inhabitants of New Orleans is the impure 
 state of the water ; but still this inconvenience 
 is in a great measure made up by the mode 
 which they have invented te purify the waters 
 of the river, which 3 >\vs from and is the same 
 with those of the Mississip'pi ; the mode ol; 
 purification is in the following manner : they 
 tike about twenty gallons of the water and 
 four it into a large cask which is prepared for 
 9. 2 
 
185 
 
 the purpose, having a sufficient bed of sand 
 oi'a clean white kind placed in the bottom <>i 
 it, through which the water makes its wav by 
 slow degrees, drop after drop ; these waters 
 then are of a cold and medicinal nature ; any 
 other water but this of the Mississippi, put in 
 the same state of purification, will immediately 
 grow flat and unsavory ; but this is, when pu- 
 rified, as clear as crystal, and will keep pure 
 and cold a long time. 
 
 The religion of the inhabitants is chiefly 
 Roman catholic, and the morals of the people 
 consequently of a dissipated cast, like those 
 of Vera Cruz and New-Mtxico in general. 
 
 The animal productions are much like those 
 found in the uncultivated parts of the southern 
 states ; and with cultivation the land will yield 
 all the various productions in their greatest 
 perfection, which are found either in the most 
 southerly parts of the United States, or the 
 West- Indies. Its timber is excellent and 
 abundant. The climate in New- Orleans or 
 Louisiana is very changeable ; in summer it 
 is regularly hot. In the latitude of the Natches 
 Farenheit's thermometer ranges from 17 to 
 96 deg. ; the average degree of heat is stated 
 to be 14 deg. greater than in Pennsylvania. 
 The climate of Louisiana varies as it extends 
 northward ; its southern parts are not subject 
 to such degrees of heat as the same latitudes 
 in Africa or some other parts of the world, 
 nor its northern parts the same degree of cold 
 as the corresponding latitudes in Europe, 
 
187 
 
 <nving to the thick woods which cover the 
 country and to the great number 01 rivers 
 which intersect it ; the former prevent the sun 
 from scorching the earth, the latter cause a 
 grtrat degree of humidity which softens the 
 air and prevents extreme cold. The prevail- 
 ing diseases on the lower part of the Ohio, on 
 the Mississippi, and through the Floridas, are 
 bilious fevers. In some seasons they are 
 mad, and are little more than common inter- 
 miUents ; in others they are highly malignant, 
 and approach the genuine yellow fever in the 
 West-Indies. The inhabitants oi New-Orleans 
 are many of them English and Americans, 
 yet there are a mixture of French, Germans 
 and Spaniards, although they are mostly 
 French inhabitants. This country is not well 
 suited to the health of the inhabitants of the 
 eastern states of North- America, and those 
 ...who have emigrated from these eastern states, 
 have in general experienced a decline of health 
 and constitution, unless great care and a crit- 
 ical degree of temperance prevent. 
 
 But to return to my voyage at Pensacola. 
 I observed that I cleared a handsome sum 
 for my adventure ; a few hundred dollars was 
 the reward of this speculation : from this place 
 I commenced travelling on the 1 5th day of 
 December 1807, and steered my course di- 
 rect for the Mobile by land : towards night 
 I put up at a respectable looking tavern, and 
 desired entertainment ; but by enquiry, found 
 iliac the landlord and his lady both were ab- 
 
188 
 
 sent, and that tlie two young ladies who were 
 in the house, had the charge of it whilst *\e 
 host was from home. I desired entertain- 
 ment, but on the aforesaid account was refus- 
 ed ; however, on a second consideration, was 
 admitted ; after an agreeable evening in con- 
 versation was passed oft*, I retired to my 
 lodging, being tired with my fatigue ; I was 
 prevented from sleep as early as usual, and 
 by musing on my intended journey, lay wake- 
 ful until after midnight : at this time I heard 
 a person and saw a light enter the outer 
 door, through a shattered part of the door 
 which entered my room. I cast my eyes and 
 saw a person with a lighted candle in his 
 hand, apparently painted black ; he proceeded 
 straight forward, and went up the stairs into 
 the chamber, as I supposed, to the room where 
 the young ladies were in bed : his being paint- 
 ed, or else a real black man, his having laid 
 off his shoes and going softly up the chamber 
 stairs, all strongly prognosticated some alarm- 
 ing event soon to follow ; my suspicions were 
 not ill founded, for in a few minutes afterwards; 
 I heard cries for help, and the most mournful 
 entreaties ensued ! At this alarming crisis, 
 the floor over my head gave a passage to the 
 blood of the murdered innocents ! and arising 
 in great surprise out of mv bed, I took my 
 clothes in my hand, made my way to the door 
 of the house, and from thence to a neighbor- 
 ing family, and related the awful circumstance! 
 Tliis house was about one hundred rods 
 
189 
 
 tant from the inn : in the house I found an okt 
 woman, two young men and two young wo-' 
 men : the young people were sitting up, and 
 appeared to have been passing away a few 
 hours in social conversation. I entered the 
 house in haste and consternation, and quickly- 
 related the dreadful circumstance. On my 
 first entering the house, they looked at each 
 other and smiled at my odd appearance, as I 
 had my clothes in my hand, but soon altered 
 their tone, and the old woman, bursting out 
 with an uncommon noise and anxiety, and 
 with her hands over her head, cried out, O 
 Lord, my husband has murdered these two 
 cousins of ours,, as he told me he would, in 
 order to get their share of the property, thr,t 
 it may fall to our children! Immediately 
 after she uttered these words, she fell into 
 the arms of the young ladies, her two daugh- 
 ters.' Upon this, ihe two young men following 
 me, we soon arrived at the inn where the 
 dreadful murder was done. 
 
 On our entering the house, we found the 
 murderer with his hands and garments cov- 
 ered with blood ! When he first discovered 
 us, he endeavoured to make his escape ; but 
 with activity and superior strength, we secured 
 him. We then went to the chamber where 
 the two young ladies lay in bed, and found 
 their throats cut from ear to ear in a most 
 shocking manner ! We immediately charged 
 the guilty wretch with the murder, upon 
 which he made a candid confession of the 
 
190 
 
 Whole ; he said that he had committed this hor- 
 rid murder on the two young women in order 
 that his children might be possessed of their 
 property ; for by the laws of the country therej 
 the property would have fallen to the children 
 of this murderer on the decease of the two 
 murdered young ladies. We bound the wretch- 
 ed and miserable man, hand and foot, and con- 
 veyed him to the first justice at hand, who 
 committed him to close custody. The next 
 day we all were called before a jury of inquisi- 
 tion to give in our evidences concerning the 
 horrid deed. Whilst I was before the jury, 
 I took particular notice of a tall man of a dark 
 complexion who was present ; he cast on me 
 a look of disdain and revenge several times, 
 and treated me with the utmost contempt : 
 some of those who stood by, informed me 
 that he was the brother of the murderer. 
 
 The next day I proceeded on my journey to- 
 wards the Mobile ; this fellow, as I was after- 
 wards informed, took his start of me some 
 time beforehand, and went the same way. 
 When 1 had proceeded on my journey about 
 two or three miles, and where there was no 
 buildings, in a lonely place, I saw this man 
 just by me, he very suddenly started from be- 
 hind a tree, muttering and saying that 1 should 
 be paid well for the part which I had acted : 
 he then stepped just before me, and with an- 
 gry savage looks, he lifted his hand to Strike 
 me, but the ground being sandy I made a has- 
 ty retreat ; pretending that I had dropped my 
 
191 
 
 walking stick, (for I was on foot), I took up 
 with my left hand a handful of sand, and 
 threw it suddenly into his face ; this answered 
 well my intended purpose for this man was tall 
 and strong, and was able in ten minutes time 
 to destroy me ; the sand, however, blinded his 
 eyes ; he now had enough to do to rub them, 
 and whilst this took up some of his attention I 
 gave him two or three strokes on his legs, at 
 which he fell down, and being blinded en- 
 tirely, he knew not where to find his antago- 
 nist. I kept out of his reach, excepting at 
 times I drew up towards him, and in order to 
 prevent him from raising gave him a few blows 
 over the head .and face with my staff; finding 
 himself so unexpectedly worsted, he cried out 
 for mercy. At this critical moment, the two 
 young men who were my fellow-witnesses 
 came up to us, and enquired into the cause of 
 the affray ; instantly I gave them an account 
 of the particulars, and that I was in danger of 
 my life, had not fortune favored me when I 
 threw the sand in his face ; they expressed 
 their joy and satisfaction at my fortunate and 
 unexpected conquest, whilst the miserable 
 wretch was ashamed as a thief is ashamed when 
 he is taken in his theft. These two young 
 gentlemen invited me to return with them, and 
 tarry with the family until the two young wo- 
 men should be interred. I accepted of their 
 invitation, and returned and tarried until the 
 funeral was over, and then took my departure 
 
192 
 
 ibr the Mobile, where I arrived on the 16th 
 of Jan. 1808. 
 
 Here I bought one thousand dollars worth 
 of corn, and a few articles of merchandise, 
 and proceeded up the lake called the Mobile, 
 or the bay of Mobile. The Mobile is a com- 
 mercial village ; by the bay it has a free trade 
 both at sea and into the interior of the country ; 
 but as 1 have given my subscribers reason to 
 expect a narrative of my travels, they will not 
 expect me to entertain them with things quite 
 foreign from the chief object in view. Should 
 I give an account of every tiling which I have 
 seen and heard of that was peculiar in these 
 travels, it would make a volume of two thou- 
 sand pages, instead of two hundred, as I pro- 
 mised them. To return once more ; I ship- 
 ped my corn on board of a French armed 
 schooner ; she was going directly to Pensa- 
 cola, where I had determined to carry my 
 corn, and from thence elsewhere. When we 
 had been about one day out we were attacked 
 by an English privateer ; the English captain, 
 seeing us in a schooner of about 12 guns, 
 thought that his demand was capture, and or- 
 dered us to strike our colours ; this was an- 
 swered by a broadside from us and an imme- 
 diate and a hot engagement tooj^place. Many 
 were killed on both sides, but our decks were 
 soon covered with the dead ! and our captain, 
 despairing of conquest, thought best to abate 
 the fury of the battle ; this, however, only 
 eacou raged the enemy, and they boarded us. 
 
193 
 
 Now the work was still more serious, and our 
 men resisted in close quarters. The carnage 
 was dreadful ! We were soon forced to yield 
 to superior force, and resigned the vessel. 
 And now, when the enemy had taken all our 
 cargo, and made us all prisoners of war, 
 brought us out of the lake to sea, and bent 
 their course for England, I was in a distress- 
 ed condition ! The last cent of my property 
 was taken from me by the enemy, and myself 
 a close prisoner of war ! My prospect was 
 disagreeable in the extreme ; I might pos- 
 sibly be exchanged but perhaps my property 
 was inevitably lost ! although I was only a pas- 
 senger. If this should be the case, as by appear- 
 ances I concluded that it would be, I had no 
 other view, but to relieve myself from slavery, 
 by fleeing as soon as possible to Germany, to 
 the protection of my brother George ; for Eng- 
 land [is a place, where the poor grow still 
 poorer, and the prospect of rising any other 
 way than this, would be entirely without pro- 
 bability ; but this degree of humiliation it was 
 not in my power to obtain ; I therefore con- 
 templated my sufferings in the most discou- 
 raging form, and reluctantly sailed o'er the 
 tempestuous waters ! 
 
 I was contemplating in silent grief and. 
 perplexed thought ; I looked and saw the 
 captain, wir'i the glass in his hand, and imme- 
 diately the form of his countenance was clu- 
 ed ! With an agitated appearance he sp 
 ne of his officers exposing his fears tl 
 R 
 
194 
 
 un enemy was near at hand ! He was soon 
 surrounded with his officers in council. In 
 about one hour the enemy, a Spanish frigate, 
 came up, and our captain commanded him to 
 strike his colours. The Spanish commander 
 potired in a full broad side upon us, as he 
 probably deemed it the most effectual answer 
 lo the insulting demand* The vessel was of 
 much larger force than that of the British > 
 nevertheless the British engaged her with all 
 fury : upon the second fire of the Spanish fri- 
 gate, we lost one of our masts, and soon after 
 they shot away the other : we were entirely 
 dismasted now, and the captain compelled to 
 strike his colours to the Spanish commander, 
 who made us all prisoners of war ! 
 
 I did not know how the Spanish would use 
 their prisoners, and feared that fortune had 
 given me a disadvantageous change ; but on 
 ;i second consideration, finding myself about 
 to be carried to a rich country, where, if I 
 gained -my liberty, which it was probable that 
 I soon should, there was a greater probability 
 of rising to respectability and property, from 
 these considerations I began to feel more re- 
 conciled. In- a short time the Spanish com- 
 mander came forth to examine and take a 
 view of the prisoners, and looking me full in 
 the face, spoke in a friendly, affable, and cour- 
 teous manner to me, and finding out my name, 
 said, that he knew me perfectly well, arid had 
 -(he pleasure of my acquaintance when I was 
 : nublic actor in the Havanna. This was of 
 
195 
 
 singular importance to me, as will hereafter be 
 seen. My passage was now very agreeable, 
 as the captain treated me with the greatest 
 respect and generosity : we soon arrived at 
 the Havanna, where I was set at full liberty, 
 and by the influence of this gentleman my 
 property was all restored to me. 
 
 Here I had the plcasmc of paying a new 
 visit to ir.y old friends and acquaintance, es- 
 pecially the Governor and nobility, who were 
 my patrons on former occasions ; they all re- 
 ceived me very kindly, and in particular the 
 Governor ; arid when I informed the Gover- 
 nor of the manner in which I came there, and 
 the stock of goods which I had to dispose of, 
 he seemed much pleased with my good for- 
 tune, especially with my having turned trader 
 and left the profession of actor. I received 
 invitations from several of the nobility to pay 
 them visits, and tarry with them a day or 
 two ; to some of which I consented. I dis- 
 posed of my little cargo and purchased coffee, 
 sugar, &c '/and on the Sdi day of May 1808, 
 took rny departure for Pensacola ; at which 
 place I arrived in good spirits on the 26th. 
 Here I sold my coffee and sugar for cash in 
 hand, and to great advantage. 
 
 On the 2nd day of June I left this place 
 with five in company. Soon after we left 
 Pensacola, we overtook a post- rider, and re- 
 quested him to keep .company with us in order 
 to guide us, especially as he was acquainted 
 with the road.; and in return, promised t$ 
 
196 - 
 
 bear part of his expenses of travelling. To 
 thu h_ coris"ntfd, and we travelled five days 
 without meeting with any thing material worth 
 rehling, excepting that the Indians would of- 
 ten draw near and round about us at time of 
 mrais. These poor creatures, living nearly 
 exhausted and deprived of food, like the wild 
 beast of the forest, they are at times ravenous, 
 A consideration naturally falls in here, of the 
 Supreme Benefactor of men toward the white 
 people, who have the privileges of civilization 
 and education, who have that kind of religion 
 which teaches them, not the principles of the 
 heathen savage tribes, to obey the dictates of 
 depraved passions ; but that teaches them to 
 improve the full exercise of their abilities in 
 a manner which raises them to a state of com- 
 fortable subsistence, where every necessary 
 want is supplied, and where faculties and 
 abilities arc improved in preparation for a fu- 
 ture and perfect state of enjoyment hereafter. 
 
 thou preserver and disposer of men ! what 
 Lv.-e I rendered to thee, for all thy mercies 
 and benefits shewn to me ! Although I 
 have from time to time been delivered from 
 imprisonments and death ! yet how unthank- 
 ful ! how much like the hardened Israelites, 
 have I buried thy mercies in forgetfulness ! 
 
 1 am yet alive, and still have the prospect be- 
 fore me of being useful and living happy and 
 joyful amongst my friends in the world ; and 
 my chief concern s.w ill, or doubtless ought to 
 be, to live and feel myself thankful to that 
 
197 
 
 divine and' gracious providence which has 
 granted me suck great and unparalleled 
 favors ! 
 
 On the sixth day there fell a considerable 
 rain, and it continued raining seven days suc- 
 cessively : as we pursued our journey, we 
 found the creeks and small passages, bridges 
 and rivulets entirely overflown, and we were 
 compelled to swim our horses two or three 
 times a day, for five days successively ; we 
 travelled in this storm through necessity, when 
 at length we came to a large creek ; our guide 
 told us that it was the last and most difficult 
 to pass ; when we came near, we found the 
 adjacent grounds so overflown, that it struck 
 terror into the most bold and daring amongst 
 us. On taking a full view we all judged it 
 impossible to cross without endangering life 
 in the most imminent degree, and according- 
 ly retreated to some distance and encamped. 
 We remained here about twenty-four hours, 
 when our provisions began to fail us : during 
 our encampment the rains fell in great abuncU 
 ance ; it also thundered in the most tremen- 
 dous manner ! We were all now ready to 
 exclaim, vain and feeble are the efforts of 
 man ! I call it an encampment ; but it was 
 under a large tree, where the wind and rains 
 kept us from any kind of repose. In this 
 situation, James Lewis, one of pur company, 
 began to rail and blaspheme even against hea- 
 ven ! The rains, thunders and lightnings were 
 his .pretence for his blasphemy ! We all en- 
 
 H.'2 
 
>*<** 193 
 
 tleavored to pacify him, but all in vain ! I 
 then left the company, and took up my lodg- 
 ing in the crutch of a tree at a small distance 
 from them, lest his presumptuous blasphemies 
 might draw down vengeance ! As the water 
 under this tree was ancle deep, it might ap- 
 pear almost impossible for a person to slumber 
 here, yet I really did, owing to being so depriv- 
 ed of rest on the night before ; but a sudden 
 shock of thunder and lightning, striking close 
 by, awaked me perfectly, and so affrighted 
 me, being sudden and unexpected, that 1 fell 
 on the ground ! In the same thunder- bolt, a 
 splinter from an adjacent tree struck Lewis 
 in the arm and broke it ; having some medi- 
 cines by me, I bound up his arm as well as 
 I could. The rain continued to fall, and 
 having no prospect of bettering our condition, 
 we with one consent resolved the next morn- 
 ing on crossing the creek, be the event what 
 it would. 
 
 Accordingly we set out, and came to the 
 creek, and being very much surprised at the 
 height of the water, we requested the post- 
 rider to enter first ; which he was obliged 
 Immediately to agree to ; and accordingly he 
 entered on the dubious and melancholy task ! 
 We followed him about a quarter of a mile, 
 until we arrived at the bank on the other 
 side of the overflowing waters. When we 
 were on this bank, we held a council on our 
 horses ; the horses were weary and up to their 
 necks in waier on the bank, for the freshe* 
 
19$ 
 
 Was over the bank. Our leader told us that 
 ti e was a log just below us, which was the 
 p vcr the creek. We had an idea of 
 
 s i .'Timing 1 our horses across the creek, but 
 ti. stream set down so strong and with such 
 a mighty current, that we were doubtful oF 
 the consequences ; our horses were full weary 
 of swimming, for we hud now swam them' 
 nearly one hundred rods already, and th& 
 strength of the poor creatures appeared to 
 be nearly exhausted ; we were, therefore, 
 afraid t > venture ourselves on their backs 
 across this rapid and furious stream. The 
 post- rider, who had been in the path before, 
 was now nearly as much at a stand to tell 
 wh it to do as ourselves ; but eventually we 
 all concluded that our horses were too weak 
 ever to swim back with us, and too weak to 
 carry us over the stream. Nothing now re- 
 mained, but that we get off of our horses, take 
 off our saddles and portmanteaus, and send 
 the horses over the stream without us, whilst 
 we would endeavor to find the log or string- 
 piece crossing below. We now dismounted, 
 and standing up to our breasts in water, we 
 took off the loud from the horses, and let them 
 go over at the fording-place. Whilst we held 
 .council on our horses the post-rider, our 
 g de, observed, that by the looks of the 
 r. T below, (die trees being his way mark), 
 the log appeared to be overflown, yet said 
 t :. i he thought it. safer to try to pass the log, 
 tuan by swimming ..the- horses.;, accordingly^ 
 
200 
 
 we proceeded down the bank, with our guide 
 before us*; in search of the log". As we drew 
 near, the post- rider supposed that the log 
 was overflown five or six feet, but on exam- 
 ination we found u but three feet under water ; 
 the current setting down vehemently, his heart 
 failed him, and he petitioned to the company 
 to take the lead, saying, that there was no 
 gfeat danger, as the log was fastened, being 
 well fixed between two trees at each end, and 
 that it was about two feet wide : however, all 
 hearts failed them, and we were obliged to 
 draw lots to make a captain for the accom- 
 plishment of the dangerous enterprise ! On 
 easting lots it fell on me to go forward, and 
 seeing nothing in my opinion but a great pro- 
 bability of death before me, I cut me a staff, 
 and turning myself round to my companions^ 
 said to them one and all, these rolling and 
 majestic floods appear to threaten us with im- 
 mediate death ! and call us to prepare our- 
 selves for the awful event ! we are here, far 
 distant from any possible assistance from the 
 arm of flesh, and as the waters will probably 
 be rising after the rains, we must now im- 
 mediately (if ever) make our escape ; it is a 
 serious time, and we have all need to call on 
 the God of all grace, and implore his assist- 
 ance to help us to perform the dangerous 
 and melancholy task ! Eternity appeared to 
 us all (I believe) in a serious point of light ! 
 The desponding travellers turned their des- 
 ponding eyes one upon another ] in their looks 
 
201 
 
 I saw the important question, what shall we 
 do ? who shall save us ? We were all stand- 
 ing 1 up to our arms in water, with our saddles, 
 portmanteaus and bridles on our backs ; it 
 was not more than four rods across the creek, 
 which was now risen to a river and Covered 
 the whole ground and meadows about th^e 
 Feet deep, one hundred and fifty yards beyond 
 it. I tojd him that we must either cross over 
 or perish, and we could not but perish in 
 passing over, therefore we must try. I then 
 with my small staff stepped upon the end of the 
 log ; the possibility of crossing to the other side 
 appeared extremely doubtful, and we were 
 all of us. almost in despair. I now saw the 
 necessity of trying to pray to that God, who I 
 believed was able to save ; and stepping upori 
 the end of the log, begun to exhort my com* 
 panions, in feeling and moving lines to prepare 
 for death ! after which, I made my petition to 
 heaven in the following manner : 
 
 " O thou great and glorious God ! thou art 
 all wise, powerful and merciful, and thou :\rt 
 infinite in all thy perfections ! thou art that 
 God, who art merciful arid full of goodness ; 
 we are in a lamentable and distressed situation ! 
 eternity is before us I and we know not what 
 to do ! it appears that in a short time, we 
 must all give an account before the awful 
 seat of judgment, for the deeds done in the 
 body ! and what shall we say to thc^e, O thou 
 preserver of men ! Thou hast made u^ u,d 
 not we ourselves, we are the creatures of thy 
 
202 
 
 power, and our situation and distress forces 
 us to call aloud to thee for thine assistance ; 
 we are shut up, and the arm of flesh cannot 
 save us ; to go backwards we cannot, and to 
 go forward we dare not, as it seems immediate 
 death ! surely, unless a miracle of thy power 
 prevent, we shall all be swept away into a 
 dismal, watery grave ! but if it can be consist- 
 ent with the dispensations of thy grace to grant 
 us the assistance of thy gracious providence, 
 to prolong our lives and save us from the 
 impending destruction which threatens us ! 
 we hope to spend them in thy fear: but, if 
 otherwise thou hast determined, may we all 
 receive that grace to prepare us for death, 
 which will be necessary to prepare us for thy 
 peaceable and everlasting kingdom ! 
 
 It would be impossible here to describe the 
 dismal situation which we were in ! Indeed 
 I have given but a faint shadow, and words 
 cannot express the affecting and terrific scene 
 which now passed before us. The short pe- 
 tition now published, is but a very short and 
 concise piece, when compared to the great 
 reality : it was the greatest trial, and I saw 
 the eternal world nearer to me, than ever I 
 did either before or since that time ; for des- 
 truction appeared almost inevitable ! just as 
 I ended my prayer, I looked up and saw my 
 horse struggling and floating down over the 
 log. I then immediately threw away my 
 saddle into the water ; this I called a provi- 
 dence in my favor, as I was relieved of a 
 
203 
 
 great part of my burden, for I valued my 
 horse as nothing in comparison of my own 
 life. With my staff' in my hand to feel out 
 the way, I now set myself out and crossed the 
 log, and all the company followed, but Lewis ; 
 his guilty conscience probably kept him back. 
 We all got over safe, calling out to Lewis to 
 cross over after us : he being very much in- 
 timidated, would not venture, but offered me 
 his horse and all his property, which amounted 
 to about three hundred dollars, if I would 
 go to him, and help him over. Not for his 
 property, but out of the bowels of pity, I was 
 moved to assist him. This Lewis was not 
 die person of that name with whom I was 
 in trade. I canot help remarking the coward- 
 ice of this man in the time of apparent death ! 
 He was the man that a short time before 
 could blaspheme (with high courage), not only 
 the winds, rains, thunders and lightnings, and 
 him that sent them ; but must undertake to 
 d n me, for having checked him in the time 
 of his presumptive blasphemies. He was so 
 audaciously presumptive that I was afraid that 
 the next shock of thunder would strike us 
 dead and send us into the eternal world all 
 together ! This occasioned my retreat from 
 my company to a distant tree, where, as I 
 said, finding the water ancle deep, I climbed 
 the tree, and sitting in the lower branch of 
 the tree, I there was obliged to hear the 
 thoughtless language of an almost infernal 
 and inhuman tongue, until a sudden stroke 
 
204 
 
 of lightning shattered a distant tree, and broke 
 the arm of the wretched victim ! 
 
 I was at this time called upon to bind up 
 his wound, which I was inconveniently able to 
 perform, as we had no shelter from the rain. 
 Having been in battles in Europe, and seeing 
 the modes in which the physician proceeded 
 xvith broken limbs and mangled flesh, and 
 having medicines by me, which I always car- 
 ried, 1 was able to make a tolerable good 
 shift in this business. Lewis was now be- 
 holden and obliged to the very man, on whom 
 he had just before been casting the most blas- 
 phemous expressions. During all this time, 
 his heart appeared big and highly exalted with 
 courage ; he never would concede to make 
 any acknowledgement of his crime in this 
 audacious and blasphemous action ; but, wretch- 
 ed man ! although he appeared to excel in 
 courage, and a spirit of valour, even against 
 heaven itself, in these his blasphemies ; yet, 
 see now his cowardice, when death in reality 
 opens the door of entrance, and seems steadily 
 to look him in the face ! O Lewis ! thou pit- 
 iful, sorrowful son of wretchedness and wo ! 
 Where has now thy courage fled ? Hast thou 
 been all along too strong for omnipotence and 
 so ignorant that thou hast but lately thought 
 that God the great, the almighty, was greater, 
 more powerful, and more wise than thyself? 
 Cunst thou now tread on the threshold of hea- 
 ven, and defy omnipotence itself? Surely 
 whilst the thunders and lightning rolled through 
 
205 
 
 the heavens, thy presumptuous heart presum- 
 ed to lift itself up ! But where art thau now? 
 Surely, said my soul, according to the poet, of 
 the natural man, 
 
 Man Is but vanity and dust. 
 In all his flower and prime ! 
 
 How often have I remarked, the most wick- 
 ed and presumptuous sinners, when they are 
 brought into dangers and approaching death, 
 are greatest cowards ; and they then begin to 
 cry out. Wo is me, I am undone ! Where- 
 as those who are afraid to sin and tempt 
 the God of omnipotent power with oaths and 
 blasphemies, are a people of a different kind ; 
 and when death approaches near them, they 
 have courage to make their prayer to the al- 
 mighty God, and find themselves often saved 
 from impending destruction ! How often do 
 I hear men make use of the name of God in 
 an uncouth and unmeaning manner, as though 
 they were such people of courage that they 
 feared the face of none that live, but when 
 brought down by sickness, are the greatest 
 cowards on the earth. This is like the case 
 of poor Lewis* O thou wicked and blasphe- 
 mous sinner, who art so hardened that thou 
 thinkest thou fearst not God above or men 
 below, remember, that those who appear to be 
 the greatest men of courage here, in fighting 
 and oaths, blasphemies, and every degree of 
 wickedness, will be soon *cutid to turn the 
 greatest cowards, and the poorest v/retches 
 
206 
 
 that are to be found on the face of the earth ! 
 as miserable and as wretched as this man was. 
 By his entreaties and fervent petitions I was 
 prevailed on to go over and assist hirn in 
 crossing the dangerous pass, and accordingly 
 went over to him, and bade him to take hold 
 of my coat, which he did ; I turned myself 
 and went back ; we went on very well until 
 we were half way over, when it seemed to me 
 as a just and an awful providence would have 
 it, he slipped with one of his feet, and doubt- 
 less the affright given to the poor wretch by 
 the danger, occasioned an inattention to the 
 hold which he had on the skirt of my garment ; 
 he let it go and was instantly swept off and 
 sunk out of our sight ; his clothes were wet 
 and heavy, and they immediately carried him 
 to the bottom. 
 
 During this sad catastrophe, the other four 
 companions stood looking on us with longing 
 expectation ; myself only came back safe ; 
 and here, notwithstanding all our efforts in 
 favor of the salvation of the poor man, we were 
 obliged to say, in the lines of the Poet, 
 
 Great God ! how wondrous are thy works, 
 
 Thy ways how justly wisp ; 
 When man blasphemes thee to thy face, 
 
 How terribly -lie dies ! 
 
 So they who did thy Inws despise, 
 
 To tempt thee to thy i'ace ; 
 How quick the) sirik away and die, 
 
 1) > -it! of heavenly grace. 
 
 At some unseen and awful day ! 
 
 Witt. i sinners rest secure ; 
 Thy wrath, lik< haff - \. eeps them aw 
 
 Nor wi'l it lo.^ endure ! 
 
207 
 
 Death like an overflowing stream, 
 
 Sweeps us away : our life's a 'Iream ; 
 An empty tale ; a morning: flower ; 
 
 Cut down and withered in an hour. 
 
 Teach us, O Lord, how frail is man, 
 
 And kindly.Jcngthen out our span ; 
 Till :i wise care of piety, 
 
 Fit us to die and dwell with thee. 
 
 Thus, we saw his end. I have often thought 
 of the meaning of that threatening in Deutero- 
 nomy to the wicked Israelites, given in the 
 song of Moses in the 32nd chapter of this 
 book, " their foot shall slide in due time ;" 
 and again, of that more fearful saying in the 
 scriptures, of the presumptuous wicked, that 
 their " sun shall go down at noon;" seeing 
 him so unlit to die, I was moved with pity to 
 try to assist him, which was the occasion of 
 my going back after him. I ought to men- 
 tion, that after I had made my petition to 
 heaven for relief, I lost almost all my dread 
 and fear of the impending dangers. I thought 
 that 1 felt all my sins forgiven, and a firm 
 trust in the God of providence, and I went 
 back after Lewis, without much fear or intim- 
 idation ; and taking his baggage on my shoul- 
 ders, and directing him to take hold of die 
 skirts of my coat, I returned ; and coming 
 back again, when we were about middle way, 
 he slipped his feet, and as he slipped, I sup- 
 pose through surprise, let go of my coat, as 
 I before observed, and the stream carried him 
 off; he immediately was seen no more, I 
 arriving safe, went with my companions, v, r a- 
 ' ding near to the middie in water, until we ar- 
 
208 
 
 rived on high ground. We took care of our 
 horses. I had Lewis's instead of my own. 
 We endeavored to get fire by rubbing of 
 wood together ; this endeavor proved fruitless, 
 the wood being wet, I then* took a vial of 
 phosphorus out of my portmanteau, with which 
 I soon created a fire ; and finding some old 
 wood, we were able in a short time to dry 
 some of our clothes : then, with the consent 
 of the company ; I took Lewis's horse and 
 property as mine, which he freely offered me 
 before his death for my assistance in trying to 
 help him over the water. We now proceeded 
 on our journey about twelve miles, and came 
 to an Indian house, where we took refreshment 
 after the .Indian manner ; from thence we pro- 
 ceeded on our journey for about two days, 
 when my horse gave out ; and my companions 
 were obliged to leave me at the house of one 
 Cully, an Indian king. Here I remained eight 
 clays, until my horse got well ; then I furnished 
 myself with a fresh supply of provisions, and 
 set off on my journey. 
 
 This was the 23rd day since my departure 
 from Pensacola. I fed my horse and dried 
 my provisions in the sun this afternoon ; here 
 I was attacked by a company of six Indians : 
 they approached and examined my saddle and 
 bridle, and smelling my bread and meat, they 
 each of them took a share of it by force : 
 upon this, I ran down a hill and made a loud 
 call, as though I was calling several companies 
 to my assistance, which the Indians hearing, 
 
209 
 
 fled and left their bootv ; then I proceeded 
 and travelled on until night, when I rested 
 and encamped under a tree very discontented. 
 I was in a wilderness at a great distance from 
 am habitation. In the morning when I awoke, 
 I looked for my horse, but could neither 
 see nor hear any thing of him : I then took 
 rm portmanteaus on my shoulder, for fear of 
 a second accident, and walked round my place 
 of encampment for some time, hunting: for 
 my horse, but could see nothing of him. 
 I returned with a heavy heart, because I was 
 up wards of two hundred miles- from any white 
 inhabitants ; and my provisions on my return 
 I found were all gone. I had now neither 
 horse to ride, or provisions to subsist on. I 
 now sat down on my saddle to meditate on 
 what was best to be done in this disconsolate 
 situation, and finally concluded to take the 
 best of my clothes and my money, and make 
 the best of my way to Georgia ; and proceeded 
 forward about a quarter of a mile, when I heard 
 a loud call behind me. I looked back and 
 saw an Indian boy, I concluded about sixteen, 
 years of age. 1 waited until he came up to 
 me : he asked me where my horse wa^ : I 
 answered in broken indian language that 1 did 
 not know, but I expected that he was sto- 
 len ; he then said, that if I would give him 
 five dollars he would bring him to me I 
 offered him one dollar, but that would not 
 answer. I was then forced to give him his 
 demand, and in about twenty minutes Iw 
 s 2 
 
210 
 
 brought him to me. I was struck with rage 
 and indignation 'at the perfidv of this you g 
 savage, but reflecting that there might be oth- 
 ers Concerned in the business much more crafty 
 aid perfidious than himself, I forbore to fake 
 ven^ ance. I took my horse, and proceeded 
 on ;ny journey seven days successively, and 
 without meeting vvirh any material difficulty, 
 until I came to the Oakamudge river, which 
 is the dividing line between the Indian nation : 
 here I found myself in a dilemma ; I rode up 
 aiK 1 down for five or six miles, but found no 
 place to cross. Being determined once more 
 to ger amongst the white inhabitants, I drove 
 in\' horse into the water to ford the river by 
 sttitfiming, and my horse stumbling over 
 rocks threw me over his head, but having hold 
 of the bridle, I made my way over the river, 
 a dangerous place to pass ; my clothes being 
 wet, I dried them in the sun on the other 
 side ; as 1 was mounting my horse, I espied 
 a very large rattle snake, about four feet in 
 length : I endeavored to make my escape from 
 it, but unfortunately it struck the foot of my 
 horse : nevertheless, I went on my journey 
 some time before my horse fell. I went for- 
 ward to a house and called to a man to view 
 my unfortunate loss, and to get some advice 
 concerning the possibility of his. being cured ; 
 but when we returned to him we found him 
 dead. 
 
 I hired a horse to carry me to Augusta, at 
 place 1 arrived on the 2 5th day of June., 
 
211 
 
 A. D. 1808. . Here I rested myself several 
 days, and after all my losses, trials, and diffi- 
 culties, I had still a handsome property left. 
 When my acquaintance here found out my 
 circumstances, many of them solicited me to 
 join with them in some business ; this I de- 
 clined, preferring to place my property in land 
 interest. I had seen so much uncertainty in 
 trading, and other business of a speculating 
 kind, (although I had lately been fortunate), 
 that it seemed a surer way to save my money 
 by lnying it out in some substantial property. 
 I accordingly purchased sixteen hundred and 
 twenty acres of wild, uncultivated land. There 
 is eight lots of this land, 202 1-2 acres in each 
 lot, which is of good soil, and will probably 
 in a short time sell for a very advanced price ; 
 this land was purchased by the state ol Geor- 
 gia of the Creek nation, in A. D. 1806, and 
 given by lottery to the several inhabitants of 
 whom I purchased my rights. 1 bought one 
 of these lots within about four miles of Mil- 
 legeville, the seat of government, in the same 
 purchase. I esteem this lot as the most valu- 
 able. In about three weeks after rny entrance 
 here, I came on to Philadelphia, in Pennsyl- 
 vania, and here I enquired for the price of lands 
 in those parts where 1 had purchased ; finding 
 that the Embargo had made impressions on ail 
 kinds of speculations and commerce, I thought 
 it ^vas best to keep the land until it could be 
 more advantageously sold ; indeed, I wanted 
 my interest to be put into a more stable 
 
than wild and uncertain speculations ; but still 
 I did not wish to have it all lay in property, 
 that I could make no immediate use of; and 
 seeing but a few new tenements erected on 
 these lots, and having paid a large sum of 
 money away for them. I was willing to own. 
 not quite so much property of this kind, and 
 wait so long for the use of it, and therefore 
 concluded, (upon second thought), I would 
 sell the whole of the lots for as good advance 
 as possible, and then embark for my native 
 country in Germany ; but not being able to 
 get a price to mv mind, I concluded to let it lie 
 as it was, assured that in a few years it must 
 be a very valuable and independent property. 
 1 felt myself willing to go on in my former in- 
 dustrious mode of procedure, and try to collect 
 together a sufficiency for a comfortable sub- 
 sistence until times altered ; this was a new 
 and an unexpected idea, but it was such as I 
 was obliged to concede to, it being the only 
 alternative ; it appeared like forced work, but 
 it was not, as I could not make convenient 
 sale of the land, and I was unwilling to sell it 
 under its real value. 
 
 I had nothing of great consequence now to 
 do. and undertook reluctantly my dissipating 
 trade of exhibitions for a short time. Likt to 
 a fish out of water, so I was out of my element, 
 and soon removed to Trenton in New-Jersey, 
 where I expected better employ, but fou'id 
 ni >e, and was obliged to exhibit again In 
 a icw days 1 caikd for my bill, when 1 ibuiid 
 
213 
 
 that my out go was more than my income and 
 far exceeded my profits. From this time, I 
 firmly resolved never more to perform any of 
 the slight- of -hand exhibitions, and freely gave 
 up all my instruments and accoutrements to 
 my partner. With indignation and contempt 
 I left and despised the whole business ; I saw 
 that it was all nothing but a perfect imposition 
 on the public ; I therefore determined to seek 
 my fortune by the same industry by which I 
 had acquired the most respectable living in the 
 world, and according to uiis resolution I went 
 into Easton, in the state of Pennsylvania, at 
 which place I arrived on the 6th day of Sep- 
 tember, 1809 ; in this place I remained about 
 four months, and from thence I went toBlooms- 
 bury, a small village in New-Jersey, where I 
 remained but a short time, and then remoVed 
 
 lo Asburv, in the same county, where I now 
 
 * i * ' 
 
 reside. 
 
 In my journey to Philadelphia, I passed 
 through Lancaster, an important town in the 
 state of Pennsylvania : this town stands on 
 Conestogo Creek, about sixty- six miles north- 
 west from Philadelphia, and is said to be the 
 largest inland town in America. It contains a 
 handsome fcourt- house, a number of churches, 
 about one thousand houses, and five or six 
 thousand inhabitants. It has a college by the 
 name of the Franklin College. It is the seat 
 of government for the State, The buildings 
 are large and elegant, and chiefly buik of stone : 
 the State-house stands in the middle of the 
 
214 
 
 town, facing four of the principal streets. The 
 language spoken here is chiefly German. I 
 left this place in a few days and proceeded to 
 Philadelphia, as the reader will recollect. This 
 city is the fairest and the most regular built 
 of any which I have seen in North- America. It 
 lies in latitude 39 degrees nearly North, and 
 stands on the West bank of the Delaware, on 
 a level situation about one hundred and eighty 
 miles from the sea. It is a regular city , all the 
 streets crossing each other in right angles. Its 
 public religious buildings are, five churches 
 for Quakers, six for Presbyterian, three for 
 Episcopalians, two for German Lutherans, 
 some for Baptist and Methodist, and for al- 
 most every other religious denomination of 
 Christians ; and they appear to be very kind in 
 tolerating and giving liberty to all Christian 
 denominations. Its other public buildings 
 are a state -house and offices, a city co ore- house, 
 a carpenter's hall, a hall for the pbifosqphica 
 society, and dispensary, a hospital and offices, 
 an almshouse, a house of correction, a public 
 linen and cotton factory, a public observa- 
 tory, three brick market-houses, and two pub- 
 lic goals, one of them having been lately built; 
 besides a college and academies. There are 
 near eight thousand dwelling- houses and se- 
 venty or eighty thousand inhabitants of almost 
 all the different nations on earth ; I have seen 
 ever, some Algerines and Chinese in this city. 
 Phiiade!v:-,h vj laid out from the Delaware to 
 Schuyikii), about two miles in width, and is set- 
 
215 
 
 tkd about one mile in width and between 
 three and four miles in length. This city was 
 laid out by the famous William Penn, in the 
 year 1690, and is the second city in the 
 United States for commerce. The streets are 
 wide and elegant ; some of their walks on 
 the sides are most elegantly paved with tiles 
 and brick : it is also conveniently watered by 
 pipes leading from Schuylkill, which leads 
 the water into every story of the houses 
 thoughout the city. This is done by a wa- 
 ter machine which stands in the centre of the 
 city, which conveys the \?aterwith surprising 
 ease and facility to every part of the city, even 
 to the third story of their dwelling-houses. 
 The state of Pennsylvania is situated between 
 39 deg. and 48 min. and 42 deg. of North la- 
 titude, and between 74 and 8 1 deg. of West 
 longitude. It is about 280 miles long and 
 one hundred and sixty broad. It is bounded 
 on the North by the 42nd degree of North la- 
 titude, East by the Delaware river, south by 
 a line drawn parallel with the 43rd minute of 
 the 39th deg. of North latitude, and West by 
 Virginia, the Connecticut lands, and the Wes- 
 tern Territory, It is divided into twenty five 
 counties. There are six large rivers in this 
 state, and nearly one third of it is mountainous, 
 but a large portion of the soil is very good 
 and many of the mountains admit of cultiva- 
 tion almost to the top. Wheat is the staple 
 commodity of the state, which is raised in 
 great plenty. The government has given no 
 
216 
 
 preference to any religious society, but the 
 Quakers are the most numerous ; Presby- 
 terians are the next class in numbers ; the 
 Lutherans are the third ; and after them there 
 are various denominations, among which are 
 the Moravian. The commerce of this state 
 is very flourishing and extensive. The centre 
 of trade is Philadelphia. They have some of the 
 most excellent laws for the encouragement of 
 the poor and industrious, even in many of their 
 public gaols there is employment with reason- 
 able wages given to prisoners ; many of them, 
 therefore, are encouraged to labour, and soon 
 pay off their debts, and sometimes bring small 
 sums with them out of the gaol ; some of these 
 gaols appear like large factories, where almost 
 every mechanical branch is carried on : these 
 establishments are said to be owing to the in- 
 fluence of the Quakers, who love industry and 
 wish every man to pay his honest debts. There 
 are but few crimes punished with death by 
 the laws of this state ; murder, an on, and a 
 few others are ; but hard labor for a term, or 
 for life, is the punishment for most of the 
 crimes which in other states are punished with 
 death. 
 
 Trenton, in New- Jersey, lies about eighteen 
 miles north-east from Philadelphia. It is the 
 seat of government, and the principal town in 
 the state, and contains between three and four 
 hundred houses ; it is very pleasant, and hand- 
 somely built, and has a considerable inland 
 trade. It has one handsome main street, one 
 or two back streets, one cross street, and several 
 
217 
 
 allies, and many of the dwelling-houses are ve- 
 ry regularly and elegantly built. The inhabi- 
 tants in general are industrious, humane, and 
 enterprising ; they have a state-house, market- 
 house, and houses for public worship. Here 
 I labored at my trade about three weeks with 
 Mr. John Morris ; from thence I went to Eas- 
 ton, from Easton to Bloomsbury, and from 
 there to Asbury, a pleasant village in the same 
 county, which is now my present place of re- 
 sidence. 
 
 I came here on the 26th day of February, 
 IS 10. k I feel myself happy that I live in a 
 country where every man enjoys his liberty 
 and is protected in the full enjoyment of his 
 property. I hare seen several nations, of dif- 
 ferent manners and descriptions, both in the 
 line of agriculture and of commerce, and have 
 had the advantage of learning from them va- 
 rious modes and manners. I have often look- 
 ed back on the course of my former life, even 
 from childhood to the present time ; and the 
 things most worthy of my remark are, that I 
 have experienced so many different scenes, 
 from unexpected quarters, and where I had 
 the least reasons to look for them. In the first 
 place, that so early in life I should take my 
 lot in the changing and uncertain fortunes of 
 a travelling life, when I left my father, and es- 
 pecially my sister in Strasburg. 2nd. That 
 when I travelled over the mountains, rocks and 
 ditches, and was lost in the night in the deserts 
 of Switzerland, that I should then think of cal- 
 
218 
 
 iing on the God of my youth for succour, and 
 find such immediate deliverance. 3rd, That 
 when I should have otherwise been condemn - 
 ed, that the person in Paris should come for- 
 ward in court, and confess that I was perfectly 
 innocent of the charge ; and that when I was 
 about to deprive myself of life, that such 
 a peculiar providence should send the old wo- 
 man out to prevent me in the manner in which 
 she did. 4th. That when I was in prison in 
 Hanover the circumstance of the writing being 
 found in the pocket of the man who commit- 
 ted the suicide, thereby clearing me from be- 
 ing beheaded, according to the laws of that 
 country. 5th. My wonderful escape from the 
 field of battle in St. Domingo. 6th. My de- 
 liverance from ship- wreck in an island in the 
 East- Indies. 7th. My imprisonment in Mex- 
 ico, and my very singular and remarkable de- 
 liverance. 8th. My singular fortune, and es- 
 cape in getting through, when my horse was 
 left in the miry swamp. 9th. My singular and 
 wonderful deliverance from British imprison- 
 ment, when taken in the bay of Mobile. 10th. 
 My wonderful deliverance in crossing the 
 creek, as lately related, in the Creek nation. 
 
 The ten things now mentioned are very pe- 
 culiar and important, and are of very singular 
 import : they must mean that the providence 
 of God, the universal Governor of the world, 
 has had a peculiar care and guard over my 
 life. But his goodness and tender mercies are 
 over all the works of his hands, and although 
 
219 
 
 many think that things are governed by chance, 
 accident, and what is called fortune, yet when 
 I consider the singular providences which have 
 paved the way to my deliverance from suffer- 
 ings, imprisonment, and death, it has often 
 caused me to draw up a more rational conclu- 
 sion, and forced me to acknowledge an all- wise, 
 merciful, and Supreme Being, who both im- 
 partially regards and governs the actions of 
 men. The reader will see a few of my thoughts- 
 oil this subject in the following pathetic lines : 
 
 The earth was not from nature brought, 
 
 Nor sprang from dark abyss ; 
 But by the power which every hour 
 
 Declares the work is His. 
 
 He governs all, both great and small, 
 
 He calls the stars by name ; 
 Just so he views the smallest dews 
 
 Which power and mercy frame. 
 When Prelates frown and press us down, 
 
 And death appears in view ! 
 We often fear his dreadful power, 
 
 Forget his mercies too. 
 
 When I through fields of blood did wield 
 
 The bright and glittering sword, 
 His power did save fvom dismal grave 
 
 By an almighty word. 
 When storms affright in gloomy night, 
 
 And lightnings blaze around, 
 W T hen India's shore with thunders roar, 
 
 And all our thoughts confound ; 
 To see that power in peril's hour, 
 
 Our threat ned lives secure, 
 Whilst others sink beneath the brink, 
 
 And fall to rise no more. 
 
 See honors flow and riches grow, 
 
 As tho' 'twould ne'er be night ; 
 In Spaaish climes where joyful times 
 
 W^ere like the morning bright. 
 See darkest shades of death pervade, 
 
 And spoil the happy birth ; 
 The hand that gave prepares the grave, 
 
 And sinks it to the earth. 
 
220 
 
 la dismal deep we solemn weep 
 
 To him who .'ive us l"eath ; 
 He hears our cry, forbids to die. 
 
 And frees from threat'ning death. 
 lie bids us learn his bowels yearn 
 
 To toftch us all his ways ; 
 lie sets us free, that we may sec 
 
 His chief peculiar grace. 
 AY hen in the savage desert lost, 
 
 Nor friendly arm to s:ve ; , 
 .Almighty power, in solemn hour, 
 
 Restor'd me from the grave. . 
 
 'When o'er the seas with gentle breeze 
 
 We pleasantly did sail, 
 Onr ship we lo^t all on the coast, 
 
 But coon our joys prevail. 
 When o'er the flood on hanks we stood, 
 
 Nor help nor friends were nigh ; 
 Deep call'd to deep, and we did weep, 
 
 And pvajM to the Most High. 
 This arm of might in darkest night, 
 
 \Vhen dangers flow'd around ; 
 Rid see the tear of humble prayer. 
 
 And "made bis grace abound. 
 
An explanation of the abstruse parts of the pre- 
 ceding narrative, the subject of which has 
 for ages past kept the nations of Europe in 
 
 enthusiastic darkness, even to the present 
 day, and which were performed in the man- 
 ner following : 
 
 Of the raised Ghost. I first prepared three rooms, and then 
 lined them with hlack cloth or tapestry throughout, even the floors : 
 the walls are covered with the skeletons of dead people ; there are 
 likewise pictures of ghosts and deA'ils hanging round the rooms : in 
 the third room stands a large electrical machine and an altar cover- 
 ed with black cloth, with a dead scull, a large book, and two burn- 
 ing cand es standing on the same : before the altar stands an insula- 
 ted platform, whereon the spectators stand : these rooms are in a do 
 as frightful as possible with the black cloths, skeletons, and dark 
 glooms of the night : the spectators are surprised at the entrance of 
 the first room ; this is increased on entering into the second : the 
 gloomy appearance of the secoiid room, the sable covering, and tht 
 frightful appearance of the skeletons, are viewed by the light o*' a 
 small glimmering- candle placed there to light the frighted spectators. 
 through into the third room : on e?itering this room, they pull ofi. 
 iheir shoes : entering the door, their surprize increases by receiving 
 a shock. Stepping forward with earnest expectation, the spectator- 
 places himself on the platform before mentioned ; here he immedi- 
 ately finds himself in a free perspiration by means of the electrical 
 machine ; when he casts around his eyes on his company,"he bJioldi 
 their countenances pale and changed, like the countenance of death . 
 this alteration of countenance proceeds from the burning of a lamp 
 prepared for the purpose : the t\vo candles are still burning or. ih-; 
 altar : they now see flashes of lightning and hear the roaring of tlmn 
 der, followed by a sound, of a storm oi wind, \vith a shower of rain : 
 after this, with a heavy crock of thunder, the candles cease to bcirn, 
 going out of themselves. !Nfow the spectators arc all in total dark- 
 ness : then 1 command the spirit to come forward : with a heavy 
 sound of rattling chains and a groaning noist- UK- spirit makes his ap- 
 pearance before the spectators : he appears wh'Ue, or of a fiery CMS!", 
 and the flames emitted from him afford the spectator* sxifficient ii^ht 
 fco view him in perfect sha]>e : I sp:>xk to him and receive f-ora him 
 nns\vrs i'i a solemn and rcguUir n;-;>i :.<.! : he Hisappears t -nv com- 
 mand., and the candles light up of ihemscWeSj ju.d tlio wLoife rooiii w 
 T 2 
 
filled with flaming fire, a fire which is not in the least degree injuri- 
 ous to the company, i. e. the whole air in the room is on fire ; after 
 which the company is dismissed. 
 
 The whole of this work is done in the following manner : first I 
 procured me a magic lantern, on the glass of which I painted the 
 image of the spirit that I wished to raise, and placed it in front of 
 ihe magnifying glasses which are in the lantern ; then I procured a 
 oox four feet high, four feet long, and two feet wide ; on the top of 
 Ihe hox, in the middle or centre, I cut a hole of six inches in length 
 and one inch in width ; exactly under this small hole I placed a small 
 Ian filled with coals ; in this pan I put a smoking powder which im- 
 ;viC(ii:tely ascended with a heavy, rolling smoke : there is a second 
 hole cut through the box on the" top, about one foot square : I put 
 the magic lantern in the middle of the box ; on the lowest side, op- 
 posite this lantern, I placed a looking-glass in slanting form, with the 
 top leaning against the backside of the box. This glass casts I)K* 
 reflection of the image up through the large hole into the midst of 
 the pillars of smoke, its appeai-ance in full size and exact form of a 
 man, and in just such dress as I please to paint out on the glass. AH 
 these works are shut up from the view of the spectators. 
 
 Tlfis was the wav in which I raised the spirit in Mexico, for which, 
 and a few other things, I suffered my imprisonment in that super- 
 stitious city. 
 
 But to proceed to mention how I conversed with this spirit. I 
 -hfrvl a friend standing in an adjacent room, by a hole cut through the 
 partition, who by a long tube fixed at the place where the mouth of 
 the spirit appears and peaching into the room back, speaks the words 
 which by the spectators are supposed to be spoken by the spirit : 
 their coming out of the end of the tube drives the smoke a little a- 
 part, and makes an appearance like the moving of the lips of a per- 
 son when he speaks : this has a very natural appearance ; but per- 
 haps a spirit, if there be any, can speak without motion. 
 
 The rolling and sound of thunder was made by the roiling of small 
 cannon-balls over the floor above their heads, which was performed 
 by two friends placed there for that purpose. 
 
 The lightning round the room, preceding this thunder, and run- 
 ning in si Ci-ankiing form, was done by mixing fine pounded powder 
 with spirits of v ine, and rubbing it on strings which were hnngroui.d 
 the room in a crar.kiing form, am! at, proper times touched with the 
 snuff of the burning candle, suddenly creates the flash ; the room 
 being dark with black tapestry, and the thread and powder black, 
 the deception is not in the least perceived : the flashes of lightning 
 are created by pounding of rosin to a powder, and tilling up a tube, 
 leaving room in the middle to let through the breath, which when 
 blown through drives out the dust into the blaze of the candle and 
 flashes extremely : this candle, though concealed, prevents not the 
 flashes from casting their beams and flying particles through the 
 room . 
 
 The wind is the next thing that comes under consideration. This 
 Seeming wind is created by the person who stands in the room next 
 to the room where I stand myself, by his rubbing with brushes the 
 paper or tapertrv on- the wall, whilst another man or myself shake 
 or rattle the window which is near to the place where I stand myself. 
 The reader *iil recollect tuat in this affair we are all in 
 
223 
 
 darkness, and are ignorant of the operations ; but it' it is well done it 
 appears exactly and perfectly like a storm of wind. 
 
 The shower of rain was artificially made in this form, i.e. I had 
 prepared a cylinder, the outside of which was not more than one- 
 eighth of an mch thick ; inside I placed small ribs at a little distance 
 from each other : in this cylinder I put about three pounds of fine 
 shot, when I placed it on posts in the manner of a grindstone, with a 
 crank to turn bv ; Avhen ready for the shower of rain, this cylinder 
 being placed in "an adjacent room was turned round very swiftly, and 
 the shot falling continually down on and between the ribs of the cy- 
 linder made a sound as of abundance of rain : these things are in 
 themselves simple and not calculated to deceive sensible people; 
 but still when we consider the near relation w liich they have to re- 
 ality in the sounds, the continual agitation the spectators were under, 
 the darkness of the room, and the mind filled with sudden admira- 
 tion at tbe quick succession of extraordinary events following each 
 other, without giving them time for reflection, no wonder that they 
 were filled with astonishment and surprise, and especially as they 
 had no idea of my having any assis nuts in the exhibition of the scene. 
 In addition to these things 1 might have mentioned the sudden going 
 out and lighting up of the candles ot themselves at the departure of 
 rhe spirit. This circumstance being small, has been omitted, yet for 
 the information of the curious I briefly mention that it is commonly 
 supposed by people who believe in spirits, that when a spirit appears 
 where there is a burning light they alwajs put out the light ;' the 
 light on the appearance of this spirit went immediately out: when 
 he had liberty to depart, I ordered him, as he was about to leave u., 
 to light up the candles, ; t !.d immediately there appeared a red spot: 
 of fire on the top of the snuff of the candles, and directly it increa- 
 sed and lighted up into a blaze. This was full proof in Mexico that 
 I dealt with spirits in a distant state of existence : but, though appa- 
 rently clear to them that these feats were super-natural, 1 can in- 
 iorm the public that they \vere altogether simple, and for the ex- 
 planation of the first, i. e. the candles going out on the appearance 
 of the spirit, it was done in the following manner : the candles were 
 placed on a stand at the side ot the wall, and tubes placed so that 
 through the ceiling the air was conveyed to the blaze of the candle, 
 by \v hich it \vas extinguished ; on the departure of the spirit the can- 
 dles alighted again in this mariner ; the first candles were secretly 
 conveyed away, and t\\ o others put on the stand, caudles and candle- 
 sticks of the same likeness; the wicks of these latter were touched 
 with phosphorus, and having heated the point of mv sv ord, at the 
 departure of the spirit I touched the top of the snuffs, and they soon 
 kindled to a blaze. This was the fashion in which the mvstery was 
 f.mcealed. Thus much for the exhibition and feats performed at 
 ilie raising of the ghost. 
 
224 
 
 A description of an Electrical Machine in a 
 plain and simple manner. 
 
 I T o o K a large smooth glass globe or cylinder, about 14 inche* 
 long and 8 inches in diameter ; at each end there is a small neck 
 ^wherein I fix an iron crank ; then I procure a bench with two posts 
 to receive the crank, and place the cylinder on the stands : I fixed a 
 handle on one end of the cylinder to turn it by ; i ; the middle of the 
 cylinder, on the hinder part, I fixed a spring of Steel; on the spring 
 1 fix^-d a cushion or rubber made of black silk, and filled it up with 
 horse-hair; on one side of the cushion or rubber I fixed a piece of 
 buck-skin, on which I put a thin coat of amalgum which I made of 
 quicksilver and zinc mixed together, which rubs against the glass : 
 the spring of steel is insulated with glass, to prevent the fluid from 
 flying away which is collected by rubbing of the cushion against the 
 glass ; to strengthen the electricity I procured a piece of black silk 
 ai.'i fastened it on the cushion and let it hang over the glass : then I 
 procured a conductor made of tin or of brass about fifteen inches 
 long and three inches in diameter ; on one end of the conductor I 
 put a large brass hollow ball about six inches in diameter ; through 
 the end of this ball I fixed a small wire about three inches long, and 
 at the end of this small wire 1 fixed another small brass ball about 
 half an inch in diameter, on which I fixed the small chain to receive 
 the electricity. On the other end of the conductor I fix a narrow plate 
 of brass about ten or twelve inches in length, with brass wires pro- 
 jecting out towards the glass cylinder, the points come within a quar- 
 ter of an inch of the cylinder and are fixed about half an inch from 
 each other ; these points receive the fluid from the cylinder and 
 draw if, back to the large brass ball; from thence it runs into the 
 electi'ieal receiver : this receiver is a glass jar which holtls about a 
 quart: in this jar I put gum-water enough to make a thin gluey 
 coat around the inside, within about two inches of the top, and theu 
 put in a half pint of brass filing and turn it round until the filing cre- 
 ates a second coat on the glue these brass coats are half an inch 
 thick, if an inch thick, it would be better : on the outside of tliis jar 
 I put a coat of tinvile, with'i!i about two inches from the top, even 
 with the inside coating. The philosophy of this is, to prevent the 
 .iluid from flying out at the top oi' the jar, for if the outside was cover- 
 ed even with the top, the vessel would have no power to contain the 
 electrical fluid. The mouth of the jar is stopped with cork ; through 
 the cork I put a brass wire reaching down into the bottom of the jar ; 
 all around this brass wire are fixed small wires leading to the sides of 
 ihe jar in every direction : in order that the brass filing may receive 
 'Jie electrical fluid, the main \irc readies about six inelies out of th 
 j.ir ; abo\e the cork and on <he top is fixed a brass ball two inches in 
 diameter : the cork of the jar must be sealed up with bees-wax ; af- 
 er which put the brass ball of the jar to the ball of the prime con- 
 ductor arid set the machine on motion, i.e. turn the cylinder swiftly 
 round to crerite the cieclriea! fluid : this fluid im mediate!}' passes in- 
 co the jar, through the conductor. A person touching the outside 
 af the jar with one linger r, and the brass bat! with the other, receives 
 '.'.e stock, The coflduytar stands oa Iv.o glass tub'.; 
 
225 
 
 I o the jar I fixer! three conducting rods, i. e. three glass vials about 
 8 or 10 inches in length ; in each of these vials I fixed a wire in the 
 same manner in vvhiqh I fixed the wire in the jar, with a small brass 
 ball about half an inch in diameter ; then I fasten a brass cord around 
 the jar and the other end on the Avire of one of the conducting rods, 
 mid with one other wire I unite the other two conducting rods. 
 .When I would electerize a person in particular parts of the body 
 where there are acute pains, I touch the first conducting rod which 
 is united with the jar, to that part of the body or limb, and the last 
 mentioned conducting rod to another part of the person : the elec- 
 < rical fluid passes out of the first conducting rod, through the per- 
 son, and into the other two conducting rods ; from thence it re- 
 bounds back through the person suddenly > and creates the shock j 
 passing 1 iuto the jar. 
 
 A NEW DISCOVERY IN ELECTRICITY. 
 
 The machine and conductor is made of the for- 
 mer description, except the cylinder and 
 cushion, See. 
 
 FIRST I made a cylinder of rosin, 14 inches long and 10 in- 
 ches diameter : this cylinder hangs, and turns with a crank in the 
 same form as above described. I fastened two vials one on each 
 post where the cylinder runs in. I next formed a wire that reached 
 from one post to the other with about fifty brass points fastened to 
 the wire, so that the ends that hang down just touched the cylinder 
 of rosin, whicli collects the fluid and carries it to the conductor by a 
 wire that reaches from the points to the conductor or jar; then 
 there is a cushion made of fox-tail that rubs against the cylinder ; 
 this is fastened on a spring just behind the cylinder, opposite the 
 conductor, insolated with glass to prevent the fluid from falling back 
 into the ground. If this be done according to the description, you 
 will find more fluid from this machine than any other invention. 
 This experiment I made on the 24th day of January, 1811. 
 
 ANOTHER DISCOVERY IN ELECTRICIT y, 
 
 ON A MORE SIMPLE PLAN. 
 
 FIRST I took a round piece of a board about 18 inches hi di- 
 ameter ; I covered the board with rosiu about one half inch thick ; 
 then I took a tin plate 15 inches in diameter, with a glass handle fas- 
 tened in the centre of the tin plate, then rolled the coit of rosin 
 with a fox-tail and put the plate to the rosin. During this time., teach 
 your fing( to the plate, and touehtbe plate to the jar, and 
 will receive a shock. 
 
226 
 
 A DESCRIPTION HOW TO TAKE LlGHTXING 
 OUT OF THE ELEMENTS. 
 
 I TOOK a keg of rosin and put an iron rod in it about 15 feet 
 long, with a brass point on the top, and likewise a brass wire tied to 
 the rod and reaching down to the ground. This machine I erected 
 on a high tower : it will attract electrical fluid from the clouds r 
 and if a jar be applied to this wire, it will fill in a second with elec- 
 trical fluid. 
 
 The preceding narrative is presented to the 
 public, with many imperfections : their indul- 
 gence I shall only ask until a better and fairer 
 opportunity shall allow me to make a fuller and 
 better explanation of these works at some fu- 
 ture period.