Travels through the States of North America, and the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada during the Years 1795, 1796 and 1797 [1, 3 ed.]

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TRAVELS THROUGH THE STATES OF

NORTH AMERICA AND THE

PROVINCES OF

UPPER AND LOWER CANADA, DURING

THE YEARS

Bv

I795, I796,

ISAAC WELD,

AND

I797.

Junior.

THIRD EDITION. iltLVST«ATI» AND IMBSLLIIHID WITM IIXTKIN FKATCt.

IN ;.»:

TWO VOLUMES.

.

VOL. h L

N D O

Nt

PRINTED FOR JOHN STOCKDALE» PICCADILLY. in

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a fpaclous building of

the apartments are

ty,

is

'

'^^

ftone,one hundred feet in front.

licians

le

13

aged and reduced perfons feek refuge I'n this place, and leave it again on the return of fpring. Whilft they ftay there, they are under very little reftraint, and go in and out w^hen they pleafe ; they muit, however, behave or-

yeaft

:

HILADELPHIA.

By

the

penal laws of Pennfylvania, lately enadled,

imoved

no crime

lere are

or luch

murder of the firft degree, by which is me.^nt, murder that is perpetrated by wilful preme-

jnvalcf-

ditated intention, or in attempts to

is

punifliable with death, excepting

rape, robbery, or the like.

ider the is

fence, according to

ia the

by

thcr reIt is

a

city

d

punifhed

imprifonment of a determined du4

Obiedlions

on the individual

and

may

be

made

to this

to

mode

atone for an atrocious

crime i nor capable, becaufe not

em-

in Aided

in

public, of deterring cvil-minded perfons in the

community from which incur the

dieted*

on,

is

of puni(hment, as not being fufticiently fevere

ixtenlive

rith

folitary

ration.

enormity,

its

commit

Every other of-

many aged

the commifiion of offences

rigour of the law; but on a clofe

.ji

TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

t4

clofc examination, i'evere

from

and

j

as

f^ir

it

will be found to be very

as an opinion can be

that has been hitherto

tlie trial

the ftate of Pennfylvania,

it

formed

made by

feems better cal-

culated to reftrain the excelTes of the people

If any public puniHiment

than any other.

could ftrike terror into the lawlefs part of the multitude,

it is

death

being often

we

it

diverted of

is

as

any whatfoever

many of his

it

but

prelented to onr view; fo that

England,

occurs often as puniOiment, the

lutary effedlr ihat

who

is

fli-

might be expected from

are in a great meafure

wretch,

:

terrors, after

find in countries, for inrtance in

where

of

as likely that the infiidion

death would do

loll:.

doomed

The

it

unfortunate

to forfeit his

life

in

expiation of the crimes he has committed in

numberleis inflarccs, looks forward with apparent unconcern to the moment in which he is

to Le launched into eternity; his

nions around

compahim op^y condole with him, be-

cauf' his career of iniquity has fo fuddenly

teen impeded by the courle of juflice: or, if he is not too much hardened in the paths of vice, but fails a prey to remorfe, and (Ves all the horrors of his impending i'ltc, they endea\'()UT to rally his broken fpirits by the coiifollng

rememhnince, that the pangs he has

efulure are but the pangs of

they •'.

'

illiillr.ite

a.

to

moment, which

by the fpecdy exit of one whofc death

-

PHILADELPHIA.

CA:

death he was perhaps himfelf witnefs to but

very

e

A

a few weeks before.

ormed ide by

month does

and there

is

vagabond

fcarcely a

who has

people

liment

creature fufpended from the gallows.

know what

of the

il

but

not leen a fellow

We

and fo-

in darknefs

tuJe, the prifoner fua'ers

own

all

good cited fuch fpedtacles pangs worfe than

death a hundred times in the day: he

after

;,

httle

But immured

produce.

lion of :

in the country,

met

to be

with

:r

not pafs

over in England without repeated executions;

cal-

;r

15

there

left

is

no one

fo that

to his

n gland,

thing to divert his attc'ntion,and he endeavours

the

in vain to efcape

fii-

from

tinually

it

ftate

otteiidcr

of rcpcntancv.

vith ap-

/hich he

com pa

offences, and

example

part

to the

guilty

rcinjl.itlons

of fociety,

regarded

ij-aol,

lit,

which

inc whole-

death

an

but

by few penal

rdonn of the

of the

not

impolbil,

criminal.

are calculated to

this cfFedt as loon as pollible, fo that

the building, indtcd, 1i;ijO

^svii 'jib ''Tjffi

fJ!Lilia]0.'ffqJ

,

ii:vn'j\\ih

nof|.f;rj1'K:'Ci

aildtiq lot 3;>:>B[q

?(">/

;

iff

fi

ij

,)!'? in otn of his rooms.

At

P

^^ ;.i^

At

all

H

the taverns, both in

but particularly in the

try,

ance

I

29

.'^^

town and coun-

latter,

the attend-

very bad; indeed, excepting

is

ibuthern

ftates,

where there

numbere of negroes, difficulty to

defcription.

it is

are

in

the

fuch great

a matter of the utnioll

procure domePdc fervants of ?.ny

The

met with

are

H

L A D E L P

I

generality of fervants that

in Philadelphia are emigrant

Europeans; they, however, for the

niofl:

part,

only remain in fervice until they can favc a little

money, when they conflantly quit their

mafters, being

kd

to

independence wliich

do

(o

by that

dcfire for

fo natural to the

is

mind

of man, and wiiich every perfon in Americii

may

enjoy that will be indullrioLis.

that remain

thofe

fleady to

The few

who have

hired

them are retained at moft exorbitant wages. As for the Americans, none but thofc of the mofl

indifi'crcnt characlcrs

ever enter into fer-

vice, whicli they tonfider as fuitible

negroes

and

;

the negroes

in the other Ihitcs

attain, v,

only

tt»

in Pennfylvania

here ilcps have been

taken for the 'gradual abolition of ilaverv, nrc taugiit

by the Quakers to look upon them-

fclves in every rcfpect: as equal to their

white

brethren, and thev endeavour to imitate them-

by being faucy. and females.

It

is

I ir.ul^

ti^e

fame both with mn'Jcs

here ohferve, that amcnjlt

the generality of the lower fort of people

the United

St^ite^-,

and

particularly

i;i

amon^'^il tiiuic

*

-

•

TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

30

thofe of Philadelphia, there

manncs which

is

a want of good

excites the fui*prize

every foreigner 5

wi^alfo

I

that

it

of

ahnofl:

may

not

remark has been made, merely becaufe the liime deference and the be thought that

fame

this

relpe6tful attention,

commonly

which we

fo

fee

by the lower orders of people in Great Britain and Ireland to thofe who are in a lituation fomewhat fuperior to themfelves, is not alfo paid in America to perfons in the fame ftation ; it is the want of com-

mon

paid

civility I

delirable to

complain

their fituations in

which

is

which

of,

behold between life

it is

always

man and man,

let

be what they may, and

not contrary to the didates of na-

ture, or to the fpirit of genuine liberty, as is

it

obfervable in the behaviour of the wild

Indians that wander through the forefts of this vaft continent^ the

of

all

human

mofl free and independent

beings.

however, the lower

In the United States,

clafles

of people will re-

turn rude and impertinent anfwers to queftions I

«i '^!

couched in the

mod civil terms, and will infult

a perfon that bears the appearance of a gen-

tleman, on purpofe to (hew confidcr

themfelves upon

how much

they

an equality with

him. Civility cannot be purchafed from them

on any terms; they

fecni

to think that

it is

incompatible with freedom, and that there jio T

other

way of convincing

a ftranger that

is

he •

MY

o

JOUR^fEY TO BALTIMORE. IS

really in a land

and

ill

mannered

of liberty, but by in his prefence.

L E"%t E R Journey to Baltimore, try about

over

p

being furly

nr.

— Defcnption of

the Coun*

Philadelphia, — Floating

the Schiiylki^'j

how

Bridges

confiru5led.

—

Mills

—Improvement Brandy "Winc America. — Machinery of Flour — —Bad ^own of Wilmington. Log Roads, — Fine ProfpeSts^^^How RiAmericans. — Taverns.— — Town of Baltimore,— Plan of and private Town,— Barbour, — — -^Country between Baltimore andWafiington. — Execrab/eRoads* Creek.

in

in the

Mills

in

Houfes.

relijhed by

Sufquehaniiah

the

ver.

Public

Inhabitants.

Buildings,

MY DEAR

oN

the

Wafhington, NovemberT

SIR, 1

6th of November

phia for Baltimore.

conveyance which is

The

only

Philadel-

mode of

offers for a traveller,

not provided with his

riage, is the public flage fible,

I left

own

who

horfes or car-

waggon

;

it is

pof-

indeed, to procure a private carriage at

Philadelphia to go on to Baltimore-, for which is always demanded j but there no fuch thing as hiring a carriage or horfes from ftagc to ftage. The country about Phi-

a great pripe is

ladelphia

is

wclj cultiyated, an4

it

abounds with neat

TKAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

34

neat country houfqs ; but

it

has a bare appear-

ance, being alnioll totally ftripped of the trees,

which have been cut down without mercy for firing, and to make way for the plough neither are there any hedges^ an -idea prevail-

ing that they impoverifli the land wherever

The. fences are

they are planted.

common Thefe

poll and

il,

of the

or of the angular kind.

made of

laft are

all

nine feet long, roughly

rails

fplit

about eight or

cut of trees, and

placed horizontally above one another, as the H

bars of a gate; but each tier of rails, or gate as it

were,

iiiflead

of being on a ftraight

the one next to redlion, fo as to II

it,

rails

fufficient to per-

of one

tier

to reft

on thofe of the next. As thefe fences, ferpcntine courfe occupy at leail

their

fix times as

and

with

put in a different di-

form an angle

mit the ends of the fteadily

from

is

line

rail

much ground

as a

common pod

fence, and require alfo a great deal

more wood, they

are moftly laid afide

when-

ever land and timber become objedis of imas they foon

portance,

hood of large towns.

The

do

in the

.

neighbour-

i

road to Baltimore

three floating bridges,

is over the loweft of which have been thrown

acrols the river Schuylkill, in the neighbour-

hood of

Philadelphia.

this river, fifty

which

yards wide,

is

is

The view on

piifing

about two hundred and

beautiful.

The

banks on each

FLOATING BRIDGES. fide are high,

each

33

and for many miles above

afford the moft delightful

fituations for villas.

A

very elegant one, laid out in the Englifh tafte, is feen on pafling the river juft above the

Adjoining to

bridge.

it

are public gardens,

and a houfe of entertainment, with feveral good rooms, to which the citizens of Phila-

numbers during the

delphia refort in great

jva

fummer feafon.

The trees,

verfely, laid

floating bridges

which

are

are formed of large

placed in the water tranf-

and chained together ; beams are then

lengthways upon thefe, and the whole

boarded over, to render the for paffengers.

When

way

convenient

On each fide there is a railing.

very heavy carriages go acrofs thefe

few inches below the furof the water; but the paffage is by no means dangerous. They are kept in an even

bridges, they fink a

face

by means of chains and anchors in different parts, and are alfo ftrongly fecured on both fliores* Over that part of the river where the channel lies, they are fo contrived that a piece can be removed to allow veffels to pafs through. Thefe bridges are frequently damaged, and fometimes endirection acrofs the river,

tirely carried

away, during floods, at the break-

ing up of winter, efpecially to be

much

againft this,

Vol.

I.

if

there happens

ice floating in the river.

when danger

D

is

To guard

apprehended and the

34

TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

come on too

the flood does not unfaften

all

proper place, and then

confined in

its

whole

down with the

float

nient part of the fliore,

up and

they

the

let

ftream to a conve-

where

it

can be hauled

country, after pafling the Schuylkill,

pleafingly diverfified with rifing grounds

woods, and appears to be in a good cultivatbn.

The

you come

to

Philadelphia

;

firft

and of

ftate

town of any note which

Cheller, fifteen miles from

is

town contains about

this

dwellings, and

fixty

remarkable for being the

is

place where the

From

is

fecured.

The is

rapidly,

the chains by which the bridge

firft

colonian afl!embly

the neighbourhood of this

fat.

town there

is

a very grand view of the river Delaware,

About half a mile before you come to Wilmington is Brandy-wine River, remarkable for its mills, no lefs than thirteen being built almoft clofe to each other upon it. The water, juft above the bridge which is thrown over it, comes tumbling dowu with great violence over a bed of rocks

and

;

at a very trifling cxpenfe, could be

three times the

number of

clofe

up

to

made

for

mills already built.

Veflels carrying i,ooo bufhels of

come

feats,

wheat can

them, and by means of

machinery their cargoes are received from, or delivered to

manner.

...

them

Among

in a very expeditious

the mills, foihe are for flour,

fome

F L

OU R M

I

L L

S.

3J

for fa wing of wood, and others for ftone. which have been made in improvements The the machinery of the flour mills in America

fome

The

are very great. in a

new

chief of thefe confift

application of the fcrew,

and the

introduction of what are called elevators, the idea of which was evidently borrowed from the chain pump. The fcrew is made by fticking fmall

three inches long linder, fo as to is

about

pieces of board,

thin

and two wide, into a cy-

form the fpiral

line.

This fcrew

placed in a horizontal pofition, and by turn-

ing on

its

axis

it

forces

wheat or

one end of a trough to the other. ftance, in the trough

which

receives

immediately coming from the

of this kind

is

placed,

from For inthe meal

flour

fl:ones,

a fcrew

by which the meal

is

forced on, to the diftance of fix or eight feet

perhaps, into a refervoirj from thence, with-

out any manual labour,

it is

conveyed to the

very top of the mill by the elevators, confift fize

which

of a number of fmall buckets of the

of tea-cups, attached to a long band that

goes round a wheel at the top, and another at the

bottom of the

mill.

As t^e band

re-

volves round the wheels, thefe buckets dip refervoir of wheat or flour below, and take their loads up to the top, where

into the

they empty themfelves as they turn round the

upper wheel.

The

elevators are inclofed in

D2

f^uare

•

36

TRAVELS THRCuC^-H NORTH AMERICA:

fquare

wooden

tubes, to prevent

them from

catching in any thing, and alfo to prevent

By means of

duft.

thefe

two fimple con-

no manual labour is required from the wheat is taken to the mill converted into flour, and ready to be

trivances

the

moment

till it is

packed, during the various procqlles of fcreen-

&c. Wilmington is the capital of the ftate of Delaware, and contains about iix hundreil houfes, which are chiefly of brick. The flreetsare laid out on a plan fomewhat fimilar to that of Philadelphia, There is nothing very interefting in this town, and the country

ing, grinding, fifting,

round about

it

is

flat

and

infipid.

Elkton,

twenty-one miles diftant from Wilmington, and the

firft

town

in Maryland, contains about tt

ninety indifl^erent houfes,

which are

built

without any regularity ; it is a dirty difagreeIn this neighbourhood I firft able place.

took notice of log-houfes; thofe which I had hitherllo feen having been built either of brick or ftone, or elfe conftrudled with wooden frames, flieathed on the outfide with boards.

The

log-houfes are cheaper than any others

where there is abundance of wood, and generally are the firft that are eredted on a new fettlcment in America. The fides confift of trees juft fquared, and placed

in a country

horizontally one

ii;

upon the other ; the ends

MARYLAND. of the logs of one

"

'

37

fide refting alternately

on

the ends of thofe of the adjoining fides, in

notches i the interftices between the logs are flopped with clay j and the roof is covered with boards or with fhingles, which are fmall pieces of

wood

in the (hape of flates or tiles,

and which are ufed for that purpofe, with a few exceptions, throughout America. Thefe habitations are not very

well built they are

and

laft for

warm and

when

but

comfortable,

a long time.

A confiderable dian corn

fightly,

quantity of wheat and In-

neighbourhood, to

raifed in this

is

the production of which the

foil is

favourable;

but the heft cultivated parts of the country are

not feen from the road, which pafles

and

chiefly over barren *'

The

ridges."

over thefe than

is,

the

reafon for carrying the road

becaufe

foil is

found to

it is

over the

if carried

where the

flat

people of Maryland

never take pains to keep roads

in

that

Sufquehannah

j

longer

part of the country,

which

always take into is

it

once cut, they

in

are

this ftate

any one in the Union are they,

laft

deep, a circumftance

confideration ; for after a road

The

called

hilly trads,

good

repair.

worfe than in

indeed fo very bad

on going from Elkton

to the

ferry, the driver frequently

to call to the pafl'engers in the ftage,

out of the carriage

firft

D3

at

one

fide,

had

to lean

then at '

the

:

TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA

33

the Other, to prevent

it

t

from overfetting

in

the deep ruts with which the road abounds

" Now, gentlemen, to the right i" upon which the paffengers all ftretched their bodies half way out of the carriage to balance it on " Now, gentlemen, to the left," that fide :

This was found abfolutely nelead a dozen times in half the num-

and fo on. eeffary at

Whenever they attempt

ber of miles.

mend

thefe roads,

ruis with

it is

fapiings or

to

always by filHng the

and ccvering

buflies,

them over with earth. This, however, is done only when there are fields on each fide of the If the road runs contiguous to a wood,

road.

then, inflcad of mending

open a new

they call malting a in

Maryland

it

where

it is

through the

pafl'age

ro;id.

It is

to fee fix or feven different roads

the fame place.

A

ftages

he

ac-

is

frequently

he ought to take. which the drivers of the

guide their horfes along thcfe

which

af onifliing,

mofl:

is

lead to

know which

dexterity with

roads,

all

firanger, before

quainted with this circumftance,

puzzled to

which

common

very

branching out from one, which

The

bad, they

trees,

new

are full of flumps of trees,

is

yet to appearance they are the

awkward

drivers pofiible

;

it is

more by

the different noifcs which they make, than by their reins, that they

manage

their horfes.

CJharlclton

:t

-

ROADS.

39

Charlefton ftands at a few miles diftance from Elkton there are about twenty houfes -,

which are inhabited chiefly by peoBeyond ple who carry on a herring fiflicry. it the country is much diverfified with hill and dale, and the foil being but of an indif-

only in

it,

ferent quality, the lands are fo little cleared,

that in

many

road winds -through

parts the

uninterrupted woods for four or five miles together.

The

fcenery in this neighbourhood

From

extremely interefting. hills

is

the top of the

you meet with numberlefs bold and cx-

tenfive profpedts

of the ChefapeakBay and of

the river Sufquchannah; and fcarcely do you crofs a valley without beholding in the depths

of the wood the waters of fome rivulet rufhing over ledges tiful cafcade.

The

little

creek or

of rock in a beau-

generality of

Americans

with aftonifliment at a perfon who can any delight atpafilng through fuch acoun-

flare feel

try as this. field

To them

the fight of a wheat

or a cabbage garden would convey plea-

fure far greater than that of the moft romantic

woodland views. They have an unconquerable avcrfion to trees j and whenever a fettlement is made, they cut away all before them with[

out mercy

fame

fate,

havoc.

;

not one

is

fparcd

and are involved

j

in

all

(hare the

the general

It appears ftrange, that in a

country

where the n^s of the fun ad with fuch pro-

D4

di|^ious

TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA

40

digious power, fome few trees near the habitations fhouldnotbe fpared,

whofe

foilage

might

afford a cooling (hade during the parching heats

of fummerj and

my

I

have oftentimes exprcffed

aftoni(hment that none were ever

that purpofe. told, that

In anfwer

I

in the

have generally been

they could not be

a houfe without danger.

American

forefts

left for

left

The

(landing near trees

it

feems

have but a very (len-

der hold in the ground, confidering their im-

menfe height, io that when two or three fully grown are deprived of (lielter in confequence of the others which ftood around them being cut down, they are very apt to be levelled by the

(irft

ftorm that chances to blow.

This,

however, would not be the cafe with trees of

which might fafely be fpared, and which would foon afford an agreeable a fmall growth,

Americans thought proper to leave

/hade

if the

them

(landing:

but the fadl of the matter

is,

that from the ficc of the country being entirely

overfpread with trees, the eyes of the

people become futiated with the fight of them. I

he sround cannot be fupport

removed and the

;

tilled,

hemfclves,

nor can till

the

icy

they arc looked upon as a nuilancc,

man

that can cut

down

the largcft

number, and have the fields about his hculc mofl clear of them, is looked u pon as the mult induHrioui; '

\t

citizen,

and the one tint

IS

in aking

.3.ii.^>.

making

TAVERNS,

.)

^-

4«

the greateft improvements * in the

country.

Every

there are taverns, w^hich are

much

and

upon

or twelve miles

tdft

in the

fame

ftile,

all

have any

road

of wood,

with a porch in

front the entire length of the houfe. thefe taverns

this

built

Few of

and they are

iigns,

only to be diftinguilhed from the other houfes

by the number of handbills pafled up on the They take their name, walls near the door. but from the perfon

who

keeps them, as Jones's, Brown's, &c. 6cc.

All

not from the fign,

of them are kept nearly in the fame manner.

At each houfe

there

breakfaft, dinner,

arrives

regular hours for

are

and fupper, and it is

till

down with

the other i^uefls that

plentifully ferved different

•

I

muft wait pa-

the appointed hour, and then

to be in the houfe.

of breii.

forts

commonly

fit

may happen

Brjakfarts are geucially there

;

for

in vain to call for a fe-

parate meal for himfelf ; he

very

a traveller

fomewhat before the time appointed

any one of thefe,

tiently

if

s

te.T,

coffee,

c:;ld fait

and

meat, and,

befidc:, beef fl-^aks, fried fiHi,

have heird of Americans landing on barren parts of tlio

north weft coaft of Iicland, and evincing the greateft furprifc

and picafureat the beauty und improved

"

lo clear

of

trert

!

!".

ftate

of the country,

^

&C.

42

TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA

&c.

6cc.'|-.

The

;

charge made for breakfaft

is

nearly the fame as that for dinner.

This part of Maryland abounds with iron which is of a quality particularly well

ore,

adapted for calling.

The

ore

is

found

in

banks

fo near the furface of the earth that there

is

never occafion to fmk a fhaft to get at

it.

Near Charlefton

there

a fmall foundery for

i'^

The cannon are

cannon.

I pafled by,

they were making twenty-four-

pounders, two of which

was informed they

I

The

week.

£niflied every

tough

As

bored by water.

iron

extremely

is

very few of the guns burfl on being

;

proved.

The Sufquehannah way its

river

is

on the miles above

croffed,

to Baltimore, at a ferry five

entrance into the Chefapeak.

The

river

here about a mile and a quarter wide, and

is

deep enough for any vcifels; the banks are high and thickly wooded, and the fcenery is grand and pidturcfque. A fmall town called JIavrc de Grace,

which contains about

forty

houfcs, ftands on this river at the ferry.

was prefcntcd

petition

have

to

it

made

f The landlady

mnhc

a port of entry

;

but

aiway." prrfides at the head

of"

at prclcnt

the table *o

the tea, or a fen\i!e fervant attends fov that purpole at

brcalcfHll

and

in

the

eountj-y the vIjo!-;

iK?

A

to congrcfs the lall year

o^"

evening

;

and

the family

fit

many

taverns in

th-j

.lovn*to dinner with

giiclls.

there ^1

BALTIMORE. there

few

very

is

trade carried

on

A

there.

fhips are annually built in the neighbour-

From hence

hood. try

little

43

is

to Baltimore the

extremely poor

mixed with

gravel

j

the

clay,

foil is

coun-

of a yellow

and the roads exe-

crable.

Baltimore

is

fuppofed to contain about fix-

tcen thoufand inhabitants, and though not the

of the ftate, is the iai gc(l town in Maryand the moft confiderable place of trade in North America, after Philadelphia and New York. The plan of the town is fomewhat

capital

land,

fimilar to that

The main nearly,

is

which runs

ftreet,

and weft

eaft

about eighty feet wide; the others are

from forty all

of Philadelphia, moft of the

crofling each other at right .angles.

ftreets

to fixty feet.

paved, fo that

when

The it

ftreets are

not

rains heavily they

are rendered almoft impaffable, the foil being

a

ftifF

yellow clay, which retains the water a

long time. a harbour affords

On

the fouth fide of the

commonly

town is which

called the Bafon,

about nine feet water, and

large

is

two thoufand fail of merchant veifcls. There are wharfs and ftores along it, the whole length of the town j but as a particular wind is neccflary to enable (liips to get cut of this bafon, by far the greater number of thofo which enter the port of Balenough

to contain

timore ftop at a harbour which

is '

formed by a

neck

it

m

;

.

TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA

44

a neck of land near the

mouth of

Here alongfide which

called Fell's Point.

been

built,

the bafon,

alfo wharfs

havq

veflels of fix

hun-

with perfed:

fafety.

Numbers of perfons have been induced

to fet-

dred tons burthen can

tle

the

on

lie

this Point, in order to

be contiguous to

Upwards of feven hundred

fliipping.

houfes have already been built there, and regular ftreets laid out, with a large marketplace,

Thefe houfes, generally fpeaking, are confidered as a part of Baltimore^ but to all ap-

i

pearance they form

upwards of a mile of the town.

;i

town, being

feparate

diftant

from the other part

In the neighbourhood. Fell's

Point and Baltimore are fpoken of as diflindt

and feparate places. Fell's Point rcfidence

is

chiefly the

of feafaring people, and of the

who

younger partners of mercantile houfes,

are ftationed there to attend to the lliipping.

The m

greater

number of

private houft^s in

Baltimore are of brick, but many, particularly

of wood.

in the fkirts of the town, are ff

fome cf the new

flrcetc

a

few appear

well built, but in general the houfes are

As

heavy, and inconvenient. buildings, there are

tioned.

The

be

f;nall,

for the public

none worthy of being men-

churches and places for public

worihip are ten in number

;

one rcfpcftively

for Epifcopalians, Prelbytcrians,

therans,

to

In

German

Calvinifts,

German Lu-

Reformed

Cicr-

mans.

,

it:

A L T

B

.

I

ivr

O R

New

mans, NIcolites or

-

E»

4;

Quakers, Baptifts,

Roman Catholics, and two for Methodifts. The Preibyterian church, which has latelybeen eredted,

is

the beft building

among them,

and indeed the handfomeil building in town.

of brick, with a portico ported by fix pillars of flone. It

is

They have no banks ifTued

in this

lefs

in front

than three incorporated

town, and the number of notes

from them

is

pre-

fo great, as almoft to

Some of the

clude the circulation of fpccic.

fum

notes are for as fmall a

and being

fup-

much more

as a fmgle dollar,

portable than filver,

As for gold, it is hardly ever met with it during

are geneially preferred.

very Icarce

I

;

two months that

Amongft the to be

I

remained

in

Maryland.

,^

inhabitants of Baltimore arc

found EngliHi,

Irifli,

Scotch, and French.

The Irilh appear to be moft numerous; and many of the principal merchants in town arc in the number. Since the war, a great many

^1

French have arrived both from France and from the Weft India Iflands. With a few exceptions the inhabitants are trade,

are

which

moftly

is

clofely

plain

attended

people,

amongft thcmfelves,

all

engaged in to.

fociablc

They

however

and very friendly and

hofpitiible towards ftrangcrs.

Cards and dan-

cing are favourite amufenicnts, both in private and at public allemblic?,

v/iiich are

held

every

V4

TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

46

There

every fortnight. in

which there

are

two

theatres here,

are performances occafionally.

The oldeft of them, which ftands in Fell's Point, is

the road to

moft wretched, and appears little

heap of loofe boards; for a long time it lay quite ncgledted, but has lately been fitted up for a company of French adlors,

better than a

the only one I ever heard of in the country. Baltimore, like Philadelphia, has fuffered from

the ravages of the yellow fever.

autumn

During the

generally unhealthy, and thofe

it is

who can afford it

retire to

country feats in the

neighbourhood, of which fome are moft delightfully fituated.

From

Baltimore to Wafliington, which

is

forty miles diftant, the country wears but a

The

poor appearance.

fome

foil in

parts

con-

of a yellow clay mixed with gravel j in other parts it is very fandy. In the neighbourlifts

hood of the creeks and between the

hills

^e

patches of rich black earth, called Bottoms, the trees upon which grow to a large fize

but where there

The

roads

is

gravel they are very fmall.

paffmg over' thefc bottoms are

worfe than any

I

ever met with cjfewhere. In

driving jver one of them, near the head ters

of a branch of Patuxent

after a

heavy

which •9

I

was

fall

in

of rain, the

river, a v.'heels

wa-

few days of a

fiilky

funk up to the very boxes.

For

ROADSANDBRIDGES. For a moment

47

I defpaired of being able to

get out without afliftance,

when my

horfe,

which was very powerful, finding himfclf impeded, threw himfelf upon his haunches, and

made a vigorous

difengaging his fore-feet,

which luckily difengaged both himfelf and the /ulky, and freed me from my embarraflment. I was afterwards informed that General Wafhington, as he was going to meet congrefs a fhort time before, was Hopped in the very fame place, his carriage finking fo deep in the mud that it was found

plunge forwards,

neceffary to fend to a neighbouring houfe for

ropes and poles to extricate

Over fome of

it.

the bottoms, which were abfolutely impaflable ftate, caufeways have been thrown, which are made with large trees laid

in their natural

fide

by

For a time thefe a commodious paflage ; but

fide acrofs the road.

caufeways afford

they do not

laft

long, as

fink into the foft

foil,

many of

to the continual attrition of in a particular part, ftate,

full

the trees

and others, expofed

waggon wheels

breaking alunder.

of unfeen obflacles,

it

'.s

In this

abfolutely

a matter of danger for a perfon unacquainted

with the road to attempt to drive a carriage along it. The bridges over the creeks, covered with

loofe bo:irds, are as bad as the caufeways, and totter as a carriage paiTes over.

That

!

4t

TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

That the

Icgiflature

inadtive,

and not

which

this,

of Maryland can be fo

tal;e

feme fteps

to repair

one of the principal roads in the the great road from north to fouth, and

ilate,

is

the high road to the City of Wafliington,

moil wonderful

,:f-

'_

•. .!

-ii '?s

-"^':

r-*

r

w 4'

^ .-.^

is

49

r

n

]

LETTER

'"%

IV.

Foitndaim of the City of Wafiington

— Choice

readily agreed to by different States.

of the Ground

—

Circumjiances to he confidered in chifing the

Ground*

— 'The

the States,

—

Spot fixed upon, central to all

Alfo remarkably advantageoufiy

Trade.

fituated for

Cowitry Trade. cipal

—Nature

Trading Tor-"^

Country

Trade,— River

— Ls

pointed

out.

City

in

United States,—^

depend en the Back

of the PaConneBion ivith other

j.: iption

— Prodigious

P):reBions.

all

trade immediately

ivith

of TVaJhington.

tion

Public Buildings.

jcBed,

—

Extent rf

Capital

Inhabitants

nefs

building

'-ife

its

in

the

rcfpedliiig the

—

—

others pro'^

—

Hotel,

Mat et^ials found

— Private

at prrfent

Op:- ions

of

begun,

Situa^

City.

of the

Prtfdcnfs, Ploife.

of the City.

Way

likdy to

WafLnngton. —

— Plan

the Neighbourhood.

jcrent

— Country

— Some

and other

Stone

in

Hoifes and

—

City.^

Dif-^

future Great-

bnpedlviciits thro'ivn in the

hnprovement^

— IVhat

SIR,

Waflur.jjtor,

has given

to thi

MY DEAR

"pHE WAS

the prin-

Water Communication from JVaJhington

the

1

in the n to

ji.

towmac Rimers

of the Back

—Summary View of

Their profperify

—

General Wafiiugton,

to

left

— Net

of WaQiington, or

City

deiTil CiiXV

laid

Vol.

out I.

m

os C it is

November.

'I'hc

Fe-

indilcriminatcly called,

the year

E

1792, aad

is

ex-

prefsly

->.

/>V^^

4f

IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT 3)

U£|28

|2.5

IM

12.2

1.0 >u

12.0 I.I

m ^

HA !IIJ4

M^ »

6"

Photographic Sciences Corporalion

33 WItT MAIN

STRHT

WIMTIR.N.V. I4SM

(7U)I73-4S03

^

^A^

TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA

so

:

prefsly defigned for being the metropolis of

the United States, and the feat^bf the federal

government. is

to

In the year 1800 the congrefs

meet there

for

the

firft

As

time.

the

foundation of this city has attra'^r«r..'Jrjr«riy.iMinuiCiaV

rz

* '

jf

NORTH AMERICA:

TRAVEIjS 'THROUGH

•«

S'^ If'

^ri'dppofite'^ttt6tiorir

he

commuMcation

ive ^triee the water it^

ia

p)^odigious extent will

Ml-> gi*eatcrifQb;e^^y f

this

remains to afccrtain.

upon the banks of the Patowmac,

there afe already two towns, and both "Vicinity

city

the federal city.

in the

George Town,

•which contains dbout two hnndred and fifty houfes; and Alexandria, with double the num'\itvi-

hiilc

Tick 'the

The former above the i ft

city,

the river,

lattiir,

rttiantrties

of thefe ftands about one nearly oppofite the large

which has been fpoken

fcveri miles

below

it*

ofj

Confiderablc

ofproduce are already fcnt down the K

Patowmac:

rvJ^^H/NATIONAL BANK;/a;, the rhifih

to each of thefc

Patowmae people

ill

•

ftf

towns,,and

thie

the country are beginning to look

thither in return for a part of their fupply of

foreign manufadlurcs. It has been maintained, therefore, that thefe

two

places, already

in

the practice of trading with the back fettlers, will

draw the greater part of the country to the

trade to themfelves,

Both

federal city.

prejudice of the

towns have

thefe

as great

advantages in point of lituation as the city the interefts of the three places therefore

muil It

unqueitionably for a time clafh together.

can hardly be doubted, however, but that the federal city will

in a

eclipfe the other two.

nifh the people

few years completely George Town can fur-

of the back country with fo-

y^

reign manufadtures, at fecond hand only, from

Baltimore and Philadelphia ; Alexandria imports directly

from Europe, but on a very con-

more than two thirds of the goods which are fent from thence to the back country are procured in the fame manner as at George Town. In neither place are there

traifted fcale

:

merchants with large capitals banks, of which there futficient

funds to afford

is

;

one

nor have the in

each town,

them much affiftance;

but merchants with large capitals are preparing to

move

to the city.

the feat of government tional bank* .m*w.^'.'i

or at

is

leart:

F4

As foon

alfo as

fixed there, the na-

a large branch of

it,

will

':-l'i

vyUl-bf e^j\l:^U(he4 at the fiuneitime;^ thi9 ctip[jftaxi|C^

'^lOB? will aftbrd the^peopl? of, the I

cityi

a,

4eci4e4 advantage, over thofo of Alex^

ai^ria aud',George, Town.

both

:(j':

round the laws

m

theie. towns, are

lumbia, that

iifld

in the

is,

which

city

is

Added

to all,

the- territory

of Co*

diftrirSt

of tea miles

to be; fubje(5i: to the

regulations of congrefs jilone j

it

may be

be, therf fore^ that encouragements will

held out hy congrcfs to thofe

which

city,

who

will be refufed to

fettle in the

fuch as go to

Although any other part of the territory. Alexandria and George Town, then, may rival the city while

it is

in its infancy, yet

be imagined that either of to cope Ayith

it

;

trs^de.

of tjie city

The

ip the enc

may

it

probable

for this reafon be

of aiSiiCncith^: oftb^ other places It mag^^ t)jp ^kqg, for gjranted,

cannot

be able

the"*! will

fpoken

exifted,. in.

the

firfl:

place, thatJ,l^e.>yhok of the. cquntry bordering iippn' thq

which

fai.tovymae jiver,. and upon tlipfe rivers

fall in^p it^ 3vil),

tradp with the pity of

In tracing the courf^ pf th?

Wafliingtoi).

Patpwmac ajl thpfe rivers were notenvui^eratcd; a better idea pf them may bcjiad frpm an inI'pedion of the map. Shehanduaji, which is the longetl, ^pt navigable, at prcfejit ; but It has beep (urye^yed, a^d tl^e cpmpapy fqr .

is.;

,

im proving

thi;

have flatcd

tiiat.it $:fin

.nayig4tlQr^,,pf

b^

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'••> a .

I

t

;

'I *

mijtis

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Patpwmfic

fq^brone hundred ...

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'

:M..

CITY OF WASHINGTON.

ti

fcale well fai ted to the extent of the country,

one thoufand two hundred miles and one thouflind

marked out miles

in

for

of which

in breadth,

to be the metropolis it

,

is

no

lefs

;

it is

already-

than fourteen

The

north, fouth, eaft, and weft that famenefs neceflarily ilrcets all croffi ng

ground

for the

circumference.

in length,

ftrcets

run

but to prevent

enfuing from

each other

the

at right angles,

a number of avenues are laid out in different

of the

parts

and

city,

in feveral places,

which run tranfverfely; where thefe avenues in-

terfed: each other, are to

The

be hollow fquares.

which crofs each other at right angles, are from ninety to one hundred feet wide, the avenues one hundred and fixty feet. ftreets,

One of

thefe

is

hollow fquare

named alfo

after each ftate,

allotted

to

each,

as

a

fuitable place for ftatues, columns, at

&c. which, a future period, the people of any one of

thefe

may wifh to eredt to the megreat men that may appear in the

ftates

mory of

On

country.

the capitol,

a fmall eminence, due weft

of

to be an equeftrian ftatue

of

is

General Wadiington.

The

capitol

is

now

building upon the moft

elevated fpot of ground in the city,

happens to be in a very central I'rom

this fpot there

every part of

Vol.

[.

tlur

is

ciiv,

C

which

fituation.

a complete view of

and

alfo

i

and a

of the adr jj.lent

i

1

:

TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA

S%

jacent country,

In the capitol are

-

fpacious apartments for

of congrefsi

^^

alfo are to

it

to be

the accommodation

be the princi-

pal public offices in the executive department

of the g.overnmeht, together with the courts

The

of juftice.

begun

is

is

of building

plan on which this building

grand and extenfive it is

the expenlc

;

eftimated at a million of dol-

equal to two hundred and twenty-five

lars,

thoufand pounds

The

''"'

ftcrling.

houfe for the relidencc of the preiident

ftands north-weft of the capitol, at the d^ftance

of about one mile and a half.

It

is

liquated

upon a rifing ground not far from the Patowmac, and commands a moft beautiful profpedl of the river, and of the rich country beyond it. One hundred acres of ground, towards the

river,

are

left

there to

to

is

run

in

;

The

mall are

this

kind

South of this

be a large park or mall, which is an eafterly diredion from the river

to the capitol.

of

the

ndjoining to

houfe for pleafure grounds.

all

buildings to

on

either fide

be elegant in their

amongft the number

it

is

propofed to

have houfes built at the public cxpenfe for the accommodation &:c.

On

of the forein;n miniftcrs,

the eaftcrn branch a large fpot

out for a marine holpital and gardens.

is

laid

Va-

rious other parts arc appointed for churches, theatre?,

colleges,

d:c.

Tlio ground in general.

JtU

j

A

T

r R c c

>'.-""

o N

I

s;>

'

uetal, within the lirnits ot th^ city,

ably unrlukted

v/

-.

83

agree-

is

but none of the rifings are

;

fo prcat as to

become obieds of inconvenience

in a town.

I'he

foil is chicil/

111

of a ycllowifli^

There are numbers clay mixfd with gravel. of excellent fprings in the city, and water is readily had in moil places by digging wells.

Here

two

are

through the

Creek.

Reedy Branch and Tiber

city.

The

*^"

which run

lilcewife,

fl:rcanis

perpendicular height of the

fource of the latter, above the level of the tide,

two hundred and

is

By that

the regulations publifhed,

built parallel

but either upon

t

fettled

it

to the line

of the

or withdrawn from

How-

the tafte of the builder.

as fuitcd

it,

was

.

the walls to be thirty feet high,

;

to be

jflrcet,

it

n

the houfes (hould he built of brick

all

or ftone

and

thirty-lix feet.

ever, numbers of wooden habitations have been built; but

the different owners have

all

been

cautioned againft conlidering them as perma-

They

nent.

are to be allowed for a certain

Three com-

term only, and then deltroyed. 'i

t.iji\.-
.

As

N*.

the neif^hbourhood are cul-

in

o-roLinds

N O

E R

-.-..

.;,.,'

.•

.

.

almoil every flrangcr going through the

Mount Ver-

country makes a point of vifiting non, a perfon

kept at the

is

General Wafliington's bufmefs

it is

houfe during

whofe

abfence,

Imme-

to attend to flrangers.

on our

fole

was taken of our horfes, beds were prepared, and an ex-

diately

arrival every care

and

cellent fupper provided for us, with claret

other wine, &c.

As fee

the feafon was

now

too far advanced Co

the country to advantage,

proceeded no

I

Mount Vernon, but

farther in Virginia than

returned again to the city of Wa{hington. (-»


^Ui'?

t-'^',''

-jiiv

W(rJrtt:jJUi.vwi.

i •i

'

n':xjK'

'I

'!:JC ,[: '

Ji;. ^ii>s.;

v;ii

.

-'^)J

ears.

*

^^

we arrived we expected

Sout the middle of the day

.Lw Sufquehannah, find

it,

and,

as

the river was frozen entirely

at

to

over.

we were to get acrofs was qucftion. The people at the ferry-

In what manner

now

the

houfe were of opinion that the ice was not fufficiently ftrong to bear in every part

river

j

at the

fame time they

very thick near the

fliores,

faid, it

that

it

day was over

number of

;

however,

travellers defirous

was collected together, and

of the

was

fo

would be

imprafticable to cut a pafiage through fore the

it

oe-

as a grtai

of getting acrofs as

were much averfe to remaining

all

of them

at the ferry-

till the next morning, by which time was fuppofed that the ice would be ftrong enough to bear in every part, the people were

houfc

it

iO:

!

II z

at

.1

li

Il

(

TRAVELS tHROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

fie

At td(l dvcf-rulcd,

and every thing was pre-

pared for cutting a way acrofs the rivcr.Ym

The

of fevcn blacks

fiftcd

num-

paffcngcrs were about twelve in

ber, with four horfesj the

large ckibs, flood

ind broke the

;

boat's

crew

con-*

whom, with bow of the boat,

three of

upon the

ice,

m

whilft

the others, with

iron-headed poles, puflied the boat forwards.

$0 very laborious was the

which the men at the bow had to perform, that it was neceffary for the others to relieve them every ten minutes. At the end of half an hour their hands, arms, faces, and hats, were glazed entirely over with a thick coat of ice, formed tafk

from the water which was dafhed up by the feiterated fiiokes of their clubs. Two hours *

^

one half of the way was broken Was found much thicker than had been

felapfed before

the

ice

imagined j the clubs were fhivered to pieces ,

the

men were

quite exhaufted; ai'd having

buffered the boat to remain ftationary fbr a

minute or two '

in

fctnarkahly thick,

a part where the ice was it

was frozen up,

;>

''the utmoft exertions of the

gtrs united Were unable to extricate ''this

predicament a council was held>

move

fo that

crew and paflcnit.

In

it

was

backward of for1} ward ;*thitf boat was half a mile from the fliorc ; no 01* attempt to walk there '/ on the ice; to remain all night in the boat would impoflibic Id

either

^M

Hj\

Dii

mm 'if

i.

THE

' '

S

US QU E H A N NA H.

•

to^

-

1/

would be death; Luckily- 1 had a pair of piftoU in my hoifters, and having fired a few iignals-, the attention of the people on flidre was attracted towards us, and a fmail batteau, whieh is a light boat with a flat bottonij was difi This was not fent^ patched for our relief. however, for the purpofe of bringing a fingle perfon back again, but to aflill us in getting

fc

was flipped along a-head of the large boat, and two or three to the oppoiite fliore.

men

It

having ftepped into

it,

rocked

it

about

from fide to fide until the ice was fufliciently broken for the large boat to follow. The batteau was now in the water, and the men feating themfelves as

much

as poflible

towards

bow

the ftern, by fo doing raifcd the

of

it

by means of boat ; was then pulled on the ice again, anc^ by rocking it about as before a paflage was

conflderably above the ice

hooks

it

as caiily opened.

In this manner

we got

on,

and at the end of three hours and ten minutes found ourfelves again upon dry land, fully prepared for enjoying the pleafurcs of a bright fireflde

and a good dinner.

The

people at the

had feen us coming acrofs, and had accordingly prepared for our reception ; and as

tavern

each individual thought he had travelled quite far enough that day, the paflengers remained together

till

the next morning,

on H

•

If' r^^

^f

At

i

IQ3

TRAVELS THRODGH" NORTH AMERICA:

men-

,i^^At the AmcricanitavennSj.as I before

tioned, aUiloBts of people, juft as they

happen

crammed together into the one room, where. they muft reconcile themfclves

to arrive, ^ane

On the

way they can.

to each other the heft

the company, conljftcd of

prefent occafion,

about thirteen people, anion gft

whom

were

fome eminent lawyers from Virginia and the fowthward, together with a judge of the fu-

preme courts :who were going phia againft the approaching not, however,

pany that

I

waa com-,

it

:

after I quitted their

till

heard

to Philadel-

leiTions

who

they were

;

for thefe

kind of gentlemen in America are fo very appearance and Q>annerSj,

plain, both in their

would not fufpeft that they were perfons of the confequeriice which they There were alfo really are in the country. two or three of the neighcompany in the

thit^.^ ;(lra,nger

bouring farmers, boori(h, ignorant, and obr trufive fellows.

It

dozen Americans

is

to

fcarcely poffible for a

quarrelling about politics treaty,

gave

The

which had

rife

to a long

together

fit ;

without

and the Britifh

juft been ratified,

now

and acrimonious debate.

farmers were of one opinion, and gab-

bled away for a longtime; the lawyers and

the judge were of another, and in turns they rofe

to anf.ver their

power of

rhetoric

opponents with

wl^fh

they

all

the

pofleired.

Neither

if";^;]^!DaiS.P

UTAT

rON

S.' ;a'^'^

105

Neither party could fay any thing to change the fentinients of the other one teft lafted

when

at night,

late

till

the noify cou-

j

getting

heartily tired they withdrew, not to their re-

fpeftive chambers, but to the general one that

held five or

down

in

beds, and in which they laid

fix

p^^-'

ere the converfation was

.

again revived, and puifued with as mu.l* noife as below,

happily

till

at lad ileep clofed their eyes,

mouths

their

fame time

at the

could they have talked in their

Thanks

to our ftars

until morn-

my

!

for

fleep, I verily

wouldhave prated on

believe they ing.

;

and

I got the only

two-bedded room

to ourfelves.

The

friend

in the

next morning

and

houfc

I left the

banks of the Sufquehannahj and the fucceed-' ing day reached Philadelphia. -dj.M'jfi i>rfi

•do ,».

bhii

lo^

to

'i'Jifit

10

uwj

,jninon7.u efiinocKJ

sldinoa

bi a aiovv/tl

vrdlbmm

'v^)OTfi'.)l

jiIj

(u bnt;

;jth Hi; ilivfj

eJfijt

.,.;aaJ

?i

(n>;/j(no:) ,?/i3in-ifit

)1

gno!

u

fii

'ij'u\is*:a1

.-.^wolb't

-iivflrj-i-i

loi \L\\fi..hjic

onv/

j-jriiomi V)

„

')dl

u^Jnf'\

od»

*

ibfli 'jnojorii

TO

I'i'M:"'*

f^'x.'i

THROUGH NORTH AMERICA

TR/kViiLS

tp^

^^aoh

>AO'Ar,i!^'^

*Mi"

rrr

.t;

f^^riDifpa^no"! 1o

LETTER

'

not

'

Vll

fbiladelphia gayer in the Winter than at any »"*''

other

Seafon.

—

Celebration

nr '^

•

that City oj

in

Birth Day*

^-/ General Waflmgtons

—Some

Account of G^erai WaJlAngton's Perjbn and Americans dijfatisjied with ofhii Chamber.

—

ConduSl as Prejident,

^f. his

DEAR SIR,

ii;

i/V'-'

Philadelphia, February.

PHILADELPHL4L .'

different afpedl

landed there

in

as well

The

city

is

as

full

wears

np\Y

what

to

the

Both congrefs and the ting,

of Dif-

common amongfl them,

.-'.yfatisfaBion

:f^-MY

— A Spirit

a

when

did

it

month of

very I

Novemf)^!;.

flate ailerably are let-

the lupreme federal court.

of ilrangers

;

the theatres are

Open J and a variety of public and private amufcments are going forward. On General Wafhington's birth day, which was a few days ago, this city was unufually gay * .

;'>'uji'»i"

.

"'•On •Tourth

«.»'»«•{

\\t'

'

"\ i*.

time in the pre-

tlie Jirll

man fo renowned in the pre wifdom and moderation, and whofe name w ill

fencc of General Wafliington, a fent day for his

be tranfmitted with fuch honour to pofterity, without being imprelled with a certain degree of veneration

and awe; nor do

thefe emotions fubfide on a clofcr acquaintance; on the coj;trary, his perfon

and deportment are inch

as rather tend to

augment them. There is fomething very aullcre in his coiJntenance, and in his manners he is uncommonly rcfcrvcd. I have heard fomc officers, that fervcd immediately under his con mand during the American war, fay, that they never faw iiina fmile during

all

the time that they were with him.

No man h.is

ever yet been conncdted with him by the reciprocal and unconllrained ties of friendfhip; and tut a few can boart even ox having' been on .in eafy and familiar footing with him.

The is full

height of his perfon

and

;

Jiis

is

about

eleven; his chcli

five feet

though rather ilender, well

limbs,

ihap.'d, aiid

His head is fmall, in which refpeft he rcfembles the jnake of a great number of his countrymen. His eyes arc of a mufcular.

light grey colour; and, in proportion to the length of Lis face, iiis

nole

told

is

long.

Mr, Scewart,

the eminent portrait painter,

me, that there are features in his face

from what he ever obrervcd the fockets for the eye^,

in that

totally difFerent

of any other

human

bcin;-^;

foriuftance, are larger than what

ever met with before, and the upper part of

tlie iiofe

Jis

broader.

All his feitures, he obferved, were indicative of the Ibongcfl

and

mod

forells, it

ungovernable

was

man amongft r^'> "^f^*

by nature a man of a

At levee, hi?

expreffive.

His

difcourfe with

Ibangers turns principally upon the fubjeft of America ; and have been through any remarkable places, his conver-

if they

fatlon

is

and* particularly interefting, as he

free

He

acquainted with every part of the country.

open and the

free in his

behaviour at levee than

company of ladies

ftill

more

fo than

is is

intimately

much more

in private,

when

folely

and

i;i

with men.

General Wafliington gives no public dinners or other entertainments, except to thofe

who

are in diplomatic capacities,

and to a few families on terms of intimacy with Mrs. WafliingStrangers, with whom he wifhes to have fome conver. ton. fation about agriculture, or any fuch fubjcft, are fometimes in-

This by many

vited to tea. iition

light

;

;

ierved,

but

it is

more

fur as the falary ib

is

attributed to his faving difpo-

juft to afcribe

it

to his prudence and fore-

of the prefident,

as I

very fmail, and totally inadequate by

were he

have before obitfelf to

fupport

to give

numerous and fplendid entertainments, the fame might poffibly be expefted from an cxpenfivf

ftyle

of

life,

fnbfequent prefidents, who, if their private fortunes were not would be unable to live in the fame ftyle, and

coiifiderabJc,

to many ill-natured obfervations, from the what the people had been accuftomed to; it alfo that General Walhington has been afluated

might be cxpofed rclinqulfliment of

molt likely

i,

by

thefe motives, becaule in his private capacity at

Vernon every

ftranger

meeu

Mount

with ^ hofpitable reception from

in

tl

him.

General Walhington's felf-moderation

is

well

known

to thp

a remarkable circumilance, which redounds to his eternal honour, that while preftdent of the United

world already.

It

is

fi

l/,-i^li

' artiJ

t

jmiivrrn'

State;

States!

of

trul

ofabil in the .'-I

GEKERAL WASHINGTOK: ftnd the audience lafted

The

noon*

"

107

three in the after-

till

fociety of the Cincinnati, the

clergy, the officers of the militia, and fcveral others,

who formed a

came by themfelves

body of citi2;ens,

diflinft

feparately.

The

foreign

minillcrs attended in their richeft drtfTes and moft fplendid equipages. Two large parlours were open for the reception of the gentlemen,

the

windows of one of which towards the

ftrcet

were crowded with fpedtators on the outlidc.

The

lideboard was furnifljed with cake and

wines, whereof the vifitors partook.

obferved

fo

much

cheerfulnefs before in the

countenance of General Wafliington

was impoifible

for

never

I

him

to

but

;

remain infenfible to

the attention and the compliments paid to

on

it

him

this occafion.

The

ladies

of the

city, equally attentive,

who

paid their refpeds to Mrs.Walliington, received

them

drawing room up

in the

ilairs.

After having vifited the General, moft of the

gentlemen ball

alfo

waited upon her.

A

public

and fuppcr terminated the rejoicings of

the day.

:.:v

""

T^

'

Not one town of any importance was in the ,

\

^

whole union, ''\

:

:

i'

vy^here

there

fome meeting did

.' U'-' .\ f-'

States he never appointed one of his

'

"

own

not

>.

I'elations to

any

office

of trud or emolument, although he has feveral that are

of abilities, and well qualified tn the government.

to

till

mea

the moft important Hationi

I

*>

TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA

ffld

not take place in honour of this day; iiftgular as it

may

:

yet

appear, there are people in

the country, Americans too, foremoft in boaft-

ing to other nations of that conftitution, which

has been raifed for them by his valour and

wifdom, who are either

to his

fo infenfible

merit, or fo totally devoid of every generous

fentimcnt, that they can refufe to join in Siicndations of thofc talents to

fo

much

indebted

j

com-

which they are

indeed to fuch a length

this perverfe fpirit been carried, that I

4ias

have myfelf feen numbers of men, in all other points men of refpedtability, that have peremptorily refufcd even to pay

compliment of drinking dinner; their

it

is

him

the fmall

to his health after

true indeed, that they qualify

condudt partly by

alfejiting,

that

only as prcfident of the United States,

it

is

and not

as General Walhington, that they have a diflike to

him; hut

this

is

only a

mean

fubter-

fugc, which, they are forced to have recourfe their condud iliould appear too marked with ingratitude. During the war there were many, and not loyalifts either, who were doing all in their power to remove him from thai command whereby he fo emito,

left

flrongly

nently diftinguifhed himfelf. It is-the diflatisfadion v/hich forms a leading •

the character of the Afihericans

which produces

this

-as

a^

fpirit trait

,1.-

of in

people,

malevolence it prefent, juft

coul

twc .it;

—

T t*'

juft as

did formerly; and

it

if

their public af-

were rcguUted by a pcriba lent from

iUirs

heaven, I lirmly

bejivive

hf^ aits, ^

iuflead

of

meeting with uniyerfal approbation,, would by many be confidered

and

deceitful

as

flagi-

'J

-Sf-o")

Hi nic

L£TTER

^^'^''"

VIII

'

'f^^

Singular MUdnefs of the Winter of 1795-6. 5'e'/ out for Lcmcajier. Tturnpike Road be^

—

*

that Place

tiveen

'

' "''

mary Fiew

'^'

Defcription of the

and

'*

Farmers,

y

Farms between Lancafer Farmers

Fhiladelphia.-'-^T^he

penurious Style.

'

and Fhiladelphiai^^Sum-

of the State of Pennjylijania,-^

—

—Bad

^ '^

"'' '

•^

^' -'"'•

.

in

a ifF'

'^Waggons and Waggoners, ^^

live

Greatly inferior to FngU.fi Taverns on this Road,

—

— Cujloms

of of LancaJter,^^Lately made the Seat of the State Goniernment.-^ MamtfdSiures carried onihere.'-^Rife Guns^—

latter,

—

Defcriptiori

Great Dexterity ufe them,

—

nvith

SIR,

^''?

^•.

MJ-

h,;f.r

..

.,

>K-

v

••'

jHtf't.! *>i',JW Areet, ftrect by which ihcfe peo-

for the purpofc.

in Philadelphia, the •,

it is

•.

I 2

pi'*'

m

;

TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

ii6

come

pie

into the town,

always crowded

is

with waggons and horfes, that are left Handing there all nigl^J||| This is to fave money thie expence of pRing them into a ftable,

would be too great, in the opinion of thefe people. Food for the horfes is always carried in the waggon, and the moment they ftop they are unyoked^ and fed whilft they arc

By

poor animals are

this treatment, half the

The

foundered.

horfes are fed out of a large

trough carried for the purpofe, and the pole of the

:

is

iron

--

;

.

on

.fixed

waggon by means of

pins.

Lancafter

warm*

,.

the largeft inland 'town

In

North America, and contains about nine hundred houfes, built chiefly of brick and flone^ together with fix churches, a court houfe, and gaol.

Of

tively for vinifts,

Roman

the churches, there

is

one refpec-

German Lutherans, German Cal-

Moravians, Englifli Epilcopalians, and Catholics.

regularly,

and

crois

The

ftreets are laid

each

other

out

right

at

angles.

An ad

of aifembly has been pafled, for

making this town the feat of the ftate government inHicad of Philadelphia, and the afTembLy was to meet in the year 1797. Thiscircum{tance is much in favour of the improvement of the town The Pblladelphians, inimical to .

the meafuiT,

talked of

it

much

in the fame. "

'

,

,

ftvla

»ii

;

Ola;-'

RIFLE GUNS.

"7

Ayle that they do now of the removal of the ieat of the federal government, faying, that it

mufl be again changed jH^hiladelphia ; but the neceffity of having the feat of the legiflature as central as poffible in

each

ftate is

obvious, and if a change does take place again, bi it is

moft

likely that it will only be to

remove

the feat ftill farther from Phila-' jlphia. On the fame principle, the aflembly of Virginia meets now at Richmond inftead of Williamf-

burgh, and that of

New York ftate, New York.

at

Albany

inftead of the city of

"

Several different kinds of articles are

nufadtured at Lancafter by

,

ma-

German mecha-

nics, individually, principally for the people of

the town and the neighbourhood. Rifled barrel

guns however are to be excepted, which,

although not as

handfome

as

thofe

im-

ported from England, are more efteemed by

the hunters, and aVe fent to every part of the country.

The

rifled barrel

guns,

commonly ufed

in

America, are nearly of the length of a muflcct,

and carry leaden to iixty in the

balls

from the

Some

pound.

fize

of thirty

hunters prefer

thofe of a fmall bore, becaufe they require but little

ammunition

;

others prefer fuch as have

a wide bore, becaufe the infli«^ is

more

certainly attended with death

the wound, however, '

•

m

wound which they

1

made hy 3

a ball

dif-

charged

% TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

\ii

tharged from one of thefe guns,

The

flangerous.

and the grooves

always very

is

ipfide of the barrel

riiiA

fluted,

is

from

in a fpiral diredlion

one end of the barrel to the other, confequently when the ball comes out it has £| whirlirtg motion round its

fame it

t'uhQ that it

own

moves forward,

i

inters into the body of an animal,

is

chofen for a

after a proper portion

barrel, the ball

rifle

of

it

\

wheil

tears

beft

is

put

down with

of

down

the

fmall bit of

and

linen rag, well greafed at the outfide,

then forced

up

and

barrel gun,

inclofed in a

is

it

The

the ilefh in a dreadful manner.

powder

et the

axis,

a thick ramrod.

The

which are called a little box at the but-

greafe and the bits of rag,

patches, are carried in

end of the gun. The beft rifles are furniflied with two triggers, one of which being firft pulled fets the other, that io that

it

will yield

Thev

a feather.

«

is,

alters the fpring,

even to the flight touch of

are alfo furniflied with

dou-

ble fights along the barrel, as fine as thofe of

a

furveying

inftrument.

An

to -If-

h

experienced

markfinan, with one of thefe guns, will hit an objedl not larger than a crown piece, to a certainty, at the diflance of one

Two men

hundred yards.

belonging to the Virginia

rifle

re-

giment, a large divifion of which was quartered in this -,

•'-'

-''

town during the war, had fuch •,

^fi^i.iu

,,

a

dcpendance

R

f

'

^^1 ^'i#'i ^ '

GU

r«nT,',R;^F L E

N-S^

-

•

..

-

119

dependance on each other's dexterity, that the

one would hold a piece of board, not more than nine inches fquare, between his knees, whilil the other (hot at diftance of

with a

it

ball at

one hundred paces.

the

This they

ufed to do alternately, for the amufement of the town's people, as often as they were called upon*

Numbers of

people in Lancaftcr

can vouch for the truth of this I, however, to tell you all the

Were

fadt.

ftories I

have

heard of the performances of riflemen, you

would think the people were moft abominably addi(Sted to lying. A rifle gun will not carry (hot, nor will

it

carry a ball

one hundred yards with

^tgiihqi

I

uf

-

ll

rbm

V.' t

pifirfy tjl^i'^t

tiidl

''

-

kb't nv b"^*H

hbrf

b'5d\\fyi'Ji^W^isi

' •

;

f *«>

farther than

HVt

Uili ii^)dio^jihki)3\b^Ui}rt''

.*9dj >'t)t{fi ,^f

to thu(if tdgifl ')di or r4v/>

-nob

much

certainty.

'

y

r^HT

'jirto' rtt

I^S n f >'f*y i^'y*«f4 >

14

(lfv>

»•

^rr

*

.

^t iMr6\' ;H*>fi?/;4ra".

n >^ /rO^

H 'vff i"?j^- ^ ^t^ a

f

'itrff

.Vf -5 i^

i

;

*

^,:;^t

' .

i a

;•.

>i

r(

.'lib

A ]i

^

51

i

i-1

}; .M^iii/irsvci

J-'i

Number

i>f G'ernihnt

V/'

r'(

m

the Neighbourhood of

Tork and Lancafler,'*^How brought over,-^ White Siavelrdde.'^Crueltyfrequentlyprac^ ^tifed in the carrying

it

on,

— Character of

the

German " Settlers contrajkd with

that of the Americam-^^PaJfage (f the Sufquehannah between York and Lancafier,^^Great Beauty

of the ProfpeBs along the River, tion

—

•Tiefcrip"

ofTork.^^Courtsof Jujlice there.'^Of

the Pennjyhanian Syjiem of Judicature, •

a,

T

MY DEAR

SIR,

,

i,^,y Ji^j

[jf^ii

Arri«cd at this pkce, which


fliocking

fiances of cruelty in the carrying

vulgarly

into

'i?''^

^.v.'.''^!" ">'\'"i

*

fatisfied

and difcon tented with what they

they are for ever changing. i

nor having

:

It

is

reft-

;

poiTefs,

fcarcely pof-^

any part of the continent to find a man, amongft the middling and lower claiTes of Americans, who has not changed his farm fible in

and his relidence many it

is,

that

Thus

different times.

though there are not more than

four millions of people in the United States, yet

thty are fcattered from the confines of

Canada

to the fartlied: extremity

and iVom

the

of Georgia,

Atlantic to the banks of the

ThoulUnds of acres of wafte land arc annually taken up in unhealthy and unfruitful parts of the country, notwithftandiiTg Milliffippi.

ill

that the bcft fettled and hcjlthy pa'

niiddic Pates

number of

would maintain

five

ts

of the

times the

inhabitants that they do at prcfent.

The American,

hov/cver,

about fioni place to place in

docs not change this

manner merely •

to

;

m

SUSQJJEHANN A. M.W

E

T

tz-;

ta gratify a wandering difpofition in every By the change he hopes to make money. deiire of making money, both the Germans -,

and Americans of every actuated in

are

intereft it is

all

movements;

their

always uppermoft

is

and dcfcription,

clafs

in their

the idol which they vvorlhip, and at

found, in

make

all

r

its

would

thoufands and thoufands

flirine

be

of the country, ready to

parts

a facrifice of every noble anci generous

human mind.

fentiment that can adorn the 5^

felf-

thoughts

In coming

croffed the

nearly

from

to this place

•

^

Lcincaller, I

Sufquehannah River, which runs

midway between the two towns,

at

the I

:

fmall village of Columbia, as better boats arc

kept there than at either of the ferries higher

up or lower down the river. The Sulquchannah is here fomewhat more than a quarter of a mile wide

;

and

for a confiderable diltance,

both above and below the Icrry, ii abounds with iflands and large rocks, over \^ I.ich la(t the water runs with prodigiou.> vclovii/r roaring noife that

The

it

makes

way

oif.

fide,

and are thickly wooded

banks

are covered with

rile

fmall

is

very ;

trees,

li; '

ijdly

the

u great

fj[Ting

the river

agaiall ihc

ftrcam

under

I

,;

J

TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

17.8

under the. ihore» and thon to ilpke over to the oppoiite £dc, under the Qielter of Ibme

of the largeil iHands. As thcfe rapids con-^ tinue for many miks, they totally impede the navigation, excepting in the river, at

when

there arc floods

which time large

rafts

may

be conducted down the dream, carrying Icveral

hundred barrels of flour.

It is faid that the

be rendered navigable in this neighbourhood, but the expence of fuch an river could

undertaking wot:!d be enormous, and there little

likelihood indeed

that

it

is

will ever be

attempted, as the Pennfylvanians are already

engaged in cutting a canal below Harriiburgh, 11 i.

which

I;

will connect the navigable part of the

river with the Schuylkill, and alio another

canal from the Schuylkill to the Delaware,

by means of which

a

vent will be opened

for the produce of the country bordering

upon

Thefe Philadelphia. would have been hnilhed by this time, if the fubfcribers had all paid their refpedivc iliares, but at prefent they ure almort at a Hand (or want of money. \^^,: ^r-^dum. the Sufquchannah at canals

i

,

.2 The

quantity of wild fowl that

every part of the Sufquehannah

is

Throughout America the wild fowl ktti and plentiful; but there particular found

towinacjnd

on

this rive*

J^.^s^AfV^9r^i

is .

immenfe. is

excel-

one duck

a*, a

alfo

u

ir

on Pa-

whkhjG,ir|>anrcs

•^f.l.h.;>!T ,f\

fecn cfn

is

all

Oti46J§;

It Is callecf

otliers':

between tliS'wings Tome what of the colour of canvafs. This

duck, from beiiiii

duck it is

tHe \vhite arcanVafs-back

the ^feathers

held in fuch eftfmattori in America, that

Is

font frequently as a prefcnt for hundreds

of miles

— indeed

it

would be

a dainty

morfel ''^

for the grcateft epicure in any country.'*'^'"*

York contains about rnd

fix churches,,

town

whom

much fuch

is

It

is

as Lancafler.

mans, by

hundred ho^f??

five

and

anotlier

inhabited by Ger-

the fime manufadtures are

carried on as at Lancifler.

The

courts of

common

and thote of

picas,

general quarter iefllons, were holding

reached

this

fore, at

firft,

at laft

I

place;

I

found

it

when

difiicult,

I

there-

to procure accommodatio.i, but

got admifiion in a houfe principally

To hehu'd

taken up by lawyers.

the ftrange

alfcmblage of perfons that was brought toge-

ther this morning

which was

one poor apartment

in the

lodiijei^s, wasrcdly Here one lawyer had there corner of the room

allotted to all the

a fubtcft of diverfion. clients in

hivS

a

;

had his;

unotlicr

a

third

was

(Ir.iving;

a

fourth powdering his ownliair; a fifth not-

ing his

brici';

Miiddle of

th'v"

and the tabic {landing in the

room, between a clamorcus

of Old 'men on one

u^tneh

of

thi;

left

in

tears

on

fide,

tl)e

fet

and three or it^

other

;

a^mpany wlio were not

I

and the re^

lawyers, were

to cat our breakt'all.

\'oL.

[.

ii

On

TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA

t3o.

On

entering into the courts, a ftrangcr

:

apt

is

to fmiie at the grotefque appearance of the

who

judges

prefled

man-

prefide in then:i, and at their

ners on the bench

when

but

i

this fmile

mud be

recoUefted, that there

it is

fup-

no

is

country, perhaps, in the world, where juftice is

more

impartially adminiftercd, or

obtained by thole

who have been

more eafily

injured.

The

'S

judges ore no

in the

country parts of Pennfylvania

more than

infancy

plain farmers,

who from

have been accultomed to

their

lirtle elfe

The

laws ex-

declare that there muft be,

at leafl,

than following the plough. r^.*^:

prefsly

three judges refidcnt in every county

the falary allowed

is

but a mere

now as

j

trifle,

no law-

yer would accept of the ofBce, 'which of courfe muft be filled from ainongft the inhabitants *, who are all in a happy ftate of mediocrity, and on a pcrftd equality with each other. The diftridt

judge, however,

who

prefides in the

diftrid or circuit, has a larger falary, and hfr

a

man of a

different

The

cafi:.

cuit confifls of at lead three, but not J!t'

The

fix ccnntie'^.

more than

county judges, which

have i.cniiuned, are

'*

is

diftrid or cirSac

I

judges of the court of

Pi ro

comi' on pleas, aiiu by virtue ot their ofTices

" aUb judices of oyer and terminer, and ge."'nA ?\*-^.v-«i#''Av

•

't'his IS affo tlie

tifing pliyficians

V

^

*>-•'

I

—

Mi'. 'A

cafe in Philadelphia,

and furgcons

fitting

iv.wv^*!:

where wc

on the bench

as

**

ncral

find

pnx-

"i-

npi

judges in

a court of juftice.

ton

PENNS YLVANIA-C0U-RT8. **

in

for the trial of capital

neral gaOl delivery,

Any t^o

**^nd other offenders therein."

judges compofe the court of quarter

Under

feffions.

by law,

certain regulations, eftabiiihed

the accufed party has the power of removing the proceedings into the fupreme court, which

has jurifdidlion over every part of the

This {hort account of the courts to Pennfylvania

a feparate code of laws for

u

.Mi^r.1 -

ri

v:mi

.ad

ibtea :mii:

.

)tni^M jra A

l.mv.'JvV;,,,|

./ui)

'.:.);h-

i\;i\:

I^IA^

toii

.

I

iv.

'

L E T T E R

•(}].'.

^hJ.' JQU

X.

-

ti*^ '

• •>,

u.y

;!;-.,< tJ

0/t/je Country near

TorL

— Of

the Soil of the Country on each Side of the Blue Mountains. •^Frederic-town. Change in the Inhabi-

tants

and

in

— Country — Numbers —

the

wards the Sea.

bacco chiefly cultivated.

People at the Taverns *^^

v.I'.-p.v

•

-.''-•m'5'51;

'

^>7j.(i.

i

svstan

t*

and" a diftindt

fi'»T

Sv:iK)l\

ZlX.i

only

union has

itfelf,

tJDLi-.iiJ.rj'.yji:

iudicature.

relates

ev^ery (late in the

:

ftate.

—

as you proceed to-

of Slaves.

—To-

Inquifitivenefs

— Obfcrvations

ofthe

thereon.

Defcription of the Great Falls of the River. George Town.—

towmac

—

Of

Pathe

Country between that Place and Hoe's Ferry. ^ s-

'

:

Poifonous Vines.

— Port

Tobacco.

— Wret-

ched Appearance of the Country bordering upon th^ pcrr^s-^lavcs neglel^cd,

K2

—

.,,,

PlSai/J

v7.>i

to go to decay, as the land around

worn

""

H9

i

them

is

and the people find it more to thtir remove to anotlicr part of the country, and clear a piece of rich land, thaa out,

intereft

"

to

to attempt to reclaim thefe exhaufted plains.

J

In confequence of this, the country in many of the lower parts of Maryland appears as if

had been deferted by one half of

it

its

in-

habitants.

Such a number of roads

upon

ilionscrofs over thefe flats, : ,,

t

there

is

it

human

being

fo rarely

way

at once.

1 obp.cco

to the ferry,

jjcertainly travelled twice the

/t

wc

got there.

met with, Inflcad of

The

my horfc

number

had

before

ferry-houfe was one of

thofe old dilapidated manfions that formerly

.was the .:

and the

twelve miles, the diftance by the flraight road

ri;from Port

;>


^

f^j

'

the neareft fliipping town, where, before exportation,

it is

examined by an infpedlor ap-

who

pointed for the purpofe, ficate to

gives a certi-

warrant the fhipping of

it^ if it

is

if not, he fends it back to the owner. Some of the warehoufes to which the tobacco is fent for infpedtion are very extenfive ; and fkilful merchanf:s can accurately tell the quality of the tobacco from knowing the warehoufe at which it has been Where the road* are good and infpedted .

found and merchantable,

dry, tobacco

is

the warehoufes in a

fent to

Two

manner:

fingular

large pins of

wood

are driven into either end of the hogfliead,

by way of axles

;

a pair of Shafts,

made

for

the purpofe, are attached to thefe, and the

hoglhead horfes

is

thus drawn along by one or

when

;

done, great care

this is

to have the hoops very ftrong. as

vi

is

taken

a

-.y.

Tobacco is not near fo much cultivated now it was formerly, the great demand for wheat

having induced moil: of the planters to

Thofc who

that grain in preference. •j7:.-.j

'

two

...

:4

;,;

»-'ii

J'*'

-io

tM.

raife

raife to-

uij

bacco

* 67 the laws of America, no produce which has undergone ' any fort of manufaAure, as flour, potaih, tobacco, rice, &c. can be exported without infpeAion, nor even put into a boat to be conveyed down a river to a fea port. The infpeftors are all fworn, arc paid by the ftates, and not fuffered to take feel from any individual. This none but the bed of each country,

it

is

a

mod

article

politic

meaforc

;

for as

can be fent out of the

enhances the price of American produce in fo-

rr igq markets,

and

increafes the dema'ad.

i

TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA:

156

bacco and Indian rorn are called planters, and

who cultivate foiall grain, farmers, Though many of the houfes in die Nor^ thern Neck are built, as I have faid, of brick thofe

,xy^^^:

'

and ftone,

manor

the ftyle of .the old Englifli

in

number there,, of wood ; a-

houfes, yet the greater

and throughout Virginia,

mongft which are

all

are

thofe that have been

This is chiefly owing to though abfurd opinion, that

built of late years.

a

prevailing,

wooden houfes

are the healthieft, becaufe the

infide walls never appear

damp,

like thofe

byick and (lone, in rainy weather.

of every houfe

is

of

In front

a porch orj^ent-houfe,

com-

monly extending the wholfJiength of the building

;

very ofte n there

and fometimes

all

is

one

alfo in the rear,

round. Thefe porches aflx>rd

an agreeable fhade from the fun during fumnier.

The

hall, or

faloon as

it is

called, is

always a favourite apartment, during the hot weather, in a Virginian houfe, on account of the drauglit of air through

farniflied fimilar to a parlour, ''

The

and

it,

with

it is

ufually

fofas, 6cc.

con-jmon people in the lower parts of

Virginia have very fallow complexions,

owing

to the burning rays of the fun in fummer,

and the bilious complaints to which they are fubje

runs th

habitdt

and

the

woods cedar

ti

quality

J -v!

J

vn Sih

3")

11

Ti '

Williamfturgh, AprU.

'^'

On

t

croflted,

time has been fpent at the houfes of dif-

pahahnc

I laft

gentlemen

in

the

Northern Neck.

Four days ago I crolTed the Rappahannock River, which bounds the Northern Neck on one fide, to a fmall town called Tappabannock, or Hobb's Hole, containing about one hundred houfes. Before the war, this town was in a much more flourifhing ftatc

which

;

that unfortunate conteft ru-

ined the trade of this

very unl are feen

would

-,^-c>

-

is

b(

rizontal iliofi

hi

i

1

p

place, as it did

1 obfcrve

towns in Virginia. about three quarters of

which ar of thcyej

little

that of moft of the fea-port

The Rappahannock

t

der thej

I

than at prefent

.

(

wrote, the greater part of my

ferent

-

c

remarJ

the

— Manner offlopping dreadful Progrefs,—Mode ofgetting from —Tork Town,"-Remains — Sled here during the of — American War, Houfes jhattered by Balls Bank of the Ri^ fill remaining. — Caiie — Williamfburghi^-Stdtf 'Imfe Ruins, Woods,

^rees.

venty

very

a mile

*"rT''i!'*'*^'"f "•

"

"-"'

'""'•jt'ii)-'

m wide oppofite the town, which

a mile

venty miles above

its

mouth.

remarkable, the

Sharks are

What

very often feen in this river.

found on

ftfh are all

of the river next to the town, ,,.

From Tappahannock

fmall

to

fe^

is

,,

very

is

tlie fide

.\y

.,

,

.-

Urbanna, another

town on the Rappahannock River,

li-

tuated about twenty- five miles lower down,

the country wears but a poor afpedl.

•

'

,

>^.

which is level and very fandy, runs through woods for miles together. The .,\Tlie road,

habitdtiohs that are leen from

it

are but few,

and ihcy are of the pooreft defcription. The woods chiefly coniift of black oak, pine, and cedar trees, which grow Op landt of the worft quality only.

On

-

-

this road there arc

many

creeks to be

cro^d, which empty themfelvcs into the Ra* pahannock River; in the neighbourhood of which there are extenfive marflies, that render the adjacent country, as

may be

fuppofed,

Such a quantity of

very unhealthy.

fnipes

are feen in thefe marches continually, that

would be hardly

poffiblc to fire a gun, in a

rizontal dired:ion>

'^'

As

I paffed

I obferved

and not

through

many

kill

this part

many

at

it

ho-

one

of the country^

traces of iires in the

woods,

which are frequent, it feems, in the fpring of the year. They ufually proceed from the T^kiu

i. ^

negligence

;

:

TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA

i6o

ticgligeilce

wood

of people

who

are burning bruQi-

to clear the lands; and coniidering

how

often they happen,

it is wonderful that they with more ferious confe-

are not attended

quences than commonly follow. nefs

myfdf

I

to one of thefe fires,

was

a wit-

that hap-

mg

ro

had pa appcan fome b places

1

fummit growth,

pened in the Northern Neck. The day had been remarkably ferene, and appearing fa-

fame

vourable for the purpofc, large quantities of

the furn

'

brufiiwood had been fired at different places in the afternoon, however,

and ftreams of hot

air

it

became

were perceptible, now

and then, the ufual tokens of a five o'clock,

fultry,.

About

guft.

the horizon towards the north

became dark, and a terrible whirlwind arofe. I was {landing with fome gentlemen on an and perceived it graIt carried with it a cloud dually advancing. dried leaves, and pieces of rotten of dud,

eminence

at the time,

wood, and

in

many

places, as

levelled the fence rails,

We

it

came

along,

it

and unroofed the (heds

ti

with

th