ravels THROUGH THE INT'ERIOR PARtS 0 F M E R I C A. 1 N A SERIES OF LETTERS. by an officer. T.' Iv, M Tif tiiroi, T«UT» xiy-M D'pv vw J ' L* ynuTii xoii aTrSisir^t »y.(p(/rt^x. Demosth. Oltnih. VOL. I. LONDON: -^Printed for WILLIAM LANE, Leadenhall-Strcet. M D C n 1 3t X X 1 X , TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE EARL OF HARRINGTON, VISCOUNT PETERSHAM, AND COLONEL OF THE TWENTY-NINTH- REGIMENT OF FOOT, my lord, TJAVING had the honor to ferve under your Lordfliip, it was my fortune, in common with all who were in the fame litua- , ( ii ) fituation, to become attached, to your Lordfhip by perfonal obligations ; and it is a confe- quence which I hope will be thought equally natural, that I fhould take this occahon to ac- knowledge them. - . In laying before the Public un- common fcenes of difficulty, dan-' ger arid Hiffirefs, I might be further tempted, had I talents for the undertaking, to particularize the unremitting fortitude, which, in feveral of the moh; trying in- ftances, diftinguiffied your Lord- fiiipV:ieondu(9:: but examples of |>rav*y, though nc^jc can be more' confpicHOUs than thole your Lord- Ihip ^he^A'ed 5 abound in every clafs of a Eiitiffi army : more rare though { iii ) though not lefs worthy of imita- tion, is the fort of. attachment your Lordfliip has always fliewn to your corps. - It has been your praife, my Lord, v/hen out of the field, to forego the pleafures which high rank, fortune, youth, and accomplifli- ments opened to your view, and to brave the feverity of climate, through tedious winters, in mere military fellowfiiip. In retired quarters, you found the care of your men to be at once the true preparation For your country’s fervice, and a moft gratifying enjoyment to your own benevolence : while on their parts, they they confldered their leader as their beft friend and benefador. Dif* cipline was thus placed upon a balls that mechanical valor can nev^er eftablilh, upon a principle worthy of troops who can think and feel, confidence and gratitude* Duly imprefled with thefe and many other of your virtues— -many more than you would permit me to enumerate ; I have the honoj to be My Lord, Your Lordlhip’s moft obedient, And moft devoted Humble Servant, THOMAS ANBUREY. ir f- fis er id ^y ae 01 PREFACE. HE following letters were written to gratify private friendfliip, and would never have been intruded upon the Public, but from the entreaties of fome of the ^ moll refpeftable Subfcriber*\i,o the W ork, who flattered the Author^' that as they contained much authentic information, relative to America, little known on this fide of the Atlantic, they could not fail of being interefting to the Public. Their Their ftyle and manner will clearly evince them to be the aftual refult of a familiar correlpondence, and by no means void of thofe inaccuracies neceflarily arif- ing from the rapid effufions of a confef- fedly inexperienced Writer, which will fcarcely be wondered at, by thofe who confider how widely different are the qua- lifications neceffary to form the Soldier and the x\uthor. Every thing the Reader may meet with will not appear ftriflly nourjelle ; but this is a circumftance unavoidably attending the writer of a tour through a country, which has been already the fubjedt of fo much difcuflion; but there are certainly many new circumftances related, which will ferve to point out tlie true character and manners of the Americans. The fafts came within his own know- ledge, or are fupported by fome honour- able authority } and his motto has evei been, Nothing extenuate. Nor fet down aught in Malice. They will ftrike every man with the greater force, after the evident partiality of a late Author, who has been led to reprefent the Favorers of Independence as poflefled of every amiable qualification, and thofe who efpoufed the rights of the Mother Country, as deftitute of common feelings, and humanity itfelf. The Author, fenfible how much thofe Subferibers, whofe generofity has exceeded the limits of the fubfeription, would be hurt by a particular diftin6tion, co- jointly renders them thofe thanks, “ Which the tried heart that feels alone can give.” DIRECTIONS FOR PLACING TI^E PLATES. VOL. I. Map of America, oppofite the Title Page Facing Page View of St. John’s, upon the River Sorrell • • 136 The Sedion and Plan of a Blockhoufe • » •> 138 Indian Warrior . . • . . 291 View of the Blockhoufit an^ Saw Mill . . * 350 View of the Encampment at Still Water • • 43# VOL. II. American Continental Dollars * • . • 4^^ View of the Encampment of the Convcntioxi Army, at I Charlottcfvillc ■ n « . J SUBSCRIBERS T O the work. fajc I* HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS — THE DUKE OF YORK ** HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS— PRINCE WILLIAM HENRY ** HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS — THE DUKE OF GLOUCESTER * HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS — THE DUKE pF CUMBERLAND His Grace- The Right Hon. The Right Hon.- The Hon. Lady- His Excellency- A The Duke of Argyle —The Earl of Akamont ^Lord Audley -Harriet Ackland -Baron D’Alvenflebca THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF ARTILLERY! Lieut. Col. Walker , ■-Johnfton SUBSCRIBERS, Major Williains — Lcmoine • Blomeficld Captain Houghton — D ylar t — W illington Whitwortlj Collier r-Remington *— Howarth — — ^Hadden Lieut. Reed Neville ' Sutton Surgeon Mr, Wild Major AfHeck,* * Portland-Street Capt, Armflrong, (8 Regt. of Foot) James Abel, Efq —Cloak-Lane John Adams, Efcj, Alexander Adair, Efq,- .Rail MaJl Mrs. 'Fowers Allen,— Queen’s- Square Mr. A. C. Ariiold,^ Loweftoff* Mr. Rd. Aldridge, Briftol Mr. Wm. Auftm,^ -Idol-Lane Ainfley’s Library,- Edinburgh Andrews’s Library, -Worceiter Mr. Axtell,- ^Cornhill James P. Andrews, Lfq. Amicable Society, .Northampton B The Earl of Buckinghamflxire * I he Earl of Barrymore The Earl of Balcarres The Countefs of Balcarres “ The Earl of Breadalban^ •Vifcount Barrington * V ifcount 'Beauchamp Lord Brownlow The Rt. Hon.' The Rt. Hon.- The Rt. Hon.- The Rt. Hon.- The Rt, Hon. The Rt. Hon.- 7'he Rt. Hon.- The Rt. Hon.- SUBSCRIBER • BraJdyll) Efq. Mrs. Braddyll . Sir Robert Barker, Bart. Sir William Aiiguftus Erov/n, Bart. JRichard Benyon, Efq. M. F. Cicneral Burgoyne Dr. Brocklelby) Norfolk -Street * Lieut. Col. Bowyer, (66 Regt.) Capt. Bell, (iCjReot.) Lieut. Col. Baillie, Edinburgh Capt. Bowen, Independent Comp. Capt. Barrette, Doncafter, (lOO Regt*) Lieut. Budworth, (72 Regt.) Richard Barwell, Efq. M. P. — — Blomfieid, Efq. John Bax, Efq. -Frefton, Kent John Benjafield, Efq. Fariiament-Str^:t Thomas Beardrtiore, Efq* Temple Mr. John Berry, — —Canterbury- Square The Rev. Mr. Bowcher, Piccadilly George Biggins, Efq. — Effex-Street Ynyr Biirgcfi, Efq. Eail India Hcufc The Rev. Dr. Bate, iWalcon Lieut. Bartlet, (Royal Engineers) — : — Chathattl Mr, Broughton, Treafury Mr. John Breadhower, ^Portfmouth Mr. Barnikle, Plymouth Mr. Burtenlhaw's Library, Brighthclipftcnr Thomas Bowes, Efq. Mr. Bull’s Library, Bath Mr. Thomas Batchelor, — — Briftol Mr. Beazeley, — — *-Black-Friars Road Mr. J. B, Becket, Briftol John Bourchier, Efq. — — ^Ipfwich Mr. Barrukel Rob. Barrett, Efq. London Capt. Arthur Buttcll, Murines James Betts, Efq. Efiex-Street Wm. Butler, Efq. Grefl'c- Street Mr. Baker’s f library, -bouthan ptoit Mr. Barry’s Library, ^SUBSCRIBERS. C The Rt. Hon The Earl of ChefterfielJ The Rt. Hon. 'Fhe Earf of Carlifle The Rt. Hon. I'he Earl of Cliolmondeley The Rt. Hon.' The Earl of Camden The Rt. Hon. Ehe Earl of Cavan 'J"hc Rt. Hon. Lord Craven 'Ehe Rt. Hon. Lord Cliftbrd 'I he Rt. Hon. Lord Cai berry V The Rt. Hon. Lord Cathcart The Rt. Hon.- Lord Fred. Campbell Sir Win. Clcrke, Bart. Sir Hy. Gough Calthorpe, Sir Henry Clinton, K. B. General Chriftie, l.eicefter- Square Major Campbell, (24. Rcgt. of Foot) 1 Capt. Cotter, (103 Regt.) Bryan Cooke, Efq. Mrs. Cooke Wm. Covvden, Efq. Meufe Ralph Clayton, Efq. Richard Ctofts, Efq . Pall MaH d'he Rev. Mr. Cove, Helftonc Mrs. Cafement, -ditto James Crowdy, Efq. Swindon, Wjhs Adr. Jos. CpI borne. Surgeon, Brentwood Mr, Edm. Cotterell, Cold Bath Fields M r . J ames Cooper, S within’s- Lane Dr. Cockali Mr. d'homas Conder, AlJerfgate Street 1 he Pvcv. Mr. Cruiwcll, Oakingham • James Cobb, Efq. EaR India Boufe Mr. Crawford’s Library, Brighthelnaftonc Jos. Chew, Efq Sec. for India Affairs, North America William Curtis, Efq 1 ondon Lieut. Crichton, (31 Regt.) Gofport J. Croft, Efq. SUBSCRIBERS. irthAw*' D His Grace The Duke of Devonfhirc The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Derby The Rt. Hon. I'he Earl ofDartmonth The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Donegal The Rt. Hon ^The Countefs of Darnky The Rt. Hon. -Vifeount D uncannon The Rt, Hon. Vifeount Dalrymple The Rt. Hon. Lord Dude The Rt. Hon. Lord Dorchefter Colonel Dundas ^ , ... Lieut. Will. Dalton, (Royal Navy) Lieut. Col. Delancey, Margaret-Street, Cavendifli-bquarc Major Dalrymple, (49 Rcgt* Foot) Ca^. Duncan Richard Dowding, Efq. Shadwell Mr. GeorK Dixon,— -—Woobarne Mr. John Dew, Shenfield Mr. B. U. Dowfon, - — Geldefton The Rev. D. Davies, Macclesfield Dulot and Owen’s Library, Brighthelmftone MelT. Downes and March, -Yarmouth The Rev. H. Bate Dudley, Bradwell Rich. Jles Dimfdale, Efq. E The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Effingham The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Eglingtounc The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Eufton The Rt. Hon. Lord Elphinftone Sir James Erlkine, Bart. Cavendilh-Square THE ROYAL ENGINEERSi Major General Sir William Greene, Bart. Lieut, Col. Moncrief Capt. I'wifs SUBSCRIBERS* Capt. Rudyard Lieut. Beatfon — — Courture — Bartlett Mrs. Edgar, — — Percy-Strcct Mrs. Edwards,-*— Savage-Gardens Mr. Thomas Evans, Minories F* n. • ‘ ^ • i The Rt. Hon. ———The Earl of Faiiconbefg ’ ^ The Rt. Hon. Vifcount Falmouth • The Rt. Hon. -Vifcount Fielding '' v The Rt. Hon. — ’ — ■■Charles James Fox The Rt, Hon.*— — M, Fitiipatrick TIRST (or king’s) REGIMENT OF DRAGOON GUARDS* General Sir George Howard. K. ^ Lieut. Col. Vyfe ** Capt. Trotter Lieut, Hawley r* ^ Syer — — Beckford — Serjeantfon Need Cornet Hamilton * FIRST REGIMENT OF FOOT GUARDSi Colonel Bertie - - ■ — Strickland ~ Francis Needham H..F. Stanhope ' Sir Charles Afgill, Bart. FIFTEENTH REGIMENT OF FOOT# Li^ut. Gen, Sir. Wm. Fawcett Lieut, Col, Myers SUBSCRIBERS. Capt. Madden ■ Ditmas ■ ■ ■■■ Paumier .. — Spencer Gordon Brown Cockburne Lieut. Ball > — — S topfor d Enlign Barnard Me Donald Qr. Mailer Watkins Surgeon Mr. Anderfon FORTY-SIXTH REGIMENT QF FOOT# Lieut. Col. Hon. Colin Lindfay GUAift Major Leighton Capt. Bell ... Wale Lieut. Lloyd — James •—Dallas FORTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT OF FOOT, Lieut. Col. Irving Major Coote ■ — .Alcock — ■ ■ .Aubrey Capt. Sir Henry Mart Featherftone Lieut. Johnfon Hill ■ Baldwin .——Me Lean FORTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT OF FOOT. Lieut. Col. Hedges D’Arcy . 5 U Majdr Campbell Capt. Jones Lieut. Jones Roberts Enfign Bcevor Power Colonel Forbes, Arllngton-Strcet ’ Lieut. Col. Forfter, (66 Regt. Foot) Thomas Forfyth, Ei'q. New Bond-Street Cuthbert Fiftier, Efq. Tower I. Flint, Efq. Shrewftury Mr. Fletcher, Liverpool 2 fets Mr. Forreft,— St. Martin’s-Lane Rofe Fuller, Efq. — ^ W igm ore- Street Walter Farquhar, Efq.— «r^Great Marlborough- Street Mr. Firmin, Strand Thomas Fortune, Efq. ———London Mr. Fenno’s Library, ■■ - ■ Colchefter BSCRIBERS< G His Grace*.- — r-^The Duke of Grafton His Grace The Duke of Gordon The Rt. Hon Earl Grofvenor The Rt. Hon. — —Earl of Glafgow The Rt. Hon. Lord Gage ^ jeneral Gordon Capt. Gwynn Lieut. Gordon, Parliament -Street -T— Grant, E(q. Richard Gray, Efq. Pall Mall Mrs. Gibfon, Hertford-Street Samuel Greaves, Efq. Mancheftcr The Rev. Mr. Gryll, -Helftone Mr. 1'. Gryll, ditto Thomas Glynn, Efq. The Rev. Mr. Gilbert, ^Helllonq , Mr. Gardner,— London 1/ . V SUBSCRIBERS. H et )Ugh-kn His Grace —The Duke of Hamilton The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Huntingdon The Rt. Hon. I'he Earl of Harrington The Rt. Hon.- 'I'he Earl of Harcourt The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Hertford The Rt. Hon.- Lord Howard The Rt. Hon. Lord Hawke The Rt. Hon. Lord Hawkelhury The Rt. Hon. Lord Heathfield I'he Rt. Hon. Lord Hogd The Rt. Hon. Lord Archibald Hamilton The Rt. Hon. Lord Spencer Hamilton Sir Watts Horton, Bart. The Hon. Mrs. Horton The Hon. I^ady Horton The Rev. Mr. Horton The Hon. Mr. Heneage Mr. Harman, Princes- Street, oppofite the Manfion-Houfe THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF HORSE GUARDS. The Rt. Hon. General Conway Col. Balthwayt Capt. Milnes Chaplin — • Jeft'erfon Col. Harnage, Parliament- Street Major Hawker, ditto Capt Hanchett Capt. Hardy Major Haines, Hampfhire Mr. Hall, Surgeon, (51 Regt.) I'he Rev. Mr. Hornby Mrs. Hindes, Hertford-Street John Hawkins, Efq. Helftone James Watfon Hull, Efq. Belvedere, Ireland b SUBSCRIBERS, Trevor Hull, Efq. Greck-Strcet Mr. Hinckes Great Portland-btreet Mr. John Harding, Strand Mr Hollyoake, Red Licn^Square Mr. Han is, St. Mary Axe Anthony Highmore, Efq. ditto * Edward Heylm, Efq Iflington Mr, Hope, Upper Seymour- Street, Cavendirn-Square Benj. H. lihaw, Efq Hodfdon Thomas Hodgfon, Efq Brillol Meff. Haydon and Sons, Plymouth The Gentlemens Book Club at Helftone Col. Hill, (late of the 9th Rcgt.) Helftone Capt. Richard Hill, Helftone William Hofte, Efq. Barwick Mr. George Plall, Star-Office, Exeter-Street ‘ I The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Jerfey ^ Lieut. Col. Jacques, (51. Rcgt. of Foot) Sir John Johnfon, Superintendant to the Indians in Canada Col. Jeffop, Pludyer-Street Lieut. Jones, iLower Brook-Street Gen. Johnfon Alex. Irvine, Efq. Berner’s -Street Mr. Richard Johns,— —Helftone ^ Mr. Johnfon, Piccadilly ^ Mr. Samuel Johnfon,— Briftol K The Rt. Hon. Lord Kenfington Lieut. Col. Kingfton, (7.8 Regt, of Foot) Capt. Kempthorne,—— Helftone — Kellett, Efq.^ Rufiel- Street, Covent-Gardea John Keene, Efq. Manfion Houfe Mr. James Kerby, London Mr. Charles Knight,— WipdfoV Mr. Frederic Kanmacher SUBSCHIBEKS. L His Grace The Puke of Leeds The Rt. Hon. The iVlarquifs of Lanfdown The Rt. Hon The Marquifs of Lothain The Rt Hon. The Earl Ludlow lh-S(ra -pijg fjon. Lord Lovainc The Hon. Robert Lindfav 'Lhe Hou. Capt. John Lindfay The Hon Hugh Lindlay > ■ Sir Michael Le Fleming, Bart. Hertford-Street General Lambton, Harley-Street Paul Le Mefurier, Efq.— M.P.— Walbrook Charter Layton, Efq. Drayton ■Street Mr. Loxley, Poultry Mr. Lofack, Wigmore-Street Mr. John Lee, Black-Friars Mr. Leigh,—— Thorndon Mr. John Lees, Brentford inCaui M His Grace The Duke of Marlborough His Grace 'The Duke of Montrofe The Rt. Hon. Vifeount Mount Edgecumbe The Rt. Hon. Vifeount Molefworth The Rt. Hon. Vifeount Melbourne The Rt. Hon. Vifeount Mountftuart The Rt. Hon Lord Milford Richard Mailer, Efq M P.— Charles -Street, BcrkleyqSq. J. Madocks,Efq.(Coldftream Regt.Gd3.)Bedlord-ttrecc Major Money, Norwich Capt. Me. K'innon, (63 Regt.) Ireland Capt. Robert Me. Crea, Guernfey Cuthbert Malhiter, Efq. Romford Edward Mafon, Efq. Spital-Fields The Rev. Mr. Mingin, Golden-Square Mr. Mackreth, Scotlaifd-Yard Mr. Jofeph Mitchell,— —Hflilone J. Milba.nkc, Efq. SUBSCRIBERS. The Rev. Dr. Morgan, St. James’s-Square James Madden, Efq. St. Albans-Street 'Ehomas Maude, Elq. -Temple Mr. Me Lcifli’s Library, Edinburgh N His Grace The Duke of Northumberland THE NINTH REGIMENT OF FOOT. Lieut. Col. Campbell Major Ritchie Capt. Baillie Hoey Buchannan Spencer > Vincent Timms Murray — Piercy Rofe Me Lean Lieut. Reynolds Mitchell Fatio Enfigns James Rofe DuflFc • Dalzicl Burbridge O ’Connor Enfi^n Kcis-htlcy Wolfe Chaplain — 1 he Rev. Mr. Clewlow THE ROYAL NAVY. Admiral Montague Capt. Dacres SUBSCRIBERS. Hardy Schanks Lieut. Wm. Dalton Wm. Bentick Mrs. Newberry, St, Paul’s Church- Yard O Sir George Ofborn, Bart. Charles-Stteet, Berkley-Square James Ormfby, Efq Dublin P His Grace The Duke of Portland Her Grace- The Dutchefs of Portland The Rt. Hon. I'he Earl of Plyniouth The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Powis The Rt. Hon. Vifcount Palmerftone I'he Rt. Hon. Lord Pelham The Rt, Hon, Lord Petre The Plon. Mr. Petre, Grofvenor-Square T he Hon. Mr. G. Petre, bomerfet-htreet The Hon. Thomas Pelham, Stretton-Strect The Hon. General Parker Gen. Pitt, Tcnterden-Street Capt. Peacock, (17 of Foot) Mr. Pugh,- — Poultry Mrs. Piozzi, Hanover- Square Mr. Phillips, Somerfetftiire Mr. I'homas Powell, Terace, Buckingham- Street Mr. Parnell, Church- Street, Spital-Fields Capt. Walter Proffer, Ireland Palmer and Merrick’s Library, - Oxford Mr. Powell, Newgate-Street Punchard and Jermyns’s Library, Ipfwich Thomas Boothby Parky ns, Efq. T homas Paulk, Efq. The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Radnor The Rt. Hon. Lord Rivers The Rt, Hon. — - — Lord Rodney The Rt. Hon. Lord Kawdon Sir Matthew White Ridley, Bart. Portland- Place Capt. Reed,- (103 Rcgt.; Mr. Robfon, ^Princes -Street, Hanover-Square Mr. Alexander Roberts, Red Lion- Square John Rogers, Efq. Helftone E. Read, Efq Chefter George Rome, Efq. Mount-Street John Le Chevalier Roome, Efq. London-Road Mr. Rufh,— Fountain •Street Alexander Rkby, Efq.- — Cobham Mrs. Raby Mr. Robinfon, — ■ —Cornhill S His Grace- — — The Duke of St. Albans The Rt. Hon. -1 he Earl of Suffolk The Rt. Hon.— -The Earl of Shaftefbury The Rt. Hon.- ^The Countefs Dow. of Shaftefbury The Rt. Hon. The Karl of Scarborough The Rt. Hon.^ — The Earl of Stanhope The Rt. Hon. ^Earl Spencer The Rt. Hon.— -The Earl Stamford The Rt. Hon. Vifcount Stormont 1 he Rt. Hon. — -Lord Say and Sele T he Rt. Hon. LordStourton The Rt. Hon. Lord St. John T he Rt. Hon.-- Lord Scarfdale The Rt. Hon. ^Lord Southampton The Rt. Hon. Lord Robert Spencer The Rt. Hon — Lady Ann Simpfon 1 he Hon. — ■ — -Mr. Sandilan^s piomas Stanley, Efq. M. P. Pall Mall R» B, Sheridan, Efq, M.P, — -Bruton Street SUBSCRIBERS. aiid-Pla GEfOND (or royal K. BRITISH) REGT. OF DRAGOONS. Major Ramfay Capt. SeaFord Smith Boardman Lieut. Fortefcue Cornet Wigley Bothwell Leigh -RoaJ ans it Shate SIXTEENTH (OR QUEEN’s) REGT. OF LIGHT DR AGOONS. The Hon. Major General Harcourt Major Gardner Hon, H. Bennett Howell Capt. Boyce Carmichael Lieut. Hawker — Smallett Archer — Munro Cornet Afliton . Lee -Pennymaa Cornet Anfon , — Deering SIXTY-SECOND REGIMENT OF FOOT, Major Gen. — Matthews Lieut. Col. — Campbell Major Howe CapL Banbury — — Sotheron Wybrants Blackall rcet V >'515nr£nsi£JJc;ii5TSl5||Sl!5n^5 ^3lSI= ’ ii SUBSCRIBERS. — . Matthias Bromhead Blacker Vallancey Lieut. James Brudenell Gourlay Batchelor Kerr Enlign Kent Garden Major Skene,— Chelfea Lieut. Stuart Mr. Seddon, Alderfgate-Street John Sawrey, Efq. Lancafliire Edw. Spike, Efq. Mrs. Spike Mifs Spike Mr. John Slade, Camberwell Daniel Seton, Efq. Stratford-Place Mr. Shierclife, Brillol Mr. Charles Spitta, College-Hill John Scott, Efq.— Wigmore-Street Capt. Scott, (53 Regtof Foot) Mr. Scott, Jun. Norwich Mifs Smiths,- -Percy-Strect James Simmonds, Efq. Banker, Canterbury Simmons and Kirby, Canterbury John Selecr, Efq. -London Mr. Stalker, London Mr. Sollors,- -Blandford "f'he Rev. Mr. Salmon Mr. J. F. Soucl,' Guernfey John Seeker, Efq.- Windfor • btell’s Library,— ^Haftings subscribers, T The Rt. Hon. The Marquifs of Titchfield The Rt. Hon. Lord Torphichen The Mr. TwifletonThompfon Sir Charles I'homplbn, Bart. K.B. Bond- Street Sir John ThoroW, Bart, Cavendifli-Square THE THIRD REGIMENT OF HORSEj DR CARBINEERS* Colonel Longfield Major VVilford Willey Capt. Smith Tifdale Rofs Lieut. Daniel -Frertch ^ I'empleton > ■ F itzgerald Sir I'homas Chapman Cornet Cramer G illefpie -Longfield - — Hon. Geo. Pomroy Duncombe Surgeon James Wallace THE THIRD (oR PRINCE OF WAI.ES’s) REGT. OF DRAG, guards. Major Gen. Phillipfon Col. Manfell Capt. Milbanke Charlton Lieut. Charlton Cornet Dotten twentieth regiment of foot. Colonel Lind Major Hon S. D. Stnngeways * Rollinfon c SUBSCRIBERS. Capt. Winchefter Norman Ivieut. Baternan Brooke Enftgn Wynyard twemty-first regt.of foot (or RN JB) fu^ileei^s, Colonel Hamilton ]?i1ajor Lovell Capt. Petrie — Brodie Lieut. Grant — Dalgleifh — — Congalton Qr. M. Geo. Lauder TWENTY-FOURTfl REGIMENT OF fOQT* Lieut. Gen. Wm. Taylcr lyieut. Col. England Major Pilmer ——Campbell Capt. Blake " Stiel W, Doyle Lieut. Leybournc ——Short Hollings > nfigh Meyrick, General Trapaud, -Berner’s- Street Col. Anftruther Thompfon, — (late of 62 Rcgt.) Edinburgh Samuel Toulmin, Efq— — Walbrook JMr. James Turner, Jun. Milbank Thomas Tre win, Efq.— —Helftone ‘ John Trevener, Efq. ditto Mr. William Terwin, Haymarket Mr. Templcman,^— ^Size-Lane Edward Thornycroft, Efq. Cheftcr Mr. William Trufton, BrentwoOd Mr. John Thomas Rcv.Mr.Hen. Hawkins Tremaync,A.M.Helic:ftn, Cornwall Air. Leigh Thorndon, ‘Lhomas Fojtune, Elq. London SUBSCRIBERS,. Mr. Thurgood^ Fenchurch Street ^ David rhomas, El*q.— Pay Matter in America U The Rt. Hon. -The Earl of Upper Oflbry Mr. Benjamin Uphill, — Mount-Street, Grofvenor- Square Corneliuii Vanderitop, Elq. Princes-St. Hanover-bq, W The Rt. Hon.- The Earl ®f Weftmoreland The Rt. Hon.— —The Earl of VVinchclfea I'he Rt. Hon. The Earl of Waldegrave The Rt. Hon. I'he Earl of Warwick The Rt, Hon. Vifeount Weymouth The Rt. Hon.— Lord Willoughby de Broke The Rt. Hon. Lord Walpole Sir Watkin Williams Wvnne, Bart. — St. Jameses- Square Sir George Warren, K B. Grafton-Street Mifs Warburton General Warde Capt. Willoe, — ^ — (8 Regt. of Foot> — Wifeman, (53 Regt. of Foot) Edward Wilford, Efq. — r-Chelfea ■ ■ Williamfon, Efq.— Temple Richard Whatley, Efq. i-Parliament-Streci Rev. Mr. Whatley,- — — ditto Rev. Mr. Wills, Helftone Mr. John Whitehead, — : — Bafinghall-Strect Mr. Thomas WagttafF, High gate JVlr. John Winpennv, Brittol Robert WoodrifF, Efq. Temple Mr. Matthew White, St. Swiihin’s-Lane W oodmafon and Page, Leadenhall-Stree^ James Woodmafon, Efq —Bond- Street V Major W'illiaiTi Young VOL. I. 3PageLme 35 1 a after the word to add them 21 after Trigate add nvbo 56 7&8 for que d:arri for mid read fhould VOL. II. Page Line 52 11 for Fancis Tranai 190 14 for 1788 i-cad 177S 197 17 for entertain read enter ^ tained 221 laft line ejieeming for eftetmed 215 II nXiere under for th^ ^ere under . s?3 16 for making of Cyder read making Cyder 288 15 omit the word Old 361 16 iiiltead of for read or 2 omit the after Year 295 7 after add 425 18 bearing tor lea^ving 480 6 after Kp add 505 22 for petit s rtzd pettier 506 I for read ar II. s read h ttad ril ndtr for': cf rC\icf ► wordOi'' of/orit*i^ r after tr/^/add- tor lio^, < add tfld (j read^ »rwd^^ TRAVELS THRbUGk THE INFERIOR PAR^S O F AMERICA, LETTER I. Cori, Jugujl %th, 1776 . MY DEAR FRIEND^ 1 RECEIVED your letter, dated the 2d inftant, and furely nothing can be more flattering than the warm teftimony of regard and friendlhip every line of it fpeaks. — It was with great reluctance you confented to my going into the army, but a dull inactive life neither fuited my cir- cumftances nor my inclination, and an early VoL. I. B love love of a military one, foon detci mined my choice. My time and poor abilities cannot be fo well employed, as in the fer- vice of jny King and country. I have no regrets at quitting England, but the lofs I muft fuftain in yourpleafant and improving converfation; and am per- fuaded you will alleviate as many of thofe painful refleftions as poffible, by taking every opportunity of writing to me.— None fhall be omitted, on my part, of afluring" you how often I think of you, and the implicit attention I fhall ever pay to your commands, in giving you a de- fcription of perfons, places, and various occurrences — and fliould I fometimes be too particulai* on trivial fubjeds, you muft excufe it, and remember the two prevailing motives you afligned for this kind of cor- refpondence — ^the pleafure you was fo ob- liging to fay it would afford you, and the utility you thought it would be of to me, by THROUGH AMERICA. 3 mnej abilite the fa- Englait :pleak I am pc. of tkt )y tala” to me.- ■ part, 5 : of yoi .ever j® you a i variou etimes k youiffli prevail nd of cor wasfool^ Q, and^ of to'!'*’ by calling my attention to whatever be- came in the leaft worthy of obfervation. This is the laft you muft expect from me on this fide the Atlantic, as in a few days we fail, with the care of fome recruits for the 47th regiment. I once more entreat you, my dear friend, to take every opportunity of writing to me, and believe that time and diftance can never abate the refpe6t and friendfhip with which I am, Yours, &c. B 2 LET IS 4 INTERIOR TRAVELS- LETTER II. On board the Hcnve, on the \ ^ Banks of Newfoundland. } i77^» MY DEAR FRIEND, T T would be very ungrateful indeed not to embrace the opportunity, by a fhip that is bound for England, now lying too for letters, to fend you a hafty account of the events that have happened fince my departure from Ireland. You know I had the care of fome re- cruits for the 47 th regiment j and as they were compofed of that nation, no lefs famous for their chara<5leriftic errors, than their fpirit and unbounded hofpitality, let me relate a cafual occurrence or two, in place of novelty, which cannot be ex- pe 6 led, cd, fituated as I am, between iky and water. There were continually fome little dif- putes among thefe Hibernians. One day, on hearing a more tlian ufual noife upon deck, I went up to enquire the occafion of it, and learnt it was a quarrel between two of them. Upon aiking the caufe of him who appeared the tranfgrelTor, he ex- claimed, “ Oh ! and plaife your Honor, I “ did nothing to him at all, at all” — when the other haftily replied, “ Oh yes, and “ plaife your Honor, he faid as how he “ would take up a flick and blow my “ brains out.” The peculiar manner in which it was vociferated, was fo truly comic, that I could not refrain from laughter, and merely reprimanding them, overlooked the offence. The weather has been vei*y pleafant, till a few days previous to our coming on B 3 thef? thefe Banks, when there enfued a moft dreadful ftorm. The Ihip was unable to carry the leaft fail, being left to the fury of the driving tempeft, it was impolTible for any one to keep the deck, and the helm was lallied hard of weather. About the third day the ftorm began to abate, and thfe evening became almoft calm. Bvit tliere was fuch a prodigious fwell of the fea, that the Hiip was expect- ed every moment to roll her mafts over- board : (he had driven fo much to the lee- ward, that although we could not difeern land, the yards and rigging w'ere covered with birds, tliat were blown from it by the ftorm. At this time, one of my recruits com- ing upon deck, not obferving any one there, and the fea fo tremendous, imme- diately went below, and cried out to his companions, “ Oh ! by my foul, honeys, the “ fea 7 I mod ible to le furj poffible leheh eganb almoS digioiii exper- ts over- the lee- :difceni covered t b)'4e :s coffl- jiy one inline- : toliis eys,tlie “fea THROUGH AMERICA. ” fea is very dreadful, and we are all fure “ to be drowned, for the fhip s a finking. “ However, I have this confolation, that “ if flie goes to the bottom, the Captain “ muft be accountable for us when we get “ to Quebec.” And his fears operated fo powerfully, that he gave a groan, and fainted away. A few days after this the lea, which before had been fo tremendous, and to ufe the technical phrafe, nm mountains high, was now become as calm as a mill-pond. It is cuftomary, on fuch weather, in a fleet, for one fhip to invite the Captains and paflengers of others to dinner. The mode of invitation on thefe occafions, is by hoifting a table-cloth to the cnfign- ftalF. We hung out thi$ fignal, and the Cap- tain of the ncareft fhip, with an officer, came on board. After dinner, fo fudden B 4 and and ftrong a breeze fprung up, as to ren- der their return very unlafe, and it was two days before they could venture, when even then they accompliflied it with im- minent danger. This is a little anecdote I cannot help wilhing to be much noticed, as it might be a caution to young officers and captains of fhips, how they make nautical vifits, or upon any occafion quit their velfels. Thefe Banks may be ranked amongft the many furprifing and wonderful works of nature, being a mountain formed under water, by the flime that is continually wafliing away from the Continent. Its extent has never yet been afcertained, but is generally reckoned to be about i6o leagues long, and 90 broad. About the middle of it is a kind of bay, called the Ditch. The depth of water varies confi- derably, derably, being in fome places only five, Qi\d in others fixty fathom. The fun is fcaicdy ever to be difcerned, a cold thick fog generally covering the whole atmof- phere, which renders it extremely dan- gerous to a fleet j for it is at times a ftate of total darknefs, where a continual firing of guns, or inceflant noife of the drum, can alone prevent the fliip§ running foul of each other. The winds around thefe Banks are ge- nerally very impetuous ; the conftant agi- tation of the waves, I am informed, is occa- fioned from the fea being driven by irre- gular currents, that beat fometimes on one fide and fometimes on the other, ftrik- ing with great force againft the borders of thefe Banks, which are every where almoft perpendicular, and repel them with equal violence; and yet, on the Banks themfelves, a little from the coaft, it is as quiet as in a bay, except there happens to be a ftrong and forced wind coming from a great diftance. When we found we were upon thefe Banks, which is perceptible without found- ing, as the water changes from an azure blue to a white fandy color, we laid too in order to fifli for cod, the procefs of which is no Icfs entertaining than furpriz- ing to Europeans. After baiting the hooks with the en- trails of a fowl, in a few minutes we caught a fifli, when the failors made ufe of fome part of the entrails, as being a better bait, and then drew up the cod as fall as you can poflibly imagine ; for thougli we remained there only half an hour, we caught as many as would ferve the fliip’s crew the reft of the voyage. You may wonder by what means they are certain of having caught a filh, with fo and ace. '.■'cr- 1-1 iiE^Eil&V*- s. through AMERICA. II le en- es we idenfe icing a fo many fathom of line out. When it has been a little while in the water, they gently pull it with the finger and thumb, and if there is a filh, the ftruggling of it occafions a vibration of the line, which is very perceptible, though fo many fathoms deep. They then haul it in, and as foon as the fifli comes in view, the water mag- nifies it to fucli a fize, that it appears almoft impoflible to get it on board ; and indeed it requires feme dexterity, for on hauling them out of the v/ater they ftruggle with fuch violence, as frequently to work themfelves off the hooks, by entangling the line in the rigging, before they can be got up the fliip’s fide. :e. Butthofe veflels which particularly follow this bufinefs, avoid the inconvenience by erefting galleries on the outfide, from the main-mail: to the ftern, and fometimes the whole length of the fliip, in which are placed baiTels with the tops ftmek out, * and Ml and the fifliermen get into thefe to flielter themfelves from the weather. Their Hay, I imagine, cannot be long, as the method of curing is equally as expeditious as the catching them ; for as foon as tlie cod is caught, they cut out its tongue, and give it to one who immediately Hrikes off its head, plucks out its liver and entrails, and giving it to another, the bone is drawn out as far as the navel j it is then thrown into the hold of the fhip, where it is falted and ranged in piles. The perfon who falts it is careful to leave fufficient fait between the rows of fifh, to prevent them touching each otlier, and yet not too much, as either cxcefs would fpoil the cod. The right of fifhing upon the Great Bank, by the law of nature, ought to have been common to all mankind ; but England and France, being the only two powers that had colonies in North America, made no fcruple to appropriate to themfelves, what what Spain certainly had the greateft claim to, as the original difcoverers of it; and who, from the number of her monks and priefts, as well as her religion, might have pleaded the necelTity of keeping. Yet at the conclufion of the laft peace, they entirely gave up all pretenfions to it : fince which time England and France are the only nations that frequent thofe latitudes, and both have frigates continually craiz- ing, to prevent the encroachments of other nations. The produce of this fiflieiy is certainly a moft inexhauftible wealth to both coun- tries, and it is no wonder they are fo very tenacious of it : yet it is furprizing what a large circuit the fhips are obliged to take before their voyage is compleated, and the profits refulting from this fiftiery returns to either, nearly traverfing by water half the globe : for, in the firft in- ftance, they fiiil from their refpe£live ports '■S’ Is ■'^il ■M interior travels ill Europe to thefe Banks, front whence they proceed with their cargoes to the Mediterranean and African iflands, where they difpofe of their fifn for the produce of thofe iflands, then go to the Weft Indies, to exchange that cargo, and return home laden with fugars and rum. It appears a very fmgular circumftance, that thefe Banks fliould abound with cod and no other fifii ; and that the greateft philofophers have never been able to ac- count for it. The Captain of the fiiip that is waiting for our letters growing impatient, obliges me to make a hafty conclufion, with wifli- ing you health and happinefs, and aflur- ing you that you fliall hear from me as foon as I arrive at Q^bec. I am, % Yours, &c. L E T- THROUGH AMERICA. iS cnce the 'kre iceof idles, home tance, li cod reateft ;o ae- rating obliges iwilb- . afur- ,ine as let* LETTER III. ^ebte, 03. %th, DEAR SIR, A F T E R a fatiguing paflage of eleven weeks, attended with no little dan- ger, we are fafe arrived at Quebep, which before I proceed to give you any deferip- tion of, it will be more methodical to re- late the occurrences that befel us the re- mainder of our voyage. I told you in my laft, that we had fri- gates cruizing on the Banks, one of which informed us, that? there were feveral priva- teers in the river Saint Laurence. Had we been lefs attentive to, and more apprehen- five of the flioals and fands that river abounds with, rendering its navigation dif- ficult I l6 INTERIOR TRAVEL ficult and dangerous, it would have been better for us; for a few days after we had pafled CapeRofier, a favorable wind fprmg- ing up, the Captain crouded all the fail he poffibly could, in order to get the next nrorning to the ifle of Bee, where he might find a pilot, being very uneafy, as he had never been up that river before. But to our great furprize and aftonifti- ment, about one o’clock in the morning, we run right upon a fhoal (which is called Mille Vache) with amazing violence. A fliip belonging to the fleet that had gone a head in the day time, and perceived the fhoal, (being low water) had immedi- ately brought too, to warn us of our dan- ger, which they did, by firing fignal guns. But the Captjun miftaking them for thofe of a privateer, returned the fhot. The Ihip beat with great violence, and was every moment expefted to go to pieces j but the tide foon turning, flie refted upon tlie ground, and to our great aftonifhment, at the break of day, , w^e found ourfelves fo near the fhore, that, to ufe a fea phrafe, we could almoft chuck a bifeuit on it. Upon the clearing up of a fog, a fliip was difeerned, which proved to be the fame that had tired guns in the night time : J he was then about tliree leagues diftant. We immediately fired guns of diftrefs, of which fhe took no notice, and imagined file had, as too frequently is the cafe, defected us, becaufe we were in diftrefs and ftood in need of her atiiftance. Howevei*, we found friends in a quarter we little expe£led, for a'canoe. with three men paddled from the fliore, one of whom came on boaid and told us, we were very fortunate to have ftfuck at the time of VoL. I. C fpring- l8 INTERIOR travel^ fpring-tides, or there would be no proba- bility of the Ihip’s being got off; He direfted us, when the tide was coming in, to carry out the bow anchor tl\e length of the cable, and then made no doubt, but at the full, the fhip would float again, and we might warp off. After having given every proper in- ftru6tion, he took his leave, requefling, at the fame time, that in cafe we were fo unfortunate as not to effeft it, we would come afhore to liis houfe, offering every afliftance to fave the cargo, and with a floop of his to take us up the river. At the return of the tide fbme men were fent out with the 'anchor, according to the directions given j at the heighth of it we floated, and to the joyful fatisfaCtion of every one, got clear off, fuftaining no other damage than the lofs of two anchors : yet fuch was the Captain’s cai'e and anxiety for his fok* He agin, jtkof but at ffldw )er In- lefting, yerefo woulii r every .afloop lenvieit ig to tilt af it « iftion oi nootk lors: yt! ixietyf« liii THROUGH AMERICA. I9 his owners, that, I am perfuaded, he would not have exprelFed half the concern for the lofs of the whole fliip’s burthen and company, that he did for his anchors : as w'ith Captains of hired tranfports, the crew and the Cargo are but fecondary objedls. This is one 'inftance of the numberlefs accidents that await tranfports, by which, I am convinced, the fervice is retarded, and many operations, however critical, which depend on troops and provifion, are often fruftrated, either by defign or negli- gence. For only figure to yourfclf what a fituation an army of fo many thoufands as that we have upon the Continent, and thofe chiefly fed w^ith provifions from the Mother Country^, mufl: be in, upon the flighted: delay. It is much to be lamented, therefore, that all tranfports are not commanded by King’s officers, or at leaft: the maftei* made C 2 more more fubjefl to controul, when iinde:i convoy, or naval orders j as it would prevent the inconvenience and hazaid that is continually happening to the King’s fervice. You will fuppofe it furprizing that this has never been noticed and lemedied by thofe in power. I Ihould have thought the affair of the powder-fliip tliat went into Bofton, would have occafioned a thorough inveftigation of this iniquitous bufinefs. The Captains of tranfports in general, are a fet of people who have their own in- tereft much more at heart than the welfare of their country ; and it is well known that many of them are difaffefted to Go- vernment, which was the cafe of the Cap- tain of tlie fhip juff alluded to, but where the blame is to be imputed, is not for me to fay. As in all probability you may not THROUGH AMERICA. 21 nder wild that iigs t this ,ed bv ought went ned a uitous reneral, )wnin' welfaK kno'*'" .toGo- he Cap- ;t ffbeit :fonne OU not not have heard of this affair, or the real truth of it may not have reached you, I (hall relate the matter, as I had it from a Captain of a Chip who failed in the fame fleet, whofe veracity can be relied on, and from the amazing ftrange circumftances which attended the lofs of that Chip, you may form your own opinions. It feems this veffel was an immenfe charge, containing 1500 barrels of gun- powder, befides a great quantity of other warlike ftores. Several perfons well dif- pofed to Government, and who were per- feffly aquainted with the Captain’s prin- ciples, informed thofe who had the direc- tion of tranfports at Cork, that this man would, the veiy firlt opportunity, leave the convoy and join the Americans, but no attention was paid to the information ; upon which they exprelfed their apprehen- fions to the Captain of the frigate was tp convoy them out, who promifed to C 3 take 22 interior travels- take all poflible cai-e of that (hip during the voyage c and every one in the fleet thought he was not the man reprefented, as he kept clofe under the ftern of the frigate. Vv hen the fleet came off Boflon harbour, a frigate that was cruizing for the purpofe^ informed them, that the King’s troops had evacuated Bofton, and gone to. Halifax ; and in the fleet’s failing to that place, in one of thofe fogs that I have already de- feribed to you, the Captain of the powder- lliip feized the opportunity, left the fleet, and failed back for Bofton, at the mouth of wliich harbour was ftationed a flfty-gun fliip, to prevent any velfel from going in, that might have efcaped any of the fri- gates that were cruizing. Upon the Captain of the tranfport’s being interrogated by the man of war, he acknowledged himfelf bound for Bof- ton, urin? btai, of the itbout, urpofe, )pshail alifax; ice, in idy de- owder- le fieet, mouth ,ft}''g® ping in, thfifii- of war, THROUGH AMERICA, 2 ^ toHj that he had not heard of the troops evacuating it, and feveral more excufes j but fome doubts and fufpicions arifing from the man’s converfation, and fine being found a fhip of fuch an im- menfe treafure, an officer was fent on board her, and as the evening viras coming on, ladled her to his main-maft, intending to fail her the next morning for Ha- lifax, under the beft convoy he could afford. But to fhew you what a detennined villain the Captain of the tranfport was, in the night time, he confined the Lieute- nant, who was fent on board, cut away from tlie man of wad’, and under cover of the night, made all poffible expedition to get into Bofton. The tide would not anfwer his purpofe that time, and flie man of war could not come up to her, for want of a fufficient C 4 deptli h L' / 24 INTERIOR TRAVELS depth of water. Xhe Captain manned .his pinnace, and fent another Lieutenant on board her. Upon the officer’s attempting it, the Captain ftruck a hai-poon into his fkullj he fell into the -boat, and the reft finding a great refiftance, .and that they were likely to be overpowered, rowed back again. ' -1 r r The tide now turned, and he got the ftiip fafe under the cannon of the Ameri- cans, before a greater force could be dif- patched to retake polfeffion of her. The lofs on our fide was great indeed, but the advantage to the Americans -was tenfold, as they were in theutmoft diftrefs for thofe rnaterials, and which event may in fome meafure procraftinate this unfor- tunate war. Two days after our late accident, we arrived off the ifle of Condre, where we got : •^ISIE. i5lSlSlSl5lSTJ5isTSlE^.5lS iSlEOSlV ' — — ~ •THROUGH AMERICA, 2$ a pilot, and three days after anchored fafe in the bafon of this city. Fearful of being too late to fend this by a Ihip that is juft failing for England, there is only time to afiure you, that I fliall embrace every, opportunity of convincing you, with how much fincerity and friend- ftiip I am, Yours, &c. 7 7.,: -5^771 ‘i 4j:-isisx' :S'. - VJ7V7 7-7 "7 -r77!s0 vd'^757 7 ; ,q.7777 ' , 7‘7-r: r-,', '■S’‘'*Sd7 Pili n . ; :tl5 Vi'TKT: 3?Sfi \Vi 7.7 7; ■ • ' .;i£74- . , 7. .-..I ■ 7 '■{ -• 77 ..... . . r. Til. ■« ' r- r • 9 I lli , ■ .4 LET- 26 iKTERioft Travels* ^ nr* ■ - ' • LETTER IV. : ^leBec, Oaoberl^th, 1776 . ! ■ t' ^ ■ '1 MY DEAR FRIEND, TJEFORE you have any account of ^ this city and its environs, I fhall de- fcribe to you the river Saint Laurence, which, upon their firft failing up it, is the aftoniihment and admiration of every Eu- ropean. In forming an idea of a river, people in general aie apt to judge by com- parifon : thofe who have made the tour of Europe, inftantly call to mind the Rhine and the Danube ; thofe who have not, the Thames. What will you fay, when you are informed that thefe, though very noble and beautiful, are but mere rivulets, when put put in competition with that of Saint Laurence. This river iflues from lake Ontario, taking its courfe north-eaft, wafhing Mon- treal, where it receives the Outtuais, form- ing many fertile iftands, and a lake which is called St. Pierre. It continues the fame courfe, and meets the tide 400 miles from the fea, where it is navigable for large veiTels. After receiving in its progrefs in- numerable ftrcams, this great river falls into the ocean at Cape Rofier ; it is there 90 miles broad, where the cold in ge- neral is fevere, and the fea rather boif- terous. In its progrefs it forms vaiiety of bays, harbours and iflands, many of the latter being extremely fruitful and plea- fant. Tlie river Saint Laurence has ever been looked upon as a good defence to this pro- vince, for in the neighbourhood of Quebec, 28 interior travels it abounds with hidden rocks, with ftrong currents in many places, which force the fhips to make various windings. From the time that Quebec was befieged by Sir William Phipps, in the year 1690, who was obliged to retire with a great lofs of fhipping, this river was very little known to the Englifh till, the year 1759, when Sir Charles Saunders, with a fleet of 50 Englifh men of war, and near 300 fail of ti'anfports, aibived off Quebec, without the lofs of a fmgle fliip, which clearly proves thofe dangers were not fo great as had been reprefented. Since that time it has been better known ; and though we have not at prefeiit at this place fo many men of war, yet there are near as many ti'anfports, notwith Handing the nayigatiou up this river from the fea is rendered veiyr dangerous, by the ftrength of the current and the number of fand-banks, which fre- quently arife in places where they never appeared before } the fatal confcquences of which •r; ‘ .1' C ,E:i5-T5.t‘ THROUGH AMERICA. 2() which feveral veflels liave experiencal this cetke From by Sir ), who M of known , when : of 50 ) of without clearly jreatas time it lUgh W£ fo many IS many wigation ered very e current liich fre- ey never uencesot' war. There are abundance of porpoifes in the river St. Laurence, which are moftly white, and when they rife to the furface of the water, have the appearance of an hog fwimming. At night, if I may be allowed the expi'eflion, without being accufed of an Iricifm, they caufe moft beautiful Jire works in the water : for being in fuch abun- dance, and darting with amazing velocity, a continued ftream of light glides through the water, and as flioals of them frecyuently crofs each other, the luminous appearance is fo pi6turefque, that no defcription can reach it. On our entering the river St. Laurence, we faw, off the ifland of Anticofti, a great number of feals, one of which we caught. This animal is generally ranked amongft the clafs of fifh, although produced on land. :L. . tF =0LSimS\SU5l51Sl5t5^ INTERIOR TRAVELS 30 land; and living more there than in water. Its head refembles that of a maftitf, it has four paws which are very fliort, efpecially the hinder ones, ferving rather to crawl, than to walk upon, and refembling fins ; but the fore feet have claws ; the flan is exceeding hard and covered with Ihort hair; they are firft white, but as they grow up turn to fandy or black, and fome of them are of three different colours. / There are two forts, the larger weighing near two thoufand pounds, and have a lharper fnout than the others. I have been told that the Indians have the art of taming thefe creatures, fo as to make them follow like a dog. I am led to imagine they couple and bring forth tlieir young on the rocks, from this reafon, wherein the powerful inftind; of nature fliewed itfelf very predominant- ly : one day, feveral large ones that had got their THROUGH AMERICA. water, I’ltki )eciallj crawl, igfinsi (kinii h ilioit as thev nd foffi )urs. reigliin; have i I has he arte lake then luple ami icks,fr<» il inftinc lominamt' at had?*' 31 their young on their backs, di'opt them now and then into the water and took them up again, which no doubt, as being brought forth upon land, was to teach them to fwim ; it is not very furprizing, when it is confidered this ammal is amphi- bious : but the mode is exactly the fame, only changing the element, with that of - the feathered creation, whofe little ones flutter from fpray to fpray, before they venture to fly abroad. The eagle carries her young, to trmn them up to encounter boifterous winds. Thefe animals are caught on the coafl: of Labrador. The Canadians go to this frozen and almoft uninhabitable coaflr, in the middle of Oftober, and remain there till June ; their mode of catching them is by placing nets between the continent and a few fmall iflands, where coming in flioals from the eaft, in attempting to pafs thefe ftraights, they are caught j they tlicn con- vey inter'ior travels vey tlisni to land, where they remain frozen till the montli of May ; the oil is then extracted from them, and it is faid tliat feven or eight of thefe animals will yield a hoglhead. The ufe of its Ikin is fo generally known, it needs no de- fcription ; its flefti is allowed to be very good, but if you had partaken of it, as I have done, you would coincide with me in opinion, that it turns to better account when converted into blubber. The tide goes a league beyond Trols Rivieres, which is thirty leagues higher up the river. The difference of the tide at this place is generally between forty-five and forty-eight feet, but at the new and full moon, from fifty-four to fifty-feven, which is very confiderable. The river is three quarters of a mile broad here, and as the fea water, though it does not .come up immediately to the town, THROUGH AMERICA. 33 emain ; oil is is fad Is \vil ts ikin no ds- be verf it, asl hmek account ,d Troii i higk tk tide •ortyive new and of a milt r, tliou^ ;ly to tns tOWB) t'owii, renders it fomewhat brackifh, the inhabitants make ufe of it only for culi- nary purpofes, having fpring water for their beverage. Ill failing up the river St. Laurence, the firft plantations you meet with are about fifty leagues on the fouth, and twenty on the north fide of the river, below Qi^ebec : they are but thinly fcattered, and their produce very indifferent. The fertile fields commence near the capital, which I am informed grow better, the nearer you ad- vance to Montreal. About half way up the river, we came to the IJles mix Oifeaux^ and paffed them about the diftance of a cannon fhot ; they are two rocks that rife up in a conical form, about 6o feet above the furface of the water, the largeft of which appeared to be about two or three hundred feet in circum- ference j they are very neai’ one another, VoL. I. D and 24 INTERIOR TRAVELS and there does not appear a fufficlent depth of water between them for a fmall ihallop. It is difficult to fay what color thefe are of, as both furface and banks are entirely covered with the dung of the birds that refort thither; however, there were difcernable in places fome veins of a reddifli call* One of the mates of the ffiip faid he had been on them, and had loaded a fmall ffial- lop with eggs, which were of different forts, and tliat the ftench ai-ifmg from the dung was almoft infuppoitable. Behdes the fea-gulls, and other fowls from the neighbouring lands, there is found a fpecies that cannot fly. It appears to me wonderful, in fo prodigious a multi- tude of nefts, how every one finds its own. At my requeft, the Captain of the fliip fired a cannon fliot, which fpread the alarm over all this feathered common- wealth, when there arofc over the two iflands idheliac nallflii differei frointlii Beliii! from tk foundi larstoB a imilti' ; finds iii fin of fpreadtk com®®' r the t«» THROUGH AMERICA. 35 Iflands a thick cloud of fowl, at leaft two or three leagues in. circuit. One material circumftance I forgot to mention to you, happened in our voyage to this place. In the middle of Auguft, after we had been incommoded for feveral days with exceflive heats, one morning, foon after we got up, we felt fuch an in- tenfe cold, tliat both the Captain and my- felf were obliged to put on our great coats. We could by no means imagine the caufe of this alteration, the weather being extremely line, and particularly as the wind did not blow from the north. But on the third morning, juft before day-break, a failor called out with all his might, “ luff, luff,” which the man at the helm had fcarcely done, when an enormous piece of ice paffed along-fide of the veffel, which infallibly muft have dafhed her to pieces, had flie ftruck againft it. At day-break we faw it, when it appeared to be about fix times as D 2 large iMTERIbft travels large as our fliip, and twice the heighth of its mails. You well know that only one third of ice, while fwimming, appears aboVe water, and when that is confidered, I do not wonder that the ignorant Ihould not readily alfent to the relations given by travellers, of thefe frozen produ6lions of nature* Having already fwelled this letter be^ yond its intended limits, and wilhing to avoid, as much as poflible, being too dif- fufe on trivial fubje6ls, I iliall conclude it with my bell wiflies for your weliai'e and happinel's, aiuiring you that I am, with friendihip and efteem. Yours, &c. THROUGH AMERICA. 37 tltllof ly ons ippcan fiderti, IhouH ;ivenk tions oi LETTER V. ^ehee, Ocl, z\th, 177 ^* DEAR SIR, stter lx- ihing t; A G R E E A B L E to my promlfe in a ;too(i- ^ former letter, I lhall now proceed conclmi in the defcription of the river St. Laurence, wete with fome occurrences which befel us, at I ® jirevious to our arrival at Quebec. One of the fined; bays to be met with in irS) going pp the river, is that of St. Paul, and as we were under the neceflity of an- choring oppofite to it, till the return of tide, I prevailed on the Captain to gp on ihore. let- Upon upon our landing, the Prieft of the paiiih came and invited us to his houfe, treating us with much hofpitality. He was a man rather advanced in years, a native of France, and pofl'efled of great learning j he had been recommended by the French Court to the Bilhop of Quebec, while this province was under their go- vernment, and, as I am afiaid is the cafe with too many well deferving charaders, was poorly rewarded, by being made Pried: of this fmall parifh, for feme effential fer- vices he had rendered the French, which, however, has many privileges annexed to it, From the great veneration and refped, that was fhewn him, one would naturally conclude he was much beloved by his pa- rifliioners, and his converfation turned upon making them happy, by inftruding them both in religious and moral duties, encouraging induftry, and divefting them ' of * of thofe innate favage difpofitions, which, he obferved, the lower fort of Canadians are but too prone to. It was impoffible to fay which fhould be moft admired, his fmile of welcome, the neatnefs of the rcpaft, or the hilarity of his converfation ; all of which gave me the greater pleafure, when put in contrail with the other French Priefts I have met with, lyvho are aullere and contrafted, and fo difgufting, that rather than fit down with them, I would eat hay with my horfe. This bay is about eighteen leagues be-? low Quebec, containing only this fmall parifli, which is fome diftance from the ihore of the bay, on a low plain, formed by the river. It is furrounded with ex- ceeding high mountains on every fide, ex- cepting one large gap, which runs parallel to the river. The farms are at fome dif- tance from each other, and the church is P 4 reckoned 40 I INTERIOR TRAVELS reckoned one of the moft ancient in Ca- nada, which feems confirmed by its bad ai’r chitefture, and the want of ornaments j the walls are formed of pieces of timber, ere£l- ed at two feet diftance, which fupport the roof, and between thefe timbers the fpace is filled up with a kind of lime-flate. The church has no fteeple, its roof is flat, and above this roof a bell is fixed in the open air. Moft of the country around this bay belongs to the Prieft, wlio lets it to the farmers, i The inhabitants chiefly live by agri- culture, and the profits arifing from their commerce in tar, which they extraft fipm the red pine, by makirig an incifion into the tree in, the fpring of the year, when the fap is rifing, and before the tree has flopped running, it will produce feveral gallons of turpentine, which they eafily manufaflure into tar. It THROUGH AMERICA. 41 n Ca- lls ;tlK erect- port tk le fpaE K-flate )fisk d intk mnddii! lets iitj by ajd rom tliK raft fto3 ifion inti whentk isftoppK rallonsDi nufaft® It It may be conjeftlured, that the country fituated upon the bay of this river being low, it was originally pai’t of the bottom of the river, and was formed either by the ^iecreafe of water, or increafe of earth, car- ried from the brooks, or thrown on it Ijy (forms, as a great part of the plants that grow here are marine. But in order fully to inforrn myfelf whether it was really as I * apprehended, I enquired of feveral of the inhabitants, if ever they had found any (hells in digging, who anfwered, that they had never met with any thing but diftcrgnt kinds of earth and fand. There is one thing very remarkable, of which we had a proof : the wind is gene- rally different in the bay to what it is in the river, for upon failing into the bay we had as favourable a wind as could blow, but in the moment of entrance, it was di- reftly the reverfe, which is thus acounted for : tlic bay being furroundcd on all fides, except 42 interior travels except one, with high mountains, and covered with tall woods, when the wind comes from the river, it ftrikes againft fome of thefe mountains, where it is re- pelled, and confequently takes an oppofite direflion. The people who inhabit this bay, as. likewife thofe fettled lower down the river, leem very poorj they have the necefl'aries of life in abundance, but debar tliemfelves of the comforts that fhould arife from them, living chiefly upon bread and milk, and carrying their other provifions, fuch as butter, cheefc, flelh, poultry, eggs, &c. to market, where having difpofed of them, they purchafe cloaths, brandy, and drefles for the women. Yet notwithftanding their pauvre manner of living, tliey are always chearful and in high fpirits. Our objeft on going on ftiore was not To much to gratify our curiofity, as to procure procure fome vegetables and as the Cap- tain of the lliip could not fpealc a word of French, as indifferent a Frenchman as you know me to be, I was obliged to be the interpreter on this occafion. I however made the inhabitants underftand me very well, till I alked for fome potatoes, by the ufual fchool term of pommes de terre, and by which I underftand they are called in France; yet, notwithftanding the Cana- dians are allov/ed to fpeak as pure French as at Paris, I could not make them com- ^prehend what it was I wanted, the man continually faying, Monjieur, je fuis bien facbe de ne pouvotr comprendre ce que vous foiihaitez-, at the fame time expreffing great uneafinefs, as I repeatedly affured him, quejetois bien fur quil en avoit, which feemed to vex him ftill more. How- ever, in walking over his plantation, I happened to fee a parcel in the corner of a filed; pointing to them I faid, Foila ce que je demmde^ upon which, with great , 44 INTERIOR TRAVELS grcfit joy ii^ couiitcn3n.cCj lie cx» claiiTiedj Ob I Monfieur ^ ce font des putaf, putat ; adding, with great heartinefs, ^7/ emt bien aife d'etre en etat de me fatis- faire. Upon my telling Itim, in Eng-, land we called them pommes de terre, he added, with a remark which I fliould not have expefted, ce npm leur conve^ noit mieux que tout autre. As I p^d him very liberally for the vegetables we had of him, he faid, with great expreffion of gratitude, I Monfieur^ je me fouvien- drai toujoiirt de vos bontes et des pommes, de terre. Canada, from the fertility of. its foil, and the falubrity of its climate, you ^vould naturally imagine, contributed greatly to its own profperity ; but thefe, as in moft other fituations, are counterbalanced by its difadvantages. Canada has only one xiver for its exports and imports, and even this is fo blocked up with ice, as not to be navi^ ' sable gable during fix months, while heav^ fogs render the navigation flow and difficult the remainder of the year. And although the produce of Canada is fuperior to that of the other provinces, ftill the latter, not having ffmilar impediments to encounter, will always have a decided advantage over this, in the convenience of almofl: uninter- rupted navigation. The farm houfes are moflly built of timber, confifting of three or four rooms, and in one they have an iron ftove, which is rendered fo hot, as to communicate fuf- ficient warmth to the reft. The roofs are covered with boards, and the crevices and chinks of the timbers are filled wath day, and their out buildings are thatched with ftraw. Below the bay of Gafpey there is an ifland, called ijle Percee ; on your approach to it, it has the appearance of the frag- ment 46 interior travels ment of an old wall, being a fteep rock of about tliirty fatlioms in length, ten in heightli, and four in breadth, which the pilot told us was reported formerly to have joined Moni Joli, which ftands oppofite to it upon the Continent. This rock has in the center of it an opening, in the form of an arch (through which a fmall fchooner might pafs in full fail) ; from which cir- cumftance, you will eafily imagine, it de- rives its name of Percee. The laft obieft that attraffs your atten- tion before you enter the harbour of Qv^e- bec, is the ifle of Orleans, a moft beauti- ful large illand, fituated in the middle of the river St. Laurence. It is feven leagues and a half long, and two broad, in the wideft part, veiy high, with fliores ex- tremely fteep and woody, though in fome places there is a gradual defeent to the river, and where that is the cafe, it is en- tirely free from woods, and upon thefe fpots •»i5TF 1 '= T 1 ' ' ;i£ji£rLSisis\sisi5isis\ErLf:^.^ . THROUGH AMERICA. 47 fpots there are farm houfes clofe to the fhore. The ifle itfelf is well cultivated, and the eye is continually amufed with laj'ge ftone houfes, corn fields, meadows, paftures and woods, with the addition of feveral good ftone churches, fome of which ftand fo clofe to the river, and it being Sunday when we pafled the ifland, that we heard them at mafs. ur attffl' •ofQie- t beaui middle of :n leagues d, intle bores ei- ■Jiinfo® :nt totbe itiseii' ipon tbefe The river St. Laurence, till you come to this illand, is moftly four or five leagues in breadth, but after you pafs it, fuddenly narrows, fo as to be no more than a mile broad at Qi^ebec, and from which circum- ftance this city derives its name, from the Indian word Quebeio, or Q^bec, which fignifies a ftrait or narrowing. Shortly after we had pafTed this ifland, and turned Point Levy ; we entered the harbour. interior travels harbour, which has the appearance of a large bay, for Point Levy ftretches itfelf out towards the Ille of Orleans, fo as to hide the fotith channel ; and that hland projects fo as to conceal the north. On entrance, you are (truck with thd grandeur and contufion and variety of objects that prefent themfelvcs : fronting is the city ; on the right is the beautiful fall of Montmorency, and a view up thd river St. Charles j on the left there is an extenhve view up the river St. Laurence, and over the falls of Montmorency ; a de- lightful profped of feveral leagues round the country, interfperfed with the villages of Beauport, Charlebourg, 6cc. a particular account of which I fhall give you in my next. I am, vours, &c. 49 ^ li R. "0 1’ it A SI F. R I C a; of 1 itfelf )asto idand Letter vi. \ ith tlie rlety of fronli' oeaotifiil V up tkt lereisffl jaurenc!, cy; adf- aes rouid levillajs particoli' 'ouin® &c. LET' S^Helect O.Jol’tr zith, I ■ MY DEAR FRIENd, T N my defcription of this province, you muft not expe6f a tirefome detail of diftances, or a romantic defcription of the coimtiy, but a few general obferva- tions, as I lhall pafs through the different parts of it, which are deferving notice. This city, the capital of Canada, from the fingularity of its fituation, boafts of having that which no other city in the known w'orld pofl'efl'es, a frefh water har- bour, an hundred and twenty leagues from the VoL. I. E 50 INT the fea, capable of containing an hundred fliips of the line> it is built in the form of an amphitheatre, on the declivity of a pe- ninfula, formed by the rivers Sf. Laurence and St. Charles, and commands a profped over cxtenhve fields, which appears rich, lively ^d beautiful. This city fuffered fo much during -the long fiege, lait winter, that it will by no means anfiver the beautiful defer iption given by that elegant writer iVIrs. Brookes, in her Emily Montague, for many houfes were deftroyed for fuel, others to prevent harbouring the enemy, and flrot and llrells contimrally defacing and burning tnc reft, you muft eafily imagine, greatly coiitribute to deftroy all ideas of regularity. The city is divided into two towns, dif- tinguiflied by the upper and the lower , which, dvrring the fiege, were feparatal by a ftrong flrong ftockadc, whioli proved, extremely fortuiiate for us, as the enemy got into the lower town, but not being able to keep polieffion, they fet. it on fire, and nearly deftroyed the whole of it. There are two communications from the lower to the upper town, the one for car- riages, by a ferpentine road up a very fteep afeent, and the other for foot paflengers, up a flight , of fleps cut out of the rock. Xhe cai'riage road to the upper town, as well as the ftreets in general, are almoft impaflable for either man or beaft, never having been paved fince the fiege, when the pavement was entirely torn up, that the fhells m.ight bury tliemfelves in tire ground before they burft, whereby they were rendered lefs dangerous. The diftrefles of the inhabitants in a befleged town, at all times are very great ; E 2 but 1 N T r. lU o R T R A V 52 but here they were rendered particularly fo, from the extreme feverity of the weather, being deprived of fuel, and com- pelled to reftde in their cellars, as the only place that could afibrd them the leaf! Ihelter. •Vhe Governor’s houfe hands upon ah high eminence, and being bomb-proof, ^ the family thought themfelves in perfeft fecurity : frorn its elevation too', it was imagined to be out of the reach of cannon fiiot. One evening, however, they were rather unpleafantly convinced of their error, by a fliot paffing through hft’ ad- joining room to that in which they were playing at cards ; this threw them into no little confufion, and obliged them to retire to that part of the honfe in which the other inhabitants were compelled to refide. You may remember, fome months be- fore my departure from England, that Mr. I*’ ■■ ** ■l: THROUGH AMERICA* 53 of k Hide®- 1 the cell the It^ ; uponi' anb-proi: ill pelfs 00, it K 1 of came theyK i of k. agh afi 'i I they*? aeiii intoa leiiitoi®^ 1 irluch?' ledtotc^^ months V ’S' ■land, k W , who is a bon vhant, jocularly remarked, if he were confined to any fingle room, it Ihould be the cellar ; he was then at the Governor’s, enjoying his favourite wifli, happy as good company and good wine could make him, the found of eveiy cannon being the fignal for a bumper. A Major who was here during the fiege, exprefied his aftoniflrment to me that the place held out fo long, having an amazing ieverity of weather, and numbcrlefs other difficulties to encounter j and that its fafety was entirely owing to the great exertions of General Carleton, who con- tinually enaouraged the inhabitants to action, for they chiefly compofed the •ftrengtli of the garrifon. The fuburb of St. Fauxbonrg is entirely deflroyed, but that, as wqll as the lower town, is now rebuilding, and when com- pleated, muft add greatly to the beauty of E 3 the IKTERIOR 'TRAVELS 54 theaty. There dre feveral qimys, and a convenient place for heaving ddwn fhips io be repaired, called Cut He Sac, vv^herethe King’s (hips lay up during the winter, to preferve them from danger upon the freezing and breaking up of the ice. Which is more hazardous than yoil can imagine ; for unlefs the fhips ai'e got into this Cul de Sac in proper time, they are vety niuch damaged, and fometimes totally Ihft, by ' the amazing iflands of ice that float down the river. This city is at prcfent badly accommo- dated as to taverns, there beii^ but one in the upper, and another in the lower town, both of them in the worfl ftate imaginable ; for although they provide good ditlners, the reft of the accommodations are fuch as Avould dlfgrace the meaneft public-houfe in London. T^o attendance whatever from feiwants; no feperate apartments, and fifteen or twenty people are obhged to fleep THROUGH AMERICA. 55 , ania ’niliipi hertfe inter, to pon imagiE; ) tills Cti' etJifflE f Ibft, k loatte accoii®> butonei iwertov.; naglnaHt: id are laclis iteverfro2 lents, ^ obfigs*!® flesj deep in one room, about a yard apart fi om each other; ufually deprived of natural reft in fuch vile dormitories, one fcarcely , feels refreftred the whole day, and let me allure you, lince I have been here, I have not enjoyed a good night’s repofe, from the fonorous mufic 1 am furrounded with, arifing from that natural and almoft uni- verfal wind inftrumcnt, the nofe. The pwners of thefe taverns imagine, if they give good dinners and good wine, they perform wonders. This, however, may be laid in their fitvour, as to accommodation, that this city has been for many month? paft in a very deranged ftatc, owing to the late fiege. The Canadians of the liiglier clafs are very polite and attentive to ftrangers ; a few days fince, I was invited to dine with one of the principal merchants, chez Mcn-r fieur Roberdedii •, the dinner was entirely after the French faftiion, and difplayed E 4 v/ith with much tafte, but fuch was the per- verlenefs of my EngUfli ftomach, that it could not relilh one of thei r made dilhes ; and although I endeavoured to eat, out of compliment,* the mafter of the houfe per- ceived I did not do it with any gufto ; he then faid. Ah ! Mon/iew\ •vcus ne faites que d'arrroer dans ce pays-', qiiand -vous anrez eti avec nous un certain terns, •vcus aimerez beau- coup notre cuifme. Je fuis bien fache que dans ce moment il ne fe troiive rien d. I'oire gout, niais quand vous me ferez I'honneur de venir une autrefois chez moi, j'aurai foin d' avoir du ROAST BEEF Ct du PLUMB PUDDING qtie ks Anglois aiment tant. When the defert came, whichwas before the cloth w'as removed, I made amends for my not being able to eat at dinner, which the mafter of the houfe obferving, faid, Ah! Monficur, cenejlpas que vous ne vous fouciez pas des viandes, mats c eji que vous ctes tin pcu ccmme ks cnfatis, vous aimez ks friandifes ; when, fearful left: I fhould be difpleafed at his raillery, witli a polite- through AMERICA. 57 [\e per. that it : dllki; t, outd wl’ejxt. ulfo;ls fdkift mm e mka 'ymek X 'coin pi. ir ii «' (tmirh mfi jfeitc® emoved,: ablefoK the lioiit ink, «*• ks fearful Is !er)', «lf” a poliit- a politenefs truly French, he filled his glafs, and added, Aliens, Monfieur, verfez et vive le Roi / Angletcrre. Fearful of lofing the opportunity that now prefents Itlelf of conveying this to England, I have but juft time fubfciibe myl'elf, Yours, 5cc. LET- interior travels E T T E R VIT i^tebte, OSohtr )Otb, 1774, MV DEAR FRIEND, HE hafly cpnclufion I v^^as obliged to put to my laft, having prevented me from entering fo fully into the defcription of this city as I had intended, I now tranf- mit to you fome further particulars rela- tive to its fiege, and the religion of its in-i habitants. The caufeway by which General Mont- gomery made his attack, is not more than, twenty-four feet wide ; on one fide is a lofty perpendicular rock, and on the other a fteep precipice, without any fence, down to, 1 to the riv^r ; this caufcway was defended by two ftrong barriers, and were I induced to give an opinion, nothing but a defperate effort could juftify the attack. The event fatally proved it ; for upon tlie advance of the enemy, the firft barrier w'as aban- doned, which, after they had broke down, fluflied witli fuccefs; and the hopes of eafily gaining the upper toWn, they ruflicd on (with an intrepidity that might exped every thing from their valor) to the fc- cond barrier, where two pieces of cannon were concealed, and upon their approach Were imrnediately fired, when great nvim- b'ers of them were killed and wounded, and in their retreat many fell down the precipice; this defeat greatly contributed to put an end to the liege, the tci mi- nation of which, had nearly been fruf- trated, by the eager impetuofity of the fiulors, who were polled with thole guns, as they could fcarcely be refframed from firing them when the enemy attacked the firll 6o intkrtor travels firft barrier, w'hich, if they had done, the {laughter woukl not have been fo great, nor the enemy perhaps have loft their brave Commander. But by the threats of the officers upon duty at that poft, the guns were not fired till the enemy were within a few yards of them 5 and as they advanced abreaft, as many as the caufeway would admit of, you may eafily conceive what havoc there muft have been amongft them. In this dai'ing enterprizc fell a man, whq lived long enough to eftablifh a reputation, Ncc peterit ferrum, edax abokre. vetiijlas, quod ncc Jo-vis ira nec ignis., as no doubt it will be handed down by the Americans to the lateft ages. He died too fooai for the fupport of that unnatural faction, to which, from miftaken principles, he was deeply attached j and being a man wor- thy of fomc notice, you fhall laiow the little hiftory I have been able to collect, of him. In Ill the laft war he was an officer in our feirvicc, and diftinguiflied hiinfelf in feveial inftaiices. At the peace he came over to this country, and married an American lady, where by his conduft and agreeable manners, he was refpefted as much as if he had been a native ; and being, from his marriage and long reftdence in tlie counti'y, confidered as a man fit to be trufted with a command, he was appointed Brigadier Ge- neral by the Congrels j this commilfion he wiflied to decline, feeling a compunftion, as a native of Great Britain, and once in the King’s feiwice, to bear arms againff: his Sovereign. His wavering inclination was unfortunately fubdued, by the over- ^lerfuafion of a fond wife, whom he loved moft; afteftionately, and the importunate follcitation of his lelatioiis and friends. When he had taken a decided part, his conduft fully correfponded with the high opinion that had been formed ot liis abi- lities and fidelity. No one who lived fo ffioit. 62 rNTERlOR TRAVELS flidit a time in their employ, could render them more important fer vices, or do their caufe more honor. When he had been induced to facrincc the happinels he enjoyed in private life, and enter into the fervice of the Congrefs, he was then abfolved from all views ad- verfe to their party (of which he had been lufpeded) and confidercd as a man who took a part in the caufe from confcience and principle. In this li^ht he was viewed while living, and fpoken of when dead. He had the fingular felicity of being equally citeemcd. by the friends and foes of the party he efpouled; the latter acknowledg- ed his wortli, though the;y reprobated the caufe in which he fell. To the praife of General Carleton, his remains were, by the General’s order, interred with all mi- litary honors. w r\ An “s, onbij; THROUGH A M E R I C A. 63 V^i-y flxortly after this repulie, an American foWier, in attempting to ftep out of his batteaiix, at Wolfe’s Cove, fell into tlie water, and catching hold of a •called out for help, v^hen numbers flew to his afliftance, and found him motionlefs ; by the help of fpirituous liquors, with fome difficulty tlrey brought him to life for \vci:> uncc puii^MCU. ^.>^1 ■ 'orrytoohltf aiiy®®i t THROUGH AMERICA. 67 With all the advantages of the laws of our conftitution, the toleration of their religion, and the bleflings of liberty, the Canadians are by no means well afFe< 5 t:ed to the Englifh Government, but have a flrong propenfity to be under the protec- tion of the French ; and, I am confident, would aflift the Americans, had we not fuch a powerful force in this province. The garrifon of tliis city, and a few inhabitants at Montreal, are ftaunch to the interefts of Government; for their fidelity and courage have been proved ; upon the commencement of the fiege, the General ordered every one out of the city, that he could entertain the lead: fuf- picion of, none of whom have fince made their appearance. The army is now returning from the Lakes, and at prefent the garrifon confifts x)f Colonel Maclean’s regiment, and the F 2 recruits INTERIOR TRAVELS 68 recruits lately arrived from England ; the 34th regiment is daily expected, as the army is getting into winter quarters. Ge- neral Cai-leton and General Burgoyne are both here, the latter of whom fails for England in a few days. My friend Captain W— -n, who is em- barking for that country where my fondeft ’ wifhes are placed, will deliver you tliis : he has juft called upon me for my letters. I muft therefore conclude. Y ou fliall hear from me by the lateft Ihip that fails. Yours, &c. LET- \ VEIS THROUGH AMERICA. 69 England;: I Burgojs; vhom ft: LETTER VIII. Quebec, Kon, who is: here myfe formyte YouM: that fails. Yours, ii!’ Lt' MY DEAR FRIEND, V ISITING two or three of the vil- lages round this city, has enabled me to give you fome little defcription of the country and its inhabitants. About Charlebourg and Beauport it is rather champaign, but becomes more woody towai'ds Lorette. The farm houfes inter- fperfed about the country are very nu- merous, and being generally whitened on the outfide, form a neat and pi6lurefque appearance : their houfes moftly confift of one floor, very few having a ftory to them, which gives rife to the idea, that the Ca- F 3 nadians 4 INTERIOR’ T 70 nadians will tell a ftory well, though they | never make one. J You would be pleafedi to find them ; extremely neat in their houfes, very at- -j tentive to their cattle, and careful of the- .j ftockon their farms. They are at pre- ' fent employed in cutting and getting in wood for the winter., for themfelves and the market, for though it is fo early, there has been a fevere fall of fnow j wood-cut- ting continues ail this month, and in De- cember, when the winter is fet in, it is car- ried into the city upon fleighs over the fnow, being a much eafier conveyance than with carts, as the roads are fo intolerably bad. The Canadians in general are a fwarthy people, and low in ftature; their drefs confifts of a kind of jacket, and when the weather is cold, a blanket coat, which they fallen round tliem with a worfted lalh. They mollly weai' a woollen cap, but VELS- ) thouglsj; to, findi 'ufes, ven; careful oij y are atp indgettiii' kmfelvtu . fo eai'lyi i\V; wook th, and ini fetin,itiis ;overthefc ince thane tolerably l»i Jareaftf ■e; their and when'" [ coat, rith a woollen If THROUGH AMERICA. but in the cold weather a fui one, and have amazing long queues, of which they are exceedingly proud. They are fel- dom or ever found without a pips in their mouths, a habit wliich they acepuire in their veiy infancy. I was much furprized upon going into one of their houfes, in which there was a large family, moftly boys, to find, that from tlie youngeft up to tlie father, they all fmoaked ; nay, one of tliree years old had a pipe in his mouth. Their ufual mode of living being chiefly milk and vegetables, which, joined to the number of the faft days impofed on them by their religion, renders them a very meagre and {lender people. The women are extremely lively, good- natured and obliging, and very neat in their perfons, but have not the lead: pre- ten fion to beauty. The men are far from agreeable, for fince they have enjoyed the bleflings of an Englifh Government, they F 4 ate 72 INTERIOR TRAVELS are become infolent and overbearing, eafily offended, and when they fancy thcmfelves fo, their cry is, Je van le dire au General Carleton and the General is of that good^ natured, affable difpofition, that he always liftens to their complaints, and is conti- nually plagued and tormented with fome of the mofl: trivial nature, by thefe trouble- fome and tenacious people, for they con-t ceive their Governor is bound to hear them, efpecially their Seigneurs^ or Lords of the village j it is a title you have not among you, but I affure you thofe who poffefs it here, fancy themfelves of no little importance, and affume more confequence than the firft peer in England. Thefe Seigneurs are defcendants of thofe officers and gentlemen who firft fettled, and had grants in this province, wffien Canada was only a vaft foreft ; who, not being pro- per perfons to cultivate it themfelves, nor pofi'effed of a fufficient fund to pay labour- ers. THROUGH AMERICA. 73 rbc3rin’,ij gj-g^ let out the grounds at a very {lender incyfct quit rent; fo that with the fines, which were here very fmall, and what is called softkta the Droit du Moulin, & Metairie, a lord- thatksk (hip, which confifts of two leagues in , and isttt front, and an unlimited depth, can yield ited witkii them no great revenue; and there are many planters on their manors, who by Seigneurs, as they are defcended from an- tient , nobility in France, the forefathers of whom were permittal by Louis XIV . to exercife commerce as well by fea as land, without queftion, interruption, or dero- gating from their quality and rights ; and to you, who fo well know the Fi'ench, I need not fay in what manner any one de- fcended from nobility conducts himfelf, and the hauteur he treats every one with. forthM their induftiy have become wealthier 3 omd toi; than the owner himfelf ; notwdthffanding wj,ork which they {land in great awe of thefe About 74 interior T R A.VE LS About thi-ee leagues from this city is a nation of Indians, who live at a fmall vil- lage called Indian Lorette : they are quite civilized, have a church, go regularly to mals, and are extremely ingenious in making bead ornaments. Thefe Indians, who are really Chriftians, of the Romifli perfuaiion, have- a chapel built neaidy on the model, and of the fame dimenfions as tliat I have heard you relate you met with in Italy, of Santa Cafa^ and, as in that, have an image of the Virgin, which, upon enquiry, appears to be a copy of that very ftatue. Whether it was the eftecl of imagination, devotion, or of any other caufe, I cannot fay, but upon at- tending the chapel, I was feized v/ith an inwar d and facred terror, of which I can give no account. The folid piety of the Indians, (whom we are taught to be- lieve fo naturally ferocious, as no edifi- cation, religious or moral, can overcome) added. 75 > IVELS allyChriiE hav&aii andoftk^ leardyoarL lantu OJiis of thefe ai'stokaa ether it 'w: )tion, oicii but upon: feizednidi: of which I: folid pi® e taught to* us, as no ^ canofctn^ THROUGH A M E R I C A. added to the gloomy horror of the fituar tion, made a violent impreffion upon me, which became the more ftrong, upon ob- femng the fervor and modefty which tliey difplayed in their devotions. Thefe Indians had a great number of dpgs with them, which feems to be the only domcftic animal they breed; they are trained up for hunting, and are equal to any hounds ; appearing to be all of one fpccies, having upright ears, of dark brindled color, with a long fnout, like that of a wolf. None of our Englifh dogs are more remarkable for their fidelity, which is rather to be wondered at, being but very ill fed, and never carefied by them. As hereafter, and no doubt before my return to England, I lhall meet with many Indians of difterent nations, cuftoms, and manners, manners, give me leave to make a few re- flexions upon thefe favages, as they are called, and civilized man. In regard to the former, their origin and antiquity is quite uncertain ; the only matter, therefore, to be confidered is, whe- ther thefe untutored nations are more or lefs happy than us ? Whether they, who are in the condition of man left to mere animal inftinX, paffing their lives in hunt- ing, feeding, producing their fpecies, and repoling themfelves, do not pafs a life of more felicity than ours, who can enjoy every luxury of life, and vary our indulg- ences and Wyants in a thoufand ways ? It is in pur nature and difpofitions, that we muft look for the means of happinefs. Wherein then does it confift ? Prefent fub- fiflence, and (which I think there can be none fo hardened as not to have) a thought of futurity, and the hopes of enjoying eveiy bleffing that is attendant on it. The fa- vage never is in want j he lays in no ftores, bccaufe the earth and waters are refervoirs to fupply them. Filh and game are to be had all the year. The favage has no houfe to fecnre him from the inclemency of the external air, or commodious fire places, hia furs anfwering all thefe purpofes. His labor is but for his own benefit ; he fleeps when he is weary, and is a ftranger to reft- lefs nights. Little does he experience wearinefs that arifes from unfatisfied de- fires, or that uneafinefs of mind which fprings from prejudice or vanity. As far as I can perceive, the Indian is fubjeft to no evils but thofe inflicted by nature. In what manner then do we enjoy a greater happinefs ? Our food may be more wholefome and delicate, our cloaths may be fofter, and our habitations fecure us better againft the weather ; but then ob- fei ve the common people, who arc the flip- port of civil fociety ; the number of men who in all ftates bear’ the burthen of labor ; can they be faid to be happy, who, by the luxuiy and police of their governments, are reduced to a ftate of fervitude? And to what outrages are thofe in a liigher fphere expofed to ? If you are pofleffed of any property, you know not how far it may be called your own, but muft, in all probability, divide the produce between the lawyer, in teaching you how to preferve it, and the collector, who comes to levy un- limited taxes. If you have no property, how can you be afliii'ed of a permanent fubliftence ? What induftry or invention is fecure againft the viciffitudes of fortune, or the encroachment of others. In tlie forefts of America, if there is any fcarcity in the north, the favages bendtlieir courfe to the fouth; but in our civilized ftates, we are confined within certain li- mits, where if famine, or war, or peftilence, with with all their concomitant horrors, fhould betal us, all mull participate. It certainly is apparent to every one, that injuftice prevails in the partial diC- tribution of fortunes and ftations, which imift be the elfe6t and the caufe of oppref- fion. In vain does cuftom, prejudice, ignorance, or hard labor, ftupify thofe of the lovyer clafs, fo as to render them in- fenfible of their degradation ; it is not in the power of religion or morality to hin- der them from feeing and feeling the ai- rahgements of policy, in the diftribution of what we call good and evil ; and, no doubt, you muft have often heard a poor man cxpoftulating with heaven, “ What have I done, that I fhould defeive to be born in fuch an indigent and dependent fituation ?” The reafon we prefer our condition to that of the favages is, becaufe civilization has 8o INTERIOR TRAVELS has rendered us incapable of bearing fome natural hardfnips, which they can endure ; and fimply that we are attached to fome indulgence cuftom has made neceffary to us. As a proof of this aliertion, and how a civilized man may habituate himfelf to the fociety of favages, and return to this date of nature, let me relate the fituation of a Scotchman, who was call away upon the lllandof Fernandez, where he lived alone; his only enjoyments confifted in fupplying his wants, and to fuch a pitch had liis ideas of happinefs raifed themfelves, that he for- got his country, his language, his name, and even the articulation of words. And after a banilliment of four years, from the burthens of focial life, he had loft all thought of the paft, or anxiety for the future. One of the firft principles w'e imbibe, one of the firft inftindls of man, is a confciouinefs of independence; and no doubt Tl aveis THROUGH AMERICA.' 8l ofteaii^^ clieycanssE Itached tog lade nectir rtion,aiii!ii itehimfellB: turn toiii he fituarioi; dawayuju' ehelivda .ftedinfiip itch yfe :lves,tliat!ii juage, liiii; of word). - iryears> he hadli • anxiety fe' :iples we i® ts of t®*’ ' ndencei ^ doubt but you muft have obferved, that the man who pofi'effes a competent fubfift- ence is incomparably happier than the rich man, who is reftrained by prejudices and fafliions, which inceffantly are reminding him of the lofs of his liberty, and which too frequently are the occafion of the rafh and fatal a6t of filicide. In comparing the ftate of the favages to that of children, the queftion may eafily be decided, which has been fo warmly in debate among the moft learned men, “ whe- ther the ftate of nature has the advantage over that of focial life?” And you, no doubt, will readily allow, that your ftate of childhood, notwithftanding the I'eftraint of education, was the happieft period of your life. Nothing furely can more clearly indicate the liappinefs that children feel, than that habitual chearfulnefs they de- mon ftrate, when not under the fchool- mafter’s rod. VoL. I. G After $2 INTERIOR TRAVELS After all, a fingle word may determine this great queftioiii Let us afk the civil- ized man if he is happy ; and the favage whether he is unhappy? If they both anfwer in the negative, there is an end of the difpute. How mortifying muft this parallel be to civilized nations ? And the more painful the refledion, as it awakens the feelings to the caufe of their fufferings; no doubt but they will one time or other be con- vinced from whence it arifes — from the confulion of their opinions, from the de- feds of tlieir political conftitutions, and from the capricioufnefs of their laws, which ever are in continual oppofition 'to the laws of nature. But for fear you think I am growing too fententious, I fliall return to my defcription of this pro- vince. IAVELs Imayte us aik tki! and ditfe ? Iftkj : lereisaiitt ; this pi: themorep kens the te erings; Ml Df other lx. arifes— ins, from ^ loniBtuw i of that: ualoppoS® lut for fe’ X) fenten® ptionoftl®: THROUGH AMERICA. 83 The woods of Canada abound with a large kind of rabbits, which are of a brown color in the fummer, and turn white in the winter, one of the effefls of the ex- treme cold or fnow that prevails in this climate ; we found likewife vaft quantities of partridges, much larger than ours, which the Canadians call pheafants > there are two forts of them, the fpruce and the pine : the meat of the former is very delicious, to thole who are fond of the flavor of the fpruce. The market at this place is well fupplied with all kind of proviflon, fifli and vegetables in abundance. The place bell: adapted to repay the la- bours of the hulbandman, are pointed out to him by the fpontaneous produftions of nature; where the pine, the fir-tree, and the cedar grow folitaidly, there he finds only watry and fandy grounds : but wherever the foil is covered with maple, oak, beech, yoke, elm, hickory, and fmall G 2 cherrv- INTERIOR TRAVELS 84 cherry-trees, there he is certain to meet with a reward for his trouble of clearing away the woods, and may expert a great increafe, without the difficulty of ma- nuring. Being informed that the pacquet fails this afternoon, and having fcveral othei letters to write, a further account of tliis province muff be delayed till my next ; and in hopes you will pardon my breaking off fo abruptly, and leaving you in a ftate of fufpence, I remain. Yours, &c. WVEIS THROUGH AMERICA. 85 certain toi lubleoftfe ay expetu^ LETTER IX B L I G E D to conclude my laft rather haftily, I fhall refume my obferya- tions on tliis province, without any apo- Moft of the plantations in Canada are fufficient to fupply the wants of their re- fpeftive owners, and there are few of them that do not yield rye, maize, barley, flax, hemp, tobacco, pulfe and pot-herbs, in great abundance, and thofe of an excellent \\)^^ THROUGH AMERICiA. 9I Seigneurs, that they never raifed more grain than would ferve theinfelves and the flock on their farms ; whenever they did, it was generally claimed by the Seigneurs for the ufe of Government. The Cana- dians were at that time a very indolent fet of people: now they reap the fweets of their induftry, and are quite the reverfe. I went yefterday to view the Fall of Montmorency, which is really beautiful. The breadtlr of it is not above ten or twelve yards, and its perpendicular height one hundred and twenty feet ; by the vio- lent fall of ■ filch an immenfe body of wa- ter, there is always a tliick fog of vapors, which occafions a continual rain, for fome diftance round the bottom. Anxious to examine it as minutely as poffible, I ap- proached within twelve yards of the Fall, when a hidden gull of wind blew fuch a thick fog off the fpray, that in lefs than a minute I was as wet as if I had walked half an : 1 ISISTSIS INTERIOR TRAVELS an hour in a heavy fliower, which, how- ever, did not prevent my endeavouring to fadsfy Tuy curiofity, for I perfevered, in hopes of accomplifliing my wifli, which, like many of our ardent purfuits, did not bring me that recompence I had flattered myfelf it would ; for having obtained the purport of my intention, inftead of the beautiful appearance I had pidfured to my imagination, to be difcerned between the rock and the immenfe body of water that was falling from fuch a prodigious height, I found myfelf enveloped in a veiy thick fog of fpray, fcarcely able to fee my hand when extended, and where, in all proba- bility, if I had continued five minutes, and the wind changed, I was in danger of being drowmed. The noife occafioned by the fall was fo great, that an officer who was with me was obliged to fpeak as loud as he could, to make me underftand any thing he faid. It is fometimes heard at Quebec, which is two leagues diftant to the fouthward, and when when that is the cafe, it is the fign of an approaching ftrong north-eaft wind. One thing remarkable is, that this plen- tiful fall of water, which never dries up, one woiild imagine, muft proceed from fome fine river : but it is quite the reverfe, it being only a puny ftream, which in fome places is fcarcely fufficicnt to cover the ankle ; it flows, however, conilantly, and derives its fource from a pleafant lake, twelve leagues diftant from the falls. I have vifited the plains of Abraham, to fee the remains of the enemy’s encamp- ment, and could not help contrafting thofe who had fo lately abandoned that place, with the polfeflbrs of it when the brave Wolfe fell ! Nor was it poflible to fupprefs a figh to the memoiy of that gallant officer, who, at fo early a period in fife, had ac- quired the efteem and admiration of all mankind. While in the very arms of death, he 94 INTERIOR TRAVEL added glory and conqueft to the Britifli empire. Nor could I help lamenting, at the fame time, the fate of an officer of confiderable merit, though an enemy, tire brave Mont- gomery, who commanded the troops that had fo lately abandoned tlris encampment, and of whom I have already fpoken : he polleffed all the fire of military ardor, ruflied with impatience in the front of every danger, and met his death, “ e’en at the cannon’s mouth,” where he unfortu- nately fell a facrificeto miftalcen principles, unnatural rebellion, and the ambitious views of a few defigning men. His courage and death would have done honor to a better caufe. The people in this city are making pre- perations for the winter, and you would think it impoffible they could confume the amazing rafts of timber that are already floated floated down the river ; but I am inform- ed they are a very iitconfiderable part of what are expected. — It is not in the leafl: furprizing they were obliged to pull down houfes for fuel laft winter, during the fiege. Europeans muft form a terrible idea of the intenfe cold of this country, from the j)reparations the Canadians take to guard againlt it; for the inhabitants are parting paper round their windows, and every crevice where they imagine the leafl: cold will penetrate. Inrtead of fire-places they make ufe of iron rtoves, which murt be extremely un- healthy ; a few days fince I went into a room when there was a fire in one of them, and had not been there above five minutes, when I was feizcd with a mort: intolerable head-ach, which I can only attribute to the fulphureous air that pro- ceeds INTERIOR TRAVELS 96 ceeds from thefe floves > and, for my own part, imagine they are the occafion of the Canadians having fuch fallow complexions ; but cuftom, which in fome meafure over- comes all prejudices, will no doubt recon- cile me to them. % The fliips are all preparing to fail for England, left the river lliould freeze up. I have been this afternoon upon the ramparts, to fee the Apollo frigate drop down, in which General Burgoyne fails for England j who, I am perfuaded, has the ftncere and ardent willies of all ranks in the army, for his fafety and happy ar- rival. The General joins to the dignity of office, and ftridt attention to military difcipline, that confideration, humanity, and mildnefs of manners, which muft ever endear him to all who have the happinefs to be under his command ; for my own part, I fliall pray with Shakefpear, “ that the the winds of all the corners may kifs the fails, and make his vell'el profperous.” r remained on the ramparts to take the laft look of the Apollo, who, with a fteady and favourable breeze, failed magnificently dowm the river, and was foon out of fight. You cannot guefs how it affefted me ; fhall I confefs that more than once I wifhed myfelf on board her: it was fuch a fight as mufl awaken the mind to all its na- tural attachments. But that I may not think too much of country and friends, at this time, I fliall haftily conclude myfelf. Yours, &c. interior travels letter X. Montreal, November \bth, 1776. my dear friend, A F T E R a tedious inarch of near thi'ee weeks, which for a young foldier is a pretty good initiation into the tods of his profeffion, I am fafe arrived at this place. As we could not march many miles in a day, through the feverity of the weatlier, bad roads, and the Ihortnefs of the days, I am enabled to give you fome little de- fcription of the countiy between this city and Qi^bec. Both licles of the river are veiy well fettled, which affords a pleafing profpeft. The farms moflly lie clofe to the water- lide, and at fome diftance from each other, fo that each farmer has his pofiefTions en- tirely diflinft from thofe of his < neigh- bour’s. But had an edift, which was paffed in the year 1745, when this pro- vince was under tlie French Government, been obferved, it would have been one con- tinued ftreet from Quebec to this place, as it forbade the Canadians from extending theii’ plantations more than an acre and a half in front, and thirty or forty acres in depth } *by which means indolent heirs would not have waited for the inheritance of their fathers, as they would have been under the necelhty of forming new plan- tations, and fuch vaft fpaccs of wood would no longer have feparated them from each other. lOO INTERIOR T R A V r, L 5 But whether that indolence they then pollefled proceeded from nature, or the rigor of their Government, they fcem now to have entirely loft it, and are become more induftrious j as I perceived, in many places, they were clearing away the w'oods to form new plantations. Moft of the farm houfes are built of ftone, confifting of three or four rooms, which are heated with a ftove, nearly upon the fame conftruaion as thofe I defcribed to you. Some of them have orchards annexed, though in general they are without fuch an accommodation, but all have exceeding good kitchen gar- dens. Every three leagues there is a chuich, with a kind of little village, confifting of the parfonage, the auberge, the fchool for boys and girls, and a few houfes belong- ing to tradefmen, thofe but few indeed, heytlis ortk feeiBw ■e tecs ,, iniE! thewcdi re builr. ourroffi ive, nee as tbol: tliemte reneralib datioii, I tchen s aebts lonfiftb':' efchccl- lies bebt fesv THROUGJI AMERICA. lOI and fo tliinly fcattered, that it fcarcely gives you the idea of a village. Trade is .confidered by any defeendant of the noblejfe a difgrace, yet tliere are few inhabitants but what claim fomc affinity to one Seig- neur or another, who, though they think it no derogation to plough, fow, and reap upon their plantations, deem it ignomi- nious in the extreme, to be a mechanic or tradefman, Notrwithftanding which, I was much furprized to find, that the principal inhabitant in each village, who generally belongs to fome noblejfe, was the poff-mafter, and kept the only Auberge in the place ; nay, did not think his nobility offended, with providing horfes and enter- taining travellers, which I remember to have heard you fay is the cafe in manj parts of Italy. Between each church, or village, there are feveral croff'es put up on the road-fide, parallel to the fliores of the river, and H 3 which which are common throughout Canada. They are made of wood, about fifteen or twenty feet high, and proportionably broad : In that fide towards the road is a fquare hole, in which they place fome wax images, either of our Saviour on the crofs, or of the holy Virgin, with the child in her arms, and before that, a piece of glafs to prevent its being injured by the weather. Thefe crofles are ornament- ed with all the iiiftiaiments they think the Jews employed in crucifying our Saviour, fuch as the hammer, tongs, nails, a flalk of vinegar, with many more things than one would fuppofe were really made ufe of, or even invented ; and frequently the figure of a cock is placed at the top, which appeared to me rather Angular, as it could have not the leaft affinity to the crucifixion, and muft rather be fuppofed an allufion to the cock’s crowing when St. Peter denied our Saviour. Thefe THROUGH AMERICA. Caiaii it fife Ttoai!; road is ! lace fc iuronfi witliii at, ape injured i omafflc- the)’ t if)in§ '!■- ongs,E noretfc attheC- fingolai,. init)'to^ )e fupF iwing'* 103 Thefe crofles, however good the inten- tioa of creeling them may be, are con- tinually the caufes of great delays in tra- velling, which to perfons not quite fo fuperftitioufly difpofed as the Canadians, are exceedingly unpleafant in cold weather j for whenever the drivers of the calalhes, which are open, and neaily fimilar to your one horfe chaifes, come to one of them, they alight, either from their horfes or carriage, fall on their knees, and re- peat a long prayer, let the weather be ever fo fevere. The ufual mode of travelling is in thefe calaflies : in the front of thofe which tra- vel poll, a man fits to drive, and who, let your bufine(s be of ever fo great import- ance, will alight at thefe croffes, and pay his accu domed homage. One day, on our march, being fent for- vvard to procure quarters, with our friend H 4 Cap- Captain Grattan, whofe pleafantry of man- ners you are well acquainted with ; for ex- pedition wc went in a pofl-calaili. The weather w-as fo exceflively fevere, that with the afliftance of fur coverings, we could fcarccly keep ourfelves warm. Not above a mile had been beguiled, before we came to one of thefe erodes, when the fellow who drove us flopped ; upon alking him why he did fo, he replied, Ce nejl que pour faire une petite priere j which petite prim he was nearly five minutes in repeating, when he mounted his feat. W e complained of being almoll periflied with cold, when he replied, Allans, aliens, je ‘vais me depkber, and after talcing two or three whiffs of his pipe, whipped up his horfes, and made amends for his flopping. We had not gone a mile and a half further, before another crofs made its unwelcome appear- ance : here he mufl alight, and faire une autre petite priere, which, upon our not confenting to, he begged we would let him THROUGH AMERICA. yofir®. !; fotQ. i(h. Ti , thatKi we cos Notak ewccE thefe ilkinjii pitiiK : repei!!. complff cold, ® pikfi' hiffs el- and I® 'e kd? ;her, k- inie epi® [idAke in ouri< ddietl^ 105 juft ftop, le terns de faire imf.gne de croix, which he was not long about. Wc then jogged on again with great chcarfulnefs, as he drove pretty faft ; foon after we per- ceived the village to which we were deftined for quarters, when again he fuddenly ftopt, and upon our faying there was no crofs there, he immediately cried out, Mais en 'ooici ime la, which, being at fome diftance from the road, we had not obferved, re- queuing us to let him halt but a moment : 11 faut que je defcende id ; cejl mon village', we told him he fliould not, and that he muft drive into the village as faft as he could. Upon this he growled inwardly, and complained openly, till he came op- pofite to it, where he ftopped again ; before he could defcend, oiir friend Grat- tan laid hold of his long queue, of whicli I told you they are exceedingly proud, and declared, if he did not immediately drive on, he would inftantly cut it off. This being aftertcd with fome degree of warmth. lo6 INTERIOR TRAVELS warmth, he thought fit to facrifice his reli- gion to his vanity, fo juft crofting hunfelf, muttered a Ihort prayer, and di'ove us as faft as he could to the end of our journey, Jacrujit coiitfc the Englilh officei s ; and I do not doubt, if one could form any idea from his countenance, but he fent us both into purgatoiy with fuch curfes, that all the maffes which could be offered would not be able to releafe us frojn it, for having treated his religion and his queue with fp little ceremony. Leaving you. to make your own refleo- tions on thcle Canadians and their religion, I remain, Yours, &c. LET- THROUGH AMERICA. 107 ulsrel. Wdf. [oumej, andli) deafe othii L alii: Id notli igtraK foiti m A- :relijo3, LETTER XI. Montreal t Nov. 2,0th, MY DEAR FRIEND, I SHALL now proceed with my obfer- vations, and the remainder of the oc- currences which happened in our march from Quebec to this place. About half way between Quebec and Montreal, is a town called Trois Rivieres ; it takes its name from three rivers, whofe currents join here, and fall into the river St. Laurence. Previous to my giving you any defeription of this place, permit me to relate a trifling circumftance that occurred, juft 0 juft as we entered the town. About half a mile before we came to it, fo hidden and naufeous a fcent affailed our olfactory nerves, as nearly to fuffocate us, which lafted till we anived at the out(kirts.— ^ Upon enquiiy, we found it arofe from an animal, which the Canadians call the EiTifiint du or bete pucinte ; a title which it derives from its ill (cent, occa- fioncd by difcharging his urine whenever he is attacked, ■ and which infers the air for a great diftance. Laying afide this quality, it is In other refpeds a beautiful creature, being about the fize of a cat, with a fine fliining fur, of a dark grey color, ftreaks of white gliftening from the head to the tail, which is bufhy, like that of a fox, and turned up as a fquirrel’s : this had been purfued by fome dogs which the foldiers had with them, acrofs tlie road, but when it came near us, its ftench was almoft infupportable. Thefe Thefe Enfant du Diable differ from your* Enfant du DiabL\ the London beaux, who have all their prettyifms perhaps, but are eternally exhaling their peftiferous odours, fearful, if they referved them till piirfuedy they would have no opportunity to Tsiint the flying air, and (link in ftate.’* The country is pleafant, and there are feveral good houfes about the town, but they were greatly damaged by the Ameri- cans, upon abandoning it, after their de- feat this fummer, when their army was routed, and feveral of their Generals, with great numbers of their men, taken pri- foners. This place is the winter canton- ments of the German troops, who are commanded by General Reidefcl ; he com- mands likcwife the diftrifl: between Que- bec and Montreal. This town, by reafon of the three rivers, ufed to be much frequented by the feveral nations L- \ to L^Un u 'S|fi : '■"Sil":' i j'%1' ^ tei||> ■ Mit ' : |:|| , m no INTERIOR TRAVELS nations of Indians, and was built with a view of encouraging trade with the northern ones in particular. It had every profpeil of being the fecond city in the province, but the fur trade was foon diverted from this market, and carried entirely to Montreal, it being fome leagues nearer to the In- dians ; and though we have feveral trad- ing places with them upon the lakes On- tario and Superior, Montreal will always fupport its confequcnce, as being the neareft and mod: convenient place for fhipping the furs to England. ’T'roh Rivieres has now loft all its traffic and is fupported chiefly by the travellers paffing between the two cities. There are feveral churches, and two , convents, the nuns of whicli are reckoned the moft ingenious of any in Canada, in all kinds of fancy ornaments, needle w'ork, and curious toys. During V •tuithj, nortlffl rofpectd ince,te froffli Monte iotielj. I’eraltni- lakes ft- /illalw beinjis place k id. fe , andt*! •eredffl^ >ada,j ^{0 PlLtd, THROUGH AMERICA. Ill During my flay at Tarots Rivieres, there came down from the Illinois, feveral In- dians of that nation, with an interpreter, to acquaint us, that they would be down in the fpring, and would take up the hatchet in favor of their good Brother v-'ho rejided beyond the great nvaters." Among the groupc I obferved one, who had hang- ing round his neck the image of the holy Virgin, with our Saviour in her arms, which I thought very lingular, as he was of a nation efteemed extremely ferocious in their manner, and whom the Fi'ench Miflionaries could not conveit ; but upon my enquiring of the interpreter if he knew the reafoh, he gave me the following account : In fome Ikimirfh, when the Illinois were at war with the Canadians, this image had fallen into their hands, amongft other plunder. Sometime afterwards as a Mif- fionary, of which the French had great numbers II2 INTERIOR TRAVELS numbers travelling through the interior parts of Canada, to cultivate friendlhip, and eftablifli their religion among the In- dians ; by chance he met this perfon, and obferving the image, was very much aftoniflied; the manner in which he took notice of it, excited the curiofity of the poor lavage, to know what it reprefented, when the Millionary, who no doubt was pleafed to have fuch an opportunity of dil- playing his religion, told him, that it re- prelented the mother of his God, and that the child llie held in her arms reprefented God himfelf, who had made himfelf man for the falvation of the human fpecies, and explaining to him tire myHeiy of our in- carnation, alTuring him, that in all dan- gers the Chriftians addreffed themfelves to this holy mother, who feldom failed to extricate them. The Indian liftened witli the utmoft attention to this difcourfe, and went away. Some- in ■tHROUGil AMERICA^ II Being out a hunting, foon after this, juft as he had difchafged his piece at a* deer, one of the Outagami Indians, whofe nation was at variance with the IlUnoisy and who was lying in ambufh, prefented his piece at his head. In this fituation he recollefted what had been told him about the mother of God, and invoked her protection i The Outagami endeavoured to difcharge his piece, but milled ; he cocked a fecond time, and the fame thing hap- pened five times fuccellively. In the inte- rim the Illinois had loaded his piece, and prefented it to the Outagami^ who chofe rather to furrender than be lliot. From that time the Illinois would never ftir from his village without his fafeguard, which he imagines renders him invulnerable. There can remain little doubt but this cii cumftaiice was the means of his conver- fion to Chriftianity, and the Romiih re- ligion: for he has certainly embraced that perfuafion, as I followed him to the V OL. I. J great 114 INTERIOR TRAVELS great church, where, upon his entrance, after croffing himfelf with the holy water, he fell upon his knees, and feemed to wor- fliip with as much devotion as the mod devout of the Canadians. But to return to my defeription of this place. The road from Quebec hither is the whole way within fight of the river, being moftly upon its banks, which renders it extremely pleafant to travelleis, efpecially in the fummer, as there is a conftant breeze. The river from Qj^bec to ’Trois Rhiem is very wide, and at that place it forms a very large lake, called St. Picffc, where the eye cannot reach acrofs ; you can only difeern a large body of water, with fcveral iflands, which, with the fmall veffels fail- ing between tliein, form a very romantic profpedl:. The tide comes no farther than this lake, terminating a few leagues THROUGH AMERICA. beyond T’rots Rivieres, when you meet with the river again, where it runs extremely rapid, at the rate of feven or eight miles an hour. At its firil: appearance you can hardly fuppofe it the liime river, for where the tide has effeft, it feldom runs more than four miles an hour ; it increafes in rapidity as you advance to Montreal, and oppofite the city it runs almoft ten miles an hour, which renders its navigation ex- tremely difficult, as notliing but a very Itrong and favourable wind, witli all the fails full fet, can enable velfeis to Hem the current. What with unfavourable winds and light breezes, fliips have been as long in getting up from ‘Trois Rivieres to Montreal, as they were on their palTage from England to Qi^ebec. The rapidity of the current makes crof- fing not only difagreeable, but very dan- gerous, for unlefs you- have a Ikilful pilot, •the current will carry you a league below I 2 where ,li:blfi5lSlSlS\SlS Il6 INTERIOR TRAVELS where you want to land. And yet it is fill-prizing, how expert the Canadians are with their wooden canoes ; but the Indiaris far exceed them in working theirs, as then canoes are of a much lighter conftruaion. Both being much ufed in this country, I fliall endeavour to defcribe them, that you may be able to form feme idea of what they are. Thofe which the Cariadians ufe, are called wooden ones, being hollowed out of the red elm, fome of which ai-e fo large, as to contain twenty perfons. Thofe which the Indians ufe, are made of the bark of the birch tree, and diftin- guiflied by the name of birch canoes, the different parts of which they few together with the inner rind of the bark of the tree, and daub them over with a pitch, or rather a bituminous matter, refembling pitch, to prevent their leaking. They form the ribs from from the boughs of the hickory tree, and ai'e conftrufted of different dimenlions, Ibme being only large enough to contain two perfons, and others thirty. Thefe canoes are eafily managed by the Indians with their paddles, and with the current go at a prodigious rate, for one fingle ftroke with the paddle will force them twice the length of the canoe againil it. It was with one of tliefe birch canoes that General Carleton, with an Aid-de- Camp, made their efcape through the ene- my’s fleet, when he quitted Montreal, foi the purpofe of putting Quebec in a better ftate of defence. Unwalling to lofe the opportunity of fending this by an officer who is going to Qj^bec, I am obliged to put a period to this letter : and, no doubt, upon the perufal of it, you will eafily difcover the young tra- 1 3 veller. INTERIOR TRAVELS' veller, who is diverted with every thing that prelents itfelf to his viev/. But in liopes that it may afford you halt an hour’s amufement,- 1 i-emain, Yours j &c. I Montreal, November z 6 ih, 1776. MY DEAR FRIEND, T) E F O R E I defcribe to you this city, ^ let me give you fome account of the ifland on which it flands, and from whence it derives its name. Tliis ifland, w^hich meafures, ten leagues in length and about four in breadth, is formed by the river St. Laurence, and in the center of it are two large mountains, which are the firft you meet with on the north fide of St. Laurence, and were*called by the firft difeoverers of tiiis province, 1 4 Monts J20 INTERIOR TRAVELS Monts Royaux, which gave name to the ifland, afterwards Mont Royal, and at laft, by a variety of corruptions of the languagCj Montreal. Of all the adjacent countries, there is no place where the climate is reckoned to be fo mild, fo pleafant, and the foil fo fruitful: with all thefe natural bleflings, is it not fui-prizing to fee it thinly inha- *bited, and very ill fettled, for except two or three miles round the city, the country is moftly woods, interfperfed with a few fmall plantations. One thing not a little remarkable is, that this ifland contains a fmaller one of about three miles in length, and two and a half in breadth, formed by two inlets of St. Laurence. This little ifland, which is called the IJle de Jefus, is almoft cleared from woods, and has a fmall church and a few houfes on it, rendering Mon- treal ti'eal extremely pleafant ; being fo fituated, that you cannot go a great length in any dire£tion, before you come to itj and furely, after travelling through woods and fwamps, it affords a moft pleafing relief. The fummit of the mountains I have defcribed to you are extremely difficult to gain ; but having once accomplifhed it, the delightful profpe<5l that prefents itfelf, amply compenfates for the fatigue and danger^s you encounter, being able to view the whole ifland, and feveral leagues round jt. You can plainly dlfcern the moun- tains that crofs Lake Champlaht, called the Green Mountains, which are near 6o miles diflant. It appears generally a vaft foreft, there being only three objects to diverfify the fcene : the view of the city of Mon- treal, the river St. Laurence, and the mountains of ChambUe^ which are exceed- ingly beautiful, and the more remark- able, being in a plain level country, and not 122 INTERIOR TRAVELS' not having a fingle hill for feveral leagues round them ; they are confiderably loftier than the mountains on this illand. This city forms an oblong fquare, di- vided by regular, well formed ftrects, and the houfes in general are well built ; there' are feveral churches, but thofe, as well as many of the houfes have felt the effects of this war. The city is furrounded by a wall and dry ditch, and at one end there is a citadel. Thefe fortifications were raifed many years paft, as a defence againft the Indians, and fince the war, great improvements have been made to themj but the city is fo fituated, that no works can be raifed to enabled it to ftand a regular fiege, having many rifing grounds, that command it in more places than one. When when we gained pofleflion of this pro- vince, Montreal was nearly as large as Que- bec, but fince that time it has fuffered much by fire; it is greatly to be wondered at, that it has not, one time or other, been totally deftroyed: for in the winter, when the inhabitants go to bed, they make great fires in their ftoves, and leave them burn- ing all night, by which means they are frequently red hot before morning. Ima- gine how very dangerous they mufl have been, when their houfes were conftmfted of wood; few of thofe are now remaining, except in the outfkirts of the city, tlie greateft part of them being built of ftone. The inhabitants here, as well as thofe of Quebec, having fo many times fuffered by fire, conftruft their buildings in fuch a manner, that they are not only perfetlly fecure againft that element, but even againft houfc-breaka's, whidi being a little lingular, 124 INTERIOR TRAVELS fingular, you will have no obje6lion to my defcribing them. The houfe confifts of one lofty floor, built with flone, and the apartments are divided by fuch thick walls, that fhould a fire happen in one of them, it cannot com- municate to any other : the top of the houfe being covered with a flirong arch, if the roof which is over it fliould catch fire, it cannot damage the interior part of the houfe. At Quebec, that city having been fo often befieged, the inhabitants who are now building at that place, make this arch bomb-proof. Each apartment has a double door, the inner one of wood, and the outer one of iron, which is only fliut when the family retire to reft ; the windows have double fhutters of the fame materials, and have not only taken this precaution with the doors that lead out of the houfe, but added" added an iron one, which is fixed on the infide. Thefe doors and fliutters are made of plate iron, near half an inch thick, which, perhaps, you will imagine, muft give the houfe a very difagreeable appearance, but it is far otherwife, for being moftly painted green, they afford a pleafmg contrafl to the whitenefs of the houfe. This is the bufy time of the merchants belonging to this place, who are now ufing all pofiible expedition in fending home their furs, before the winter fets in. The reafon afligned for deferring it till fo late in the feafon, is on account of the traders, fome of whom are but juft arrived from the upper countides, the merchants gene- rally waiting as long as there is a poftibility of their return, and fometimes fo long in expeftation of them, as to lofe their mar- kets entirely. Thefe 126 .INTERIOR TRAVELS' Tliefe traders, in the co\irfe of their voyages, are continually encountering hardfliips and difficulties, and- their lives are frequently in imminent danger: nothing can counterbalance the great perils that await them, but the certainty of ac- quiring an ample fortune in the courfe of three or four voyages. They fet out in the fpring of the year, in parties of about tWenty or thirty per- fons, wltll perhaps eight or ten large birch canoes j they have no fixed courfe to take, but fteer that where it is imagined tliey can meet with a tribe of Indians j keeping inoflly upon the upper lakes, fometimes carrying their goods and canoes acrofs l apids, which are parts of the river greatly quickened by tlie defcents, and over land to a river, up which they will proceed many leagues. If they do not meet with any Indians, it obliges them to return again to the lake, and proceed w.efhvai'd. . The . Tlie goods they take with them to bar- ter for ikins, confifl chiefly of brandy, to- bacco, a fort of diiffil blanket, guns, pow- der and balls, kettles, hatchets and toma-^ hawks, as like^vife looking-glaffes, ver- rnillion and various other paints ; and according to any article that an Indian has a defire or an ufe for, he will give ten times its value in fkins. They are moft eager after powder, ball, paint, brandy and to- bacco. Thefe traders traverfe vaft lakes and rivers with inci'edible induftiy and pa- tience, carrying their goods among na- tions in the remoteft parts of America. They are generally abfent from their fa- milies about tliree years, before their de- parture make a will, and fettle all their affairs, many of them, with their whole party, having been put to death by the Indians, either for the ftores they carry with them, or to revenge the death of fomc of 128 INTERIOR TRAVELS of their nation, who has been killed by the burfting of a gun that has been fold to them, which is frequently the cafe, they being by no means proof. The Indians do not wait for thofe traders who fold the gun, but take their revenge upon the firft they meet with. Here I muft obfeiA^e to you, that the guns which are fold to the Indians are fitted up in a very neat man- ner, to attraft the notice of thefe poor creatures, and frequently, after having been fired five or fix times, they burft, and the unfortunate purchafer is either killed, or lofes an hand or an arin. Thefe traders are certainly the bed: judges, but I cannot help thinking it both cruel and impolitic. It having been hinted, that a reward would be given to him who fhould difeover a north-weft paflage, or whether the Con- tinent joins to India, two fuppofitions much credited by the Europeans in general ; feveral of the traders have endeavoured to find THROUGH AMERICA. 129 find which is the true one : as there is every year fome frefh difcoveiy made, there re- mains but little doubt that in fome future time it wdll be effeded. I believe the far- thcH: that any of them have yet reached w\as a Mr. Henry, who is reported to have travelled for ten days upon a large plain, on w'hich grew only a rank-grafs, nearly as high as a man’s bread:, and on this plain he frequently met with immenfe droves of buffaloes, and obfervcd the tracks of feveral others ; that on the eleventh day he came to a vaft river, which flopped his progrefs, as he did not cliufe to venture crofling in a canoe ; that the water was quite fait, and run extremely rapid, from which circum- flance he concluded there muff be a north- wed: padage. Whether it is fo or not, it is to be hoped that when this unhappy contefl is ended. Government may think it a matter worthy tlieir confideration, and fit out an expedi- VoL. I, K tion tioii for afcertaining it, as the difcovery would not only be of great importance to England, but to all the world. As we have already made fuch great and wonder- ful difcoveries in the South Seas, luiely this *will be deemed of fufficient import- ance to juftify the expence of fitting out proper perfons from England to inv'efiigate the fa 61 :. If after fo many fruitlefs attempts, fome one fliould appear, whoie firm mind will rife fuperior to every fenfe of danger, en- countering variety of hardlhips, and whole patience is not exhaufted by their duration ; if fuch a one, animated with a hope of glory, w'hich alone teaches men tp difie- gard life, rendering them equal to the greateft undertakings; who, being well informed, fo as to underftand what he fees, and of veracity enough to relate only what he has fecn — if fuch a man Ihould appear, and no doubt there are many who poflefs thefe Through amrrica. 131 thefe excellent and extraordinaiy qualifica- tions, his refearches will perhaps be crown- ed with better fuccefs. But, if after fuch an undertaking, this celebrated paflagc fliould ftill remain concealed, it muft be concluded, either that it doth not exifi:, or is not given to man to difcover. I add nothing more to this letter, fearful of lofing its conveyance, therefore remain Yours, &c. V f ^ interior travels X. E T T E R XIII. Montreal , Nov . ^ oth , 177 ^* my dear friend, A FEW days ago, I made a vifit to our friend Shlagell of the 2lft regiment, at St. John’s, where he is ftationed foi the winter. I cannot but fay I was much pleafed with the place, it having all die appearance of a dock-yard, and of being equally as bufy. The fleet that was upon the Lake is repairing, as likewife feveral of the veffels that we took from the Ameri- cans ; they are laid up in docks, to prefeive them from the inclemencies of the winter, and by the enfuing fpring, what with the fliips I* THROUGH AMERICA. J 33 [ 1 . 30!i,r nfit tooP iregiffi-- ncdfe® was ini' ingals loflfl? twasf e fevcr>l‘ tlie toprfi^ ihips we had before, and thofe' we have fiiice taken from tlie Americans, we fliall have a fleet far fuperior to any they can poflTibly bring on the Lakes. There are two fchooncrs here, the Gar/f- ton and Maria, which were built in Eng- land upon a conftruclion to take into pieces, in order to be tranfported acrofs a carry- ing-place of about two miles. After their failing from England to the mouth of the rapids, which prevented their proceeding up to St. John’s, rather than lofe the time of taking them to pieces, and re-conflru61:- ing them, Lieutenant Schank, of the navy, an ingenious officer, informed General Carleton, that they might be conveyed upon a cradle over land to St. John’s, entire, provided there was a good road made for them. The General acquiefeed in this gentleman’s propofal, and the whole army w'ere employed in making a road. One of the veflels was near haH: a mile on it, by K 3 means 134 interior tr means of cables fixed to windlaffes eveiy twenty yards j but the General perceiving this mode of conveyance would take up more time than the other, gave orders to have the fchooners taken to pieces and re- built, which was accomplilhtd in as fhort a fpace of time as they had been creeping that fmall diftance upon land. Our naval force being far inferior to what the Americans had this fummer upon the Lakes, it was deemed neceflary to en- creafe it. The fliip-wrights were inftantly employed to build a frigate, and the army in cutting the timber for it, which is now as complete a veffel as any in the King’s fervice. I am afraid you will think I ufurp the privilege of a traveller, when I tell you that this frigate was conilrucled in fo fliort a time, that in eight and twenty days after her keel was laid fhe was in action ; and what was ftill more wonderful, there were only fixteen fhip-wrights to build her, one of THROUGH AMERICA. 135 of whom was, on the third day, fo badly wounded with an adze, as to be of little fervice. ^ on may eafily imagine how great muft have been the aftonirtiment of the Ameri- cans when flie came upon the Laices, knowing we had no fuch fhip when they abandoned St. John’s. Notwithftanding this, they fought their fleet bravely, and our new-built veflel, by the falling of the wind, bore but a partial part of the en- gagement, the ftrels laying upon the Carle- ton and Maria fchooners, which were both much lhattered. On board the latter was General Carleton, who had a very narrow efcape, a cannon fliot pafling dole by him as he was giving directions to an officer, and which the (general with that coolnefs and intrepidity that fo much diltinguiflies his character, took no notice of, but turn- ing round, gave his orders with as much ^ 4 com- 1^6 interior, travels compofure as if he had been in the moft perfe6l ftate of fecurity. This place, which is called the key to Canada, when the works are compleated, will be of great ftrength ; there are tem- porary barracks at prefent, both for fol- diers and artificers. The old barracks, as well as the fort the Americans deftroyed when they abandoned the place, were for- merly quite furrounded with woods, but &re now clear for fome diftance round. In order that you may form a juft idea of this important place, I have enclofed you a drawing of it, reprefenting the two redoubts, with the rope-walk, the fliip on the ftocks, and the other velfe.ls at anchor near the fort, and which 1 have taken from the block-houfe erected on the oppofite fide of the river Sorell, From THROUGH AMERICA. 1 37 From this place I went to the IJle au Noix, which is the advanced poft of the army, on which the 20th regiment is ftation- cd. This illand is about a mile and a half in length, and three quarters of a mile in breadth ; it was entirely covered with wood, but at prefent greatly cleared, and before the winter is over, we imagine it will be entirely fo. Although fo late in the year, and in this fevere climate, the regiment ftationed there is encamped, and likely to continue fo till after Chriftmas, as it will be that time before the block-houfes in- tended for them are finiflicd. Block-houfes not being generally known in England, lhall be my apology for giving you a defeription of them. They aie con- ftrucled of timbers, placed one on the other, of a fufficient thicknefs to refill: a mufquet Ihot, and large enough to contain from 100 to 120 men; there are two apartments in them, one above the other, m the upper of which is a divifloii foi the officers. In both the lower and upper apartments are tv/o pieces of cannon and four port-holes, for the purpofe of point- ing thefe cannon on any lide of the block- houfc on which it may be attacked; and in cafe an enemy fhould in the night en- deavour to fet fire to the houfe, there aie loop-holes, through which the troops on the infide can level their pieces and fire upon the aflailants. They are reckoned to be a very ftrong defence, as it has been known that a fmall party of men, in one of thefe block-houfes, have repulf?d treble their own number. But that you may more fully comprehend the conftru6lion of thefe iinufual fortifications, I have inclofed a drawing and fedtion of one of them for your infpedlion. The foldiers, not only at the IJle mi Noix, but likewife at St. John’s, have been very lubjedt to the fcurvy, not having any other / \ ^ 3 0 0 Oji 0 o o o n I pq / A ■ o 0 0 0 0 o 0 0 A A ■ ^ 0 OOOOO 0 0 N.J it L & Z- 0 OOOOO 0 O 0 hy h. “XT C 0 C5 0 O 0 > -V • S V ^ I ^ V ’^nJX' V\. VvVv\ J) J) . C |> % ^ Scale of Feet . THROUGH AMERICA. 1 39 Other than fait provlfions, but by drinking plentifully of fpruce beer, they arc now all in perfedl health, which clearly proves that liquor to be a powerful antifcorbutic. It is fo much known in England, as to need no defcription> the only difference between the fpruce there and here is, that here it is made with the branches of the tree itfelf, and there with the efience. As the fever ity of the weather flruts up all intercourfe by letters, this is the laft you may expect to receive from me till the froft breaks up. But though I cannot write to you, be affured I fliall continually think of you, and remain, with the greateft cfleem and fmeerity. Yours, See. L E T- 140 INTERIOR TRAVELS LETTER- XIV. Montreal, January \%th, 1777. MY DEAR FRIEND, I DID not expeft to have written fo foon, but an opportunity of a flag of truce, which is going by the way of Ticon- deroga to New-York, unexpe6ledly occur- ring, I am happy to embrace it, efpecially when it is impoflible for me to employ my leifure hours more fatisfadory to myfelf, than in endeavouring to divert you . I lhall therefore proceed to give you fome ac- count of the winter amufements of this ■ place, and among the principal ones is that of carioling upon the ice, the inhabitants making THROUGH AMERICA, L$ XIV. e vmtten fof a flag' way of Tip lecTedly occ e it, efpecii to employ- orv to tyou. you fo®' mentsof- ,alonesis^ ■ mat; 141 making large parties every day for that purpofe ; they generally go to Point aux 'Trembles, about three leagues from this city, at which place refides a Dutch woman, who makes moft excellent faufages, and at whofe houfe it is cuftomaiy to refrefli with thefe and bottled porter. As the north wind generally blows very fliarp, you ac- quire a pretty good appetite, and, for my own part, I enjoyed this petite repas in pre- ference to my dinner, very few regimen- tal melfes being conducted with that pro- priety- and decorum which fliould charac- terize the profeihon, as there are generally among them a fet of ungovernable young men. But to return to my defeription of carioling. You will no doubt think it too much to go nine miles and back again for a jaunt before dinner ; but this mode of travelling is fo very expeditious, that moft of the inhabitants defer their journey to Quebec till 142 INTERIOR TRAVELS till this fcafon of the year, as they can per-^ form it with lefs difficulty, and much greater expedition. The carioles are falliioned after different devices, to imitate birds and hearts, but in general they are of one conrtrudtion, with only this differcncej that the common peo^ pie have theirs clofe upon the ice or fnow, while thofe of their fuperiors are rmfed upon what are called runners, which elevate them about two feet. They paint them of various fantaftical colors ; many of them, as a contraft to this feafon of the year, are colored in imitation of thunder and light- ning. It is certainly a very eafy and expe- ditious method of travelling, for the horfes of the country will go with eafe fifteen miles an hour upon the ice. The inha- bitants tliink nothing of a journey of forty or fifty miles to fee a friend, and returning the fame dav. V!‘ '/'aisisisrisnsisisisisi^ ii% THROUGH AMERICA. 143 tlieycan?. and lu after difc beads, k: ;ruftion,i; commcsf e ice or fei ors are ta which da paint the nanyoftk if the year,, iderandk- eafyander for the k ith eafe fe e. The iff )urney»f» ,a]i(ire®ff , Notwltliftanding the river runs fo rapid as I have before deferibed, and is now en- tirely frozen over, yet there are certain warm fprings that never will congeal ; to caution travellers, every parifli, as foon as the river is frozen over, is obliged to fix large pine trees in the ice, diftant from each otlier about ten feet, which receiving moifiure from the ice, and being an ever- green, continue fo the whole winter, fo that when travelling, it appears as if you were going between an avenue of firs. On each fide of the river it is quite fmooth, but in the center, where the cur- rent runs fo rapid, the ice is thrown up in prodigious hills, through which the inha- bitants are obliged to cut a palfage to crofs the river j the fides are frozen fo as to bear carriages, long before the center, and when that freezes, no thunder can equal the noife, the reafon of which you will eafily imagine, for where thefe rapids ai’c, the ice i 'ji INTERIOR TRAVELS 144 m ice is thrown up in a continual fucccffion of hills ; between thefe hills, you are furrouncled with ice feveral yards high, and there it is inconceivably cold ; when upon the top of one of thefe hills, you cannot help flopping to view the many curious forms the ice is throwni into, fome of it being in that of a pyramid, other pieces that of a cone, others again in large flabs, and fome of it refembling the figures of men, birds and beafts; in Ihort, no defcription can equal fo romantic a pro- fpedl. The Canadians have a very fmgular cuf- tom among them, at the commencement of the year, the men go round the city and falute the ladies, who fit up in Hate for three days for that purpofe, and as the in- habitants ai'e acquainted w^ith each other, the lady is generally faluted by the greateft part of the meiij the falutation is after the French fafhion, upon the cheek, when having lual fuc(£ ills, you; il yards i; )lycold ;5 hefe hilLv iew the It )wninto,: pyramid,! s again iiii: ding the fe in fiion imantic!! ery finguli!- comraenct mdthedt;: up in te’ andastk vith eacho5 by the tion is : cheeh, ' ■ having faluted one, the lady prefents the other. The European ladies who are fettled here, rather than appear Angular, adopt this cuftom, only varying the falutation after the Englifh fafliion ; not but what I think the French mode preferable on this occafion, where the lady is under the ne- ceffity of receiving the falute of every one. As I know you will make this obfervation, / iiare fay he went his rounds., let me candidly acknowledge I did, and with another officer. We had a very great mortification in going to the houfe of an Englifli naerchant, who has a beautiful wife: upon our entering, we difputed who fliould falute her firft j you may fuppofe how eager we both were in our addrelles upon entering the room, and would have enjoyed our chagrin, when we faw General Phillips there, whofe de- parture mull be waited for, before we could lalutc the lady j perhaps you will VoL. I. L fay J^6 interior travels fay the pleafure was heightened by con- templating her charms— expeBan. This being the firft Catholic 'country I ever was in, you niuft fuppofe me particu- larly attentive to their religious ceremonies at Chriftmas. I had ever conceived, that moft authors had greatly exaggerated tlieir accounts upon that head, and had I not met with convincing proofs, my candor could not fuppofe that manldnd were fo weak in their underftandings. That tlie lower clafs of people Ihould be led away is not to be wondered at, but how men of learning, fou^d fenfe and good underfland- ing fliould, is to me aftonifhing. It is allowable for every man to worfliip any thing fymbolically, but their doing it in reality never can be admitted. Thefe fuperftitious people implicitly believe, tlie waxen images that are fhewn them by their priefts, to be abfolutely the perfons they are intended to reprefent. On UVEIS ightened Ij; ■Prapa^ 'atholiccM ippolemcp di^ous ceic er concdvei yex^gerati! ad, and U proofs, myt It mankindi indings. li ,ould be Icd^' t,but howl ndgoodunfe ; aftonilbiKg' jantowori )ut their 4t le admitted iplicitlyhelif' jlieflnithenih ;ly the ped® lit. THROUGH AMERICA. On Chriftmas Eve, I went to tlie great church, where there was a prodigious con- courfe of peojjle, and got as near as I could to the altar, to obferve the ceremonies. About nine o’clock the fervice began with prayers and anthems, which lafted till ten, when the cradle was brought in, upon which there was a great Ihout j after this they continued finging and praying till the clock ftruck twelve, when the high prieft brought in a wax figure of a child, fuperbly drclTed, the mufic ftruck up, and there was a fecond great ftiouting. The child being depofited in the cradle, it was rocked till about one o’clock, when the ceremony finiflied. * In fome of the convents they are ex- ceedingly curious in their wax images: there was a reprefentation of the MelTiah, which was daily varied in its fize, from the time of its fuppofed birth, till the time the Monks had fixed as neceflary for its L 2 being 148 interior travels being fufficiently grown to reprefent our Saviour, at the age he was when he preach- ed in the Temple. When I firft went to fee this wax-work, on the Chriftnias-day, there was a figure of Jofeph, die fled in a fcarlet cloak, with a lai’ge tie wig, another to refemble the Virgin Maiy with a little child, laying in a manger, and over it was the figure an ox and an afs’s head, which are at the fame time emblematical of their own flubbornefs and ftupidity. In a few days this reprefentation was changed, and there was another of the V^ife Men making their offerings to the Sahator Mundi ; fo continuing ev