JH :¦::;;¦¦'' 1 !.., . . i J , ¦'¦;:,{[}! s. ; ¦ Jii'.i pi II Lt&f -L.-...t:i'.: !.¦;.,','::.' '-'"iV . iiK'i. ¦:ii'.'''ii mm j? i, yal£ university LIBRARY From the library of RUSSELL C. LEFFINGWELL Yale 1899 The gift of his daughter MRS. EDWARD PULLING TRAVELS NORTH- AM ERICA, YEARS 17S0— 81— 82. MARQtflS DE CHASTELLUX, ONE OF THE FORTY MEMBERS OF THE FRENCH ACADEMY, AND MAJOR-GENEHAl. IN .THE FRENCH ARMY, SERVING UNDER THE COUNT DE ROCHAMBEAU. TRANSLATE*) y -: >• , ' FROM THE FRENCH, BY AN ENGLISH GENTLEMAN, - . . WHO RESIDED IN AMERICA AT THAT PERIOD. WITH NOTES BY THE TRANSLATOR. y '"¦' •' •"*/• 'ALSO,' ' , . A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR ; < LETTERS '.' FROM GEN. WASHINGTON TO THE MARQUIS DE CHASTELLUX : NOTES AND CORRECTIONS, i ¦ ' . " ¦¦¦''¦ " - BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR. NEW-YORK: . JS28. IS 28 PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. As a memorial of the conflict which made the United States one of the nations of the earth, and a sketch of the features of the country, with some of the principal arbiters of its desti ny in that momentous period, the Travels of the Marquis de Chastellux will ever hold an honourable place in the in terest and feelings, either of the American patriot or mere speculative reader. In following his narrative, however, it will readily be perceived, that the Author, a man of science, reflection, and literary habits, wrote more for private and indi vidual gratification, than for critical scrutiny or the public eye. Hence the numerous little incidents and circumstances, the trivial anecdote and immaterial remark, designed only for a confidential and friendly ear ; blended with the serious obser vations and profound reflections on the state of society, the origin' and progress of events, and the probable future condi tion of our embryo republic. In preparing this wqrk for an extensive impression, to an English mind it woujd appear, that much of his tea-table chit-chat and travelling memoranda might as well have been omitted ; while on the graver and more weighty subjects of his inquiries, he will be perused with fixed regard and the deepest attention. A proficient in all the accomplishments of the most polished court in EuRope, alrea dy distinguished by his literary attainments and productions, 4 PREFACE. accustomed to modes of conduct and habits of thinking, so dissimilar to what might be expected from the retired man ners, the contracted sentiments, and the entire new scenes, furnished by our home-bred rustics, it is not extraordinary that some of his remarks seem rather deficient in that frankness and courtesy, which generally prevail throughout his work. In solitary hamlets and unpeopled forests, he could not look for the balls, the theatres, and the levees of Paris. But he found a sturdy, honest, and intelligent yeomanry, rough as the soil they cultivate, resolved to defend their independence against a host of mercenaries, and successful in their object. The uncommon merit of the French officers and soldiery, in their strict and exemplary demeanour throughout the con flict, well deserves the encomium it has received. In no in stance was it known, that so much injury had been sustained by the* inhabitants, from a regiment or brigade of the disci plined allies, as from a single company of the native militia. The picture of our country, drawn by the hand of a master, in traits undoubtedly correct as far as they go, after a progress of nearly half a century, cannot but be reviewed with pleasure and gratulation by the American citizen, delighted with the present condition of the land of his nativity, and animated with its future prospects. In our improved method of travel ling, the Marquis would have reached West Point from Provi dence, the long and tedious distance he so minutely describes, from town to town and house to house, on the same roads, very comfortably ii* fifty hours. We have not admired the taste of the Translator, in some of his notes ; and occasionally ah observation of the Author is omitted, in a case where he would not, on the same occasion, have offered it to a Protestant neighbour. Yet when we keep in view his character as a stranger, a Frenchman, and a Ro man Catholic, we must admit that he displays no common PREFACE. 5 degree of discernment, of frankness, of good sense and liberality, in his discussion of the various topics before him ; many of which have proyed the soundness of his abstract rea soning, while others, from local or incidental causes, have exhi bited effects widely different from the Author's anticipations. The letters from Gen. Washington to the Author, are ex tracted from the New-York Literary Journal, of 1820-1, into which they were copied from the original manscripts of Ma dame Chastellux, after the death of her husband. They de tract nothing from the amiable, the patriotic, and the philoso phical character of i their illustrious writer. This edition of the Marquis' work, is copied from an Eng lish translation, in two volumes, published in 1787. In its consolidated and economical form, it will doubtless be an ac ceptable addition to the literary and historical reading of our country. Unwilling that the mistakes of the intelligent Au thor and his Translator should be extended and perpetuated by this first American impression, the editor has added a vari ety of notes and corrections, which it has been deemed pre ferable to place at the end of the volume, instead of inserting them at the foot of the pages to which they respectively refer, as the notes of the Translator already occupy so large a por tion of the work. For the sake of method and perspicuity, he has divided the whole into Parts and Chapters, to which he has prepared and adapted the Table of Contents. ADVERTISEMENT TO THE FRENCH EDITION. The public have been long informed that the Marquis de Chastel lux had written Journals of his Travels in North-America, and they seem to have wished to see those Journals more generally diffused. The Author, who had arranged them solely for himself and for his friends, has constantly refused to make them public until this moment. Tfce first and most considerable, in fact, were printed in America ; but only twenty-four impressions were struck off, and this with no other view than to avoid the multiplying of copies, which were be come indispensably necessary, in a country and at a time when there was very little hope of any packets reaching Europe, but by the means of duplicates. Besides that, he thought proper to avail himself of the small printing press on board the squadron at Rhode-Island. Of these twenty-four impressions, not above ten or twelve reached Eu rope, and the Author had addressed them all to persons on whom he could rely, and whom he had requested not to suffer any copies to be taken. The curiosity, however, which every thing respecting Ameri ca at that time inspired, excited much anxiety to read them. They passed successively through a great many hands, and there is reason to believe that the readers have not all been equally scrupulous ; nor can it even be doubted that there exist some manuscript copies, which being hastily executed, may be presumed to be incorrect. In the spring of 1782, the Marquis de Chastellux made a journey into Upper Virginia ; and, in the autumn of the same year, another intoJthe^States of Massachusetts, and New-Hampshire, and the back part of Pennsylvania. According to, custom, he wrote journals of these expeditions ; but, being on his return to Europe, he reserved them to himself. These therefore are known only to a few friends, to whom he lent them ; for he invariably denied the request of many O ADVERTISEMENT. * persons, and particularly our own, to empower us to lay them before the public. One of his friends however, who has a very extensive correspondence in foreign countries, having pregsed him much to fur nish him with at least a few detached extracts from these journals, for the purpose of inserting them in a periodical, work printed at Gotha, the object of which is to collect such works as have not been made public, he consented ; and, during a whole year, there appeared in each number of, this Journal a few pages taken here and there from those of the Marquis de Chastellux. These^extracts were not in a regular series, and were indiffently taken from the first and second parts of the Travels. The Author' had used this precaution, to pre vent fare foreign booksellers from collecting them, and imposing them on the public as a complete work. Experience has proved the insuf ficiency of this precaution. A printer of Cassel, without any scruple, has collected these detached extracts, and without announcing that they had no coherency, has printed them under the title of Voyages de Monsieur le Cheealier de Chastellux, the name the Author bore two years ago. TBe publication of a work so mutilated and unmethodical, and which the Marquis de Chastellux by no means expected, so far from flattering, could not but be displeasing to him. We deemed this a proper opportunity for renewing our instances to him, and have, in consequence, obtained his original manuscript. We have lost no time in giving it to the public, and have exerted the utmost pains to render it, from the execution, worthy of the importance of the sub ject, and of the name and reputation of the Author. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE MARQUIS DE CHASTELLUX. The Marquis de Chastellux was of an ancient family in Boui- gogne, and was born in Paris, in 1734: In his early childhood he lost his father, who was Lieutenant-General in the army of the king, and commandant in Roussillon. He entered the ser vice atffifteen years of age, and at twenty-one, had- the com mand of a regiment : a short time after he obtained the com mand of a regiment of his own name. He served during the seven years' war in Germany, with credit to himself and coun try. But, even among the busy and boisterous scenes of hos tile movements, he pursued at every interval, his favourite lite rary studies. The activity of his mind was equal, in a high degree, to his thirst for knowledge. A sincere desire to be useful to mankind; and firmness to encounter every danger to gratify that desire, were characteristics of his mind. When the subject of inoculation for the small pox was intro duced, it was difficult to procure a subject who was willing to submit, to the then untried experiment in France. Chastellux, though a youth of about twenty years of age, offered to submit to the experiment. After his recovery, he called upon a friend, and made" use of the following noble expression : " Here I am, safe ; and what is still more gratifying to me is, that, by my example, I shall be the means of saving many others." ^ In 1780 he accompanied the army commanded by Lieute nant-General Count Rochambeau to the United States ; in which army, he held the rank of Major-General. In this sta tion he never ceased to give proofs of activity, knowledge, and firmness ; by which he received, not only the applause of his King, and the American Commander-in-Chief, but even of their enemies. In this service, he was particularly distinguished by that penetrating judge of merit, General Washington. An in timate and sincere friendship took place between them, which ended only with their lives. 2 10 BIOGRAPHY. He held a distinguished rank among the literary characters of France ; and some of his works are esteemed among the most valuable productions ofthe age. He died in 1788; leaving an accomplished and amiable widow, and an infant son, Alfred, who appears to possess the active disposition of his fa ther; and promises, like him, to pursue the road to usefulness. and fame. » The Marquis of Chastellux was taken frpm the world, at a time when the services of such men were most needed; but perhaps, he might, as well as the numerous friends he left be hind, have been overwhelmed by the torrent of anarchy, which, soon after his death, spread terror and devastation over his be loved country. He was a sincere friend of rational liberty ; but possessed too much firmness and integrity to have been a silent spectator of that licentiousness, which, under the per verted name of liberty, was the most horrid of all tyrannies. CONTENTS. PART I. Journal of a Tour from Newport to Philadelphia, Albany, $e. Page, CHAPTER I. — The author leaves Newport. Arrival at Providence — den scription of that town. Volnntown. Description of the country between Voluntown and Windham. East Hartford. Particulars relative to the state of Vermont— origin of the name. Arrival at Hartford. Visit to Gov. Trumbull. Interesting fact. Departure from Hartford. Description of the country. Manufactures, &c .17 CHAPTER II. — Sets out for Litchfield. Observations on the nomenclature V of the ""Americans. Meets a park of Artillery. Litchfield. Beautiful landscapes. Fishkill. The Barracks. Leaves Fishkill. Barracks for In valids. Beautiful prospects. General Heath at the head of 2500 men in battle array. West-Point. General Heath's orders to General Stark. . 33 CHAPTER III.— Particulars of General Heath. Fortifications at West- Point. Descends the North river. Description of the country. Fort Clinton — how attacked and taken. Particulars of King's Ferry. Stoney- Point and Verplanck's-Point. Arnold's treason. Vulture sloop of war. 'Camp of the Marquis de la Fayette. Totohaw [Passaic] Falls. Washing ton's Head Quarters. 48 CHAPTER IV. — The army in battle array. American General Officers. A young man with a monstrous head. General" Knox. Character of Ge neral Washington. Morristown. Ancient camp at Middlebrook. De scription of the country. Positions occupied by the English. Greggtown. Princeton — description of its College. Battles of Princeton. . . .65- CHAPTER V. — Trenton. Position of the Hessians when they laid down their arms. Remarks. Bristol. Description of the country. Philadel phia. Chevalier de la Luzerne. Mrs. Bache, daughter, of Dr. Franklin. Robert Morris* . . ¦..'..... 86 CHAPTER VI.— Battle of Germantown. Samuel Adams. Anecdote.- House in which Congress assembled. Assembly of Pennsylvania. Cabinet of Natural History. Orrery. Anatomies." Battle of Brandywine. . 102 12 CONTENTS. Page CHAPTER VII.— Chester. Fort Billingsport. Fort Mifflin. Delaware river barricaded. Fort Redbank— unsuccessful attack. Principles of the Revolution of America. New Constitution of Massachusetts Bay. A Ball- A Quaker. Quaker meeting. English Church CHAPTER VIII.— Germantown. White Marsh. English camp. Barren Hill. La Fayette. English lines. Mr. Peters, Secretary at War. Mr. Payne, author of " Common Sense"— character of that celebrated writer. Subscription Ball. Ridiculous story. Academy at Philadelphia. Che valier de la Luzerne. 120 137 CHAPTER IX.— Observations on Philadelphia. Princeton. Militia Colo nel—courageous action of his son. Baskenridge. Pompton. Dutch Farms. A savage country. Reflections. New- Windsor. General Wash ington. Sets out for Albany. Agriculture of Dutchess County. Whim sical mistake. Trade of Canada. Anecdote of Arnold. Road to Kinder- hook. Curiosities " CHAPTER X.— Arrival at Albany-. Dines with General Schuyler— par ticulars of the General and his family. Sets out for Schenectady. De scription of the country. Cohoes Falls. Mohawk river. Return to Al bany. Plans for carrying on the war in Canada. Journey to Schenectady. Indians — their huts. Leaves Albany for Saratoga. Accident. Camp on Bream's Heights. Battles between Generals Gates and Burgoyne. Sara toga 171 CHAPTER XI.— Journey to Fort Edward. Great Cataract. Miss Mac- Rea. General Burgoyne. Anecdotes. Return to Albany. New- Year's Day, A thaw. Leaves Albany. Accident. Nobletown. Sheffield. The Green Woods. Arrival at New-Hartford. Singular Conversation. Extraordinary Rock. Lebanon. Squirrel Hunting. Voluntown. Pro vidence. * Return to Newport. 190 PART II. Journal of a Tour in Upper Virginia, in the Apalachian Mountains, and to the Natural Bridge. CHAPTER I.— The author leaves WiUiamsburgh. Cornwallis' Army. New-Kent Court-House.' Offly. General Nelson and (family. Willis' Tavern. Cock Fight. Louisa Court-House. An Irishman. Monticello. Portrait of Mr. Jefferson-. . , 211 • CHAPTER II.— CharlottevUle. Marquis de la Rouerie. A Tame Wolf. Mr. Jefferson's Park. Battle of Cowpens. The Gap. A Pheasant. Praxton's Tavern 230 CHAPTER HI.— Sets out for the Natural Bridge. Description of it. Ac count of a young man and his wife going to settle in Kentucky. Kills a Mountain Rat— description of it A The Gap. Wild Turkeys. Mr. Lam- CONTENTS. 13 Page. bert. Captain Muller. New-London. Hodnett's Tavern. Cumberland Court-House. Young Ladies — handsome and well dressed. Reflections on Beauty. * 248 CHAPTER IV. — Arrives at Petersburg. Mrs. Spencer and her daughter. Public Store-Houses for Tobacco — the receipts given at them circulated a? money* Mrs. Bowling. Pocahontas. Account* of General Bull. Depar ture from Petersburg. Commerce of that Town. Arrival at Richmond. Description of that place. General Harrison. Interesting Anecdote. Ar rival at Westover. Mrs. Bird and her family. Mr. Mead. Sturgeon Fishery. The Humming-bird. . . ' 266 CHAPTER V.— Return to Williamsburg. Chickahoming Creek. Obser vations on Virginia and the first Planters of North America. On Slavery. 285 PART III. Journal of a Tour in New-Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Upper Pennsylvania. CHAPTER I.— The author leaves Hartford. Baron's Tavern. Fine Mea dows — value of lands and provisions. Arrives at Concord. Description of the Country. Anecdotes relative to the battles of Concord and Lexington. Road from Concord to Haverhill. Commerce of Haverhill. Road from Haverhill to Portsmouth. Exeter. Beauty of the Country. Arrives at Portsmouth. A Sermon. Remarkable Comparison. Ship of War Au gust*. Description of the Harbor and Fortifications. Accident, caused by thunder, on board the Auguste. Colonel Langdon — generous action. De parture from Portsmouth. Observations on Portsmouth and New-Hamp shire in general. Arrives at Newburyport. Mr. Tracy — his house — vicis situdes — patriotism, &c . . . u . . 303 CHAPTER II. — Departure from Newburyport. Ipswich— its population. Arrival at Salem. Description of Salem and its Harbor. Road from Sa lem to Boston. Arrival at Boston. A Ball. Dines on board the Souve- rain. French Language. Field of battle of Bunkers' Hill and old camp at Cambridge. Description of the Camp and Field of Battle. Able ma noeuvre of General Washington. University of Cambridge. Doctor Coop er. The Club. Squadron of the Marquis de Vaudreuil. . . .319 CHAPTER III. — Observations on Boston. Enormous Tax. Departure from Boston. Rejoins the troops at Providence. Road from Providence to Newborough. Improvements. Unhappy Adventure. Arrival at New- borough. General Washington. Takes leave ofthe General. American Barracks. Beard's Tavern. Arrival at Sussex. Moravian mill — church — anecdote of the minister — description of the country. Remarka ble Gap. Arrival at Bethlehem. Visits the Moravian Establishments — house for single women — house for single men — police of these houses. Arrival at Philadelphia 336 14 CONTENTS. Page. Description of the Natural Bridge, called in Virginia Rocky Bridge. . - 354 PART IV. Correspondence. LETTER I.— The Marquis de Chastellux to Mr. Madison. . ¦ -369 LETTERS II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X.— General Washington to the Marquis de Chastellux. . . 38&-389-390-391-392-393-394-395-397 Additional Notes and Corrections, by the American Editor. . . .401 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. PART 1 JOURNAL OF A TOUR FROM NEWPORT TO PHILADELPHIA, ALBANY, &C. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERI€A. CHAPTER I. NEWPORT VOLUNTOWN— WINDHA,M-^ITARTFORD FARMINGTON. From my landing at Newport, on the 11th of July, it was hardly possible for me to be absent even for two days. On the 19th of that month the English fleet began, to show itself before the port; the next day we reckoned two and twenty sail, and a few days after,we learnt that the enemy were em barking troops, nor were We 'informed before the middle of August of their being again disembarked at News- York, and on Long-Islarld. But still it appeared by no means clear that they had abandoned their undertaking : we received every day fresh advices, which bespoke new embarkations ; on bur part we were adding to our fortifications, and our still recent esta blishment furnished me .with daily employment of such a, na ture as not to admit of my absence. M. de Rochambeau, Who had long proposed visjting his posts-at Providence, was unable to carry his project into execution before the 30th of August. I accompanied him, and we returned the next day.*. On the 18th of September, he set out for- Hartford in Connecticut, with the Admiral Chevalier de Ternay, where General Wash ington had given him a rendezvous. I did not attend him in this journey, and as fortune would have it, we found ourselves in the most critical situation in which we had been since our arrival. The general belief at Rhode-Island was, that M. de Guichen, who we knew had quitted St. Domingo, was coming to join us, and we expected to go into immediate action. On the 19th, we found that instead of M. de Guichen, Adiffiral Rodney was arrived at New- York with, ten ships of the line. Not the smallest doubt was entertained among us of an attack upon the French fleet, and even the army. The vessels * ' ¦'_'_¦. J| ' ~ ' $ ' . . ¦¦ • : ~ ; — * Let the English reader conjecture from what this General officer has said, and from what he has probably thought proper not to say, whether Sir H. Clinton, and Admiral. Arbuthnot, and even the great Rodney were very enterppizing &fficers. — TeaNs$,atob. 3 IS TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. inconsequence were laid across the harbour, with sPr'D€S^tpl.:pS cables, and their anchorage was protected by new batteries, which were constructed with great judgment and celerity. n the beginning of October, the season being then advanced, without any .thing being. undertaking by Admiral Rodney, we had reason' to expect that Ve shduld remain quiet for the re mainder of the year, and our sole occupation was in preparing winter quarters for the troops. , • They took possession ofthem the 1st of November : and I might now without risk have ab sented myself from the army ; but not wishing to show too much anxiety, and desirous of seeing discipline, and the ar rangements relative to the cantonments well established, I de ferred until the 11th setting out on' a long tour upon the continent. I left Rhode-Island that day with Mr. Lynch and M. de Montesquieu,* who had each of them a servant. I had three, one Of whom had a led horse, and another drove a small cart, which I was advised to take, Jo convey my portmanteaus, and to avoid hurting my horses in the journey. It was then a hard frost, the earth was covered with show, and the north-easteriy wind blew very sharp. In going from Bristol to the Ferry, I went out of my way to view the fortifications of Bufthill, and L reached the ferry at half past eleven-)-. The passage was long and difficult, because the wind was contrary.- We were obli ged to make three tacks, arid it was necessary to make two trips, to pass over our horses, and the. cart. At two o'clock I arrived at Warren, a small, town in the state of Massachusetts, eighteen miles distant from Newport. I alighted at a good inn, the master of which, called Buhr, is remarkable for his enor mous Size as well as that of hjs wife, his son, and all his familyk My intention was only tb have baited my horses, but the cold continuing to increase, and the cart not arriving before three o'clock, I gave up all thoughts of going to sleep at Providence, and I determined to stay at Warren, where I was in very o-00d quarters. After dinner I went to the bank of the little river1 Barrington, which runs near this town, to see .a sloop come in which had arrived from Port au Prince. This sloop belonged to Mr. Porter, Brigadier-General ofthe Militia, nephew to Mr. Bum-, and still more bulty than himself. Cojonel Green whom 1 met upon the quay, made me acquainted with Mr. Porter and * B(>th °f t^se' gentlemeipvere made Colonels en second on their TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 19 we drank tea with him, in a simple, but comfortable house, the inside and inhabitants of which presented a specimen of Ameri can manners. The 12th I set out at half past eight for Providence, where I arrived at noon. I alighted at the college, that is to say, at our hospital; which I. examined, and dined with Mr. Blan- ehard, Commissary of war. At half past four I went to Colo nel Bowen's where I had lodged in my first journey , I drank tea there with several ladies, one of whom, rather handsome, was called Miss Angel. I was' then conducted to Mrs. Var- num's, whe»e I again found; company, and from thence to Go vernor Bowen's, who gave'me a bed. The 13th, I breakfasted with Colonel Peck : he is an amia ble and polite young man, who passed the last summer with General Heath at Newport. He received me in a charming .smatll house, where he lived with his' wife, who is young also, and has a pleasing countenance, but without any thing striking. This little establishment, where comfort and simplicity reign, gave an idea of that sweet and serene state of happiness^ which. appears to have 1»ken refuge in the New World, after com pounding it with -pleasure, to which it nas left the Old. The town of Providence is built on the bank of a river only six miles long, and which disembogues itself in the gulf wherein are Rhode-Island, Connecticut, Providence, &c. It has only qne street, "which is Very long : the suburb, which is consider able, is on the other side of the river. This town is handsome, the houses are not spacious, but well built, and properly arranged within. It is pent in between two chains of moun tains, one to the north, and 'the other to the south-west, which causes an insupportable heat in summer ; but it is exposed to th,e north-west wind, which rakes it from one end to the other, and renders it extremely cold |n winter. It may contain two thousand five hundred inhabitAts. Its situation is very advan tageous for commerce ; which accordingly is very considerable in tjpaes of peace. Merchant ships .may load and unload their cargoes in the toiqftn itself, and ships pf war cannot approach the harbour. Their commerce is the same with that of Rhoder Island and Boston* ; they export staves, and salt provisions, and bring back .salt,, and a great quantity of molasses, sugar, and, other articles from the West-Indies : they fit out vessels also for the cod and whale fishery. The latter is carried on success fully between Cape Cod and Long-Island ; but they go often as far as Baffin's Straits, and FalMjpd's island. The inhabit ants of Providenoe, like those ofl\ewport, also carry on the Guinea trade ; they buy slaves there and carry them to the West-Indies, where they take bills of exchange ,on Old Eng- 20 TRAVELS IN it«ORTH-AMERICA. land, for which they receive woollens, stuffs, and other mer* chandize*. v . On quitting Colonel Peck, I mounted my horse -for Volun- town, where Ijproposed sleeping. I stopped at Scituate, in a very indifferent inn, called the Angel's Tavern; it is about halfway to Voluntowfl^: I baited my horses there, and set out in an hour, without seeing my oart arrive, v From this plafte to Vohintown the road is execrable ; one is perpetually mounting and descending, and always on the most rugged roads. It was six o'clock, and the night closed in, when I reached' D 's Tavern, which, is only five and twenty sailes .from'' Providence. I dismounted with the more pleasure as the- weather was extremely bad-. I was well accommodated, and kindly received at Mr. D, ¦'s. He is an old gentleman of seventy-three years of age, tall, and still vigorous ; he is a native of Ireland, first settled in -Massachusetts, and afterwards in Connecticut. His wife, who is younger than him, is active, handy, arid obliging ; but her family is charming. It consists of two^young men, one twenty-eight, and "the other twenty-oo^j years old; a child of twelve, and two girls, from" eighteen to twenty, as handsome as- angels. The eldest of these young women was sick, kept her chamber, and did not show herself. I learnt afterwards that she wgs in the family way,, and almost ready to lie-in : she was deceived by a young man, who, after; promising to marry her, absented himself and did not return.-^. * Here are several places of public worship", an university, and': other public buildings ; and a- very brisk tirade was carried on even at the worst period of the war. for American commerce, viz in 178& — vj Mr. Welcome Arnold, a great plumber, and Delegate to Congress from his state, has changed his name by act of Assembly, since the defection of Benedict Arnold Trans: t On the 'arrival of seven or eilht Copies of this journal, sent to tJ!^ fS °r'- the^'S°S1,Vhen eXcited ^ ^ery thing relative to the affairs of America, poured them many refers. ThWhHhe author had addressed them only to his most Ultimate friends, and had taken the precaution to apprize them that? it.was not his intention thev shouW be generaUv public they passed rapidly from one Zv&to rPaiflU aS.y C°Uld- °nly be lent for a sh°« time they we e ™ ff 3S ^Ch P'eclPltatlon * avidity. This anxiety could on t proceed from the general desire of forming some idea of the manners of the Americans, of which this journal gave several detail* u- u became interesting fr0M the ^L^tf ^ JS^SE? From an inconsistency, howelr, more l)sual i„ France tha {t ^ anv ' other country, some persons made no scruple, to judge the author 2 pomts of propriety, of which he alone was capable of givL tiZ T .dea : he was taxed with wantonness and ihdiscretion for h an TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 21 Chagrin and the consequences of her situation had thrown her into a state of languor ; she never came down to thei ground- floor on which her'parents lived.; but great care was taken of concealed neither events nor places ih relatW the adventure of ag(r| deceived by her lover:"' A very simple, ana very natural reflection," might have convinced*tfiem, that it was by no means probable that a General Officer, a man of forty-five years of age, particularly Connected with the Americans', and 'who has every wheftf expressed sentiments of gratitude and attachment for those ff6m whom! he experienced kindness, should allow himself, not only to offend, but to afflict an honest family, who had shewn him every attention, and of whom he cannot speak but in. terms of commendation. Besides that the simple and even serious manner in which- this article' is written affords not the, least appearance of levity : a sufficient, reason for, preventing ^he too free observations of certain headers. Another reflection might occur naturally' enough, but which demanded a little more consignation. The author wishes, it might have been said, to give us an idea of American manners, Which be is certainly very far ' from satirizing : may it not be possible that amongst a people so remote from us in, every respect, a girl who should resign herself too hastily to the man she was engaged to, with the consent even of her parents, a girl with out distrust, iii a country -where such an idea is never taught theni, where morals are so far in their inftjipy, as that the commerce between two free persons is deemed less censurable, than the infidelity^, the caprices, and even the coquetries which destroy the peace of so many European families ? May it not be possible that this young woman, as interesting as she was unhappy, should' be lamented rather than condemned, that she should still retain' all her rights in society, and become a legitimate spouse and moth'er, though her story was neither unknown, nor attempted to.be concealed ? In fact, how could the author learn this history 1 Was" it, by the scandalous chronicles in a hamlet' where he was a stranger to every person but his hosts ? 1 have since learnt (says he in speaking of this girl) tliat she was in ihe family wayi and near her time of lying-in. How did he learn this ? From her own parents, who had not at first made'avmystery of it, and then a matter of confidence.' But had these austere judges, when they had finished their reading; happened to recollect what' they saw at the beginning, they might have observed that the author, being at Volun- town a second time*, two ¦ months after, saw Miss D- suckling an infant, which was continually passing from her knees to those of her mother ; that she was then cherished, and'taken care of by all the family. This affecting sight was descried with sensibility, and not with malignity. But it is time to give over tiring the patience, nqj, of the critics only, but of all sensible minds, those minds alone whose approbation is of any value. On anotner journey to Voluntown, the author ha,d the satisfaction to see Miss D r-~- perfectly happy : . her lover was returned, and had married'' her .;' he had expiated all his wrongs, nor had. they been such as they at first appeared ; he had unfor tunate circumstances to plead in his excuse, if there can indeed be 32 TRAVELS IN «ORTH-AMERjtCA. her, and she had always {somebody to keep her company. Whilst a good supper was preparing^ for me, I went into wie room Where the family was assembled, where I observed -a. shelf with forty or fifty volumes on it ; on opening thein 1 louna that they were .all classical authors, Greek, Latin, or Lnglish. They belonged to M§ D— — 's elde* son. This young man had. received a regular education, and} was tutor at Provi dence college, nntil the war interrupted his studies. I con versed with him on various points of literature, and particularly on the manner in which the dead languages should be pro nounced. I found him well informed, and possessed of much simplicity and modesty.* ¦ We were Waited on at* supper by a most beautiful girl, call ed Miss Pearce. She was a neighbour of Mrs. D- , and had come on a ;visit, and to assist her jn the absence of her * ' ! " ! ^ any for a man who for a single day can leave in such agonies the interesting and weak victim who was unable to resist him. '*' The translator,, who has been at Voluntown, 4nd enjoyed the society and witnessed the happiness of this amiable family, is likewise acquainted with the whole of this story. • He is so well satisfied with the justness of the liberal min la Prussienne, on the field of battle, my cart-horse was elevated . to . the saddle. The reading of some English poets, and the conversation with Messrs. Lynch and Montesquieu, and the good people of the house, made me pass the day very agreeably. Towards the evening, two travellers came into the room I was in, seated themselves by the fire, and bejan to yawn and- whistle, without paying the least attention to me. The conversation, however, gradually enlivened, and became very interesting and agree able. One of them was a colonel of militia, who had served in Canada, arid had been in several 'engagements, wherein he' was wounded. I shall observe once for all, that among the men I have met with, above twenty years of age, of whatso ever condition, J have not found two who have not borne arms, heard the whistling of balls, £nd even received some wounds ; so that it may be asserted, that North America is entirely military, and inured to war, and that new levies may continual ly be made, without making new soldiers. [The translator confirms this assertion, except with regard to the pacific reli gious sects, in the whole extent of his observations from Vir ginia to New-Hampshire.] On the 15th, I set out from Voluntown at eight in the morn ing, I travelled five. miles in the mountains, after which I saw the horizon expand itselfj and my eye very soon had its full scope. On descending We hills, and before we reached the valley, is the town or hamlet of Wainfield ; for what is called in America, a town or township, is only a certain number of houses, dispersed over a great space, but which belong to the same incorporation, and send deputies to the general assem bly ofthe state. The centre or head quarters of these towns, is the meeting-house or church. This church stands some- TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 25 times single, and is sometimes surrounded by four or five houses only^ whence it happens, that when a traveller asks the question : How far is it to such a town1? He is, answered, You are there already; but when, he specifies the place he wishes to be at, whether it be the meeting, or such a tavern, he not unfrequently is told, You are se^kti or eight, miles from «'&# Plainfleld is a small town, fafit a large district, for there are full thirty houses within reach of the meeting.* Its situa tion is agreeable;, but it presents^ besides, a military aspect: this was the first I had remarked. An army might encamp there on little heights, behind which the hills rise in an am phitheatre,, thus presenting successive^positions as far as the great woods, which would serve as the, last retreat.' The foof ofrthe heights of Plainfleld is fortified by morasses, .only passa ble by one causeway, which would oblige the enemy to file oft' to* attack you.t The right and left are supported by^iscarp- nients. On the right also is a marsh, which renders it more difficult of access. This camp is fit for six,eight, or evep ten thousand rnen ; it might.serVe to caver Providence and Massa chusetts state, against troops wlwhad passed, the Connecticut river. At two miles from' Plainfleld the road.turns.jtowards the north, amd after travelling two or three miles farther, is the - river o'f Quenebaugh, along the edge of which we travel about a mile to' pass it at Canterbury, over a pretty long, and tolera bly constnucted, wooden bridge. This river is neither naviga ble,' nor fordabli% but flows amidst stones, which renders its bed very uneven. , The inhabitants of the neighbourhood, form dams hefe in the shape of a projecting angle to catch the efelis.: the summit of. the angle is -in the middle of the river; there they place nets in the shape of a purse, where the fish which fpljow the current «f water seldom escape being caught. The bridge at Canterbury is built' in rather a deep and narrow valley* The meeting-house of the town is on the right bank, as well as the greatest part of the houses, but there are some also on the eminences towards the east, whichappeared to me well built and agseeably situated. These heights being of the same elevation with those to the west, Canterbury! offers two * There is an academy or college here, with four Latin and English masters, and when the translator was ther& he was present at some, not .contemptible, public exhibitions of orafbry in those two languages. — Trans. t In summer these morasses are dry. This I have since learnt, aq0 which it is proper to remark, that an erroneous idea may not be formed of this position. t The translator reached Canterbury on a Sunday, a day on which travelling is forbid in the New-Englarjd statfe. The family at Buck- 26 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. positionvequally advantageous for two arnnes wbjch_ might dispute the passage of the Quenebaugh. After passing terbury, we enter the woods, and a chain f ,f J%~s™ be passed by very rugged* and'difficult roads Six or s even mile* farther, the country begins to open ^ we teca* agreeably to Windhait. It is a very handsome little s town, , or rather it is the stock from whiph a handsome town wi 1 spnng. There are forty or fifty houses pretty near each o her and so situated as to present the appearance of a ^8^™° *5"J and three large streejts. The Seunganick, or Windharn mer, runs near this town, but is of no gfea,t use to its trade, lor it is no more navigable than»the Quenebaugh, with, which it joins Its waters to form the river Thames. It rpy be observed jn redding this journal, and still' more by. the inspection -ot- the Charts, that the rivers in general, and many towns, have retain ed their Indian names ; this nomenclature has something inte resting in it, as it confirms, the still recent origin of these mul tiplied settlements, and is perpetually presenting to the muMt a yery striking contrast between the former, and present state of this vast country. ._..'. Windham is fifteen miles frorn Voluntown. I there found* Lauzun's hussars, who were stationed in it for a week, until thew quarters were prepared at Lebanon. I dined with the Duke de Lauzun, and being unable to get away before half aftef three,'the night^'which soon came on, obliged me»to stop- at six miles from Windham, at a little solitary, tavern* kept by Mrs. Hill. As the house had an indifferent appearance, I ask ed if we could have beds, the only want we hajl f foV the Duke de Lauzun's dinner had left us in no uneasiness about suppSlj Mrs. Hill told me, aftef jthe manner of the country, that she could only spare one bed, ap she ha\l 'a ^ick traveller in the house whom she would, not disturb. This traveller was, a poor soldier of the continental army, who was going home on a . furlough for the benefit of his health. He had his furlough inf his pocket in regular form, as well as the exact account of house's Tavern were all at meeting, and it cost him innumerable en- ' treaties, besides the most unequivocal proofs of whiggism, to procured a -morsel of the most wretched fare, and to obtain which he was obli ged to wait till the meeting was at an end. Both this town and Windham are most beautifully situated, particularly the latter, which is extremely picturesque. * This tavern is called Lebanon Crank, and the translator has made similar remarks in his journal on the external appearance of, and $e kindness that reigns within this little hut ; where, a very uncommon circumstance at that time, he found excellent green tea, and fine loaf sugar. He also saw Mrs.. Hill feed, and relieve a travelling soldier. TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. 27 what was due to him, h*it he had not a farthing either in paper or in hard money,. Mrs. Hill, notwithstanding, had given him a, good bed,- and as he was too ill to continue his journey, she had kept him, and "taken care of hifn for four days. We ar ranged matters in the best way we conld • the soldier kept his feed. I gave him some money to help him on his journey, and Mrs. Hill appeared to me much more affected with this charity, than with the good hard money I gave her to pay her bill. The 16th, at eigJdt in the morning, I took leave of my kind landlady, and followed the road to Hartford, beginning my jour ney on foot, on account ofthe extreme coldness ofthe morning. After descending by a gentle deeliyity for about two* miles, I got"- into a pretty narrow, but agreeable and well cultivated valley f it is watered by a rivulet which falls into the Seunga nick, andwhich is decorated with the nanie of Hope river. We follow this valley to Bolton town', or - ttfwnship, which has no thing remarkable. There we traverse a] chain of ^pretty lofty mountains, which extend from north to south like all the hills in Connecticut. .On quitting these mountains, we come to the first houses of East-Harjford; Though we were but five miles from Hartford Court HoUse, We wished to rest our horses, whioh had travelled twenty-three miles on a stretch. The inn we stopped at was; kept by Mr. Marsh : he is,* according to the English phrase,, a gqdd farmer ; that is, a good cultivator. He told me that he had begun a settlement in the state of Vermont, where he had purchased two hundred acres of land for forty dollars, about two hundred livres of our mbney, or something more tkaa eight pounds English. The state of Vermont is a vast country, situated to the eastward of New-Hampshire and Massachusetts,* and to the north of Connecticut, between the river of thatnanft, and Hudson's river." As it is lately peopled, and has always been an object of contention between the states of New-York and New-Hampshire, there is properly speaking no established government. Ethan Allen, celebrated for the expedition he undertook in 1775 against Ticonderoga, of his own accord, and without any other aid than that of the volun teers who followed him, has made himself the chief of that country. He has formed there an assembly of representatives; this assembly grants lands, and the country is governed by its own 'laws, without having any connexion with congress. The inhabitants however are hot the less enemies of the English ; but under the pretext that they form the frontier against Cana da, and aretobliged to guard it, they furnish no contingent to the expenses of the war. They nad long no other name than that of Green Mountain Boys, but thinking this*too ignoble an * Vermont is situated wes't of New-Hampshire and north of Massachusetts. 28 TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. appellation for their new destiny, they translated Green M°**', tain into French ; which made Verd Mmt,- and by corruption Vermont. ' It remains to be seen whether it is by corruption also, that this country has assumed the title ofthe state ot Vermont. ' About four in the evening, I arrived atHartford ferry, alter travelling over a very incorfvenient road, a great part 01 wnlcn forms a narrow causeway through a marshy wood. We pass this ferry, like all the qthWs in America,! m a flat boat wittu. oars. I found the inns at Hartford so fuU&at it was impossi ble to procure a lodging. The* four eastern states, Massachu setts, New-Hampshire, Rhode-Island,, and Connecticut were then holcling their assemblies in that fbwn. These four states have long maintained a particular connexion with each other, and they, meet together by deputies, sometimes in one state, sometimes in anothe^' Each/ legislature sends deputies. In a circumstance, so uncommon in America, as room being want ed for men eollected together, Colonel Wadsworth's house of fered me a most agreeable asylum ; I lodged with him, as well as the Duke de Lauzun, who had passed me on the road. Mr- Dumas,! who belonged to .the.staffof the a'rmf , and was then attached to the Duke de Lauzun, Mr. Lyfleh and Mr. die Moit- tesquieu were well accommodated in the neighbourhood. Colonel Wadswortrf is about two and thirty, very tall and well made, and has a noble, as well as agreeable countenance. He liy in short, properly speaking, a Military Intendant, while . the Commissary General1 may be compared to a Murdtionnaire with us, who should undertake to. provide forage as well as pro visions. I think this arrangement . as good as ours, though these departments have not been exempt from abuses, and even blame in the course of the present war ; but it must be obser ved, that whenever the governrrterit wants political force, and the treasury is without money, the administration o£ affairs is always ruinous, and often culpable. ¦ Tthis reflection alone will afford sufficient subject for the.eu-lqgjum of Oddhel Wads worth, when it is known that' throughout -all America, 'there is not on*e voice -against him, and that his name is never pro nounced without the homage due to his-talents and his probi ty. The particular confidence of General Washington puts the seal upon his merit.* The Marquis de la Fayette judged extremelys%el! therefore in- getting Mr. de Corny to employ himy in furnishing the provisions necessary for the French troops which were then expected. .As soon as they were dis embarked at Rhwde-Island, he again proposed him as the most proper man in the world to assist them in all their wants, but those who had the direction of the army did, not at that time think proper to empley him. They even condfeived some sus picions of him,« from false ideas, and eagerly substituted for a Commissary of understanding and reputation; undertakers, with out fortune, and witheut character. ; who promised every thing, performed nothing, and soon threw our affairs into confusion : first by augmenting the price of articles by purchases hastily made, and frequently in opposition one to another, and finally by throwing into circulation, and offering at a great discount, the bills of exGhange*they had engaged to receive for, two- thirds of all their .payments. These bargains, and contracts, succeeded eventually so ill, that we were obliged, but too late, to have recourse to Mr. Wadsworth, who resumed the affairs with as much nobleness as he had quitted them ; always as su perior to injuries by his character, as he is by his talents to the innumerable obstacles that surrounded him. Another interesting /personage was then at Hartford, and I went to pay him a visit : • this was Governor Trumbull ; Go- ; * The translator cannot forbear adding his testimony to this brilliant but exaggerated eulogium. — Trans. 30 TRAVELS, IN NORTH-AMERICA. vernor, by excellence, for he has been so these fifteen years, having been always rechosen at the end of every two years, and equally possessing the public esteem tmdei- the English government, and under that of the Congress. He is seventy years old ; his whole life is consecrated to' business, which he passionately loves, whether important or not ; or rather, with respect to him,, there is none* of the latter descripti6n. He has all the simplicity in his dress, all the importance, and even, pedantry beeoming'the great magistrate of a small repnbfc. He, brought to my mind the burgomasters of Holland in tfife' time of the Heinsiuses and the Barneveks.-. I had been "m- foraned that he was- employaMri a'history of. the present revo lution, jftid I was curious to read this wdrk ; I 'told him that I hoped to, see him on my return at Lebanon, (his plaee of abode) and that I should -then request permission to look over his manuscript; but. he assured me that he had only written the introduction, whk*6 ne' had addressed to the Chevalier de la -Luzerne, our ambassador. I procured it during my Stay in Philadelphia, but it is only an historical recapitulation, rather superficial, and by no means free, from partiality in the man ner, of representing (the events ofthe war. The only iixtei-est- ing fact I found in it, was in the journal of a ,Gov.#rnor Win throp, in the year 1670, where he says, that the members of the council, of ^Massachusetts, being advised by their, friends- in ^London to, address themselves to the parliament, to whom the King then left a great. deal of aufhority, as'the.best means "of obtaining the redress of some grievances, the council, after mature deliberation, thought proper to decline the proposal, reflecting, that if they put themselves once under the protec tion of parliament, -they should be obliged to submit to all the laws that assembly might impose, whether on the nation in generator on the colonies in particular. Now, nothing can more strongly prove, that these colonies, even in the very ori gin, never acknowledged the authority of parliament, nor imagined they could be bound by laws of their making. The 17th, in the morning, I parted w*th regret from my host and the Duke de Lauzun ; btft it was not till after breakfast, for it is a thing unheard of in America to set off without breakfast. By this indispensable delay I had an opportunity of making acquaintance with General Parsons. He" appeared to me a sensible man, and he is so esteemed in his country ; but he has had little opportunity of displaying great military ta lents ; he ivas, in fact, what one must never be, in war, or in anything, unfortunate. His outset was 'on Long-Island, where he was taken, and he has>since been in all the bad affairs, so that he is better known for his capacity in business, than for the share he has had in the events of the -war. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 31 The road I had- to travel besoming henceforth difficult and rather desert, it. was detemfciined that I should not exceed ten miles that day, that I might meet with good quarters; and get my horses in order for the next day's journey. The place I was to stop .at was Farmington. Mr. Wadsworth, fearing I should not find a good inn there, gave me a letter of recom mendation to one of his relations of the name of Lewis, where he assured me I should be well received, without incomnio- ding any person,' and %wi thou* straightening myself, for that I should pay my reckoning as at an inn. In fact, whenvthe ta verns are bad, or that they are so situated as-not to suit the convenience of the traveller, it is the custom in America,, to ask for quarters, of some' individual at his ease, who can spate room in his house for you, and can give stabling for your horses : the traveller and his host then converse together on equal terms ; but he is paid merely ag afe inn-keeper. The town of Hartford does ,not merit any attention either in travelling through; or in speaking of it. «lt consists of a very long street, parallel with the river ; it is pretty -regular and connected, that is, the houses are not distant from each otfa©n*t But *ifjias many appendages'; every 4hing is Hartford six league? rp\ind$. but Eaefc'-Hartford, West-Hstrtford, and New-Hartford are idisttnet towns, though composed of houses scattered through tKe ' codntry. I 'have already mentioned what constitutes a totvn; it is to have one or two meetings, particular assemblies, anrf the right of sending deputies to the genera) assembly. These tranships may be compared to the curia of the Romans. From a very lofty plain on the roajJ;to Farmington, one discovers not only all the Hartfords, but' all that part of the- continent wat.er.ed! by the river of that name j* situated between the eastern and western chains of mountains. This place is called Rocky-hii* -The houses of West-Hart ford, frequently dispersed,, and sometimes grouped together, and« every where adorned with trees and, Meadows, form of the road to. Farmington such a garden, in the English style, as it would be difficult for! art to: imitate. TheirTtnhabitants add some industry likeVrise to Iheir rich culture ; some common cloths and other woollen stuffs are fabricated here, but of a £ood wear, and sufficient to clothe the people who live in the country, or in any other toWnthan Boston, New- York, and Philadelphia. ,1 .went into a house where they mere preparing . and dying the cloth. ' This cloth is made by the people ofthe country, and is then sertt to these little manufactories, where it* is dressed,, pressed, and dyed, for two sKLliings, lawful money, per yard, which makes about thirty-five sols French, * Now called Connecticut river.- 32 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. or seventeenrpence English, the Connectiea* pound being equal to something more than threeldollars. ? reached * arm- ington *at three . in the , afternoon. U is a pretty little town, with a handsome meeting-house, and fifty houses collected, all- neat and well built. It is situated on the jdeelivity ol the mountains : ¦ the river which bears the same name runs at the foot of them, and' turns towards the north, without showing itself; but'tlfe view, of the valley is, notwithstanding, very agreeable. After dismounting, I took afl vantage of the good weather, to take a walk to. the streets,, or rather in the high way?. I saw through ihe windows of a house that they were working at some trade ; I*entered, and found them making a sort ofcamblety as. well as- anolht/, woollen 'steff with blue and white stripes for women's /Iress : these stuffs are sold at three shillings and six-pence, the yard, lawful money, or about two. and twenty-pence Eh^sh. The sons and grandson* of the family were at work ; one workman can easily make five yards a day. The prijne cost of the Materials being only one shil-. ling currency, the day's work may amount' to ten of twelve' Oh my return from this walk I found an excellent dinner pre pared for me, without my having said a wdrd, to^ the. fipfflily. After dinner, about the close of the day, Mr. Bewk, who had. been abroad on his affairs during a part* of the day, came into the parlour where I was,' seated himself by, the fire, lighted his pipe, and entered into conversation with me/ I found him ara active and intelligent man, well acquainted wiHh public af fairs, and with his own : he carried on a -trade of cattle, like alte|he farmers of Connecticut ; he was then employed in furni'shing provisions for the army, 4nd was principally taken • op in slaughtering, and saltmg cattle for the state of Connecti- 1 cut, to be sent to Fishkill. For each' state- is ©MHjged to furT nish not only moneys but othertarticles fer the army : those to the eastward supply it with cattle,, rum, and salt; and those to the westward with «ftqur and forage. ,Mr, Lewis has bojjjie arms also for his country : he was at the affaire of Long-Island and Saratoga, of Which he gave, me aniexact account; in the?J\ last he served as a volunteer. At tea time Mrs., Lewis and her sister-in-law gave us their company. • Mrs. Lewis had just recovered from lying-in, and had her child in -her arms : she is' near thirty, with a..very agreeable face, and so amiable, and so . polite a carriage, as to present a picture of decency itself, to every country in the world. The conversation was interesting' ly supported the whole evening. The' family retired at nine o'clock ; I did not see them in the morning* arid paid my < bill to the servants : it was neither dear nor Jheap, but the just price of every thing, regulated without interest, and without compliments. CHAPTER II. LITCHFIELD FISHKILL WEST-POINT. , I got on horseback at eight o'clock on the 18th, and at the distance of a mile fell in with the river of Farmington, along which I rode for some time. , There was nothing interesting in this part of my journey, except that having fired my pistol at a jay, to my great astonishment the bird fell. This had been for many days an object of curiosity with me, and it is really a most beautiful creature. It is quite blue, but it unites all the various shades of that colour so as to surpass the invention ol art, and be very difficult of imitation. I must remark by the bye,, that the Americans call it only by the name of the blue bird, though it is a real jay ; but the Americans are far from being successful in enriching their native language. On every tiling which wanted an English name, they have bestowed only a simple descriptive one : the jay is the blue bird, the cardi nal, the red bird ; every water bird ig a duck, from the teal tp the canard de dots, and to the large black duck which we have not in Europe. They call them, red ducks, black duaks, wood ducks. It is the same with, respect to their trees; the pine, the cypresses, the firs, are all comprehended under the general name of pine-trees ; and if the people characterize any parti cular tree, it is from the use to which it is applied, as the wdfl~ nut* from its serving to the construction of wooden houses. I could cite many other examples, but it is sufficient to observe, that this poverty of language proves how much men's atten tion has been employed in objects of utility,, and how much at the same time it has been cirqumscribed by the only prevailing interest, the desire of augmenting wealth, rather*by dint of la bour, than by industry. But to return to my jay ; I resolved to make a trophy of it, in the manner ofthe savages, by scalping it of its skin and feathers ; and content with my victory, I pur sued my journey, which soon brought me amidst the steepest and most difficult mountains I had yet seen. They are covered with woods as old as the creation, but which do not differ from ours. These hills heaped confusedly one upon another, * Here the author is a little inaccurate respecting the English lan guage, as the same word wall-nut, is applied to the same tree in Eng lish, and with no reference whatever to any such use. — Tram- 5 34 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. oblige you to be continually mounting and1^sce.ndint?l^u!n: out four being able to distinguish in this wild region, the sum mh, which rising above the rest, announces to you a conclu- , sion to your labours. This disorder of nature reminded me of ne Wessons of him whQirl s&e has chosen for h^f^™ interpreter. The vision of Mr. de Buffon appeared to me in these ancient deserts. He seemed to be in to ?™?"?°™£> * and to point out to me, under a slight crust formed I by the de structiop of vegetables, the inequality of a globe of Slass' ™ ' bu cooled after a long fusion. The waters said he, have done nothing here ; look around ydu, you will not find a single cal careous stone ; every thing is quartz, granite, or ™nt. i nana experiments, on the stones with aquafortis, and I could not nero concluding, what has not obtained sufficient credit in tuiropB| riot- only that he speaks well, but he is always in the right. . While I was meditating on the great process of nature, Which employs fifty thousand years in rendering the earth ha bitable, a new spectacle, well calculated as a contrast to those which I had been contemplating; fixed my attention, and exci ted my curiosity : this" was the work of a single man, who in the space of a year had cut down several arpents of wooti, and had built himself a house in the middle, of a pretty extensive^ territory he had already cleared. I savv, for the first tithe,; what I have since observed a hundred times ; for in fact, what ever mountains 1 have climbed, whatever forests Ihave traver sed, whatever bye-patbs'I have followed, I have never travelled*! three miles without meeting with a new settlement, 'either be?'! ginning to take form or already in cultivation. The following is the manner of proceeding in these improvements Or netv settlements. Any man who is able to procure a capital of five. or six hundred livres of our money, or about twenty-five pounds sterling, and who has strength and inclination to workf may go into the woods and purchase a portion of onehundreu and fifty or two hundred acres of Jand, which seldom* cosfci himthore than a dollar or four shillings and six-pence anacre/a small part of which only he pays in ready money. '"* There' ht| conducts" a cow, some pigy, or a full sow, and two inaiffer^fit horses which do not cost him more than four guineas each. ' To these precautions he adds that of having a provision of flow1 and cider. Provided with this first capital, he begins by felt ing all the "smaller trees, and some strong branches of the large ones : these he makes use of as fences to the first field he wishes to clear ; he next boldly attacks those immense oaks, or pines, which one would take for the ajncient lords of the territory he is usurping ; he strips them of their bark, or lays tHem open all round with his axe. These trees mortally' TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 35 wounded, are the next spring robbed of their honours ; their leaves no longer spring, their branches fall, and their trunk becomes a hideous skeleton. This trunk still seems to brave the efforts of the new' colonist ; but where there are the small est chinks or crevices, it is surrounded by fire, and the flames consume what the iron was unable tq destroy. But it is enough for the small trees to, be felled, and the great ones to lose their sap. This object completed, the ground is cleared ; the air and the sun begin to operate, upon that earth which is wholly formed of rotten vegetables, and teems with the latent princi ples of production. The grass grows rapidly ; there is pastu rage for the cattle the very first year ; after which they are left to increase, or fresh ones are brought, and they are employed in tilling a piece of ground which yields the enormous increase of twenty or thirty fold. The next year the same course is re peated ;; when, at the end oftwo years, the planter has where withal to subsist, and even to send some articles to market : at the end of four or five years, he completes the payment of his. land, and finds himself a comfortable planter. Then his dwell ing, which at first was no better than a large hut formed by a square of ttu? trunks of trees, placed one upon another, with the intervals filled by mud, changes into a handsome wooden house, where he contrives more convenient, and certainly much cleaner apartments than those; in the greatest part of our small towns. This is. the work of three weeks or a month. His first habitation,* that of eight and forty hours. I shall be asked, perhaps, how one man or one family can be so quickly lodged ; I answer, that in America a man is never alone, never an isola ted being. The neighbours, for they are every where to be found, make it a point of hospitality to aid the new farmer. A cask of cider drank in common, and wifh gaiety, or a gallon of rum, are the only recompense for these services. Such are the means by which North-America, which one hundred years ago was nothing but a vast forest, is peopled with three millions, of inhabitants; and such is the, immense, and certain benefit of agriculture, that iMaiwithstanding; the war, it not only maintains itself where, ever it has been established, but it emends to places which seem the least favourable to its introduction. Fouryears ago, one mighthave travelled ten, miles in^the woods I traversed, without seeing a single habitation. < Harrington is the first township 1 met- with on my ; road. This place is sixteen miles from ,Farrr>;agton, and eight from Litchfield. Four miles before we come to this last town, we pass a wooden bridge over the river of Waterbury ; this river is pretty large, but not navigabte- /-Litchfield, or the Meeting- home- of Litchfield, is situated on a large plain more elevated than the surrounding heights; rabput fifty houses pretty near W TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. each other, with a large square, or rather area, in the middle, announces the progress of this town, which is already xne county town ; for America is divided into districts, called coun ties, in some Provinces, as in England. It is in the capita^ these counties that the court of sessions is held, wnere ine Sheriff presides, and-wherp the Chief Judges come every lour months to decide civil and criminal affairs. Halt a mile on this side of Litchfield, I remarked, on the right, a barrack sur rounded by palisades, which appeared to me like a guard house; I approached it, and saw in this small enclosure ten pieces of brass cannon, a mortar, and a swivel. This I learnt was a part of Burgoyne's artillery, which fell to the share ot the state of Connecticut, and was kept in this place as the most conveniently situated for the army, and at the same time the least exposed to the incursions of the English. It was four o'clock, and the weather very bad, when I came near the house of a Mr. Seymour, to whom Mr. Lewis had given me a letter, assuring me that I should find better accom modation than at the taverns ; but Mr. Lynch, who had gone on a little before tq make inquiries, informed me, that Mr. Sey mour was from home, and that from all appearance his wife would be much embarrassed to receive us. The American women, in fact, are very little accustomed to give themselves trouble, either of mind or body ; the care of their childrefi|S| that of making tea, and seeing the house kept clean, constft , tutes the whole of their domestic province. I determined therefore to go straight to the tavern, where I was still unlucky enough-' not to find Mr. Philips the landlord : so that I was re ceived, at least, with indifference, which often happens in the inns in America, when they are not in much frequented situa* tions : travellers are there considered as giving them more trouble than money. The reason of this is, that the inn-keepers are all of them cultivators, at their ease, who do not stand in need of this slight profit : the greatest number of those who follow this profession' are, even compelled to it by the laws of the country, which have wisely provided, that on all the great roads there shall be a pubhp house at the end of every six miles, for the accommodation of travellers. A still greateVdifficulty I had at Mrs. Philips', was, to find room for nine hor-sW[ had with me. The Quarter-Master at length made them pl^e some of them in the stable of a private person, and every things was awanged to my satisfaction, and that of my hostess. I cannot help remarking, that nothing can be more useful than suc\an officer, as well for the service of the state, as for that of anyStaveller of distinction. I have already spoken of the functions of the Quarter-Master-Gene ral, but I did not mention that he names a deputy Quarter- TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 37 Master-General in each state, and that the latter, in his turn, names an assistant in each district to act in his room. My horses and baggage were scarcely under cover, when a dreadful storm came on, which however was in my favour, as it brought home Mr. Philips : every thing now assumed a new face in the house, the pantry flew open, the negroes redoubled their activity, and we soon saw a supper preparing with the most favourable auspices. Mr. Philips is an Irishman, translated to America, where he, has already made a fortune ; he appears to be cunning and adroit; and is cautious in talking to stran gers : in other respects, he is more gay than the Americans, and even given to irony; a turn of mind but little, known in America, and for which they have no specific name, any more than for the different species of trees and birds. Mrs. Philips, now seconded by herJiusband, and more mistress of her work, soom resumed her natural serenity. She is of American birth, and a true Yankee,* as her husband told us ; her face is gentle and agreeable, and her manners correspond entirely with her features. On the 19th I left Litchfield between nine and ten in the morning, and pursued my journey through the mountains, partly on foot and partly on horseback ; for having got into the habit of travelling from morning till night without stopping, I from time to time took pity on my horses, and spared them in those deserts which seemed formed for the roebuck rather than for carriages and laden horses. The name of the first town I came to, proclaims it to be of recent origin ; it is called Washington. A new county, being formed in the woods of Connecticut, the state has bestowed on it this respectable name, the memory of which will indisputably exist much longer than the town intended to perpetuate it. There is another county of Washington in" Virginia, belonging to the Protector of Ame- * This*is a name given by way of .derision, and even simple plea santry, to the inhabitants of the four eastern states.' It is thought to come from a savage people who formerly occupied this coun try, and dwelt between the Connecticut river, and the state of Massa chusetts. The name of Buckslein is given in the same manner to the inhabitants of Virginia, because their ancestors were hunters, and sold buck, or rather deer skins, for we shall see in another part of this work that there are no roebucks in Virginia, i The English army serving in America, and England herself, will long have reason to re member the contemptuous use they made of this term in the late un happy war,"and the severe retort they met with on the occasion. The English army, at Bunker's Hill, marched to the insulting tune of "Yankee doodle," but from that period it bgcame the air of triumph, the lo Poean of America. It was cuckoo to the British ear. — Tramsi 38 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. » rica; but its great distance from this new city prevents all pos sible inconvenience arisin$#tfm the identity of name. inisf capital of a rising county has a Meeting-house, and seven of eight houses collected; it is in a beautiful situation, and_ the cultivation appears rich and well managed : a rivulet, . which tuns at the bottom of the valley, renders the meadows more fruitful than they generally are in mountainous countnes.t From hence to Litchfield, they reckon seventeen miles: 1 had ten miles to go to reach Moorhouse's tavern, where I intended sleeping, but not taking the shortest road, I travelled at least * Other states have likewise commemorated the virtues of thisgregt man in the same manner. — Trans. t Two years after, the Author returned by this place, where he had only seen a few houses, and a single inn. The number was almost doubled, and there were three very good and well accommodated inns. He has remarked the same progress through almost all the interior parts of the country, from thebay of Chesapeake to Piscataqua, that is, through a space of six' hundred miles.' This progress is qwiug«ip great measure, even to the misfortunes ofthe war. The English being masters of the sea, made, or.b.ad it in their power to make, whatthey,s called depredatory expeditions. Marks of these horrid expeditions" were every where to be met with in travelling within fifty miles of the coasts or rivers. In one of them it was agitated by the Generals Gartli, Tryon, and their officers, to burn the beautiful and popular town of New-Haven in Connecticut, with its handsome college, &c. The lat ter General was for it, but happily, more humane and wiser spirits pre vailed in the council. But this term, too shameful to be adopted into the vocabulary of war, denoted only a Small part of the ravages they actually committed ; murder and. conflagrations were perpetually the incidents which occurred. Hence it happened that the citizens who;: were the most easy • in their circumstances, Jhat is. to say, those who, uniting commerce with agriculture, had their plantations near the coasts, < or the mouths of rivers, abandoned them for more tranquil habitations in- the interior part of the country. The little capital they transported with them was employed in clearing out new settlements, which soon became prosperous. On the other hand, communications by sea be coming impracticable, it was necessary to make use of conveyances through the country ; the roads in consequence were made better, and were more frequented ; inns multiplied, as well as the establish ment of all workmen useful for travellers, such as wheelwrights, black smiths, &,c. So that, besides liberty, and independence, the- ^United States will derive this advantage from the war, that commerce and popu lation will be greatly increased, and that lands, which had long remain ed barren," have been so successfully cultivated, as to prevent them from being again abandoned. The Translator had the opportunity of making the same remarks, not only in a journey from Virginia to New-Hampshire,- but in many of the interior parts of the continent. — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 39 twelve, and always among the mountains! That which I took brought me to a pretty considerable hamlet, called New Mil- ford-Bordering Skirt, or the confines of Milford county, and from thence into so deep and wild a valley, that I thought my self completely lost, until an opening in the \yood made me perceive, first a meadow -surrounded by fences, then a house, and soon- after another, and at length a charming valley, with several considerable farms\ covered with cattle. Isoon cross ed this spot which belongs to the county of Kent, as well as the rivulet which flows through the middle of it, and after travelling three miles farther in the mountains, I reached the banks of the Housatonlck, or the river of Stratford. It is un necessary to remark of all repairs, that of windows is the most difficult, in a country where, from the scattered situation and distance of the houses from each other, it is sometimes necessary to send twenty miles for a glazier. We made use of every thing that came to hand to patch up the Endows in the TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 4:t best way we could, and we made an excellent fire, Soon after, the doctor of the hospital, who had seen me pass, and knew me to be a French General-Officer, came with great politeness to see if I wanted any thing, and to offer me every sendee bank, but on lifting your eyes you behold on every side lofty sumplits, thick s?t with redoubts and batteries. river, distinguishes New-Windsor on its left bank, and is then -attracted by different amphitheatres formed; by the Apalachian Mountains, the nearest summits of which,' that terminate the scene, are distant upwards of thirty miles. We embarked in the barge, and passed the, river, which is about a mile wide. As we .approached the opposite shore, the fort of West-Point, which, seen from the eastern banl^seetne^ humbly situated' at the foot of the mountains, elevated'itself to our view, and appeareAlike the summjt of a steep rock ; this rock however was only the bank of the river. Had I not nemarked that, the; chinks on it, in several places, were embra sures for cannon, and formidable batteries,, I sJjpuld-sopn have been apprised of it by thirteen twenty-four 'pbunders, which. were fired successively. This was a.military salqle, with whioh General Heath was pleased- to Honour me in the name of th* Thirteen States. Never was honour more commanding, nor more majestic ; every gun,;was> aft#* a long intensaj, echoed Sack from the opposite bank, with a noise nearly equal to that) f the discharge itself. , When we recollected that two years! ago West Point was .a desjert,' almost inaccessible, that thja desert has been covered with fortresses and artillery, by a pea* pie, who. six years before haq\ scarcely ever seen cannon ; when we reflect.that the fate of the United States'depended in gr4&| measure on this important post-; and that a horse dealer,^ transformed into a general, or rather become a hero, always intrepid, always victorious, but always1 purchasing victory a% the piice of his blood ; that this extraordinary man, at once th\e honour, and the opprobrium of his country, actually sold, and expected to-delivei this Palladium of American liberty to the .English ;iwhen so many extraordinary circumstances are brought together in the physical and moral order of things, it may easily be imagined that I had sufficient exercise for reflec tion, and (hat I did not tire on the road. * Benedict Arnold.— Trans. * TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 47 On landing, or rather on climbing the rocks on the banks of the river, we were received by* Colonel Lamb, and Majof Bowman, both officers of artillery ; by Major Fish, a handsome young man, witty and well formed ; and Major Franks* for merly aid-de-camp to Arnold. • The latter had been tried and honourably acquitted by a council of war, demanded by him self after the escape and treason of his General. He speaks good French, as well as Colonel Lamb, which they'both learnt in Canada, where they were settled. The latter received a musket shot in his jaw at the attack of Quebec, fighting by the side of Arnold, and having early penetrated into the upper town. Pressed by dinner time we went immediately to Gene ral Heath's barrack. The fort, which vtfas begun on much too extensive1 a plan, • has been since curtailed by Mr. du Portail, so that this barrack is no longer within its precincts. Around it are some magazines, and- fat ther to the n6rth-\vest, barracks for three or four battalions ; they are built of wood, and simi lar to those of Fishkill. Whilst dinner was preparing,""General Heath took me into alittle closet, which served him as a bed chamber, and showed me the ihstructiofiis He had given Gene ral Stark for tbe grand foraging p&rty he commanded. This expedition required, a movement *of troops >in a space of more than fifty miles; apdl can affirm, that they were as well con ceived as ariy instructions of that kind I have. ever seen, either in print, or manuscript. He showed me also a letter in which General Washington only ordered himto send this de tachment, and pointed out its object, without communicating to him, however, another1' operation connected with it, which was to take place on the right bank of the North river. From Various intelligence, by indirect ways, General Heath was persuaded, that in case the enerny collected his force to interrupt the forage, Mr. de la Fayette would attack Staten- Islarid, and he was not deceived '<; but Mr, Washington con tented himself with announcing generally some movements on his side, adding, that he waited for a more safe method of communicating* the nature of thom to General Heath. Se crecy is strictly observed id the American, itrmy ; very few persons are in the confidence of the ^Commander, and ih ge neral there is less said of the operations of war, of whatW call news, than in. the French army. CHAPTER III. WEST-POINT FORT CLINTON KIN.g's FERRY — STONEY POINT — VERPLANK's POINT->->-TOTOHAW ' FALL WASHINGTON'S HEAD QUARTERS. , General Heath is so well known in our little army, that I should djsperise with entering into particulars respecting him, if this Journal, in which I endeavour to recollect what little I have seen in this country, Were not destined at the same time to satisfy the curiosity of-others who. have not crossed the sea, and to whose amusement I am desirous of contributing. This General Was one of the first who took up arms, at the blockade of Boston; arid having at first joined the army ip the quality of Colonel, he was- immediately raised to the rank of Major-General. He was at that time a substahtial farmer or rich gentleman ; for we riiust not lose Sight of the distinction,' that in America, farmer means cultivator, in opposition to merchant, which every man is called who is employed in com merce. Here, as in England, -by gentleman, is Understood^ person possessing a considerable freehold, or land of his own. General Heath, then, was a farmer or gentleman, arid reared, on his estate, a great number of cattle, which he sold for ships' provisions. But his natural taste led him to the study of war j. to which he has principally applied himself since the period in which his duty'has cpncUrred with his inclination ; he has read our best authors on' tactics, and especially the Tactics of Mr. Guiber.t, which he holds in particular estimation. His fortune enabling him to continue in the service, notwithstanding, the want of pay, which has compelled the less rich to quit it, he has served the whole war; but accident has. prevented him from being present on the most important occasions. His countenance is noble and open ; and his bald head, as well as his corpulence, give, him a striking resemblance to the late Lord Granby. He writes well and with ease ; has great sen sibility of mind, and a frank and amiable character ; ih short, if he has not been in the way of displaying his talents in ac tion, it may be at least asserted, that he is well adapted to the business of the cabinet. His estate is- near Boston, and he commanded there when Burgoyne's army were brought prison ers thither. It was he who put the English General Philips in TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 49 arrest,* for want of , respect to the Congress ; his conduct on ihis occasion was. firm and noble. . On our arrival at Rhode- Island, -he was sent .there*; and soon after, when Clinton was preparing to attack us, he assembled and commanded the mi litia, who came to our assistance. During his stay at New port, he lived' honourably, and in great friendship with all the French officers. In the month of September, General Wash ington, on discovering the treason of .Arnold, sent for him, and gave him the command of West-Point ; a mark of confi dence the more honourable, as none but the most honest of men was proper to . succeed^ in his command, the basest of all traitors. . 'After giving this, advantageous but just idea of General Heath, I cannot but congratulate myself on the friendship, and thorough good understanding which subsisted between us du ring his stay at Newport, where my knowledge of the .English language rendered me the medium in all affairs we had to transr act with him. It was with real satisfaction he received me at West-Point ; he gave me a plain but very good dinner. It is true there was not a -drop of wine ; but I find that with excel lent cider, and toddy, one may very well dispense with it. As soonas we rose from the table, we hurried to avail ourselves of the remaining daylight to examine the fortifications. The first fort we met with above West-Point, on the declivity ofthe mountain, is called Fort-Putnam, from the General of that name- It is placed, on a rock very steep on every side ; the ramparts were at first constructed with trunks of trees ; they are rebuilt with stone* and are not quite finished. There is a powder magazine bomb-proof, a large cistern, and souterrajns * It may now be mentioned, without any invidious .imputation, that the conduct of too many ' of the British officers, when prisoners in America, was as injurious tq the honour aqd interest of their country, as destitute of good sense and common policy. ; of this the Transla tor saw 'many examples, which made him, blush for England. At Lancaster in Pennsylvania, in particular, he was present at • court of inquiry, instituted into the conduct of some British officers who had broken their parole more than once, and insulted and beat the inhabi tants of the country ; nothing couid beclearer or more decisive than the evidence, nor more polite and indulgent than the behaviour of the American-officers who constituted the court, yet were they openly in sulted and contemptuously treated by these magnanimous gentlemen officers. Their names are withheld 6y the Translator, on account of their families ; they were a part ofthe army taken at Yorktown, with Cornwallis. Captain Grenville of the Guards* and others who con ducted themselves really hke gentlemen, can say how well they were treated.— Trans. 1 ' 50 TRAVEL^ IN NORTH-AMERICA. for the garrison. Above this fort, and when we reach the lofti est summit, there are three strong redoubts' lined with cannon* at three different eminences, each of which would require a formal siege. The day being nearly spent, I contented myself with judging by the eye of the very intelligent manner iri which they are calculated for mutual protection. ' Fort Wallis; whither General Heath conducted me, was near and more ac cessible. Though itbeplacfid lower than fort Putnam, it still commands the riverto the south. It is a large pentagonatre- doubt, built of huge trunks of trees ; it is picketed, and lined With artillery. Under the fire of this redoubt, and lower dowfy is a battery of cannon, to range more objiquely the course of the river. This battery is riot closed at the gorge, so that the enemy may take, but never .keep it ; which leads me to remark T^at'this is the best method in all field fortifications. Batte- iies placed in works, have two inconveniences : the first is, that if these Works be ever so little elevated, they do not graze sufficiently; and the second, that the enemy may at once at tack the redoubt and the battery : whereas the latter being exteriorand protected by the redoubt, ntust be first attacked) in which case it is .supported by troops who have nothing to fear for themselves, and whose fire is commonly better direct ed,' and does more execution. A battery yet lower, and near er^ to the river, Completes the security of the southern part^ 1 In returning to West-Point, we saw a redoubt .that is suffer ed to go to ruin; as being useless, which in fact it is. It was Might When We got home, but what I had to observe did not re quire daylight. It is a vast souterrain, formed within the fort ^rW^s't-Point, where not only the powder and ammunition net cessary for this post are kept in reserve, but the deposit of the whole army. These magazines completely filled, the nu merous artillery one sees in these different fortresses, the pro digious laboiir necessary to transport, and pile up on steep rocks, huge trunks of tiees,and enormous hewn stones, impress the mind with an idea of the Americans very different from that Which tjie English ministry have laboured to give to Parliament A Frenchman woujd be surprised that a nation, jus't rising into notice, should have expended in two years upwards of twelve millions (half a million sterling) in this- desert. He would be still-more so on learning that these fortificationscost nothing to the state, being built by the soldiers, who received not the •smallest gratification, and who didtoot even receive their stated ¦pay ;* but he Would doubtless feel some satisfaction, in hearing r ti^he»i.2e a' Pe.rseverance» and, I may say, honour, which shoife torth in the American army, in the most arduous and extraordinary TRAVELS IN NORTH-AM ERICA. SI that these beautiful and well contrived works, were. planned and executed by two French Engineers, Mr. ,du Portail, and Mr, du Gouvion, who received no more pay than their work men. But in this wild and warlike abode, where one seems- trans*- ported to the bottotn qf Thrace and the dominions, of the god Mars, we found, on our return in'the .evening, ,spme pretty wo men, and. an excellent, dish.of tea. Mrs. Boman, wife of.^lie Major of that name, and a young sister who had accompanied her to West-Point, were waiting for us. They lpdgedin a little. barrack neatly arranged., The room they received us in, was hung "with handsome paper, furnished with mahogany tables, and even ornamented with several, prints. After staying a little time, it was necessary to return to General Heath's quar ters, and to dispose matters for passing the night, which was not an easy affair ; for the company were much increased in circumstances, almost surpass credibility. They , were; in general most wretchedly clothed, sejdom received any pay, were, frequently in want of ev^ry thing, from the public scarcity of money, and the con sequent indifference of the contractors, and had daily temptations thrown out to them ofthe most alluring nature. This army was .com posed of all nations, yet they seemed to be pervaded but by one spirit, a^JPbugbt, and acted with as much enthusiastic ardour as the most en lightened and determined of their leaders. We all remember, when their intolerable distresses drove part of them to revolt in 1780, when Clinton sent emissaries among them, with the most advantageous offers, and made a movement of his army to favour their desertion, that they disdainfully refused his offers-, appealing to- their honour, and delivered up with indignation, the British emissaries, who were executed at Trenton. Mr. Hugh Shield, and Mr. John. Maxwell Nesbett, twp Irish gentlemen settled at Philadelphia, who were .entrusted with the care of them, informed the Translator, that one of them was an officer of some note in the British army. On the morning of their execution, this gentleman desired Mr. Shield to accompany him to the necessary, wherein he staid some time, apparently with,' tiie hopes, of effecting his escape, but this failing he addressed that gentleman as follows. " I see, sir, that you are faithful to the trust reposed in you, and that my die is cast ; but as you are a gentleman, Ihsjpeyou will not fail to let General Clinton know, that my fidelity js unshaken, that I die a loyal subject to George the Third, and that I hope he will not forget my family;" He then made a hearty breakfast of cold beef, and. was ex ecuted with his companion on a tree near the river Delaware, full, of courage, and .making the same declarations. To account for the su bordinate situation in which Messrs. Nesbett and Shield appear to have acted on this occasion, it is necessary to observe, that on all emergen cies the merchants of Philadelphia flew to arms and acted as common •soldiers. — Trans. S2 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA the course of the evening, by the arrival or the Vgjtede Noailles, the Comte de Damas, and the Chevalier IJuplessis. Mauduit' had reached West-Point which post th ey had mtend- ed to examine minutely ; but the motions of the Am r™ army determined them to set out with me, in order to join Mr. H Fayette, the next evening, or early the following morning. Though General Heath had a greaf 'deal of company to pro vide for, his Marechd de Logis, had not much to do : there were only three rooms in the barracks ; the General s cham ber, that of his aid-de-camp, who resigned it to me; and the dining-room, in which some blankets were spread before a large fire, where the other .gentlemen passed as comfortable a night as could be expected. The morning gun soon summon ed them from their beds ; the blankets were removed, and the dining-room, resuming its rights, was quickly furnished with a large table covered with beef-steaks, which we eat with a very good appetite, swirling down from time to time a cup of tea! Europeans would not find this food and drink, taken together, to their taste ; but I can assure you that it made a very comfortable breakfast. There now fell a very heavy rain, whjch had begun in the night, and still continued; with a dread ful wind, which rendered the passage of the ferry very danger ous for our horses, and prevented us from making use of the sail, in the barge General Heath had given us, to carry ugo ¦ King's Ferry. In spite of all these obstacles we embarlreu under the firing of thirteen guns, notwithstanding our repre-| sentations to the contrary. Another circumstance, however^ gave additional value to these honours, for the pieces they dis charged had belonged to-Burgoyne's army. .Thus did the ar tillery sent from Woolwich to Canada in 1777, now serve to defend America, and do homage to her allies, until it was to be employed in the siege of New- York. General Heath, who was detained by business at West- Point, sent Major Liman to accompany me to Verplank's- Point, where we did not arrive till between twelve and one, after a continued journey amidst the immense hills which cover this country, and leave no other interval than the bed of the river. The highest of them is called Antony's Nose, it projects into the 'river, and compels it to make a little change in its course. Before we arrive at this point, we see the ruins of fort Clinton : this fort, which was named after the governor of the. state of New-York, was attacked and taken in 1777 by the English General Clinton, as he was remount ing the river to Albany to give his hand to Burgoyne.* It was * A poor fellow who was sent with a letter from Burgoyne to Clin-;" ton inclosed in a silver bullet, miscarried in his message, and lost his TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 53 then the principal fort on the river, and built on a rock, at the foot of a mountain, thought to be inaccessible, and was farther defended by a little creek which falls into the main river. Sir Hemy Clinton scaled the top of the mountain, himself carrying the British colours, which he allways held aloft, until his troops descended the steep rockj passed the creek, and car ried the post. The garrison, consisting of 700 men, were al most all taken. Since the defeat of Burgoyne, and the alli ance with France has changed the face ofr affairs in America, General Washington has not thought proper to repair fort Clinton ; he preferred placing his communication and concen tring his forces at West-Point, because the Hudson there makes a circuit which prevents vessels from remounting with the wind abaft, or with the tide ; and Constitution-Isle, which is precisely at the turn of the river, in a direction north and south, is perfectly well situated to protect the chain which closes the passage for ships of war. • The English, however, had preserved a very important post at King's Ferry, where they were sufficiently well fortified ; so that by the aid of their ships, they were masters of the course of the river for the space of more than fifty miles, and were thus able 4,0 repel to the northward the very important commu nication between the Jerseys and Connecticut. Such was the fte of things, when, in the month of June, 1779, General ayne, who commanded in the Clove a corps of 1500 men, formed the project of surprising Stoney-Point. This fort was in an entrenchment, surrounded'with abattis, which crowned a steep rock, and formed a well picketed redoubt. General. Wayne marched, in the night, in three columns, the principal of which was led on by Monsieur de Fleury, who, without firing a musket, forced the abattis,. and entrenchments^ and entered the redoubt with the fugitives.* The attack was so life by the sameness' of names of the American and British command ers. Falling in, in the woods,, with a party pf Americans clothed in British uniform, which they had taken, lie inquired eagerly for General Clinton to whom he was instantly conducted, but on discovering that it was nqt the Clinton he was in search of, in the face pf a number of spectators, he swallowed the bullet. Emetics and purgatives were instantly administered, which made him disgorge, and the unfortunate fellow was hanged on the next tree. — Trans. * This officer had already distinguished himself on many occasions, particularly at the retreat of General Sullivan from Rhode-Island, and at the defence of Mud-Island. He went tq America in 1777. He has since been Major of the regiment of Saint Ohge, and served as Major of brigade in the army of the Count de Rochambeau. On his return to France, he was made Colonel of the regiment of Pondicherry, and is now in India: 54 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA; brisk on the part of the' Americans, and such the terror of the English, that Mr. de Fleury, who was the first that entered, found himself in an instant loaded with eleven, swords which were delivered to him by those who asked for quarter. It must be added to the 'honour of our allies, that from that mo ment not a drop of blood 'was spilt.* .'The Americans, once masters of one of the banks ofthe river; lost no time in get ting possession of the other. -, Mr. de Gouvion constructed a redoubt at Verplasik's-Point^ (nearly opposite,) where we landed, and where, by a lucky accident, we found our horses, asrived as soon as us. This redoubt is of a peculiar form, hardly ever used but in America : the ditch is within the para pet, which is made steep on both sides, and picketed at the height ofthe cordon; lodgings-for the soldiers are formed below. The middle of the work, is a space constructed with,. wood, and in the form of a square tower. There are battler ments every where, and it commands the rampart. An abafe tisformed of the tops of trees interwoven, surrounds the whole, and is a substitute foi- a covered way. We may easily per ceive that such a work cannot be insulted, nor taken without cannon. Now as this is backed by the mountains, of which the Americans are always masters, it is almost impossible that the English should besiege it. A creek which falls into Hud son river, and runs to the southward of this redoubt, rendflts its position still more advantageous. Colonel Livingston, who commands at King's Ferry, has established himself there in preference to Stohey -Point,- to be nearer the White-Plairasi * I cannot here resist a pang of sorrow for the dreadful consequen-i -ces' of the late desperate and fatal war. Captain Jew of the 17th re4 ^intent, as brave an officer, and as aniiable a man as ever lived, whom^ I had long known and esteemed, when serving with our common friend'.! Montgomery in that regiment, here lost his lifes refusing to take quarter. - This gallant man was already perforated with wounds received in Ca-<; Hada arid the; West-Indies, fighting under his Colonel, General Monck- ton, in the preceding war, and was such a spectacle of a wounded, bb'dy "still in life, as to be particularly pointed out to the King-bis mas ter's notidefata review of the regiment near London in"17TOor 1771; the King asked him many questi6ns, seemed much affected with his situation, expressed his pity; and — he was left to pine a subaltern, and to follow his regiment once more to scenes of war and a distant climate. He deeply felt this ever after, and chagrin no doubt, added to his de spair, bad made him wish for death. The fate of my most intimate and lamented friend, Montgomery, who fell, as he thought in a better cause, and on the very spot where he had attended Wolfe to victory and glory, affords ample food for melancholy reflection, not easy to be effaced from susceptible minds, and who have felt a double loss* of friends,- in the horrors of this detestable wai.-r-Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. 5*5 where the English frequently made incursions. This is a very amiable and well inforrrfed youngnnan. Previous to the war he married in Canada, where he has acquired the French lan guage : in. 1-775, he was one of the first who took arms; he fought under the orders of Montgomery, and took fort Cham bly, whilst the former was besieging .St. John's. He received us in his little citadel with great politeness,; but to leave it with the honours of war, the American laws required that we should breakfast : It was*the second we had taken that day; and consisted of beef-steaks,1 and tea, accompanied with a few bowls of grog; for the commander's cellar was no better stored than the soldiers' wardrobe.' The latter had been sent into this garrison as being the worst clothed of the whole American army, so that one -may form some idea* of their dress. - . ... .,..,, ..,.-./,,._, About two o'clock we crossed the river, and stopped to ex- airiine the- fortifications of Stoney-Point. The Americans finding them too extepsive,- had reduced, them to a redoubt, nearly similar to that of Verplank's but not quite so good. There I took leave of Mr- Livingston, who gave me a guide to conduct me to the army, and I set off* preceded by Mes sieurs de Noailles, de Damas, and'de Mauduit, who wished, to join Mr. de la Fayette that night, though they had thirty miles to^go, through very bad roads. This impatience was; well surged to their age ; but the intelligence I collected proving to me that the army could not move before the next day, I deter mined to stop on the road, Content to profit by the* little day-' light that remained to travel teri or twelve miles. On leaving the river, I frequently turned round to enjoy the magnificent spectacle it presents in this place, where its .bed becomes so large, that in viewing it to the southward, ithas the appear ance of an immense lake, whilst the northern1 aspect is thatof a majestic river. I was desired to observe a sort of promon<- tory, from whence Colonel Livingston had formed the project of taking the Vulture sloop of war, which brought Andre, and was waging for Arnold. This vessel having come too .neat the shore, grounded at low water; the colonel acquainted Arnold with it, and asked him' for two pieces of heavy cannon, assuring him thathe would place them so as to sink her. Ar nold /eluded the proposal on frivolous pretences, so that the colonel could only bring one four pounder, which was at Verr plank's to beacon her. This piece, raked the vessel fare and aft, and did her so much damage, that if she had not got off with the flood, she must have struck. The nextday Colonel Livingston being on the shore, saw Arnold pass in Jiis barge, * It is impossible to paint the esteem and affection with which this French nobleman is regarded in America":" lt is to be surpassed only by the love of their illustrious chief. • He has found the secret of win ning all their hearts, ; nor to those who know him is it matter, of any wonder. In the gentlest, and most courteous manner, he^triites a frankness, which is supposed to be. not the general characteristic of his countrymen ; his deportment is dignified without pride; and his zeal, activity, and enthusiasm in the CauSe of America, distinct from all the political views of co-operation with the wishes of his court, added to a sincere and uniform admiration of the greatest and best character of the age, »cottipl«tely endeared this excellent young man to grateful America. xThe Marquis was never spoken of in the hear ing of that Translator, without manifest tokens of attachment and affection.— Urtow. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 59 with short and light sabres brought from, France, and made a present*of to them by M. de la Fayette. Ifee tents agreeably to. the American custom, formed only two ranks ; they were in regular lines as well as those of the officers ; and as the season was advanced, they had good chimneys, but placed differently from ours; for they are all built on the outside, and conceal tjje entrance of the tents, which produce the double effect of keeping off the wind, and of preserving heat night and day. I saw no piles of arms,, and was informed that the, Americans qlade no use of them. When the weather is good, each com pany places its fusils on a wooden horse ; but when it rains, they must be removed into the tents, which is" undoubtedly a great inconvenience : this will be remedied when the means of doing it are more abundant, but I" fear much, that this will not happen the next year. As I was walking in the front of the camp, I was joined by artygfficer, >yho spoke very good^ French; which was not asto- nisjiing, as he turned out to be as much a Frenchman as myself; this was Major G^lvan. This officer came to^ America on cqmmercial affairs, on which subject he has even had a sort of trial with the Congress ; but he was patronized by many per sons, and particularly by the Chevalier de la Luzerne, our Ambassador: desiring to enter into the service, he obtained thje rank of major, and the command of a battalion of light infantry. He is a man of abilities, and they are very well satisfied, with him in the American army.* * He led me to his • ."'''' 'it. . ' ¦ —— — —————— ^^~- . s r~r, ; , ' '! * Major Galvan, with tfhonil was well acquainted in Philadelphia, was a French West- Indian, who came, as the Marquis' de Chastellux mentions', to America on commercial affairs. , He was allowed to "be arfactive good officer. Puring his residence at'Philadelphia in 1782, he became enamoured of a beautiful and accomplished widow of the first distinction in the country. Having conceived the most flattering hopes of success to his passion, he was so shocked at finding himself deceived, that he formed the most desperate resolution. After writing a pathetic, but reproachful letter to -the object 'of his kwe, and another to lier female friendi sister to Mrs, Arnold, and arranging all his affairs, he spentthe day cheerfully in company with some brother officers .at the inn where he lodgedy but with some^serious intervals. As soon as the tea was dver, retiring to his room, he kicked* the' door, placed him self opposite the lookiflg glass, ajnd with two pistols, one in each hand, put an end to his existence. ' On my arrival af Bordeaux, at the end of the war, I fell in company with a gentleman, who for several days was particularly inquisitive about .the1 Major's conduct^hat' the gen eral-opinion of him was, &c.' Fortunately his con"diict'ttas irreproach able ;' had it been otherwise, this gentlema'n was imprudently searching for pain to himself and me, as- he, to my no sniiH' surprise and mortifi cation, declared himself to be his brother. — Trans. 60 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. tent where I found a table neatly spread: he proposed tome to dinTbut I did n%t accept it, imagining I should lose nothing bv waUing for that which General Washington would give Se Aft! all we had heard.in Europe of the distressed*^ of 'the American army, it will appear ext ^ord.nary,,perhag that such a thing as a dinner was to be found at the tent <% major. Doubtllss it is impossible to live without money when every thing one eats is to be paid for ; a pnvi ege the Amefr cans possess no more than others. But it must be understood that they receive rations of provisions, rum, and Hour,, «u they have in each regimfent a baker to bake their bread, and soldiers to serv'e them; so that an officer who takes the field With a tent, and a sufficiency of elothing, may do very well till winter without spending -any fting. The misfortune is, that provisions sometimes fail, or do not arrive in time ; in which case they really suffer; but these are critical moments, which do not often occur, and may be prevented in future, if the st^ls perform their engagement, an/1 the Quarter-Master-Gene|a], and Comn*ssaries da their duty.* I left Mr. Galvarr sitting down to dinner, and went to prepare my horses, that I might get to head quarters before the day was spent. Colonel MacHenry, whom I have before mentioned, took upon himself to conduct me. We kept along the river, which was on our left. After riding two miles we came in sight of the left of the army. It was encamped on two heights, and in one line, in an extended hut very good position, having a wood in the rear, and in;the front the river, Which is^ery difficult of passage every where except at Totohaw bridge. But the sjjaiation would be quite in favour of an army defending the left bank, the heights on that side every where comm,anding those of the rif&t. Two miles beyond the bridge is a ineeting-house of anhexagonaL form,, which is given to their places of Worship by the Dutch Presbyterians, who are very numerous in the Jerseys. V I was pursuing my journey, conversing with Mr. MacHenry, when I was apprised by a considerable noise, that I could not be far from the great cataract, called Totohaw fall. I was * On the Universal stoppage of paper money, from its enormous depreciation, the worst of specie,tnotwithstanding the abilities and activity of Mr. Morris, the financier, occasioned ^reat wants in the Jjarmy, and a total indifference on the partof the contractors ; insomuch,: that in the end of 1782, the army was in danger of disbanding from absolute necessity. It was on this, critical occasion that Colonel Wadsworth, whose merit has been so well appreciated by the author, stept in; took the contract on himself, and by bis name and influence restored affairs, and ktipt the army together. America cannot be too grateful to this gentleman. — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA., 61 divided between my impatience to view this curiosity, and '$hat of approaching General Washington; but Mr. MacHenry informing me that it would not take me two hundred paean* out of my way to see the. cataract, I determined to avail -myself of the, remainder of a fine day, and I had not in fact gone a stone's throw before I had the astonishing spectacle before me a large river, Which precipitates itself from a height of seventy feet, and so ingulphed infhe hollow of d rock> which seems to swal low it up, but from whence it escapes by turning short to the right. It seems to me impossible to give an idea of this Water fall", but by a drawing. Let us hovv%ver attempt the picture, leaving the finishing to the imagination: she is the rival of nature, and sometimes also her rival and interpreter. Let the reader figure to himself, their, a river running between moun tains covered, with firs, the dark green of which is in contact with- the colour, of its waters, and renders, its course more majestic; let him represent to himself an immense rock, which would totally close up the passage,'had it not by an earthquake or^some other subterraneous revolution, been rent in several pieces, from its summit to itstbase-, by this means forming long crevices perfectly vertical. One of thege crevices, the depth of which is unknown, may be twenty-five or thirty feet wide- It is in this cavern that the river having cleared a part of the rook; precipitates itself with violence ; but as this rock crosses its whole bed, it can only- escape by that extremity ofthe two, wh^ch. offers it an outlet.? There, a fresh obstacle presents itself: another rock opposes its flight, and it is obliged to forhi a right angle', and turn short to the left. But it is extraordinary that after this dreadful fall, it neither froths, nor boils up, nor forms whirlpools, but goes off quietly by its channel, and gains, in silence, a profound valley, where it pursues its course to the sea. This perfect calm, after a movement so rapid, pan only proceed from the enormous depth of the cavern, into which it is plunged. I did riot examine the rock with aqua fortis ; but as there seems to be no calcareous stones in this country, I take it to be hard rock, and of the nature of quartz : ibut it presents a peculiarity worthy of attention, which is, that its whole surface is hollowed into little squares. Was it in a state of fusion when raised from the boweMj&the earth, and it Mocked up the /passage of rthe river ? THese vertical cre vices, these flaws on the surface,, are .they the effects of its cooling*? » These are questions I leave to the discussion of tne learned: I shall only observe, that there is no volcanic ap pearance ; nor through this-, whole country are there the smallest traces of a volcano, of such at least asare posterior to the last epochas of nature. Though Doctor MacHenry began by being a Doctor, before ®% TRAVELS, IN NORTH-AMERICA. he was an officer, and is well informed, I did, not find him much versed in natural history, and I preferred questioning him on the ssbjeet-Qf. the army, along the front of which I -rode, meet ing perpetually with posts, who took arms/ithe^rum beating, and the officers salutingwith the espontoon. All these posts were not for the safety of the army; many of them were sta-, tioned to guard houses and barns, which served as magazines.. At length, after ridiqg twor mile's along the right flank of the army, and after passing thick -woods on the right, I found my self in a small plain, Where I saw a handsome faim; a small camp which seemed to cover it, a large tent extended in the court, and several wagons round jt, convinced me that this was his Excellency's quarter; for it is thus Mr. Washington is call ed in the army, and. throughout Africa. M. de la Fayette was in conversation with a tall man, five foot nine inches high, (about five foot ten inches and a half English,) of a noble- and inild countenance. It was the general himself. I wasjaqa off horseback, and near him. The compliments were sh^fctj. the sentiments with which I was animated, and the good wighj^' he testified for me, were not equivocal. , He conducted me to his house, where I foimd the company still at table, although. the dinner had been long over. He presented me to the Generals Knox,i Wayne* Howe, &c. and to his family, then composed of Colonels Hamilton and Tilgman, his secretaries and his aids- de-camp, and of Major Gibbs, commander of his guards'; for in England and America,; the aids-de-camp, adjutants and other officers attached to the general, form what is called his family. A fresh dinner was prepared for me and mine ; andi the present was prolonged to keep me company. A few glassesi of claret and madeira accelerated the acquaintances I had to make, and I soon felt myself at my ease near the greatest and they best of men. The goodness and benevolence which charac terise him, are evident from every thing about him ; but the confidence he gives birth to, never occasions impropeE familiari ty; for the sentiment hennspires has the-same origin in every individual, a, profound esteem for. his virtues, and a high opinion of his talents.* About nine o'clock thegeneral officers with-* _ _ ^ •' ¦« ¦¦ , , r * Rochefeucaultbas said, u That no man is a hero to his Valet de Chambre." Without combatting the general justice of the remark, ts excellent man is most certainly an exception. Those who are the irest to his.person love him the most, but this is never separated from a marked degree of respect and admiration. This is not only the uni versal testimony, but I had myself the high gratification of observing it. Before the war, there was not a gentleman within the circle of his neighbourhood, who, having important concerns, or a family to leave behind him, did not close his eyes in peace, could he be so fortu- TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 63 drew to thei* quarters, *hich were all at a considerable dis tance; but as the general wished me to stay in his own house, I remained some time with him, after which he conducted me to the chamber prepared for my aids-de-camp and me. This chamber .occupied the fourth part of his lodgings ; he apolo gized to me for the little room he hacb in his disposal, but always with a noble politeness, which was neither complimen tary nor troublesome. nate as to get Mr. Washington, for an executor : an unequivocal proof of his integrity. I have likewise the strongest testimony to refute tjiose injurious insinuations which have been propagated by enyy, ignorance, or party malevolence, with the view of depreciating his talents. I had particular business- to transact with him in 1782J respecting the estates of an old friend to whom he was executor, but which from peculiar circumstances had been totally neglected by the noble heirs in Eng land, from the year 1771, indeed I may say, from the year 1767. I found his Excellency in winter quarters at Philadelphia ; on entering into conversation on the subject, which was of a most, complicated na ture, the General Modestly apprized me, that from the .active and tur bulent situation in which he had Jong been placed, never having beeft at his own house in Virginia since the year 177.5, but one night on his return from York-Town, he was ignorant of his own affairs, and was| consequently afraid fie could afford me but little information respecting those in question: but what was my astonishment, when, after this prelude, he entered into an accurate detail of eVery thing respecting them, scarcely omitting, as I afterwards found upon th§ spot, the most minute particular ! On my aurival in Virginia, I had an opportunity of perusing, among the papers, many of his.letters written whilst in the active management of the affairs, which furnished me with unquestion able proofs of the clearness of his head, the honour and disinterested ness of his heart, and the uncommon perspicuity and elegance of his style; so as to convince me of the identity of : the pen that produced those admirable epistolary performances, whicfi did him so much honour during the war, and will ever mark the energy of his mind, and the excellence of his understanding. I have dwelt with the more sa tisfaction on this particular, as Envy, unable to detract from their merit, has made frequent attempts to rob his fame ofthe honour of having ever produced them ; and what relates to the public opinion concerning himself he always leaves to the determination. of others. This heartfelt, but faithful tribute to transcendent vfrtue afid abilities, is the effusion of a mind unaccustomed to flattery, and in an instance where flattery neither has, nor can have any object. I had long revered his character before I saw him, and we all know that too much pre possession is generally unfavourable on a nearer view ; but to know him, establishes and heightens the most favourable ideas ; and I saw, and knew this truly great man, only to root in my mind the most sincere attachment, affection and veneration for his person and character. — 64 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. At nine the next morning they inftrmed me that his excel lency was come down into the parlour. This room served^ once as audience chamber and dining-room. I immediately went to wait on him, and found breakfast prepared. Lord Stirling had come to breakfast with us. "He is one oi the old est Major-Generals in the army ; his birth, his titles and pretty extensive property have given him more importance in Ameri ca, than his talents could ever have acquired him. The title of Lord, which-was refused him in' England, is not here contest ed with him : he claimed this title from inheritance, and went to Europe to support his pretensions, bqj without success.. A part of his estate has been dissipated by the war, and by his taste for expense ; he is aecused of; liking the table aiu| the bottle, full as riiuch as becomes a Lord, but more than becomes a General. He is brave, but without capacity, and has not been fortunate in the different commands with which he: has been entrusted. He was made prisoner at the affair of "Long- Island. In June, 1777, he got into a scrape at Elizabethto^h. whilst General Washington made head against 20,000 EngUp on the heights of Middlebrook ; he there lost two or thrlfT hundred men, and three pieces of ,cannon : at Brandywine he ponimanded the righj ofthe army, or rather the body of troops iefeated by Cornwallis ; but on all these occasions he display 3d great personal courage and firmness. I conversed a long ime with him, and found him to be a sensible man, not ill in formed ofthe affairs of his country. He is old and rather' dull ; jut with all this, he will continue to serve, because the em-; ployment, though not lucrative, helps to repair a little the dis* order in his affairs ; and not having quitted the service since the beginning ofthe war, he has at least zeal and seniority i| his favour ; thus he will retain the command ofthe first line, to which his rank entitles him ; but care will be taken not to ern> ploy him on particular expeditions.* * Lord Stirling died before the end of the war. CHAPTER W. AMERICAN AEtoP— -@&k. fcWO^-^G*.-'WASHr^^N--^iffitiltItISTOWK---- HiSoEteiSJooK— pfeiNcEfdW. ' Whilst we '] were at 'i^ea'kfasi, Tories" WejF bought, and General Was^gYqri gave, "orders; for the arrnj[ ' to get " under arms at the 'head of the camp".'*' The weather was Very bad, aril it had already begaji raining j'vve waited half an, hour ; But the General seeing that it was mjpje jlkeT^r to increase -than to diminish, determined "to gel^ on hqrseBack. /Two horses' were brought hfm, which Were "a. pre^^tYrorh the st^te, of Vir ginia ; he mounted one himself, *an4 gfive pie. the othpr. Mr. Lynch and Mr. de Mon*tes.quieri, had each of them, also, a very handsome blood horse, «such as we could riot 'find at Newport for'any money* We repaired to the artillery 'carnp,' where General Knpx receive'd us : the- artillery, was numerous,, ajhd the" gunners, in very fine order, _were»fprmed in. parade, in the foreign rhanher, tnat is, each' gurinei; at his battery, and ready to fire. ' The General was So good as to' apologize to me for the canriori riot firing to salute me ; fie said; that having put all the troops on the other side of the river in motion, and ap prized them that he might himself march along the right bank, ne'was alfraid of giving the afarm, arid of deceiving the detach- rnent!s-.'that Were out V.^e gained p. .length, the right-qf 'the army, where we Saw the Pennsylvania line ; it was composed of two Brigades, each forming three battalions, withpu"t reckon ing the light infantry, which .were "detached with the Marquis de la Fayette. General Wayne, who commanded it, was on horseback, as well as the Brigadiers and Colonels. They were all well mounted : the officersalso had a very military air ; they were well ranged, and saluted very gracefully. .Each brigade had a band of music ; the march they were then playing was the -Huron. "I knew th&t this line, though in Want, of many thlhgs was the best elotiedinthe strmy ; so that his excellen cy" asking rne whether I would proceed, and see the whole army, or gb by the shortest road to the camp of the, Marquis, I accepted the latter proposal. The troops ought to thank me for it, for the rain was falling with redoubled force; they were dismissed, therefore, and we arrived' heartily wet at the Mar quis de la Fayette's quarters, whe*e I warmed mvself with great '9 " . ¦«. . ¦ 66 TRAVEIS IN measure, parting, from :$me to time, of*a large bowl of grog,. whichis 'stationary oh his table, and is presented to every offc Ter who enters. The 'rain appearing to *ase, or inclined o cease for a moment, we availed ourselves of the' opportunity to follow his excellency to the camp of the Marquis : we foun#, all his troops, in order of battle on tfie lights to the left, and himself at their head ; expressing by his air and countenance^; that he was happier in receiving me there, than at his estate in, Auvergne. The confidence and attachment of the troor^are* for him invaluable possessions, well acquired riches, of wmflfe- no bd'dy can deprive him; but what, in my opinion, is s>tiU more flattering for a yoiirig man of bis age, is the influence and cbnsideratrbn he has acquired among the political, as well as the military order : I do not fear contradiction when I say, that private letters from him have frequently produee#'more effect 'on some states than the strongest exhortations ofthe Congress. On seeing him, one is at a loss which most to ad mire, "that* so young a man as he. should have given such emi nent proofs of talents, or that a man so tried,, should give hop of so long a career of glory. Fortunate his country, if si knows how to avail nerself of them ; more fortunate still shoul she stand in no need of calling them into exertion ! I distinguished with pleasure, among the colonels, wh'o were extremely well mounted* and. -who sajuted with great grac^j M. de Gimat, a Flench officer, over whom I claim the rights)^ a sort of military paternity, having brought him up in my regit* ment from his earliest youth.* This whole vanguard consisted of six battalions, forming two brigades ; but -there was* onljg one7 piquet .of dragoons or light cavalry, the remainder havin marched to the southward with Colonel Lee. These dragooi a're perfectly well mounted, and do not" fear meeting the En, lish dragoons, over whom they have gained several advantages but they have never been ^rmmerous enough to form a soli and permanent body. The piquet that was kept with the af — — ¦ " ' .—-¦-— i \ ii, t i... , ._.. . , _„.t * M. de Gimat made the following campaign at the head of a bat talion of light infantry, always -under the command of M. de la Fay ette. At the siege of York, he attacked and carried jointly with Colo nel Hamilton, the enemies' redoubt on trteir left. This attack, was made at the same time with that of the Baron de Viomenil, onjhe right redoubt, arid with the same success. Mr. Gimat was wowppi in the foot : on his return to Europe, he, was made Colonel of the re giment of Martinico. " , | TheAefofcTarleton has experienced that there is some differenfe; between these dragoons and a 'surprised party of ill-armed infantry and peasants. This gentleman's forte was in the latter species of war ; a forced march, a surprize, and' a bldody gazette, are the records 6f his glory. — Trans. TRAVELS Iff NORT.H-AMERICA 6T my served then as an escort to the 'Provost Maphal, and per formed the functions of tile' Marethausste, until 'the establish ment of a regular one, which' was intended. The rain spared us no unoT'e at the camp of the Marquis, than at that ofthe main army; so that our review being finish ed, I saw with pleasure General Washington set off iii a gal lop to regain his quarters. We reached them; as soon as the badness ofthe roads would permit lis. At our return we found a good dinner ready, and about twenty guests, among whohi were Generals Howe and Sinclair, Tiie repast was in the English fashion, consisting of eight or ten large dishes of butcherfe' meat, and poultry, with vegetables of several sorts, followed by a second course of pastry, comprized under the two denominations of pies and pppfdmgs. After this the cloth was taken off, and apples and a great quantity of nuts were served, which General Washington usually continues eating •for two hours, toasting and conversing all the time. These nuts are small and dry, and have so hard a shell, (hickory nuts) that they can only be broken by the hammer ; they are served half open, and the company are never done picking arid eating .them. The conversation was calm and agreeable ; his Excel lency was pleased to enter with toe into the*particulars of some of the principal operations of the war, but always with a mo- 3k$ty and conciseness, which proved that it was from pure complaisance he mentioned it. About half past seven we rose from table, and immediately tbe servants came to shorten it, and convert it into a round one ; for at dinner it was placed diagonally to give more room. I was surprised at this manoeu vre, and asked the reason of it ; I was told they .were going to lay *he cloth for supper. In half an hour I retired to my cham ber, fearing lest the General might have business, and that he remained in company only on my account,; but at the end of another half hour, I was informed that his Excellency expected ine at supper. I returned' to the dining-room, protesting against this supper^ but the General tojd me he was accus tomed to take something in the evening; that if I would be seated, I shoujd only eat some fruit, arid assist in Ihe conver sation, f desired nothing better, for there were then no strangers, and nobody Remained but the General's family. The sapper .was compqs^sd of three or four light Wishes, some fruiti and above all, a great abundance of nuts, which were as welf received in the evening asat dinner. The cloth being soon removed,, a few bottles ofgood claret arid madeira were placed on the table.* Evfery sensible man will be of my opinion, * On niy return from the southward in 1782, 1 spent a day or two at the American camp atVerpIank's Point on the North River, and had 68 • TRAVELS JTJ& NORTH-A.MERICA. that being .a, French officeis, undei', the orders of, Gejje^l Washington^and what is more, a good whig, I could not re fuse a glass of wine, offered, me by him; but, I confess, that I had little merit .in this complaisance, and.that,.Iess accustom ed to drink than any body, I accommpdate myself very we(l to the Unglish, mode of ..toasting : you have very ;smalfc,gla|gs6Sj. you pour out, yourself the quantity of. wine you choose, with,* out being .pressed to take more, and the toast is only a sort of check in the. conversation, to remind each iridividwl tha&he ' foftms part of the company, and that , the jajholeform only one society. . I observed that there was more solemnity in the toasts at dinner : there- were several ceremonious opes ; the others were suggested by the General, and given out by his aids-sde-camp, who perforrried the honours of the table at dip- ner; for one of them is every day seated at the bottom of the table, near the General, to serve the company, and distribute the bottles., The toasts in the evening were given by Colonel Hamilton, without order or ceremony. After supper the guests are generally desired to gijje a sentiment ; that is to say, a lady to Whom they are attached by some sentiment, eitfeer'pf - : !_, i_ ; , . 5 ; _' the^honour of dining with General Washington. I had suffered severely from an ague, which 1 could not get quit of, though fhad' taken me exercise of a hard trotting horse, and got thus far to the noTthwaraln ihe month of October. The general observing it, told me heVas sure I bad not met with a g-oocl glass of wine for some time, an arrMe then very rare, btft that my disorder must be frigntened away ; he made me drink three or four of his silver Camp eups of excellent BiadeiMt at noon, and recommefldfed to me tis takexa generous glass of claret after dinner, xi prescription by no. means repugnant to my feelings, and whijf I most religiously followed., ,. I mquritedvmy horse next morujng, aw continued, my journey to MassaahugeWs,-without over exberiencin^the slightest retucn cf my d^qrcier,,,- Tbfr American camp here, presenfpi Up most .beau^ful and. picturesque appearance ; it extended alongthe plain, on the neck of land formed by th& winding of the Hudson, and fead a,yie.w Qf this river to the south ; "behind it, the lofty mou&ailj covered witt^ wood, formed tile mosfsublime back-ground that paitfrog can express.;' In the front of {he1 tents was a regular, continued prcfi- co, formed by the boughs, of trees' in verdure,' decorated with' mflch taste and fancy; arid each officer's tent was distinguished by superior ornaments. Opposite tbe camp, and on distinct eminences, stoodthl tents of some of the general officers, over which towered, predominant, that of General Washington. "I had seemali the camps in EngWnd, from many of which, drawings aft! engravings have been taken ; but Ahis was truly a subject .worthv the pencil of the first artist. The French camp during their stay at Baltimore, was decorated in the same ¦style. At the camp at Verplank's, we distinctly heard the morning and evening gun of the British *t Kingsbridge.— Trans • - TRAVELS IN. NORTH-AMERICA. 69 Jove,: or friendship, or perhaps from preference^nlyJ This supper, or conversation, commonly lasted from nine t& eleven, always free, and.always.agwseable. . > ,» The weather was so bad o» the 25th, that it was impossible for me»to stir, even to wail on the Generals, to whom M. de la Fayette was to conduct me. I easily consoled myself 1(br this, finding it. a great luxury to, pass a whole day with General Wash* iagton., as if he jvene at his -house in -the country, and had nothing to do. The Generals Glovetfj.Huntington, and . some others, dined with us, and the Colonels SteWart and Butler two officers distinguished in the army. The intelligence jeceived this day occasioned the proposed attack on Staten-Island to be laid aside. The foraging party under General Starke had. met with the most complete success ; th&enemy not having thought proper, totdisturb them, so that they|ad- not stripped the posts in the quarter where it was intended to attack them : besides, that this expedition could only have been a coup de main, ren dered very difficult by the badness, of tbe roads from the ex cessive rains. It was determined therefore -that the army should march the next day to winter quarters, and that I should continue my route, to Phi Welphia. ,The weather being fair, on the 26th, I got on • horseback, after breakfasting with the general. Hie was so attentive. as to give me the horse he. node on, the day of my aurival, which I had greatly commended'. I. found him as good as he ishand- sijme ; but above all, perfectly well broke, and well trained, hairing a good' ra^nth,«easy in hand, and. stopping short in a gallop without bearing the bit. I 'mention*' these minute par ticulars, because it is the general- himself who breaks all his own horses; -and ; he is a very -excellent arid bold horseman, leaping the highest fences; and going extremely quick, without' standingflipon his stirrups, bearing on the bridle, or letting his horse run wild ;• jeircumstances which our young men look upon as so essential a part offtiglish horsemanship, that they would rather break a leg or an arm than renounpe thfeim •itMy fi»st visit was to General Wayne, where Mr. de la Fayette Was waiting to conduct me. to tbe other general officers of the line. • 'We were received by General Huntington, who appear ed' rather young for the. rank of Brigadier*General, which he has held two years : his carriagie is: cold and reserved, but one is not longiin perceiving him to be a manof sense* and inform ation ; by General Glover, about five and forty, a little man, ... h ¦ \- ¦ "'• ¦ ¦¦' ¦ ¦>¦¦¦ :-i, -.: , - > 'i » '¦¦ ,,, * The English reader will see that .-the Author, makes a small mis take bere; it being the custom in America, as in England, to give a lady, or a sentiment, or bqth, — Trans.. 70 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. but active and a good soldier ; by General Howe, who is onei ofthe oldest Major-Generals, and who enjoys-the consideration due to his rank, though, from unfavourable circumstances, he has not been fortunate in war, particularly in Georgia, where he commanded with a very small force, at the time general Provost took possession of. if. foe is fond of musie, the arts, •and pleasure, and has a cultivated mind. 1^ remained a con siderable time with him, and saw a very curio*? turns W*urK but as hideous as possible. It was a young man of a Dutt*' family, whose head was become so enormous, that it took .the whole nourishment- from his body; and his hands and arms were so weak that he was unable to make use of them. He lies constantly in bed, With his monstrous head supported by* pillow ; and as he has long been accustomed to lie on his right side, his right arm is in ajkate of atrophy ': he is not quite an ideot, but he could never learn any thing, and has no niore reason than a child of five or six" years old, though he is seve% and twenty. This extraordinary derangement of the anifliaf economy proceeds from a dropsy, with which he was attacked in his infancy, and which displaced the bones that form the cranium. We know tb/it these bones are joined together by sutures, which are soft in the first period of life, and harden and ossify with age. Such an exuberance, so great an afflux of humour in that, which of all the viscera seems to requjre the most exact proportion, as- well in what relates to the life as to the understanding of riian, afford stronger proof of the necessity of an equilibrium between the solids and the fluids, than the existence of the final causes. . ->; General Knox, whom we had met', and who accompanied us,*j brought us back to head-quarters, through a wood, as thei shortest way -, and to fall into a road leading to his house, where we wished to pay our compliments to Mrs. Knox. We found her settled pn a little farm, where she had passed part of the campaign ; for she never quits her husDand. A child of sis months, and -a little girl of three years old, formed a rea\ family for the General. As for himself, he is between thirty and forty, very fat, but very active, and of a gay and amiable character. • Previous to the war he was a bookseller at Boston, and used to amuse himself in reading military books in his shop. Such was the origin and the first knowledge he ac quired of the art of war, and ofthe .taste-he has had ever since for the profession of arms. From the very first campaign, hfi* was entrusted with the command of the artillery, and it hasj. turned out that it could n6t have been placed in better hands." It was he whbm M. da Coudray endeavoured to supplant, and who had no difficulty in removing him. It was fortunate for M. du Coudray, perhaps, that he was drowned in the Schuyl- TRAVELS IN NORTH^AMERICA- 71 kill, rather than to be swallowed up in the, intrigues he was engaged in, and which might,have been productive of much mischief.* ' On our return to head quarters, we, found several .General Officers andfiColonels,. with v^hom he dined. I had an oppor tunity of conversing more particularly with General Wayne,; he haa served mprethan any officer, ofthe American army, and his services hate been more distinguished,-!- though he is yet but young. He is sensible, and his conversation is agreeable and -animated. The affair of Stoney-Point has gained him * General Knox wfio retained until the peace the same situation in the American army, commanded their artillery at the. seige of York. Onecannof too much admire the intelligence and activity %itb which hetcollected from all quarters, transported .disembarked and conveyed to the batteries the Vain,»dWined fo£ ther5eige, and which consisted of more than. thirty pieceir of cannon and mortarst pf a large bore^ this artillery was always extrernely well served, General Knox never failing to direct it, and frequently taking the trouble himself of point ing the mortars. He scarcely ever quitted the batteries ; and, whe*ri . the "town surrendered, he stood 'in 'need of the same activity and the same resources to remove arid transport the enemy's artillery, which consisted of upwards of two hundred bouches a feu, with all the am- munitio^belonging to them. The rank of -Major-General was the recomffeiise of his services. It niay be observed, that if on this occasion the English were asto nished at the justness of the firing, and terrihlteiexecution of the French artillery, We were not less so at the extraordinary progress of the Ame rican artillery, as well as. the capacity, and knowledge of a great num ber pf the officers employed in it'. As for general Knox, to praise his military talents only, woujd be- to deprive him of half of the eujogium which he merits' : A man of un derstanding, a well' formed man, gay^sincere, and honest; it is impos sible to know without esteeming him, or to see without loving him. In the text, it is said that he was a bookseller at Boston before the war ;' this is not perfectly the truth. He carried on trade in Various articles, arid according to the American custom, he sbld them wholesale and retail. Iftoks* but particularly French books, made part of this com merce, but he employed himself more in reading than selling, them. Before the revolution he was one of the principal citizens of Boston ; at present, he belongs to the whole world by has reputation and his success. Thus have the English, contrary, to their intention, added to the ornament of the .'human species, by awakening talents and virtues where they thought to find nothing but ignorance and weakness. ' t This might in some respect be true at the time the Marquis speaks of, but let the southern campaigns.be attended to, and justice win be done to the active zeal, the wonderful exertions, the unabating- courage of that great officer General Greene; other exceptions might be made, but this stands conspicuous.— Trans. , 72' l TRAVBLSaN ..NORTH- AMERICA. rauebhonousr in the army ; -however, he» is only a Brigadkrt- General ! This arises from the nomination to the sbp^g' ranks being vested in the states to whom the, troops" 'befoljp and that. the .state of Pejmsyrvaftia has 'not thought prope^to make any promotion, aippaFentJy ^om*prifici(p|es ©f*ec»floTBjpt The i&ra*nd*r«Bf the- day &«^Bicated to 4N^*ytaeB«rof General 'Washington's company, *wh®to I was,to> d^H^ktfvkM day. He was so good, a* to pteiat out to'me himself*. nfyfouV ney, to send oh before to prepare, me -fodgfeg, and t«> give m aColeuiel to conduct trie asfara's Trenton. *lThe ne*.mprniftg all the General's baggage was packed- up, which "did not hinder usyfrom breakfasting, before we parted ; he fcrttwinter quarters,, and I for my journey to Philadelphia.' * Here would-be the proper place to give the portrait of Ge neral Washington: but what can my testimony add to the idea already formed of him % ¦ The continent of North- Affieffea, from Boston to 'Charleston, is a great volume, every pagjlof which presents his eulogium. I kijpw, that having had^Jhe opportunity of a, near inspection, and of closely observing him, some more f articular details may be expected fronj me ; but the strongest characteristic of this respectable man is the perfect union which reigns between the physical and -mbral qualities whichepuj^se the individual^ one alone will enable you to judge of.all the rest. If you are presented witl* medals of Ca»sar, of Trajan, or Alexander, pnexamining their fea tures, yod will still be 4%d to ask what was < Jbew stature, and; the form of their *per-s©ns^ but if you dise«oVbr, hr a*heari of ruins, the head or the linp of an antique ApoUo, be not curi*- ous about the other parts, but rest assured "that they all wetft, conformable tq those." enra god. Let not this comparison bj| attributed, to enthusiasm It is no* my intention to exagge-- rate, T wish only. to express the irripression general Washing- top has left on my mind; ,the idea of a perfect whole, tfj|| cannot bathe produce of enthusiasm, which rather would re.-. ject it, since the effect of proportion is to dinainish the ideajof greatness. Brave without temerity, laborious wifetpiit iwibitio®} generous without prodigality, noble without pride, virtuous without severity ;; he seems always-- to *have confined himself ¦within those limits, where the virtues, by clothing themselves in more lively, but more changeable and doubtful colours, may be mistaken for faults. This is the seventh year that he has comJ mahded. the army, and that he has obeyed the Congress ; more need not be said, especially in America, where they knowhoWto appreciate all the merit- contained in this simple fact. Le^it be repeated that Conde Was intrepid, Turenne prudent, Eugene adroit, Catinat disinterested- It is not 'ffijs "that ' Washington will be characterized: Il will be said oThim, at th55 -eot of TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 73 A LONG civil wab, he had nothing with which he could RE PROACH himself. If any thing can be more marvellous than such a character, it is the unanimity of the public suffrages in his favour. Soldier, magistrate, people, all love and admire mm ; all speak of him in terms of tenderness and veneration. Does there then exist a virtue capable of restraining the injus tice of mankind ; or are glory and happiness too recently esta blished in America, fer envy to have deigned to pass the seas ? In speaking of this perfect whole of which General Wash ington furnishes the idea, I have not excluded exterior form. • His stature is noble and lofty, he is well made, and ex actly proportioned ; his physiognomy mild and agreeable, but such as to render it impossible to speak particularly of any of his features, so that in quitting him, you have only the recol lection of a fine face. He has neither a grave nor a familiar air, his brow is sometimes marked with thought, but never with inquietude ; in inspiring respect, he inspires confidence, and his smile is always the smile of benevolence.* But above all, it is in the midst of his general officers, that it is interesting to behold him. General in at republic, he. has not the imposing stateliness of a Marechalde France who gives ihe order ; a hero in a republic, h,e, excites another sort of re spect, which seems to spring from the sole idea, that the safety of each individual is attached to his person. As for the rest, I must observe on this occasion, that the general officers of the American army have a very military and a very beconnng car riage ; that even all the officers, whose characters were brought into public view, unite much politeness to a great deal of ca pacity ; that the head-quarters of this army, in short, neither present the image of want, nor inexperience. When one sees the battalion ofthe general's guards encamped within the pre cincts of his house ; nine wagons, destined to carry his bag gage, ranged in his court' ; a great number of grooms taking care of very fine horses belonging to the general officers and their aids-de-camp ; when one obsitves the perfect order that reigns within these precincts, where the guards are exactly * It is impossible for any man who has had the happiness to ap proach the General, not to admire the accuracy of this description, and the justness and happiness with which it is developed, or to read it without the strongest emotion. It is here above all, the Translator must apologize for his author ; it is not possible to do justice to the original, to feel all its elegance it must be read in the language in which it was written. 'Posterity, future historians, will be grateful to the Marquis de Chastellux for this exquisite portrait; every feature^ and everv tint of which will stand the test of the severest scrutiny, and be handed down to distant ages in never fading colours.— Trans. 10 74 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. stationed, and where the drums beat an alarm, and a particu lar retreat, one is tempted to apply to the Americans what Pyrrhus' said of the Romans : Truly these people have nothing larbarous in their discipline ! The reader will perceive that it is difficult for me to quit General Washington : let us take our resolution briskly then,. and suppose ourselves on the road. Behold me travelling with Colonel MoyJajid, whom his excellency had given me, in spite of myself, as a companion, and whom I should have been glad to have seen at a distance, for one cannot be too much at one's ease in travelling. In such situations, however, we must do the best we can. I began to question him, he to answer me, and the conversation gradually becoming more interesting, I found I had to do with a very gallan|iand intelligent man, who had lived long in Europe, and who has travelled through the greatest part of America. I found him perfectly polite ; for his politeness* was not troublesome, and I soon conceived a great friendship for him. Mr. Moyland is an Irish catholic; one of hp brothers is catholic bishop of Cork, he has four others, two of whom are merchants, one at Cadiz, the other at L'Orient; the third is in Ireland with his family; and the fourth is intended for the priesthood.? As for himself, he came to settle in America some years ago, where he was at first engaged in commerce; he then served in the army as aid-de-camp> to. the general, and has merited the command ofthe light cavalry! During the war he married the daughter of a rich merchantin * I was acquainted with four brothers of this family ; thf y were all amiable, sensible and lively men, and remarkably active and useful ii the revolution. The colonel, in the military line ; another broth«§! whom I suppose to have been the merchant at Cadiz, was afterwards in America, and clothier general to the army ; another is a lawyer at Philadelphia ; and Mr. Moyland, who is lately dead at L'Orient, was singularly useful in the year 1777, by managing a treaty between the American Commissioners an#ihe Farmers General of France, for an annual supply of tobacco from America, which he concluded during Lord Stormont's residence at the Court of France, and many months previous to the open rupture with that Court. I speak of this with personal knowledge of the fact, nor was it so secret as to have esca ped the English Ambassador, or the vigilant Mr. Forth. There could not be a more direct attack on England and English claims, than this transaction, which must have had the sanction ofthe French Govern ment, yet England was lulled to sleep by her Ministers, or rather was sq infatuated as to shut her ears against the most interesting truths. I could say much more on this subject, but why enter into discussions which have long ceased to be either seasonable or useful? England was, literally, in the case of the Quos fieus vuM verdere.— Trans. r TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA, 75 the Jerseys, who lived formerly at New-York, and who now resides on an estate at a little distance from the road we were to pass the next day. He proposed to me to go and sleep there, or at least to take a dinner ; I begged to be excused, from the fear of being obliged to pay compliments, of straight ening others, or of being myself straightened ; he did not in sist, so that I pursued my journey, sometimes through fine woods, at others through well cultivated lands, and villages in habited by Dutch families. One of these, villages, which forms a little township, bears the beautiful name of Troy. Here the country is more open and continues so to Morristown. This town, celebrated by the winter-quarters of 1779, is about three and twenty miles from Prakeness, the name of the head-quar ters from whence I came. It is situated on a height, at the foot of which runs the rivulet called Vipenny river ; the houses are handsome and well built, there are about sixty or eighty round the Meeting-house. I intended stopping at Morristown only to bait my horses, for it was but half past two, but on entering the inn of Mr. Arnold, I saw a dining-room adorned with looking-glasses and handsome mahogany furniture, and a table spread for twelve persons. I learnt that all this prepa ration was for me ; and what affected me more nearly, was to see a dinner, corresponding with these appearances, ready to serve up. I was indebted for this to the goodness of General Washington, and the precautions of Colonel Moyland, who had sent before to acquaint them with my arrival. It would have been very ungracious to have aceepted this dinner at the ex pense of Mr, Arriold, who is an honest man and a good whig, and who Has not a particle in Common with Benedict. Arnold; it would have been still more awkward to have paid for the banquet without eating it. I therefore instantly determined to dine and sleep in this comfortable inn. The Vicomte de Noailles, the Comte de Damas, &c. were expected to make up the dozen; but these young travellers, who had reckoned during their stay with the army, fe being witnesses to some encounters, were desirous of indemnifying themselves by riding along the bank of the river, to take a look at York island, ana try if they could not tempt the enemy to favour them with:a few shot. M. de la Fayette himself conducted them,, with an escort of twenty dragoons. They deferred for a day; therefore their journey to Philadelphia, and I had no other guests but a secretary and aid-de-camp of M. de la Fayette, who arrived as I was at table, well disposed to supply the deficiency of the absent. ' After dinner I had a visit from General St. Clair, whom I had already seen at the army, which he had left the preceding 76 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. evening to sleep at Morristown. It was he who commanded! on Lake Champlain,. at the evacuation of Ticonderoga ; a ter rible clamour was raised against him on that occasion, and he was tried by a council of war, but honourably acquitted* not only because. his retreat- was attended with the best conse quences ; Burgoyne having been forced to capitulate ; but be cause it was proved that he had been left in want of every thing necessary for the defence of the post entrusted to him. He was born in Scotland, where he has a family and property; he is esteemed a good officer, and, if the war continuesji will certainly act a principal part in the army.f I set out from Morristown the 28th, at eight in the morning, with very lowering weather, which did not hinder me, how* ever, from observing, to the right of the road, the huts occu^ pied by the. taoops in the winter of 1779 — 86. Some miles from thence, we met a man on horseback, who came to meet Colonel Moyland with a letter from his wife. After reading it, he said to me, with a truly European politeness, that we must always obey the women; that his wife would accept of no ex cuse, and expected me to dinner ; but he assured me that he would take me by a road-which should not be a mile out of my way, whilst my people pursued their journey, and went to wait for me at Somerset couft-hpuse. I was now too well acquaint ed with my colonel, and too much pleased with him, to refuse tliis invitation ; I followed him, therefore, and after crossing a wood, found myself on a height, the position of which struck me. at first sight. I remarked to Colonel Moyland, that I was much mistaken if this ground was,not well calculated for an advantageous camp : he replied, that it was precisely that of Middlebrook, where General Washington had stopped the English in June, 1777, when Sir William Howe was endea vouring to traverse the Jerseys to pass the Delaware, and take Philadelphia. , Continuing my journey, and looking about me as far as my view would reach, the shape alone of the ground made me imagine, that thy right could not be very good; I then learnt with pleasure that General Washington had built two strong redoubts there. The reader will permit me the fol lowing short reflection, that the best method for military men, in following on the ground, theacampaigns of great generals, is not to have the different positions poirited out and explained * The terms of his acquittal are— with the highest honour.— Trans. t General St. Clair's defence on this trial, which was lent me by Mr. Arthur Middleton, one of the Delegates in Congress for South-Caro lina, is an admirable piece of reasoning and eloquence. — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 77 to them : it is much better, before they are made acquainted with these details, to visit the places, to look well about on every side, and to .propose to themselves some problems on the nature of the ground, and on the advantages to be derived from it ; then to compare ideas with facts, by which means they will be enabled to rectify one, and to appreciate the other. On descending from «the height^, we turned a little to the left, and found ourselves on the side of a rivulet, which brought us into a listening to the song of '.the moelcvng birdj for the nightingale does not sjng in America. We know that great musicians are oftener to be met with in the courts of despots, than in republics. Here the songster of the night is neither the graceful Melico, nor the pathetic Tenducci ; he is the Bouf- fon Caribaldi: he has no song, and' consequently no sentiment peculiar to himself: he counterfeits in the evening what he has heard in the day. Has he heaisd the lark or the thrush, it is the lark or the thrush you hear.1 Have some workmen been employe^in the woods, or has he been1 near their house, he will sing precisely as they do. If they are Scotchmen, he will repeat you. the air of some gentle and plairitive tale ; if they are Germans, you will discover the clumsy gaiety of a^wabian, or Alsatian. Sometimes he cries like a child, at others he laughs like a young girl: nothing, in short, is more entertaining-than this comic bird; but he perforaJp only in summer, and so it happened that t' never had the goo^ fortune to hear him.* f After travelling two miles in this sort of gorge, the woods begin to open, and we soon found ourselves beyond the moun tains.. On the brow of these mountains, to the south, were the huts occupied by a part ofthe army in 1779, after the bat tle of Monmouth. We sppn arrived at Colonel Moyland's or rather at Colonel. Vanhorn's, his father-in-law. This manor is in*a beautiful situation ; it is surrounded by some trees., the * The translator, as well as mos't travellers in America, particularly in the middle states, can testify the accuracy of this account.— Trans, 78 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. approach is decorated with a grass plot, and if it was betteffi taken care of, one would think ones-self in the neighbourhofil of London, rather than in that of New-York. Mr. Vanhorn came to meet me : he is a tall, lusty man, near sixty yeare of age, but vigorous, hearty, and good-humoured; he is called Colonel from the station he held in the militia, under the Eng lish governrhent. He resigned some toe before the war : he was then a merchant and cultivator, passing *he winter at New-York, and the summer in the country ; but since the war he has quitted that town, and retired to hjs manor, always faithful to his country, without rendering himself odious to the English, with whom he has left twd of his sons in the Jamaica- trade, but who, if the war continues, are to sell their property and come and live with their father. Nothing can prove more strongly the integrity of his conduct, than the esteem in which he is held by both parties. Situated at ten miles from Staten- Island, near to Rariton, Amboy^ and Brunswick, he has fre quently found Tiimself in the taiidst of the theatre of war ; so that he has sometimes, had the Americans with him, sometimes the English. It even happened to him once in the same day, to give a breakfast to Lord Cornwallis and a dinner to General Lincoln. Lord Cornwallis, informed that the latter had slept at Mr. Vanhorn's, came to take him by surprise ; but Lincoln, getting intelligence of his design, retired- into the woods. Lord Cornwallis, astonished not to find him, asked if the American • General was not concealed in his house: <'No,'' replied Mr. Vanhorn, bluntly. " On your honour1?" says Cornwallis. " On my honour, and if you doubt it, here are the keys, you may search every where."' " I shall take y*bur word? for it," -said Lord Cornwallis, and asked for some breakfastj an hour afterwards he returned to the army. Lincoln, who was conceajjed at no great distance, immediately returned, and> dined quietly with his hosts. The acquaintance I made with Mr. Vanhorn being veryf prompt and cordial, he coriSncted me to the parlour, whereof found his wife, his three daughters, a young lady ofthe neigh bourhood, and two young officers. Mrs. 'Vanhorn is an ©Id lady, who, from her countenance, her dress, and her deport* ment, perfectly resembled a picture of Vandyke. * She dogs the honours of the table with exactness, helps every body without saying a word, and the rest ofthe time is like a family portrait. Her three daughters are not amiss : Mrs. Moyland, the eldest, is six months advanced in her pregnancy ; the youngest only twelve years old, but the second is marriageable. She ap peared to be on terms pf great familiarity with one ofthe young!" officers, who was in a very elegant undress, forming a good representation of an agreeable country squire ; at table he TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 79 picked her nuts, for her, and often took her hands. I imagined that' he was an intended husband; but the other officer, with whom I had the opportunity of conversing as he accompanied us in the ^jening, told me that he did not believe there was any idea of marriage between them. I mention these trifles only to show tb* extreme liberty that prevails between the two sexes, as long as they are unmarried. It is no crime for a girl to embrace a young man ; it would be a very heinous one for a married woman even to show a desire of pleasing.* Mrs. Carter, f a handsome young woman, whose husband is con cerned in furnishing our army with provisions, and lives at present at Newport, told me, that going down one morning into her husband's office, not much decked put, but in a rather elegant French undress, a farmer of the Massachusetts state, who was there on business, seemed surprised at seeing her, and asked who that young lady was. On being told, Mrs. * Though this freedom prevails among all ranks, it is particularly striking among the middling classes and common people. Not to speak of the New-England bundling, a practice which has been so often mentioned, the Translator has seen a grave Quaker and his wife sitting on their bench at their door, as is the Custom at Philadelphia in the summer evenings, and along side of them the apprentice boy of sixteen, and the servant, girl, or perhaps one of the daughters of the family, not only kissing and embracing each other, but proceeding to such familiarities as would shock modesty, and draw down the ven geance of the virtuous citizen of London ; and all this, not only without reprehension, but even with marks of complacency on the part of the good old folks. Even the last slip, is no essential blemish in the character of the frail fair one. Both sexes arrive early at puberty, their constitutions are warm, there are. few restraints, and they lose no time in completing the great object, the population ofthe country .1— Trans. t Mrs. Carter is the daughter of General Schuyler, .and is now called Church ; Ijer husband, Mr.. John/Barker Church, having re-as* sumed his real name on his return to ^England since the peace.. He- is an English gentleman of a very respectable family and: connexions ; but having been unfortunate in business in London in the outset of life, retired to America, where, from his known principles he was recei ved" as a good whig. He toolj the name of Carter, that his friends; mighE hear nothing of him, until by his industry he had. retrieved his affairs. His activity in the revolution, brought him acquainted with General Scluiyler, whose daughter he soon after married ; and on the arrival of the French troops, got a principal share of the contract for supplying them, in conjunction with Col. ,Wadswofth. Sincethe war he has returned to Europe, with a veryconsiderable fortune, settled all his affairs, and is happily and honourably restored- to his friends, and family. — Trans. . 88 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. Carter— " Aye .'" said he, loud enough for* her to hear him, " A wife and a mother, truly, has no business to le so well dressed^} At 3 o'clock I got on horseback, with Colonel Moylandj and Captain. Heme, one of the young officers I had .cjjjned with. He is in the light cavalry, and consequently in Colonel Moy* land's regiment. His size and figure, which* I had already remarked, appeared to still more advantage on horseback.,, I observed that he was seated in a very noble and easy manner, and in perfect conformity to our principles of horsemanship. I asked where he had studied horsemanship. He told ; me at his own regiment ; that his desire to teach the soldiers induced him to learn it ; and that he made it his business to render therri as expert in the exercise as himself; Though but one and twenty, he had already acquired greatex- perience, and distinguished himself the preceding year, in an affair where a small body of American light horse beat a much more considerable one of English dragoons. I had a long conversation with him, and he always spoke to me with a mo desty, and a grace which would be favourably received by all the military in Europe, and which to all appearance, would be as successful at Paris as in camps. We had scarcely ,proceeded three miles, before we found ourselves in the Princeton road, and on the banks of the Rariton, which may be easily passed by fording, or over a wood en bridge. Two miles farther we crossed the Millstone, the left bank of which we followed to Somerset Cdurt-house. Of all the parts of America I had hitherto passed through, this is the most open; we meet with handsome little plains her4 whefe from fifteen to twenty thousand men might be encampl ed. General Howe had not less when he passed the RaritoJ in 1777. His right was supported by a wood, beyond whiei runs the Millstone ; his left also extended towards other woods. General Washington at that time occupied the camp at Mi# dlebrpok, and General Sullivan, at the head of only 1500 men, was six miles from the army, and three miles from the left of the enemy. In this position he was near enough to harass them, without committing himself as he had in his rear the mountains of Saourland. They who in the last war, have passed through Saourland, will easily conceive that the court- try tp which' the German emigrants have given this name, is not very easy of access. 1 found, my suite at Somerset court-house, where they were waiting for me in a pretty good inn, but as there was still some daylight, and I had calculates my next day's journey, which required that I should gain something in the present, I determined to proceed farther. The night, which soon came on, prevented me from making any more observa tions on the country. After once more passing the Millstone,-' and getting well out of a horrible slough, we halted at Gregg-' TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. &i town, wheje. we slept at Skilmato's tavern, an indifferent inn, but kept by very obliging people. Captain Heme continued his route. Our next day's ride presented us^with very interest ing objects : we were to see two places which will be for ever deal- to the Americans, since it was thefe the firsjt rays of hope brightened upon theiri, or, to express it more properly, that the safety of the.-eountsry was effected. These celebrated places are Princeton, and Trerjton. I shall not say i went to see them, for they lay precisely in the' road. Let the reader judge then how much I was out of humour, on seeing so thick a fog rising, as to prevent me from distinguishing objects at fifty paces from me : but I was in a country where one must despair of nothing. The fortune of the. day was like that of America; the fog suddenly dispersed, and I found myself travelling on the right bank of the Milfstone, in a narrow valley. Two miles from Greggtown we quit this valley, and mount the high est of Rocky-hill, where are a few houses. Kingstown is a mile farther, but still on tbe Milfat^pe-j the Maidenhead road ends here, and its Communication^ is facilitated' by a bridge built over the rivulet. • It is here that General Washington hajted after the affair of Princeton. After marching from midnight until two-o'clock in the afternoon, almost continually iighting : he wishedto collect the troops, and give them some rest; he knew, however, that Lord Cornwallis was following him on the Maidenhead road ; but he contented himself with taking up. some planks of the bridge, and as soon as he saw the vanguard of the English appear, he continued his march quietly towards Middlebrook. Beyond Kingstown, the coun try begins to .open, arid continues so to, Princeton. This town is situated on a sort of platform not much elevated, but which commands on all sides : it has only one street formed by the high road ; there are about sixty or eighty houses, all tohkably well built, but little attention is paid them, for that is immediately attracted by an immense' building, which is visible at a considerable distance. It is a college built by the state of Jersey some years before the war ; as this building is only remarkable from its size, it is unnecessary to describe^t ; the reader will only recollect, when I come to speak of the en gagement, that it is on. the left of the road in going to Phila delphia, that it is situated towards the middle of the, town,, on a distinct spot of groqnd, and that the entrance to k is by a large square court surrounded, with lofty palisades. The ob ject which excited my curiosity, though very foreign fromlet- ters at that moment, brought me to the very gate of the college. I dismounted for a moment tp visit this" vast edifice, and was soon- joined by 'Dr. Witherspoon, President of the university. He is a man of at least sixty, is a member .of Congress, arid 11 «2 TRAVELS IN.NORTH-AMERICA. much respected in this country. Inwccosting jm he spoke French, but I easily .perceived, that he had acqjiirem his know ledge of that language, from reading, rather than conversa tion ;• which did not prevent me, however, from answering him, and continuing to converse with him in French,, for I saW that lie was well pleased to display what he knew of it. . This is an attention which .costs little, and is too much neglectediin a foreign country. To reply in English to a person who speaks French to you, is to tell him,' you do not know my language so well as I dd yours ;. in this, too, one is not unfrequently mista ken. As for me, I always like better to have«the advantage on my side, and to fight on my own ground. I conversed'in French, therefore,, with the President, and from him I learnt that this college is a complete university ; that it can contain two hundred- students, and more" including the out boarders: that the distribution ofthe studies is formed so as to make only one class for the humanities ; which corresponds with our first four classes ; that two others are destined to the perfecting the youth in the study of Latin and Greek'; a fourth to Natural Philosophy, Mathematics, Astronomy, &c. and a fifth to Moral Philosophy. Parents may support their children at this col lege at the annual expense of forty guineas* Half of this sum is appropriated. to lodgings and masters ;. the rest is sufficient for living, either in the college, or at board in private houses in the town. This useful establishment has fallen into decay since the war ; there were only forty studerats when I saw it,. A handsome collection of books had been made ; the greatest part of which has been embezzled., The English even carried off from the chapel the portrait ofthe king of .England, a loss lor which the Americans easily consoled themselves, 'declarini they would have no king among them, not even a paintef one. Ihere still remains. a. very beautiful astronomical ma chine ; hat as it was then out pf order, and differs in no respect from that I saw afterwards in Philadelphia, I- shall take no no tice of it.* I confess also that I was rather anxious to exa- stmcH™ nf k\ CeleJbrat^ 0rrery °f Rehouse, the supposed de- TustW h gSh "ame In the eyes'of a11 enlightened" Europe fn Srfc's^d « ' TI^ fr°muthe TranSlat°r W dec'are< ^at from his fet onTh'an th* th T T}he Sp0t' the ^^ had no °th« foun- tlm KinTn y lntended t0 remoTe' and se"(i ;t as a present to f„S' Itmay P*>sibly be said, and 'would to God that Tela T that'' toThfs IV™ Wf" ™" ted * the wMe c-d-t of he ever' totJt^?-0*17^^"1*™*6 itS Prese^ion • how- served the Orre^i 8H/den . dU-lodgemont from Princeton- pre- TraH Y' Ddi aS fer aS that £oes' the national character.-^ TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 83 mine the trajles of General Washington, in a country where every object reminded me of his successes. I' passed rapidly there fore from Parnassus to the field of Mars, and from the hands of President Withersptoon * into thpso of Colonel Moyland. They were both equally upon their own ground ;- so that while One Was pulling mc by the right arin, telling me, here is the phi losophy class ; the "other Was plucking me By the left, to show me where one hundred and eighty English laid down their arms. Every person- who, since f he commencement ofthe war, has only given' himself the trouble of reading the Gazettes, may re collect that Gtseral Washington surprised the town of Tren ton the 25th of December, 1776 ; that, immediately after this expedition, be retired to the other side of the Delaware, but that having received a small addition to that it is difficult .not to fall into this sort of ambuscade. The guests, whose names I recollect, were Mr. Governeu.r' Morris,* • * This gentleman lost his leg by a fall from a phaeton* . He is a man of exquisite wit, and an excellent understanding. An admirable companion at the table, ,arid the' toilet, he was in universal request ; he was in alUthe secrets of his namesake the financier, and refined in the dark history of political, intrigue. Notvykhstanding'his misfortune, nature did not form him 'for. inactivity. — Trans. 12 90 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. a young man full of wit and vivacity, but unfortunately maim ed, having lost a leg by accident. His friends congratulated; him on this event; saying, that now he would Wholly .dedicate himself to public business. Mr. Powel, a man of considerable fortune, without taking any. part in the government; his attach ment to the common cause, having appeared hitherto father equivocal. Mr. Pendleton, Chief Justice of'South-Carolina, a remarkably tall man, with 'a very distinguished countenance; he had the courage to hang three tories at . Charleston, a few' days before the surrender ofthe toWn, and was accordingly in great danger of losing his life, had he nqt escaped out pf the hands of the English," though comprised in the capitulation. Colonel Laurens,* son of Mr. Laurens, late President/of Con gress, and now a prisoner in the tower of London ; he speaks very good French, which is not surprising as he was educated at Geneva ; but it is to his honour, that being married in Lon' don, he should quit England tb serve America ; he has distin guished himself on«|several occasions, particularly at Geman- town where he was wounded.* Mr. White, Chaplain to '_^\ » . * Among ^P nuiperoug traits that might be cited to do honour to {his illustrious young man;*so prematurely, and unfortunately lost to his family and his country, the translator has selected^ the following.; e'x: tracted from the Journals, of .Congress. Thursday, November 5, 1778.. Resolved, " That John. Laurens, Esq. aid-de-canap to General Washington, be presented with a continental commission of Lieutenant- Colonel, in testimony of the ¦ sense which Congress entertain of his patriotic and spirited service's as.a volunteer in the A'merfcan army, and of his brave conduct in several actions, particularly in that of Rhode-Island on the 29th of Augusl last ; anil that General Wash ington be directed, whenever ^n opportunity shall offer, to give Lieu- ,• . tenant-Colonel Laurens command agreeable to his rank." , • . Friday, November 6, 1778.'; " A letter of thisday from LieuTenant-'Colonel John Laurens was read," expressing ."Jiis gratitude- fbr the unexpected honour which Congress were pleased to confer on him by the 'resolutions passed yesterday,, and the high satisfaction it would have afforded, him, could hfebave accepted it, without injuring the rights of tjie officers in the line 6f the army, and doing an. evident injustice to b's colleagues in the family Of the- commander-in-chief: that having been, a spectator of the convulsions occasioned in the army by disputes of rank, he holds the, tranquillity of. -it too dean to be instrumental in disturbing it ; and' therefore entreating -Congress to suppress the resolve of yes terday, ordering him a commission 'of Lieutenant-Colonel ; and to accept his sincere thanks for the intended honour." Whereupon, Resolved, That Congress highly approve tbe disinterested and patriotic principles upon which Liejj'tennijt-Colonel Laurens has TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 91 Congress, atiatidsoriie man, and of amild and tolerant character.* General MJlfflin,-}- whose talents have shone .alike in war and politics ; he has been Qnarter-Master-General of the army ; but quitted that place. on account of.some preference shown to to General Greene. Dom Francesco, Charge des Aflaires of Spain : and I he lieve .that is all that Can be said of him : M. de Ternan, a French officer in the service of America ; he had been employed -in some commissions* in America, and after executing them, he t»ok to/ the profession of arms ; he is a yobngman of great wit and talent^,; he draws, well, and speaks English like iis- own language ; he w^s made prisoner at Charleston :{ the last whose • name I reeollect is Colonel Armand, that is,. M. de' la Rouerie, nephew of M. de la Belinage. He wag as celebrated in France for his passion for Mademoiselle B , as he is in America for. his "courage" and capacity. His famjly having compelled him to abandon an, a'ttaahment the consequences- 6f which they dreaded, he buriea himself in a celebrated and, profound retirement, (the monas- * ' . • . ¦v. -¦ . . declined to accept the promotion conferred on hini by Congress, — 'Trans. ¦*. . •' ) * Mr .¦} White is the .Clergyman of .St. Peter's church, told firpther to Mr£. Morris, the financier's lady.—. Trans. ' 1. 1 had the happiness of enjoying tbe particular acquaintance, ofthe General. He is' a smart, sensible, active, and- agreeable little man. I never saw him without thinking of Gmvrick ; he is about the same size and figure, and his Vountenanie , sparklesnvith significance,, and expression. To him and his' brother I arn indebted for the> most hos pitable, reception, and continued' civilities and' attention ; and the -General, 'besides, showing* "me on the", spot, the whole mariceuvresr of Germantown, and the proceedings on the Marquis de la Fayette's expedition over the ^Schuylkill,, furnjshed ft>e with many interesting particulars respecting the conduct of the war. , I .knew, thera was a disgust, and1 the cause of it, but. all his narratives seemed to be those of a man of honoifr, unmixed with personal considerations. 'On signifying my intention of making a. tour .intp.the interior parts of Pennsylvania, he was so igood as to give me the following' fetter of introduction, to *his friend Colonel Patton,; in case I passed by his neighbourhood. I. havg preserved it as '.characteristic at once of his own, frankness, and American bosp^fality.' . # .; Dear' Patton — Mi\ , my ¦ particular friend, will favour you with a visit at the Spring. I .have assured him that he will meet a hearty, welcome. Yours, , THO. MIFFLIN. . Philadelphia, 3d May, 1782. . | He is at present a Colonel in the service of Holland, in the legion of Maillebois. 92 TRAVELS IN" NORTH-AMERICA. teryV La Trappe. T.) but he- soon quitted it ft* America,* when he devoted, hims.elf to a more glorioUs- abstinence, ami to" more meritorious mortifications. His character is gay, his wit agreeable, and nobody would wish to sfee hiin make the vow of silence. • . ' ' , Such were the guest* with whom I got acquainted ; tor 1 do not speak of M..de Dannemours, Consul of France, at Balti more, M. de Marbois, Secretary ofthe embassy, nor of the fa mily of M. de la Luzerne, which is pretty considerable. The dinner was served in the American-, or if you will in th^ English fashion ; consisting «f two courses; one comprehending the entrees; the roast meat, and the warm side dishes '; the ether, the sweet pastry, and confectionary: When this is removed, the eloth is taken off, and apples, nuts, .and chestnuts are served : it is then that healths are drank; the coffee which ^omes afterwards serves as a signal to rise from table. These healths or toasts as I. hawe already observed, have no incon venience, and 'only serve to prolqrog the conversation, which is always more animated at the end of the>ejast; ; they oblige you to comrriit'po excess, wherein they greatly differ from the German healths, arid from those, we still1 give, in our garrison's and provinces. But I find, it an absurd, and truly bqrba'rous practice, the first rime '^oa drink, andt'&< tha beginning of din ner, to call out successively tp 'each individual, to let him know you drink his health. The actor in this ridiculous comedy is sometimes ready to die with thirst, whilst he is obliged to in quire the names, or catch f3ie eyes of fiv£ and twenty or thirty persons, and the unhappy persons to whom he addresses him self, with 'impatience, for it is c.ertainly nqt possible for therii to'Jiestow.a very great attention $6 what they aye eating, and, — : . . t i ^ — -* — : : , * M. le Marquis de lot Rouerie was then very young : his Subse quent conduct Jias /proved, that nature,'in giving a" susceptible and impassioned mind, has not made him a present likely 'to be always fatal to, him, 'glory and honour have employed all its activity ; and it is an observation wlridh merits to be consigned in history, as well as in this journal, thaf carrying with him, as .he djd to America, all the' heroic courage, and roniEmtiC notions of chivalry of the ancient French noblesse, he could so well conform to# republican manners, that far" from availing himself of. his birth, «he would Only make himself known by his, Christian name : hence he was always called Colonel Armani. He commanded a legion which was destroyed in Carolina, at the bat tle of Camden, and in the remainder of that unfortunate campaign. In 1781, he went to France, purchased there every thing necessary for arming and equipping a new legion, andi-on h'is return toAmerica^ he advanced the cost pi them to Congress. Before the peace he was advanced to the rank of Brjgadier'-General. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. W wlfat is said to them, being incessantly called to on the right and left, or pulled by the sleeve by charitable neighbours, Who are so kind as to acquaint 'them with the politeness they ate receiving. The most civil ©f the Arher'icans are not content with this general call ; every time they drink, they make par tial ones, fot example, four or five persons at a time.. Another custom completes the despair of poor foreigners, if they be ever so little abse/it, or have gpod appetites : these general and partial attacks terminate in downright duels. They call to you from one end of the table to the other ; Sir, will yow per mit me to drink a glass of wine with you ? This proposal always is accepted, "and does riot admit the excuse' of the Great-Cousin, one does not drink without-being. ac\waintea\ The-.bottle is then passed to you, and you riiust look your enemy in the face, for I can give- np qther name to the mata who exercises such an empire over fny will : you wait tity he likewise has poured out his wind,' and taken his glass ; you then driiik mournfully with him, as a recruit imitaies the c*orporal in his exercise. But to do justice to the Americans, they fhemsfelves . feel the ridicule of these customs .bprrqwe'd" from old England,, and since laid aside by her. They; purposed '«to the Chevaligr de la Luzerne to dispense with them, knowing that 'his example would have great wjeight ; but he thought prpper to conform, and he -did right. The mpre the FrendK are known to be in possession-of giving their customs to o^her nation^, ,the more shoulcfthey avoid the ¦ appearance of Changing those of the Americans. Happy our nation if her aitfbassadofs, and her travellers, had always'so correct an understanding, ajid if they never lost sight' of this observation, that of all meri> the clanping master should have the mpst negligent air ! . ' ' After'this dinner, which I fliay possibly have spun put too long, according to.the custom of the courltry, the Chevalier de la Luzerne, -took jiie to make visits wjth him.* ''The first Was * The conduct of the Chevalier de la Luzerne in America justified every idea' that has been'formed ofthe superior skill and address ofthe French nation pn embassies, S,nd in the cabinet: ' He not only con formed to the manrfers, and customs of the country, but 'he stumed the character of every individual of the feast' importance. He rose early in the m'ortiing, and watched' the hour that best suited their con venience'', tb wait on ttfe meriibersof Cdhgress, and the leading men of state ; '^t is thus the French maintain their, ascendency in the cabinet, which is worth, a Jh'ousanti' victories, and their superiority in the Courts of-'Europe, under every varied form •of , ,government,;from Holland to Constantinople. I cannot help con trasting with this policy^an instance of English diplomatic conduct.— A very respectable senator of Sweden, previous- to the revolution in that country, tpld me, that in a very teed struggle, bejweeri the Eng lish and Freqch parties in the senate, on some leading question, the English minister, applied to him in bis tuv'h; for. bis suffrage ; on his Starting.some«objection, the "minister turned angry, assumed a taught) tone, arid observed that the Swedes' did not know theirir'ue interest* that they might do as they thought proper, that England was the only cdwwfe-jitha1;ccfjld supp'qtf them, and 'left him much out of humour; the samp language he held to all the senators^- . The French ambas sador, on the contrary,, was paying his court to eacjf. senator,' in his family, distributing favours- and. making entertainments, and carried his point with barely insinuating, -what* would be agreeable Ho his Oburt Compare thjs aneccktte with, the Well kpown conduct in Hol land of a Minister mightily extolled for his wisdom and experience, &r Joseph Torke, and tns, memorials, bpforethe late fatal breach with S^U??^ I SUCn6S" °f the Duke de la Vau'g»yon) which no thing but such haughty, ill-tiined language coul'd have so -rapidly pro duced, and judge whether Sir, William Temple .would have done the same. — -.li'ans. TRAVELS. IN NORTH- AMERICA. 95 unarsh. It is hjs, whom Governor' Johnstone attempted to cor rupt in 1778, when England sent Commissioner! to, treat with Congress ; but this attempt was confined to some insinuations, entrusted to Mrs. Ferguson. Mr. Reed, who is a sensible Man, rather of an intriguing character, and above all eager of popu lar favour, made a great clamour, and published, and exagge rated the offers that were madehim. The-complaints of Sirs. Ferguson, who found herself committed, in this ^affair, a public declaration of Governor Johnstone, vyhdse object was to deny the? facts, but,*vhich served only to confirm them; various charges, .and refutations, printed and rhade pubtec, produced no other effect than to second, the vieWs on- Mr. Reed, and to make him attain his end, of playing a leading, pari in the country. Unfortunately his pretensions, or his interest led him to declare himself the enemy, of Br. Franklin.* When I was at Philadelphia, it was no less than matter of question t&recall that respectable man ; but the -French party, or that of*Gene- ral Washington, or to express it still better the really patriotic party prevailed, and the matter finished by sending art officer "to France to represent the wretched state of the army, and to ask for an aid of clothes', teat's," ahct money, of which it.stoodiri much need. The choice* fell on C6lonel Laufens.f, _• < ..* , . * I make no doubt that the M. de .Chastellux is correct in this as sertion, but thus much I can say .frorii personal knowledge, that Mr. Reed is bne ofthe warmest laud, most strenuous supporters of the pre sent -dempcratic constitution of Pennsylvania, the work .of Dr. Frank lin, and to subvert which almost all the personal ^eariqs of»Mr.*Reed have been labouring for some years past. In Philadelphia,* in '1782, the parties of constitutionalists, and anti-constitutionalists ran so high, as to occasion frequent personal quarrels- Another fact is w.ell known to many persons'- in. Eutope> and to every body in America, that the attack on Dr. Franklin came from a much more powerful and "intriguing •quarter than tbalOf" Mr. Heed, who never was pf any weight in Congress. Mr. Reed too was much attachedftp General Washington, whom the Qppbsers of Dr, franklin's constitution of ^elinsylv&niji, affected to hold in no very high respect. J neuer exchanged, a word with Mr. Reed, myonly wish is. to ascertain the truth.— Trap* t Colonel' Laurens obtained six millions of livres from4he' French collrt, the greatest part of which wae expended in clothing and neces saries for the American army, on his arrival in Europe in the spring of 1781. Mr. Gillon, wlj'o'bad the commission of commodore from the state of Carolina, and had been- sent over to puiwhase .three frigates for that state, came immediately from Holland to -Paris, and prevailed on Colonel Laurens,.who was of the saine state, to purchase a large quan tity of the clothing at Amsterdam, a measure highly offensive to the French court, to be shipped on board his frigate»the South-Carolina, which was to sail immediately, and besides her great force, carrying 9G TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. Mr. Reed has a handsome- house arranged, and furnished, in the English style. I found there Mrs. Washington, who had just arrived from Virginia, and was going to stay with her hus band, as she does- at the end of every campaign. She is about. forty, or fite .and forty, rather plump, but fresh, and with an agreeable face.* After passing a, quarter of an hour at Mr. Reed's, we waited on Mr. Huntington, president of Congress : . — — . ; ¦ — -s twenty-eight.forty-two pbunders, and twelve eighteens, had the legion of Luxembourg on board. The purchase was made accordingly at Amsterdam, tile goqds shipped on board the frigate, by which many private 'purposes were answered to Mr. Gillon, who, on s'ome pretext however, after many month's defey, and the Colonel's return, removed the goods from the frigate, and shipped them on board two Dutch ves sels to be taken under his convoy ; -but to 'these he soon- gave the slip, leavin^them in September,jn the Texel, without saying a word of his intentiSn ; finding he. did not return,. they were conveyed back in October to Amsterdam,'and relarided at an enormous expense to America^ and ¦to the great loss of the army, for wh6m* they were intended as a 'sup ply that winter ;, yet, on his return, he had address enough to? elude every, inquiry into this very extraordinary transaction, to which escape, the unive'rsal esteem in which Mrs. Gillbn,'his wife, was held by every person iii Carolina, contributed not a- little. It may here be proper to correot an error which has slipped into all Ihe English public print?' of the day, and particularly into Dodsley's Annual? Register, on the subject of the frigate, the South.- Carolina. This frigate is mentioned in the list of Admiral" Zoutriian's fleet kuthe engagement off the Dog ger's Bank in August, 1781. The translator was .then at the Texek saw tne Dutch fleejt^ail, and return after the engagement-.; during that interval had the frigate lying at anchot before his elyes, and was close to her, on board another vessel off the end of, the" Hadks, a gre|j| shoal at the mouth of the Texel, when the Dutch fleet entered. in the* most shattered condition. # Mr. Gillon is-himself a native of Rotter dam, but 'was on- very, bad terms with all the officers of tiie DutcJ| fleet, and indeed with almost all- his countrymen.-^ Tvaqs. \, •* I had the pleasure of passing, a day or two with Mrs. Washing** ton, at the general's hbtise in Virginia,' where she. appeared to me to be one ofthe best women hrthe worid, and beloved by all about hera5Sh8 has no family by. tffe general, but was surrounded by. her grand-child ren, and Mrs,. Custis, her son's widow. The family were then in mourning for Mr. Custis, her sor» by a former marriage, whose pre mature death was subject of .public and private regret. He was brought up by. the general as-his own son, and'Jbrmed himself success fully on his model. He succeeded him as representative for Fairfax county, and promised to be a very distinguished member of society, but having gone down to Yorktown, after the capture of Corriwallis; to view the works, he caught a malignant fever atone of the hospitals, and was rapidly carried .off. The general was uncommonly affected at bis death, insomuch that many of his friends imagined thev percejt. TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA- <)7 •We found him in his cabinet, lighted by a single candle. Phis simplicity reminded me of that of ike Fabricius and the Phllopemens. Mr. Huntington is.an upright man, who espouses no party, and- inay be relied on. He is a native.of Connecti cut, arid was delegate for that' state, when chosen president.' My day having been sufficiently faT»so accustomed to the success of his.privateers, toat when he is observed on a Sunday to be more serious than usual, the conclusion is, that no prize' has arriyqd in 'the pre ceding week.* This flourishing state of commerce, at Phila delphia, as well ajs in Massachusetts, bay, is entirely owing to the arrival of the French squadron.f The English have orris has certainly enriched himself greatly by-the war, I the. house of Willing $< Morris did a great deal of business,\nd'w but was well known in all the considerable trading towns of Europe, previous to that period, Mr. Morris* had various" other means of acquiring wealth besides privateering ;(. among others, by his own interest, and Ms /connexions with Mr. Holder i then- Consul-General pf France, at Phpaidejphia, he frequently obtained exclusive permissions to ship car goes of ftojar, & wa* Pointed to- jfgfW'. a"d every thing appeared in safety on that side; but to the right the ground was so covered, that it was TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 117 impossible to judge of the motions of the enemy, and to keep in a line with them, in case they should attempt, as they did, to detach a corps by their left, to pass the river higher up. The only precaution that could be taken was to place five or sue brigades* in steps from each other, to watch that manoeu vre. General Sullivan had the command of them ; he re ceived orders to keep in a line with the enemy, should they march by their left ; and on the supposition that they would unite their forces on the side of Chaddsford, he was himself' to pass the river, and make a powerful diversion on their flank. When a general has foreseen every thing, when he has made the best possible dispositions, and his activity, his judg ment, and his courage in the actipn correspond with the wis dom of his measures, has he not already triumphed in the eyes of every impartial judge? and if by any unforeseen ac^ cidents, the laurels he has merited drop from his hands, is it not the historian's duty carefully to collect, and replace them on Ws brow ? Let us hope that history will acquit herself of this duty better than us, arid let us see how such wise disposi tions were disconcerted by the mistakes of some officers and the inexperience of the troops. The 11th of September, General Howe occupied the heights on the right of the creek ; he there formed part of His. troops in line of battle, and prepared some batteries opposite Chaddsford, whilst his light troops were attacking and driving before them a corps of riflemen, who had passed over to the right bank more closely to observe his motions. General Washington seeing the cannonade continue, without any dis position of the enemy to pass the river, concluded they had another object. He was informed that a great part of their army had marched higher up the creek, and were threatening his right ; he felt the importance of keeping an attentive eye on all the movements of this corps ; but the country was so covered with thickets, that the patroles could discover nothing. It must be observed that General Washington had a very small number of horse, and those- he bad sent to the right, towards Dilworth, to make discoveries on that side. He ordered an officer of whom he had a good opinion, to pass the river, and inform himself accurately of the route Lord Cornwallis was taking ; for it was he who commanded this separate corps. The officer returned, and assured him that Cornwallis was marching by his right to join Knyphausen, on the side of Chaddsford. According to this report, the attack seemed to be determined on the left. Another officer was then sent, who reported that Cornwallis had changed his direction, and * General Howe calls them 10;000 men — Trans. 118 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. that he was rapidly advancing by the road leading to Jefferies Ford, two miles higher than Birmingham church. General Sullivan was immediately ordered to march thither with all the troops of the right. tfnfortunately the roads were badly re connoitred, and riot at all open: with great difficulty General Sullivan got through the woods, and when he came out of them to gain a, smallj eminence near Birmingham church, he found the English columns mounting it on the opposite side. It "' was no easy matter lo range into order of battle such troops as his ; he had neither the time to choose his position, nor to form his line. The English gained the eminence, drove the Americans back on the woods, to' the edge of which they pur sued them, and they were totally dispersed.* During the short time this action lasted, Lord Stirling and General Conway, had time, to form their brigade on pretty ad vantageous ground : it was a gentle rising, partly covered by the woods which bounded it, their left was protected by the same woods, and on the right of this rising ground, but a little in the rear, was the Virginia line, who were ranged in line of battle, on a high spot of ground, and on the edge of an open wood. The'left column of the enemy, who had not been en gaged with Sullivan, formed rapidly, and marched against these droops with as much order as vivacity and courage.- The Ame ricans made a very smart fire, which did not check the English, and it was not till the latter were within twenty yards of them, that they gave way, and threw themselves into the woods. Lord Stirling, M. de la Fayette, and General Sullivan himself, after the defeat of his division fought with this body of troops, whose post was the most important, and made the longest re sistance. It was here that M. de la Fayette was wounded in his left leg, in rallying the troops who were beginning to stag ger. On the right, the Virginia line made some resistance; but the English had gained a height, from whence their artil lery took them en echarpe: this fire must have been very severe, for most of the trees, bear the mark of bullets or cannon shot. The Virginians in their turn gave way, and the right was then entirely uncovered. Though this was three miles from Chaddsford. General Knyphausen heard the firing of the artillery, and musketry, and judging that the affair was serious, the confidence he had. in • * General Howe's account says, " General Washington detached General Sullivan to his right with 10,000 men, who took a strong posi tion on the commanding ground above Birmingham church," and then relates the manoeuvres to.dislodge them. There is a material differ ence in these accounts. — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 119 the English and Hessian troops, made him conclude they were victorious. Towards five in the evening, he descended from the heights in two columns,* one at John's Ford, which turned the battery of the Americans, and the other lower down at Chaddsford. The latter marched straight to the battery and took it. General Wayne, whose brigade was in line of battle, the left on an eminence, and the right drawing towards the battery, then made that right fall back, and strengthened the heights, thus forming a sort of change of front. In a country where there are neither open columns, nor successive positions to take, in case of accident, it is difficult to make any disposi tion for retreat. The different corps whb had been beaten, all precipitated themselves into Chester road, where they formed but one column ; artillery, baggage and troops being confused* ly mixed together. At the beginning of the night General Washington also took this" road, and the English, content with their victory, did not disturb their retreat. Suteh is the idea I have formed of the battle of Brandywine, from 'what I have from Gerieral Washington himself, from M. de la Fayette, Messieurs de Gimat and De Manduit and from the Generals Wayne and Sullivan. I must observe, however, that there is a disagreement in some particulars ; several per sons, for example, pretend that Knyphajiiseii, after passing the river, continued his march, in one column to the battery, and it is thus'rjjjkrked in the English plan, which gives, a false direc tion toHhat column ; besides that Gerieral Washington, and General Wayne assured me there were two, and that the" left column turned the battery, which otherwise would not have ' been carried.f It is equally difficult to trace out on the plan, all the ground on which Cornwallis fought. The relations on both sides throw hardly any light upon it ; I was obliged there fore to draw my conclusions from the different narratives, and to follow none of them implicitly. * Several persons, amongst others some English officers who were prisoners, whom I have questioned, assured me that Knyphausen's corps passed the river only in one column at 'Chaddsford ; and then separated into two, one of which turnell the battery, and the other at tacked it in front. t Howe's account says, there were two divisions, one under Grant, the other under Knyphausen ; the fourth and fifth regiments turned the battery. — Trans. CHAPTER VII. CHESTER FORT BILLINGSPORT-— rORT MIFFLIN REDBANK FORT —PHILADELPHIA. Whilst we were examining tlje field of battle with the greatest minuteness, our servarits went on to Chester to pre pare dinner and apartments, but we soon followed them, and got there at four o'clock. The road did not appear long to me; for chance having separated M. de. la Fayette, M. de Noailles, and myself from the rest ofthe company, we entered into a very agreeable conversation, which continued till we got to Chester. I could not help observing to them that after talking of nothing but war for three hours, we had suddenly •changed the subject, and got on that of Paris, and all sorts of discussions relative to ppr private societies. This transition was truly French, but it does not prove that we are less fond of war, than other nations, only that #e like our friends better? We were scarcely arrived at Chester, before we saw some state barges or boats coming down the river, which the president had sent to conduct us back to Philadelphia, it being our plan to remount the Delawaje next day, in order to examine the fort qf'Redpank, and fort Mifflid, as well as the other posts which had served for the defence of the river. An officer of the American navy who was come with these barges, to con duct.^, informed us that two vessels were arrived at Philadel- {»hia in thirty-five days from L'Orient. The hopes of receiving etters, or news from Europe, almost tempted us to relinquish our projects, and set out immediately for Philadelphia ; but as the weather was fine, and we should have the tide in our favour next day, which rendered our voyage more easy, we determined to remain at Chester, and M. de la Fayette sent off a man and a horse to Philadelphia, to bring back news, and letters, if there were any. This courier returned before nine ; and only brought us a line from the Chevalier de la Luzerne, by whieft we learnt that these ships had no letters ; but that the captains assured him, that Monsieur de Castries was made minister of the marine. Whilst the courier was going and coming, we had got to the TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA, 121 inn, where dinner and lodgings were prepare^.* The exterior of this house is not very tempting, and several of the company were preparing to look out elsewhere, but after a minute ex amination, We found room enough for a dozen masters, a's many servants, and nineteen horses. In addition to our company we had the major, who met us on the field of battle of Bran dywine, and the officer who had brought us the barges. We had an excellent dinner, and very good wine. The tea which followed pretty close on dinner succeeded as well ; so that all my fellow-travellers, were in the best humour, and so gay as never to cease laughing, singing, and dancing during the whole evening. The people of the house, who saw nothing in this company but two General officers, one French, the other American, accompanied by their families, and not a society of friends joyous to meet together in another hemisphere, could not conceive how it was possible to be so gay without being drunk, and looked upon us as people descended from the moon. This evening, which was lengthened to eleven o'clock, terminated well, for we had excellent beds, such as one might expect to find in a well furnished country house. We rose at six in the morning, and assembled in the dining-room, where a good breakfast was prepared for us by candle light. At seven we embarked, and crossing the Delaware, obliquely a little higher up, we landed at Billingsport. This is a fort construct ed in 1776, to support the left of the first barrier of the che- vaux de frise, destined to block the passage of the river. This post was of no use, for the fortifications having been com menced on too extensive a plan for the number of troops which could be spared, it was thought proper to abandon it. They have since been reduced, which is the better, as they are now removed from some points which commanded the fort. The present situation of affairs, not drawing the attention of Go vernment to this quarter, the fortifications are rather neglect ed. All the battery there was, consisted of one pretty good brass mortar, and five eighteen pounders, (English twenty- fours) which Major Armstrong, who commands on the river, and came to receive me, fired on my arrival. When America has more money, and leisure, she w.jjl do well not to neglect this post, as well as all those for the defence of the river. For this war once terminated, she will see no more European armies on the Continent, and all she can have to fear from England, in case of a rupture with her, will be a few maritime expedi- * Mrs. Witbv's inn at Chester, is one ofthe best on the continent, and a favourite" house for parties of pleasure from Philadelphia.-— Trans. 16 122 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. tions, the sole object of which can be to destroy shipping, to ravage the country, and even to burn the towns within reach of the sea. Unfortunately BiUingsport belongs to the' state of Jersey, which can reap no advantage from it ; and that of Pennsylvania, whose safety it would, constitute, has no other means to employ towards fortifying it than its own request, and the recommendations of Congress, which are not always at tended to. However this may be, Philadelphia took other precautions for her defence, which depended.only on the state of Pennsylvania, and to this advantage is united that of an excellent position, which will soon be made impregnable; I mean Fort Mifflin, whither we werit on leaving Billingsport» still ascending the river. The isle on which it is built, and that called Mud-Island, support the right' of a second barrier of chevaux de frise, the left of which is defended by the fort of Red Bank;* but it must be^ observed that the barrier only blocked the main channel of the river, the only passage by which it was thought that vessels could pass.-]- Near the right bank is Hog-Island, about two miles.long, the surface of which, like that of most of the islands in the Delaware is so low, that at high water, nothing is to be seen but the tops of the reeds with which it is covered. Between this island, and the main land, a small passage remained open, but the Americans were persuaded that there was not water enough for any ship with guns to pass it. At the extremity of this channel, and in remounting it, we leave on the left a marshy ground, so sur rounded by creeks, and inlets, as to form a real island, called Province-Island. J " This pqst was in the possession of the enemy; who established batteries there, which incommoded those of Fort Mifflin, but not sufficiently to make the Americans abandon it. The English army were at that time in a singular situation: they had purchased and maintained possession of Philadelphia, at the price of two bloody battles ; but they were still shut up between the Schuylkill and the Delaware, havjng in their * This fort too, is liable to the same difficulties with BiUingsport^ being on the Jersey side. — Trows. t The person principally employed in sinking the chevaux de frise, and in securing the passage of the river, was one White, who is sup posed to have left this channel open designedly, as he afterwards turn ed out a decided traitor, went over to the enemy, and distinguished himself by every act of hostile virulence against his country. — Trans. % This is one of the richest spots of land in America, and being part ofthe proprietary estate, was parcelled out, and sold in lots by the Assembly ofthe State. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 123 front Washington's army, which kept them in awe, and behind them several forts occupied by the Americans, which shut the ' passage of the Delaware. A large city, however, and a Whole army must have subsistence ; it became necessary therefore to open the communication by sea, and to secure the naviga tion of the river. When one recollects the innumerable ob stacles the English had to surmount in the present war, it is difficult to assign the cause of their successes; but if we turn our eyes on all the 'unforeseen events which have deceived the expectation of the Americans, and frustrated their best con certed measures, one cannot but be persuaded that they were devoted to destruction, and that the alliance with France alone proved the means of fheir preservation. In this voyage, in particular, I saw fresh proofs of it every instant. When the place was pointed out to me where the Augusta, of sixty-four guns, took fire, and blew up in attempting to force the chevaux de fiise, and farther, on the remains of the'Merlin, of two and twenty, which ran ashore in the same action, and was burnt by the English themselves, whilst the Hessians were vainly sacrificing five or six hundred men before the fort of Red- bank, I figured to myself the English army starved in Philadel phia, retreating With disgrace and difficulty through the Jer seys, and my imagination already enjoyed the triumph of America. But of a sudden the scene changed, and I saw nothing but the fatality which collected towards the channel of Hog-Island the waters long confined by the chevaux de frise, and recollected with pain, that on the 15th of Novem ber, three, weeks after the fruitless attempts I have mentioned, the English succeeded in passing "over the bar of this channel, the Vigilant, and another small ship of war; that they thus got up the river, and turned Fort Mifflin, the batteries of which they took from behind, and left the Americans no other re source but to abandon the defence of the chevaux de frise in all -parts, and make a precipitate retreat, by the left shore of the Delaware. * » ¦, ; Taught by sad experience, the Americans have provided in future against themisfortunes which cost them so dear. I saw them with pleasure extending the fortifications of Mifflin's- Island, so as to enclose the fort on every side, which will be surrounded also by the Delaware in place of a ditch ; and as the garrison will have a safe asylum in souterrains, bomb-proof, this fort may henceforth be deemed impregnable. The plan of these works was given by M. du.Portail ; Major Armstrong showed me them upon the spot, and I found them correspond perfectly with the just reputation of their author. We now had to visit Redbank ; for which purpose we had again to cross the Delaware, which in this place is a mile wide. 124 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. The gentleman who was to do the honour there, was impatient to arrive. We had amused ourselves by telling him tiiaj the morning being far spent* and the tide about to turn, we should be obliged to omit Redbank, and return directly to Philadel phia. This conductor, whom we diverted ourselves in torment ing, was M. du Plessis Mauduit, who in the double capacity of engineer, and officer of artillery, had the charge of arranging and defending this post; under the orders of Colonel Green. On landing from our boat, he proposed conducting us to a- Quaker's, whose hbusejs'half a musket shot from the fort, or rather the ruins of the fort ; for it is now destroyed, arid there are scarcely any reliefs of it remaining. " This man, said M. de Mauduit, is a little of a tory; I was obliged to, knock down his barn, and fell his fruit trees ;' but he will be gla& to see M. de la Fayette, and will receive us well." We took him at his word, but never was expectation more completely deceived. We found our Quaker seated in the 'chimney corner, busied in cleaning herbs : herecollfefctedM. de Mauduit, who named«M. de la Fayette, and riie, to him ; but he did not deign to lift his eyes, nor to answer any' of our introducer's discourse, which at first was complimentary, and at length jocose. Except Dido's silence, I know nothing more severe, but we had no difficulty in accommodating ourselves t'o this bad reception, and made our way to the fort. We had not gone a hundred yards before we came to a small elevation, on which a stone was vertically pla ced, with this short epitaph: here lies buried Colonel Donop. M. de Mauduit could not refrain from expressing his regret for this brave man, who died in his arms two days after the'ac- tion ; he assured us that we could not make a step without treading on the remains of some Hessians ;, for near three hun dred were buried in the front ofthe ditch. The fort of Redbank was designed, as I have said above, to support the left ofthe chevaux dpfrise. The bank of the Dela ware at this place is steep ; but even this steepness allowed the enemy to approach the fort, und«f cover, and, without be ing exposed to the fire of the batteries. To remedy thisjncon- venienpe, several gallies armed with cannon, and destined to defend thechevaux de frise, were posted the whole length pf the esear-pemen^, and took it in reverse. The Americans, 4ittle practised in the art of fortifications* and always disposed to take works beypnd their strength, had made" those of Redbank too extensive. Whpn M. de'Mauduit obtained permission«o be sent thither with Colonel Green, he immediately set about reducing the fortification's, by intersecting them from east to west, which transformed them into a sort of large redoubt near ly of a pentagonal form* A good earthen rampart, raised to the height of'thfe cordon, a foss6, and an abattis in front ofthe TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. ns fosse, constituted the whole strength of this post, in which were placed three hundred men,* and fourteen pieces of cannon. The 22d of October, in the morning, they received intelligence that a detachment of two thousand five hundred Hessians were advancing; who were soon after perceived on the edge of a wood to the north of Redbank, nearly within cannon shot! Preparations were making for the defence, when a Hessian officer advanced; preceded by a drum ; he was suffered to ap proach, put his harangue was so insolent that it only served to irritate the garrison, and inspire them with more 'resolu tion. ""-The King of England, said he, orders his- rebellious sub jects to lay down their arms, and they are warned, that if they stand the battle, no quarters whatever will be given" The answer was, that they accepted the challenge, and that there should be no quarter on either side. At four o'clock in the afternoon, the Hessians made a very brisk fire from a battery of cannon, and soon after they opened, and marched to the first entrenchment, from wfiich, finding it abandoned, but not destroyed, they ima gined they had driven the Americans. They then shouted vic toria, vyaved their hats in the air, and advanced towards the redoubt. The same drummer, who a few hours before had come tp summon the garrison, and had appeared as insolent as his officer, was at their head beating the march ; both he, and that officer were knocked on the head by the first fire. The Hessians, however, still kept advancing within" the first en trenchment, leaving the river on their right : they had already readied the abattis, and were endeavouring to tear up, or cut away the branches, when they were overwhelmed with a show er of musket 'shot, which took them in front, and in flank ; for as chance would have it, a part of the courtine of the old en trenchment, which had not been destroyed, formed a projec tion at this very part ofthe intersection. M. de Mauduit had contrived to form it into a sort of caponiere, (or trench with Ioop4holes) into which he threw some men, who flanked the enemy's left, and fired on them at close shot. . Officers were seen every moment rallying their men, marching back to the abattis, and falling amidst the branches they were endeavour ing to cut. Colonel Donop was particularly distinguished by the marks of the order he wore, by his handsome figure, and by his courage ; he was also seen to fall like the rest. The Hes sians, repulsed by the fire of the redoubt, attempted to secure themselves from it by attacking on the side of the escarpement, but the fire from the gallies sent them back with a great loss of * General Howe calls them about 800 men.— Trans. 126 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA men. At length they relinquished the attack, and regained the wood in disorder. - While this was passing orr the north side, another column made an attack on the south, and, more fortunate than the other, passed the abattis, traversed the fosse, and mounted the berm; but they were stopped by the fraises, and M. de Mauduit running to this post as soon as he saw the first assailants give way, the others were obliged to follow their example. They still did not dare however to stir out of the fort, fearing a sur prise; but M. de Mauduit wishing to replace some palisades which had been torn up ; he sallied out with a few men, and was surprised to find about twenty Hessians standing on the herm, and stuck up against the shelving of the parapet. These soldiers #hp had been bold enough to advance thus far, sensi ble that there was more risk in returning, and not thinking proper to expose themselves, were .taken and brought into the fort. M. de Mauduit, after fixing the palisades, employed him self in repairing the abattis ; he again sallied out with a- de tachment, and it was then he beheld the deplorable spectacle of the dead and dying, heaped one upon another. A voice arose from amidst these carcases, and said in English, "whoever you are, draw me hence." It was the voice of Co lonel Donop : M. de Mauduit made the soldiers lift him up, and carry him into the fort, where he was soon known. He had his hip broken ; but whether they did not consider his wound as mortal, or that they were heated by the battle, and still irri tated at the menaces thrown out against them a few hours be fore, the Americans could not help saying, aloud : " Well ! is it determined to give no quarter V " I am in your hands," re plied the colonel, "you may revenge yourselves." M. de Mauduit had no difficulty in imposing silence, and employed himself only in taking care ofthe wounded officer. The latter, perceiving he spoke bad English, said to him: " you appear to me a foreigner, Sir, who are you1?" " A French officer," replied the other. " Je suis content," said Donop, making use of our language, "je meurs entre les mains deVhonneur meme." I am con tent ; I die in the hands of honour itself. The next day he was removed to the quaker's house, where he lived three flays, during which he conversed frequently with M. de Mauduit. He told him that he had been long in friendship with M. de Saint Germain, that he wished in dying to recommend to him his vanquisher, and benefactor. He asked for paper, and wrote a letter, which he delivered to M. de Mauduit, requiring of him, as the last favour, to acquaint him when he was about to die : the latter was soon under the necessity of acquitting himself of this sad duty : "it is finishing a noble career early,"* said the colonel; " but I die the victim of my ambition, and ofthe ava- TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. 127 lice of my sovereign." Fifteen wounded officers were found, like him,*upon the field of battle ; M. deMauduit had the satis faction to conduct them himself to Philadelphia, where he was very well received by General Howe. By singular accident, it happened that the English that very day received indirect intelligence of thp capitulation of Burgoyne, of which he knew more than they. They pretended to give no credit to it: «f you who are a Frenchman," said they, " speak freely, do you think it possible 9" " I know," replied he, " that the fact is so ; explain it as you think proper." Perhaps I have dwelt too long on this event ; but I shall not have to apologize to those who will partake of the pleasing sa tisfaction I experience, in fixing my eyes upon the triumphs of America, and in discovering my countrymen among those who have reaped her laurels. At present I hasten my return to Philadelphia, where, on my arrival, I had only time to dress myself to attend the Chevalier de la Luzerne, and the com panions of my journey, to dinner at Mr. Huntington's, the pre sident of Congress. Mrs. Huntington* a good looking, lusty woman, but not young, did the honours of the table, that is to say, helped every body without saying a word. I did not re main long after dinner, having a little snug rendezvous, which I was qot inclined to miss. The reader will think it time for me to throw some variety into this journal ; but I am obliged to confess that this rendezvous was with Mr. Samuel Adams. We had promised ourselves at our last interview to set an eve ning apart for a tranquil tete-a-tete, and this was the day ap^ pointed. Our conversation commenced with a topic of which he might have spared himself the discussion ; the justice of the cause he was engaged in. I am clearly of opinion that the parliament of England had no right to tax America without her consent, but I am more clearly convinced that when a whole people say we will be free, it is difficult to demonstrate they are in the wrong. Be that as it may, Mr. Adams very satisfactorily proved to me, that New-England, comprehend ing the states of Massachusetts, New-Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode-Island, were not peopled with any view to com merce and aggrandizement, but wholly by individuals who fled from persecution, and sought ap asylum at the extremity of the world, where they might be free to live, and follow their opi nions; that it was of their own accord, that those new colo nists put themselves under the protection of England; that the mutual relationship, springing from this connexion, was expressed in their charters, and that the right of imposing, or exacting a revenue of any kind was not comprised in them. From this subject we passed to a more interesting one ; the form of government which should be given to each state ; for 128 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. it is only on account of the future, that it is necessary to take a retrospect of the past. The revolution has taken place, and the republic is beginning ; it is an infant newly-born, the ques tion is how to nourish, and rear it to maturity. I expressed to Mr. Adams some anxiety for the foundations on which thenew constitutions are formed, and particularly that of Massachu setts. Every citizen, said I, every man who pays taxes, has a right to vote in the election of representatives, who form the legislative body, and who may be called the sovereign powers All this is very well for the present moment, because every citizen is pretty equally at- his ease, or may be so in a short time, but the success of commerce, and even of agriculture, will introduce riches among you, and riches will produce inequality of fortunes, and of property. Now, wherever this inequality exists, the real force will invariably be on the side, of property ; so that if the influence in government be not pro portioned to that property, there will always be a contrariety, a combat between the form of government, and its natural ten dency, the right will be on one side, and the power on the other ; the balance then only can exist between the two equally dangerous extremes, of aristocracy and anarchy. Besides, the ideal worth of men must ever be comparative : an indivi dual without property is a discontented citizen, when the state is poor ; place a rich man near him, he dwindles into a clown. What will result then, one day, from vesting the right of elec tion in this class of citizens 1 The source of civil broils, or corruption, perhaps both at the same time. The following was pretty nearly the answer of Mr. Adams. I am very sensible of the force of your objections ; we are not what we should be, we should labour rather for the future, than for the present moment. I build a country house, and have infant children ; I ought doubtless to construct their apartments with an eye to the time in which they shall be grown up and mar ried : but we have not neglected this precaution. In the first place, I must inform you, that this new constitution was pro posed and agreed to in the most legitimate manner of which there is any example since the days of Lycurgus. A commit tee chosen from the members of the legislative body, then ex isting, and which might be considered as a provisional govern ment, was named to prepare a new code of laws. As soon as it was prepared, each county or district was required to name a committee to examine this plan : it was recommended to them to send it back at the expiration of a certain time, with their observations. These observations having been discussed by the committee, and the necessary alterations made, the plan was sent back to each particular committee. When they had all approved it, they received orders to cofnmunicate it to TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. 129 the people at large, and' to demand their suffrages. If two- thirds of the voters approved it, it was totfiave the force of law, and be regarded as the work of the people themselves; of two and twenty thousand suffrages, a much greater proportion than two-thirds was in favour of the new constitution. Now these were the principles on which it was established : a state'is never free but when each citizen is bound by no law whatever that he has not approved of, either by himself, or by his repre sentatives ; but to represent another man, it is necessary to have been elected by him ; every citizen therefore should have a part in elections. On the other hand, it would be in vain for the people to possess the right of electing representatives, were they restrained in the choice of them to a particular class ; it is necessary therefore not to require too much property as a qualification for the representative of t\e pedple. Accordingly the house of representatives which form the legislative body, and the true sovereign, are the people themselves represented by their delegates. Thus far the government is purely democra- tical^; but it is the permanent and enlightened will of the peo ple which should constitute law, and not the passions and sal lies to which they are too subject.. It is necessary to moderate their first emotions, and bring them to the test of inquiry and reflection. This is the important business entrusted with the Governor and Senate, who represent with us the negative pow er, vested in England in the upper-house, and , even in the qrown^ with this difference only, that in our new constitution the senate has a right to reject a law, and the governor to sus pend the promulgation,, and return it for a reconsideration ; but these forms complied with, if, after this fresh examination, the people persist in their resolution, and there is then, not as before, a mere majority, but two thirds of the suffrages in fa vour ofthe law,- the governor and senate are compelled to give it their sanction. Thus this power moderates, without destroy ing the authority of the people, and such is the organization of our republic, as to prevent the springs from breaking by too rapid a movement, without ever stopping them entirely. Now, it is here we have given all its weight to property. A man must have a pretty considerable property to vote for a meriiber of the senate ; he must have a more considerable one to be himself eligible. Thus the democracy is pure and entire in the assembly, which represents the sovereign ; and the aristocracy, or, if you will, the optimacy, is to be found only in the modera ting power, where it is the more necessary, as men never watch more carefully over the state than when they have a great in1 terest in its destiny- As to the power of commanding armies, it ought neither to be vested in a great, nor even in a small number of men : the governor alone can employ the forces by 17 130 '¦ TRAVEL'S IN NORTH-AMERICA. sea and land according to; th"e necessity; but the land forces will consist only in th% militia, which, as it is composed ofthe people themselves,' can rfever act against the people.* ' Such was the idea Mr. Adams gave me of his own work,f for it is he who had the greatest part In the formation of the new laws. It is said, however, that before his credit was em ployed to get them accepted, it was necessary to combat his private opinion, and to make him abandon systems in which-he loved to stray, for less sublime, but more practicable projects. This citizen, otherwise so respectable, has been frequently re proached with consulting his library, rather than the present circumstances, and of always beginning by the Greeks and Romans, to get at the whigs and tories ; if this be true, I shall only say that study has also its inconveniences, but not such as are important, since Mi» Samuel Adams, heretofore the enemy of regular troops, and the most extravagant partisan1 of the democracy, at present employs all his influence to maintain an army, and to establish a mixed government. Be that as it may, I departed well content with this conversation, whictotfife only interrupted by a .glass of Madeira, a dish of tea, trill an old American General, now a member" of Congress, who lodges with Mr. Adams. I knew that there was a ball at the Chevalier de la Luzerne's, which made me less in a hurry' to return thither : it was, how ever, a very agreeable assembly ; for it was given to a private society, on the occasion of a marriage. There were near twen ty women, twelve or fourteen of whom were dancers ; each of them having her partner, as is the custom in America. Dancing is said to be at once the emblem of gaiety and of love; here it seems to be the emblem of legislation, and of marriage; of legislation, inasmuch as places are marked out, the country dances named, and every proceeding provided for, calculated and submitted to regulation ; of marriage, as it furnishes each * As there appears to be some little inacenracy in this account/)f the conversation, the reader is referred to. the. Constitution of the Mas sachusetts, as republished in England with those of the other states, where he will see the respective privileges and powers of the Senate and Governor and Council clearly discriminated, which are here con founded. The Translator has endeavoured to free the original' from its obscurity, the Senate being there wholly overlooked, and its duties blended with those of the Governor and Council ; and materially to preserve the drift of Mr. Adams' argument.— Trans. t I have some reason to think that the admirable form of govern ment for Massachusetts Bay, is not the work of Mr. Samuel Adams, but of Mr. John Adams, the present Minister Plenipotentiary from the United States, in England. — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA.' 131 lady with a partner, with whom, she dances the whole evening, without being allowed to take another. It is true that every severe law requires mitigation, and that it often happens, that a young lady after dancing the two or three first dances with her partner, iriay make a fresh choice, or accept ofthe invitation she has received ; but still the comparison holds good, for it is a marriage in the European fashion. Strangers have generally the privilege of being complimented with the handsomest women: The Comte de Darnes, had Mrs. Bingham for his partner, and the Vicomte de Noailles, Miss Shippen. Both of them, like true philosophers, testified a great respect for the manners of the country, by not quitting their handsome part ners the whole evening; in other respects they, were th'e admiration of all the assembly, from the grace and nobleness with which they danced; I may even assert, to the honour of niy country, that they surpassed a Chief-Justice of, Carolina (Mr. Pendleton) and two members of .Congress, one of whom (Mr. Duane) passed however for. being by 10 per cent, more lj§j)|Ly than all the other dancers. The ball was suspended, towards midnight, by a supper, served in the-manner of coffee, on several different tables. On passing into the dining-room, the Chevalier de la Luzerne presented his hand to Mrs. Morris, and gave her»4the p*ecedence, an honour pretty generally bestowed on her, as she is the richest woman in. the city, and all ranks here being equal, men follow their natural bent, by giving the preference to riches. The ball continued till two in the morning, as I learnt the next morning on rising, for I had seen too many attacks and battles the day before not to, have learnt to make a timely retreat. Ouryoungfolks standing in need of repose after their journey and exercise of the evening, did not appear at breakfast. In their stead, we had an old quaker of the name of Benezet, whose diminutive figure, and humble and scanty physiognomy, formed a perfect contrast to Mr, Pendletpn. This Mr, Benezet may rather be regarded as* , the model, than .as a specimen of the sect of quakers : wholly occupied with the welfaKe of man kind, his charity and generosity made him be held in great consideration in happier times, when the virtues alone sufficed tos-render the citizen illustrious. At present the noise of arms deafeps the ears against the sighs of charity, and the amor patriae has prevailed over the love of humanity. Benezet, however, still exercises his benevolence : he came to get some information /respecting the new methods invented in France of restoring drowned persons to life. I promised not only to send them tp him from Newport, but to transmit to him such a box, with tiie necessaries, as ouv government has distributed in the sea-port towns. Confidence being established between 132 TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. us, we fell on the topic of the miseries of war. " Friend, says lie to me, I know thou art a man of letters, and a member of the French Academy : the men of letters have written a great- many good things of late ; they have attacked errors and pre judices, and, above all, intolerance; will they not endeavour too, to disgust men with the horrors of war, and to make them live together like friends and brethren ?" " Thou art not de- , ceived, friend, replied I, when thou buildestsome hope, on the progress of enlightened philosophy. Many active hands are labouring at the grand edifice of public happiness ; but vainly will they employ themselves in finishing some parts of it, as long as there is a deficiency at the base, and that base, thou hast said it, is universal peace. As for intolerance and perse cution, it is true that these two enemies of the human race, are not bound by strong enough chains ; but 1 will whisper a word in thy ear, of which thou wilt not perhaps feel all the force, though thou art well acquainted with the French ; they are out of fashion; I should even believe them to be on the point of annihilation, but for some little circumstances thou artrffflfot informed of; which are, that they who attack them are now md then imprisoned, and Aibies of a hundred thousand livres a year bestowed on such as favour them." " A hundred thousand livres a year ! cried Benezet, there is wherewithal to build hospitals and establish manufactures ; this doubtless is the use ' they make of their riches." "No, friend, replied I, persecution I must be kept in pay ; though it must be confessed that it is but indifferently paid, for the most splendid of these perse cutors content themselves with giving a pension of ten or twelve hundred livres to a few satirical poets, or journalist^ enemies of letters, whose works are greatly read, but little sold." — "Friend, says the quaker, this persecution is a strange thing : I can hardly believe what 'has happened- to myself. My father was a Frenchman^ and I am a native of thy coun try. It is now sixty _ years, since he was obliged to seek an asylum in -England, taking with lhim his children, the only treasure fee could save in his misfortunes. Justice, or what is so called in thy country, ordered him to be hung in effigy, for explaining the gospel differently from thy priests. My father was not much better pleased with those of England ; wishing to get out of the way of all hierarchy, he came and settled in this country, where I led a happy life until this war broke out. I have long forgot all the persecutions rhy family under went. I love thy nation, because it is mild and sensible, and as for thee, friend, I know that thou servest humanity as much as in thy power. When thou shaft get to Europe, engage thy brethren to second thee, and, in the mean time," permit me to place under thy protection our brethren of Rhode-Island." He TRAVELS IN NO^TH-AMERICA. 133 then recommended to me specifically the quakers living in th§t state, and who are pretty numerous ; after which he took leave, desiring my permission to send me some pamphlets, in his way, which were principally apologies for his sect. I assured him I would read them with great pleasure, and he did not fail to send them the next morning. Of whatever sect a man may be who is inflamed with an ardent love of humanity, he is undoubtedly a respectable be ing ; but I must confess that it is difficult to bestow upon this sect in general, that esteem which cannot be refused to some individuals. The law observed by many of them, of saying neither you, nor sir, is far from giving them a tone of simpli city and candour. I know not whether it be to compensate for that sort of rusticity, that 'they in general assume a smooth and wheedling tone; which is altogether Jesuitical. Nor does their conduct belie this resemblance : concealing their indif ference for the public welfare under the cloak of religion, they are sparing of blood, it is true, especially of their own peo ple j* but they trick both parties out of their money, and that * In confirmation of this remark, I cannot avoid referring to a cir cumstance which made a considerable' noise at the time, and has been grossly perverted to the discredit of American humanity. Every reader attentive fo the events of the war in that country, must recollect the execution of Carlisle and Roberts, two considerable quakers, after the evacuation of Philadelphia by General Clinton ; the barbarity of put ting to death two members of a sect so peaceable and inoffensive, who had not borne arms, and whose principles forbid an active opposition to any fd'rm of government, was much enlarged upon. In justice to America, and for the benefit of future historians, I shall give the fact, the truth of which will bear inquiry, as I had it from men of every party and description in that city, and leave the decision to every im partial man. The quakers in America, I speak generally, had long belied their principles, and covertly and openly done every thing in their power to thwart the measures adopted by a vast majority of their countrymen, then in possession of the government ;, their secret in trigues and open defiance were long overlooked .and borne with, until danger became so critical as to demand some precautions for the com mon safety. A few of the most active spirits amongst these pacific and passive sectaries were arrested, and sent from the immediate scene of action into Virginia, where they suffered only a tempo rary restraint from mischief. Carlisle and Roberts, though well known for a malignant hatred to the cause of America, unfortunately for them, escaping this temporary^ exile, continued their clandestine prac tices until General Howe got possession ofthe city, when they no longer set any bounds to their inveteracy. They were both employed by the general, or bis honest and grateful agent Mr. Galloway, in the admi nistration ofthe police, or in other words, they undertook, Carlisle in 134 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. .. without either shame or decency. It is a received maxim in trade to beware of them, and this opinion, which- is well found ed, will become still more necessary. In fact, nothing can be worse than enthusiasm in its downfall ; for what can be its sub stitute, but hypocrisy ? That monster so well known in Europe, finds but too easy an access to all religions ; he found none, however, in a company of young ladies, who were invited, as well as myself,* to drink tea- with Mrs. Cunningham. They were well dressed, seemed desirous of pleasing, and it is fair to conclude, that their private sentiments were in unison with their appearance. The mistress of the house, is amiable, and her conversation graceful and interesting. This assembly re called to my mind in every respect, those of Holland, and Ge neva, where one meets with gaiety without indecency, and the wish to please without coquetry. particular, to discriminate between the loyalists and the* friends to Amerioa. Carlisle granted permissions to pass the lines, watched at the gates, to point out obnoxious persons coming in frpm the country, who were frequently committed to prison on his bare suggestion, and exercised, in short, the office of sub-inquisitor to Mr. Joseph Gallo way. Nor was this the only method by which they manifested the peaceable principles of their sect. General Howe having received information of a party of militia lying in the woods, in the county of Bucks, at sixteen miles distance, under General Lacy, despatched Lieutenant-Colonel Abercrombie with a considerable detachment by the Frankfort road to attack them ; and one or both of these harmless quakers who would not bear arms for the wealth of Britain, conscien tiously undertook to conduct this man of blood to a successful sur prise and massacre of their own countrymen. These, and a varietylpf other facts being proved against them, after the evacuation of the town, where they had the presumption to remain, and there being an evident necessity for making an example of these most dangerous of all ene mies, lenity would have been as ill-timed as unjust to the suffer ing citizens. Such, I am sorry to say it, was the undoubted conduct of too many of this once respectable bjpdy, during the war, a conduct, which must not only be condemned by every honourable and feeling mind, but I may venture to say, is wholly repugnant to the principles of a Lettsom, a Fothergill, a Barclay, or a William Penn ; for, it may be pronounced with no intolerant spirit, that in cases of critical emer gency, no society can endure such members. In opposition, how ever, to newspaper reports, and their cries of persecution, I can my self bear testimony to the unpunished license these quietests gave their tongues in the very seat of Congress, and in defiance of the as sembly of the state, and to their ostentatious display of the portraits ofthe king and queen of England," which, however, there is every rea son to believe, was more the result Of obstinacy, and the spirit of con tradiction, than of loyalty or reason, in this selfish set of .people.— Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. 135 On Sunday the 10th I had resolved to make a circuit through the churches, and different places of worship. Unluckily the different sects, who agree iri neither point, take the same hour to assemble the faithful, so. that in the morning I was only able to visit the quaker's meeting, and in the afternoon the church of England. The hall the quakers meet in is square ; there are, on every side, and parallel with the walls, benches and desks, by which means they are placed opposite to each other, without either altar or pulpit to attract the attention. As soon as they are assembled, one of the more elderly makes an ex tempore prayer, of whatever comes uppermost in his mind ; silence is then observed until some man or woman 'feels inspi red, and rfses to speak. Travellers must be taken at their word, however extraordinary their motives. Like Ariosto, I shall recount prodigies, diro maraviglia; but it is a fact that I arrived at the moment a woman was done holding forth ; she was followed by a man who talked a great deal of nonsense about internal grace, the illumination' of the spirit, and the other dogmas of his sect, which he bandied about, but took special care not to explain them; and at length finished his discourse to the great content of the brethren, and the sister hood, who had all of them a very inattentive and listless air. After seven or eight rriinutes silence, an old man went on his knees, dealt us out a very unmeaning prayer, and dismissed the audience.* * Mention has been frequently made in the public prints of the new sect pf shakers in Massachusetts Bay, who carry their frantic orgies to still more ridiculous and licentious excesses than the pristine qua kers, with George Fox at their head ; but I have seen no notice taken of another, which sprung up at Rhode-Island about the year 1780. A very comely young woman is, or pretends to be, impressed with the belief that she is in her person the saviour of the world revived, and travels from place to place, attended by twelve young men, whom she calls her apostles ; who, jf the general assertion be credited, have lite rally followed the precept of " making eunuchs of themselves for Christ's sake." General Gates told me he heard her preach at Rhode- Island, and I made an attempt to hear her at Philadelphia in October 1782, but the crowd was so great, and, what is very uncommon in America, so turbulent, that it was impossible to get near the place of worship. Two of her apostles came to the house I boarded in, to ob tain lodgings for her, and some of the brethren ; by which means I had an opportunity of seeing a specimen of them, but they would enter into no conversation ; they were tall, handsome young men, the youngest not above nineteen, with large round flapped hats, and long flowing strait locks, with a sort of melancholy wildness in their coun tenances, and an effeminate, dejected air, which seemed to justify the truth of what I believe literally to be their unfortunate situation. — Trans. 136 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. On quitting tlfis melancholy, homespun assembly, the service ofthe English church appeared to me a sort of opera, as well for the music as the decorations :' a handsome pulpit placed before a handsome organ ; a handsome minister in that pulpit, reading, speaking, and singing with a grace entirely theatrical, a number of young women answering melodiously from the pit and boxes, (for the two side galleries form a sort of boxes) a soft and agreeable vPcal music, with excellent sonatas, played alternately on the organ ; all this, compared to the quakers, the anabaptists, the presbyterians, &c. appeared to nie rather like a little paradise itself,' than as the road to it. If however we consider the different sects, whether rigid, or frivolous, but all imperious, all exclusive, we think we see men *eading in the great book of nature, like Montauciel at his lesson; when, instead of vous ties un Mane bee, he persists in repeating 'trorrir pette blesse. It is a million to one that a man should hit upon a line of writing without knowing how to spell his letters ; but should he come to ask your assistance, beware how you meddle with him ; it is better to leave him in his error than to cut throats with him.* ¦ I shall only mention my dinner this day at Mrs. Powell's, to say that it was excellent and agreeable in every respect. The conversation carried us so far into the evening, that it was near eleven when I returned .home. * For this allusion the reader is referred to the humorous prison scene, between Montauciel and the Deserter, m the 'comic opera oi that name. Montauciel is the Skirmish of the English theatre, in their copy from the French. — Trans. CHAPTER VIII. GERMANTOWN WHITE MABSH BARKEN HILL. M. de la Fayette had made a party With the Vicomte do Noailles and the Comte de Damas, to go the next morning, first to Germantown (which the two latter had not yet seen) and from thence to the old camp at Whitemarsh. Though 1 had already viewed the former; I had no objection to going over it a second time, besides that I was curious to see the complete Whitemarsh. It is that which was occupied by General Washington after the unsuccessful attempt of the 7tli Pf October. As this was a bold position which the English never dared to attack, it is very celebrated in the American army, where they assert that they had no other entrenchment than two redoubts* The fact is, that the position, is excellent, and does great honour to General Washington, who could discover it, as if by instinct, through those woods with which the country was then covered; but it is no less tnue, that General Howe had every reason for not attacking it, and, among others, for the following : descending from the heights of Germantown, there are very thick woods ; on coming out of them, to the west, is a pretty high hill, the foot of which is watered by a rivulet, with steep banks, which turns towards the north arid protects the right of the camp. Six pieces of cannon were placed on this eminence, with four hundred men, who formed an advanced pion. It is called Chestnut-Hill, from a. little church of that name, situated on its summit ; behind this eminence, and behind the woods which stretch from east to west, the ground rises considerably, and forms two hills with a gentle declivity, which commands Chestnut church ; here the army was encamped. These hills are only separated by a small bottom ; each summit was fortified with a redoubt, and the slope of it defended by ah abattis. The hill on the left was- still farther protected by a rivulet, which might be increased at pleasure, as it ran behind the camp, and it was easy to make the dams necessary for raising the waters. The front of this position, it is true, is covered with wood ; but these woods terminate at three hundred yards from the line formed abreast; an enemy therefore must have come out of them uncovered, and how get through a wood where there is no road, and which was filled with militia and riflemen1* I 18 138 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA,. pointed out the more minutely all the advantages of this posi tion, that I might amuse myself in exaggerating them to M. de la Fayette, to convince him that he was a Gascon as well as the rest of them. He owned to me that the camp was a good one, and that if the English had given them room for pleasantry, it was only by inserting in their relations that the rebels were so well entrenched that it was impossible to attack them. But we were unanimous in our conclusion, that the niore respectable this position was, the more honour it did to General Washington; who had divined, rather than discovered it.. This was really, an eagle's-eye view, for it seems as if he must have hovered above the trees, to examine the ground con cealed by them.* Having taken our view, we returned briskly to the Chevalier de la Luzerne's, where .dinner came very apropos, after being eight hours on horseback, and riding six and thirty miles. In the afternoon we drank tea with Miss Shippen. This was the first time, since my arrival in America, that I had seen music introduced into society, and mix with its amusements. Miss Rutledgef played on the harpsichord, and played very well. Miss Shippen sung with timidity, but with a pretty voice. Mr. Ottaw, Secretary to M. de la Luzerne, sent for his harp,J he accompanied Miss Shippen, and played several pieces. Music naturally leads to dancing : the Vicomte de Noailles, took down a violin, which was mounted with harp strings, and he made the young ladies dance, while their mothers and other grave personages chatted in another room. When mu sic, and the fine arts come to prosper at Philadelphia ; when society once becomes easy and gay there, and . they learn to accept of pleasure when it presents itself, without a formal invitation, then may foreigners enjoy all the advantages pecu liar to their manners and government, without envying any thing in Europe.^ * See General Howe's account of his attempt upon this camp.— Trans. f Miss Rutledge is since married to M. de Marbois, who is at pre-. sent Secretary to M. de la Luzerne, in his government of St. Domin go. — Trans. I He is now Consul General, and Charge des Affaires at Philadel phia in the absence of the Chevalier de la Luzerne.— The Chevalier does not return to America, being appointed to the government of St. Domingo, and no other minister is yet named. — Trans. § It is very certain that any person educated iri Europe, and, accus tomed to the luxury of music and the fine arts, and to their enjoyment in the two capitals of France and England, must find a great void in TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. 130 The 12th, in the morning, a new cavalcade, and a new reconnoitring party. M. de la Fayette was to do the honours of this. The just interest he inspires, has given still more celebrity to an event, of itself singular.enough. The alliance with France, being already public; in June 1778, it seemed pro bable that the English would not delay the evacuation of Philadelphia. In this state of things, though it was General Washington's business to risk nothing, it was important never theless to watch the motions of the' enemy. M. de la Fayette received orders to march from Valley Forge, with two thousand infantry, fifty dragoons, and as many savages, to pass the Schuylkill, and Iftke post on a height called Barrenhill, about twelve miles distant from Philadelphia. The position was critical, he nrfght be attacked, or turned, by three different roads; but M. de' la Fayette guarded the most direct of the three ; a Brigadier-General of militia, named Potter, had orders to'watch the second, and patroles kept an eye upon the third, which was the most circuitous.- Though these precautions seemed sufficient at first sight, they must not have been deem ed so t by General Howe; for he thought he had now fairly caught the Marquis, and even carried his gasconade so far as toinvite ladies to meet -him "at supper the next day, and while the principal part of the officers were at the play,* he put in movement the main body of his forces, which he marched in three columns. The first, commanded" by General Howe in person, took the direct road to Barrenhill, passing by Schuyl kill Falls, and keeping along the river ; the second, led by General Gray,/kept the high road of Germantown, and was to these- particulars in America. This the translator experienced during his residence in that country, and felt the contrast with greater force on his return to Europe. < After a long absence, in which he heard scarcely any other music than church hymns, the cannon, and the drum ; or viewing any paintings but the little sketches of Cimetiere, or the portraits of Peele, of Philadelphia : on his arrival at Bordeaux after the peace, the common orchestra at the theatre afforded him more exquisite delight than he had ever felt from one of Hayden's best symphonies at Bach's, or than he should now feel perhaps at the Westminster commemoration of Handel ; and the very moderate exhibition at the Louvre, was, to him, a groupe of Raphaels, Titians, and Vandykes. — Trans. * The English had brought with them from New- York, a company of players, and the officers themselves frequently performed the princi pal characters. [An excellent trait this for the future historians of the civil war, as well as the meschianza, that illustrious act of folly and infatuation ; facts truly characteristic ofthe dissipation, and decline of a great people.-* Trans.] 140 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. fall on M. de la Fayette's left flank ; the third, under the or ders of General Grant, made a long circuit, marching first by Frankfort, then turning upon Oxford, to reach the only ford by which the Americans cpuld. retreat. This complicated march, was executed the more easily, as the English had positive intelligence that the militia did not occupy the post assigned them. Fortunately for M. de la Fay ette, two officers had set out early from the camp to go into the Jerseys, where they had business ;' these officers having suc cessively fallen in with two columns of the enemy, resolved to return to thp camp through the woods, as quick &s possible. General Howe's column was-nof long in reaching the advanced posts of M. de la Fayette ; which gave rise to a laughable enough adventure. The fifty savages he had rtrith him, were placed in an ambuscade, in the woods, after their manner, that is to say, lying as close as rabbits. Fifty English dragoons, who had never seen any Indians, marching at the head ofthe column, entered the wood where ¦ they were hid, who- on their part had never seen dragoons. Up they start, raising a horri ble cry, throw down their arms, and escape by swimming across the Schuylkill; The dragoons, on the other hand, as much terrified as they were, turned about their horses, and did not recover their panic until they got back to Philadelphia. M. de la Fayette, now finding that he was turned, concluded very justly like a warrior, that the column marched against him would not be the* first to make the attack, and that it would wait until the other was in readiness. He immediately changed his front, therefore, and took a good position oppose the second column, having before him Barrenhill church, and behind him the opening which served as a retreat. But he had scarcely occupied this position, before he learnt that Gen eral Grant was on his march to the Schuylkill Ford, and was already nearer to it than himself. Nothing remained but to retreat : but the only road he had, made him approach the col umn of General Grant, and exposed him to be attacked by it in front, whilst Grey and Howe fell upon- his rear. The road, it is true, soon turning to the left, became separated by a small valley from that General Grant was on, but this valley itself was crossed by several roads, and it must, in short, be traversed to reach the Ford. In this situation, his own greatness of mind alone suggested to the young soldier the proper conduct, as well as consummate experience could possibly have done. He knew that more honour is lost, than time gained, in converting a retreat into a flight. He continued his march, therefore, in so tranquil and regular an order, that he imposed on General Grant, and made him believe, that he was sustained by Wash ington's whole army, which was waiting for him at the end of TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 141 the defile. On the other hand, Howe himself* on arriving on the heights of Barrenhill, was deceived by the first manoeuvre of M. de la Fayette ; for seeing the Americans in line of battle, on the very spot where the second column was to appear, he imagined it was General Grey who had got possession of this position, and thus lost some minutes in looking through his glass, and in sending to reconnoitre. General Grey also lost time in waiting for- the right and left columns. .From all these mistakes it followed, that M, de la Fayette had the opportuni ty of effecting his retreat, as if by enchantment, and he passed the river with all his artillery without losing a man. Six alarm guns," which were fired- at the army, on the first news of this at tack, served, I believe, to keep the enemy in awe, who imagi ned the whole American army we're in march. The English, •after finding the bird flown', returned to Philadelphia, spent with fatigue, and ashamed of having done nothing. The ladies did not see M. de la Fayette, and General Howe himself ar rived too late for supper. In reciting this affair, I' give at the same time an account of my ride, for I followed the exact road of the left column, which leads to Schuylkill Falls, where there is a sort of scatter ed village, composed of several beautiful country houses ; among others, that of the Chevaljer de- la Luzerne.* A small creek which falls into the Schuylkill, the height of ten or twelve feet, the mills .turned by this creek, the tre.es which cover its banks, and those of the Schuylkill, form a most plea sing landscape, which would not escape the pencil of Robert and Le Prince. * The beautiful banks of the Schuylkill are every where covered with elegant country houses ; among others, those of Mr. Penn, the late proprietor, Mr. Hamilton, and Mr. Peters, late Secretary to the Board of War, are on the most delightful situations. The tasty little box of the last gentleman is on the most enchanting spot that nature can embellish, and besides the variegated beauties of the rural banks of the Schuylkill, commands the Delaware, and the shipping mount ing and descending it, where it is joined at right angles by the former. From hence is the most romantic ride up the river to the Falls, in which the opposite bank is likewise seen beautifully interspersed with the country nouses ofthe opulent citizens ofthe capital. On your ar rival at the Falls, every little knowl or eminence is occupied by one of these charming retreats ; among which General Mifflin's stands con spicuous, nor is the exterior belied by the neatness, the abundance, and hospitality which reign within ; the easy politeness, the attention, good sense, gaiety, end information ofthe owner ;'the order, arrange ment, and elegance of Mrs. Mifflin, who still adhering to her sect, which her husband renounced for " the ear-pierciDg fife and spirit- 143. TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. This expedition not being so long as that of the other day, left me two hours at my disposal ; and I employed them in visit ing the left of the English lines, which I had not yet seen. M. de Gimat was so good as to separate from the rest ofthe com pany, and instead of returning to Philadelphia, we kept to the right, to follow the lines, as far as the Schuylkill. I found that from the centre, to the left, their position was nothing less than advantageous,. particularly near a burnt house, towards which I should have directed my attack had I been in the way of making one. From a ridge of ground, where indeed the Eng lish had formqd a semicircular battery towards the Schuylkill, the glacis is against the lines .; so that the assailant might first ¦march under cover, and then command the batteries which de fend them. To the left, and close to the Schuylkill, the ground has suddenly a very considerable rise, of which the English did not fail to avail themselves, by constructing a large redoubt, and a battery ; but this summit itself is commanded, and taken in reverse by the heights on the other side of the river. Be this as it may, thpse works were sufficient to secure an army of fifteen thousand men, against one of seven or at most eight thousand. At every step ope takes in America, one is astonish ed at the striking contrast between the contempt in which the English affected to hold their enemies, and the extreme pre- cautions they took on every occasion. Nothing can equal the beauties ofthe coup d'ceil which the banks of the Schuylkill present, in descending towards the south to return to Philadelphia. I found a pretty numerous company assembled at dinner at the Chevalier de la Luzerne's, which was augmented by the arrival of the Comte de Custine and the M. de Laval. In the evening we took them to see the President of the Congress, who was not at home, and then to Mr. Peters, the Secretary to the Board of War, to whom it was my first visit. His house is not large, nor his* office of great importance ; for every thing stirring drum," possesses all its excellencies, and is what a most amiable female Quaker ought to be, render this (and I speak from knowledge and gratitude) a most delicious abode. Below this house, and close to the Falls, is a building erected by Mr. John Dickinson, the celebrated author of the Farmer's Letters, for a select society of friends, who held a weekly meeting there, before the war, during the season for eating shad. Good humour, harmony, and good sense, are said to have characterised these meetings, presided by this eminent and amiable man, whose figure, countenance, and manners always're- minded me of the urbanity and virtues so characteristically portrayed in the person ofthe lamented, great, gopd man, Lord Rockingham.— Trans. ; TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 143 which is not. in the power ofthe General of the army, depends on each particular state, much more than on. Congress ;' but he possesses what is preferable to all the departments in the world, an amiable wife, [the Marquis might .have addled, very beautiful'] excellent health, a good voice, and gfeat gaiety and humour. We conversed some thne tqgether, and he spoke of fhe American army with as much freedom as good sense. He ponfessed that formerly their army knew no discipline, and he insisted strongly on the obligations they owed to the Baron de Steuben, who performed the duties, of Inspector-General. Passing then to the eulogium of Messieurs de, Fleury, du Por tal, and all the French officers who had , served in the late Campaigns, he obs.er.ved, that those who offered their service in the beginning, had not given a very advantageous idea of their country. They were almost all furnished,, however, with letters of .recommendation from the Governors or Command ants of our colonies ; in which they seem to me .very repre hensible. The weakness which prevents men trom refusing a letter of recommendation, or the desire of getting rid of a good for nothing fellow, continually gets, the better of justice and good faith ; we deceive, we expose the reputation of our allies, but we still rriore essentially betray the interests of our coun try, whose honour and character are thus shamefully prostituted. i I shall only speak of Mr. Price, with whom we drank tea and sperit the evening, to bear witness to "the generosity of this gallant man, who, born in Canada and always attached to the French, lent two hundred thousand livres, hard' money, to M. de Corny, whom the court had sent with fifty thousand livres only, to make provision for'our army. The 13th, I went with the Chevalier de la Luzerne, and the French travellers, to djne with the Southern Delegates.* * The Marquis de Chastellux Seems unfortunately to have known but little of the Southern Delegates, particularly those of South Caro lina, whom, without any invidious comparison, he would have found men of the greatest liberality and understanding : as firm in their principles, and as ready to hazard their lives in the defence of their liberty, as the most zealous inhabitant of New-England ; they pos sessed, in general, all the taste, urbanity, and enlightened knowledge of polished Europe. In Mr. Ramsey, he would have found a cultivated understanding, a persevering mind, and an active enthusiasm, founded on a thorough knowledge of the cause he was engaged in, and the most perfect conviction of its rectitude. In Mr. , Izard, the fire and zeal of a gentleman republican, filled with indignation at the violence and excesses he had witnessed, in the English government. In Mr. Rutledge, a manly, principled determination to risk and suffer every thing, rather than again submit to the yoke of Britain, with elegant 144 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. Messieurs Sharp, Flowy^ and Maddison, were the nearest to me; I conversed a great deal with them, and was much satisfied with their conversation. But I was still more so with that I had in the afternoon at Mrs. Meredith's, General Cad- wallader's daughter : this was the first time I had seen this amiable family, although the Chevalier de la Luzerne was very intimate with them; but they had only just arrived from the country, where General Cadwallader was still detained by business. It is this gentleman who had a duel with Mr. Chace, formerly a Delegate for Maryland, and severely wounded him in the jaw with a pistol shot. Mrs. Meredith has three or four sisters, or sisters-in-law. " I was astonished at the freedom and gaiety which re.igned in this family, and regretted not having known them sooner. I chattered more, particularly with Mrs. Meredith, who appeared to me very amiable and well inform ed. In the course of an hour we talked of literature, poetry, romances, and above all, history ; I found she knew that Pf France very, well ; the comparison between Francis I. and Henry IV. between Turenne and Condi-, Richelieu and Maza rine, seemed familiar to her, and she ' made them with much grace, wit, and understanding. While I was talking with Mrs. Meredith, Mr. Lynch -had got possession of Miss Polly Cadwallader, who had likewise rnade a conquest of him, inso much that the .Chevalier de- la Luzerne was much entertained at the enthusiasm with which this company had inspired us, and the regret we expressed at hot having become sooner ac- ideas of the enjoyments of life, and all the domestic virtues. In Mr. Arthur Middleton, the plainest manners, with the most refined taste ;¦ great reading, and knowledge of the world, concealed under the re serve of the mildest, and most modest nature ; a complete philanthro pist, but the firmest patriot ; cool, steady, and unmoved at the general wreck of property and fortune, as far as he was personally concerned, but with a heart melting for the suffering and woes of others. He would have found him, in short, a model of private worth, and public virtue, a good citizen, a good father, and an exemplary husband, accomplished in the letters, in the sciences, and fine arts, well acquainted with the manners and the courts of Europe, from whence he has transplanted to his country nothing but their embellishments and virtues'. ¦ I speak of him with enthusiasm, for he really excited my admiration. He had made a handsome collection of paintings when in Italy, and on his travels, which were mutilated and destroyed by the ruffian hands of the European savages, who took possession of his house in Carolina. — Trans. t There must be an error in this name, but as the translator can find no similitude between it and that of any of the Southern Dele gates, he has inserted it literally, — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 145 quainted with- them. It must be acknowledged, with regard to the ladies who cqmpose it, that none of them are what may be called handsome ; this mode of expression is, perhaps, a little too circuitous fortthe American women, but if they have wit enough to comprehend, and good sense enough to be flat tered with it, their eulogium will 'Be complete. I know not how it happened, that since my arrival in Phila delphia, I had not yet seen* Mr. Payne, that author so celebra ted in America, and throughout Europe, by his excellent work, entitled Common "Sense, and several other political pamphlets. M.de la Fayette and I asked the permission of an interview for the 14th in the morning, and we waited on him- according ly with Colonel Laurens. I 'discovered, at his apartments, all the attributes of a man of letters ; a room pretty much in dis order, dusty furniture, and a large table covered with books lying open, and manuscripts begun. His person' was in a cor respondent dress, nor did his physiognomy belie the spirit that reigns throughout his works. " .Our conversation was agreea ble and animated, and such as to fo^m a connexion between us, for he has written to me since my departure, and seems de sirous of maintaining a constant correspondence. His exist ence at Philadelphia is similar to that of those political writers in England, who have obtained nqthing, and have neither credit enough in the state, nor sufficient political weight to obtain a part in the affairs of government. Their works are read with more curiosity than confidence, their projects being regarded rather as the play of imagination, than as well con certed plans, and sufficient in credit ever to produce any real effect : theirs is always considered as the work of an individual, and not that of a party ; information may be drawn from them, but not consequences ; accordingly we observe, that the influ ence of these, authors is more felt in the satirical, than in the dogmatical style, as it is easier for them to decry other men's opinions than to establish they- own. This is more the case with Mr. Payne than any body ; for having formerly held a post in government, he has now no connexion with it ; and as his patriotism and his talents are unquestionable, it is natural to conclude that the vivacity of his imagination, and the inde pendence of his character, render him more calculated for reasoning on affairs, than for conducting them.* Another ,. * Mr. Payne has since written a very interesting pamphlet on the finances of America, entitled the Crisis ; an answer- to the history of the American Revolution by the Abbe Raynal; and several other works, which confirm the reputation he so justly acquired by his first production. [The author is inaccurate in this particular, the Crisis 19 146 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. literary man, as much respected, though less celebrated, ex pected us at dinner ; this was Mr. Wilson, whom T have already mentioned : his house and library are in the best order ; he gave us an excellent dinner, and received us with a plain and easy politeness. Mrs. Wilson did the 'honours of the table with all possible attention ;*lout we were particularly sensible to the mark of it she gave us, by retiring after the desert, for then the dinner assumed an air of gaiety. Mr. Peters, the minister at war, gave the signal of joy and liberty by favour ing us with a song of his composition, so jolly, and so free.'that I shall dispense with giving either a translation, or an extract. This was really a very excellent song. He then sung another more chaste, and more musical ; • a very fine Italian contabile.* Mr. Peters is, unquestionably, the minister of the two worlds* who. has the best voice, and who sings the best, the pathetic and the bouffpn. I was told that the preceding year there were some private concerts at Philadelphia, where he sung among other pieces of comic operas, a burlesque part in a very pleasant ¦ : — - — *• was a sort of periodical publication, many numbers of which had ap peared previous even to the arrival of the French army in America, and was'adapted by Mr. Payne to every great house, or crisis of the government, whether favourable, or unfavourable ; either to urge to energy, and as a spur against supineness, or to give a countenance to misfortune, and stimulate to fresh exertions ; the subject of finance was only the occasional topic of one number of tbe Crisis, and so great was the weight of this writer, whose situation was very different indeed from that of an English pamphleteer, however ingenious the compari son, that on great emergencies, where almost despondency might be looked for, the whole continent waited with suspense for consolation and council from Common Sense, his general appellation! His pro ductions were instantly published in every town, of every, state, (for every town has a newspaper,) on grey, brown, yellow, and black, but seldom on white paper, a very rare commodity ; the people took fresh courage, and, " have you read the Crisis," was the specific against every political apprehension. In short, never was a writer better cal culated for the meridian under which he wrote, or who knew how to adapt himself more happily to every circumstance. Considering the wonderful effect of his pamphlet of Common Sense, known to every man in America, and the universal ascendency he had justly acquired over the minds of the people, it is impossible, in a general distribution of cases, to appreciate the share Mr. Payne had in producing this mo mentous revolution. It were the height of injustice, and ingratitude, to rob him of that share of glory, which if not his only, is at least his noblest recompense.— Trans. * So varied and universal are the talents of Mr. Peters, and he is so excellent a companion, that it is not saying too much, to add, that he would form the delight of any society in Europe. — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 147 trio, by himsel f, which he seasoned with all the humourous strokes usual on such occasions, and afforded the highest amusement to the company, so ^that this was not the time for saying, one cannot lose a kingdom more gaily, but, it is impossible to be more gay informikg a republic. After this, conclude from particulars to generals, judge of whole nations by one specimen, and establish principles without exceptions ! The assembly, or subscription ball, of which I must give an account, may here be properly intfoduced. At Philadelphia, as at London, Bath, Spa, &c. there are places appropriated for the young people to dance in, and where those whom that amusement does not- suit, play at different games of cards; but at Philadelphia, games of commerce are alone allowed. A manager, or master of ceremonies presides at these metho dical amusements : he presents to the gentlemen and ladies, dancers, billets folded up containing each a number ;¦ thus fate decides the male or female partner for the whole evening. All the dances are previously arranged, and the dancers are called in their turns. These dances, like the toasts we drink at table, have some relation to politics : one is called the success of the campaign, another, the defeat of Burgoyne, and a third, Clinton's retreat. The managers are generally chosen from among the most distinguished officers of the army ; this important place is at present held by Colonel Wilkinson, who is also clothier general of the army. Colonel Mitchell, a little fat, squat man, fifty years old, a great judge- pf horses, and who was lately contractor for carriages, both for the American and French armies, was formerly the manager ; but when I saw him, he had descended from the magistracy, and danced like a private citi zen. He is said to have exercised his office with great seve rity, and it is told of him, that a young lady who was figuring in a country dance, having forgot her turn by conversing with a friend; he came up to her, and called out aloud, " give over, Miss, take care what you are about ; do you think you come here for your pleasure ?" The assembly I went to on leaving Mr. Wilson, was the se cond ofthe winter. I Was apprised that it would be neither numerous nor brilliant, for at Philadelphia, as at Paris, the best Company seldom go to the balls before Christmas. .On enter ing the room, however, I found twenty or five and twenty ladies ready forrdancing. It was whispered me, that having heard a great deal of the Vicomte de Noailles, and the Comte de Da mas, they were come with the hopes of having them for part ners ; but they were completely disappointed, those gentlemen having set out that very morning. I should have been disap pointed also, had I expected to see pretty women. There were only two passable, one of whom, called Miss Footman, 148 TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA- was rather contraband, that is to say, suspected of not being a very good' whig, for the tory ladies are publicly excluded from this assembly. I was here presented to a ridiculous enough personage, but who plays her part in the town ; a Miss Vinyfcelebrated for. her coquetry, her wit, and her sarcastic disposition : she is thirty, and does not seem on the point of marriage. In the mean time she applies red, white, blue, and all possible colours, affects an extraordinary mode of dressing her hair and person, and a staunch whig in every point, she sets no bounds to her liber'ty. ; _,,.., r> ;J t I intended leaving Philadelphia the 15th, but the President of the State, who is also President of the Academy, was^o good as to invite me to a meeting of that body to be held that day. It was the more difficult for me to refuse his invitation, as it was proposed to elect me a foreign member. The meet ings are held only once a fortnight, and the elections take place but once a year : every candidate must be presented and re commended by a member of the academy; after whichirecom- mendation his name is placed up during three succeeding sit tings, in the hall of the academy, and the election is at length proceeded to by ballot; I had only heard of mine three days before. It was unanimous, which very rarely happens. M. de la Fayette himself, who was elected at the same time, had one black ball against him, but it was thought to have been an accident. Out of one and twenty candidates, only seven were chosen, although the others had been strongly recommended, and there were several vacancies. As the sittings of the academy did not begin till seven in the evening, I employed my morning in paying visits, after which I dined at Mr. Holker's,* with the Chevalier de la Luzerne, * Mr. Holker, the son ofthe Chevalier Holker, died a few months ago at Rouen, who being condemned to die fort acting as an officer in the Manchester regiment, in the rebellion of 1745, made his escape from prison, and fled to France, where he was tempted by the govern ment to establish the Manchester manufactory ; this he repeatedly re fused, until, from the wretched policy of Mr. Pelharii and other Min isters to whom he represented the offers held out to him, with a re quest of his pardon, he was driven to accept of the proposals of the French court. England knows too well, at this hour, the success with which his endeavours have been crowned. On the arrival ofthe American commissioners in France, Mr. Holker was among the first, and most zealous in his offers of every assistance in his power, and en tered into the most intimate connexion with them. In 1777 his son was sent to Paris to be near Dr. Franklin, and had many opportuni ties of rendering essential services. In -1778 he went out to 4me"ca with Monsieur Gerard, the first French Ambassador, in D'Estaign's squadron, as Consul General of France. He had not been long in the TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 149 M. de la Fayette, and all the French officers : from -thence I went to the academy accompanied by M. Marbbis, a member of that body, as well as M. de la Luzerne, who having other business, excused himself from attending me, but left me in very good hands. Mr. Marbois, unites to all political and social qualities, a great deal of literature, arid a perfect know ledge of the English language. The assembly consisted of only fourteen or fifteen persons ; the President of? the college performed the office of- Secretary. A memoir was read on a singular plant, a native of the country ;. the Secretary then gave an account of correspondence and read, a letter, the ob ject of which was, for th'e acaderriy of Philadelphia to' associate with, or rather adopt several learned societies which are form ing in each State. This projeet tended to make of this academy country before He entered into very advantageous commercial specula tions, jointly with his father's countryman^ ' Mr. Robert Morris, and by means bf'his "situation as Consul, had many opportunities of ship ping flour, &c. under permissions for the French fleet, in the time of a general and strict embargo ; he speculated largely too in paper money, with which he purchased, for almost nothing, a very handsome house at Philadelphia, and an elegant country house, and estate a few miles from that city. ¦ Mr. Holker displayed, during the whole war, 'a taste and luxury hitherto strangers in Americ* ; his house was the resort of all the first people on the Continent, and after the arrival ofthe French army, of all their officers of distinctiop. The French court, however, on some representations of the Chevalier de la Luzerne, thought fit to prohibit their Consuls from all private commerce, a wise regulation universally established by them ; and Mr. Holker preferring the advan tages of trade; to those of his office, resigned the latter, about the be ginning of 1781, which for some time occasioned a coolness between 'the Minister and him ; he had Kkewisea difference with Mr. Morris on settling their accounts to a •vejy large amount, which has detained him in America, since the peace ; but, if I am rightly informed, it is at length terminated. In 1777, 1 supped with Mr. Dearie, then a strenu ous friend to his country, on his return from Havrede Grace ; where he told me, that on giving the usual toasts of " the Congress," fee. after dinner, the old gentleman could not forbear reflecting on the mutability of human affairs, and that he who was an exile, and had nearly suffered death for his zealous attachment to the cause of arbi trary monarchy, should now be as ardent in his wishes for the success of the most pure democracy that tad ever- been proposed to. human understanding. And ip fact this is more striking, as the most strenu ous supporters of the American war were found in Scotland, and his native town of Manchester ; in the very seat, and sources of rebellion against liberty ; in the persons of the very actors, in the attempt to overthrow the English constitution, and dethrone the Brunswick famr-- lv. — Trans. 150 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA a sort of literary congress, with which the particular legisla tures should keep a correspondence, but it was not thought proper to adopt this idea ; the members seeming to be afraid of the trouble inseparable from all these adoptions, and the academy not wishing to make the following lines of Racine's Athalie applicable to them : D'Ou lui viennent de tous cotes ' Ges»enfans qu' en sbn sein elle n' a pas portes ! I returned as soon as possible to the Chevalier de la Lu zerne's, to have a strll farther enjoyment of that society which had constituted my happines'g for the. last fortnight: for it is unquestionably a very great one, to live with a man whose amiable and mild character never varies on any occasion ; whose ^conversation is agreeable and instructive, and whose easy and unaffected politeness is the genuine expression ofthe best disposition. But however allowable it may be to declare one's own sentiments, when dictated by justice and gratitude, there is always a sort oY personality in regarding public men only as they respect their connexions with ourselves : it is to the King's Minister, in America ; it is. to a irian who most ably fills a most important post, that I owe my testimony and my praises. I shall say, without fear of contradiction, that the Chevalier de la Luzerne is so formed for the station he occu pies, that one would be led to imagine fro other could fill it but himself; noble in his expenses, like the minister of a great monarchy, but as plain in his -manners as a republican, he is equally proper to represent' the King with Congress, or the Congress with the King. He loves the Americans, and his own inclination attaches him to the duties of his administra tion ; he has accordingly obtained their confidence, both as a private and a public man; but. in both these respects he is equally inaccessible to the spirit, of party, which reigns hut too much around him: whence ft results, that he is anxiously courted by all parties, and that, by espousing none, he manages them all. It was the 16th of December that I quitted the excellent winter quarters I had with him, and turned my face towards the north, to seek after the traces of General Gates and Gene ral Burgoyne, amidst heaps of snow. I had sent forward my horses to Bristol, where I was conveyed in a carriage which the Chevalier de la Luzerne was so kind as to lend me. By this means I arrived there time enough to reach Princeton that night, but not before it was dark, leaving behind me some of my servants and horses. CHAPTER IX. PHILADELPHIA-FRINCEION-BASKENRHDGE-POMFTON-NEW WIND- SOB — POUGHKEEPSIE— KHIKEBECK — CI/AVERACK-KINDERHOOK, The detail of my daily occupations .having prevented me from giving a general idea of Philadelphia, I must, on quitting it, take a retrospective view, and consider at once its present state and the destiny which seems to await it. In observing its geographical situation, we may readily admit that Penn proceeded upon no err0Hedus idea, when he conceived his plan of making it one day the capital of America. Two large rivprs,* which take their rise in the neighbourhood of Lake Ontario, convey to it th%riches *of all the interior parts of the country, and at length, by their junction considerably higher up, form a magnificent port at this city. This port is at once far enough from the sea to shelter it from every insult ; and so near, as' to render it as easy of access as if situated on the shore of the ocean. The Schuylkill, which runs to the west of Philadelphia, and nearly parallel with the Delaware, is rather ornamental than useful to this city and its commerce. This river, though wide and beautiful near its conflux, is not navi gable for boats, on account pf its shallow and rocky bed. Philadelphia, placed between these two rivers, on a neck of land only three miles broad, ought to fill up this space, but commerce has given it another tirrnf. The regular plan of William Penri has been followed, but the buildings are along the Delaware, for the convenience of being near the ware houses and shipping. Front-street, which is parallel with the river, is near three miles long, ont of which open upwards of two hundred quays, forming so many views terminated by ves sels of different sizes.f I could easily form an idea of the * The two branches of the Delaware form two considerable rivers, the sources of which are distant several miles from' each other, but they are only distinguished by the names ofthe Eastern and Western Branches. f The author has by no means given an adequate idea of Philadelphia, which, however, has so often been described as to render it less neces sary ; but as he names only one'street extending along the river, it may 152 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. commerce of Philadelphia, from seeing above threejiundred vessels in the harbour, though the English had not left a single bark in it in 1778. Two years tranquillity, and-, above all, the diversion made by our squadron at Rhode-Island, have sufficed to collect this great number* of vessels, the stfccess of which in privateering, as well as in trade, have filled the warehouses with goods^ insomuch 'that purchasers alone are wanting. The wisdom of the legislative counpil, however, has not correspond ed' with the advantages lavished by nature. Pennsylvania is very far from being the best governed of the United States; Exposed, more than others, to the convulsions of credit, and to the manoeuvres of 'speculation* the instability of the public Wealth has operated on the legislation itself. An attempt was made to fix the value of the paper currency, but commodities augmented in price, in proportion as money lost its value ; a resolution was then taken to fix the price also of commodities, which almost produced a famine.* A more "recent error ofthe government, was the law prohibiting the exportation of corn. The object they had in view, was on one hand to supply the American army at a cheaper rate, and on the other, to put a stop to the contraband trade between Philadelphia and New- York; the ruin of the farmers and the state was the result, as the latter could not obtain payment of the taxes. This law is just repealed, so that I hope agriculture will resume its vi gour, and commerce receive an increase. Corn sent to the army will be something dearer, but there will be more money be proper to observe, that parallel with Front-street, are second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth streets ; these are intersected fct right angles by ArcA-street, State-street, aaxJ .Jfar&ef-sjtreet, &c. fee. the latter, which is of a great breadth, etnd length, and cuts the centre of the city, would be one of the finest streets in the world, were it not for the market situated in the middle of it ; but the upper part is occupied iy- the' houses of opulent citizens, and will in time become truly noble. It may be addld, that so fa; from the buildings Mowing the river, they are extended rapidly towards the common,where many new streets were marked out and begun in 1782 ; and it may safely be predicted that if the trade of Philadelphia continue to flourish, the plan of Wil liam Penn will be accomplished, judging from the very rapid progress ofthe past, at no very distant period, and the ground be covered 'with perhaps, the noblest of modern cities, extending from the Delaware to the Schuylkill. This will be accelerated too, by the .sale of the com mon, which was taken by the Assembly from the proprietor, Mr. John Penn, at the beginning of the revolution, with the rest ofthe proprie tary estate, in consideration of a certain sum, and disposed of in 16ts to the best bidders. — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICl. 153 to pay for it ; 'arid should there be some sfnuggling with New- York, English money will circulate among their enemies.* It were greatly to be wished that paper might at length ob tain an established^ credit, no+matter what value ; for it signi fies little whether the price of a sheep be represented by one hundred and fifty paper dollars, or two dollars in specie. This depreciatidnfof the paper is n6t felt in those places where it remains the same ; but Philadelphia is, sb to speak, the great sink, wherein all the speculations of Anierica terminate, and are confounded together. Since the capture of Charleston, many of the inhabitants of Carolina hastily sold their estates and crops, and having been only paid in paper, they brought this article with them to Philadelphia already overstocked with it.f The quakers and tories, on ' the other hand, ¦ with which * The votes of the House of Commons, and the account of Mes sieurs Drummond end Harley, will show the immense sums, in Portu gal and Spanish gold alone, sent to America ; these, as well as Eng lish guineas, found their way^, towards) th'e middle period qf the war, in great abundance into the American part of the ^continent, where they 'circulated in a variety of mutilated forms, the m'oidores, and six- and-thirties, had all of them holes punched in them, or were otherwise diminished at New- York, before they were suffered to .pass the lines ; from whence they obtained the name of Robertson's, in the rebel country ; but the profits, if any, of that commander, on this 'new edition of the coin, remain a secret. In the 'country,' almost all the specie of every denomination was cut by individuals, and appeared under the forms of half, quarter, and eighth parts, the latter of which received the name of ,sharp shins ; by this arbitrary division of the money, which was never weighed, great frauds were inevitable. — Trans. t The wonderful resources derived in the commencement from this paper money, its .extraordinary depreciation, and total disappearance without producing any great.shock, or convulsion in an infant country, struggling with a complication of difficulties, will certainly form an epocha in the general history of finances, as well as in that of this great revolution. I saw hundreds of millions of paper dollars piled up, effa ced, in the office of Congress at Philadelphia, which, never possessing any real value, had served all the purposes of a difficult, and uncom monly expensive war, and were now -quietly laid aside, with scarce a murmur on the part ofthe pubhc ; the variety of the depreciation, at different periods, and in different parts of the Continent, whilst it gave rise to great temporary abuses, had been so divided, and balanced, by alternate profit and- loss among all classes of citizens,nhat on casting up the account, some very unfortunate cases excepted, it seems to have operated only as a general tax on the public ; and the universal iov on its annihilation, with the satisfactory reflection on the necessity uiider which it was issued in the critical moment of danger, seemed to 26 154 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. this province abounds, two classes of men equally dangerous, one from their timidity, arid the other from their bad inten tions, are incessantly labouring to secure their fortune.; they lavish the paper for a little gold, or silver, to enable them to remove wherever they may think themselves in safety $ ,from these reasons, the paper money is niore and more decried, not only because it is too common, but because gold and,silver are extremely scarce, and difficult to be obtained. In the midst of these convulsions the government is without force, nor can it be otherwise. A popular government can never have any, whilst the people are unsteady and fluctuating in their opinions ; for then the leaders rather seek to please, than serve them ; obliged to gain their confidence before they merit it, they are more inclined to flatter, than instruct them, and fearing to lose the favour they have acquired, they finish by becoming the slaves ofthe multitude whom they pretended to govern. Mr. Franklin has been blamed for givingtoo de- mocratical a government to, his cAuntry, but they who censure him do not reflect that the first step was to make her renounce monarchical government, arid that it was necessary to eihfftoy a sort of seductiqn in order to conduct a- timid and avaricjous people to independence, who were besides so divided in, their opinions, that the republican party was scarcely stronger than the other. Under these circumstances he acted like Solon; he has not given the best possible laws to Pennsylvania, but the best of which the country was susceptible. Time will produce perfection ; in pleading to recover an estate, the first object is to obtain possession, the rest follows of course.* Conciliate all minds, to a total oblivion of its partial mischief. Here and there great fortunes are to be seen, reared upon its npw visionary basis, and families reduced from opulence to mediocrity by means of this destructive medium, but these instances are by "no means so fre quent as they have been represented in Europe, and were -often the result of ill judged, but avaricious" speculations ; but I repeat it, that the continued use, the general circulation, the astonishing deprecia tion, and total destruction of such an immense imaginary property, will always exhibit a phoenomenon infinitely more striking, than that a few, or even a great number of individuals should have suffered, as must always be tfie case in every civil commotion. The fact is unpa ralleled, and will probably stand single in the annals of the world. — Trans. * The autho» might have added in corroboration of his argument, that the constitution of Pennsylvania is, for this reason, only a consti tution of experiment, from seven years to seven years, in which it is ex pressly reserved to a Council of Censors, to revise the past operations of government, to judge of the effects produced from it as then cpnsti- TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA 1SS Philadelphia contains about forty thousand inhabitants. The streets are large and regular, and intersect each other at right angles. There are footways here, as jn London for the pas sengers. This city has ev.ery useful establishment, such as hospitals, workhouses, houses Of correction, &c. but it is so de ficient in an essential article of comfort and enjoyment, that there is not a single public walk.* The reason of this is, that hitherto every thing concerning the police, and #rjarticular government of the city has been in the hands of the quakers, and these sectaries consider every species of private or public amusement as a transgression of their law, and as.a pomp of Sa tan,, Fortunately, the little zeal, _(to say no more) they have displayed on the present crisis, has made them lose their credit". This revolution comes very opportunely, at a time when the public has derived every benefit 'from them they could expect ; the walls ofthe house are finished, it is time to call in the car penters and upholsterers. , It is time a(so for me to return to Princeton, to continue my journey to' Albany, by New-Windsor, General Washington's head-quarters. I intended setting out early on the 17th ; it was" necessary, in fact, to be alert, that I might reach Morris town, but my baggage horse not being able, to pass the Dela7 ware, at the same time with myself, I left one of my people to wait for, and conduct hirh. It so happened .that neither the servant I was waiting for, nor the other arrived. One of the servants was an Irishman, the other a Gerrhan, both newly en tered into my service. As soon as I saw the morning of the 17th approach*,' without their making their appearance, the neighbourhood of New-Yqrk began to give me some uneasi- tuted, and to call a general convention of the people, for the purpose! of amending, the deficient parts and of correcting its exuberancies and vices. It is a glorious experiment!,- worthy the'philarithropic heart, and the enlightened understanding of Doctor Franklin, — Quod felix, faustumque sit!%-Trans. * The city of Philadelphia is not only at present destitute of public walks, but, in summer, the heat renders walking in the streets intole rably inconvenient-; the houses and footpaths being generally of brick, are not even cooled until some hours after sunset. This extreme heat, and' the abundance of excellent, water, with tfhich Philadelphia is supplied, occasion many accidents among the lower class of people, for it is no uncommon thing to see a labourer after quenching his thirst at a pump, drop down dead upon the spot, nor can the nume rous examples . of this lund every summer, prevent them from fre quently occurring ; but it is to be observed, that if the heat be in tense, the water is uncommonly cold. — Trans. 15« TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA* ness. I was apprehensive they might, have taken that read with my little baggage, and I was already making dispositions to pursue them, when, to my great satisfaction, I saw the head of my baggage column appear, that is, one ofthe three horses which we?/e left behind, |he remainder following soon after.* * After Sir Guy.Carleton's arrival at New- York with the vote of Parliame«irto discontinue offensive war, the translator, who was tra velling to the northward, and meant' to call on General Washington, then in camp- at Verplank's-Point, on the North River, thought he might with safety take the lower road by Brunswick and Elizabeth- town, but he had not been an hour in bed, before he and his compa nion, a sur'g'eon.in the American army, were alarmed by a scattering fire of musketry. Before they had time to dress themselves, and take their pistols, the landlord entered their apartment, and informed them, that a party from Staten-Island was marching towards the town, and advised them to make their escape- with much difficulty they got their horses out of the stable, hid their baggage in the cHurch-yard, and hearing the English officer order his men to fofm at the end of the town, they took different roads, leaving their servants, who were, one a Scotch prisoner to the Americans; the other an English deserter, and whose conduct appeared very suspicious,* to take care of them selves, and the horses they rode on. The translator, who followed the great road to Newark, was mounted on a white horse, which made him a good object, and had several shot fired at him, but tbe ground rising, and his horse going at full gallop, the balls luckily fell short.' After endeavouring to rouse the country, but without being able to oollect a sufficient force, he took shelter at an honest carpen ter's, about a mile from the town, where he remained till a litd© be fore daybreak, when concluding from the general silence, that the party had retired, he returned, and went to search for his baggage in the church-yard, for which, however, he sought in vain, and his anx iety was, not a little increased on not finding his other horse in the stable, nor seeing either ofthe servants. 'But from which he1" was soon relieved by his friend, who had watched th.e first moment of the enemy's departure, offered the baggage up into his room, and assured him that the servants had conducted themselves with the greatest fidelity. His alarm was, it seems, much greater than that ofthe translator, as General Washington had declared publicly in orders, that any officer of his army, taken near the lines, unless on duty, should be the last exchanged. The translator imagines the party to have been Refugees from Staten-Island, who, from their separate insti tution, under the'direction' ©f a Board, not unfrequently set at defi ance the orders of the Commander-in-Chief; a remarkable instance of which occurred in the case of Captain Huddy, whom they obtain ed, under false pretences, from the guard-house, where he was a pri soner, and murdered without either scruple' or apprehension. All Europe knows the consequence, in the imminent danger of Captain Asgill; and all America saw" with shame and indignation the English TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 157 To pass the time, however, I entered into conversation with ,my landlord, Colonel Howard,, who is a very good man, and with his son fW Captain, a great talked, and genuine Capitan. He recounted to me with many gestures, eajls and impreca tions, all his feats of prowess- in the war ; especially at the af fair, of Princeton, where he served as a lieutenant of militia in his father'stegiment ; and indeed the action he boasted of would hav4 merited an eulogium, had he related; it with simpli city. We may recollect that after beating the English, Ge neral Washington contipued his route towards Middlebrook. An American officer, who had his leg broke by a musket ball, was dragged into a house, where the English' sooner or later must have found him : young Howard, and some' soldiers as well disposed as himself, set out at night from Middlebrook, took a circuitous road, arrived at the house, found the officer, took him on their shoulders and carried him to flheir quarters. During the remainder^ of the winter, the Jersey militia were constantly under arms^ to. restrain the English, .who occupied Elizabethtown and Brunswick. It was a sort of continual chace, to which Lieutenant Howard one day led his little bro ther, a boy of fifteen, and who was lucky enough to* begin his careei" by killing a Hessian grenadier ; as these stories were very tedious, I shall drop them here, for fear of not improving on the narration : I must mention however, the manner in which my Capitan entered into the service, as it will serve to discover the spirit Which reigned in America at the beginning of the present (evolution. He was an apprentice to a hatter at the time of the affair of Lexington, and- the blockade of Boston; three of his companions and himself set out one' morning from Philadelphia with four dollars among them in their pockets : they travelled four hundred miles on foot to join the army, in which they served as volunteers the remainder ofthe cam paign ; from thence they set out with Arnold on his expedition to Canada, and did not return home until the theatre of war was removed into their own country. Eleven o'clock had struck before I could rally .the horses in my train, and begin my march ; I abandoned therefore -^the plan of sleeping at Morristown, and determined to stop at Baskenridge, eight miles nearer Princeton. I first left the Millstone on the right, then crossed it twice before I reached the Rariton, which I passed at the same place ; as in my jour ney to Philadelphia. Three miles from thence I was told to general unable' to jenforce discipline in his own army, and shrinking under the apprehensions of irritating Governor Franklin, apd his en venomed board of Loyalists. — Trans. 158 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. take a road to the right, which leads into the woods, and over the summit of the hills; this route was opened. for the army, during the winter quarters of 1778—9; it appears to have been made with eare,.and is still passable'; but after some time, daylight failing me, I lost myself, and went a mile or two out of my way. Luckily for me, I found a hut inha"bited, by some new settlers; there I got a guide who conducted me to Baskenridge, where I arrived at seven o'clock, and ahghted'at Bullion's Tavern, got tolerable lodgings, with the best people in the World. Our supper was very good; bread only -was wanting ; but, inquiring of us what sort we liked, in an hour's time we had such as we desired. This will appear less 'extra ordinary, oh being told that in America, little cakesj which are easily kneaded and baked in half an hour, are often substituted for bread. Possibly one would soon tire of them, but they suited my taste extremely well. Mr. Bullion had two white servants, one a man about fifty, the other a woman, younger, with a tolerable good' face • I had the curiosity to inquire what wages he gave. them, and was fold that the man earned half a crown a day and the woman six shillings a week, or ten pence a day. If we pay attention to the circumstance, that these servants are lodged and fed, and have no expenses,' we may see that it is easy for them very shortly to acquire a piece of ground, and to form such a settlement es I have described. , The 18th I set out at eight in the morning, and made only one stage- to Pompton; which is six and thirty miles, without baiting my horsed pr stopping, except for a quarter of an hour to pay a visit to General Wayne, whose quarters were on the main road. He was posted to cover the Jerseys,and had under his orders the samp Pennsylvania line which revolted a fort night after. . I again saw with pleasure the environs of Morris town, which are agreeable and well cultivated ; but after passing the Rockarway, and approaching Pompton, I was as tonished at the degree of perfection to which agriculture is carried* and particularly admired the farms of Messit urs Man deville. Thiy are the sons of a Dutchman, who first cleared the ground from which they now reap such rich harvests. Their domains join each other. In each of them the manor is very simple and small, the barns alone are lofty and spacious. Always faithful to their national economy, they cultivate, reap, and sell, without augmenting either their houses or their enjoy- nients ; content with living in a corner of their 'farm, and with being only the spectators of their own wealth. By the side of these old farms we see new settlements forming, and have more and more reason to be convinced, thatif the .war has retarded the progress of agriculture and population, it has not entirely suspended them. The night, which surprised me on my jotfcr- TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 159 • ney, deprived me of the beautiful prospect this country would have continued to afford. Being very dark, it was not witiiout difficulty I passed two or. three rivulets, on very small bridges, and got to Courtheath's Tavern. Iftis inn is lately established, and kept by young people without fortune, consequently the best parts of the furniture are the owner and, his family. . Mr. Courtheath is a young man of foar and twenty, who was former ly a travelling 'dealer in stuffs, toys, &c. The depreciation of paper money, or perhaps his own imprudence so far ruined him as to oblige him to leave his house at?Morristown, and' set up a tavern in .this put of- the way place, where nb thing but the neighbourhood of , the army can procure him a few customers. He has. two handsome sisters, well dressed girls, who wajt on travellers -with grace and coquetry. Their brother says, he will marry them to some fat clumsy Dutchmen, and that as for himself, as soon, as he has got a little money, he shall resume his commerce, and travel about as formerly. On entering the par lour, where these young w,omen sij;,' when there are no stran gers, I found on a great table, Milton, Addison,, Richardson, and several other works of that •Kind. The cellar was not so well stored as the library, for there was neither all the ideas of a poet or a sports man, to admire this new country," wJjere one cannot travel four miles without finding a dwelling, nor find one which is riot within reach of every possible succour, as well in the natu ral as in the moral, order. /These reflections, and the fine weather we had all the afternoon, made the end of my day's journey very agreeable. * At the beginning of the night, I ar rived at the house of. Mr. Sriiith, who formerly kept an irin, though at presenjthe lodges only his friends ; but as I had not the honour to be of #hat number, I was obliged to go a little farther, to -Hem's tavern, a very indifferent house, where I supped and slept. I left it the 19th, as early as possible; having still twelve miles, to New* Windsor, and intending to stay only one night, I was anxjous tp pass at least the greatest riart of* the ,.day withr General Washington. I met him iwo miles from NeW-Wincfsor,; he was in his carriage with Mrs. "Washington, going on a npisft to Mrs. Knox, whose quarters were a mile farther on, near the artillery barracks. They wish ed to return with me, but I begged them to continue their way. The general .gjsive me one of his aid-de-cam|is, (Colo nel Humphreys*) to Conduct me. to his housefassured me that .a" * He is at pVeserit. sectary 6f the embassy to tft6 c*purt o'f France.1 This brave ariif excellent soldier is at the same time a poet of great 21 162 TRAVELS IN N0RTH-AMERR3A. he should not be long in joining me, and he returned accord ingly in half an hour. I saw him again with the same plea sure, but with a different sentiment from what he had inspired me with at our first interview. I felt that internal satisfaction, in which self-love has some share, but which we always expe rience in. finding ourselves in an intimacy already formed, in real society with a man we' have long adrhired without being able to approach, him.. It then seems as if this great man more peculiarly belongs to" us than to the rest of mankind ; heretofore we ddsired to see him ; henceforth, so to speak, we exhibit him ; we knew him, we are better acquainted with him than others., have the same advantage over them, that a man having read a book!$hrough, has in conversation over him who is only at the beginning. The General insisted on my lodging with him, though his house was ttiuch less than that he had at PraknesSi Several officers, whqrir I had not seen at the army, came to dine with Us. The principal of whom were. Colonel Malcomb, a native of Scotland, "but settled in America, where ha has served with distinction in the continental ,army ; lie has since retired to his estate, and is now only a militia Colohel } Colonel Smith,* talents : he is the author of ajpoem addressed to the American army, a work recently known in England, where, in spite of the national jealousy, and the affectation of depreciating every thing Amencafr, it has had such success, as to have been several times publicly read in the manner of the ancients'. |The Marquis de Chastellux may be as sured that it is npt by that part of the English nation who are " jea lous of America, and who affect to depreciate every thing American^" that the poem of Colonel Humphreys is admired, it is by that nume rous and enlightened class of free spirits, who have always supported, and wished prosperity to the glorious struggle of America, who re joiced at her success, and who look forward with hope and pleasure to her rising greatness. — Trans.] ' * The author having since been very intimate with Colonel Smith, can take it upon himself to assert, that this young man is not only a very good soldier, but an excellent scholar. The manner of his enter ing into the service merits relation : he was designed for the profess ion ofthe law, and was finishing his studies at New York, when the American army assembled there after the unfortunate affair of Long- Island. He immediately resolved to take arms in defence- of his coun try, but his parents disapproving of this step, he enlisted as a common soldier, without making himself known, or prltending to any superior rank. Being one day ori duty at the door of -a GeiieVal officer, he was discovered by a friend of his family, who spoke of him to that General officer. He was immediately invited to dinner ; but he answered that he could not quit his duty ; his corporal was sent for to relieve him, TRAVELS IN» NORTH-AMERICA. 163 an officer highly spoken,of, and who commanded a battalion of light iBfaritry under M„de la Fayette ; Colonel Humphreys, the General's aid-de-*jamp, and several others, whpse names I have forgot, but who had all the Best 'ion, and the easiest de portment. The dinner was excellent ; tea succeeded dinner, and conversation succeeded tea, and lasted till supper. The war was frequently the*uh§ect : on asking the General which of our professional books he read *«vtth the most pleasure ; he told me, the King of Prussia's Instructions to his Generals, and the Tactics of M. de Guibert ; from whence I concluded that he knew as well how to select his authors* as tp profit by them. I should have been very happy to accept of his pressing in vitation to pass a few days with him, had I not made a solemn promise, at Philadelphia, to the Vicomte' de Noailles, and his travelling companions, to *arriye four anc|| twenty hours after them if they stopped there,,or"at Albany, iff hey went straight on. We were desirous of seeing Stillwater and Saratoga, and it would have been no easy matter for us to have acquire*! a just knowledge of that country had vye not b^pn together, because we reckoned upon General Schuyler, whfecOuld not be expect ed to make t*yo journies to gratify' our curiosity. I was thus far faithful to my engagement, for I arrived at New-Windsor fhe same day that they left Cress Point ; I hoped to overtake them at Albany, and General Washington finding that he could not retain me, was pleased himself to conduct me in his barge to the other side ofthe river. We' got on shore at Fishkill Landing Place, to gain the eastern road, preferred by travel lers to the western. I now quitted the General, but he insist ed that Colonel Smith should accompany me as far as Pough keepsie. The road to this town passes pretty near Fishkill, which we leave? on the -right, from thence we travel pn the heights, where there is a beautiful and extensive prospect, and traversing a township, caljsed Middlebrook, arrive at the creek, and at Wapping Fall. ' There I halted a few minutes to con sider, under different points of i»ew, the charming landscape formed by this river, as well from its cascade, which is roaring and picturesque, as from the groups of trees and rocks, which * # arid he returned to his post after dinqer. A few days only elapsed be fore that General officer," charmed with his zeal,,,made him his aid-dc camp. In 1780, he commanded a battalion of light infantry1, and the year following was made 'aid-de-camp toiGeneral Washington, with whom he remained until the. peace. — [He is now Secretary to the Embassy to the court Of Great Britain, and has^late'ly married the daughter of his Excellency, John Adam's, Minister Plenipotentiary to that court. — Trans.] 164 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. combined with a number of Champlain, can now carry 6n her operations at her ease, ami unmotested on the lakes* and by, Arnold's route;; but, in fact, Canada must, on a rupture, follow the fortune of the United States ; ISO TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. be easily obtained by constructing larger vessels than those of the English, and he is peusuaded that two fifty gun.ships would be sufficient to secure it. People are wrong, added he, in that province can only be prevented from falling rapidly .before such a force, as the Eastern States can put in motion, by very atrong forts built at the head of the Kennebec, St. Croix, and Connecticut rivers, by forts onhoth sides ofthe Sorel, where cut by the boundary line, on both, sides the St. Lawrence w&ere it joins that river, at the head ofthe carrying place above Niagara, on the English side, where a new car rying place, must if possible be. fornied, and opposite the fort °^e- troit and .Michilimazance, (now Michilimackinac.) All musf be strong, regulfli works, capable of containing garrisons with stores suf ficient to stop the progress of an enemy's af my, fill relief can arrive from the interior of the country, where 6 or'^000 regular forces must be kept, besides strong garrisons, at Quebec, and Montreal, the fortifi cations of which must be repaired and strengthened. Unless England be determined to adopt, and rigorously to maintain all these necessa ry defences, perhaps after all inadequate, it. is impossible that Canada should long res\s| ari American expedition. On such a tenure, and at such an enormous expense, will that province be worth holding,? Mr. Payne, in hi* admirable letter to the Abbe Raynal, makes the follow ing judicious observations o'n this subject :— " Respecting Canada, one or other of these two events will take place, viz.; if Canada should become populous, it will revolt -; and if it dp not become so, it will not be worth the expense of holding. But Canada never will become populous ; Britain may put herself to great expenses in sending set tlers to Canada, but the descendarits of those settlers will be Ameri cans, as other descendants have been before them. They will look round'and see the neighbouring States sovereign and free, respected abroad, and trading at large with the world ; and the natural love of liberty, tiie advantages of rforBmerce, the; blessings of independence, and of a happier climate and a richer soil will draw them southward, and the effects will be, that Britain will sustain the expense, and Ame-. rica reap the advantage, and the same iriay be said of Halifax and the country round it. One w,ould think that the experience Britain has had of America, would entirely sicken her of all thoughts ot continent al colonization ; and any part she may retain, will only become to her a field of jealousy and thorns, of debate and contention, for ever strug gling for privileges, and meditating revolt. " "She may form new settle ments, but they will be for us^ they will become part of the United States of America; arid that against all her contrivances to prevent it, or without any endeavour of ours to promote it. In the first place she cannot draw from them 'a revenue until they are able to pay one, and whenthey are so, they will To comprehend this, 0 must be recollected that in 1779, the Congress, seeing Jheir enemies confined to.New-Yqjk and Rhode-Island, thought they* might spare a body of troops of plicitly on the matter, I would not, were I an European, have Canada, under the conditions that Britain must retain it, could it be given to me. It is one of those kinds of dominion that is, and ever will be, a constant charge upon any foreign holder. — There are, I doubt riot, thousands of people in England, who, suppose that Canada and Nova- Scotia are a profit to the nation, whereas .they are directly the con trary, and instead of producing any revenue, a considerable part of the revenue of England is annually drawn off to support the expense of holding them.*' — What it costs England to maintain Canada alone, may be known from the following 'accurate abstract, verified by the treasury accounts, of the expenses of that Province, from the 1st of June, 1776, to the'2ith of October, 1782,being six years andf our months. \%". ' ,.'•'' "' M s. d.' Military— Ordinaries, • 688,385 18 21 , Extraordinaries, 4,510,790 12 7 ¦ Civil Establishment and Contingencies, 100,343 8 9" Total, * £5,293,519 19 § Which for 6 years and 4 months, is, ^£836,766 6 ;3 per ann. It is true that Ihe war extraordinaries must not Be taken into the esti mate of a peace establishment, but will not the independence of the United States render a larger force necessary than during the former ' peace, besides the garrisons, above mentioned, $c ; and is war so very improbable in that quarter ? Perhaps Ihe most fortunate event for Britain will be, to receive the newfJ; some spring or other, after the Opening ofthe St. Lawrence, that Canada has been taken in the win- ter ,*with little or. ho bloodshed.— Trans. M82 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. three or four .thousand men against the five nations, of whose cruelties they had many proofs. The plan was to carry off or destroy theni, and thus relieve the country lying between the Susquehdnnt/hand the Delaware. General Sullivan, after taking every sort, of precaution to secure the subsistence and health of the soldiers, made a very long and well conducted? march, drove the savages before him, and burnt their villages and har vests. But' this was the whole fruit of his expedition, for he never had it in his power to cut them off; the corps under General Clinton, which had penetrated by the Mohawk river, being found too weak to act of itself* was obliged to join tbe main body of the army. I did not finish my reading before ten o'clock; and I con tinued in conversation with General Schuyler, whilst the com pany was at supper. It cannot be supposed that I was able to reason upon all the subjects he had, Jaid before me. I con tented myself therefore with remarking that every partial expedition against Canada, and wMch did not tend to the total conquest, or rather the deliverance of that country, would be dangerous and ineffectual; as it would not be strengthened by the concurrence square, fortified by tWo hastions'ocn-the east side, arid by two demi-bas tions on the side of «ihe : river1 ;blti,t' this old, fortification is abandoned, %ecause it was .too much (COitfmaiided, and a large redoubt, With' a s5mpl© parapet and a wretched palisade, is built on a more jsfevaterl; spot : ,within are small barracks for about two handled s'siaiers, sSuch is UoTt Edward, so much spoken of in Europe?,! aMiough it*c©Hik( in no. time have been able to resist hve hundred taeh, with/foiir pieces of cannim. I stopped here in hoto.'to refresh my horses, and about neon set off fo proceed as far as the cataract, which is eight miles beyond it. On leaving the- .Valley, and pursuing the road to Lake Gporgpj ts; a tolerable/ military position, which was occu pied in , the War before the last; it Is a sort of. entrenched camp, adapted to abattis, guarding thev p&ssage from the woods, and .commanding the' valley. I had scarcely lost sight "of, Fort Edward, before the spectacle * A particular account of this melancholy occurrence is to be found in. the "Northern Traveller," published by M«"- Goodrich,' New- York. . . '. ' 1& TRAVELS IN NORTHvABIEftiCA* of devastation presehteditseif to my efyes,i am»S c*|»ftif«ieA to dis tress then? as far as -the place I stopped at. Iteace and indus try had con«itet&**l*c»litivators anlidst these aneiemt fo#es|», men content 3fad fiappyy before the peripd of this- wa*. Those- who Were in JJurgeyne's way alqne experiine^d tfte hbrriiws of his expedition ;' but on the last invasion of the savages^, the deso lation* has spread from Fort Schuyler, (or Fpr% StanvJBe,) even to Fort EdwsSfifd ; I beheld nothing arouhd\Bie butthe remains of conflagrations ; a few bricks, proof agaijafk. the fire,, were the only indications of ruined houses? whilft the fences still fntire, and cleared out lands, *}rieounce<$ that theee deplorable atbitations had once been the abode of riches, and of happi ness. , Arrived at the height of the jea*ara«t it was 'necessary. to quitour sledges* and walk half 'a mile to the bank of the i*ivet. The -snow Was fifteen inchles deep, Which rendered this walk rather difficult, and obliged os to ruweeei in Indian' fites, in order tp make a path. Each -of us put ourselves alternately at the1 hjea*l pf this little column, as tha. Wild, geese' relieve each 6ther to occppy the summit of the angle, they form in their flight., But,. had our march been still more diffitewlt; the sight of the Cataract was. an ample reeompftnse. - It is not a sheet of- Water as at Cohoes,' and at Totohaw : the;rrver con fined, and •interiupted in its course by.#ffereht rocks, ^glides through the midst of them, and precipitating itstelf obliquely forms sever*! cascttojes. . That of Cohoes is more: majfestic, this, more ;te*?rJb|le : the M©hawfe.*^» seems to fall from1 its own deadweight'; that of Hudson frqfe, and be^ra^ qraraged, it foams and forms whirlpools, and flie> like a sg**f>e*at'.making its escape, still e-kitiiMittagits menace* Jjjy horrible hS^ibas. « , It was hear two when we jegajsied our sledges*, ftavigg'two and twenty miles to return to'.SaraApgf^ so that we trod baek bur steps as fast as "possible j**bnt we '$^|1 had to halt at F«W Edward to refresh pur ^fcsee-,' tye Anployed' this time, as we had dorie in the maiming,' in w&,B|Sn-kig oursei*-«s*by tho fiite-W the offieqts. who* command was 'unfavourable, and rendered travelling difficult* and laborious ; besides, experience taught me that travelling in winter never offered the greatest satisfaction' we can enjoy ; "that of seeing nature, such"as she ought to be, and oif forming a just idea ofthe general face of a country ; for it is^easier for the imagination to , deprive a landscape of the charms of spririgj than. to clothe witji "tliem, the hideous skele ton of winter;, as it is easier to imagine what a beauty at eighteen.may be at eighty,'than 'to conceive what eighty was at eighteen. — Monsieur de Rochambfeaii being absent like wise during the month of February, and Monsieur la Chevalier de la Lufcerne -having chosen the month of March to pay us a visit, .politeness and niy duty obliged m,e to wait till Xpri') be fore I'cotdd begin my travels .-p-On the 8th bfthaUnpnfh i, set clut With Mr". Lynch, then rny aid-de-camp and I jrajutant, How General; Mr. Frank Dillon, ^second aid^de^^p,* and Mt. le Chevalier d'Oyre ofthe engineers : six |e/varits and a Ted horse composed our train; so that our little caravan consisted of four masters, sk servants, and ele'ven/h^es. I regulated my journey by the spring, arid gave it tinte sjifficient to.precede us. For though in the 37th degree oflat||$e,tdne might ex pect to find it in the ntonth of April",- 1 saw.no pace of it in the Wood through which weWssed ; the ye|dure being hardly dis coverable, on the thorns, toe sun notwithstanding was very ar- * Monsieur le Baron de Montesquieu. weiit to Europe after the siege of, YorkBand did not return'untilthe month of Septepber fol lowing. 212 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. dent, and I regretted to find summer in the heavens, whilst the earth afforded not the smallest appearance of the spring. The eighteen miles through Which we passed, before we baited our horses at Bird's tavern, we're sufficiently known to me, for it was the same road I travelled last summer in coming from WiUiamsburgh. The remaining sixteen, which conipleted our day's work and brought us to New-Kent court-house, offered nothing curious ; all I learnt by a conversation with Mr. Bird was, that he*ad been pillaged by, the English when they pass ed his house m their march to Westover, in pursuit of Monsieur de la Fayette, and in returning, to WiUiamsburgh, after en deavouring in vain to come up with* him. It was comparative ly nothing to see their fruits, fowls, and cattle carried away by the light trooris which, formed the vanguaYd,* the army col lected what the vanguard had left, even the officers seized the rum, and all kinds of provisions, without paying a farthing for them ; this hurricane which fles'troyed every thuig in its pass-' .. ^v ; ^ •'¦ ', X-. W[, * It is with great reluctance, that truth compejs me to confirm the horrid depredations committed by the English 'army m';tie*nv progress through many parts of America. Much has been said on this subject. both in and out of parliament, but I . am sorry to 'say, that future histo rians of this unhappy wars will find the fact too well established to'i-er fuse a decisive verdict. Happy if the result may tend.hencefoifth to al leviate the miseries ofmankirid,"'apd mitigate the horrors' of a civil con test. The wife of an Englishman, one ofthe -principal merchants of Philadelphia, having- retil-ed with hef' family to, the neighbourhood 'of JVIoiintholsy in the. Jerseys, assured me,' that she found the country in general well affected to the' English, dntil -the arrival of their army, whose indiscriminate aiid wanton enormities soon alienated their most zealous friends, for even the officers were contaminated with the insa tiable spirit of revenge and plunder. • Among various anecdotes, she related tt me the circumstance ofthe cruel treatment of •! lady of her acquaintance, who vpas devoted," to tbe, British interest, and gave up Ker house with exultation to some officers of Clinton's army in their re treat from Philadelphia, But not only was her' zeal repaid with insult and her own house plundered ; she' had the mortification to see it made the receptacli 0f the pillage of her poorer neighbours. Observing some ofthe officers tauke frequent excursions', and return, followed by soldiers, laden with' yaiious articles, stfe had at length the curiosity to pass into the garden, ah^ looking" through the window, saw four of theni, and the ChapMn, emptying a safek containing stockings, shirts, shifts, counterpanes, sheets,' spoons, and -women's trinkets. The booty was regularly shared, and the distributor of these unhallowed spoils, to her utter astonishment and' horror, was no other than the minister of virtue and religion. The detail of this war is a history of such iniquity : was it possible, therefore, to. expect a more favourable termination of it, either on the principle of a Divine Providence, or of human conduct ? — Trdns. * *" TRAVELS IN NORTH AMERICA. 213 age, was followed by a scourge yet more terrible, a numerous rabble, under the title of Refugees and. Loyalists, followed the army, not to assist in the field, but to partake of the" plunder.* The furniture and clothes of the inhabitants were in general the sole booty left to satisfy their avidity ; after they had emp tied the houses, they stript the proprietors ; and Mr. Bird re peated with indignation, that they had taken from him by force, the very .boots from off his legs. In my way hither, I had the satisfaction however of recalling to mind* the first pu nishment inflicted on these robbers. Six miles: frcfm' WiUiams burgh I passed near a place where two cross roads intersecting each other,' leave an open space ; one leading to' WiUiams burgh, the other to Jamestown. On the 25th of June, Mon sieur de la Fayette herd ordered tbe vanguard to attack that of Lord Cornwallis ; Sinooe, who commanded it, was left behind to collect the cattle, whilst Lord Cornwallis was encamping at WiUiamsburgh, where he arrived, the preceding evening. Monsieur de la Fayette's cavalry with some infadj|y mounted behind them, arrived soon enough to force Sincfe. to an en gagement, and was soon after joined by the rest ofthe Ameri can light infantry. Sincoe fought with disadvantage, till Lord Cornwallis marching to his assistance, the Americans retired, * The Loyalists no 'doubt, no more merit indiscririiinate censure than •any other bodyofnie'n; the Translator, who thinks he' understands the true principles ofliberty," for which be has ever been a zealous' and un shaken advocate, admits,; ffovfcever, arid admires the virtue, honour, and steadfast attachment bffiaany -illustrious individuals to a cause, direct ly destructive of His own wishes ;; but with every feu* allowance for the violence inseparable from ciyil contests, he cannot help bearing his testimon** to tbe wanton,outrages, Gpnimitted' by an unprincipled ban ditti who attached themselves to the.royal'cause, and branded it with ruin arid disgrace. The root of this evil originated in the" Board of Loyalists established bjr Lord George Gernaain at the instigation of skulking refugees, who flying themselves; from the scene of danger, took up their residence ,in London, and were in the incessant pursuit of personal and interested vengeance. He does not assert that their councils }ost America, but it is now past doubt, that they formed a strong, secondary, cause ofprecjbitating that event, and of embittering the separation. General , Clinton, the whole army at New- York, can witness the insolence and indirect menaces of this incorporated rabble of marauders,, m ,the affair of Captain Ruddy, and the subsequent claim of the Congress. Had tfi'e >ar Continued, this imperium in im perio must have been attended with the most fatal consequences * this illiberal narrow minded set of men, 'became the spies and censors of British policy, and British conduat, and the commander-in-ehief Him self, was struck with horror at their unenlightened, blood-thirsty tribu nal. — Tran& < •2U TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. after having killed or wounded near 150 men, with the loss only of seven or eight. Colonel Butler an American officer, who commanded a battahon of light infantry s and Colonel Cralvan,* a French officer, who commanded another, distin guished themselves very much on this occasion; The recol lection of this event, the presage of that success which crown ed our campaign, employed my thoughts so much the more agreeabk tiie whole evening, *as we had taken up our.lodgings in, a go6ffiinn», where we were served with an excellent supper, composew "Chiefly of sturgeon, and I had two kinds of fish, at least as good in, Virginia as in Europe, but which make thei« appearance only in the spring. .t The next ipowiing I had an enjoyment of another kind. I .rose with the surL. and whilst breakfast Was preparing, took a walk round the^ house ; the birds were heard on every side, but my attention was chiefly attracted by a very, agreeable songj which appeared to proceed froth a neighbouring tree. I ap proached Ijglfily, and perceived; it to be a mocking bird, salu ting the tt'tWag sun. At first I was afraid of frightening it, but my presence on the contrary gave it pleasure, for apparently delighted at having an auditor, it Sung better than before, and its emulation seemed to increase, when ij. perceived a couple of dogs, which followed me,. draw near to the tree on which' it was perched. It kept hopping incessantly from branch to branch, still continuing its song, for this exStaordinary bird is not less remarkable for its agility, than -its charming notes; it keeps perpetually rising aj|d sinking, so-ijs. to appear not less the favourite of Terpsichore, than Jtelihymnia. This bird can not certainly be reproached With fatiguing its auditors, for no thing can be. more varied than its sprig, of which it is impos sible to give an imitation; or even to furnish any adequate-idea* As it had every reason to be contented: with njy attention,' it concealed from me no. one of its talents ; and One -would have thought, that after having delighted me With a concert, it was desirous of entertaining me with a eomedy. It .began to coun- , terfeit different birds ; those which it imitated the most natu rally, at least to a stranger, were the jay,'the raven, the cardi nal, and the lapwing, f It appeared desirous of retaining me near it, for after having listened for a quarter of an hour, on. * Thesame who afterwards shot himself atPhiladelphia.! gee pre vious notes. — Trans. ' .'•'•' i> * ' ¦' ¦...«. - ., V '. ¦ T Or rather the painted plover, Which is th® lapwing of America. It differs from ours,. by its plumage^niixt with grey, white and yellow gilt; it differs also a little in its 'song, but it jias the shape and man ners, and is absolutely the same species. .: TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA*. 215 my return to the house,, it foUoWed me, flying from tree to tree, always singing, sometimes its natural song, at others, those which it had learned in Virginia, and in its travels ; for this bird is one of those which change, climate, although it some times appears here during the winter. . As the next day's jour ney was to be longer than that of the preceding one, we left New-Kent court-house before eight o'clock and rode tweiity miles to Newcastle, Where I resolved to give our horses tWo hour's repose ; the road was not so level as.that.we had 'travel led the day before, and Was 'renderedmore agreeable by being diversified with some little biHoeks. FromUhe top. of them you had a view to the distance of some miles, and at times one might perceive Paiminkey river, which runs at the .bottpm of a deep valley, covered With, wood. As you approach New castle, the country becomes more gay. This little capital of a > small district, contains twenty-five or thirty houses, some of which are pretty enough, When our 'horses were reposed, and the heat already troublesome in tile middle ofthe day, was a little abated, we .contiiuied bur journey, that we might arrive, .before dark, at . Hanover court-house, from which we were yet sixteen miles. The country through which we pass ed is ope of the finest of lowef Virginia. There are many well cultivated estates, and handsome houses, among others, one belonging to( Mr. Jones, sitjiated near the road, two miles from Newcastle, of a very elegant appearance, which, we were informed, was furnishe4 witi^mfinile. taste, and what is still more' uncommon, in Ameriesi, that it was embellished with a garden, laid out in 'the Engl jsh style.* It is even pretended, that this. kind of paiijk,* through which the river floWs,#yieldsnot in beauty to thosej1 the; inodel'" of which, the-French have re ceived from England, anji- are now imitating with such suc cess, f ¦'¦:'-'¦¦ ¦ .'.'/.•' r~^ ' '* . * The author has since seen this garden, which answers the descrip tion given, and is really very, elegant. . f • The gardens I have hitherto seen in France professedly laid out on the English model, are with great deference to the author, but very unsuccessful imitations of the English style ; those of the Gomte do Artois at Bagatelle, -and of the Duke of Orleans at Mousseaux near Paris, are indeed no imperfect imitations of Mr. Sterling's in the co medy of the Clandestine Marriage, of the Spaniard's at .Hampstead, of Bagnigge-weHs, or a Common Councilman's retreat upon the" Wandsworth road. They present- afan^stic, and crowded groupe of Chinese pagodas, gothic. ruins, immoveable windmills, molehill-mounts, thirty grass patches, dry bridges^ pigmy ..serpentines, cockleshell cas cades, .and stagnant duck-pools. The gardens of the Thiiilleries and Marly, with their undisguised,, artificial labours, ate' at least nolile, 216 TRAVELS JN NORTH-AMERICA. Three miles from Hanover, there are two roads, that which we were to follow winds a little towards rne north, anti ap proaches the Pamunkey. We arrived before sfinset and alight ed at a tolerable handsome' inn ; a very large saloon and a co vered portico, are destined to receive the company who assem ble every three ihonths at the courts-house, eitheron private or public affairs. This asylum is the more necessary, as there are no other houses in the npighbourhooB. Travellers make use of theso establishments, Which are'iriclispensable ina coun try so thinly inhabited, that the houses are bftenat the distance of two or. three miles frorn each bther. Care is geherally taken to place the court-house in thp centre of the county. As there are a great many conrities ifr Virgini'a,'they. are seldom mo^e than six* of seven leagues diameter.; "thus every man can return home after he has finished his affairs^ . * The county of Hanover, as well as that of New-Kent, had still reason , to remember the passage of the English. Mr. Tilghman^ our landlord, thoughL'he. lamented his misfortune in. having lodged and boarded Lord Cornwallis and his retinue, without his Lordship's- hayingmade him, the least recompense, could not yet help-laughing at the fright which the unexpect ed. arrival of Tarleton spread among a considerable number of gentlemen, who had come, to hear the news, and were assem bled in the court-house, • 'A negro on horseback came full gal lop, to let them know that Tarletoo was not above three miles off. The resolution of retreating Was sobh taken, but the alarm" was so sudden, and the* ^confusion so great, that every one mounted tiie first horse he could find, s&,tMt few of those cu-. rious gen0emen returned upon their own horses. The Eng lish, who came frorn Westover, had ^passed' the Chilkahominy at Button's bridge, and directed theiu inarch* towards the South Anna, which M. de la Fayette had jJut between them and him self. , • • ¦; * _ ' ¦ Mr. Tilghman having had time-to renew his.prOvisions since the retreat of Lord Cornwallis,: we supped very well, and had the .company of Mr. Lee, brother to Colonel Henry Lee;* magnificent, and useful ; their terraces are gran,a\ and their lofty Ber- ceaus beautiful, -and well .adapted to. the" cfimate.-r- Trans. ' * Colonel Ilai-ry Lee is a smart, active young, man, first, cousin to Mr. Arthur Lee, and Mr. William Lee, latter .alderirian ©f London- He rendered very essential services to his country, particularly in, the southern war. Ijis corps was ijao'unted on remarkably fine, high- priced horses, moE-tlyhalf 'blood English stallions„and officered prin-> cipally by his own fanjily and relations.. Had the war cohtinued, there.; is every reason to believe that the American- cavalry would have, taken Some consistence, arid have become very forriiidable int'the field ; ' Mr. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 217 Who long" commanded a legion, and often distinguished himself, particularly in Caroling.* We set out at nine the next morn ing, after having breakfasted much better than our horses, who had nothing but oats, the country being so destitute of forage, that it was not possible to find a truss of hay, or a few leaves of Indian corn, though we had sought for it two miles round. Three miles and a half from Hanover we crossed the South Anna on a wooden bridge. I observed that the river wafe (Jeeply embanked, and from the nature of the soil conclu ded it wae the same during a great part of its course : it ap pears to me therefore that would have been a good defence, if Monsieur de la Fayette, who passed it higher up, had arrived in time to destroy the bridge. n the left side ofthe riverthe- ground rises, and you mount a pretty high hill, the country is barren, and We travelled alrnost always in the wopdsj till one o'clock, when we arrived at OHTy, and alighted at General Nel son's, formerly gcfvernor of* Virginia. _ I had- got acquainted with him duVing the expedition to York, at which critical mo ment he Was governor,' and conducted himself with the cou rage' of a brave soldier, and the zeal of a good citizen. At the time -when the English armies 'were carrying desolation into the heart of his country, and*our troops arrived unexpect edly to succour and revenge, it, he Was compelled to exert every means, and to calf forth every* possible resource, to assist Mon sieur de la Fayette to make some resistance ; and furnish Ge neral Washington tWith horses, carriages, and provisions; but I am sorry to add, what will do but little honour to Virginia, that the only recompense of -his labours was the hatred of a great part of his fellow-citizens. At the first assembly of the pro vince, held after the campaign, he experienced from them neither the satisfaction he 'had a right to expect; .at being freed from servitude, nor that emulation whicfris the general consequence Tarleton received many severe checks in his exploits from the corps under Colonel Washington, and that of Colonel Harry Lee. Towards the close ofthe war, he had to encounter an enemy very different from flying militia, and scattered bodies of broken, half disciplined infantry, of whom slaughter may be service, but conquest no 'honour'. — Trans. *, Lord Cornwallis was unquestionably the English general whose. courage, talents and activity, occasioned .the greatest loss*to the Ariie- ricans ; it is not astonishing therefore he shoiHd notjhave inspired them with sentiments similar to those of his own troops, Whose attachment, and admiration of his character, were unbounded. Yet they never ac cused him of rapine, nor even of interested views, and the complaints of Mr. Tilghman only prove the sad consequences of a war,in flie course of which the English suffered more from want, in the midst of their 28 318 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. of success ; but instead of these sentiments, so natural jn such circumstfinces, a general discontent, arising from the necessity under which he had often laboured, of pressing their horses, carriages and forage. "Those laws- and customs which would have ceased to exist by the conquest ofthe province*, were put in force against its defender, and General Nelsbn, worn out at length by the fatigues of the campaign, but still more by, |he ingratitude of his fellow-citizews, resigned the place of govern*- or, which he had held foi; six-months,- but not without enjoying the satisfaction of justifying his conduct, and of seeing his countrymen pardon the momentary injuries he had dpne their laws, by endeavouring to save the s,tate. If to the character I have just given of General Nelson^ I sjiould add, that he,is a food arid gallant man, in every possible situation of 'life, and as ever behaved witft the utmost politeness to the French, you will be surprised .that I should go to visit him in his. absence, like Mathwin in the comedy *of Rose and Codas, for though I knew he Was not at home, as I had met him neafr' WiUiams burgh, where .fee was detained by public business, the visit I intended to pay him formed a part of my .journey I undertook — besides that I was desif ous of seeingjiis family, particularly his younger brother, Mr. William Nelson, with whom I was intimately connected at Wijliamshnrgh, where he passed the greatest part of the winter. Offty*is far from corresponding with the riches of General Nelson, or with his high considera tion in Virginia ; it is biit a moderate plantation, where he has contented himself with erecting such buildings as , are neces sary for the improvement of his lands, and for the habitation of his overseers; his general residence is ait York, but that he was obliged; to abandqn : -and Qffiy being beyoftd the South, Anna, and situated far back in the country, he thought that this lonely house would be at least a safe retreat for his family ; it was not secure however frpm the visits of Lord Cornwallis, who, in nis peregrinations through Virginia, advanced even so far, > though without doing much mischief. In the absence of the general, his, toother and wife received us With* all the polite- success, than in their disasters ; the former carrying them far from the fleet, and the latter obliging them to approach it. Brit the most pain- ful.of these consequences was the necessity which compelled a man of my Lord porn wallis' birth and character, to conduct, rather than command, a numerous band of traitors arid robbers, which English policy decorated with the name of Loyalists.. This rabble preceded the troops in plunder, taking'spfecial care never to follow them in dan ger. , The progress was marked by fire, devastation, and outrages of every kind ; -they ravaged some part of Airie"rica it is true, but ruined- England, by inspiring her eneniies with ah irreconcileable hatred. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA, 219 ness, ease, and cordiality natural to his family. But as in America, the ladies are never thought sufficient to do the ho nours of the house, five or six Nelsons, were assembled to re ceive us ; among others-, the Secretary Nelson, uncle to the ge neral, with his two sons, and two of the general's brothers. These young men were all married, and several of them Were accompanied by their wives and children, all called Nelson, and distinguished only by their christian names,* so that during the two days which I# passed in this truly patriarchal house, it was impossible for me to find out.their degrees of relationship. When I say that we passed two days m thijs house, it may be understood in the most literal' sense, for the weather was so bad, there was no possibility of stirring out. The house be ing neither convenient nor spacious, cbtapany assembled either in the parlour or saloon, especially the men,* from the hour of. breakfast, to that of bed-time, but the conversation was always agreeable and Well supported. If you were desirous of diversify ing the scene, there were some good Freneh and English authors at hand. An excellent breakfast at nine in the morning, a sumptuous dinner at two o'clock, tea and punch in the after noon; and an elegant little supper, divided the day most hap pily, for those whose stomachs were never unprepared. It is worth observing, that on this occasion, where fifteen or twenty people, (four of Whom were strangers to the family or count try,) were assembled" together, and by bad weather1 forced to stay within doors, not a _ syllable was mentioned about play. How many parties would with us have been the consequence of such obstinate bad weather ? But in America, music, draw ing, public reading, arid the work of »the ladies, are resources as yet unknown, though it is to be hoped they -will not long neglect to cultivate them ; for nothing but study was waniing to a young* Miss Tolliver who sung some airs, the wo*ds of which were English, and the music Italian. Her charming voice, and the artless simplicity of her singing, were a substi tute for taste, if not taste itself; that natural taste, always sure, When confined within just limits, and when timid in its. weak-r ness, it has not been altered, or spoiled by false precepts and bad examples. * . Miss Tolliver has attended her sister, Mrs* William Nelson; to Offly, who had just miscarried, and kept her bed. She was * The French in general assume the surname, by which they choose to be distinguished in the world, so that the name which* with us, is a real bond of affection, is soon lost with them. I was long acquainted with four brothers in France, "without knowirig they were related to each other. — Trans. 320 TRAVELS IN J^ORTH- AMERICA- brought up in the middle ofthe woods«by her father, a great fox-- rninter, consequently could have learned to sing from the birds only,' in the neighbourhood, when the hoWling of tl*,e dogs per mitted her to hear them. She is an agreeable figure, as well-as Mrs. Nelson her sister, though less pretty than a third daughter, who remained with her father. These young ladies came often to WiUiamsburgh to attend the balls, where they appeared as well dressed as the ladies of the town,»and always remarkable for their decency of behaviour. The voung military gentle-: men, on the other hand, had conceived a great affection for ' Mr. Tolliver their Mhef, and took the trouble sometimes to ride over to' breakfast and talk with him of the chase. The ybung ladies, who appeared from time to time, never inter rupted, the conversation. These pretty nymphs more timid and wild than those of Diana, though they did not conduct the chase, inspired'the taste for it into the youth : they knew how ever how-to defend themselves from fox-hunters, without de stroying, by their arnows, those who had the presumption to look at them. .' ¦ , • After this little digression, which requires some indulgence, I should be at a loss* for a transition to an old magistrate, whose white locksj noble figure, and stature, which was above the common size, commanded respect and veneration. Secre tary Nelson, to whom this character . belongs, owes this title to the placo he occupied-under the English .government. In Virginia the secretary, whose .office it was to preserve the re gisters of all public acts, was, by his place, a member of the council, of which the governor was the chief. Mr. Nelson, Who held this office for thirtyyears, saw the morning of that bright day which began to shine upon his country ; he saw tooHfie storms arise whieh threatened its destruction, though he neither endeavoured to collect, or to foment them. T0o*iar advanced in age to desire a revolution, too prudent to check this great. event, if necessary, and too faithful to his countrymen to separate his interests from theirs, he. chose the erisif of' this alteration, to retire from publitfa'ffairs. Thus did he opportunely quit the theatre, when new pieces demanded fresh actors, and took his seat among the spectators, content to offer up his wishes for the -success of the rdrama, and to ap plaud those who acted well their part. But in the last cam paign, chance produced him on the scene, and made" him un fortunately famous. He lived at Yorlj., whterfe he had built a Very handsome house, from which neither European taste nor luxury was excluded; a chimney-piece and some bass-reliefs of Very fine marble, exquisitely sculptured, were particularly, ad- mire'd, when fate conducted Lord*Cornwallis to this town to fee disarmed, as. well as his till then victorious troops. ' Secre- TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. 221 tary Nelson did notfthink it necessary to fly from the English, to whom his conduct could not have made him' disagreeable, nor have furnished any just motive of suspicion. "He was well received by the general, who established his head-quarters in his house, which was built on an eminence, near the most im portant fortifications, arid in the most agreeable, situation of the town. It, was the first object which struck the sight as you approached -the town, but instead of travellers, it . soon drew the attention of bur bombafdiers and cannoniers, and was almost entirely destroyed. Mr. Nelson lived in it at the time our batteries tried their first shot and killed one of his negroes at a little distance. from him ; so that Lord Corriwallis was soon" town, or from the trenches, might prove equally fatal to him"; I was witness to the cruel anxiety of 6ne of these young men, when after the flag was sent to demand his. father, he kept his eyes fixed upon the gate of the town, by. which it was to come out, and seemed to expect his own sentence in- the answer. Lord Cornwallis had too much humanity to refus3 a request so just, nor can I recollect, without emotion, the moment in which I saw this old gentleman alight at General Washington's. He was seated, the fit of the gout not having yefc left hirp ; and whilst we stood around him, he related to us,#with a serene countenance, what had been the effect of our batteries, and how much his»«house ' had suffered from the first shot. ? The tranquillity, which ha§ succeeded these unhappy times, by giving him leisure to reflect upon his losses, has- not embit tered the recollection ; he lives happily- on one of his planta tions, where, in less than^six hours, he can assemble thirty of his children, grand-children, ^nephews, nieces, &>c. amounting in all to seventy, the whdle •inhabiting Virginia,- The rapid increase of his own. family justifies what he told me ofrthe population irt- general, of which, from the offices he has held all his .life, he must have it ip hii power to form a very accurate judgment. In 1742 the people subject to "pay taxes in the State" of Virginia, that is to say,'the white males above sixteen, and the male and female blacks of the same age, amounted only to the number, of 63,000 ; by his account they now ex ceed 160,000.* ... * This calculation is much below that given by other writers, arid I have reason to believe that it is considerably below the mark. — Trans. 222 TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. After passing two days very agreeably with this interesting family, we left them the 12th at ten in the morning, accompa nied by the secretary, and five or six other Nelsons, who con ducted us to Little River Bridge, a small creek on the road about five miles from Offly. There we separated, and having rode about eleven miles, farther through woods,, and over a barren country, we arrived at one o'clock at Wil}is' inn or ordi nary ; for the inns which in the other provinces of America are known by the name of taverns, or public houses, are in Virginia called ordinaries. This consisted of a little house placed in a solitary situation in the middle of the woods, not withstanding which we there found a great deal of company. As soon as I alightedVl inquired what might be th$ reason of this numerous assembly, and was infot-jned it was a cock- match'. This diversion is much in fashion in Virginia, where the English customs are more prevalent than in the rest of America. When the principal promoters of this diversion, propose to. match their champions, they take great care .to an nounce it to the public, and although there are neither posts, nor regular conveyances, this important news spreads With such' facility, that the planters, for thirty or forty miles round, attend, -some with cocks, but all with money for betting, which is sometimes very considerable i. They are obliged to bring their own provisions, as so mariy people with good appetites could not possibly be supplied with them at the inn. As for lodgings, one large room for the whole company, with a blan ket for each individual, is sufficient for such hearty country men, who are not more delicate about the conveniences of life, than the choice of their amusements. . Whilst our horses were feeding, we had, an "opportunity of seeing a battle. The preparation took up a great deal of time ; they arm their cocks with long steel spurs, very sharp, and cut off a. part of their ^feathers, as if they meant to de prive them of their armour. The stakes were* very considera-. ble ; the money of the parties was deposited in the* hands of one of the principal persons, and I' felt a secret pleasure in observing, that it was chiefly French.* I know not which is * * The prodigious, quantity of French- money brought into America by their fleets and armies, and the loans made to congress, together with the vast return of dollars from the Havana', and the Spanish, Por tuguese, and English, gold which found its way into the country from the British lines, rendered specte very plentiful towards the conclusion of the war ; and the arrival of the army of the Comte de Rochaiji- beau was particularly opportune, .as it happened at the very distressing crisis of the death of the paper currency. "*The French money alone in circulation in tho United States, in the year 1782 was estimated, TRAVELS W. NORTH-AMERICA. 323 the post astonishing, the insipidity of such diversion, or the stupid interest with which it animates the parties. This pas sion .appears almqst innate among the English, for the Virgi nians are yet English in many respects. Whilst the interested parties animated the cocks to battle, a child of fifteen, who was near me, kept leaping for joy, and crying, Oh ! it is a charming diversion. , * We had yet seven or eight and twenty miles to ride, to the only inn where it was possible to stop, before we reached Mr. Jefferson's ; for Mr. de Rochambeau, who had travelled the same road but two months before, cautioned ihe against sleep- after very accurate calculations," -at thirty -five millions of litres, or near a million and a half sterling. Although it is. impossible to ascertain with any degree of piecisipii the quantity of British money circulating in the revolted- part ofthe continent, under the forms of Spanish, Por tugal, and English coin, yet some gejieral idea may be entertained that the quantity, was very Considerable, from ktbe following extract from the seventh report of the commissioners qf public accounts, " We obtained by requisition 'from, the, office- of the Paymaster-General of the forces, an account of tlje money issued «to Messrs. Hartley &. Drummond, pursuant to his Majesty's warrants, for the extraordinary , services of his*"Majesty's fore'es serving in North -America from the 1st of January, 1776, to the -31st of December, 17181. This sum amounts'to 10,083,863?. 2s. 6d, — There are two ways by which this money goes from these remitter's into the hands of their agents : the one is by bills drawn, by them on the' remitters, which bills they receive the value for 'in America, and the remitters discharge when presented to them in London ; the othef is by sending out- actual cash, whenever it becomes necessary to support the exchange, by increasing the quan tity of current cash in the hands of the agents." — Now the votes of parliament will show the reader, the vast sums annually granted to Messrs. Hartley &• Drummond, fbr the specific purpose of purchasing Spanish and Portugal gold alone, to sUpply" this, quantity of current cash." Besides the vast exportation of English guineas -% -nor is it to be doubted that a great proportion of this supply found its way into the heart of the- United States, in return for provisions, in payment of their captive armies, «fcc. &c. The British navy too is not included in this estimate. Great sums, it is true, returned to Britain directly or indirectly for goods, &c, but much specie remained incontestibly in the country. With respect to the Spanish dollars from the Havana and the West-Indies, no just calculation, can be formed, but. the amount must have been very considerable, as, they appeared to me to circulate in the proportion of at least three or four to one of all the other coined specie.^-When the translator added this note, he had not seen Lord Sheffield's observations on. the subject. In these, thow- ever, he thinks his lordship discovers deep prejudices, mixed with much, excellent reasoning and a great deal of truth. — Trans. 324 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. ing at Louisa courthouse, as the worst lodging he had found in all America.., This public house is sixteen ' miles from Willis' ordinary. As he had given me a very forcible descrip tion not only of the house, but of the' landlord, I had \curio- sity tp judge of it by my -own experience, tinder the pre tence of inquiring for the road, therefore, I went in, and ob served, that there was 'no other lodging for traveller's than the apartmenfof the landlord. This man, called Johnscm, is be come so monstrously fat, that«he cannot move out of his arm chair. He is a gopd'humoured fellow, whose manners are not very rigid, who loves good cheer, and all sorts of -pleasure, insomuch that at the age of fifty he has* so augmented his bulk, and diminished his fortune, that by two'opposite principles he is near seeing the termination of both ; but all this does not iri the least affect his gaiety. . I found hiaa contented ip his arm chair, which serves him for a bed.; for jt wemld be difficult for him to. lie down, and impossible to rise. A stool supported his enormous legs,"in which vwere large fissures on each* side* a prelude to what must soon happen to his belly*. A latge ham arid a bowl of ng time witiiojit seeing any habita tion, at times greatly perplejjjpd to *fchf>bse among the different roads, which crossed eacn other.* At last we overtook a tra veller who preceded'us, and served hot only as a guide, b.ut by his company helped'to abridge oilr journey. He was an Irish man,*^ who though bjutt. lately arrived* in America, had made ,..'„, . - « -r— -—^ , ifi jnany parts of America is hot to be conceived except "by thosre stkangerS who have travelled in that country. • Tljp^roads, winch are th*o*ugh the woods, not being kept jn repair, as^soonas one is iifbad order, another is made in the same mannar, tha* is, mrarqjy by felling the' trees, and the v^hole inte rior parts are so covered, that ^vithdut a compass it is impossible to have the feast idea- of the course you are steering. ,The distances too are so uncertain, as in every coun/ry Where they are not measured, that no two accounts resemble e#ach ofljer. In the back parts of Penn sylvania, Ma**yland, and Virginia, ' I h-ive frequently travelled thirty miles for ten, though frequently set right by passengers and 'negroes: but tng'great' communications bet ween" the large towns, through all flie well inhabited parts of the continent, are as practicable and easy as in Europe. — Trans. t An Irishman, the instant he sets foot on American ground be comes, ipsqt facto, an American '; this was uniformly the case during the whole of the late war. Whilst Englishmen and Scotsrrien were regarded with jealousy and distrust, even with the best recommenda tion, of zeal a,nd attachment to their cause, a native of Ireland stood in need of no other certificate than his dialect ; his sincerity' was never called in question^ he was supposed to have a sympathy of suffering, and every voice decided as it were intuitively, in his favour. Indeed their conduct in the late revolution amply justified this favourable opi nion ; for whilst the Irish emigrant was fighting the battles of Ameri ca by sea and land, the Irish merchants, particularly at Charleston, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, laboured with indefatigable zeal, and at all hazards, to promote the spirit of enterprise, to increase the wealth, and maintain the credit ofthe country ; their purses were always open, and their persons devoted to tbe common cause. . On more than one imminent occasion, Congress owed their existence, and America pos- -29 22o* TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. several campaigns, and #eceiveda considerable ^wound in his thigh by a musket ball ;' Which, though if* could- never be ex tracted, hadjnbt in the*Ieast affected either his health or gaiety. He relatedlhis military exploits, apd we inquired immediately about the country which he then inhabited. He acquainted us that he was settled in ' North-Carolirfa, upwards of eighty miles from Catasv.baW, and were then 300 fforn the sea. Ttysse newejlablishmgnts are so. much the" more interesting, as % their distahce^rom all commarce, agriculture js their sole re source; I mean that patriarchal agriculture which consists in producing onry what is sufficient for their own "consumption, without the hopp of *bythpr sale or barter. Theses colonies therefore must necessarily be reiftferfd equal to all their wants. It is easy to coriceive that there is. soon no deficiency of food, but it is also necessary that. their flocks 'aijd their fields should furnish them with clothing, they mUst.manufacture theij own wool, and flax,- into clothes' and linen, tbef must prepare «flie' bides to make shpes-of them, &c. &c.;* as to drink, they are oitliged to content themsgrVes with milk arid water, until fbeir apple-trees are large enough .to bgar. fruit, or until tjjey have been able to procure themselves "state, to dijtii their grain. In tbese troublesome times we* should scarceljs imagine in Eu rope, that nails are the'articles the most warfted ifl these new colonies : for the axe and the saw .can supply every other Want. They contrive how*ver to erect huts, and construct roofs with out nails, but the work is Joy this means rendered mudh mofe tedious, and in*su*fh circumstances every body knows the va lue of time, and labour. It was a natural question to ask such a, cultivator what could bring him, four hqndred- mil«s from sibly her preservation to the fidelity and firmness of the Irish. I had the honour of dining with the Irish Society, composed ofthe steadiest whigs upon the continent, at the City TaVern in 'Philadelphia, on St. Patrick s day ; the members w.ear'a medallion suspended by a riband, with a very significant device, which' has escaped my memory, but was so applicable to the American revolution, thai until I was assured that it subsisted prior to that eVent, and had a reference only to the oppression of Ireland by her powerful sister^ concluded it to be a temporary illusion. Gerieral Washington, Mr. Dickinson, and other leading characters are adopted members of this society, having been initiated by the ceremony of ari exterior application of a whole bottle of claret poured upon the head, and a generous libation to liberty and good living, of as many tis the votary could carry" off". — Trans. * It is a natural supposition that workmen of all sorts (at least the rfiost necessary,) should form a part of every new colony, and follow their particular trade as the most beneficial employment.— Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 22? home, and we Learned frpm him that he carried on the trade of horse selling, the orily cqmtaerce of which his country was sus ceptible;* and by which,people in the most easy circumstances endgavdUred to augmenj their fortunes. In factthese animals multiply very fast^m a country where there is abundant pas ture ; anoj as they'aise Conducted without a>riy expense, hy gra zing on th^ road> tfeey become the most c'ommbdious articfe of exportation, for a country so far fiom anyf. roa^ or. commerce. The conversation cOntinjued "and bjroi^ght us jnsensibly to the foot of the mountams. On the summit of one of them we dis covered the house of Mr. Jefferson, which skhdsjve-eminent is these retirements ; it was himself wfco built it and preferred this situation »- for although he possessedjpdnsiderable property in the neighbourhood, there was nbthjtg to prevent hiiy from fixjng his residence wherever he thought proper. 'But it wa^s a debt nature owed to a philosopher and a man of taste, that in his own possessions he should find a s"pot where he might best study and enjoy her. He calls bis house Monticello", (in Ita lian, Little Mountain,) a very mod^t tifte, for it is situated upon a. Very ioft/^ne, but which announces the owner's attach ment to tli£ lanfeuage of Italy ; and above all to the fine arts, of whieh that country was the cradUvand is still, the asylum. As I had no farthej-. occasion for, a guide, I separated from the Irishman ; and afte* ascending b^ a tolerably commodious road, fot more thari half an hour, we arrived at Monticello. This house, of which Mr. Jeffersqn was the architect, and often one of the workmen, is rather elegant, and in the Italian taste, though not without fault ; it consists ofone large square pavil- lion,**|he entrance of which, is by two porticos ornamented wit^h pillars* The ground floor consists chiefly of a very large lofty saldon, which is to be decorated entirely in the antique style : abbve i#is a library ofthe same form, two small wings, witit only a ground floor, and attic story, are joined to this pa- villjon, aa& edmmuhicate with the kitchen mfices, &.*. which will form 'a kind of basement stoj-y over which runs a terrace. My object in this s^lort description is onjy toshow the difference between this, and the other homes ofthe country ; for we may safely aver, that Mr. Jefferson is tbe first American who faa,s consulted the fineJafts to know how he should shelter himself from the weather. ', But it is on himself alone I ought to bestow my time. , Let me describe to you a man, not yet forty, tall, *, Considerable quantities of peltry are likewise brought from the bacl| parts of Worth-Carolina ; and I have met with strii^ of hbrses laden with that article passingthrough Virginia to Philadelphia from the distance of six hundred miles.— Trans. 22^ TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. and with a mild and pleasing countenance, but whose mind arid ^understanding* are atnple substitutes for every exte*rior grace. Ag American, who without over having Quitted liis own 'country,* is at once a musician, sloilled in drawing, a geo metrician, an .astronomer, a natural philosopher* legislator, and statesman." A "senaWof America, who sat for two years in that famous Congress which' brbught about tiie revoliftion ; and Which is never mentioned without respect, though unhappily not without regret : a gevernor of Virginia. Who filled this dif ficult station during 'the.invasions of Arnold, of Phillips, and of Cornwallis ; a philosopher, in voluntary retirement frohi the world,'and pubhc ,business, because he loves the world, irf- asmuch only as he c,an 'flatter himself with being useful to mankind ; and the minis of bis countrymen are nift yet in a condition either to bear the "light, or to suffer contradiction. A mild and amiable wifet charming children, of whose ed*/ca- tioif he himself takes charge* a house*to embellish, great pro visions to improve," ajid the .arts and sciences to cultivate ; these are what remain to'tyx. Jefferson, after hav'ng^played a princi pal character on the theatre of the new world, arid which he preferred to thp *honQura"ble commission of Minister Plenipo tentiary in Europe.f 'The visit whicn *I made him Was not unexpected, for he had long sjnc,e invr\ed Hie to come and. pass a fewd'ays with* him, in. {Me centre ofthe nfountains ; notwith standing which 1 found his first appearance serious, nay even cold ; but beforevI had been two*1 hours with him tve were as intimate- as rf we- had passed odr whole lives together f walking, books, but above all, a conversation always varied and interest ing, always supdorfed by that sWeet satisfaction experienced by ' two persons^who in communicating their sentinjents and opinions, are invariably in* unison, Etnd who midersjfand each other at tfie first Hint, made four days pass away like so many- minutes. „ >t_ *¦* This conformity of seatimeiits and opinions' on 'which I insist, because it constitutes my own eulogiunx, (and sglf-love must somewhere show itself,} this conformity, I* say, was so perfect,; that npt only our taste was sirtiilar, but our predilections also, those partialities which cold methodical rounds ridicule as*enT. **''<67 * 16th, three companies, 41 23d regiment, 286 33d regiment, 328 71st, 1st battalion, 249 71st, 2d battalion, , 237 7 1st light company, 69 German regiment of Bose, 347 Yagers, • 103 Tarleton's. legion, 4,51 N. Carolina Volunteers, 266 Total before the battle, . ' 3224 February 1st, 1781,' after theJefeat of Tarleton, Guards, 690 7th regiment, 16th regiment, 23d regiment, 279 33d regiment, 334 7lst, 1st battalion, 71st, 2d battalion, 234 71st light company, German regiment of Bose, 345 _ Yagers, ' 97 Tarleton's legion, 174 N. Carolina volunteers, 287 Total after the defeat of Tarleton, 2440 Total loss with the detachment of artillery 800 out of 1050 men, the real number of Tarleton's force.* The names ofthe regiments that have no numbers annexed to them in the last column are those which were totally destroyed, that is, kill ed, wounded, or taken, in the battle of Cowpens, on the 17th of Ja nuary, between Morgan and Tarleton. Lord Cornwallis in his Ga zette account, immediately after the affair, stated the loss only at 400, but the trutlnat length appears, when the purposes of misrepresenta tion are at an end, and the detail becomes necessary to the general's own honour. Lord Cornwallis in his account of Tarleton's defeat, mentions a veryhpnourable circumstance for the corps of artillery, but which was by no means unexamined by this brave body of men, in several actions TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 237 one circumstance in this relation had always astonished me. Morgan drew up Ms troops in order of battler in an open wood, and divided his riflemen upon the two wings, so as to form, with the line, a kind of tenaille, been more active, and his wife,, who was young arid?, handsome, more industrious, they could not have supplied the total want In which they then were, of bread, and of every thing to drink ; the bread was just kneaded, but not yet put into the' oven; and as for liquors, the house made use of ifione; the' sa*jie stream which turned the mill, was the only cellar of the young* couple, so that we might apply to MtV, Steel those verses of Guarini;. Qije'l fonte ond'ella'ferfVe ., • • " . "' ' . Quel solcf aneo la bagn'a, ela confi'glia. five persons and a single negro, armed with a pad- tile -instead' of an oar. We put into the canoe our saddles and baggage* and made several trips, at each of which two horses were , swatfjf- across,' he\d by the bridle. • It was night, and very dark bjftfijrfe this business was finished. But after we had, not without great trouble,, resaddled a»d reloaded our horses, the difficulty was to reach the inn, which was half a mMe frdrta. the place Wh^re we landed ; forthe river floWs be tween two precipices, and as the canoe could not land us at the ford, nor consequently, at the road, we were obliged to climb up the mountain, „by a path but little used^ahd very difficult even by daylight; nor should we ever have found our way had I not engaged the waterman to conduct us. .We clam bered up as Well as" we could, every one leading his horse through the trees and branches, which we could not- perceive^ from the obscurity of the .night', Until they struck us, on the face. At last we arrived at Praxton's tavern ; but' it was ten o'clock, and the house already shut up, or more properly the houses; for there are two. - I approached the first that offered, and knocked' at the door^ which they opened, and we saw five or six little negroes: lying, upon a mat before a large fire. We then went to the other, and- there found five or six white child- r ren lying-in the. same manner ; two or three grown up negroes presided' oyer each of these -little troops..* They told us that Mr. Prax^qn, hi-s wife,' and all. his family, Were invited -to a wedding, but not far off, and that they would ,go" and fetch them. As for us, we were invited to supper by a very vora cious appetite, after a long journey and a great deal of fa tigue, and were very differently situated from the new married cotiple and their company, and had no sniall apprehensions of , — . _: — _,, ^ . _ . .. _ ... ._^_ * It was a singular sight for an European to behold the situation of the negroes in the southern provinces during the; War, when clothing was extremely scarce., I have frequehtly seen in Virginia; on visits to gentiemeri's houses; yburig negroes and neg'rfesses nwjning about or basking in the court-yard naked as they came* into 'the world, with well characterized marks of 'perfect puberty-; and young negroes frohi six teen to twefhty years old, with not an articlte of clothing, but a-' loose shirt, descending half way down their thighs, waiting at table where were ladies, without any appttreift, embarrassment on one side, or the slightest attempt at concealment oh the omer.— Trans. 246 TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. seeing our host and hc^sjessi return Completely drunk. But in tiiis we were deceived j'ttbey arrived perfectly sober, Were po- lite and desiroqs to please, and a little after midnight we had an excellent suppe*?. Though tilt apartments and beds were not exactly what we wished, they were better than' at Mrs. Teaze's, and we had no right to complain. Besides; we en joyed: the satisfaction of having accomplished the, object of our journey f- for the Natural Bridge was not above eight miles off; and we had obtained every- information' hecessftry to find the road. • The next morhiijg..ottr brefakjfast was ready be^ times, and served by the daughters of Captain Fr&xton ; they had not appeared to advantage the preceding evening, not withstanding1 Which,', so far -as ^he , obscurity of the room We supped jtn, our appetites, and the immense caps in w*hich they were muffled up for the marriage, had permitted us to judge of them, we thought *hem tolerably handsome; but when we saw the*#by daylight, with their hajr 'af0 turned up, without any other head-dress; the repose of the«nfrgfot their' sole orna ment, stijd for every' grace? ;their natural simplicity, we were confirmed in the opinion we' had already'formed, that the peo ple of the mountains, arfi, in general^ handsomer and healthier than those on the sea coasti* ' 'there was in the house a young man also, tolerably Well dressed, and of an agreeable counte nance, whom I concluded to be an intended match- for one of our young hostesses. ' But I soon discovered that he was coiftte for matches of another hind. Jufact, one of niy fellow-tra vellers- inviting me to go and see a very fine horse, which stood .alone in a little; stable, I wjas informed it was a stallion, which this y^ung man had brought" upwards of eighty, miles, to dis pose- of his fyvouts to the mares of the country .f ; His price -'•'".. ' , . — - - ; "', ¦'. — ,«. *¦" ". : '. * The South-Carolina gentlemen with whom I .was acquainted, as sured me, that the inhabitants of the back parts of that state, which is one of the most unhealthy on the ''continent,1 arg a vigdrous and beautiful race of peoplfe^' arid possess all that,' hale ^ruddiness , which characterises the. natives of northern cbmates.— - Trans. ' ' " t Great atteiitiori is paid to the breed of blood horses to' the south ward, and particularly in Virginia,, and- many second rate race horses are annually sent frorij Epglancl'to serve as stallions.' There were two or three in the' stables of, one Bates, near Philadelphia, tyhich I had seen win platesYin England, This Bates is a native of Morpeth in Northpmberlar3|.d\ and went, to Americi before the war. to- display feats of horsemanship, but he had the gbqd fojtiine to ftiarry a widow pos sessed off fiyp hundred pounds a year, and is now -master, of a most beautiful villa on the banks qf the Delaware, four or five miles from Philadelphia, still following, however, the occupation of breeding and selling horses, and keeping stalliohs, for there are no resources for* idleness in thai country. — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 247 was tWenty shillings Virginja currency^* or eighteen livres of our mbney; (about fifteien shillings sterling,) for each visit, or the double if the connection was of longer duration : which. is1 much less than is paid in the other parts of Virginia. These details,* Which may appear trifling, will however serve to make the reader acquainted with a country, the inhabitants of which, dispersed in the woods; are separated only for the purposes of domestic comfort, Which renders them independent of each other, but who readily communicate for the general interest, or their mutual wants. But. I am too near the Natural Bridge to stop at other objects: , . _7 \ — I: — .-: ^ ;„-., " i- :' . ¦ .' ^ — i, — A ¦,,,,- ,*¦*."'',- .*. The dSfi^rerice <$f currency is one' bf the most puzzling and disa greeable circumstances fOT a stranger in A/nerica, the value of the pound varying in ev/ery state; *an inconvenience which existfa -under the British governments and, I am' afraid, is* still likely to subsist. — Trans. CHAPTER, III. NATUBAI. tBBlDGE — -NlfW-LONBON— -CUMBERLAND COURT-HOUSE — ¦' " POWHA-BTAIi. COHRTfHDIJSE. ¦ We set out at nine . o'clock in tih$ morning, and to say the truth, rather heedlessly*; for. in toe^e mountainsj.where there are'eithejLtoo many qr too .few resids* people always think they have gSrien sufficient directions to'travellers, who*seldom. fail to go astray. This is the common fau^t qf those who instruct others in what they themselves are well acquainted with, nor are tWe roads to science' exempt from this -inconvenience. After riding about two miles however, we luckily met a man who had just got his horse shqd, at a- neighbouring forge, and was returning-hpme folloWed by two or three couple of hpunds.* We soon entered into conversation' with him, and what seldom happens in America, he was curious to know who I was, and whither I, was goihg.f . My Quality of a general officer in the , * Stopping one day at a.*smith's shop near Winchester, in the inte rior of Virginia, I found one of the workmen to be a Scotch High lander in his Gaelic dress, and soon saw several more returning from harvest ; these men had been soldiers, and were then prisoners, but they were all peaceable industrious labourers, and I could not find that any of them thought of returhmg.tb tiie barren hills of Caledonia. Gene ral Gates had several of them in his employ, and they were dispersed over the whole country, where they appeared completely naturalized and happy. I afterwards saw many of .them' working' at mills, and as quarry-men on the picturesque banks, of that sublime river' the Sus- quehannah, a circumstance- which transported my imagination** to the well known borders Of the Tay, and of Loch Lomond.— Trans. "t I am apt to think that the experience of- every person who has visite4 North- Ameriea, as well as my own country, will rise injudg- meut'against this observation of the author.; for my part, were I search ing for. a general- characteristic of that part of the Continent, I should not scruple to distinguish -it by the name of the country of the curious. Wherever you bend your course,1 to whomsoever you address yourself, you are' indispensably subject to "a good humoured, inoffensive, but mighty troublesome inquisition. Do you inquire your, road ? you are answered by a question, " I suppose ybu come from the eastward, don't you ?" Oppressed with fatigue,' hunger, and thire|, and drenched per- TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 240 French service, and the desire I expressed! of seeing the won ders of his country, inspiring him with a kind of affection for me, he offered to be our conductor, leading us sometimes through little paths, at others through woods, but continually climbing or descending mountains, so that without a guide, nothing' short of, witqhcraft could have enabled us to find the road. Having thus travelled for two hours, we at last de scended a steep declivity, and then mounted another; during which time he endeavoured to render the conversation more interesting. At last, pushing his horse on briskly, and stopping suddenly, he said to me, "You desire to see the Natural Bridge, don't you Sir ? You are now upon ft, alight and go twenty steps either to the right or left, and you will see this prodigy." I had perceived that there was on each side a con siderable deep hpllow, but the trees had prevented me from forming any judgment,, pr paying imich attention to it. Ap^ preaching the precipice, I saw at first two great masses or drains of rocks, which formed, the bottom of a ravine, or rather of an immense abyss ; but placing myself, not without precau tion, upon the brink of tbe precipice, I saw that these two buttresses were joined under my feet, forming a vault, of which I could yet form no idea, but of its height. After enjoying this magnificent but tremendous spectacle, which many per' sons could not bpar to look at, I went to the western side, the aspeot of which was not less imposing, but more picturesque. This Thebais, these ancient pines, these enormous masses of haps with rain, you answer shortly in the /affirmative, and repeat your inquiry — " Methinks you are in a mighty haste — What news is there to the eastward ?" The only satisfaction you can obtain till you have opened your Deal, or pretended budget of news, and gratified the de- mander's curiosity. At an inn, the scrutiny is more minute ; your name, quality, the place of your departure, and object of your journey, must all be declared tp.the'good family in some way or other, (for their credulity is equal to their curiosity,) before you can sit down in com fort to the necessary refreshment. This curious spirit is intolerable in the eastern states, artd I have heard Dr. Franklin, who is himself a Bostonian, frequently relate with great pleasantry, that in travelling when he was young, the first step he took for his tranquillity, and to obtain immediate attention at the inns, was to anticipate inquiry, by saying, " My name is Benjamin Franklin, I was born at Boston, am a printer by profession, am travelling to Philadelphia, shall return at such a time, and have no news — Now what can you give me for dinner ?" The only cause which can be assigned for the -Hithor's error in this respect, is the state in which he travelled, his being a foreigner, and the facility of obtaining information from the persons of his retinue. — Trans. -.. 32 250 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. rocks, so much the more astonishing as they appear to possess a wild symmetry, and rudely to concur, as it were, in forming a certain design; all this apparatus of rude and shapeless na ture, which art attempts in vain, attacks-at once the senses and the thoughts, and excites a gloomy and melancholy admiration. But itiis at the foot of these rocks, on the edge of a little- stream which flows under this immense arch, th,a\we must judge of its astonishing structure ; .there we discover its immense spurs, its back-bendings, and those profiles which architecture might have given it. The arch is not complete, the eastern past of it not being so large as the western, because the mountain is more elevated bn this than on the opposite" side. It is very extraordinary that at the bottom »of the stream there appear no considerable ruins, no trace of any violent la*ceration,*whicli could have destroyed the kernel ofthe rock, and have left the upper part alone subsisting .; for that istfhe only hypothesis that can account for such a prodigy. We can have no possible re course either to a volcano or a deluge, rib trace of a' sudden conflagration, or of a slow and tedious undermining by the water. The rock is of the calcareous kind, and its different strata are horizontal ; a circumstance which excludes even the idea of an earthquake, or subterraneous cavern. It is not, in short, for a small number of travellers to give a decided opinion for the public on this phenomenon of nature. It belongs to the learned of both worlds to judge of it, and they will now be enabled to attempt the discussion. The necessary steps are taken to render it as public as its singularity deserves ; an of ficer of the engineers, tfie Baron de Turpin, an excellent ma thematician and an accurate draughtsman, is gone to take the principal aspects and dimensions. His labours will supply the deficiency of my description. Though unacquainted with the powers of nature, we may at least have some idea of our own. I shall therefore leave to more able hands the care of finishing tiiis picture, of which I have given only an imperfect sketch, and continue the relation of our journey, which, though the principal object be already accomplished, is not near being terminated, for the Natural Bridge is more than two hundred and fifty miles from WiUiamsburgh. Whilst I was examining on all sides, and endeavouring to take some drawings, my fellow-travellers had learned from our conductor that he kept a public-house, about seven or eight miles from the place where we were, and not more than two from the road which must be taken next day to leave the moun tains. Mr. Grisby, (the name of our guide,) had expressed his wishes to receive us, assuring us we should be as well as at the tavern recommended by Mr. Praxton ; but had this been TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 351 otherwise, we had too many obligations to Mr. Grisby rjot to give him the preference. We renewed our journey therefore, under his guidance, through the woods, which Were very lofty • strong robust oaks, and immense pines sufficient "for all the fleets of Europe, here grow old, and perish on their native sod ; froni which they have never yet been drawn eVen by the hand of industry.* Ohh is surprised to find every where in these immense forests, the traces of conflagrations. These accidents are sometimes occasioned by the imprudence of travellers, who light a fire when they go to sleep, and neglect afterwards to extinguish it. Little attention is paid them when the woods alone are the victims, but as there are always some cultivated parts, the fire often reaches the fences, by which the fields are surrounded, and sometimes the houses themselves, which is inevitable ruin to the cultivators. I recollect that during my stay at Monticello, from which one may discover an extent of thirty or forty leagues of wood, I saw several conflagrations, three or four leagues distant from each other, which, continued burning until a heavy rain fell luqkily and extinguished them.f We arrived at Mr. Gris- by's a little before five o'clock, having met with nothing on the road but a wild turkey, which rose so far off, that it was iiripossible to find it again. The house was not large, but neat and commodious ; we found it already taken up by other tra vellers, to whom we assuredly owed every token of respect, if * The quality of the, American oak is found by repeated experience to be by no rneans*tequal to, or so durable as that of Britain. A gene ral survey of the American woods was taken by order of the govern ment of England, previous to the war, and the different qualities as certained by the surveyors, who, on their general report, gave the pre ference to the southern oak on the Apalachians, and iri the interior of Georgia and Florida ; but .in the English yards, even the Daritzick plank, which grows in Silesia, and that of Stettin is still preferred to the American. — Trans. t Conflagrations which take their rise in this manner, sometimes spread to a prodigious extent in America, in the morasses, as yvell as in the woods ; in travelling from Easton on the Delaware over the Musconetgung mountains in the Upper Jersey, in 1782, 1 saw im mense tracts of country lying in ashes from one of these accidental fires ; and, during the same summer, Philadelphia was sometimes co vered with smoke, from a vast morass which had taken fire in the Jer seys, and kept burning to a great depth from the surface, and for an extent of. many miles around, for several months ; the progress of which could not be stopped by the large trenches dug by the labour of the whole country, nor until it was extinguished by the autumnal rains. — Trans. &2 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. pre-eminence betwixt'travellers were to be measured by the length of their respective journies. -.' . The other guests were a healthy good humoured young man of eight and twenty, who set out from Philadelphia with a pretty wife of twenty, and a little child in her arms, to settle five hundred miles beyond the* mountains, in a country lately inhabited, bordering on the Ohio, called tHe country of Ken tucky. His whole retinue was a horse, Which carried his wife and child. We were astonished at the easy manner with which he proceeded on his expedition, and took the liberty of men tioning our surprise to him. He told .us that the purchase of good land in Pennsylvania was very extravagant, that provi sions were too dear, and the inhabitants too numerous, in con sequence of which he thought it more beneficial to purchase for about fifty guineas the grant of a thousand acres of* land in Kentucky. This territory had been formerly given to a co lonel of militia, until the king of England thought «proper to order the distribution of those immense countries ; part of which was sold, and the other reserved to recompense the American troops who had served in Canada.* But, said I, * The author means the soldiers who served in Canada against the ' French in the war before the last. Kentucky is at present peopled by above fifty thousand settlers, and is on the point of being admitted into the union, as an independent state. Kentucky is a settlement on the creek, or rather river of that name, which falls into the Ohio, and is , 627£ miles distant from Fort Pitt ; but is extending in every direction over a tract ofthe finest and most fertile country in *the world ; and as it is from the interior settlements of this vast country, that America will derive her future greatness, and establish new empires to rival, and perhaps outdo the ancient world, I hope I shall be pardoned for transcribing the following short but iflteresting account of the banks of the Ohio from Captain Hutchin's Topographical Description of that country, accompanying his maps — " The lands upon the Ohio, and its branches, are differently timbered according to their quality and situation. The high and dry lands are covered with red, white, and black oak, hickory, walnut, red and white mulberry, and ash trees, grape «vines, &.c. The low and meadow lands are filled with syca more, poplar, red and white mulberry, cherry, beech, elnij aspen, ma ple, or sugar trees, grape vines, &c. And below, or southwardly of the rapids! are several large cedar and cypress swamps, where the cedar and cypress trees grow to a remarkable size, and where also is great abundance of canes, such as grow in South-Carolina. There is a great variety of game, viz. buffaloes, bear, deer, &c. as well as ducks, geese, swans, turkeys, pheasants, partridges, &c. whioh abound in every part of this country. , The Ohio, and therivers emptying into it, afford green, and other turtle, and fish of various sorts ; particular ly carp, sturgeon, perch and catfish ; the two latter of an uncommon TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 253 where are the cattle ? The implements of husbandry, with which you must begin to clear the land you have purchased ? In the country -itself, replied he. I carry nothing with me, size ; viz. perch from eight to twelve pounds weight, and catfish from fifty to one hundred pounds weight. The country on both sides ofthe Ohio, extending south-easterly arid south-westerly from Fort Pitt to the Mississippi, and watered by the Ohio river and its branches, con tains at least a million of square miles, and it may with truth be affirm ed, that no part of the globe is blessed with a more healthful air or climate ; watered with more navigable rivers, and branches communi cating with the Atlantic ocean, by the rivers Potomac, James, Rappa hannock, Mississippi, and St. Lawrence ; or capable of producing, with less labour and expense, wheat, Indian corn, buckwheat, rye, oats, barley, flax, hemp, tobacco, rice, silk, pot-ash, &c. than the country under consideration ; and it may. be added, that no soil can yield larger crops of red and white clover, and other useful grass, than this does." Colonel Gordon, in his journal,, gives the following de scription of this soil and* climate : " The, country on the Ohio, &.c. is every where pleasant, with large level spots of rich land; remarka bly healthy. One, general remark of this nature may serve for the whole tract comprehended between the Western skirts of the Allegany mountains, beginning at Fort Ligonier, thence bearing south-westerly to the distance of 500 miles opposite to the Ohio faljs, then crossing them northerly to the heads of the rivers that empty themselves into the Ohio ; thence east along the ridge that separates the lakes and Ohio's streams, to French creek, which is opposite to the above mentioned Fort Ligonier northerly. This country may, from a proper knowledge, be affirmed to be the most healthy, the most pleasant, the most commodious, and most fertile spot of earth known tq European people." To which may be added the following extract of a letter ad dressed to the Earl of Hillsborough, in the year 1772, then Secretary of State for the North American department. " No part of North America will require less encouragement for the production of naval stores, and raw materials for manufactures'in -Eu rope, and for supplying the' West-India islands with lumber, provisions, &c, than the country of the Ohio; and foi the following reasons .- First, the lands are excellent, the climate temperate, the native grapes, silk-worms and mulberry-trees abound every where ; hemp, hops,>and rye grow spontaneously in the vallies and low lands ; lead and iron ore, coal also, are plenty in. the hills ; salt and fresh springs are innumera ble '; and ^id soil is better adapted to the culture of tobacco, flax, and cotton, than that of the Ohio. Secondly, the country is weil' watered by several navigable rivers communicating with each other ^ by which, and a short land carriage, the produce of the lands of the Ohio can even now (in the year 1772) be sent cheaper to the seaport town of Alexandria, on the Potbmac^in Virginia, than any kind of merchan dize is sent from Northampton to London. Thirdly, the Ohio is, at all seasons ofthe year, navigable with large boats like the west conn- 254 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. but I have money in my pocket, and shall want for nothing. I began to relish the resolution of this young man, who was active, vigorous, and free from care ; but • the pretty wo- try barges, rowed- only by four or five men ; and from the month of February to April, lajge ships may be built on the Ohio, and sent to seaj laden with hemp, iron, flax, silk, rice, tobacco, cotton, pot-ashes, ¦ &c. ¦ Fourthly, corn, beef, ship-plank, and other useful articles can be sent down the stream of Ohio to West-Florida, and from thence to the West-Indies, much cheaper,.and in better order than from New- York,' or Philadelphia. Fifthly, hemp, tobacco,- iron, and such bulky articles may also be sent down the Ohio to the sea, at least 50 per ceriS cheaper than these articles were ever carried by a land carriage of only sixty miles in Pennsylvania where v^aggonage is cheaper than in any other part of North-America. Sixthly, the expense of transporting European manufactures from the sea to the Ohio, will not be so much as is now paid, and must ever be paid, to a great part of the counties of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland, as there is scarce a place between, Fort Pitt and the rapids, a distance of 705 computed miles, where good roads may not be made, on the banks which are not liable to crumble away, and horses employed in drawing up large barges, as is done on the margin ofthe Thames in England, and the Seine in France, against a stream remarkably gentle, except in high freshets. Whenever the farmers or merchants*of Ohio shall properly understand the business of transportation j they will build schooners, sloops, &c. on the Ohio, suitable for the West-India or European markets ; or, by having black walnut, cherry-tree, oak, &c. property sawed for foreign markets, and formed into rafts, as is now practiced by the settlers near the upper parts of the Delaware rivers and thereon stow their hemp, teh^co, &c. and proceed with them to New-Orleans. It may not be amiss perhaps, to observe, that large quantities of flour are made in the distant (western) counties of Pennsylvania, and sent by an expensive land carriage to the city of Philadelphia, and from thence shipped to South-Carolina, and to East and West-Florida, there being little or no wheat raised in these provinces. The river Ohio seems kindly designed by nature as the channel through which the twoFloridas may be supplied with flour, not only for their own consumption, but for the carrying on an. extensive commerce with Ja maica [the Floridas were then in the possession of England] and the Spanish settlements in the Bay of Mexico. Mihstones in abundance are to be obtained in the hills near the Ohio, and the country is every where well watered with large and constant springs, and streams for grist and other mills. The passage from Philadelphia to Pensacola, is seldom made in less than a month, and sixty shillings sterling per ton freight (consisting of sixteen barrels) is usually paid for flour, &.c. thither. Boats carrying from 800 to 1000 barrels of flour may go in about the same time from the Ohio, (even from Pittsburgh,) as from Phila delphia to Pensacola, and for half the above freight; the Ohio mer chants would be able to deliver flour, &c. there in.aiuch better order TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 255 man, twenty years of age only, I doubted not but she was in despair at the sacrifice she had made; and I endea voured to discover, in her features and looks the secret sentiments of her soul. Though she had retired into a lit tle chamber, to make room for us, she frequently came into that where, we were ; and I 'saw, not without astonish ment, that her natural charms were even embellished by the serenity of her mind. She often caressed her husband and her child, and appeared to rife admirably disposed to fulfil the first object of every infant colony — " to increase and multi ply." Whilst supper was preparing, and we were talking of travels, and examining' on the map the road our emigrants were to follow, I recollected that we had as yet afi hour's day light, and that it was just the time I had seen the wood-hens, of which, they assured me, there was plenty in the neighbour hood, and that there is a critical moment in hunting as well as love. I took my fowring^piece, therefore, and proceeded to the woods ; -but instead of wood-hens, I found only a babbit, which I wounded, but it rolled down into a bottom, where I lost sight of it, tifl it was discovered by Mr. Grisby's- dogs, which, accustomed to the report of a gum, found it in a hol low tree, to the top of which it WouM have scrambled had its leg not been broken. The rabbits of America differ from those of Europe' ; they do*not burrow, but take refuge in hol low trees, whicfh they climb like cats, and often tq a very con siderable height. Content with my victory, I returned to the house, but stopped some time to hear, "at sunset, two thrushes, which seemed to challenge each other to the song, like the than from Philadelphia, and without incurring the damage and delay of the sea, the charges of ensurance, and risk in time of war, &.c. or from thence to PensaCola. This is not mere speculation ; for it, is a fact, that about the year 1746, there'was a great" scarcity of provisions at New-Otleans ; and the Freneh settlements at the Illinois, small as they theiv were, sent thither, in one winter, upwards of eight hundred thousand Wight of flour." Mr. Lewis Evans, in the Analysis to his Map of the Middle Colonies of North- America, in the year 1755, says, that " Vessels from 100 to 200 tons burthen, by taking advantage of the spring floods, may go from Pittsburgh to the sea with safety; as then the falls, rifts, and shoals are covered, to an equality with the rest of the river." To which Captain Hutchins, the present Geographer- General to the United States, adds, " And though the- dfstance is up wards of two thousand miles from Fort Pitt to the sea, Jet as there are no obstructions to prevent vessels from proceeding both day and night, I am persuaded that this extraordinary inland voyage may be, per formed, during the season of the floods, by rowing, in sixteen or seventeen days." — Here surely is a rational and ample field for the well regulated imagination of the philosopher and politician ! ! ! — Trans. 256 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. shepherds of Theocritus. This bird ought, in my opinion, to be considered as the nightingale of. America; it resembles those of Europe in its form, colour, and habits ; but is twice as large. Its song is similar to that of our thrush, but so va ried and so much more perfect, that* if we except the uniform plaintive notes ofthe European nightingale, they might be ta ken for each other. It is a bird of passage, like the mocking bird, and like it, also, sometimes remains through the winter. At my return to the house, supper was the sole object;. about which Mr. and Mrs. Grisby took great pains, whilst their daughters, about sixteen or seventeeny who were perfeet beau ties, were laying the cloth. I asked Mr. Grisby to sup with us, but he excused himself, by assuring us that he was yet em'' ployed in our service; nor was his attention useless, for we had an excellent supper; and though whiskey was our only, drink, we contrived to convert it into tolerable toddy. Break fast was ready betimes the next morning, and correspbnded with oUr supper. Mr. Grisby, who had nothing, to do, sat down to table with us. He had a horse saddled, that he might accompany us as a guide as far as Greenly Fecry, where we were to repass the Fluvanna; but I was informed that one of the ser vant's horses was so much wounded in the withers, that it was im possible to mount him. This, accident was the more inconveni ent, as I had already been obliged to leave one at Mr. Jefferson's, so that I had nofresh fiorse fo substitute. On applying to Mr. Grisby, he told me that the only horse he had which could answer my purpose, was the one he generally rode, and which he was going to make use of to conduct us, but that he would willingly oblige me with it, and take mine in its place. On my assuring hjm that I would give him any thing he thought proper in return, he went to look at my horse, and when he came back told me, that when cured, he thought he might be worth his own, and that he left the difference entirely to my self. As each of them might be worth ten or twelve,guineas, I gave him two in exchange, and he was perfectly .contented. I had just before asked for the bill, and when lie declined let ting me have it, I gave him four guineas, tie received them with satisfactidn, assuring me it was double the sum he could have charged. At last we were obliged to take pur leave of this good house, but not Qf Mr. Grisby, Who had taken another horse to accompany us. On the road he sKowed us two plan tations which he had occupied successively, before he settled on the one he at present cultivates. He had left them in good condition, and sold them at the rate of twelve or thirteen shil lings, Virginia currency, an acre, about ten livres of our mo ney (8s.i English.) We saw several other settlements in the woods, all of whieh were situated on the banks of some TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 257 stream, whose source was not far distant. The peach trees, which they "take care to plant, and the Judas tree (or' filiquas- trum, but different from that which produces the balm of Mec ca) which grows naturally at the water's edge, were both in flower, and made a charming contrast to the immerise firs and oaks, in the centre of which were situated these new planta tions. It was near ten o'clock when we arrived at the ferry, and as we approached, still following the course of the river, I saw an animal, to which I was a stranger, returning from the side of the river, and endeavouring to reach the wood. I pushed my horse towards it, hoping to frighten and make it climb a free, for I took it for a racoon ; in fact it mounted the nearest tree, but very slowly and awkwardly. , I had no great difficulty in killing it, for it did not even endeavour to hide, itself, like the squirrel, behind the large branches. When I had taken it from the dogs, among which it struggled hard, and had bitten them pretty sharply ; on examining it with attention, I disco vered it to be the mqnax, or the marmoset of America. In its form, fur, and colour it resembled very much the musk-rat ; but it is larger and differs •essentially in the tail, which is short and rough. Like the musk-rat, however, its ribs are so short and flexible, that they might be mistaken for gristles, so that though it is much bulkier than a hare, it can pass through a hole of not above two inches in diameter. Greenly .Ferry derives its name from the proprietor, and is situated between two steep banks. .We passed it in three trips, and parting With Mr. Grisby, depended ' entirely on our own industry to find the road to a very steep, but little frequented grfp, the only passage* by which we could get out of the mountains. They told1* lis, at the ferry, that we should find but one house, three miles from thence, and at the foot of the very mountain we were to climb. A little path conducted us to this house : a,?ter asking' new instructions, We followed another path, arid began to ascend, not without dif ficulty, for in general the acclivity was so rapid, that we were obliged to stop our horses to give them breath. This ascent, ¦ whieh formed the road, is at least three miles long, by which you may judge of the height of these mountains ; for in the space of an hundred miles, this iathe least steep of any which compose what are called the Blue Ridges. Arrived at. the summit, we enjoyed the reward generally bestowed on such labours. A magnificent, but. savage prospect, presented itself to our eyes ; we saw the mountains which form the North Ridge, and those which, crossing from one chain to the other, sometimes unite the Blue Ridges. In one of these- traverses of mountains, the Natural Bridge is placed. It is to be ob- 359 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. served, that I speak here only of theyiew to the north, for we haci not the advantage of enjoying the double prospect ; some neighbouring summits, and the.fi'eight of trees, prevented us from extending our view to the southward. The descent was not less rcfpid than the ascent ; its length was also three miles. We judged it necessary, for the relief of our horses and our own safety, to alight and walk ; though the stones, which rolled under our feet, rendered it very incommodious. The dogs, which were- not so fatigued by this inconvenience as our selves, beat the woods,, while we walked slowly on, and two hundrpd paces from us they sprang five wild turkeys; but as these birds directed their flight towards a steep hill behind us$ we did not thing proper to follow them. We -were almost at the bottom of the'mountain when we began to perceive the horizon; hut this horizon discovered nothing but woods and mountains, far less elevated than those we were ieaving, if we except three summits known by the nariie of the Peaks of Ot ter, which are vejy lofty, and advance from the Blue Ridges as a kind of counter-guard. In general, all the country frona the Blue Ridges to the sources of the Apamatoek, may be consi dered as a glacis composed' of little ^mountains, beginning at the foot of the Blue Ridges, and continually diminishing. Of this the best charts,qf. Virginia give not the least indication, So .that it is impossible, by the inspection of theni, to form a just idea of the nature of this country. It was half past one ©'clock, and we had rode sisteeh miles in very bad roads, when we arrived at the first house at the foot of the gap; but as it was an indifferent hut, We were obliged to proceed tWo miles farther, to a planter's of the name of Lam bert, who received us with every mark of pffjiteness. He gave us cakes and milk, fis^'he bad neither bread nor biscuit ; and, whilst our horses wire feeding, he entertained us with gay, joyous conversation. Mr. LairuSert is a kind of phenomenon iri .America, where, longevity is very rare; he is eighty-t|ree years of age, and scarcely appears to be fifty-fiye ; he is well known in. the country, for there is hardly a trade he has not followed, nor a part of it- he has not lived in. He is now a husbandman, and resides at a very fine plantation, which he has cleared, at the foot of the mountains. His wife,, who is only sixty-five, looks much older than he does ; his sons are yet young ; one is a captain in. the Virginia Legion j and formed bis company, himself in the beginning ofthe war, It was then composed qf sixty-three men, all enlisted in the neigh bourhood'; and at the end of six campaigns all the sixty-three are living, some few of them only having been wounded. At five we mounted again to proceed ten miles ' farther, to the house of a Captain. Muller, .who, like Mr. Lambert, does not TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 259 keep a public house, but Willingly receives the, few travellers who pass by this unfrequented road-. Although they assured us we could not possibly miss the road, they would niore pro perly have said it was impossible to find it; for we deemed it very fortunate to lose ourselves- but twice, and at length, after dark, we arrived at Mr. Muller's. He is a man about sixty, six. teet high, and bulky in- proportion, very loquacious, but a good kind of man, attached to his country, and a great news monger. He told us he would do his best to give us some thing for supper, but that he could offer us ho other lodging than the room in which he received us, where he would order them to place our beds. The room was spacious and clean,, but already occupied by a sick. person, whom he could not dis turb, and whom he begged us to leave in the little corner he possessed. This was an unfortunate' old man of eighty, who, two days before, travelling in the neighbourhood, had . been, half devoured by a great bitch, whose whelps he had impru dently approached ; she had lacerated one of his arms and thighs. Mr. MuWer bestowed on him .every possible care, and Mrs. Muller herself dressed his wounds. This poor man slept all the evening, but in • the night he complained much, and sometimes awakened us. Oh my asking him, the next morn ing, how he found himself, he answered mighty weak.* • Be fore we went away I desired* to have the bill, but Mr. Muller not choosing to- present any, I begged him to accept of a cou ple of guineas, desiring, at the, same time, to know if it was enough. " Too much," replied he, "you come from Fiance to my couritry to support and defend it ; I ought to receive you better and take nothing, but.I am only a poor countryman, and not in a condition to demonstrate my gratitude. If I were not ill, (and indeed he was, asthmatic,) I would mount my horse and attend you to the field of battle."* The lit'tle- resource we had found in this house, and the ne cessity of dividing the long journey we, had to' make, de*termi- ned us to set out very early, and breakfast at New-London, a little town, two miles from hence. The difficulty of finding the road still remaining, I luckily met a man in the court-yard, just ready to mount, who relieved us from this anxiety. * He was an old cap'tain-of the Virginia Legion, whom I had seen ar rive in the evening in'company with tWo tall young ladies, in huge" gauze bonnets, covered with ribands, and dressed in such a manner as formed a perfect contrast to the simplicity * Mighty little, mighty few, mighty weak, &c. are favourite ex pressions iri America.— Trans. 260 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. of the house in.which they were.* These, I understood, were Mr. Muller's daughters, returned from supping in the neighbour hood ; lout I was careful not to speak to them, as j doubted not but we had taken possession of the beds destined for these fine ladies and their company, and was in great terror least French. gallantry should compel us to resign them. I know- not how they ^nanaged, but they appeared again in the morn ing and were faf from handsome. '¦ , ¦ * The Captain had been to sleep a mile from hence, at a sister s of Mr. Muller, awl was mounting his horse to return to New- London, whither he offered to conduct us, and to provide our breakfast as he kept a tavern. I accepted both- his proposals* and we travelled the distance often miles very agreeably ; the. country, like that through which we passed the preceding eve ning being diversified With very pretty plantations. New-Lon don, where we arrived at ten in the morning, is an infant town, but already pretty considerable, for there are at least seventy or eighty houses. There is likewise a military magazine esta blished- here, and several; workshops for repairing arms. Its situation, in the middle of the woods, far distant from the seat of war, as wejl as commerce, does not "require it-should be for tified, but nature has prepared every thing to marke it a strong place. • Situated? upon a little platform, surrounded by a glacis, the declivity of which is exactly what' could be wished, this little town might be fortified at a small expense, and defended * The rage for dress among the women in America, in. the very height ofthe miseries of war, was beyond- all bounds ; nor was it con fined to the great towns, it prevailed equally on the sea-coasts, and in the woods and solitudes ofthe vast extent of country, from Florida to New-Hampshire. Iri travelling, into the interior parts of Virginia I spent a delicious day at an inn, at the ferry of Shenandoah, or the Ca- tacton Mountains^ with the most enchanting, accomplished arid volup tuous girls, the daughters of the landlord, a native of Boston,- trans planted thither ; who,, with all the gifts of nature, possessed the art of dress not unworthy of Parisian milliners, and went regularly three times a week to the distance of seven, miles, to attend , the lessons of one He Grace, a French dancing-master, who was making a fortune in the country. In one of my journies, too, I met with ia young French man, who was. travelling on the business of the celebrated M. de Beau- Biarchais, and was uncommonly successful in his amours, of which | gpeak from personal knowledge. On my inquiring the secret of his success, he assured me, and put it beyond a doubt, that his passe-par tout, or master key, consisted in a fashionable assortment of ribands, and other.small articles contained in a little box, from which, in diffi cult cases he opened an irresistible and never failing battery. Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. 261 by a 'trifling garrison; we left' it abtfut twelve o'clock, and had twenty-four miles to go to the only house Where we could find a good todging. It was not a tavern, but the proprietor, Mr. Hunter,;i,eceived strangers with pleasure? > The difference, between a rqal tavern, and^ a hospitable 'house of reception, is greatly to the advantage of the traveller ; for in America^as5 in England, publicans pay heavy taxes', and indemnify them selves by "their exorbitant charges. Mr. Hunter Received us well, aiid In a Very clean house. We set out early the next morning, and after riding eight miles, always in .dry, arid woods, we stopped tp breakfas,t'at Mr. Pattison's. He is a fat man, about forty-five*, disabled in his legs since he was two years' old, and so helpless that he cannot transport himself from one place to another, but by pushing; his chan**;. One would** hardly think that a man afflicted wfth,"such an infirmity should choose to. live in the "midst of woods, where he has no company but one *#bite man servant, and negroes ofceach sex. • I believe him impotent in more than- one respect, for he has lived in a constant state of 'celibacy, and his ostensible imbecility would have been no obstacle in a country where every body marries. After We had proceeded twenty miles' farther, we stopped, at four o'clpck, at a Scotsman's of the name of Johnson, who is thetmost radiculous1 personage imaginable. He *prpnounces English in sb unintelligible a manner,- that Mr. Dillon asked him, very ingenuously, what language he was speaking. As Mr. Johnson was an ill-tempered follow, and a little drunk, I foresaw that this question could not succeed, and would turn out to our disadvantage, on quitting this sor.t of tavern. It happened as I imagined; for after a stay of only three-quarters of an hour, he was not ashamed to ask seven dollars for about twenty pounds •weight of the leaves, of Indian corn- for otir horses, and two bowls of toddy for the servants. I consoled myself, like Monsieur de Pourceaugnac in Moliere, with the satisfaction only, on paying him, pf telling him my sentiments of his behaviour, and went twelve miles farther to seek hospi tality at another Scotsman's, where we arrived at the close of day. But this was a very different character from the other. He was an old man of seventy-tWo, called Hodnett, who has been established in America above forty years, though but lately fixed in the plantation "where he n.bw lives. He* was eager td please, polite, and even incjined to compliment, proud of being born in Europe, and having past some time at Cork, where he tnfssed', he told nne, a fine opportunity' of learning French ; for he had lived with several French merchants, whose names he yet remembered, although it was upwards of fifty years ago. He inquired at least twenty times of me if I knew 262 TRAVELS' IN NORTH-AMERICA. them, and brought^ef ifti old book, fhe only one he had iri the house, whichsftasfatSad freatise of geography: It was doubled in at the artisje^f Cojfk, and one*might see thafrhe^often read this chapter, as' •rtj'er paper was more thumbedthere /than else where. Whilst he 'presented me with this bofe^ he observed, with an air of importanrJej.that in his opinion it-:was the best geographical work existing, Biswas it difficult to pe'r^e$v&'-that it was the only one he ever heanFof.^ I amuse&m'ysSJSf 'how ever with assuring him that he^posse^sed-^.retiltwefe^-e'^and that he ought carefully to preserve if. ' He'Weirlf imniediat|iy to lock it up, and returned will, a scrap of illuminated paper, which .represented the arms and mottos* of the family of the Hodnetts. I, made him happy by declaring they were known sail over Eurqp>, and surely it was not paying too dear for- a good supper and good beds ; for the next morning he would not give us any bill, h thought prope'r, however, to pay him handsomely ; lioping, at the same time, that thg iamily of the Hodnetts would know nothing of it, nor think themselves under the necessity of adding the sign of an ale-house to their armorial bearings. It was oil the 23d, but the heat was already very trouble some, when we arrived to breakfast at nine o'clock at Climber- land court-house. This is the chief manor-house- of a ,wery considerable country ; it is situated jn a plain of about a mile diameter, sixteen miles from Hodnett's. Besides -the court house, and a large tavern, its necessary appendage, there are seven or eight houses inhabited by gentlemen of fortune. I found the tavern, full of people, and understood that the judges were assembled to hold a court of claims, that is to say, to hear and register the claims of sundry persons, who had furnished provisions for the army. We know, that in general, but par ticularly in unexpected invasions, the American troops had no established magazines, and as it was necessary to have "subsist ence for them, provisions and forage were indiscriminately laid hold of, on giving the owners a receipt, which they call a cer tificate. During the campaign, whilst the enemy Was at hand, little attention was given to this sort of loans, which accumu lated incessantly, without the sum total being known, or any means taken to ascertain the proofs. Virginia being at length loaded with these certificates, it Became necessary, sooner or later, toliquidate theseaccounts. "The last assembly of the State of Virginia, had accordingly thought proper to pass a bill, authorising the justices of each county to take cognizanoe of these certificates, to authenticate their validity, and toi-egis- ter' them, specifying the value of the provisions in money; ac cording. to the established tariff. I had the curiosity to go to •the court-house, to see how this affair was transacted, and saw TRAVELS IN .NORTH-AMERICA. 263 it wasperfoi'med with great order, and simplicity. The judges wpr«e« their common clothes^but were seated on an elevated tribunal',, as at London inthe* Court of King's Bench or Com* rabn~Ple£is. , Gtoe of the'm seeing me standing at the door of the 'hall,' descended from,-; the ken<|ff, andinvited me to go, and take some refreshment; -aifbJs[;iiou>e, where the family, would entertain me till the sessiohs' wexe finished. I told him I was obliged to proceed on my journey, and really we had no time to. lose, for there yet remaned; twenty-eight miles to travel, and on a road so unprovided VWith every necessary ' foi travellers, that though we intended giving our horses another jbaitr, we could not find forage jjearer. than at a smith's shop, at twenty miles distance. As Jyip.^fl^e.d. therefore staying only half an hour at most, I seatedijqy&^uBider some trees ; but Monsieur D'Oyre having gone info the house, returned and told me theigfc was a company of four or five young girls, all pretty and very well dressed. Curiosity, inducing me to see them, my atten- tiop was soon fixed upon a young woman of eighteen, who was suckling hei;child. Her.features were so regular, and there was such decency and modesty in her behaviour, that she re called to my mind those beautiful virgins of Raphael, the mo del, or example of the beau ideal. As I no longer pertaiit my self to consider beauty but with a philosophic eye,* I shall here make an observation which has occurred to me in foreign countries, particularly in .England and America ; .it is, that the beauty of forms and of features, the beauty independent -of grace, motion,, and expression, is oftener found among, the^peo- ple of the north, or among their descendants, than in France; or towards the south. If I Were to assign the cause of this dif ference, I should say, that, from some unaccountable reason, unconnected, doubtless, with flie, temperature of the climate, the youth of both sexes are more forward, and niore ripe, among them than with usjeirom which it results, that young people, particularly young girls of twelve, or thirteen, unite that roundness of form, freshness of complexion, and regulari ty of features, before they are modified by passions and habits. In France it is quite different ; childrea are there very pret ty to the age of seven or eight years ; but it is seldom that girls * The reader will here, doubtless, be apt to picfure to himself the author as a grey-headed, worn out veteran, or an unimpassioned, stoical member of theJFrench Academy „barely remembering " the days when he wasK*/Q,ung;" but it is-my duty -to, undeceive him :• the MaTquis de ChasteJluSc is a well made, handsome man, of about four and forty, with eyes full of intelligence and fire, the carriage and deportment of a man of .rank, and with a disposition extremely remote "from an irfdif1 ference to beauty.— Trans. 264 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. preserve their beauty to the age of puberty. This is the epoch, however, when we must form our opinion of what they may ¦be ; but even these prognostics are often deceitful.. .This pe riod is a kind of chrysalis, a state of probation, iri wnich the handsome become ugly, and/ the ugly handsome. It is from the age of twenty to twenty-five that the features develop and declare themselves, and'that nature completes her work, if not diverted from her course by sickness, but especially by the moral and natural consequences of marriage. On the other hand, our women, this danger once over, retain their beauty longer than in any other country. Jt appears as if their very souls were identified in their features, and watched over their preservation ; not a movement without a grace, no grace with out expression ; the desire of pleating improves and perpetuates 4the means ; and nature, rather aided than counteracted by art, isnever absolutely abandoned ' to a domestic life, nor lavished by an unlimited fecundity.* Thus useful trees may serve to decorate our gardens, if the too great quantity of fruit does riot prevent the reproduction of their blossoms. 'These reflec tions prove, that the French women have no reason to envy strangers ; that their beauty, in fact, though longer in coming to maturity, and less perfect,- is more bewitching and more du rable ; that if others furnishJietter models 'for the painter, they will stand the test of a longer examination, and that, in short, if they are not always those' we ihost admire, they are certainly those we must love the most and the longest. • But let me return from' this dangerous excursion„and resume my journey. We had rode forty-four miles, and night was elosing fast upon us, when we arrived at Powhatan court- house ; this is a more recent, and more rustic settlement than that of Cumberland. It consists only of 'two mean huts, one for the purpose of holding the sessions, the other by way of public-hoUse ; but which hitherto is scarcely fit for the recep- * It is certain that population is not the main object of marriage in France among the higher classes. Among the nobility, in particular, the parties are generally contracted, when very young, by their respec tive parents, who bring them together to make an heir, or two, for the family ; '-which object, once completed, they part with as little affec tion as when they'met, but with less passion, and pass the remainder of their lives in perfect freedom. Whilst family -duty is performing for family purposes, their conduct is dictated, in general, by the nicest honour, and their noble blood is transmitted tolerably pure abd free from contamination ; but " unlimited fecundity," as it is checked'by some on principles of economy and prudence, is* deemed vulgar and barbarous by'all, except the lower classes, who are strangers to this svstem of refinement. — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 265 tion of travellers. It is kept by a young man who has just set tled here ; his wife is a tall, handsome woman, his sister-in-law not quite so pretty. We had a good supper and good beds, but our horses were obliged to do without forage. The county of Powhatan takes its name from a king of the savages, famous in the history of Virginia, who reigned at the commencement of the last century ; when the colony formed its first establish ment at Jamestown, it was often necessary to treat, and some times to wage war with him. • He is represented as a profound, but perfidious, politician. He had conquered all, the. "country" betwixt the Apamatock and Bay of Chesapeake, and was dreadr ed by the neighbouring nations. ' CHAPTER IV. jPETEHSBURGH-— RI C HM0ND WE STOVEE. ' We' left Powhatan the 24th, early in the morning, and, after having stopped twice, the first time to breakfast in a poor little house, eight miles from Powhatan, and the last, twenty-four miles farther, at a place called Chesterfield court-house, where we saw the ruins of the barracks formerly occupied by Baron Steuben, since burnt by the English, arrived in good time at Petersburgh. This day's journey was also forty-four miles. The town of Petersburgh is situated on the right bank of the Apamatock ; there are some houses on the opposite shore, but this kind of suburb is a district independent of Petersburgh, and called Pocahunta. We passed the river in a ferry-boat, and were conducted to a little public-house about thirty steps from thence, which had an indifferent appearance ; but, on entering, we found an apartment very neatly furnished; a tall woman, handsomely dressed, and of a genteel figure, who gave the necessary orders for our reception, and a young lady, equally tall, and very elegant, at work. I inquired their names, which 1 found wer^e not less entitled to respect than their ap pearance. The mistress of the house, already twice a widow, was called Spencer, and her daughter, by her first husband, Miss Saunders. I was shown my bed-chamber ; and the first thing which struck me was a large magnificent harpsichord, on Which lay also a guitar. • These musical instruments belonged to Miss Saunders, who knew very well how to use them ; but as we stood more in need of a good supper, than a concert, I was apprehensive at first of finding our landladies too good company, and that we should have fewer orders to give, than compliments, to make. Mrs. Spencer, however, happened to be the best woman in the world ; a gay, cheerful creature, no common disposition in America ; and her daughter, amidst. the elegance of her appearance, was mild, polite, and easy in con versation. But to hungry travellers all this could, at the best, he considered but as a good omen for the supper, for v/feich we had not long to wait ; for scarcely had we time to admire the neatness and beauty of the table-cloth, before it was covered with plenty of good dishes, particularly some very large and excellent fish. We were very good friends with our charming TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 267 landladies before we went to-bedy and breakfasted with them the next morning. We Were just going out to take a walk, when we received a visit from -Mr. Victor, whom I had seen at WiUiamsburgh ; he is a Prussian, who had formerly been in the army, and, after having travelled a great deal in Europe, came and settled in this country, where by his talents, he first made his fortune ; and, like every body else, finished by turning planter. He is an excellent musician, and plays every kind of instrument, which makes his company in great request by the whole neighbourhood. He told us he was come to pass a few days with Mrs. Bowling, one ofthe greatest landholders in Vir ginia, and proprietor of half the town, of Petersburgh. He added, that she had heard of our arrival, and hoped we would come and dine with her, which invitation we accepted, and put ourselves under the guidance of Mr. Victor, who first took us to the ware-houses or magazines of tobacco. These ware houses, of which there are numbers in Virginia, though, un fortunately, great part of them has been burned by the English, are under the direction of public authority. There are in spectors nominated to prove the quality of the tobacco brought by the planters, and if found gobd, they give a receipt fbr the quantity. The tobacco may then be considered as sold, these authentic neceipts circulating as ready money in the country. For example : suppose I have deposited twenty hogsheads of tobacco at Petersburgh, I may go fifty leagues thence to Alex andria or Fredericksburgh, and buy horses,- cloths, or any other article, with these receipts, which circulate through a number of hands before they reach the merchant wh» purchases the tobacco for exportation. This is an excellent institution, for by this means tobacco becomes not only a sort of bank-stock, but current coin. You often hear the' inhabitants say, " This watch cost me ten hogsheads of tobacco ; this horse fifteen hogsheads ; or, I have been offered twenty," &c. It is true" that the price of tii* article, which seldom varies in peace, is subject to fluctuations in time of war ; but then, he who re ceives it in payment, makes a free bargain, calculates the risks and expectations, and runs the hazard; in short, we, may look on this as a very useful establishment ; it gives to commodities value and circulation, as soon as they are manufactured, and, in some measure, renders the planter independent of the mer chant. * The warehouses at Petersburgh belong to Mrs. Bowling. They were spared by the English; either because the Generals Phillips and Arnold, who lodged with her, had some respect for her property, or because they wished to preserve the tobacco contained in them in expectation of selling it for their profit. Phillips died in Mrs. Bowling's house, by which event the su- 208 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. preme command devolved upon Arnold ; and I heard it said, that Lord Cornwallis, on his arrival, found him at great vari ance with the navy, who pretended that the booty belonged to them. Lord Cornwallis terminated the-dispute, by burning the tobacco ; but not before Mrs. Bowlifig, by her interest, had time sufficient to get it removed from her warehouses. She was lucky enough, also, to save her valuable property in the same town, consisting of a mill, which turns such a number of mill-stones, bolting machines, cribbles, &c. and, in so simple and easy a manner, that it produoes above 800?. a year sterling. I passed upwards of an hour in examining its various parts, and admirjng the carpenter's work, and the construction. It is turned by the waters of the Apamatock, which are conveyed to it by a canal excavated in the rock. Having continued our walk in the town, where we saw a number of shops, many of which were well stocked, we -thought it time to pay our re spects to Mrs. Bowling, and begged Mr. Victor to conduct us to her. Her house, or rather houses, for • she has two on the same line resembling each other, which she proposes to join together, are situated on the summit of a considerable slope, which rises from the level ofthe town of Petersburgh, and cor responds so exactly with the course of the#- river, that there, is no doubt of its having formerly formed one of its ba«iks. This* slope, and the vast platform on which the house is built, are covered with grass, which afford excellent pasturage, and are also her property. ¦ It was formerly surrounded with rails, and she raised a number of fine horses there ; but the English burn ed the fences, and carried away a great number of the horses. On our arrival we were saluted by Miss Bowling, a young lady of fifteen', possessing all the freshness of her age ; she was fol lowed by her mother, brother, and sister-in-law. The mother, a lady of fifty, has but little resemblance to her countrywomen ; she is lively, active, and intelligent ; knows perfectly well how to manage her immense fortune, and whttris yet more rare, knows how to rriake good use of it. Her son and daughter- in-law I had already seen at WiUiamsburgh.? The young gen tleman appears mild and polite, but his wife, of .only seventeen years of age, is a most interesting acquaintance, not only from her face and form, which are exquisitely delicate, and quite European, but from her being also descended from the Indian Princess, Pocahontas, daughter of king Powhatan, of whom*!1 have already spoken. We may presume, that it is rather the disposition of that amiable American woman, than her exterior. beauty, which Mrs. Bowling inherits. Perhaps they who are not particularly acquainted with the history of Virginia, may be ignorant, that Pocahontas was the protectress of the English, and often screened them from th©- TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 269 cruelty of her father. She was but twelve years old when Captain Smith, the bravest, the most intelligent, and the most humane ofthe first colonists, fell into the hands of the savages; he already understood their language, had traded with them several times, and often appeased the quarrels between the Europeans and them ; often had he been obliged also to fight them, and to punish their perfidy. At length, however, under the pretext of commence, he was drawn into an ambush, and the only two companion^ who accompanied him, fell before his eyes ; but, though alone, by his dexterity he extricated himself from the troop which surrounded him, until, unfortunately, imagining he could save himself by crossing a morass^ he stuck fast, so that the savages, against whom he had no means of defending himself, at last took and bound him, and conducted him to Powhatan. The king was so proud qf having Captain Smith in his power, that he sent him in triumph to all the tributary princes, and ordered that he should be splendidly treated, till he returned to suffer. that death which was prepared for him.* * Dr. Robertson, Mr. Adair, and a number of writers have given an account of the cruel mode by which the Indians torture their prisoners of war, before they put them to death. During my residence near Al exandria, ih Virginia, in 1782, I had the following relation of their barbarous treatment, from a gentleman who had jtast escaped out of the hands of these infernal furies. Colonel Crawford, and his son, two great land surveyors, and most respectable planters in Virginia, in heading a party against the Indians and Tories, aided by some light horse from the British frontiers, who had spread horror and devastation through the infant back settlements of the United States, were defeat ed and made prisoners. The gentleman, from whom I had this ac count, was surgeon to the party, and was conducted with Mr. Craw ford and his son, to be sacrificed in his turn, at one. of the Indian villa ges, to the manes of their people slain in battle. The bloody business commenced with Mr. 'Crawford, the father, whq was delivered over to the women, and being fastened to a stake, in the centre of a circle form ed by the savages and their allies, the female furies, after the preamble of a war song, began by tearing out the nails of his toes and fingers, then proceeded, at considerable intervals, to cut off his nose and ears ; after which they stuck his lacerated body full of pitch pines ; to all of which they set fire, and which continued burning, amidst the inconceivable tortures pf the unhappy man, for a considerable time. ^After thus glutting their revenge, by acts «f the most horrible bar barity, the success of which was repeatedly applauded by the surround ing, demons, they rushed in upon him, finished his misery with their tomahawks, and hacked his body limb from limb. This dreadful scene passed in the presence ofthe son ofthe unhappy sufferer, and the sur geon, who were to be conveyed to different villages to undergo the 270 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. The fatal moment at last arrived, Captaiirj Smith was kid upon the hearth of thej savage king, and his head placed upon a large stone to receive the stroke of death, when Pocahontas, the youngest and darling daughter of Powhatari, threw herself upon his body, clasped him in her arms/and declared,- that if the cruel sentence were executed, the first blow should fall on her. All savages, (absolute sovereigns and tyrants nbt ^ex cepted,) are invariably more affected by the tearsjf infancy; than the voice of humanity. Powhatan could nq§ resist the tears and prayers of* his daughter : Captain Smith obtained his life, on condition of paying for his- ransom a certain quan tity of muskets, ppwder, and iron utensils ; but how were they to be obtained ? They would neither permit him to return to Jamestown, nor let the English know where he was, lest they should demand him sword in hand. Captain Smith, who was as sensible as courageous, said, that if Powhatan would permit one of his subjects to carry to Jamestown a little board which he would give him, he should find under a tree, at the day and hour appointed,, all the articles demanded for his ransom. Powhatan consented, but without having much faith in his promises, believing it, to be only an artifice of the captain's to prolong his life. But he had written on the board a few lines sufficient to give an account of his situation. The messenger returned. The King sent to the place fixed upon, and was greatly astonished to find every thing which had been demand- same fate. The next day, accordingly, young Crawford was sacrificed with the same circumstances of horror ; after which, the surgeon, being entrusted to the care of four ofthe savages; who fortunately got drunk with some rum, given them as a recompense by their •Europe an friends, escaped from them ,in the woods, and, bound as he was, wandered for four- or five and twenty days, subsisting on leaves and berries, before he reached the neighbourhood of Winchester, whence he got down to Alexandria. Among these wretches was one Simon Girty, a native of Virginia, who was formerly well acquainted with Colonel Crawford, and had been employed by the assembly of Virginia to conciliate the savages, and obtain their neutrality ; but who having been detected by the Governor in some malversations of the pub lic money entrusted to him, and his duplicity discovered; went over to the British and became more merciless than the worst of these in fernal hell-hounds. Mr. Crawfor^in the midst of his tremendous suf-* feringSi seeing Girty standing in the circle, with a gun, called to him' by his name, and implored him as ari old friend, a Christian, and a countryman, to shoot him, and by that act of mercy relieve him(from his misery ; but the inhuman monster tauntingly replied, " No, Craw ford, I have got no powder, your assembly did not ehoose to trust me, and you must now pay for it," and continued to feast his eyes with the bloody sacrifice. — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 271 eid. Powhatan could not conceive this m*dde of transmitting thoughts, and Captain Smith was henceforth? looked upon as a groat magician, to whom thejl could not show too much re spect. He left the savages in this opinion, and hastened to return home. Two or three years- after, some fresh differ ences arising amidst them and the 'English, Powhatan, who no longer thought them sorcerers, but still feared their power, laid a horrid plan to get rid of them altogether. His project was to attack them in profound peace, and cut the throats of the whole colony. The night of this intended conspiracy, Pocahontas took advantage of the obscurity, and in a terrible storm which kept the savages in their tents* escaped from her father's house* advised the English to be upon their guard, but conjured them to spare her family; to appear ignorant of the intelligence she had given, and terminate all their differences by a new treaty, It would be tedious to relate all the services which this angel of peace rendered to both nations. I shall only add, that the English, I know not from what motives, but certainly against all faith and equity, thought proper to carry her off. Long and bitterly did she deplore her fate, and the only consolation she had was Captain Smith, in whom she found a second father. She was treated with great respect, and married tb a planter of the name of Rolle, who soon after took her to England. This was in the reign of James the First; and, it is said, that this monarch, pedantic and ridicu lous in every point, was so infatuated with the prerogatives of royalty, that he expressed his displeasure, that one of his sub jects should dare to marry the daughter even of a savage king. It will not perhaps be difficult to decide on this occasion, whe ther it was the savage king who derived honour from finding himself placed upon a level with the European prince, or the English monarch, who by his pride and prejudices reduced himself to a level with the chief of the savages. Be that as it will, Captain Smith, Who had returned to London before the arrival of Pocahontas, was extremely happy to see her again, but dared not to treat her with the same familiarity as at James town. As soon as she saw him, she threw herself into his arms, calling him her father ; but finding that he neither re turned her caresses with equal warmth, nor the endearing title of daughter, she turned aside her head and wept bitterly, and it was a long time before they could obtain a single word from her. Captain Smith inquired several times what could be tiie. cause of her affliction.—" What !" said she, " did I not save thy life in America1? When I was torn from the arms of my father, and conducted among thy friends, didst thou not pro mise to be a father to me *? Didst thou not assure me,' that if I went into the country thou wouldst be my father, *-*md that I 372 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. should be thy daughter ? Thou hast deceived me, and behold me, now here, a stranger and an orphan." ft was not difficult for the captain to make his peace with this charming creature, whom he tenderly loved. He presented her to several people of the first quality, but never dared take her to court; from which however she received several favours. After a resi dence of several years in England, an example of virtue and piety, and attachment to her husband, she died, as she was on the point of embarking on her return to America. She left an only son, Who was married, and left only daughters ; these daughters, others ; and thus, with the female line, the biood of the amiable Pocahontas now flows in the veins of the young and charming Mrs. Bowling. * I hope I shall be pardoned this long digression; which, may be pleasing to some readers. My visit to Mrs. Bowling and her family, having convinced me, that I should pass part of the day with them agreeably, I continued my walk, with a promise of returning at two o'clock. Mr. Victor conducted me to the camp formerly occupied by the enemy, and testified his regret that I could not take a nearer view of Mr. Bannister's hand some country-hduse, which was in sight ; there being no other obstacle however than the distance, about a mile and a half, and the noonday heat, we determined that this should not stop us; and walking slowly, we reached, without fatigue, this house, which is really worth.seeing. It is decorated rather in the Italian, than the English or American style, having three por ticos at the three principal entries, each of them supported by four columns.* It was then occupied by an inhabitant of *The Italian architecture, that of porticos in particular, is admira bly adapted to all hot climates, and of course to tiie southern states of America. The same motives, therefore, which induced the invention of this mode of building in ancient Greece and Rome, and in general throughout the Eastern world, would naturally give rise to the same inventions of convenience in similar climates ; and, in fact, though the richer and more polished descendants of Britain, in the New World, may be supposed to adopt these porticos from Italy, as the cul tivated mind of the author imagines ; the very poorest settler, nay even the native Indian, invariably attempts some kind of substitute for this necessary protection from the sun and weather. Every tavern or inn is provided with a covered portico for the convenience of its guests, and this evidently from the necessity of the case. We have only to examine the resources of the savage islander in the Pacific ocean, and recur to the origin of all architecture, from the fluted Co rinthian in the hall of empire, to the rustic/ prop of the thatched roof, to discover the natural progress bf the human mind, and the similarity of human genius. — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH*AMERICA, 273 Carolina, called Nelson; .who had?been driven from his, coun try by the war, which followed him to Petersburgh. He in-- vited me to walk in, and whilst 'he made me, according to'cus- tom, drink a glass of wine, another Carolinian, ofthe name of Bull, arrived, to dine With him. The latter was a militia gene ral, and came from- General Greenf 's aimy, where his time of .service was expired. The history bf Mr. Bull, which is riot :• long, Will give a general idea of the state of the southern pro vinces. Possessed of a great number, of negroes; large per sonal property, particularly in plato, previous, to, and during the war, he; did not think proper, after the capture pf Charles ton*,' to expose his wealth to the rapacity of the. English. He se* off therefore with tWo hundred negroes, followed by a gleat number of wagons laden with bis ' effects, and provisions to** his little army, and travelled, in this manner, through South andt Nortb-Carolina, and part of Virginia, pitching his camp every evening in the most commodious situations. . At length he arrived at' Tufcakoe, on James river, the seat of. J his old friend Mr. Randolph, a rich planter of Virginia, who gave him a spot of ground near his house, on which his negroes, built one for himself. Here he lived ,in tranquillity, surrounded by his slaves and his; flocks, until Arnold and Phillips invaded Vir ginia, arid approached -his. new asylum, Mr. Bull once. more departed With his wealth, hisfjocks, and negroes, to; retire, into the upper couati-y" near Fredericksburg. On my asking "him what he would have, done, had we not opportunely arrived to expel the English," Whp intended to complete the conquest*of Virginia, ';- 1, should, have retired to. Maryland," he replied, — and if tlipy-had gone thither?—" ^should hive proceeded to Pennsylvania, and so on, even tq New-England." ' Does , not this recall to mind the ancient p^ri^r^hs eiiaiigratriig with their family ahd flocks, with aj certain^ 6f finc-ing every where a country to receive( and nourishvfhem f* General Bull was ¦ * I have already, said, thaf I had the happiness of a'partjcular ac quaintance with many of the principal gentlemen ofJSduth-Carbliha. The reflection on..th'e pleasing hours I passed with them in their ex^s iled situation at Philadelphia, and the, warm 'friendship with which they honoured, me, whilst it reconciles me -to the' world, and' soothes the memory, of past sufferings, touches the'tendere|t affections of. a sensible and grateful heart. My bosonr beat high with genuine ar dour in the caus'e fon- which they sacrificed ' every personal considera tion, but I had frequently me «t a distance from the Sea-coast, where it was exposed to ibe rapid and un expected inroads of the English ; but Wiffiamsburgh had the still farther inconvenience of he'mg *pated at*the' extremity ofthe state, which obliged a great part of the delegates to make a long journey' to the assembly ;_Besides, that from its position betwefen. James and York rivers, it has no port nor cohlriiunica- tion with them but by small creeks very difficult for navigation, whilst vessels of £00 tons come up to Richmond. This new capital is. divided ^uto three parts, one of which is oh the edge of the rivei, and may be cbnsidered as the port ; the two others ate built oft two .eminences; Which are separated by a little valley. I was conducted -to, that, on the west, where I found V 276 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. good inn, and my lodgings arid 'dinner ordered* by a sery|nt whom I had sent on two days before, with a lame horse, ^W"e were served, therefore, immediately,.but^jvith such magnificence and profusion, that there would have been too much foj- i*v#$Sy persons. Every plate that was brought us produced a burst of laughter, but not without considerable alarm for the bill of the next day ; for I had been apprised that the inns at Rich mond were uncommonly extravagant. I escaped, however, for severior eight Louis d'o'r, which.was not enormous, consi dering our expenditure. - A short time before Mr. de Rochain- beau had paid five and twenty Louis, at another inn, for some horses which remained therefor four or five days, although he neither ate nor slept in it, himself. Mr. Formicate, my land lord, was -more honest ; his only'errpr was, the exalted idea.h,e had formed of the manner in which French General Officers must be treated. He is a Neapolitan, who, caihe to Virginia With Lord Du*Am6*re', as his: Maitre d'Hotel^ 'but he had gpne ra ther round about, having been before in Rqssia. At present he has a good house, furniture, and slaves, and will soon be come a man of consequence in his new country i He still, however, recollects his native land with pleasure, and I have no doubt that my attention in addressing* him only in Italian, saved me a few Louis. . . After dinner I went to pay a visit to Mr. Harrison, then Go vernor of the State. I found "him in a homely* ,but spacious enough house, which was fitted up for, him. As the assembly walnot then sitting, there was nothing to distinguish him from other citizens*. One of^his, brothers, who isa Colopel of Artil lery, and one of his sons; who acts as his Secretary,' were with him. The conversation was free and agreeable, which' he was even desirous of prolonging ; for- on my rising in half an hom*, lest I riiightinterrUpt him; he assured me that the business of the day was at an end, and desired me to' resume my seat. We talked nwich of the first Congress in America, in Which' he sat for two yeatvan^ which, as J have already said, was composed of every persi^, distinguished for virtue and capacity on the, continent.*- This snblect led us naturally to that which is the most favourite, topic aK»0»g the Americans, the 'origin and com mencement of the presfeat revolution. It is a circumstance peculiar to Virginia, that the inhabitants of that country were certainly in the best situation of all the Colonists under the English government. The Vriginkris' were planters, rather than merchants, and the objects of their cultjire Were rather valuable than the result of. iridustry. They pbssfor Vh-ginia»,and favoured accordingly the peculiar disposjation of that country, where cupidity and indolence go hand-im-hand, and. serve only as boundaries to each other. It was-undoubtedly no easy mat ter therefore, to persuade this people to lake up-arms, because the town ofRoston didnot choose, to pay a duty upon tea; and was in open rupture-with England. To produce fhis effect it was necessary to substitute activity for-indoienc^ andforetjight for indifference. That; idea was to be awakened at which every man, educated iri the principles of th'e English constitu tion, shudders, at the idea of a servile submission to a tax to which he has not himself consented. ' The precise c^se. however .re lative tq them, had not yet occurred,' though every, enlightened mind, foresaw that such. was the objeGfy anjd.would be the inevi table consequence, of-, the early measures of the government : but how were the people to be-convincedbf this !? By what other motive could> tiiey be brought tq adopt decisive measures^ if not by the cpnfidence th'ey reposed iri their leaders ? Mr. Har rison informed me, that when he was qn the pqinf of setting but with Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Lee'to. attend %ne first. Congress at Philadelphia, a number of respectable/ but uninformed in habitants", Waited upon, and addressed them as follows : " You assert thaftthe-je is a declaration of independence, and they were not disappointed. "But after this, they looked for victory, -and they obtained a defeat,.. If this be taken as the generating cause ofthe contest,- then is every pari 6f the conduct of the British miriistt^ consistent, from the commence ment of the dispute, until tiie signing the treaty of Paris, (the Ameri can and French alliance,) after which,, conquest becoming doubtful, they had recourse to negotiation, and' were again defeated. If" we take a review of what part Britain has acted, we shall find everything which ought to make a nation blush. The most vulgar abuse, accom- pariied by that species of haughtiness which distinguishes the hero of a mob from the character of a gentleman' ;,i| was as much from her manners, as from her injustice, that she lost the glomes. By the lat-. ter she provoked their principles, by the former slie exhausted their pa tience. And it ought to be held out to the world, tp show, Bqw neces sary it is to conduct the business of government with civility. " — Trans. * The same ingenious author of Common Sense, makes another qb- servationVin his answer to the very ignorant, or very prejudiced work of the Abbd Raynal on the revolution of America, to which, however it may militate against the utility of the present publication, or the notes of the translator, he cannot avoid perfectly subscribing, viz.: " I never yet saw an European description of America that was true, TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 279 » not be surprised at the pleasure I took in cpnveii4ng with Mr. Harrison. Besides)' that I was particularly happy 'to form an acquaintance with a man of so estimable a character in every respect, and whose best eulogium it is to say, that he is the in timate friend of TDr. Franklin.* He pressed me to' dine with him next day, and to pass another day at- Richmond; but as there was nothing to excite curiosity in that town, and I was desirous of stopping at.Westover before I returned to^Wil- liamsburgh, where I. Was -utxiqus to- arrive,- we set but the 27th at eight in the morning, under ihe escort- of Colonel Harrison,- who accompanied us to a road from which it was impossible to go astray. We travelled six and tWerity miles without hal*Mng, inat her habitation. ' She has been accused even, of connivance with them, and the government have once put their seal updm her papers ; but she has.braved.the tempest, and, defended her self with firhiness ; and though her affair be riot yet terminated, it does not appear as if she'WasJikely to suffer any other in convenience than that of being disturbetl and suspected. Her two eldest daughters passed the last Winter. at Williaijjisbuiigh, where they were greatly complimented- by M.'de'Rochaiyj|eau and the whole .army.* ¦ I had also received 'them, in the Deist * The prudent conduct of theTrenth officers; and' the strict disci pline of their troops in a country with different manners, language, and religi6n,full of inveterate* prejudices, and wherein they -had very lately been regarded as natural enemies, must»ever, be .considered as ari epocha'Sand a phenomenon, in the history of policy and subordination. Whilst'. all ranks of officers; were inakiiig it their, study successfully, to conciliate the good opinion ofthe higher class^.nothing could exceed the probity, and urbanity of the common soldiers ; not only did they five vjjth yie American troops in a harmony, hitherto unknown tp allied armies, feven of kinch-ed language, interest, and religion, but their coor duct was irreproachable,, and even delicate to, the inhabitants of the TRAVELS IN*1I0RTH-AMERICA. 281 '« manner I could, and received the thanks o&Mrs. Bird; with" a pressing invitation to come and.see her ; I found myself in consequence, quite at home. L found here also my acquaint ance the young Mrs. Bowling, who wason*a visit to Mr; Mead, a friend and neighbour of Mrs. Bird's, who had invited him and his comp*M»y>to dinner. I passed this day therefdre very agree ably, and Mr. and Mrs. Mead, whom I had also known at WiUiamsburgh, engaged the company to dine with them the next day. The river . alone separates the two Houses, Which are notwithstanding, 'upwards of a mile distant fronieaoh other ; but as-fthere is very little current, the breadth ofthe Waterjbe- tween them does not prevent it frorii being soon passed.* Mr. Mead's house is by no means. so handsome as that of Westdrof, but it is extremely Welt fitted up within, and stands on a charm ing situation j for it is directly «pposite to Mrs. Bird's, which, with its surrounding'appenllages, has the -appearance of a small tftwn,. and; forms a most delightful prospect. Mr. Mead?s gar den,! like that of Westover, is in the nature of a terrace on the bank of the- river, and is capable of'being made still more beau tiful, if Mr. Mead-preserves his house, and gives some attention to it; for he is a philosopher of a very amiable but singular turn qf mind, and such as is particularly uncommon in Virgi nia, since, he rare]y.attends^oJiJraits.o£iiaterest, and cannot pre vail upon himself to. make his negroes work.* He is, even so disgusted with a" culture wherein it is necessary to make use of slaves, that he is tempted to sell his, possessions iri Virginia and remove tb New-England*., Mrs., Bird, who has a numerous family to provide; for, cannot carry her phifosophy so far; but country. They who predicted discord oh the introduction of a French army, had reason arijd experience on then- side, hut the spirit of poljcy and wisdom, which presided in the French councils had gone, forth, ahd diffusing itself.throyjgh every subordinate class of* men, persuaded everi'j[Jie meanest actors in the, war, arid baffled foresight,,. Nor was this one of the le.ast extraordinary circumstances of this .wonderful revolution. — Tranjs, ¦ *- Whilst- the Translator was employed in this passage, he r,ead:in the public prints, the exultation of a friend to his fellow-creatures, that a Mr. Pleasants, a quaker on James river, in Virginia, had libera ted his slaves,, and made a sacrifice of 300& sterling fo thjs noble act of humanity. The Translator knows the country too well not to feel the force' of the 'Author^ subsequent reasoning on the difficulty and danger of*a general emancipation of the negrees, nor after mature re flection now, and onAe spot, is- he a*ble -jfeo js&wrcome InY objections. But God, in bis divine providence, forbid^iat sp splendid an example ¦ of active' virtue, should clash with the unavoidable policy, or thejjec'es- sary welfare of society !^ Trans-. ,., -..^ " • -I ' " 36 282 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. she takes great cap of her negroes, makes them as happy as their situation wiH admit, and«serves them herself as a doctor in time of sickness. She has even made some interesting dis coveries on the disorders incident to 'them, and discovered a very salutary method of treating a sort of putrid foyer which carries them off commonly in a few days, and against which the physicians of the country have exerted tilehiselves>witbout success. The 29th, the whole of which day I spent at Westover, fur nishes nothing interesting in this jourrial,except some informa tion I had the opportunity of acquiring respecting twcjjgortsof animals, of very different species, the sturgeon and the hum- rr$|rg-bird. As I was walking by the river-side, I saw two ite- gro^s carrying an immense sturgeon, and on my asking them how they had taken it, they t«ld me at this season, they were so conynon'as to be taken easily in a^eine (a sort of fishing-net,) and that fifteen or twenty were found sometimes in the net ; but that there was a much more simple method of taking them, which they had just been using.. This species of monsters, which areso active in the evening as-to-be perpetually leaping to a great, height above the surface of' the water, usually sleep profoundly at mid-day.*- Twp or .three negroes then proceed -7^ 7*-^.-: . ¦ _ - ; ¦ ¦¦ - ^ * From General Washington's hpuse; which stands on the lofty banks of the Potomac, in a situation more magnificent than I can paint to an European imagination, I have seen for several hours together," in a summer's evening, hundreds, perhaps I might say thousands ofsturgelfei, at a great height from, the water at the same instant, so that the quan tity in the river must hawe been inconceivably great ; but notwithstand ing the rivers in Virginia abound with fish, they are by *io means plen- tifil at table, such is the jndolerice ofthe inhabitants ! •Mr. Lund Washington, a relation ofthe General's, and who managed all his affairs'during his nine years' absence with the army, informed me that an Eriglish frigate having come up the ' Potomac*, a party was landed who set fire to and destroyed some gentlemen's houses *ftn the Maryland side in sight of Mount Vernon, the General's house ; after which the Captain, (I think Captain Graves ofthe Acteon) Serb a boat on shore to the General's, demanding a large supply of provisions, &c. with a menace of burning it likewise in case of a refusal. To this message Mr. Lund Washington replied," " that when the General enga ged in the aontesthe had put all to stake, and was well aware of lie exposed;sjtuation pf his house and property,'in consequence of which he had given him orders by no meaps to c"omply with any such de mands, for. that he would make ho unworthy compromise with the en emy ,-and was ready tCuSi-Set the'fate of his neighbours." The Captain was highly iiicensed on recljvinglhis answer, and removed his frigate' to the Virginia shore ; "bitt-'before he' commenced his operations, he sent another message to the same purport, offering likewise a passport TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. 283 in a little boat furnished with a long cord, at the end of which is a sharp iron crook, which they hold suspended like a log line. As soon as they find this line stopped by some obstacle, they draw it forcibly towards th'em, so as to strike the hook uito the sturgeon, which they either drag out of the water, or Which, after some struggling, and losing all its blood, floats afrbsflgth upon the surface, and is'easily taken* As for the humming-birds, I saw them for the first time, and was never tired of beholding them. The walls of the garden and the house Were covered with honeysuckles, which afforded an ample harvest for these charming little animals. I saw them perpetually flying over the. flowers, on which theyfepd without ever alighting, for it is by supporting . themselves*' ®n their wings that they insinuate their' beaks into the calix of the flowers. Sometimes they perch; but it is only for a moment; it is then only one has an opportunity of admiring the beauty of their plumage, especially when opposite to the sun, and when in removirig their heads, they display the brilliant ena mel of their red necks, Which alrno'st rival the splendour of tbe ruby or the diamond. It is not true that they are "naturally passionate, and that they tearto pieces the flowers in which they find no tioney. ,1 have never observed any such circumstance myself, either at Westover or WiUiamsburgh ; and the inhabit ants of the country assured me, that they had never made any such observation. These birds appear only with the flowers, with Whieh likewise they disappear, and no pe^fson can tell what to Mr. Washington to come on board : he returned accordingly in the boat, carrying with him a small present of poultry, of which he begged the Csqrtain's acceptance. His presence produced the best ef fect, he was hospitably received notwithstanding he repeated the same sentiments with the same firmness. The Captain expressed his per sonal respect for the character of the General, commending the con duct of Mr. Lund Washington, arid assured him nothing but his having misconceived the terms of the first answer could have induced him for a moment to entertain the idea of taking the smallest measure offensive to so illustrious a character as the General, explaining at the same time the real or supposed provocations which had compelled his seve rity on the other side of the river. Mr. Washington, after spending s#ne time in perfect harmony on board, returned, and instantly de spatched sheep, hogs, and an abundant supply of other articles as a pre sent to the English frigate. The Translator hopes that in the present state of men and measures in England, Mr. Graves, or whoever the Captain of that frigate was, will neither be offended at this anecdote, nor be afraid to own himself the actor in this generous transaction1. Henry IVth supplied Paris with provisions wftlst he was blockading it ! 284 TRAVJS6.S IN NORTH-AMERICA. becomes of them. Some are of opinion that they hide them selves, and remain torpid the remainder of the year. In fact, ' it is difficult to conceive how their wings, which are so slight and slender as to be imperceptible if not in motion, could pos sibly' resist -the winds, and-transport therri to distant climates. They, ate not intractable, for I ha*"e seen one of them, which was taken a few days before, In no-wis"e frightened at the per sons who looked at it, but flew about the, room, as in a garden, ana sucked the flowers which- they presented to it *• but it did • not live above a week. These birds are so fond of motion, that it is impossible for them to live without the enjoyment of the most unrestrained libei-ty. . It is difficult- even to catch them, unless they happen, as" was the case with that I am speakj ing of, to fly into the chamber, or be driven there by the wind. An inhabitant of the- country, who amused himself in preser-t ving them'for his cabinet, hasjdiscovered a very ingenious me thod of killing, without- disfiguring them- This is a very diffi cult undertaking ; for a single grain of small shot is a cannon bullef for sb small a creature. ' .This method is to load his gun with a bladder filled with water. The explosion of this water is sufficient to knock downthe humming-bird, and deprive it of motion. CHAPTER V. > ** ' ' i RETURN TO WILLIAMSBUEGH — -CONCLUSION. The reader will certainly not accuse me of playing the ora tor, .and reserving objects of the ' greatest magnitude for the end of my discourse ; for I shall here, conclude my journal. It is unnecessary to speak of my return, to WiUiamsburgh, uri- less it be worthy of remark, that the Chickahoming, which is only a, secondary river, since it falls into, that of James, is yet so Wide, six miles from, its conflux, that I was three quarters of an hour in passing it. But if he will still favour me with his attention, I shall, terminate tins long narrative of a short jour ney, by some observations on a country I have travelled through, and inhabited long enough tokriow itthproughly; . The Virginians differ essentially from the inhabitants to the north and eastward ofthe bay, (of Chesapeake) notonly in. the nature of their climate, thatqftheir soil, and the objects-of-cul- tiVation peculiar to it, but in -that indelible character which is imprinted ©n eyery nation at the momentoof its origin,- and which by perpetuating itself from generation to generation, justifies the following great principles, that every thing which is,Jpartakes 6f that whic*h has been. The discovery of Virgi nia dates from the end of the sixteenth century, and. the settle- merit pf the colony took place at. the commencement of the seventeenth. These events passed in the reigns of Elizabeth and James the first. . The republican and democratical spirit was not then common in-England ; that of commerce and navi gation was scarcely in its infancy ; and the long wars with France and -Spain had. perpetuated, under another form, the same military cast^giv.en to the nation by William the Conquer or, Richard, Coeur de Lion, Edward the- third, arid the Black Prince. There were no longer any Knights Errant, as in the type of the Crusades, but in their place rose a number «f ad venturers who served indifferently their own country, and fo reign powers, and gentlemen, who jlisdaining agriculture and commerce, had no other profession* but that of arriis ; for at that period the military spirit iriaintaitied the prejudices fa vourable to that nobility, from which it was long inseparahgjj*. besides that the dignity of the peerage, from' feeing less com mon in.Eligland, gave more eclat and more consistence to those 286 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. who possessed it by hereditary right. The first colonists of Virginia were composed, in a great measure, of such soldiers, and such gentlemen, some of whom went in search of fortune, and others, of adventures. And in fact, if the establishment of a colony requires all the industry of the merchant and the cul tivator, the discovery^ and conquest ,of unknown countries seems more peculiarly adapted to the ideas of the warlike and romantic. Accordingly;the first company which obtained the exclusive, property of Virginia, was principally composed of men the most distinguished by their rank or birth -, and though all these illustrious proprietors did nbt actually become Colo- . nists, several of them Were 'not afraid to pass the seas ; and a Lord Delaware was among the first Governors of Virginia. It was natural thereforcfor these new colonists, who were-fill*- ed with military principles, and the prejudices of nobility, to carry them into the midst even of the savages whose lands they were usurping ; and of ah our European ideas, these were what the unpolished tribes mo$t readily conceived. I know that there now rernains but an inconsiderable number of these an cient families, but they have retained a great estimation, and the first impulse once, given, it is not in the power of any legis lator, nor even ©f thne itself, wholly to destroy its effect. The government may become democratic, as it is at the present moment ; but the national character, the spirit of the govern ment itself, will be always aristocratic. Nor qan this be doubt ed, when we take Into consideration another, cause, co-opera ting wi,tfi the fdrmej ; I mean to speak of slavery ; not that' it is any mark of distinction, or peculiar privilege to possess ne groes, but because the empire men exercise over them cherish es vanity and sloth, two vices which accord wonderfully with the already established prejudices. It will, doubtless, be ask ed, how these prejudices have been brought to coincide with a revolution founded on' such different principles5. I shall an swer that they have even perhaps . contributed to produce it. That whilst the revolt .of New-England was the result of rea son and calculation, pride possibly had no inconsiderable share in dictating the ineasures of Virginia. I.shajl add, what I have above hinted, that in the beginning, even the indolence of this people may have been useful to them, as it obliged them to rely upon a small number of virtuous and enlightened citizens, who led them farther than they would have proceeded, without a guide, had they consulted only their own dispositions. Eor it rnust be allowed, that Virginia stepped forth with a good §-e, at the very commencement of the troubles ; that she the first to offer succours to the Bostonians, and the first to set on foot a considerable body of troops. But it ijjray likewise be observed, that as soon as the new legislature was TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 287 established, and when, instead of leaders, she bad a govern ment, the mass of citizens was taking part in that government, the national character prevailed-, and every thing went worse and worse. Thus, states, like individuals, are born with a par ticular oorhplexion, the bad effects of which may be corrected by regimen and habits, but can never be entirely changed, Thus, legislators, like physicians, ought never to flatter them selves that they can bestow, at pleasure, a particular tempera ment on bodies politic, but strive to discover what they already have, and thence study to remedy the inconveniences, and mul tiply the advantages resulting from it. ' ' A general' glance at the. different States of America will serve to justify this opinion. The peqple of New-England had nq qther motive for settling in the new world, than to escape from the arbitrary power of their monarchs, who, at once, sove reigns, of the state, and. heads ofthe church, exercised at that period the double tyranny of despotism and intolerance. They were .not adventurers, they Were uteri who wished to. live in peace, and who laboured for their subsistence. Their princi ples taught them equality, and disp'osed them to industrious pursuits. The soil, naturally barren, affording them but scanty resources, they attached themselves to fishing and navigation ; and at this hour, they are still friends • to equality arid indus try; they are fishermen and navigators THe states of New- York, and the Jerseys, were peopled "by necessitous Dutchmen who wanted land in their own couritry, and occupied theiri- selves more about domestic eoonomy than th'e public govern ment. These' people have preserved the saipe character ; their interests, their efforts, so to sneak, are personal ; their views are concentered in their families, and it is only from necessity that these families are formed into a state- Accordingly, when General Burgoyne was on his march to Albany, the New-Eng- landmen chiefly contribute*^ to impede his progress; and, if the inhabitants ofthe State*of New- York, and the Jerseys have often taken arms, and displayed courage, it is because the far mer were animated by.an inveterate hatred against the savages, which generally preceded the*English armies,* arid the latter * The employing the Wdians, independent pf the measure, it is now pretty generally admitted, produced consequences directly opposite to the interest of Great-Britain ; uniting the inhabitants of all the coun tries liable to their incursions as one man against them and their allies, and producing such bloody scenes of inveterate animosity andi ven geance as make human nature shudder,. The following narrativeJBjI proae hbw far men of all casts, colours, and religions, resemble e*afch other in similar situations, and to what lengths even the christians of 288 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. were excited to take personal vengeance for the exctesses^eom- mitted by the. troops of the enemy, when they over-ran the country.* If you go farther to the south, and pass the •Dela ware, you will find that the government of Pennsylvania, in its origin, was founded on two very -opposite principles ;-it was a government of property,- a governaient in itself feudalfor, if you /will, patriarchal, but the spirit of which was the greatest toleration, and the most complete liberty. Penn's family at an enlightened age can go, when compelled to act under the guidance of th'e worst ^passions. The inhabitants pf the back frontiers of Penn sylvania, goaded to, fury fey the ravages' committed on them by the InT dians, and by the murder of their families and kindred, collected the militia in the beginning of P782', and took the field against their sa vage intruders. In one of their excursions* they fell 'in with- a small tribe of christian Indians, called the Mii'skingunis, who being suspect1 ed of attachment to the Americans,, had been for some time confined at Detrqit, and were released only on condition of observing a strict neutrality, since they cduld not be persuaded to take arms. These un happy wretches, to the. number of about two hundred, returning to their habitations, we're employed.in putting their seed-eorn into the ground, when they were- surprised by the American militia. In vain did they urge their situation, and their .sufferings from the British ; they were Indians, and, thVir captors, men who had lost sons, brothers, fathers,, wives, or children in* this liorrid. war ; no other plea was neces sary tp palliate their meditated vengeanpe, . The Indians were shut upin a barn*, and ordered to prepare for death, but with this barbarous consolation, that, as they were christian converts, they should be al lowed a respite till the next morning. The innocent victims spent the night in singing Moravian ftymtis, and in other act's of christian devo* tion ; and in the morning, men, women; and children, were led to the slaughter, and Butchered by their fellow worshippers ofthe meek Jesus ! Tiie Moravians at Bethlehem and Nazareth, whose missionaries Bad converted them, made strong representatfionsto Congress on the subject. I was at Philadelphia wjieh the news arrived ; and it is but justiceto say^that horror was painted on every countenance, and every mind was at work to devise expedients for avenging thi£ atrocious, murder ; but after various efforts, both Congress and the Assembly of the State were found unequal to the punishment of these assassins, who were armed, distant from the seat of government, the only safeguard and protection ofthe frontiers, and from their own savage" nature alone .fit to cope with the dreadful errehiy -brought into action by the British! * The murder committed on Mrs. Maxwell,4he wife of a respecta ble and popular clergyrnan in the Jerseys, and afterwards on himself, with similar,, acts, of cruelty perpetrated by a Iicentious-soldiery, and unjM-incipled refugees,, inflamed the, minds of a great body of flie inha- biiplts, particularly of- the Dutch and their descendarits,.who, as the Marquis observes, were, certainly disposed at least to a. neutral*. — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA 289 first formed the ,vairi project of ^establishing a sort of Utopia, or perfect government, and: afterwards, of deriving .the greatest pbssible advantage from their immense property, by attracting foreigners from all parts. Here it arises that the people of Pennsylvania have no characteristic assimilation^ that they are intermingled and confounded, and more actuated to individual, than to public liberty, more inclined to anarchy than to demo cracy.* Maryland, subjected in the first instance to a proprie tary government, and considered only as a private domain, remained long in a state'.bf the mos* absolute dependence. This is the first time she ijierits to be, regarded as a state ; but this state seeins to be forming under good auspices; she may; become of great Weight after the present revolution, because she was formerly of no significance., The two Carolinas and Georgia are next tq be considered; but I am not sufficiently acquainted .with- these three spates to1 hazard on them any ob servations, which may not- he so just in fact as they appear to me ; but which are at least of a delicate riatqre, and require more than a superficial examination. I only know, that North- Carolina, peopled by Scotsmen, brought thither by poverty, ra ther than by industry, is a prey to acts of pillage, and tb irtter- '*- The Irish and the Germans form, the most numerous 'part of the inhabitants of Pennsylvania. The latter, if I arn, not mistaken, con stitutes a fifth, if not a fourth, -ofthe whole number, and are a most useful, industrious body, of'uien.,, well versed in the mechanic arts and agriculture. I have travelled several days in the interior parts of that state, and heard scarpely .any other language than German, the aets, of Corigress, and the State are promulgated in that language, German Gazettes are published at Philadelphia, and iri general they proved themselves true -friends tp the, revolution. ' Congress availing them^ selves of this circumstancej. very agjiitically encamped the Brunswick, and other German. troops takepKjwith Burgoyne, 'near the town of Reading,' where, I saw therii. : The neighbourhood abounding with their countrymen, the men had permission to work at harvest, and other trades, and soou forrried. connexions with the females .of the country. Calculating their market price, and the obligation they lay under, to re store them, or their prime cost, they took every.measure to prevent them from remaining in the country ; for which purpose, they transmitted but small sums at a time by their commissaries from New- York, taking carp to keep large arrears in their hands, as a' temptation for their return .But all these precautions were, as may naturally be imagined, but of .a par- ' tial effect, with riien habituated to. a country of freedom, wherein they felt themselves restored to their natural rights, and animated by the ex ample "of their .countrymen, enjoying the full comforts of their honest industry; contrasted too with the degraded,state of a wjefched merce nary, *eld up to sale by his arbitrary master.— Traits. ¦ ¦ ' 37 290 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. nal dissensions :* that SouthfCarolina, possessing a commerce^ wholly of exportation, owes its existence to its sea-ports, espe cially to that of Charleston, which has rapidly increased, and is become a commercial town, in which strangers abound, as at __" ~ —~^- h * It is true that a. great number of Seotsmeaare settled in North- Carolina, but that they were pot, even the niajority ofthe inhabitants, is vary apparent from ijhe events of, -the late revolution"; for the' Scots, !thoiigh loyalists nearly to a man, were repeatedly defeated, and finally crushed hy the militia ofthe country. Notwithstanding her efforts appeared less concentered, and more vaguely directed, 'owirig to "the local cir cumstances ofthe province, and the dispersed' state ofthe inhabitants, rather than disinclination to the cause, North-Carolina rendered most essential services, by her exertions in' the field, 'and the delegates she sent to Congress. Her constitution, of government, contractedas it is, is not perhaps inferiorto niarjy in th* confederacy, and bespeaks the wis- , dom of "the enlightened few," to whichthe Marqriis attributes the wise councils of Virginia. •' It was the'North-Gatolina militia which gave the first turn to the ruined affairs of America> to the southward, by their spirited attack and defeat of Colonel Ferguson'at King's' Moun tain. The translator,' who was then in England, received, by a pri vate channel, the first intelligence of that important event, which he communicated to the putljc; but the circumstances of the surprise of a largebody of British troops, flushed with the capture of Charleston, and the Victory at Gamden, iy-a bpdy of 1600 horsemen, from the back .country of North-Carolina,* appeared so extraordinary, that he could not obtain credit' for 'the fact, either with the friends to America, or the ministerial party in that country. The Ministers had no inteb ligence of the matter, and the easterly winds then happening to pre vail for '4 period of six weeks, it was treated' as a fiction, both in and iout:of Parliament, -and thetranslatpr'as an- enthusiast or a fabricator of false news. Time, however, verified the feet, which he knew to be authentic, to its full extent, viz. that Colonel Ferguson,- with eight, hundred. British troops, -had bewg-jgurprised ; himself slain, and his whole, force defeated by sixteen hmidred Carolina militia, mounted on horseback, hastily collected, and commanded by a few militia Colonels ! This spirited arid successful enterprise, with- its consequences', merits certainly a conspicuous place in' the history of this great revolution ; for, like the surprise at Trenton, it changed the 'whole face of affairs, and restored energy to the friends of America in that important seat of war. ' . North-Carolipa is a very firie "country, beautifully diversified with pleasant hills, large valleys, and rioble rivers', though none of them is nayiffable for .vessels above 80 tons, except the rivers Fear and Cla rendon ; yet as they intersect the country in every direction, they are admirably calculated for inland navigation. There are, forthis reason, no large towns ;. but, from the various produce of this state, and the rapid increase of population, the white inhabitants, now amounting to near two hundred thbusand, there is every reason to believe thatfit will TRAVELS IN N0RTH-AMERICA> 291 Marseilles and, Amsterdam :* that the mariners there are con sequently polished and easy: that* the inhabitants love pleasure, the arts, and society ; and that this country is, niore European in its manners than any in. America. ' ••¦-,• Now, if there be any accuracy in this sketch, let me desire the reader to compare the spirit of the American States with their presciit government. I desire him to form the compari son at the present moment, ,in twenty, or in fifty years hence, and I am persuaded, that since all these governments resemble each other, as they are all democratical, he will still discover the traces of that "original character, of that spirit which pre-;. sides at the formation of people, and. at the .establishment of nations. Virginia will retain this .discriminating character longer than the other states; Whether ,it be that prejudices are morCi durable, the more absurd, and the more frivolous they are, or that those which injure a' part only of the human race, arc more subject to remark than those which affect all mankind. In the present revolution, the ancient families have seen, with pain, new men occupying distinguished situations in the army, ahd in the magistracy; and the tories.have even hence drawn advantages, to-cool the ardour of the less "jealous ofthe whigs. But the popular party .have maintained their ground, and it is only to be regretted that they have riot1 displayed' the same activity in- combating the English, as in;disputing precedences. It is to be apprehended, however, that circumstances becoming less favourable to them, on a peace, they may be obliged entirely to give way, Or ta support jthensselvefr .by fectioris, which must necessarily disturb the order of society. But if reason ought tb blush at beholding, such' prejudices, so strongly established among a new. people, humanity has still more to suffer from the state of poverty, in which a great num ber of white people live in Virginia. It is in this country that I saw poor persons, for the first' time, after I-passed the sea ; for, in the midst bf those rich plantations, where the negro become not one of the least considerable on the continent, nor will the philosopher view the circumstances which forbid- the formation of large towns as an evil, either in this country prjn Virginia. — Trans. * The author here refers to the forrhpr station of . the province ; but as I have already mentioned, the interior of this extensive state is daily peopling with a race pf healthy, industrious planters; and is high ly susceptible of every species of improvement, i As for., sea-ports, there are none. worth,pentioriing but Charleston ; and as for Georgia, its position is in every respect similar to that of ,^puth-Caroliaa.T— Trans. 292 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. alone is wretched, miserable' huts are often to be met with, in habited by whites, whose wane looks, arid . ragged garments, bespeak poverty! At first I was puzided.to explain to myself, how, in a country where there is still so rtiuch land to clear, men who do riot refuse to work, should remain in misery ;-. but I have since learned, .that all these useless, territories, these im mense estates, with which Virginia is covered,have their pro prietors* Nothing is more common than to see some of them • possessing five or six thousand acres- of land, who clear out only as much as their negroes can cultivate ; yet will they riot give, nor even sell the smallest portion of thenv because they forih ' a ' part of their . possessions, arid they are in .hopes of one day augmenting the number of their ne groes. These white men, without fortune, and frequently without industry, are straitened, therefore, on every side, and reduced to the small number of acres they are able to acquire. Now,* the land not being good in general in America,* espe cially in Virginia,'a considerable. number of them is necessary, in order to clear it with success, because they are the cattle from which -the cultivatqr derives his aid andr his subsistence. Tb the eastward are a great number of cleared grounds,, but the portions of land, which- ate easily purchased there, arid for al most nothing, consist ahjiays of at least two hundred acres, j besides, that to the "southward; the climate is less healthy, and the neW settler^, Without partaking ofthe wealth of. Virginia, share/ all the inconveniencies . of the climate, and even the indolence it inspires:f * The land', withUh the mountains, in the hitherto settled' parts of North- America, are not in , general very good, and it is of these only that the Marquis speaks,; but as the authors ofthe Nouvelle Encyclope dic observe, in their new article of the United States, this must have been the case in almost every new country,, the soil of Europe having been meliorated by the progress of population, the quantity of manure, and the means by which the earth is protected from the effects of heavy. rains, &cc. by care and cultivation. Abbe Raynal's remarks on this subject, in his last work, called the Revolution of America, discover so much igriorance as scarcely tb merit the elaborate; discussion bestow ed on them by the ingenious authors pf the Encyclopedic, who have likewise transcribed from him several important passages, which have been ably arid fully refuted by Mr. Payne.— Trans. t The indolence arid dissipation of the middling and lower classes of white inhabitants pf Virginia, are such as to give pain to every re flecting mirid. Horse-racin'gy cock-fighting, and boxing-matches, are standing amusements, for whichNthey neglect aU business ; arid in the latter of which they conduct themselves with a barbarity worthy of their savage neighbours. The" ferocious practice of stage-boxing in England, is urbanity, compared With the Virginian mode of fighting. TRAVELS IN NORTHAMERICA. ' 293 Beneath this class of iphabitants;we must place the negroes, whose situation would be still mofe lamentable, did: not {heir natural insensibility extenuate*' in some degree, -the sufferings annexed, to slavery. On seeing therii ill .lodged, ill clothed, and often oppressed with labour, I concluded that their treatr ment was. as rigorousas elsewhere. I have been assured, how ever, that it is extremely 'mild,- hi, comparison with what they suffer in the sugar colonies ; and, in truth, you do not usually hear, as at Saint Domingo, and Jamaica, the sound of whips, and the cries; of the Unhappy wretches whose bodies they are In their combats, .unless specially precluded,- they are admitted (to use their own term,) " to bite' and goudge," which operations, when the first onset with fists is over, consists in fastening on the nose or ears of their adversaries with their teeth, and dexterdusly scooping out an eye ; on which account it is no uncommon cireumstance to meet men in. the prime of youth, deprived of , one. of those organs. This is no traveller's exaggeration, I speak from knowledge and observation. In the summer months it is very common tp' make a party ori horseback tp a limestone spring, near which there is usually some little hut with spirituous liquors, if the party are not themselves provided, where their debaUch frequently terminates in'a bpxing-match', a horse-race; or per haps both. During a day's residence at Leesburgh, I was myself ac cidentally drawn into one of these- parties, where I soon experienced the strength of theliquor, which was coricefaled by the refreshing cool ness of the water. While we were seated-' round the spring, at the edge ofa delightful -Wood, four orfiVe countrymen arrived, headed by a Veteran cyclops, the terror of the neighbourhood, ready'on every, occa sion to risk his remaining eye. We soon found, ourselves under the necessity of relinquishing our posts, and making our escape from these fellows, who evidently sought to provoke a quarrel. On our return home, whilst! was rejoicing at pur good fortune, and admiring the mo deration of my company, we arrived at a plain spotof ground by a wood side, on, which my horse no sooner set foot, than taking the bit „ between his; teeth, off he went at full speed, attended by the *f hoops and hallooirigs of my companions, An Englishman is not easily thrown off his guard on horseback; but at the end of half a mile my horse Stopped short, as if he had' been shot, and threw me with considerable violence over, his head ; my buckle, for I was jvithoutboots, entangled me in the stirrup, but fortunately broke into twenty pieces. The com pany rode up, delighted with the adventure ;. and ii was then, for the first time, I discovered, that I had been purposely. induced, by one of my frjends, to change' horses With him for the afternoon'; that his horse had been accustomed to similar exploits on the same race ground ; that, the whole ofthe business was neither more nor.less;than a Virginian piece of pleasantry; arid 'that my friends, thought they had exhibited great moderation in not, exposing me^ at the spring, to -the effepts ;of " biting and goudging."-^Trqms. 294 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. tearing to pieces.* This arises froth the general character of the Virginians, which is more mild than that of the* inhabitants ofthe sugar islands, who consist almost entirely of rapacious men, eager and pressing to make fortunes to return to Europe. Anbther reason, is, that the produce of their culture not being of so much value, labour is not urged on them with so much severity ; arid to do justice to both, it is beeause the negroes, on their side, are not so much addicted to cheating and thiev ing' as in the islands.,. For the propagation of the black spe cies being'very rapid," arid very considerable here, the greatest part ofthe negroes are born in the country ; and it is remarked that they are generally less depraved than those imported from Africa. I mrist likewise do the Virginians the justice to de clare that many of them treat their negroes with great humani ty. I must add, likewise, a still more honourable testimony, that in general they seem afflicted to have any slavery, and are constantly talking of abolishing it, and of contriving some other means of cultivating their estates. It is trne that this opinion, which is almost generally received, is inspired by dif ferent motives. The philosophers and the young men, who are almost all educated in the principles of a sound philosophy, regard nothing but justice, and the rights of humanity. The fathers of families arid sttoh as are principally occupied with * During the Translator's residence in the West-Indies, he'tobk conT siderable pains to inform himself ofthe different modes of treatment of the negroes, by th'e principal European nations, possessirig colonies in that quarter of the globe, the result of which was, that the Dutqh are the rriost cruel **-tbe English more humane ; the French still more so' ; and the Spaniards the most indulgent masters. He was greatly struck with this gradation, the truth of which seemed to be confirmed by'Ms own observations ; but he leaves it to others to decide what influence the various' forms of government, and the religious principles or preju dices of each of these nations, may have in the operation of this seem ing paradox. A lover, of truth will never shrink from the discussion of any question interesting to humanity, whatever be his political or reli gious bias. The Translator, from impulse, and from reason, is a stre nuous assertor ofthe rights and original equality of mankind ; but it" is an-pld remark, tjfat.therepublicans are the worst masters, a position which pursued through the above succession, seems in some measure to receive a confirmation ; yet to him appears unaccountable from any given principles, unless it be the aristocratic principles, which tb tbe misfortune of mankind, have hitherto uniformly takeripossession of all the repubhcan governments, arid baffled the foresight of the virtuous and good., But there is reason to hope that the democracies of Ame rica will form a.brilliant and consoling exception to the triumphant re proaches ofthe idolaters of regal power.-— Trans, ¦ TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 295 f schemes of interest, complain that the maintenance of their-ine- groes is very expensive ; that their labour Is neither so pro ductive inor so cheap,, as that of day labourers, or white ser vants ; and, lastly, that epidemical disorders, which are very common, render bqth- their property aijd their. revenue extreme ly precarious. However this may he, it is fortunate that dif ferent motives concur in disgusting men with that tyranny which they exercise upon their fellow, creatures at least, if not people entirely qf the;' same species;; for the morq we regard the negiroes, the more must, we be persua'ded that4he differ ence betwqen them and us, consists in something more than complexion. As for ^he rest, it cannot be denied that it is a very .delicate point to abolish slavery in Arneriea, The ne groes in Virginia amount to two hundred thousand. They equal at least, *if they do not exceed the number of white men. Necessarily united by interest, by tbe conformity of their situa«- tion, and the similarity of colour, they would unquestionably form a distinct people, from whom neither succour, virtue, nor labour, could be expected. Sufficient- attention has not been paid to the difference between slavery, such as it exists in our colonies, arid the slavery which was generally established among the ancients. A white slave had no other cause of humiliation, than his- actual state ; on his being freed, he mixed immediate ly with free men, and became their equal. Hence that emU-> lation among the -slaves to, obtain, their liberty, either as a fa vour, or to purchase it with the . fruit of their labour. There were two advantages in this ; the possibility bf enfranchising them witfjout fjaqger, and that ambition,, which almost gene rally took place among them, and tumed,-to tjje advantage of morals and of industry. , But in the- presentcase, it is hot only the slave who is beneath his mastei", it is. the negro who is be neath the white man. No act of enfranchisement can efface this unfortunate distinction ; accordingly we do not see, the ne groes, very anxious to obtain their freedom, nor much pleaded when they have obtained it., The free negroes continue to live with the negrp slaves,1 and never with .the white men, inso much that interest alone makes them desirous of quitting slave ry, when they are endowed WitiVa particular.iri4u.stry, of which they wish to reap the profits. It appears, therefore, that there is no othe* riietiibd of abolishing slavery, than by getting rid ofthe negroes, a measure Which must be very gradually adopt ed. The "best expedient WQuki be" to export a "great number of males, aijd to encourage the marriage of white irie'n with the females. For this purpose' the law must he abrogated which transmits slavery by the side pf the mother ;: or , it might be enacted, that evqry female slave stiallbeconie, ipso facto/free, by marrying a freeman. From respect to property, perhaps it 296 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. might be just torequire df the latter, a compensation to be fix ed bylaw, to be paid either iji labour or'iii motley, as an indem nity to the proprietors of the negress ; but it is Certain, at all . events; that such a Jaw, aided by the illicit, but already well established commerce between the white* nien and negresses, could not foil of giving birth to a race of mul.attoeS, which would produce another of Quarter ons, arid sb on until the colour should be totally effaced. But I have-- enlarged sufficiently pn this subject, which has not escaped the policy arid philosophy ' ofthe present age. I have only to apologise fbr not having treated it with declama tion ; but it has always been my opinion that eloquence can in fluence only the . tesolutions of , the moment, and that every thing which can only fee effected by trine alohe, must be the" rostilt of reason ; it is nbt difficult, however, to add ten or. a dozen pages to these reflections, which are to be considered as a symphony composed only of the principal parts, con cbrniad libitum.' ' •-",,, We have seen the inconveniencies of slavery, and ofthe too extensive possession of territory in Virginia ; let us now ex amine the inconsiderable number of advantages arising from them. The Virginians have the reputation, and with reason, of living nobly in their Jhbuses, and of being hospitable; they give strangers not only,a willing, but.a liberal reception* This arises, on one hand, "from -their having no large towns, Where they may assemble, by which means they are little acquainted with society, except from the visits they make ; and, on the other, their lands and, their negroes furnishing them with every article pf consumption, and the necessary service, this renown ed hospitality costs them, very little. , Their houses are spa- eious, ahd ornamented, but their -apartments are not commo dious; they make no ceremony of putting three or four persons into the same rpom.;* nor do these make any objection to their beifig thus' heaped together ; for being in general ignorant of the comfort of reading and writing, they want nothing hi their whole house but a bed, a dining-room, and a drawing-room for eompany. The chief magnificence of the Virginians consists * Throughout America,, in private houses* as well as in the inns, several people are crowded, together in the same room ; and in thp latter it veijy cqmmbnly happens, that after you have |een some time in bed, a stinger ofany condition, (for there is little distinction,) comes into the room, piills off his clothes, and places himself, without cere mony! between your sheets.*— -Trans. •',',- * This Vas . probably .the case at-the tirne the translator wrote ; but at the pre sent day there is rib countrv in which travellers can be more retired, orbettet- aoconjtriodatefi than in the-t/nitel'l States: , TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 297 in furniture, linen, and plate; in which they resemble our an cestors, who had neither cabinets nor wardrobes in their cas tles, but contented themselves with a well-stored cellar, and a handsome buffet. If they sometimes dissipate their fortunes, it is by gaming, hunting, and horse-races ;* but the latter are of some utility, inasmuch as they encourage the breed of horses, which are really .very handsome in Virginia. We see that the women have little share in the amusements of the men ; beau ty here serves only to procure them husbands ; for the most wealthy planters, giving but a small fortune with their daugh ters, their fate is usually decided by their figure. The conse quence of this is, that they are often pert and coquettish be fore, and sorrowful helpmates after marriage. The luxury of being served'by slaves still farther augments their natural in dolence ; they are always surrounded by a great number of them, for their own seryice, and that of their children, whom they content themselves with suckling only. They, as well as their husbands, pay attention to them when young, and neglect them when grown up. We may say in general of the Ame ricans, as of the English, that they are very fond of their in fants, and care little for their children. It would be a delicate discussion, perhaps, to'inquire, whether this be really a natural sentiment, and whether our conduct, which is very different, be not the result of self-love, or of ambition ; but we may safely affirm, that the care we take of ours, is a means of attaching ourselves to them, and , of ensuring their reciprocal attach ment ;'a sentiment the nobleness and utility of which cannot be contested. \ I was desirous of celebrating the virtues peculiar' to the Vir ginians, and in spite of my wishes, I am obliged to limit my self to their magnificence ahd hospitality. , It is not in my power to add generosity ; for they are strongly attached to their interests ; and their great riches, joined to their preten sions, gives more deformity to this.vice. I ought, in the first ¦ • * I have already spoken of horse-races, but it is with regret I add, that the general spirit of gaming is prevalent in this as well as in all the United States, bud more* particularly throughout, the .southern ones, which has already been attended with suicide, "and all its baneful conse quences. — Trans. | I confess myself at a loss to discover from what source of obser vation the author has derived the fact on which he reasons so inge niously. Perhaps it is the secret spirit of national prejudice that has le"d me, who was.born an Englishman, to reverse the remark, as applied to the two countries of France and England ; but I leave the fact and the discussion to more acute observers.— Trans. 38 298 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. instance, to have treated of the article of religion ; but there is nothing remarkable respecting it in this country, except the facility with which they dispense with it. The established re ligion; previous to the revolution,- was that of the Church of England, which we know requires Episcopacy, and that every priest must be ordained by a bishop. Before the war, persons destined to the church, went to England,1 to study and to be ordained. It is impossible, therefore, in the pre sent' circum stances, to supply the vacancies of the pastors who drop off. What has been the consequence of this ? That the churches have remained shut; the people have done without a pastor, and not a. thought has been employed towards any settlement of an English church, independent of England.* The most complete toleration is established ; but the other communions have made no acquisition from the losses of the former ; each sect has remained in its original situation ; and this sort of re ligious interregnum, has been productive of no disorder. The clergy have besides received a severe check in the new consti tution, which excludes them from all share in the government, even from the right of voting at elections. It is true that the judges and lawyers are subjected to the same exclusion, but that is from another motive ; to prevent the public interest from falling into competition with that of individuals. The legis lature dreaded the reaction of these interests; it has been thought proper, in short, to form a sort of separate body in the state, under the name of the Judicial Body. "These gerieral * During the war jthere was a great scarcity 6f ministers of thp Epis copal church, on account of the numbers of that body who attached themselves to England, which was pretty generally the case ; but after the peace, many young Americans, distinguished for thegown, finding a repugnance on the part/of the English bishops, got ordained by the non- juring bishopsip Scotland. 4n act has at length passed, however, to authorise the ordinatiop of foreign clergy by the English bishops, which is evidently intended to promote the cause of the hierarchy in the United States. I shall here take the opportunity of mentioning, that on account of the great scarcity of bibles, a new edition was published by one Aikin,a printer, of Philadelphia, by order of Congress, under the inspection ofthe reverend Mr. White, brother-in-law to Mr. Mor ris, and 'the other chaplain to that body ; but such are ancient preju dices, that very few of the zealous followers either of Luther or of Cal vin, cpuld be brought to- look upon it as the genuine old book. "" 3The wary devotees, dreaded, no doubt, similar errors to that for which the company of stationers were mulcted in the time of king Charles; the omission, of the negative in one of the commandments, by printing " Thou shaU do murder." — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 299 views are perhaps salutary in themselves;, but they are attend ed with an inconvenience at the present moment ; for the lawyers, who are certainly the most enlightened part of the community, are removed from 'the civil councils, and the admi nistration is entrusted either to ignorant, or to the least skilful men. This is the principal objection made in the country to the present form of government, Which to me appears excel lent in many respects. It is every where in print, and easily to be procured ; but 1 shall endeavour to give a sketch of it in a few words. It is composed, 1st. fOf , the Assembly of Depu ties", named by the cities and counties, a body corresponding with the House of Commons. 2d. Of a Senate, the members of which are elected by several united counties, in a greater or less number, according to the population of .the counties, Whjch answers to the House of Peers. 3d. Of an Executive Council, of which the governor is president, and the members chosen by the two Chambers ; a substitute for the executive power of the king in England.* It is not .by accident that I have postponed the consideration ©f every thing respecting the progress ofthe arts and sciences in this country, until the conclusion of my reflections on Vir ginia ; I have done it expressly because the mind, after bestow ing its attention on the variety of hurhan institutions, reposes itself with pleasure on those which tend to the perfection of the understanding, and the progress of information ; arid above all, because, having found myself under the necessity of speak ing less advantageously of this state than I wished to have done, I am happy, to conclude with an article, which is wholly in their commendation. The college of William and Mary, whose founders are announced by the very name, is a noble establish ment which embellishes WiUiamsburgh, and does honour to Vir ginia. The beauty of the edifice is surpassed by the richness of its library, and that still farther by the distinguished merit of several ofthe professors, such as the Doctors Madison, Wythe, Bellini, &c. &c', who may be regarded as living books, at once affording precepts and examples. I must likewise add, that the zeal of these professors has been crowned with the most distinguished success, and that they have already formed many distinguished characters, ready to serve their country in the va rious departments pf government. Among these, it is with * See, the constitutions pf the different states, republished in England by the reverend Mr. Jackson, and the excellent translation from the original, ' with notes, published in Paris by the Duke de la Rochefou- cault — Trans. /300 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. pleasure I mention Mr. Short, with whom I was particularly connected. After doing justice to the exertions ofthe Univer sity of Williamsburg, for such is, the college of Williaittjand Mary ; if it *be necessary for its farther glory to cite miracfes, 1 shall only observe that they created hie a Doctor of Laws. WiUiamsburgh, 1st pf May, 178?, TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. PART III. JOURNAL OF A TOUR IN- NEW-HAMPSHIRE, THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS, ATM© UPPER PENNSYLVANIA. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. CHAPTER I. HARTFORD OXFORD CONCORD ANDOVER HAVERHILL EXE- • TER PORTSMOUTH NEWBURYPORT. The Baron de Viomenil having joined the army iri the be ginning of October, I ought to have resigned to him of course the command of the first division, so that I had now no necesr sary occupation, unless I had chosen to take the command of the second division, in which case I must have superseded the Comte de Viomenil, which was far from my intention ; it de pended upon myself, therefore, to return to Philadelphia, to wait, for Mr. de Rochambeau, who was expected there, after marching his troops to the eastward ; but my departure would have too plainly discovered the intention of embarking them, which it was wished to keep a secret* at least until they had reached Hartford. The Comte de Viomenil, on the other hand, being desirous of visiting Saratoga, the Baron>j|e Viomenil re quested me to retain the command of the first, whilst he took that ofthe second division. I consented, therefojet, to sacrifice ano ther listless and fatiguing fortnight, and marched with the troops to Hartford.* I submitted also not to return to the southward, * The Translator attended the French army on their march, nearly the whole way, from Alexandria to the North river, and was a witness to their strict discipline, and the surprising harmony between them and the people of the country, to whom tthey gave not the slightest reason of complaint. He insists the more on this fact, as it appears to him no less singular than interesting. On their arrival at their quarters on the march, the whole country came to see them, and it was a gene ral scene of gaiety and good humour. When they encamped at Alex andria, on the ground formerly occupied by Braddock, the most ele gant and handsome young ladies of the neighbourhood danced with the officers on the turf, in the middle of the camp, to the sound of military music ; and, (a circumstance which will appear singular to European ideas,) the circle was in a great measure composed of soldiers, who, from the heat of the weather, had disengaged themselves from their clothes, retaining not an article of dress except their shirts, which 304 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. before M., de Rochambeau, and to accompany him thither after seeing them embarked. I determined, however, to avail myself of these circumstances to visit the upper part of the state of Massachusetts, and New-Hampshire, which I had not, yet seen. With this view. I set out from Hartford the 4th of November, the very day the Comte de Rochambeau marched with the first division to encamp at Bolton.* It was two in the afternoon when I got on horseback; my companions were Messieurs Lynch, de Montesquieu, the Baron de'Taleyranc}, and Mr. de Vaudreuil. We followed the Bolton route to a cross road about three miles beyond the Meeting-house, where there is a stone for the traveller's direction. We here took to the left, to reach Mr. Kendal's tavern-, in the towqship bf Co ventry, seventeen miles' from Bolton, and four from the cross roads. In a quarter of an hour we met Mr. Kendal, who was on horseback, carrying letters to Mr. de Rochambe*au, from the Marquis de Vaudreuil, our Admiral ; for this route, which is the shortest between Bolton and Hartford, was prefe/red for the chain of expresses between the fleet, the army, and Phila delphia. Mrl de Montesquieu returned with him to Bolton, to know whether these letters contained any interesting intelli gence. As we travelled slowly, he rejoined us in half an hour, and informed us, that they were only answers to those he* had received from the army, with the state of the troops to be em barked. Before we reached Mr. Kendal's, we passed a hut which scarcely merited the name of a hpghouse, and was only half covered, but which was inhabited by a man who accosted us in French ; he was a labourer from Canada, who had fre quently changed habitations, and had seven children. We were all lodged *a»d treated at Mr. Kendal's, who is above the common class, and is more occupied in commerce than in farm ing ; he sat down to table with us, and we were pleased with his conversafion. in general were neither extremely long, nor in the best condition ; not did this occasion the least embarrassment to the ladies, many of whom were of highly polished manners, and the most exquisite delica cy ; or to their friends or parents ; so whimsical and arbitrary are manners. — Trans. * The French army, at the time the Marquis speaks of, had been for some time encamped at Crompont, near Cortland's manor, a few miles from tha,t of General Washington's, and between which there was a daily intercourse. The Translator dined, in October, 1 782, in General Washington's tent, with the Marquis de Laval, the Baron de Viomenil, and several French officers, within hearing of the British guns, which were at that period happily become a brutum fulmen. — TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 305 We set out at half past eight in thp morning of the 5th, and travelled through a very agreeable and variegated country, pre senting us every moment with the view of handsome habita tions. The face of the country is unequal, but the hills are neither high nor steep. We stopped to bait our horses at Mr. Clark's tavern, in Ashford township, by the side of the rivulet of Mounthope, on this side of a river marked in the chart by the name of Monchbas, and of a branch of that river called Bigsiack. VVe left this place at two, o'clock, the country still continuing to be pleasant. I was particularly struck with the position of Woodstock meeting-house, which is placed oh an eminence, commanding a very gay and well-peopled country. There* are several inns around this meeting-house, but we went three miles and a half farther, to Mrs. Chandler's. Our. jour ney this day, was thirty-three miles, it being seventeen from Clark's to Chandler's tavern. This house is kept by awidow, who was from home^ and Mr. Lynch, who had preceded us, was very ill received by an old servant maid. We found him in great distress, because she would make no preparation of even killing a few chickens, before she received the orders of her mistress. Fortunately, however, the latter arrived in a quarter of an hour, iri a sort of single horse ch'aise'and we found her very polite' arid obliging, she gave us a tolerable supper, and yve were neatly lodged.* • > The 6th we set out at ten o'clock, having been apprized that on reaching Oxford, it would be necessary to inquire the road at a tavern kept by Mr. Lord, at twelve rhiles distance ; butsthe weather being bad when we got there, we determined to stop a couple of hours until the rain ceased,, which had'continued the whole morning. We had t'wp roads to choose ; that which goes through Shrewsbury would have led us more directly, to Portsmouth; but I preferred that by Grafton, which leads to Concord ; that cefebjra'ted spot, where ihe first blood was shed, which commenced the civil war. The rain abating a little., we resumed our journey at two, and passed through Saltoji, a pretty enough place, where there are several well-built houses ; but tiie rain redoubling, we were obliged to halt seven miles farther on, at Baron's tavern, where we were wpll received. We dried ourselves by a good fire, in a* very handsome apart ment, adorned with good prints, and handsome mahogany fur niture ; "and finding the useful coj-respend with the agreeable in this house, we reconciled ourselves , to the bad weather, which had forced us into such good quarters. • We left this place at nine the next morning, the road lead- * This is one of the best houses I met with in America.' — Trans. 39 306 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. ing us through Grafton, -after v which we passed. Blackstone river, and arrived at Gale*s tavern, -fifteen miles from Baron's, after a journey through a very, pleasant country. I remarked that the meadows, of which there are a great number, were in general intersected and, watered by trenches cut on purpose. Mr. Gales informed me thaithese meadows were worth from ten to twerity dollars an acre ; from one of which, in his pos session, he reaped four tons of hay an acre; The after-grass is for the cattle, to produce butter and cheese*} principally of this*eountry. The price of meat is hereabout twopence- halfpenny the pound of fourteen ounces. After baiting our horses, we continued our journey by Marlborough, where there are handsome houses, and more collected than in the other towns or townships. We at length entered a wood, which ©onducted us to the river qf Concord, or Billerika, .over which we passed by a bridge about a mile frdni tire Meeting house, and at the same, distance from Mr. John's, where it was near nine o'clock before we arrived. This is an excellent inn, kept by a most determined whig, who acted his part in the af fair of Concord.* ' Major Pitcairn, who commanded; the Eng lish on this occasion, had lodged frequently at his' house, in-'. travelling -through the country in disguise ; a method he had- sometimes taken, though very dangerous, of gaining informa tion to communicate to General Gage. The day on which. he headed'the English troops to Concord, he arrived at seven in the morning, followed by a company of grenadiers, and went immediately tp Mr. John's tavern, the tloor of which being shu,t, he knocked several times, and on the refusal -to op#n it, ordered his grenadiers to force it.'. Entering, it himself, the first, he pushed Mr. John with such violence as to throw him down, and afterwards placed a guard ove*r. him, frequently in-- sisting on his pointing out the magazines of the rebels. £Ghe , , _^ -' w . ¥ „¦ * It took plaae on the 19th of April, 1775, General Gag.§§iad detactied -froiri Boston all bis- grenadiers, light infamtry, and some other troops, amounting together, to 900 men, under the orders. of "Lieute-, nant-Cdlonel 'Smith, ahd*Major Pitcairn. At LexingtonHhey,iell ip with a company of militia, whom they found under arms. * The' Eng lish, in a haughty tone, ordered the ¦ Americans to disperse, 'which they refused, and whilst the conversation was confined to words;-' ttfe Ehglish fired without giying notice, and at that discharge killed seven or eight- Americans, who had made no disposition to shelter themselves from the fir* ; they were compelled to. give way to numbers. ' The English advanced to Concord, where they paid dearly for theif violence, and this first act of hostility, for which they were alone responsible, cost them near 300 men. Major Pit6airn was slain at the battle of Bunker's Hill, a short time after the affair of Go'ncord. . ; < TRAVELS lNjNORTH-AMERICA.' • 307 Americans had in fact collected some cannon- and warlike stores at Concord, but having received timely. notice in the' night, they had removed every thing into the woods,- exc£^>t three twenty-four pounders, whioh remained in ibhe-prisort yard, of which Mr. John was the keeper. Major Pitcairn carnying his violence so far as to clap a pistol to his throat, Mr. John', who had himself been in a passion, grew calm, and tried to pacify the English commander. He assured hfm that there were only the above three pieces at Concord, and that he should see them, if he would follow' him- He conducted him to the prison, where the English entered, he says, in a rage at -seeing the Yankees sa* expert in mounting cannon, and in providing theriiselves with every thing necessary for -the service of artil lery, such as sponges, rammers, &c. Major Pitcairn 'made his m'en destroy the carriages, and break the trunnions ; then or dered, the prison to be set open, where he found two prisoners, one of whom being a tory, he released. The first moments of trouble being <5ver, Major Pitcairn re turned to Mr. John's, "where he breakfasted, and paid for it. The latter resumed his station of -innkeeper; numbers of the English came fo ask for rum, which he measured out as usual, and made them pay exactly. In the mean time, the Americans, who had passed the river in their retreat, began to rally, and to unite with those, who, apprised by the alarum bells, and vari-' ous expresses, were coming to their assistance. The disposi tion Major Pitcairn had to make for his security, whilst he was employed in searching for, and de'strpying the ammunition, was by no means "difficult ; it was only necessary to place strong guards at the two bridges to the north and south, which he had done. Towards ten o'clock in the morning, the firing of mus ketry was 'heard at the north bridge, on which the English ral lied at the place appointed, on a height, in a church-yard situa ted to the right ofthe road, and opposite the town-house. Three hundred Americans, who were assembled on the other side of the river, descerided'from the heights by a winding road which leads obliquely to the bridge, but which, at sixty paces from the river^ttiirns to the left, and comes straight upon it. Until they had reached this angle, they had their flank covered by a small' stone wall; but when they cahie to this pom f, they marched" up boldly to the bridge, which they found the enemy employed in breaking down. The latter fired the first, but the Americans fell upon them, and they easily gave way, which appearsrather extraoirdinary. Mr. John *pbms that the English at first imagined the Americans had ho bail, but 'that they soon found their errors on seeing several of their soldiers wounded. They even speak here of jin officer, wh» informed his men that they had nothing to fear, for that the Americans fired only with 308 . "TRAVELS IN N01|TH-AMERICA. powder ; but a drummer who was near him receiving at the •moment a musket shot, replied, take care of that powder, Captain. The English had three men killed here, and several wounded, two of them were officers. The Americans now passed the bridge, and formed immediately on a small eminence, to the left of the road, as they were Situated, and at short cannon shot from that on which the English were collected. There they remained some time watching each other; but the sight of some houses on fire irritated the Americans, and determined- them to march towards the English, who then retreated by the Lexing ton road, which forming an elbow, the Americans, who knew the country, took the string of the bow, and goj up with them before they advanced a mile. It was here the retreating fight began, of which every body has seen the accounts, and which Continued to Lexington, where the English were joined by the reinforcement under the command of Earl Percy. It was on the morning of the 8th that I examined the field of battle at Concord, Which took me up till half past ten, when I resumed my journey. T,en miles from Concord is" Billerika, apretty considerable township ; the country here .was less fer tile, and the road rather stony. We halted at South- Andover, five miles beyond Billerika, at a bad jnn, kept by one Forster ; his wife had some beautiful children, but she appeared disor dered* and I thought her rather drunk. . She showed me, with much importance, a book her eldest daughter was reading, and I .found it, to my no small surprise, to be a book pf prayers in Italian. This daughter, who was about seventeen, repeated also a prayer in the Indian language, of which she understood not a word, having learnt it accidentally from an Indian ser vant ; but her mother thought all this admirable. We con tented ourselves with baiting our horses in this wretched ale house, and set out at half past one, travelled through South and North-Andover. North-Parish, or North-Andover, is a charm ing place, where there are a great number -ol very handsome houses, a quantity of meadows, and fine cattle. Almost on quitting this long township, you enter Bradford, where night overtook us, and we travelled two or three mfles in the dark before we reached Haverhill ferry. _ It was half past six before we had .crossed it,- and got to Mr. Harward's inn, inhere we had a good supper, and good lodgings. At Haverhill, th'e Merri mack is only fit for vessels of thirty tons, but much larger ones are built here, which are floated down empty to Newbury. Three miles above Haverhill are falls, and higher up tbe river is only navigable for boats. The trade of this town formerly consisted in timber for ship-building, which has been suspend ed since the war. It \§ pretty considerable, and tolerably well TRAVELS IN JJORTH-AMERIOA. 309 built ; and its situation, in the form of an amphitheatre on the left shore of the Merrimack, gives it many agreeable asgrects. . We left this place the-9th, at nine in the morning, our road lying through Plastow, a pretty considerable township ; after which we met with woods, and a wild and horrid country. We saw a great number of pines and epicias ; there are also seve ral large lakes, some of which are traced upoh the chart. .Since we quitted the confines of Connecticut, I have in general o'bserved a great number of these ponds, which contributed to increase the resemblance between this country and that ofthe Bourbonnois, and the Nivernois, in France. Twelve miles from Haverhill is Kingston, a township inferior to those we had ob served upon the route ; and at the end of eighteen miles is Exeter, at present the capital of New-Hampshire, that is to say, the place where the President or Governor resides, and the members of the. state assemble. It is rather a handsome town, and is a sort of port ; for vessels of seventy tons can,eome up, and others as large as three of four hundred tons are built here, which are floated.down Exeter river into the bay of that name, and thence to Piscataqua. We stopped at a very handsome inn kept by Mr. Ruspert, which we quitted at half past two ; arid though we rode very fast, night was coming on wheri we reached Portsmouth. The road from Exeter is very hilly. We passed through Greenland, a very populous township, composed of well built houses. Cattle here are abundant, but not so handsome as in Connecticut, and the state of Massachusetts. They are dispersed over j!ine meadows, and it is a beautiful sight to see them collected near their hovels in the evening. This country presents, in every respect', the picture of abun dance and of happiness. The road from Greenland to Ports mouth is wide and beautiful, interspersed with habitations, so that these two townships almost touch. I alighted at Mr. Brewster's, where I was well lodged ; ll^!feemed• to me a re spectable man, and much attached to his cTsfuntry. In the morning of the 10th I went to pay a visit to Mr. Al bert de Rioms, captain of the Pluton,* who had*a house on shore, where Ke resided for his health ; he invited me to din ner, which he advised me to accept, as the Comte de Vaudre,uii was in great confusion on board his ship, the mizen mast of which- had been struck by lightning five days before; and Which * The Marquis de Vaudreuil's squadron was then at Boston, and some of his sjiips were refitting, and taking in masts at Portsmouth. M. de Albert de Rioms is the, officer who commanded the evolutions ofthe French squadron, on the late visit ofthe king to Cherbourg. — Trans. 310 TRAVELS IN NO^TH-AMERICA. penetrated' to his first battery; but he offered me his boat to carry me on board the Augiiste. In returning for my cloak, I Happened to pass' by the meeting, precisely at the time ofser-i vice, and had the curiosity to enter, .where I remained aboye half an hour, that I might^nbt interrupt the preacher, arid to show my respect for the assembly ; the audience weretiiot nu merous on account of the severe cold, but I saw some. hand some women, elegantly dressed. Mr. Barkminster, a young, minister, spoke with a great deal of grace, and reasonably •enough for a preacher. I could not help admiring the address with which fie introduced politics into his sermon, by compa ring the christians redeemed by the blood of Jestis Christ, but still compelled to fight against the flesh and sin, to the thirteen United States, who, notwithstanding they have acquired liberty and independence, are under the necessity of employing all their force to combat a formidable power, and to preserve those invaluable treasures. It was near twelve when 1 embarked in Mr.* Albert's boat, and saw on tBe, left, near the little Island of Rising Castle, the America,* (the ship given by Congress to the king of France,) which had been just launched, and ap peared to me a fine ship. I left on the right the Isle of Wash- * The America is the vessel given by Congress, to the king of France, to replace the M'agniiique, lost on Lovel's-Island in Boston harbour, when the Frenph fleet entered that port some months after the defeat of the Comte de Grasse. This ship was designed for the well known Paul Jones, who by his cdnfmarid of the little squadron on the coasts of England, had acquired the title of commodore, and was sighing after that of adtniral of America, which Congress, no bad appreciators of merit, thought proper to refuse him. The Translator met hinj at a public table at Boston, on his return from Portsmouth, where he. told the company, that notwithstandingnhe reason he had to % fee discontented, he had^gi-ven his advice in the construction anil launch ing of the vessel, irr'which latter operation, however, the ship struck fast on theislip, but without. any material damage. ( This accident is nOt intend'e«Miy any means as an imputation on Mr. Jones, who certain ly was .fortunate enough, at one. time, to render considEraljle service to America. He is said to have acquired a considerable property by the prizes he made in thatvcruise, but his officers and' crews complain (the Translator does not say with what justice) that there has never been any distribution of the prize money, arid that numbers of his maimed and mutilated sailors were reduced to beg for a subsistence in France, and elsewhere, to the discredit of America. Mr. Jones read some pretty enough verses in his own honour *to the same company, at Brackett's' tavern iri Boston, extracted from a London newspaper, and said to be written by Lady Craven, Tlje America is now at Brest, and is esteemed one of the handsomest, ships in the French navy; — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. 311 mgton,.on "which stands a fort of that name. , Jt is built in the form of a star, the parapets of which are supported by stakes, and was not finished. Then leaving Newcastle on the right, and Bittery on the left, we arrived at the anchoring ground*, within the first pass. I found Mr- Vaudreuil onboard, who pre sented me to the officers of , his ship*, and afterwards to those of the detachment of the army, among whom were three offi cers of my former regiment of Guienne, at present called Viennois, *He then took me to see the ravages made by the1 lightning, of which M. de Bire, who then commanded the ship^ M. de Vaudreuil having slept on shore, gave me the. following account : at half past, two in the morning, in the midst of a very violent rain, a dreadfSl explosion was heard suddenly, and the sentinel, who was in the gallery, came in a panic info the council cjiamber,- where he met with.M. Bin'-, who had leaped to the foot of his bed, and they were both struck with a strong. sulphureous smell. The bell Was immediately rung, and the ship examined, when it was found that the mizen mast was cut. short in two, four feet from the forecastle ; that it had been lifted in the air, and fallen perpendicularly on the quarter deck, through which it had penetrated, as well as the second battery. Twctsailors were crushed by its fall, two others, who never could be found, had doubtless been thrown into, the sea. by the commotion, and several were wounded. Atone o'clock we returned on shore to dine with M. Albert de Rioms, and our follow guests were M. de Bire, who acted as flag captain, though but a lieutenant ; M. de Mortegues* who formerly commanded tl?e*Magnifique (lost at the same period on Lovel's-Island in Boston harbour) and was destined to, the command of "the America -.* M% de Siber, lieutenant en pied,o{ the'Pluton ; M. d'Hizeures, captain of the regiment of Viennois, &c. ; after dinner we went to drinks tea with Mr. Lang don. He is a handsome man, and of a hoble' carriage; he has been a member of Congress#and is now one of the firstpeo- ple of the country ; his house is elegant and well furnished, and the apartments admirably well wainscotted'; he hasagood manu script chart of the harbour of Portsmouth. Mrs. Langdon, his wife, is, young, fair, and tolerably handsome, but I conversed less with her than with her husband, in whose favour I was preju-v diced, from knowing that he had displayed great courage and patriotism. at tiie time of Burgoyne's expedition. For repair ing to tlie.council chamber, of which he was a member, and perceiving that they were about to discuss some affairs of little consequence, he -addressed them as follows : " Gentlemen, you may talk as long as-youj please, but J know that the enemy is on our fronitijfrs, and that I am going to take my- pistols, and mount my bowe, to combat with my fellow-citizens j" the 312 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. , , greatest part of the members ofthe council and assembly fol lowed him, and joined General Gates at Saratoga. As he was marching day and night, reposing himself only in the woods, a negro servant who attended him says to him, "Master, you are hurting yourself, but no matter, you are going to fight for liberty; I should suffer also patiently if I had liberty to de, fend." "Don't let that stop you," replied Mr. Langdon^ "from this moment you are free."' The negro followed him, behaved. with courage, and has never quitted him. On leaving Mr. Langdon's, we went to pay a visit to Colonel Wentworth, who is respected in this country; not only from his being of the same family with Lord Rockingljam, but from his general acknowledged character for probity and talents. He conduct ed the naval department at Portsmouth, and our officers are never weary, in his commendation. From Mn Wemtworth's, M- de Vaudreuil and M. de Rioms took me to Mrs. Whipple's, a widow lady, who is, I believe,' sister-in-law to General Whip ple; she is neither young nor handsome, but appeared to me to have a good understanding, and gaiety. She is educating one of her nieces, only fourteen years old, who is already charming. Mrs. Whipple's house, as well as that of Mr. Went,worth's, and all those I saw at Portsmouth,*are very hand some and well furnished. I proposed, on the morning of the 11th, to make a tour among the islands in the harbour, but some snow having fallen, and the weather being by no means inviting, I content ed myself with paying visits to some officers of the navy, and among others to the Comte ere vaudreuil, who had slept on shore the preceding night ; after which we again met at din ner at Mr. Albert's, a pouit1 oY union which' was always agreea ble. M. d'Hizeures had ordered the music ofthe regiment of Viennois to attend j, and I found with pleasure, that the taste for music, which I had inspired into that corps; still subsisted, and that the ancienf musicians had been judiciously replaced.* After dinner, we again drank tea at Mr. Langdon'*, and theri paid a visit to Dr. Brackett, an esteemed physician of the country, and afterwards to Mr. Thompson. The latter was born in England ; he is a good seamen, and an excellent ship builder, and is besides a sensible inan, greatly attached to his new country, which it is only fifteen years since he adopted. His wife is an American, and pleases by her countenance, but still more by her amiable and polite behaviour. We finished * The Marquis de Chastellux, among his vaejous accomplishments, is distinguished not only m the character of an amateur, but for his scientific knowledge of music. — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA 313 at Mr. ^^wflrth.'s, where -the ,Cornte de rYau- (lodged --Jfegaye usja:very handsome slipper, without cetomopy, during ifhiehtheicjltaversatioaiwas gay-and agreea ble-. , -, ,-- - ",#„ ^,- - ',-' ;Y \. ¦ ,UJ . >¦' '. '-.:,, The jath-I set -au^ftert taking leave 4?f ]& de Vaudreuil, ;Whom I met as,he-wa§ teeming to call on me, and it was ©er- tainly with the greatest sincerity tl^il tesjtifie&.to Him niy .sense- of the>, polite manner in We! ideas w^hich I, bad an opportunity of acquiriri^r|sl**trye to the town ofPortsinputh. It Was in a'pret- ty fl5urislid% state before. ; tbe ;war$, -'and carried on the trade of ship timber, and salt, fishy jEt is .easy tp, conceive that this commerce, mrist, have ,grea/tly suffered sitice the commence ment of th&'troubles'jibut notwithstanding, ;Ports*noiitfh is, per haps, of all; th«* American towns, Ihlat^whieh tvHJ. gain the most by the present War, ¦: '. -There is every ajjpearance of its beco ming to JVe««cEngland« what- the otijer fortsriiouth is to the Old ; that is* to say, tiiat this place wilJ. be made choice of as the depot ofithe continental marine. .VlJhe access toithejfear- baur is easy, the road immense, andi'tiiere ate . seven fathoms water as far^up as two nrites above the town; add! to this, that notwithstanding' i$s northern situati9ri islands, andnot on the continent ; for it would be. easy for an enemy's army to land\ there,, and, take possession of the town, the local situation oft which' Would- require, too, considerable a develope- menfeof fortification to shelter it .from insult. ,.',! imagine, how ever, that a gOqd entrenched Camp might be, formed between the two creeks, but Iarnorily able.to judge of that -from a slight observation, and from charts. ¦*•¦*" ' * .w It has happened in New-Hampshire, as, in the state of Mas sachusetts,; that the losses of commerce have turned to the ad vantage of agriculture' ; -the capitals of the rich, and the indus try of the people having flowed back frorii the coasts towards .the interior ofthe country, which has profited rapidly by the reflux. It is certain that this country has a very flourishing appearance, and that new houses are building, and new farms are settling every day. NeyK-Hampshire hitherto has n-^aermahent constitution, and its present gov^rifhent is no morfwhan a simple convention'; 40 314 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMEfllCA. it much resembles that of Pennsylvania, for ft consists- of one tegislative body, composed of the representatisves/ouhe peo^, and the executive courttsil^ which has for its chief,a J'residiht, instead of Governor. But during 'my stay at Ppj-tsniouth, I leari#tiSft there was an assembly at Esete, for the purpose of es1iah^shlffl|%vc(!i«titotib1n; the principal articles of which were aiieMf^Te^doa: This constitution will be founded on the same principles as those of New-York ahd Massachusetts. There will be, as in the former, an executive power, vested in the hands of the Governor, the Chancellor and the Chief Jus tices ; the latter of whom will be perpetual, at feast 'quqyn diii se benegMerint, during good behaviour, but the'members ofthe seriate "wjll be annually changed, and the requisite qualifica tion of a senator, vefy inconsiderable, which I tliink is a great inconvenience,* Mr. Langdon observes, and perhaps with reason that the country is as yet too young, and the materials wanting to give this senate* all the weight- and consistence it bright to ha.ve, as in Maryland', where the senators are elected for three year§,.and niust possess at least five hundred pounds. When I was at Portsmouth the necessaries of life were very dear, owing to the great' drought of -the preceding summer. Corn, costs twodojlars a bushel, (of sixty 'pounds weight) oats almost as much, and Indian corn Was extremely, scarce. I shall hardly be behoved wheri I say, that I paid eight livres ten sols (abotit seven shillings and three pence) a day for each horse; Buteher's meat Only was cheap, sellhig.attwo'-pejice halfpenny a pound. That part of New-Hariipshire .bordering on the coast is not fertile ; there are good lands at forty or fifty miles distance from the -sea, hui the expense of carriage greatly aug ments the price of articles, when^ sold jn 'the more inhabited parts. As for the value of landed property it is dear enough for so new a country. Mr. Ruspert, my landlord, paid seventy pounds currency per annum, (at eighteen livres, or, fifteen shillings the pound) .for his inn. Lands sell at flroifr ten to six teen dollars an acre. The country produces little fruit, and the cider is indifferent. The roacf froiri Portsmouth to Newbury passes , through a barren country. Hampton is the only township you meet with, ahd there are not shcb handsome houses there as at Greenland. As we had only twenty miles to go, I was unwil ling to stpp, and desired the Vicomte de Vaudreuil only, to go oh a little before us to dinner. It was two o'clock when we reached Merrimack ferry, arid from the shore we saw the open- * A new form of govemffleftthas been established since the peace.— TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 315 ing of the harbour, the channel off which passes near the north ern extremity of PlumWsland, on which is a small fort,v with a few cannon and- mortars. Its situation appears 'to me well chosen, at feast as far.as I was capable of judging from a. dis tance. At, the entrance ofthe harbour is a bar, on which there are only eighteen feet water in the highest tides, so that although it be a very commercial place, it has always been re spected by the English. Several frigates have been built here ; among others, thei^Charlestown, and the Alliance.* The har- r * 'The privateers which so greatly molested the British trade were, chiefly frorji the"- ports, df Newbury, Beverley, and Salem., in which p|a-' ces- large. fortunes w^re made by this means : and such/'iriust ever be thfe case in any future wari from the' peculiarity of their position, whence they may mil 'out at any -season of the year^ and commit de predations on any ofthe hiaritime powers to which America is hostile, with little fear of retaliation. • Newfoundland; Nova-SfeotEV, the Gulfs of. St: Lawrence, and of Florida/ami the whole trade of- the West-In dia Archipelago, are in a manner at their doors. However Great Britain may affect to despise America, she is perhaps, even in her! pre sent infant state, frqm various circumstances, -the most, formidable enemy she can have to cope with, in case of a rupture ; for, as nations ought. collectively to be dispassionate, though individuals are, not, it behooves ber to reflept,. where^and in what, manner she p*uivreturi*.,.thjs blow. Mr- Jefferson, the present' Minister ojF the tijjiited States at Versailles, among other excellent observation^ on this^subject hasi the following, itihi'ch I extract 'with pleasure fjrbiri his Notes* on Virginia, a most interesting work, with which I have just privately been favour ed. " The sea js the field on which we should meet an European ene my, oii that element it is necessary we, should' possess sonle' power. ¦"jo aim- at such, a navy as the greater nations of Europe possess would. be a foolish and wicked waste.bf ttyg energies of our Countrymen. It would be to pull oh our heads that load.' "of military expense .'which makes the European labourer go sup'perless to bed, and moistens bis .bread- with the sweat of his brow. It will be enough if we enable our selves to prevent insult frohi those nations of Europe which are weak on the Sea, because circumstances exist which render even the stronger ones weak as to us. ' Providence has placed their richest and most de fenceless possessions at our door) has- obliged their most precious commerce to pass as it were in rSiew before us. To protect this, or to assail us, a small part only of tHfeir naval force will ever be risked across the Atlantic.; The clangers to jvhich the elements expose them here'are too Well 'known; and the greater danger to which they would be exposed at home, were any generaT calamity to involve their ,whple fleet; They can' attack us by detachment only; ahd it will suffice to make ourselves equal to what they may detach. Even a smaller force' tjian they- may detach wilPbe rendered equal or superior by the quiik- nesswith which any check may be reposed 'with 'us, while, .losses- with them will be irreparable till too late. A small naval force then is he- 316 TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. bour is extensive, and well sheltered. After passing the ferry iirfittle flat boats,, whfch' foeld only five .horses each, we went to Mr* Davenport's inn, where we -found a good dinner ready. I had letters'i frpm, Mr. Wentworth to Mr. John Tracy, the most considerable merchant in the place ; but, before I had time to - send them, he had heard of my arrival, and, as I was rising from table, ;©ntered the Eooih; arid very politely invited me 46 pass the evening, with himj* ..He wars accompanied. by a Colo nel, whose name is too difficult 'tfotr me; to Write, having never been able to catch, the manner of pronouncing it,; but it was something like "yVigsleps. This Colonel remained with me till Mr. Tracy finished his business, wheri he qamewith twoha»d> some carriages, well, equipped, arid conducted me and my aicl- de-camp to his, conntry-hbuse. Thjs Ho.use stands a mile from the town, in a very.beautifiil situation;, but of this j could my self form jip judgment,. as?it was already night. I wihenjoying the different, aspects it presents. It is in general well built, and is daily increasing in new build ings. The warehouses, of tiie merchants, which are near their* own houses; Serve by v*»fcy of ornament, and- in point of arctjri- tecture resemble licit la -little, our large gresin-houses, - You canv not see the ocean from' the rOad to Ipswihh; and the country to the eastward is- dry arid, rocky. Toward the westMt is. more fertile; but -in general the land throughout -the country, bor dering oh the seS, is not fruitful. At the end of twelve miles* is Ipswich, where westopped to, bait, onr horses, and (Were sur prised to find a town .^between NeWbury and $aleni, at least as populous as .these two sea-ports, though indeed much less opu lent. But mounting an eminence near, the tavern, I saw that Ipswich was also a sea-port * I was toldi however, that, the en trance was difficult, and that at some times of the year there were hot five feet upbri the bar! From 'this- eminence you see Cape Antra, and [hjp south side qf PlumMsland, as well as a part of the hoftii. The* bearing of the coast, which trends to the eastward, Seems- to the- badly laM down in the charts; this coast trends, more southerly above Ipswich, and forfhs a sort of bay. Ipswich. at present has^but littleteade, and its fish ery is also oh the-decline ; but the ground in the neighbourhood is pretty good, and abounds in pasturage, so that the seamen having turned farmers, they have beenip no want Of* subsist ence,*, which may account likewise for the very considerable • * The activity and enterprise of the inhabitants ofthe eastern states are unremitted* ¦ .The^eaman, whr*sn on shore immediately- applies him self to some handicralt'occupation, or.to.hushahdjy, and is always rea dy at a raontent'sr warning to accompany the captain his neighbour, who is likewise' frequently a mechanic, tb. the fisheries. West-India , voyages are the most perilous expeditions, so that it is no uncommon circumstance to find in a crew of excellent New-England mariners, not a single seaman, so ,to speak, by profession. Hence arise that zeal-, 320 TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. * population of this place, where you meet With upwards of two hundred hduses, in about two miles square. ¦ Before you arrive at Salem, is' a handsome rising tow« called Beverly. This is a new establishment produced by commerce,1 on the left shore of the creek which bathestbe town of Salen-i on the north side. One cannot •'but be astonished- to see bpautiful houses, large warehouses, &c, springing up in great rirambers, at so small a distance from a commercial town, the prosperity of which i*3 not diminished by it.* The'rain overtook us just as we Were passing near the lake which is three' miles from Beverly. We crossed the creek in two flat-bottomed boats, containing each -, / '•'. ' "'-,,-" . ' •'¦-. ''¦">« ' " sobriety^ industry,- eeonoriiy and attachment for which they are so just ly' celebrated, arid which cannot fkil'of giving 'them, sooner or later, a de.cjded superiority at leastnn the, seas of, thereto World. This edu cation and these, manners are \h§ ope'rativ4»causes of that wonderful spirit of enterprise ahd^perseverance, so, admirably painted by Mr. Ed mund Burke, in.hiS.w,ke,eloqtt;enLrand immortal speech of.Marcn,'32, 1775,ron-, bis- motion, tp'r (bpnciliatidn wu}h the/colonies. "Pray, sir," says he,."" what injhe iv6rld is equal to it?" -Pass by the other,parts (of Arnerica,) and look -at the manner, in which the people of New- England ba^ve of Ia*te parried. pn the whale fishery. Whilst we follew- them among the tumbling mountains of ice, and behold them penetra ting into 'the deepest recesses of Hudson's' Bay, and Davis' Straits, whilst we are looking, for them beneath the arctic circle, we' hear that they have pierced into the opposite f egion of polar-cold, that they are at the antipodes, and engaged under the frozen serpehf of the so'otij. Falkland's-Islarid *^hiohseemed"tfco retarpte and romantic an object for the grasp of national ambition, is but a stage ari4 resting place in the pro gress of their victdrious'indijstry. 'Nor is the. equinoctial, h'eat mors ¦discouraging to them than tjie accumulated winter-pf both the poles. We know that whilst some of them draw- the line aird strike the har poon on the 'coast:df' Africa., others -run, the longitude, and pursue their gigantic game along the coast of "Brazil. 'No sea but what is vexed by their fisheries. " No clinWe that is. not witness,Jo their toils. Nei ther the perseverance of .Holland, tior the activity of France, nor1 the dexterous and firm sagacity- of English' enterprise, ever carried this most perilous mode of hardy industry to the extent to which it has been ' pushed by, this recent people ; a peteple who are still, as it were, but in the gristle, and not yet hardened into theibone of manhood." — Trans. ,*¦ The town of Beverley began to flourish greatly towards, the con clusion of the war by the extraordinary spirit ot enterprise, and great success of the. Messieurs Cobbets, gentlemen of strong understandings and the most liberal minds, v*ell adapted to thWiost enlarged commer cial undertakings, and the- business of government. Two of their privateers had the good fortune to capture in thaEuropean seas,, a few weeks previous to the peace, several West-Indiaihen to the value of at least £100,000 sterling.— Trans. "¦• TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 321 six horses. It is near a mile wide ; and in crossing, we could very plainly distinguish the opening of the harbour, and a cas tle situated on the extremity of the neck, which defends the entrance. This neck is 'a tongue of land running to the east ward, and connected with Salem only by a very narrow sort of causeway. On the other side of the neck, and of the cause way, is the creek that forms the true port of Salem, which has no other defence than the extreme, difficulty of entering with out a good practical pilot. The view of these two ports, which are confounded together to the sight ; that of the .town of Sa lem, which is enibraced by two creeks, or rather a.rms of the sea, the ships and edifices which appear intermingled, form a very beautiful picture, Which I regret not having seen at a bet ter season of the year. As- 1 had no letters for any inhabitant of Salem, I alighted at Goodhue's tavern, how kept by Mr. Robinson, which I found very good, and was soon served with an excellent supper. In this inn was a sort, of club of mer chants, two or three of whom came to visit me ; and among others, Mr. De la Fille, a merchant of Bordeaux, who had been established five years at Boston ; he appeared a sensible man, and-pretty well informed respecting the-commerce of the coun try, the language of which he speaks well.* The Wth in the morning, Mr. De la Fille called upon me to conduct me to see the port and some of the warehouses. I found the harbour commodious for commerce, as vessels may unload and take in their lading at the quays ; there were about twenty in the port, several of which were ready to sail, and others which had just arrived. In general, this place has a rich and animated appearance. At my return to the inn I found several merchants who*came to testify their regret at not having been apprised more early of my arrival, and at -not hav ing it in their power to do the honours ofthe town. At eleven, I got on horseback, and taking the road to Boston, was surpri sed to see the town, or suburb of Salem, extending near a mile in length to the Westward. On the whole, it is difficult to conceive the state of increase, and the prosperity of this country, after so long and so calamitous a war. The road from Salem to Bos ton passes through an arid, and rocky1 country, always within three or" four miles of the sea, without having a sight of it; at length, however, after passing Lynn,f and Lynn creek, you get * The translator, who was residing at this time at Salem, regretted exceedingly tm accidental absence on the day the Marquis spent there, which he learnt, to his great mortification, on his return to the inri which the Marquis had just "quitted.— Trans. t Lynn is a very populous little place, arid is celebrated for the ma- 41 323 TRAVELS fN NORTH-AMERICA. a view of it, and find yourself in a bay formed by Nahant's- Point, and Pulling's-Point. . I got upon the rocks to the right of the roads, in order to embrace more of the country, and form a better judgment. I could distinguish not only the whole bay but several of the islands in Boston road, and part of the peninsula of Nantucket, near which I discovered the masts of our ships of war. From hence to Winisimmet ferry, we travel over disagreeable roads, spmetirhes at the foot of rocks, at others across salt marshes. It is just eighteen miles from Sa lem to the ferry, where we embarked in a large scowv contain ing twenty, horses ; ahd the wind, which was father contrary; becoming more so, we made seven tacks, and- were near, an hour in. passing. The landing is to the" northward ofthe port, and to the east of Charlestown ferry. Although I knew that Mr. Dumas had prepared me a lodging, I found it more conve nient to alight at Mr. Brackett's, the Cromwell's head, where I dined* After dinner I went to the lodgings prepared, for me at Mr. Colson's, a glover in the main street. As I was dressing to wait on the -Marquis de Vaudreuil, he called upon me, and after permitting me to finish the business of the toilet, we went together to Dr. Cooper's, and thence to the association ball, where I was received by my old acquaintance Mr. Brick, who was one of the managers. Here I remained till ten o'clock ; the Marquis de Vaudreriil opened the ball with Mrs. Temple. f nufacture of women's shoes, which they send to all parts of the con tinent, The town is almost wholly inhabited by shoemakers. — Trans. * This is a most excellent inn, and Mr. Brackett a shrewd and ac tive friend to the true principles ofthe revolution. His sign of Crom well's head gave great umbrage to the .British under General Gage, who would not suffer it 'to remain. This circumstance alone could have induced Mr. Brackett to restore it after they were expelled the town, as reflection might have convinced him, that ill the actual posi tion of America, there was much more to be apprehended from a Cromwell than a Charles. — Trans. ' t The reader will observe that the author in speaking of this lady, of Mr. Bowdoiri, her father, and the rest of the family, disdains to mention her husband, Mr. John Temple, So celebrated for.political duplicity on both sides of the water. This gentleman was, however, at this .very time at Boston, abusing Gov. Hancock, Dr. Cooper, and the most tried friends to America, in the public prints, and endeavour ing to sow dissensions among the people. Every newspaper into which he could obtain admission, was stuffed with disgusting enco miums on Mr. John Temple, whom Mr. John Temple himself held forth as the paragon of American patriotism, as the most active and inveterate enemy to England, and a victim to British vengeance, which he endeavoured to prove by instances taken from the' English prints,'of TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 323 M. de PAiguille the elder, and Mr. Trueguet danced also, each of them a minuet, and did honour to the French nation, by their npble and easy manner ; but I am sorry to say, that the contrast was considerable between them and the Americans, who are in general very awkward, particularly in the minuet. The prettiest women dancers were Mrs. Jarvis, her sister, Miss Betsy Bropm, and Mrs. Whitmore. The ladies were all well dressed,, but with less elegance and refinement than at Phila delphia.* The assembly room is superb, in a good style of architecture, well decorated, and well lighted ; it is admirably well calculated for the coup d'oeil, and there is good order, and every necessary refreshment. This assembly is much su perior to that of the. City tavern at-Philadelphia. The 15th, in the morning, M. de Vaudreuil, and M. le Tom- bes, the French Consul, called on me the moment I was going out to visit them. After some conversation, we went first to wait on Governor Hancock,f who was ill of the gout, and un- his treachery to England, and by boasting of his dexterity in outwitting the ministry of that country. Yet no sooner did peace take place, than to the astonishment of every sensible and honest man in Europe and America, this very person, equally detested by, and obnoxious to, both countries, was despatched as the sole representative of England to that country, of which he is also a sworn citizen, and whose father- in-law- is the present Governor of Massachusetts. It is impossible to add to the folly and infamy of such a nomination. The choice of an airibassador to Congress would. have fallen with more propriety on Ar nold, His was a bold and. single act of treachery ; the whole politi cal life of Mr. Temple.has been one continued violation of good faith. For farther particulars of this gentleman's Conduct, see the Political Magazine for 1780, p. 691, and 740 ; but volumes might be written on this subject. The translator is -sorry to" add, that whilst he lives and flourishes, the- virtuous, the amiable Dr. Cooper is in his grave, and Mr. Hancock, that illustrious citizen, he fears, not far removed from it. — Trans. * The translator was --present at this assembly at Boston, which was truly elegant, where he saw Mr. J. Temple standing behind the crowd, eyeing,, like Milton's devil, the perfect.harmony and good humour sub- sisting*between the French officers and the inhabitants, not as a friend to Britain, for that would have 'been pardonable, but to discord, for he was at this very instant boasting of his inveteracy to Britain.— Trans. t I had seen Mr.* Hancock eighteen months before, on my former journey to B>ston, and had a long conversation with him, iri which I easily discovered that 'energy of character which had enabled him to act so distinguished a part in the present revolution. He* formerly possessed a large fortune, which he, has almost entirely sacrificed in the defence of his country, and which contributed not a little to main- 324 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. able to receive us ;, thence, we went to Mr. Bowdoiri's, Mr. Brick's, and Mr. Cushing's, the deputy Governor. I dined with the Marquis de Vaudreuil, and after dinner drank tea at Mr. Bowdoin's Who engaged us to supper, only-allowing M. de Vaudreuil and myself half an hour to pay a visit to Mrs. Cush ing. The evening was spent agreeably, in a company of about twenty persons, among whom was Mrs. Whijmore, and young Mrs. Bowdoin, who was a new acquaintance for me, not having seen her at Boston when I was there the preceding year. She has a mild and agreeable countenance, and a character corresponding with her appearance. The next morning I went with the Marquis de Vaudreuil to pay some other visits, and dined with Mr. Brick, where were upwards of thirty persons, and among others, Mrs. Tudor, Mrs. Morton, Mrs. Swan, &c. The twoformer understood French ; Mrs. Tudor, in particular, knows it perfectly, and speaks it to lerably well. T was very intimate with her during my stay at Boston, and found her possessed, not only of understanding, but of grace and delicacy, in her mind and manners. After dinner, tea was served, which being over, Mr, Brick in some sort insisted, but very politely, on our staying to supper. This supper was on table exactly four hours after we rose from din ner ; it may be imagined, therefore, that we did not eat much, but the Americans paid some little compliments to it ; for, in general, they eat less than we do, at their repasts, but as often as you choose, which kin my opinion a very bad method. Their aliments behave with their stomachs, as we do in France on paying visits ; they never depart, until they see other-s enter. In other respects we passed the day very agreeably. ' Mr. Brick is ari amiable hum, and does the honours of his table extremely well ; and there .reigned in this society a' ton of ease and free dom, which is pretty general at Bo'ston, and cannot fail of being pleasing to the French'. The day following I waited at home for M. de Vaudreuil, who called on me to conduct me to dinnef onboard the Sou- verain. This ship, as well as the Hercule, was at anchor about a mile from the port. The officer who commanded her, gave us a great and excellent dinner, the honours of which he did, both to the French and Americans, with that noble and bene volent spirit which characterizes him. Among the latter, was a young man of eighteen, ofthe name of Barrel, who had been two monthson board, that by living continually with the French, ' i tain its credit. Though yet a young man, for he is not yet fifty, he is unfortunately very subject to the gout, and is sometimes, for whole months, Unable to see company. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 325 he might accustom, himself to speak their language, which cannot 'fail of being, one day useful to him.* For this is far from being a common qualification, in America, nor canit be conceived to what a degree it - has hitherto beep neglected ; the importance of i* however begins to be felt, nor can it be too much encouraged for the benefit of both nations. It is said, and certainly with great truth, that not only individuals, but even nations, only quarrel for want of a proper understand ing ; but. it may be affirmed in a more direct and positive sense, that mankind iri general are not disposed to love those to whom they cannot easily communicate their ideas and impress ions. Not only does their vivacity suffer, and their impatience become inflamed, .but self-love is offerided as often' as they speak without being understood ; instead of which, a man ex periences a'real satisfaction in enjoying an advantage not pos sessed by other's, and of whic*h he is authorised constantly to avail himself. I haye remarked during my residence in Ameri ca, that those among our officers, who spoke English, were much more disposed to like the inhabitarits of the country, than the others who were not able to familiarize ' themselves with the language. Such is in fact the procedure of the- human mijid, to impute to others the contrarieties we ourselves expe rience, and such, possibly, is the true origin of that disposition we call humeur, which must be considered as a discontent of which we cannot complaih ; an interior dissatisfaction which torments us, without giving us the right of attributing the cause of it to any other person. Humeur or peevishness, seems to be to anger, what melancholy is to grief; both one and the other are of longer- duration, because they have no fixed .object, and do not carry, so to speak, their compliment with them J so that never attaining that excess, that maximum of sensibility-, which brings On that repose, or change of situation which nature wills, they can neither be completely gratified, nor exhale themselves entirely. As for the Americans, they testified more surprise than peevishness, at meeting with a foreigner who did not' unr derstand English. But if they are indebted for this opinion to a prejudice of education, a sort of national pride, that pride suffered not a little from the reflection, which frequently oc curred, of the language of the country being that of their op pressors. Accordingly they avoided these expressions, " you speak English ; you understand English well ;" and I have * Thiais a very amiable young gentleman, and his father a great con noisseur in prints and paintings. He was happy to have the opportu nity of purchasing a complete collection of Hogarth's prints from the Translator; then on his return to Europe. — Tram. 326 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. often heard them say — " you speak American well ; the Ame rican is not difficult to learn.'' Nay,. they have carried it even so far, as seriously to propose introducing a new language ; and some persons were desirous, for the convenience of the public, that the Hebrew should be substituted for the English. The proposal was, that it should be taught in the schools, and made use of in all public acts. We may imagine that this pro ject went no farther ; but we may conclude from the mere suggestion, that the Americans could not express in a. more en ergetic manner, their aversion for the English. This .digression has led me far • from the Souverain, where I would return, however, withipleasure, were it not to take leave ofthe Cornmander de Glanderes, and to experience a thick fog, which compelled me to renounce an. excursion I proposed ma king in the harbour, and to get back to Boston as fast as possi ble, without visiting Castle-Igla'hd, and Fort William. On landing, the Marquis de Vaudreuil and I went to drink tea at Mr. Cushing's,- who is Lieutenant-Governor of the State ; whence we went to Mr.-Tudor's, and spent a very agreeable evening. M. de Parois, nephew of M. de Vaudreuil, had brought his harp, which he accompanied with great taste and skill ; this Was the first time, however, for three years, tha| I had heard truly vocal and national music : It was the first time that my ear had been struck with those airs, and those words which reminded me ofthe pleasures, and agreeable sentiments, which eniployed the best era of my life. I thought myself in heaven, or which is the same thing, I thought myself returned to my country, and once more surrounded by .the objects of my affection. '. • 'On the 17th, I breakfasted with several artillery officers, who had arrived with their troop ; that corps having greatly preceded the rest of the infantry, in order to have time to em bark tbeir cannon, and other stores. At eleven I mounted my horse, and went to Cambridge* to pay a visit to Mr. Willard, the President of that University. My route though short, it be ing ' scarce two leagttes from Boston to Cambridge} required me to travel both by sea and land, and to pass through a field of battle and an intrenched-#imp. It has been long said that the route to Parnassus is difficult, but the obstacles we have there to encounter, are rarely of the same nature with those which were in my way. A vfew of the chart of' the road, and toWn of Boston, will explain this better than the most elaborate description. The reader will see that this town, one of the most ancient in America, and which contains from twenty to five and twenty thousand inhabitants, is built upon a peninsula in the bottom of a large bay, the entrance of. which is difficult, and in which lie dispersed a number of islands, that serve still TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 337 farther for its defence ; it is only accessible one way on the land side, by a long neck or tongue of land, surrounded by the sea on eaeh side, forming a. sort Of causeway. To the north ward of the town is another peninsula, which adheres to the opposite shore by a very short rock, and on this peninsula is an eminence called Bunker's hill, at the foot of which are the re mains of the little town of Charlestown.. Cambridge is situa ted to the northwest, about two miles from Bojston, but to go there in a right line, you must cross a pretty considerable arm»of the sea, in which are dangerous shoals, and upon the coast, morasses difficult to pass, so that 'the only communication between the whole northern' part ofthe continent, and the town of Boston, is by the ferry of Charlestown, and that of Wi- nissimmet. The road to Cambridge lies through the field of bat tle of Bunker's hill. .'After an attentive examination of that post, I could find nothing formidable, in it ;* .for the Americans had scarcely time to form a breastwork, that is, a slight "re trenchment without a ditch, which shelters the men from mus ket shot as" high as the breast. Their obstinate . resistance, therefore, and the. prodigious loss sustained by the English on this occasion, must be attributed solely to their valour. The British troops were repulsed on all sides, and put in such dis order, that General Howe is said to have been at one time. left single in "jfehe field of battle, until General Clinton arrived with a reinforcement, and turned the left of the American position which was weaker and more' accessible on that side. It was then that General Warren, who was formerly a physician, fell- and the Americans quitted the field, less perhaps from the su periority ofthe enemy, than from knowing that they had ano ther position as good, behind the neck which leads to Cam bridge ; for, in facty that of Bunker's hill was useful only in as much as it commanded Charlestpwn ferry, f and allowed them to raise batteries against the town of Bostqp. But was it ne cessary to expose .themselves to tbe destruction of their own houses, and the slaughter- of their fellow-citizens, only that they might harass the English* in an asylum which sooner or later they must ' abapdon "? Besides that, the Ameri- * Bunker's hill is an eminence neither rrtore steep, nor more diffi cult of access tnan Primrose hill near Hampstead, in the neighbour hood of London. — Trans.- t A bridge of 1503 feet in- length, and 42 in breadth, is just com pleted'^ 1786) between Boston and Charlestown, well lighted at night with 40 lamps. This'important- work was executed by subscrip tion.* -The greatest depth' of the water is 46 feet nine inches, and the least is 14 feet*-,- Trans. 328 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. cans could only occupy the heights of Bunker's hill, the sloops and frigates ofthe enemy taking them in flank the instant they descended from them. Such, however, was the effect of this memorable battle, in every respect, honourable for our allies, that it is impossible to calculate the consequences of a com plete victory.* The English who had upwards of eleven hun dred men killed and wounded, in which number were seventy officers, might possibly have lost as many more in their retreat ; for they were under the necessity ofi embarking to return to Boston, which would have been almost impracticable, without the protection of their 'shipping ; the little army ot Boston would in that case have been almost totally destroyed, and the town must-of course have been evacuated. But what wouldhave been the result of this "? Independence was not then decla red, and the road to negociation was stilj open ;. an accommo dation might have taken place between the. mother country ancr her colonies, and animosities might'have subsided. The separation would not have ; been completed, England would not have expended- one hundred millions ; she would have pre served Minorca and the Floridas; nor would the balance of Europe, and the liberty of the seas have been restored. For it must in general be admitted, that England alone has reason to complain ofthe manner in which the fate of arms has decided this long quarrel, , k* Scarcely have you passed the neck which joins the peninsula to the' Continent, and which is hemmed in on one side by the mouth of the Mystick, and on the other by a bay called Milk pond, than you see the ground rising before you, and you dis tinguish on several eminences the principal forts which defend ed the entrenched camp-of Cambridge. The left of this camp was bounded by the river, and the- right extended towards the sea, covering this toWn which *lay in the rear. I examined several of these for^s, particularly that of Prospect hill. All these entrenchments seemed to me to be executed with intel ligence ; nor was I surprised that the English respected them the whole winter of L776. The American troops, who guard-- ed this post, passed the winter at their ease, in good barracks, well flanked, arid well covered; they had at that time abun dance of provisions, whilst the English, notwithstanding their communication with the sea, were in want of various essential articles, particularly fire-wood and fresh meat. Their govern ment, not expecting to find the Americans so bold and obsti- * This attack on Bunker's hill took place in the time of the hay har vest, ,and much execution was done among the -British by some field- pieces, and musketry concealed behind the cocks olhof'—Taans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 309 nate, provided too late for the supply ofthe little army at Bos ton. I his negligence, however, they endeavoured to repair, and spared nothing for that purpose, by freighting a great num ber of vessels, m which they crowded a vast number of sheep, oxen, hogs, and poultry of every kind; but these ships, sailing at a bad season of the year, met with gales of wind in going out of port, and were obliged to throw the greatest part of their cargoes into the sea, insomuch that, it is said, the coast of Ire land, and the adjoining ocean, were for some time covered with hejds, which, unlike those of Proteus, were neither able to live amidst the waves, nor gain the shore. The Americans, on the contrary, who had the whole continent at their disposal, and had neither exhausted their resources, nor their credit, lived happy and tranquil in their barracks, awaiting the suc cours promised them in the spring. These succours were of fered and furnished with much generosity by the southern pro vinces ; provinces, with which, under the English government, they had no connexion whatever, and which were more foreign to them than the mother country. It was already a great mark of confidence, therefore, on, the part of the New-Englanders, to count upon that aid which was offered by gerierosity alone :* but who could foresee that a citizen of Virginia, who, for trie first time, visited these northern countries, not only should be come their liberator, but should even know how to erect tro phies, to serve as a base to the great edifice of liberty ? Who could foresee that the enterprise, which failed at Bunker's hill, at the price even of the blood of the brave Warren, and that of a thousand English sacrificed to his valour, attempted on another side and conducted by General Washington, should be the work only of one night, the effect of a simple manoeu vre, of a single combination "? Who could foresee, in short, that the English would be compelled to evacuate Boston, and to abandon their whole artillery and all their ammunition, without costing the life of a single soldier ? To attain this important object, it was only necessary to oc cupy the heights of Dorchester, which formed another penin sula, the extremity of which is within cannon shot of Boston, and in a great measure commandsUhe port : but it required the eye of General Washington to appreciate the importance of this post ; it required his activity and resolution to undertake to steal a march upon the English, who surrounded it with their * Surely good policy had some share in the alacrity of these prof fered succours, nor does this supposition, whilst it does credit to the discernment, derogate from the generosity of the' Virginians. Tutu res agitnr, paries cum proximus ardet! — Trans. 42 330 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. shipping, and who could transport troops thither with the greatest facility. But it required still more : nothing short of the power, or rather the great credit he had already acquired in the army, and the discipline he had established, were requi site to effect a general movement of the troops encamped at Cambridge, and at Roxbury, and carry his plan into execution, in one night, with such celerity and silence, as that the English should only be apprised of.it, on seeing, at the break of day, entrenchments already thrown up, and batteries ready to open upon them. Indeed he- had carried his precautions so far, as to order the whips to be taken from the wagoners, lest their impatience, and the difficulty of the roads might induce them to make use of them, and occasion an alarm. It is not easy to add to the astonishment naturally excited by the principal, and above all, by the early events of this memorable war ; but I must mention, that whilst General Washington was blocka ding the English in Boston, his army was in such want of pow der as not tb have three rounds a man ; and that if a bomb- ketch had not chanced to run on shore in the road, containing some tons of powder, which fell i»to the -hands of the Ameri cans, it would have been impossible to attempt the affair of Dorchester ; as without it, they had not wherewithal to serve the batteries proposed to be erected. - I apprehend that nobody will be displea^d at this digres sion ; but should it be otherwise, I must observe, thatin a very short excursion I had made to Boston, eighteen months before, having visited all the retrenchments at Roxbury and Dorches ter, I thought it unnecessary to return thither, and I was the less disposed to it from the rigour of the season, and the short time I had to remain at Boston. But how is it possible to enter into a few details of this so justly celebrated town, without recalling the principal events which have given it re nown "? But how, above all, resist the pleasure of retracing every thing which may contribute- to the glory of the Ameri cans, and the reputation of the illustrious Chief? Nor is this straying from the temple of the Muses, to consider objects which must long continue to constitute their theme. Cam bridge is an asylum worthy of them ; it is a little town inhabit ed only by students, professors, and the small number of ser vants and workmen whom they employ. The building desti ned for the university is noble and commanding, though it be not yet completed ; it already contains three handsome halls for the classes, a cabinet of natural philosophy, and instru ments of every kind, as well for astronomy, as for the sciences dependant on mathematics; a vast gallery, in which the library is placed,,and a chapel corresponding with the grandeur and magnificence of the other parts of the edifice. The library TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. 331 which is already numerous, and which contains- handsome edi tions of the best authors, and well bound books, 'owes its rich ness to the zeal of several citizens, who, shortly before the war, formed a subscription, , by means of which they began to send for books from England. But as their fund was very moderate, they availed themselves of their connexions with the mother country, and, above all, of that generosity Which the English in variably display whenever the object is, to propagate useful know ledge in any part of the world. These zealous citizens not only wrote to England, but made several voyages thither in search of assistance, which they readily obtained. One individual alone made them a present to the amount of £500 sterling ; I wish I could recollect his name, but it is easy to discover it.* It is inscribed in letters of gold over the compartment con taining the books which he bestowed, and which form a parti cular library. For it is the rule, that each donation to the university shall remain as it was received, and occupy a place apart ; a practice better adapted to encourage the generosity of benefactors, and to express gratitude, than to facilitate the librarian's labour, or that ofthe students. It is probable there fore, that as the collection is augmenting daily, a more com modious arrangement will be adopted. The professors of the university live in their own houses; and the students board in the town for a moderate price. Mr. Willard, who was just elected President, is also a member of the academy of Boston, to which he acts as Secretary of the foreign correspondence. We had already had some inter course with each other, but it pleased me to have the opportu-- nity of forming a more particular acquaintance with him ; he unites to great understanding and literature, a knowledge of the abstruse sciences,and particularly astronomy. I must here repeat, what I haye observed elsewhere, that in comparing our universities and our studies in general, with those ofthe Ame ricans, it would not be our interest to call for a decision of * The Translator is happy in being able to supply this deficiency, by recording the respected name, of the late Thojias Holms, Esq. ; a truly eminent citizen of England, who, in every act of, his public and private life, did honour to his illustrious name, to his country, and to human nature. One of his ancestors too, ofthe same name, found ed, in this same college,'a professorship for the, mathematics and natu ral philosophy, and ten scholarships for students in these, and other sciences, with other • benefactions, to the arrtount of little less than £5000 sterling. Public virtue, and private accomplishments seem to be hereditary, in this family ; Mr. Thomas Brand Hollis, the inheritor of this fortune, pursuing the footsteps of hjs excellent predecessors — passibus mquis.-r— Trans. 332 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. the question, which of the two nations should be considered as an infant people. . ; The short time I remained at Cambridge allowed me to see only two of the professors, and as many students, whbm I either met with, or who came to visit me at 'Mr. WiLlard's. I was expected to dine with our Consul, Mr. de le Tombes, and I was obliged to hurry, for they dine earlier at Boston than at Phila delphia. I found upwards of twenty persons assembled, as well French officers, as American gentlemen, in the number of whom was Doctor Cooper, a man justly celebrated, and not less distinguished by the graces of his mind, and the amiable- ness of his character, than by his uncommon eloquence, and patriotic zeal. He has always lived in the strictest intimacy with Mr. Hancock, and has been liseful to him on more than one occasion. Among the Americans attached by political inte rest to France, no one has displayed a more marked attention to the French, nor has any man received from nature a charac ter more analogous to their own. But it was in the sermon he delivered, at the solemn inauguration of the new constitution of Massachusetts, that he seemed to pour forth his whole soul, and develop at once all the resources of his genius, and every sentiment of his heart. The French nation, and the monarch who governs it, are there characterized and celebrated with equal grace and delicacy. Never was there so happy, and so poignant a mixture of religion, politics, philosophy, morality, and even of literature. This discourse must be known at Pa ris, where I sent several copies, which I have no doubt will be eagerly translated. I hope only that it will escape the avidi ty of those hasty writers, who have made a sort of property of the- present revolution; nothings iri fact, is more dangerous than these precipitate traders in literature, who pluck the fruit the moment they have any hopes of selling it, thus depriving us of the pleasure of enjoying it in its maturity. It is for a Sallust and a Tacitus alone to transmit in their works, the ac tions and harangues of their contemporaries ; nor did they write till after some great change in affairs had placed an im mense interval between the epocha of the history they trans mitted, and that in which it was composed ; the art of printing too, being then unknown, they were enabled to measure, and to moderate, at pleasure, the publicity they thought proper to give to their productions. Doctor Cooper, whom I never quitted without regret, propo sing tome to drink tea -with him, I accepted it without diffi culty. He received me in a very small house, furnished in the simplest manner, every thing in.it bore the character of a mo desty which proved the feeble foundation of those calumnies so industriously propagated by the English, who lost no occasion TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 333 of insinuating that hi? zeal for the Congress and their allies had , a very different motive from patriotism and the genuine love of liberty.* A visit to Mrs. Tudor, where Mr. de Vaudreuil and I had again the pleasure of an agreeable conversation, interrupt ed from time to time by pleasing music, rapidly brought round the hour for repairing to the club. This assembly is held every Tuesday, in rotation, at the houses of the different members who compose it ; this was the day for Mr. Russel,-)- an honest merchant, who gave us an excellent reception. The laws of the club are not straitening, the number of dishes for supper alone are limited, arid there' must be only two of meat, for sup per is not the American repast. Vegetables, pies, and espe cially good wine, are not spared. The hour of assembling is after tea, when the company play at cards, converse and read the public papers, and sit down to table between nine and teri. The supper was as free as if there had been no strangers, songs were given at table, and a Mr. Stewart sung some which were very gay, with a tolerable good voice. The 19th the weather was very bad, and I went to breakfast with Mr. Broom; where I remained some time, the conversation being always agreeable and unrestrained. Some officers who called upon me, having taken up the rest of the morning, I at length joined Mr. de Vaudreuil to go and dine with Mr. Cushinjf1. The Lieutenant-Governor, on this occasion, perfectly supported * Mr. John Temple finding himself detected, and ill received at Boston, was the undoubted author of these calumnies against Doctor Cooper, who had nobly dared to warn his countrymen against his insi dious attempts to disunite the friends to liberty, under the mask of zeal and attachment to America. He dared, contrary to the decisive, evi dence of a long series of pure disinterested public conduct in the hour of danger, when Mr. Temple'was a skulking, pensioned refugee in England, more than to insinuate, that Doctor Cooper, and Mr. Han cock, that martyr to the public cause, were actually in pay of the French court ; but if ever there could be a doubt entertained of such characters," founded on the assertions of such a man, his subsequent conduct has irrefragably proved, that as the calumny was propagated by him, so the suggestion must have originated in his own' heart. Let not the Anglo-American Consul-General to the United States complain, Historical justice will overtake both him and Arnold. It is a condition in the indenture of their bargain, — Trans. t The translator had the pleasure of being acquainted with the son of Mr. Russel and his friend Winthrop, in France and Holland. He had the good fortune likewise to meet with the latter at Boston. He takes a pride in mentioning these amiable young men, as they cannot fail of becoming valuable members of a rising country, which attracts the attention of the world.-- Trans. 334 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. the justly acquired reputation of the inhabitants of Boston, of being friends to good wine, good cheer, arid hospitality. After dinner he conducted us into the apartment of his son, and his daughter-in-law, with whom we were Invited to drink tea. For though they inhabited the same house with their father, they had a separate household, according to the custom in America ; where it is very rare for young people to live with their parents, when they are once settled in the world. In a nation which is in a perpetual state of increase, every thing savours of that ge neral tendency ; every thing divides and multiplies. The sen sible and amiable Mrs. Tudor was once more our centre of union, during the evening, which terminated in a familiar and very agreeable supper at young Mrs. ' Bowdoin's. Mr. de Pa- rois, and Mr. Dumas sung different airs and duets, and Mrs. Whitmore undertook the pleasure of the eyes, whilst they sup plied the gratification of our ears. The 20th was wholly devoted to society. Mr. Broom gave me an excellent dinner, the honours of which were performed by Mrs. Jarvis and her sister, with as much politeness and at tention as if they had been old and ugly. I supped with Mr. Bowdoin, where I still found more handsome women assembled. If I do not place Mrs. Temple, Mr. Bowdoin's daughter, in the number, it is not from want of respect, but because her figure is so distinguished as to make it unnecessary to pronounce her tru ly beautiful ; nor did she suffer in the comparison with a girl of twelve years old, who was formed however to attract attention. This was neither a handsome child nor a pretty woman, but rather an angel in disguise of a young girl ; for' I am at a loss otherwise to express the idea which young persons, of that age, convey in England and America ; which, as I have already said, is riot, among us, the age of beauty and the graces. They made me play at whist, for the first time since my arrival in America. The cards were English, that is, much handsomer and dearer than ours, and we marked our points with louis- d'ors, or six-and-thirties ; when the party was finished, the loss was not difficult to settle ; for the company was still faithful to that voluntary law established in society from the commence ment of the troubles, which prohibited playing for money du ring the war. This law, however, was not scrupulously ob served in the clubs, and parties made by the men among themselves. The inhabitants of Boston are fond of high play,* * It is with real concern the translator adds, that gaming is a vice but too prevalent in all the, great towns, and which has been already attended with the most fatal consequences, and with frequent suicide. — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 33h> and it is fortunate, perhaps, that the war happened when it did, to moderate this passion which began to be attended with dan gerous consequences. On Thursday the 21st there fell so much snow as to deter mine me to defer my departure, and Mr. Brick, who gave a great dinner to Mr. d'Aboville, and the French artillery officers, understanding that I was still at Boston, invited me to dine, whither I went in Mr. de Vaudreuil's carriage. Mr. Barrel came also to invite me to tea, where we went* after dinner ; and, as soon as we were disengaged, hastened to return to Mrs. Tudor's. Her husband,* after frequently whispering to her, at length communicated to us an excellent piece of pleasantry of her invention, which was a petition to the queen, written in French, wherein, under the pretext of complaining of Mr. de Vaudreuil and his squadron, she bestowed on them the most delicate and most charming eulogium. We passed the re mainder of the evening with Mr. Brick, who had again invited Us to supper, where we enjoyed all the pleasures inseparable from his society. I had a great deal of conversation with Doc tor Jarvis, a young physician, and also a surgeon, but what was better, a good whig, with excellent views in politics. When Mr. D'Estaing left Boston, the sick and wounded were entrusted to his care, and he informed me, that the sick, who were recovering fast, in general relapsed, on removing them from the town of Boston, where they enjoyed a good air, to Roxbury, which is an unhealthy spot, surrounded with marshes. The physicians in America pay much more attention than ours to the qualities of the atmosphere, and frequently employ change of air as an effectual remedy. * Mr. Tudor is the gentleman who has so frequently distinguished himself by animated orations on the annual commemoration of some of the leading events of this civil war. CHAPTER III. PROVIDENCE — ^HARTFORD- — LITCHFIELD FISHKILL NEWBTJRGH CHESTER WARWICK SUSSEX MORAVIAN MILL EASTON BETHLEHEM PHILADELPHIA. The 22d I set out at ten o'clock, after taking leave of Mr. Vaudreuil, and having had reason to be satisfied with him, and the town °f Boston. It is inconceivable how the stay of the squadron has contributed to conciliate the two nations, and to strengthen the connections which unite them. The virtue of Mr. de Vaudreuil, his splendid example of good morals, as well as the simplicity and goodness of his manners, an example fol lowed, beyond all hope and belief, by the officers of his squa dron, have captivated the hearts of a people, who though now the most determined enemies to the English, had never hither to been friendly to the French. I have heard it observed a hundred times at Boston, that in the time even ofthe greatest harmony with the mother country, an English ship of war ne ver anchored in the port without some violent quarrels between the people and the sailors. ; yet the Frerich,squadron had been there three months without occasioning the slightest difference. The officers of our navy were every where received, not only as allies, but brothers ; and though they were admitted by the ladies of Boston to the greatest familiarity, not a single indis cretion, not even the most distant attempt at impertinence ever disturbed the confidence, or innocent harmony of this pleasing intercourse. The observations I have already made on the commerce of New-England, render it unnecessary to enter into any particu lar details on that ofthe town of Boston. I shall only mention a vexation exercised towards the merchants ; a vexation still more odious than that I have spoken of relative to Mr. Tracy, and of which I had not the smallest suspicion, until Mr. Brick gave me a particular account of it. Besides the excise and license duties mentioned above, the merchants are subject to a sort of tax on wealth, which is arbitrarily imposed by twelve assessors, named indeed by the inhabitants ofthe town ; but as the most considerable merchant has only one vote any more than the smallest shopkeeper, it may be imagined how the in terests of the rich are respected by this committee. These TRAVELS IN NQRTILAMERICA. 337 twelve assessors having full power to.tax the people according to tapir ability,,they. estimate, on, a view^ the business transact ed by each merchant, and. hp probable profits. • Mr. Brick, for exampl£, being agent for the. French navy, a-nd interested be sides in several branches of commerce, ambng^others, in that of ensutance, they calculate how mlich" business he niay be sup- prised to do, of which they judge by the bills of exchange he epdorses, and by the policies he underwrites, and according to their valuation, in which neither; losses ndr expenses-are reckon ed; they suppose hjm to gain so much a day ;' and he is con sequently subjected to a proportionable daily tax. Duri»g the year 1781, Mr. Brick paid no less ih&n, three guin6ds ancLa half per day. It is evident "that nothing short- of patriotism, and above all, the hope of a speedy conclusion to the, war, qoujd induce men to submit to so odious and arbitrary- an, impost,; nor can the patience with which the commercial -interest in general, and M*r,< Brick iri particular, bear this burthen, .be too much commended. '"¦•. ,- ' , » The 2*2d I went, without stopping, to Wrentham, where J slept, and reaohed' Providence .to, dinrier the 23d; where I found our infantry assembled, and waiting till the vessels; were ready' to receive them. .Here I remained six- days, during which I made an excursion -of four, and twenty hours to visit my old friends at Newport. , The 30th 'I left Providence, with Messrs. Lynch, ¦Montes quieu, and de VaudreuiL and slept at Voluntown, The next day Mr. Lynch .returned te-,.Pravidence,* and we , separated witlumutual regret.- The same day, the 1st of December, we stopped- at Windham to rest our horses, and slept at White's tavern at Andover, near Bolton.. The 2d 1 got to breakfast at Hartford'where I staid tivo ot three hours, as well to arrange many particulars relative to- the departure. of irny baggage, as to pay a visit to Mrs.' .W-Mlsworth. Mr. Frank Dillon, who had come to me at Providence^whgre he remained a daylong- er than me, joined me here;. From hence we, went to Farm ington, where we arrived as night was coming on, arid alight ed- at an inn kept by a Mr, Wadswprrh,no relation Qf the Colo- — : = - , ,, ¦ ¦— ¦' ; . ' t , * Mr Lynch, who was aid-Majoj-Geperal, and designed to be em ployed under, the orders of the^aroh de Viomenil, embarked witij.tii'e troops. *\-Mt» de Tialevrand wasTietermiried to follow them as -i simple volunteer, ajid; assuming, the qhiform of a soldier, in the regiment^of Sqissonnois, he 'marched intp Boston in. the ranks.of the Compaq of phas'seurs. T?his company embarked in the sanje vessel with *f£e Comte' de'Sfegur* theri.Golqj}ele»>sco»d ofthe'Soissonriois';and Mr. deTa; leyrand remained attached to it-till fiis fefurn'tb Europe. -, r- '" '" ¦' 43" ¦'" 338 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA, nel's ; but with whom I had lodged a month»befcre, when on the march with my division. Mrs. Lewis heaS-ing'of my arrival, sent herson to offer me a bed^atiiher hpuse, which LdecHned with a promise of breakfasting with her the*nex**mornihg^ but in a quarter of an hour, she oatied on me herself accompanied by a militia Colonel, ^whose name Ihave forgot, aridjSuppedwi|h us. The 3d, in the morning, I- visited Mr. Pitkin the minister, with whom I had lodged the preceding year, when the French army was oh its, march to join General Washington on the North river. He. is a man of an extraordinary turn, and rather ap original, but is neither deficient in literature nor informa tion. His father was fornnerly Governor of Connecticut; he professes a great regard «for .the Frencfi, and charged me, half joking, and half in earnest, to give "his compliments to the king, and tell him that there was one Presbyterian minister in Ame rica on whose prayers he 'might reckon. I went to breakfast with Mrs. Lewis, and at ten set out for Litchfield. The roads Were very bad, but the country is. embellished by new settle ments, and a considerable numbet of houses newly built, 'seve ral of which were taverns, It was four **v*hetb we arrived, at Litchfield-, and took up our quarters at Sheldihg's tavern, a new inn, large,*spacious, and neat, but indifferently provided. We were- struck with melancholy on seeing Mr. Sheldihg send a negro on horseback into the neighbourhood to getsomething for our supper, for which, however, we did not wait long, and it was pretty good. The 4th we set out at half past'eight, and, baited at Wash ington, after admiring a second time the picturesque prospect of the two falls, and the furnaces, inalf way between Litchfield and Washington. Nor was it without pleasure that I observed the great change two years had -produced in a country at that time wild.and desert. On passing through it two years before, there was only one miserable alehouse at this place ; at pre sent -we had the choice of four or five inns, all clean and fit to lodge in. Morgan's, passes for.the'b.est, but through mistake we alighted at another, Which I think is not inferior to it. Thus has the war^ by stopping* the progress of commerce,' proved useful to the interior of the country; for it has not only obli ged several "Merchants to quit the ebasts, in search of peace able habitations in the mountains, but it has compelled com merce to havtf recourse to inland" cdhveyance, by which means many roads are now frequented which' formerly were bftt little used. It was five in the afternoon when I arrived at Moor- houfte's tavern. In this journey, I passed the river at Bull's works, and having -again stopped to admire the beauty of the landscape, I had an opportunity of co*Xvjy*|ffiiil|'' myself that nay former eulogium is not exaggerated. »fi£ rivet, which was TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA, 339 ,^eliledib^*the thaw, rendered the cataract still more sublime ; but a magazine of cdajjs having fallen down, in some measure destroyed the prospdfct of the^furnaces. On this occasion 1 had not much reason" to boast of the 'tavern. Colonel Moor-- house, after whom it "was named, jit> longer kept it, but had re signed it to his son, who was absent, so- that there wese none but women in the house. Mr. Dillon, who had gone on a lit tle before, had the greatest difficulty in the world to persuade theni to .kill some chickens ; our supper, was but indifferent, and as soon as it was over; and we had got near tihe fire, we saw these w,omen„to the number of four, take ouriplace at table, and eat the remainder of it, with an American dragoon-, who was sta tioned there. This gave us some uneasiness for our servants, to whom they left iri fact a very trifling portion; On asking one of them, a girl of .sixteen, and tolerably handsome, some questions the next moriiing, I4earnt- that she, as well as her sister, who was something older, did not belong to the family ; but-that having been driven by the savages from the neighbour hood of Wyoming, where they lived, they had taken reftige in this part of the country, where they worked for a livelihood, andthat being intimate with Mrs. Moorhouse, they took a plea sure in helping her, when there were many travellers; for this road is at present much frequented'. Observing this%oor girl's eyes filled with tears in relating her misfortune, I bocame more interested, and oh desiring farther particulars, she told me that her brother Was murdered, almost before her eyes, and that she had barely time to sf*.ve herself on-foot, by running asfast as she could ;. that she had .travelled in this manner fifty miles, with hfir feet covered1 with blood* before she found a horse. In other respects she was in no want, riOr did she experience*any misery. That is a burthen almost unknown in America. Stran gers and fugitives, these unfortunate sisters had met with suc cours. Lodgings, and nourishment, are never wanting in this country; clothirlg.is more djfhoult to procure, from the dear- ness of stuffe; but for -this, they strive to find a substitute- by their own labour. 1 gave them a Lohis to buy some articles of" dress with; my aid-de-camp, to whom I communicated tiie story, made them a present likewise; and this little, act of mu nificence being soon made, known to the mistress of the hquse, obtained us her esteenaj and , she appeared very penitent for having shown so rhuch repugnance tb kill her chickens. The 5th we set out at nina, and rode Without, stopping, to Fishkill, where we arrived at half past two, after a- four and twenty miles journey through very had roads. I alighted at Boerorn's tavern, which I knew to be the same I had been at two years before, and kept by Mm. Egremonf . The house Was changed for the better, an#we, made a veryg«od supper^ We 340 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. passed the North river, as night came on, and arrjipjt at -MX. o'clock at Newburgh, wher,e I found Mr. and Mrs. Washing ton, Colonel Tilgham, Colonel 'Humphreys, and Major Walker. The headquarters, of Newburgh -consist of a single louse, neither vast nor cpmmodious, Which is- built in the Dutch, fash- ion. The largest roroih in it (which was the proprietqj'fy'paii'j- lour for his family, and which General Washington* has con verted into his dining room) is in truth tolerably spacious, but it has seven doors; and only one window. The chimney, or rather the chirimey back, is against the wall ; so that.there is in fact but one- vent for the smoke, and the fire is in the roqin itself. I found the company assembled in a small room which served by way "of -in the room in which company is received, es pecially when there are women. The smallness ofthe house, Ad toe difficulty to which I saw that Mr. and Mrs., Washing ton had p*ft themselves • to feceive'me, made me'apptfehehsive lest Mr. Rochambeau, who was to set out the day after me, by travelling a£ fast,.might arrive on .the day that* I remained there. I resolved therefore .to send to Fishkill- to meet fairri, with a re quest that h& would stay there that night." Nor was my pre caution superfluous, for my express found him already at the landing, where he slept, and did not join-us till the nextmorn- irig as I was setting out. The day I remained at headquarters \yas passed either at table or in conversation. General Hand, Adjutant-General, Colonel Reed of New-Hampshire, and Ma jor Graham dined with us. On the tyri I took leave of General Washington, nor is it difficult to imagine the pain this sepa ration gave me ; but I have too much pleasure infrecollecting 'the real tenderness with Which it effected him' not to take a pride in mentioning it,. Colonel -Tilghman got on horseback to show me, in the road, the harracks that serve as winter quarters for the American army, which were not quite finishetl, though the sea'son Was already far advanced, and the cold very severe. They are spacious, healthy, and Well-built, and con sist iri a roW.of log-houses containing two chambers, each in habited by eight soldiers when complete* which makes com monly from five to six effectives,; a second range of hayracks is destined for the non-conimissioned officers. These barracks are placed in the middle of the woods, on the slope of the.hills, ahitj Within reach of watery as the 'great object is a healthy arid TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. 34 f convenient situation ; the army are oh seveisWines, not exact ly parallel with, each other. But it will appear singular iri Eu rope, that these barracks should, be built without a bit of iron, not even nails, which would, render the Work tedious and diffi cult, were not the Americans very expert in, putting wood to" gether. After viewing the barracks, I regained the high road-, but passing before Genera-1 Gates', house, the same that Gene ral Knox inhabited in 1780, I stopped some time to make a visit of politeness,. The jtjemainderof the day, I had very fine- weather, and I stopped <*Jid baited my horses at an inn in the township of Chester. In this inn I found-nothing but a woman,. who appeared good' and honest* and who had charming chil dren. ' This route is- little peopled, but new, settlements! are forming every day. Before we reached- Chester we passed by a bridge of wood, Over a. creek, called Mttirdere>$$%xiver, which falls into the North river, above »New- Windsor, on the either side, of Chester ; I still kept skirting the ridge of mountains which separates this country fr6m4he Clove. Warwick, where I slept, a pretty large place for sb wild a country, is twelve mjles from Chester, and twenty-eight from Newburgh ; I lodg* ed here in -a very good inn kept by Mr., Smith, the same at whose house I had slept two years before atCkes-t, which was much inferior to this. The American army having, fort two years- past> had their, winter quarters near West-Point, Mr. Smith imagined, with.reason, that this road would be more fre quented than, tjlat of Paramusj and' he had- taken this inn of a Mr. Beard, at whose house we stopped next day to breakfast. Th'e house had beengivep up to him with some furniture, and he had upwards of one hundred and fifty acres of land belong ing to it, for the whole of which he paid seventy pounds, (cur rency) making about one hundred pistoles. I had every rea son to be content both with my old acquaintance and 'the new establishment. . ' The next- morning, ihe 7th, we set out before breakfast, and the snow began to fell as soon as we got on hoKgeback; which did not cease till we got to Beard's tavern. This house was not near so good as Ihe other, but the workmen were busy ih augmenting it. On inquiring of Mr. Beard, #hp is.an Irishman, the reason of his quitting his good house at Warwick to keej> this, inn, he informed me, that it was a settlement he was form ing for his son-in-law, and that as , sqpn as he had put it in or der* he should return to his house at Warwick- This Mr, Beard had loi% lived "as a merchant at New-York, and even sold books, which I learnt from observing some good orie$ at his house, among others^Human Prudence, which I purchased of hihi. It ceased snowing at rioon, and the weather modera ted*; but in the afternoon it returned in blasts, for which, how- m TRAVELS m NORTH-AMERI0A* ewer, I was indemnified b§r the heahtiful effect produced by- the setting srifo^ajaaidst the clouds, its rays being reflected on the east, and forming a sort- of parhelion. Towards the evening the weather became very cold, and we reached Sussex ah hour before dark, and took «up our lodgings at Mr. Willis'. The fire being nOt well lighted in the room intended for me, I step ped into the parlou** where I found several people who appear ed to be collected; together upon business; they had, accord ing to custom, drank a good quantity of grog, one of them, ca'Med Mr. Archibald Stewart, smelt pretty strong. A conver sation took place among us, and Mr. Poops, formerly aid-de camp to Generah-Dickirisori; and at present a rich landholder in the Jerseys, having learnt that I was-going to. Bethlehem,* or imagining so from the questions I asked -iabout the roads, very obligingly invited me to come the next day and sleep at his house. His house is on the banks of the Delaware, twenty- six miles from Sussex, thirteen from, Easton, and twenty-four from Bethleherii. At first I had some difficulty in accepting his offer, from the apprehension one naturally has of being straitened oneself, or of straitening others. He insisted, how- ever, so strongly, and assured me so often that I should find no inn, that I partly promised to* lie at his house the following night. These gentlemen, and he in particular, gave me every necessary information; and,as«I was desirous Of' seeing Mora vian Mill,f a village situated* near Easton", four miles above Sussex, he directed me to Mr. Calver, who keeps a sort of an inn there. The company went away, and we passed a very agreeable evening by, a good fire, hugging ourselves at not be ing exposed to the severe -cold we "experienced on stirring out of the house. We were also well content with our landlord, Mr. Willis; who seemed to be a gallant man, and very conver- sible. He Was born at Elizabethtown, but has been sixteen years settled at Sussex. Thus does population advance into thenhiterior parts, -and go in„search of new countries. . I set out the 8th a little' before nine, the weather .being, ex tremely cold, .and th'e roads covered with* snbw and ice ; but o*n quitting the Ridge, arid turning towards • the west; by de scending from the* high mountains to lower ground, we found the temperature more mild, arid the earth entirely free. We ->— ! '¦ -«— ! '— I * Bethlehem- is a sort of colony founded by the Moravian brethren, i'requently called HdrrCnhuier. It was to see this establishment, arid the town, of Easton and the Upper Delaware that I "quitted the ordi nary route, which leads from New- Windsor to'Philadelphia. ,f >This. is" a property they have purfkaseck in the neighbourhood «*f Bethlehem. ' *• ¦ TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 343 •arrived at half past eleven at the Moravian Mill, f husbandry; &c. fabricated in these settlements. Besides those -thje Marquis speaks of, I visited some others, h6t far from fwEhteh'em, at one of vvhich; called Naza reth, is a famous gunSmitlj, from wbbm"my"friehrl Major Pie'rce Butler, bought a pair of pistols, ffiany' of which I saw there of the most per fect workmanship. Nothing c*flh be' more enchanting than these esta blishments ; out of the ser_ufest'e*red wilderness they have formed well built town's, vast edifices all of stone, large orchards, beautiful and re gular shaded Walks in the European fashion,, and seem to combine with the Inost complete separation from the World, all,the comforts and even many ofthe luxuries' of polished life. At one of their cleared-out set- tlements, in the midst of a forest, between Bethlehem and Nazareth, possessing all the advantages, of mills and manufactures, I was astonish ed with the delicious sounds of an Italian concerto, but niy surprise was still greater on entering a room wheretEe performers turned out to be common workmen, of different trades, playing' for their amusement. At each of these places, the brethren have a common room, wherevio- lins and other instruments 'are suspended, 'a'nd always at th'e service of such as choose to. relax therifselves, by playing' singly, or taking a part in a concert.-^ Trans. , ," * The Moravians appear to me to be a sect between the Methodists aud the Catholics ; at Nazareth, I met -. with an old (Gloucestershire man, who caiiie'to America with the late Mr. Whitfield, with whom I had much conversation, and who told me that that gentleman was much respected, bojth living and dead, by the Moravians ; but, indeed, besides, that, their hymns resemble much those of our Methodists, by spiritualizing even the grossest carnal transactions ; 1 found that they all spoke of him as one of their own sect, but utterly disclaimed* Mr. Wesley.- ,'. They are very fond of pictures Representing the passion, to Witch they pay a< respect little short* iT'at W, of idolatrv. Their car- TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 845 were cellars. The pastor, a very learned man in other, respects, besides his spiritual functions, carried on a trade in wine ; that is to say, a great deal of it Went out of his cellar, but not a drop ever entered it. A simple negro servant he had, used to say, that his master was a great saint, for that he employed him every year in rolling into his cellar a number of casks of cider, over which, when he had preached and prayed a few Sundays, they were converted into wine. On coming out of chur-ch I perceived Mr. Poops, who had taken the trouble to come and "meet me. We mounted on horse back together, and after passing through a tolerably fertile valley, in which are some beautiful farms, chiefly Dutch, and well cultivated fields, we arrived in the eveping at his house. It is a charming settlement, consisting of a thousand acres of land, the greatest part of which is in tillage, with a fine corn- mill, a saw-mill, and distillery. The manor house is small, but neat and handsome. He conducted us into a parlour, where we found Mrs. Poops his wife, Mrs. Scotland his mother-in- law, and Mr. Scotland his brother-in-law. Mrs. Poops has a pleasing countenance, somewhat injured by habitual bad health, her behaviour is that of an -accomplished woman, and her con versation amiable. The evenkig was spent very agreeably, partly in conversation, and partly at play. I had some con versation also with Mr. Scotland, a young man who though but six and twenty, has "made three campaigns,' as Captain of artillery, and is now a lawyer of great practice. 1 have al ready observed that this is the most respectable, and most lu^ crative profession in America. He told me that he usually re ceived, for a simple consultation, four dollars, and sometimes half a joe ; (thirty-six shillings sterling) and whe'n the action is commenced, so much is paid for every writ, and every deed, for in America lawyers act likewise in the capacity of notaries and attornies. I had much pleasure in conversing with Mr. Poops, who is a matt of good education, well informed, and ac tive, and concerned in a variety of business, which, he conducts nal allusions are fully verified in the following hymn taken from one of their books in the Moravian chapel at Pudsey in England, in 1 773, an allusion than which nothing can be more infamous and shocking. " And she so blessed is, She gives him many a kiss : Fix'd are her eyes on him ; Thence moves her every limb ; And since she hint so loves, She only with him moves • r, * „; His matters and bis blppd *'$,' Appear her only good." — Trans'. 44 340 TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. with great intelligence. He had been employed in the com missary's department when General Green* was Quarter-Mas- ter-General, and made extraordinary exertions to supply the army, which rendered him so obnoxious to the tories, that he was for a long time obliged to remain armed in his house, which he barricaded every night. The supper was as agreeable as the preceding part of the evening ; the ladies retired at eleven, and we remained at-table till midnight, Mr. Poops' brother arrived as we were at the desert ; he appeared to me a sensi ble man, he had married in Virginia the daughter of Colonel Fims, who had espoused one of his sisters. He was now a widower. The next day, the 10th of December, we, breakfasted with the ladies, and set out at half past ten ; Mr. Poops accompa nying me to Easton, where he had sent to prepare dinner. I should have preferred my usual custom of making my repast at the end of my day's journey, but it was necessary for a little complaisance to return the civilities I Had received. Two miles from the house of Mr. Poops, we forded a small river, and travelled through an agreeable and- well cultivated country. Some miles before wecame to Easton, we passed over a height from whence one discovers a vast tract of country, and among others, a chain of mountains which Mr. Poops desired us to re mark. It forms a part of that great chain which traverses all America from south to north.*}- He pointed out to us two hia tus, or openings, resepibling two large doors or windows, through one of which flows the river Delaware ; the other is a gap leading to the other side of the mountains, and is the road to Wyoming, a pass become celebrated by the march of Gene ral Sullivan in 1779.J * Before we got to Easton, we passed in * The Gazettes have just announced the death of General . Green. In him America has lost one of her best citizens, and most able sol diers. It is his greatest eulogium to Say, that he stood high with Gene ral Washington, who recommended hihi to Congress, and that he amply justified the opinion entertained of him by that great, good man. — Trans. | These are called the Kittatinny mountains. For an account of this hiatus, or gap, see Mr. Charles Thompson's Observations on Mr. Jefferson's Notes on Virginia, under the account of the National Bridge. — Trans. I See the first part of this Journal, where the author gives an ac count of his conversations with General Schuyler. In whatever man ner this expedition was set on foot;' which took place in 1779, after the evacuation of Philadelphia, and the diversion made by d'Estaing's squadron, the greatest difficulty to surmount was, the long march to be , TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 347 ferry boats, the eastern branch of the Delaware ; for this town is situated on the fork formed by the two branches of that river. It is a handsome though inconsiderable town, but which will probably enlarge itself on a peace, when the Americans no .lqnger under apprehensions from the savages, shall cultivate anew the fertile lands between the Susquehahnah and the De laware. Mr. Poops took us to the tavern of Mr. Smith, who is at once an innkeeper and lawyer. He has a handsome library, and his son, whom Mr. Poops presented to me on my arrival, appeared to be a well educated and well informed young man. I invited him to dinner, as well as another youth who boarded with him, a native of Dominica, who had come to complete his studies among the Americans, to whom he seemed much more attached than to the English. He had made choice of Easton as more healthy, and more peaceable than the other towns of America, and found all the necessary instruction in the lessons and the books of Mr. Smith. As they knew of my coming, we did not wait long for dinner, and at half past three we got on horseback, Mr. Poops being still, so good as to accompany me a mile or two, to obtain my permission for which, he pretend ed that there was a cross road where I inight lose myself. At length we parted*, leaving me penetrated with gratitude for his numerous civilities. Before I lost sight of Easton I stopped made through woods, deserts, and morasses, conveying all their -pro visions on beasts of burthen, and being continually exposed to the attacks of the savages. The instructions given by ^General Sullivan to his officers, the order of march he prescribed .to the troops, and the discipline he had the ability to maintain, would have done honour to the most experienced among ancient or modern Generals. It may safely be asserted, that the Journal of this expedition would lose no thing in a comparison with the famous retreat of the ten thousand, which it would resemble very much, if we could compare the manoeu vres, the -object of which is attack, with those which have no other than the preservation of a forlorn army. General Sullivan, after a month's march, arrived without ^ny check, at the entrenched camp, the last refuge of the savages ;' here he attacked them, and was receir ved with great courage, insomuch that the victory would have.remain- ' ed undecided, had not the Indians lost many of their Chiefs in battle, which never fails to intimidate them, and. retreated during the night. The General destroyed their houses and plantations, since which they have never shown themselves in a body. - However slight and insuffi cient the idea may be that I have given of this campaign, it may, ne vertheless, astonish our European military men, to learn that General Sullivan was only a lawyer in 1775, and that in the year 1780 he quit ted the army to resume his profession, and is now civil Governor of New-Hampshire. 348 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. upon a hill, from whence I admired, for some time, the pictu resque coup d'cdl presented by , the two branches of the Dela ware,* and the confused and whimsical form ofthe mountains, through which they pursue their course. When I was satisfi ed with.the spectacle, it was necessary to push forward to reach Bethlehem before night, and we travelled the eleven miles in two hours, but not before the day was closed. f We had no difficulty in finding the tavern, for it is precisely at the entrance of the town- This tavern was built at the expense of the Society of Mo ravian Brethren, to whom it served formerly as a magazine, and is very handsome and spacious.! The person who keeps it is * In travelling over this hill, the Translator stopped near an hour to view this noble andxenchanting prospect, with which it is impossible to satiate the eye. Nothing can be more delightful than the- town and neighbourhood of Easton. — Trans. t The first time I visited Bethlehem was from Philadelphia, and after travelling, two days through a. country alternately diversified with sa vage scenes and cultivated spots, on issuing out ofthe woods at the close ofthe evening, in the month ^fMay; found myself on a beautiful extensive plain, with the vast eastern branch of the .Delaware on the right, richly interspersed with wooded islands, and at the distance of a mile in the front of the town of Bethlehem, rearing its large stone edi fices out of a forest, situated on a majestic, but gradually rising emi nence, the back ground formed by the seating sun; , So novel and un expected a transition filled the mind with a thousand singular and sub lime ideas, and made an" impression on me, never to be effaced. The romantic and picturesque effect of this glorious display of natural beau ties, gave way to the still more noble and interesting sensations, arising from a reflection on the progress of the arts and sciences, and the sub lime anticipation ofthe " populous cities," and " busy hum of men," which are one day to occ'Upy, and to civilize the vast wildernesses of the new world. — Trans. • \ This inn, for its external appearance, and its interior accommo dations, is not inferior to the best ofthe large inns in England, which, indeed, it very much resembles in every respect. The first; time I was at Bethlehem, in company with my friends Major Pierce Butler, Mr- Thomas "Elliot, and Mr. Charles Pinkney, Carolina gentlemen, we re mained here two or three days, and were constantly supplied with Ve nison, moor game? the most delicious red and yellow bellied trout, the highest flavoured wild strawberries, the most luxuriant asparagus, and the best vegetables, in short, I ever saw ; and notwithstanding the diffi culty of procuring good wine and spirits at that period, throughout the continent, we were here regaled with rum and brandy of the best quality, and' exquisite old Port and Madeira. It was to this house that the Marquis de la Fayette retired, to be cured of the first wound TRAVELS IN IJfORTH-AMERICA. 349 only the cashier, and is obliged to render an account to the ad- ministjcators. As we had already dined, we only drank tea, but ordered a breakfast.for the next morning at ten o'clock. The landlord telling me there was agrowse, or heath bird, in the house, I made him bring it, for I had long had a great de sire to see one. I soon observed that it was neither the Poule 4e Pharaon, nor the heath cock ; it was about the size of a pheasant, but had a short tail, and the head of a capon, whieh it resembles, also in the form of its body,; and its feet were co vered with down. This bird is remarkable for two large trans verse feathers belqw his head : the plumage of his belly is a mixture of black and white, the colour of his wings of a red grey, like our grey partridges. When the growse is roasted, his flesh is black like that of a heath cock, but it is more de licate, and has a higher flavour.* I could not derive much information from my landlord on the origin, the opinions, and manners ofthe society, but he inform ed me that I should next day see the ministers and administra tors, who would gratify my curiosity, The 11th, at half past eight, I walked out with a Moravian, given me by the landlord; but who was likewise ill informed, and only served me as a _guide.f _ He was a seaman, who imagines he has some talerits for drawiiig, arid amuses himself with teaching the young peo- he received in fighting for America ; an accident, which I am well as sured gave this gallant young nobleman more pleasure than most of our European petits maitres would receive from the most flattering proofs of the favour of a mistress. Mr. Charles- Pinkney, whom I' have above mentioned, is a young gentleman at present in Congress for South Carolina, and who, from the intimate knowledge I have of his excellent education and strong talents,' will, I venture to predict, whenever he pleases to exert them, st^nd forth among the most emi nent citizens of the new confederation *>f Republics. It is my boast and pride to have co-operated with him, whence was only at the age of twenty, in the defence of the true principles of liberty, and to have seen productions frdm his pen, which, in point of composition, and of argument, would have done honour to the head and heart ofthe most experienced and most virtuous politician. Should the present work ever fall into his hands, let him recognize in this just tribute to his worth, an affectionate friend, who, knowing his abilities, wishes to ex cite him to exertion, ih the noble^ but arduous field before him. — Trans. * This bird must be what we call the black or grey game, and' not what is known by the name of _ rowse, in England. — Trans. t Our company was much more fortunate, Major Butler having ob tained letters from Philadelphia to Mr. Van Vleck, a man of property!, living here, but formerly of New- York. — Trans. 350 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. pie, having quitted thp sea since the war, where, however, he had no scrupleiin sending hi&son.* He subsists on a small es tate he has at Reading, but lives at Bethlehem, where he and his wife board in a private family. We went first to visit the house for single women. This edifice is spacious, and built with stone. It is divided into several large chambers, all heated with stoves, in which the girls work, some coarse work, such as spinning cotton, hemp, and wool, others works of taste and luxury, such as embroidery, either iri thread, or silk, and they excel particularly in working ruffles; little pocket-books, pin cushions, &c. like our French nuns. The superintendent of the house came to receive us. She is a woman of family, born in Saxony; her name is Madame de Gastorflf; but she does not presume upon her birth, and appeared surprised at my giving her my hand, as often as we werit up- and down stairs. f She; conducted us to the first floor, where she made us entera large vaulted apartment, kept perfectly fclean, in which all the wo men sleep, each having a bed apart, in which is plenty offea- thers.f There is never any fire in this room, and though it be very high and airy ; a ventilator is fixed in the roof like those in our play-houses The kitchen is riot .large, but it is cleanj arid well arranged.; in it there are immense earthen pots, upon furnaces, as in our hospitals. The inhabitants of the house dine in, the refectory, and are served every day with -meat and . . . _ * It is remarkable enough, that the son of this Moravian, whose name is Garrison, should have served on board a vessel with me, and was, without exception^ the most worthless profligate fellow we had in a mixed crew of English, Scotch, Irish, and Americans, to all of whom his education had beep infinitely superior.- Neither bolts nor bars could prevent, nor any chastisement correct, his pilfering disposition. In a long winter's voyage of thirteen weeks, with only provisions and water for five, this fellow wife the bane and pest of .officers, passen gers, and seamen. WJiilst every other man in the ship, even the most licentious in prosperity, submitted to regulations laid down to alleviate our dreadful sufferings, and preserve our lives, this hardened, unre flecting wretch, ignorant of every feeling of sympathy and human na ture, seemed to' take a savage delight in diffusing misery around him, and adding to the distresses of his fellow sufferers," He had been well educated in the humane principles of the Moravians, but he truly veri fied the just adage of Corruptio optimi pessimtt. — Trains. i t When the Translator visited Bethlehem, the superintendent, or at least her deputy, was a Mrs. Langley, a very mild pretty behaved Eng lish woman, who had been a follower of George Whitfield. — Trans. X The Americans in general are remarkably fond of very large soft feather beds; even in the hottest climates, and we suffered greatly in this particular, at the inn at Bethlehem. — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 351 vegetables ; they have three shillings and sixpence currency per week, about fourpence per day; to the common stock, but they have no sugper, and I believe the house furnishes only bread for breakfast. . This expense, and what they pay for fire, and candle deducted, they enjoy the produce of their labour, which is more than sufficient to maintain them. This house also has a chapel,, which serves only for evening prayer, for they, go to their church on Sundays. There is an organ in this chapel, and J saw several instruments suspended upon nails. We quitted Madame de G'astorff well pleased with her recep tion, and went to the church, which is simple, and differs little from that we had seen at Moravian mill. Here also are several religious pictures. From hence wej went to the house of the single men. I entered the intendant's apartment, whom! found employed in copying music. He had in" his room an indiffer- ent forte piano, made in Germany. I talked with him on mu sic, and discovered that he was not only a performer, but a composer. So that op his accompanying us to the chapeL and being asked to touch the organ, he played some voluntaries, iri which he introduced a great deal of harmony, and progressions of base. This man, whose name I have forgot, is a native ol New- York, but resided seven years in Germany, whence he had lately arrived. I found him better informed than those I had yet met with, yet it was with some difficulty that I got from him the following details : The Moravian brethren, in what ever quarter of the world they live, are under the discipline of their metropolitans, who reside in Germany,* ftpm whenc© commissaries are sent to regulate the different establishments. The same metropolitans advance the sums necessarj|| for form ing therii, which are paid in proportion as these colonies jpros- per; thus the revenue ofthe mills- J have spoken of, as well as the farms and manufactures of Bethlehem, are employed in the first instance to- pay the expenses of the community, and after wards to reimburse the sums advanced in Europe. Bethle hem, for example, possesses a territorial property, purchased by the Moravians in Europe, which consists of fifteen hundred acres of land, forming a vast farm, which is managed by a steward, who accounts for it to the community. If an indivi dual wants a lot of land,. he must, purchase it of the public, but under this restriction, that in case of defection from the * The Moravians maintain a constant intercourse with Germany in particular, of which country those in America are chiefly natives, and think nothing of a voyage to Europe. Governor Joseph Reed, of Philadelphia, had a son here, learning the German language, when I was at Bethlehem.— Trans. 352 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. sect, or emigration from the place, he shall restore it to the community, who will reimburse him the original payment. As to their opinions, this sect resembles more the Lutherans, than the Calvinists ; differing, however, from the latter, by ad mitting music, pictures, &c. into their churches, and from the former, by having no bishops, and being governed" by a Synod.* Their police,or discipline, is of the monastic kind, since they recommend celibacy, but without erfjoining it, and keep the wo men separate from the men. There is a particular house also, for the widows, which I did not visit. The two sexes being thus habitually separated, none of those familiar connexions exist between, them, which lead to marriage; nay, it is even contrary to ihe spirit b*f the sect, to marry from inclinatiori. If a young man finds himself sufficiently at his ease to keep house for himself, and maintain a wife and children, he pre sents himself to the commissary, and asks for a girl, 'who (after consulting with the superintendent of the women) proposes one to him, which he'may, in fact, refuse to' accept; but it is contrary to the custom to choose a wife'for himself. Accord ingly, the Moravian colonies have not multiplied, in any pro portion, to the other American colonies. That at Bethlehem is composed of about six hundred persons, more than half of whom live in a state of celiJbaey ; nor does it appear that it has increased for several years. Every precaution's taken to provide for the subsistence of their brethren, and in the houses destined for the unmarried of both sexes, there are masters who teach them different trades. The house of the single men which I saw in detail, does not diffefiS-oiH that of the women ; I shall only take notice of a very ajonvenient method they have of awakening those who wish to be called up at iny given hour ; all their beds are num bered,, and near the door is a slate, on which all the numbers are registered; A man who wishes to be awakened early, at five o'clock in the morning for example, has only to write a figure of 5 under his number; the watchman who attends the chamber, observes this in going his rounds, and at the hour ap pointed, the next morning goes straight to the number of the bed without troubling himself about the name ofthe sleeper. Before I left the house, I mounted on the roof, where there is aBelvidere, from whence you see the little town of Bethle hem, and the neighbourhood ; it is composed of seventy or eighty houses, and there are some others belonging to the co- • * I do not speak with confidence, but am inclined to think that they have bishops, at least a person was pointed out to us at Bethlehem. under that denomination. — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 353 lony at the distance of a mile or two ; they are all handsome and built with stone.* Every house has a garden cultivated with care. In returning I was curious to see the farm-house, which is kept iri good order, but the inside was neither so clean, nor so well kept as in the English farm-houses, because the" Moravians are still more barbarous than their language. At length at half past ten I returned to the inn, where I was ex pected by my moor fowl, two woodhens, and many other good things, so that I was still better satisfied with my breakfast than with' my walk.f At twelve we set. out to travel twenty miles farther, to Kaif's tavern, a German house very poor and filthy. We . had passed the eastern branch of the Delaware a mile from Bethleherii ;f there is neither town nor village on the road, but the burghs to which the scattered houses we saw, belonged, are called Socconock sind Springfield. The 12th I breakfasted at Montgomery, twelve miles from Kalfs tavern, and passing Whitemarsh and Germantown, we arrived towards five at Philadelphia. . ' * From this Belvidere the view is beautifully romantic, and among other objects on the eastern side of the Delaware, you see a cultiva ted farm formed out of an immense wood and near the summit of a lofty mountain, which I likewise visited, and everystep of which gives you the idea of enchanted ground. Besides the particular gardens to each private house, there is a lUrge public walk belonging to the com munity, nay, the church-yard itself is a gayscene of beauty and regu larity, the verdant turf being clad in summer with strawberries and flowers. — Trans. t Notwithstanding the good cheer at the tavern, the author, and I hope the reader, will pardon me for not crediting this declaration. — Trans. I The eastern branch of the Delaware which passes by Bethlehem, and forms a junction with the western at Easton, is here called the Lecha. 'There is an excellent ferry over this rapid stream, of which I have spoken in the first volume. The Moravians among an infinity of other ingenious .inventions, have a large hydraulic machine in the mid dle of the town whipti is at a great height from the river for raising" the water to supply the inhabitants. — Trans. 45 354 TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA. Description ofthe Natural Bridge, called in Virginia, Rocky Bridge. On my return from my journey in Upper Virginia, I regretted not having been able to take the dimensions of the Natural Bridge.* I was anxious that some person, .who was at once a * So interesting an object could hot escape thecuriosity and obser vations of Mr. Jefferson.* He had measured the height and breadth of the Natural Bridge, 0f which he speaks in an. excellent memoir, composed in 1781, a few copies of which he printed under the'modest title of Notes upon Virginia, or rather without any title, for this work has never been made public. We hope, however, the precious docu ments on natural philosophy, as well as politics, contained in that wprk, will not be lost to the public. A well known man of letters'! has made use of them, and we recommend the perusal of a work, which will speedily make its appearance under the title of Observations on Vir ginia. .. * The following is Mr. Jefferson's account* of the Natural Bridge alluded to in this note, which I am happy in being able to lay Before the reader : — " The Natural Bridge, the most sublime of nature's works, is on the ascent of a hill, which seems to haVe been cloven through its length by some great convulsion. The fissure, just at the bridge, is"by some admeasurements 270 feet deep, by others only 205. It is about 45 feet wide at the bottom, and 90*feet at the top ; this of course deter mines the length of the bridge, and its height from the water. Its breadth in the middle is about 60 feet, hat mdre at the ends, and the thickness of the mass at the summit of the arch, about 40 feet. A part of this thickness is constituted by a coat of earth, which gives growth to many large trees. Tbe residue, with the hill on both sides, is one solid rock of limestone. The arch approaches the semi-elliptical form ; but the larger axis of the ellipses, which would be the chord ofthe arch, is many times longer than the transverse. Though the sides of the bridge are pro vided in some parts with a parapet of fixed rocks, yet few men have resolution to walk to them, and look over into the abyss. You involuntarily fall on your hands and feet, creep to the parapet,-and look over it. Looking down from this height about a minute, gave me a violent head-ache.'' If the view from the top be painful and intolerable, that from below is delightful in the extreme.. It is impossible for the emotions arising from the sublime to be felt beyond what they are here : on the sight of so beautiful an arch, so elevated, so light, and springing as it were up to heaven,- the rapture of the spectator is really indescribable ! The fissure continu ing narrow, deep, and strait for a considerable distance above and below the bridge, opens a short but very pleasing view of the North Mountain on one side, and Bine Ridge on the other, at the distance each of them of about five miles. This bridge is in the county of Rockbridge, to which it has given name, and affords a public and commodious passage over a valley, which cannot be crossed elsewhere for a consi derable distance. The stream passing under it is called Cedar creek. It is a wa ter of James' river, and sufficient, in the dryest seasons, to turn a grist mill, though its fountain is not more than two miles above."— Trans. t Monsieur De Meunier, in his new article of Etats Unis in the last Livraison of La Nouvelle Encyclopedic, and the Abbe de Morlais, who is translating them into French. — Trans. TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 355 designer and geometrician, should undertake an expedition to the Apalachians for that sole object, and that he should be pro vided with the instruments necessary for accomplishing it with accuracy. No man was more capable of this than the>Baron de Turpin, Captain in the royal corps of Genie ; for in him were united all those branches of knowledge, which are carried to so great a height in the corps to which he belongs, with the talent of designing with as much facility as precision ; besides which, he was well enough acquainted with the English lan guage to dispense with an interpreter. I proposed, therefore, to the Comte de Rochambeau, to charge him with this commis sion, which I was confident he would acquit with pleasure. The general thought that it would be rendering a fresh service to the Americans, to make them acquainted with one ofthe won ders which render their country celebrated, and that it would be pleasant enough for Frenchmen to be the first to give them a precise idea and a correct plan of it. The Baron de Turpin set out, therefore, in the beginning of May, and in three weeks brought me back five plans. • Two of them present perspectives, taken from the two sides of the Natural Bridge, and from the bottom of the valley from whence it springs. The third, a bird's-eye view, and represents a part of the country in which it is. The two others being supposed sections of this bridge where it holds by the bank, and which may he'considered as its abutment. As to the dimension's, they are as follows, as given me by M. de Turpin: . > . " The Natural Bridge forms an arch of fifteen toises (six feet English) in length, of that species we denominate the cow's horn :, the chord of this arch is seventeen toises at the head of Amont, and nine at that of Aval, and the right arch is the seg ment of an ellipse, so flat that the small axis is only a twelfth of the large one. The mass of rock and stone" which loads this arch is forty-nine feet solid on the key of the great centre, and thirty-seven on that of the small one • and as we find about the same difference- in taking the level of th'e. hill; it may be supposed tfjat the roof is on a level, the whole length of the key. It is proper to observe, that the live rock continues also the whole thickness of the *arch, and that on the opposite side it is only twenty-five feet wide, in its greatest breadth, and be comes gradually narrower. ", The whole arch seems to be formed of one and the same stone, for the joints which one remarks at the head of Amont, are, the effect of lightning, which struck this part in 1779 ; the other head has not the smallest vein, and the intrados is so smooth, that the martins, which fly round it in great numbers, cannot fasten on it. The abutments, which have a gentle 356 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. slope, are entire ; and, without being absolute planes, have all the polish which-a current of water would give to unhewn stone in a certain time. The four rocks adjacent to the abutments seem to be perfectly homogeneous, and to have a very trifling slope. The two rocks on the right bank of the rivulet are two hundred feet high above the surface of the water, the intrados of the arch one hundred and fifty, and the two rocks on the left bank one hundred and eighty. " If we consider this bridge simply as a picturesque object, we are struck with, the majesty with which it towers in the val ley. The white oaks, which "grow upon it, seem to rear their lofty summits to the clouds ; whilst the same. trees, which bor der on the rivulet, appear like shrubs. As for the naturalist, he must co'ntent himself with such observations as njay guide a niore hardy philosopher to form some probable conjecture on the origin of this extraordinary mass. " From every part of the arch, and of its supporters, cubic pieces of three or four lines dimension were taken, and placed successively in the same aqua fortis ; the former were dissol ved in less than half an hour • the others required more time, but this mffet be attributed to the diminution of strength of the aqua fortis, which _Jost its activity in proportion as it became saturated. , " We see that these rocks being of a calcareous nature, ex clude every idea of a-volcano, which, besides cannot be recon ciled with the form of .the bridge and its adjacent parts. If it be supposed that this astonishing arch is the effect of a current of water, we must suppose likewise that this current has had the force to break down, and carry to a great distance, amass of 5000 cubic fathoms, for there remains not the slightest trace of such an operation. The blocks found under the arch, and a little below it, have their interior positions marked on the col lateral pendants on the side of Aval, and are occasioned by no other demolition than that of the bridge itself, which is said to have been one"-fhird wider. "The excavation of eight or ten inches, formed in the pied droit, or supporter,, on the left bank of the stream, under the spring ofthe arch, lengthens it into the form of a crow's beak. This decay, and some other parts which are blown up, give reason to presume that this surprising edifice will one day be come a victim of that time which has destroyed so rnany others." Such are the observations, the Baron de Turpin brought back with him, and with which he was pleased to favour me. As their accuracy may be relied on, perhaps it would be suffi cient to transcribe them here, and leave the reader to exercise his thoughts on the causes which could produce this sort of TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 357 prodigy. This was in fact the resolution I had taken, when, abandoned to riiy own powers, of which I was justly diffident, I was writing at WiUiamsburgh, and for-myself alone, the jour nal of my late expedition. A Spanish work, however, which fell into my hands, confirmed me in the opinion I at first had entertained, that it was to the labour only of the Creator that we owe the magnificent construction of the Natural Bridge. The opinion of the Count de Buffon, v^hom I have since con sulted, has left me no doubt upon the subject. His sublime "conceptions of the different epochs 'of nature should have been sufficient to put me in, the, way ; but the disciple,§ who knows how to do justice to himself, is timid, even in the appli cation of his master's principles.^ But, whoever has travelled in America, becomes a witness entitled to depose in favour of that genius whose oracles frequently meet with too many oppo- sers. If it be necessary to justify whai the Montesquieus, the Humes, the Voltaires have said on the fatal effects. heretofore produced .by superstition, by ignorance, and prejudice, we might still, in surveying .Europe, find whole nations which would present to us the picture of what we were 300 years ago. Nations, which are, so to -speak, the c*ntemporafies of past ages, and the truth of historical f^cts would be demonstrated by those to which we ourselves are, witnesses. It is the game in America with respect to the epocK of nature, and all the do-. cuments of natural history. In visiting this part of t'he world, you think yourself removed back a wfcole epoch ; the lower grounds, the plains are watered by such large rivers, and inter sected by so many creeks 5 the coasts a*re so frequently divi ded by gulfs, and arms of the sea, which seem to conduct the waves to the .very heart of the country, ai\d to the very foot of the mountains, that it is impossible not to l^e persuaded that all this part of the continent is not of- new cipation, and produ ced entirely by successiVe*ebbings of the witer. On the other hand, if we observe that all the high mountains form long chains parallel with each other, and almost in a direction north and south ; "that, the greatest part of, the rivers, which fall into the ocean, take their origin in the narrow vallies which separate these mountains, and that after following their direction for a considerable space, they turn suddenly towards the east, pierce the mountains, and at length reach the sea, ac quiring magnitude as they proceed ; we- shall be apt to think ourselves, if not contemporaries, at least not far removed frdm that epoch of nature, when the waters collected to an extra- .' ordinary height in hollow vallies, were striving to break down their dykes, still uncertain ofthe means to be adopted' for ma king theirescape ;• we shall be led to think that the motion of i the earth on its axis, or the westerly winds, which in North- 358 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. America correspond with the trade winds of the Tropics, and of which they are possibly the effect, have at length determi ned the motion of the. waters towards the east. In which case, one of these two circumstances might happen ; either that the waters having exceeded the heights of the least lofty sumriiits which opposed their passage, formed a sort of gutters, by which the superfluity escaped ; or that unable to attain the height of these mountains, they met with some Softer parts of the greater mass itself, which they first sapped, and then en tirely penetrated. In the first case, if the declivity was very steep, and the rock which served byway of apron was very hard, they would form a cataract, but wherethe declivity was less rapid, and the soil less compact, the water* not only will have formed the gutter which served them as a passage, but have overthrown and hurried along with them the lands, forming them into long glacis, which would losejthemselves'finally in the plains. 'Thus Hudson rivpr, the Delawtire, the Potomac, James river, and many others, have opened ways for themselves to the sea, by piercing the mountains at arMes, more or less approaching to right angles, and forming,, more or less, spacious vallies. In the second case, the waters unable to pass the mountains, un less below their summits; must have left above them a sort of calotte, or arch, similar to that of the Natural Bridge. But how many chances are there, both that these arches must fall down after a certain' time, especially when the beds of the rivers becoming deeper and deeper, the burthen becomes too weighty, and they liave lost their bases !* * Mr. Jefferson, jn his excellent Notes on Virginia, seems to lean to the system of Bpffon, in the following sublime and animated de scription : " The courses of die following great fivers of Virginia, says he, are at right angles with the long chain of mountains, known in tiie Euro pean maps by the name of the Apalachian Mountains. James and Potama' penetrate through all the ridges of mountains eastward of the Alleghany. That is, broken by no watercourse, it is in fact the spine of the country between the Atlantic on one side, and the Mississippi and St. Lawrence on the other. The passages of the Potomac through the Blue Ridgejis perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in na ture ; you stand on a very high point of land. On your right comes up the Shenandoah, having ranged along the foot of the mountains an hundred miles to seek a vent. On your left approaches the Potomac, in quest of a passage also. In the moment of their junction they rush together against the mountain, rend it' asunder, and pass off to the sea. The first glance of this scene hurries our senses into the opinion that this , earth had been created in time, that the mountains were formed first, that the rivers began to flow afterwards, that in this place par-ticu- TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 359 Do we still doubt of the probability of this hypothesis'? Do we wish for more striking tokens, more evident traces*6f the operation of the waters, let us continue to travel in America ; larly they have been dammed up by the Blue Ridge of mountains, and have formed an ocean which filled the whole valley ; that continuing to rise, they have at length broken over at thjs spot, and have torn the mountain down from its summit to its base. The piles of rock on each hand, but particularly on the Shenandoah, the evident marks of their disrupture evulsion from their beds, by the most powerful agents of nature, corroborate the impression. But the distant finishing which nature has given to the picture, is of a very different character. It is a true contrast tp the fore, ground., It is as placid and delightful as that is wild and tremendous. For-the mountain being cloven asunder, she presents to your eye, through the cleft, a small catch of smooth blue horizon, at an infinite distance in the plain country, inviting you, as it were, from the riot and tumult roaring" around, to' pass through the breach, and partake of the calm beloyv. Here the eye ultimately composes itself; and that way too the, road happens actually to lead.. You cross the Potomac above the junction, pass along its side through the base of the mountain for three miles, its terrible precipices hang ing in fragments over you, and within about twenty miles reach Frederictown, and the fine Qountry round it. This scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic. Yet here, as in the he.ighbourh.ood of. the Natural Bridge, are people who have passed their lives within half a dozen miles, and have never been to survey these monuments of a war between rivers and mountains, which must have shaken the earth itself to its centre." • ., Mr. Charles Thompson, Secretary to Congress, in an appendix .to Mr. Jefferson's, work, adds the following remarks on the same subject. The reader will pardon, I am confident, the length of these extracts from a work so highly interesting, and which is not yet given to the public. " The reflections," says Mr^ Thompson, " I was led into on view ing this passage of. the Potomac through the' Blue Ridge were, that this country must have suffered some- violent convulsion, and that the face of it must have been changed from what it was probably some cen turies ago : that the broken and ragged faces of the mountain on each side the river, the tremendous rocks which are left with one" end fixed in tbe precipice, and the others jutting out, and seemingly ready to fall for want of support ; the bed of the river for several miles, below obstructed and filled with the loose stones carried from' this mound ; in short, every thing on which you cast your eye,, evidently demonstrates' a disrupture and breach in the mountain, and that, before this happen ed, what is now a fruitful vale was formerly a great lake or collection of water, which possibly might have here formed a mighty cascade, or had its vent to the ocean by the Susquehanna, where the Blue Ridge seems to-terminate. Besides this, there are other parts of this coun try which bear evident traces of a like convulsion. From the best ac- 360 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA- let us gO into the vicinity of the Ohio, on the banks of the river Kentucky • we may there observe what follows, or rather counts I have been able to obtain, the place where the Delaware now flows through the Kittatinny mountain, which is a cpntinuation of what .is called the North Ridge or Mountain, was not its original course, but that it passed through what is now called, " The Wind Gap," a p^ace several miles to the westward, and above an hundred feet higher than the present bed of tbe river. This Wind Gap is about a mile broad, and the stones in it such- as seem to have been washed for ages by watef running over them. Should this have been the case, there must have been a large lake behind that mountain, and by some uncommon swell of the waters, or by some corivulson of nature, the river must have opened its way through a different part of the mountain, and meeting there with less obstruction, carried aw.ay with it the opposing mounds of- earth, and deluged the country below vfSth the immense collection of waters to which this passage gave vent. There are still remaining, and daily discovered, innumerable instances of such a deluge on both sides Of the river, after it passed the hills above the falls of Trenton, and reached the Champaign. On the New- Jersey side, which is flatter than -the Pennsylvania side, all the country below Cress wick hills seems to have been overflowed to the distance of from ten to fifteen miles baok from the river, and to have acquired a • new soil by the earth and clay brought down and mixed with the native sand. The spot on which Philadelphia stands evidently appears to be made ground. The different strata through which they pass in dig ging to watery the acorns, leaves, and sometimes branches which are found above twenty feet below the surface, all seem to demonstrate this.* I am informed that at Yorktown in Virginia, in the bank of York river, there are different strata of shells and earth, one above an other, which seem to point out that the country there has undergone several changes, that the sea has for a succession of ages occupied the place where dry land now appears, and that the ground has been sud denly raised at various periods. Wha* a change would it make in the Country below, should the mountains at Niagara, • by any accident be cleft asunder, and a passage suddenly opened lo drain off the waters qf lake Erie and the upper lakes ! "While ruminating on these subjects, I have often been hurried away by fancy, and led to imagine that what is now the bay of Mexico was once a champaign country, and that from the point or cape of Florida, there' was a continued range of mountains through Cuba, Hispaniola, Porto Rico, Martinique, Gua- daloupe, Barbadoes and Trinidad-, till it reached the coast of Ameri ca, and formed the shores which bounded the ocean and guarded the * Fi"om an accurate topographical observation ofthe mountainous parts of Eng land, aad other countries,-1 on these principles, might we not be able to solve various phenomena which present themselves in the' plains bordering upon livers, that is to say, within reach of such a supposed overflow of waters ; the quantity of large solid oak timber, for example, found in Walker Colliery near Newcastle, on the banks of the river Tyne, at the prodigious depth of 120 fathoms ! — Trans. TRA VEfcS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 361 what the recent historian of that country* has written. "Among the natural curiosities of this territory, the winding banks, or rather the precipice of Keritueky,. arid of the river Diek, merit the first rankl The astonished eye "beholds, almost oh every side, three or four hundred feet of a calcareous rock, perpendi cularly cut ; in some places a oeautiful white marble, curiously shaped in arches or in columns, Or piled upon a fine stone for building. These precipices, as I'have already observed, re-' sernble the sides of a deep' trench, or a canal, the, earth around being level, except in the course of jthe rivulets, and- co vered with groves of red cedar ; you -can only cross this river at certain places, Orie of which is worthy of admiratiortfei it is a highway formed by the buffaloes; and wide enough for wa gons, in a gentle slope, from the summit to 'the'. foot of a very steep ejrijnence, Close to the river above Leestown." ' But let us consult Don Joseph dTJHoa, already sb celebrated. by his vbyages '; he is the author of the above-mentioned Spa nish book, entitled, NoticiasAmericanas, in which he gives very cririous and minute descriptions of all Spanish America. In the article I aril going to translate, he begins by remarking a very sensible difference between the nfiduntains in America, situated under the torrid zone, and those we observe in other parts of the globe ; for although the height of the latter be often very considerable, as the ground rises gradually, arid their1. combined summits form immense countries, the*/ who inhabit them may be ignorant, of their elevation above the level ofthe sea; whereas those of America being separated, and,- sp to speak, cloven their whole height, give incessantly the idea, and even the hieasure of . their prodigious altitude. "In this part of the work}, adds He, the earth is intersected by profound trenches (quebradas) of a very considerable width, since they form the separation of the riiountains from each other, and forhi frequently an opening,, of more than two leagues, at the, upper part of them. This space becomes contracted in pro portion as they are more or less' profound ,' arid it is in the bot- _ _ __ .. . _ country behind : tfiat by Some convulsion or shock of nature the sea had broken through these mounds and dejuged, that vast plain till it reached the foot of the Andes ; that being there h'eapedup by the trade winds, always blowing "from brie quarter, it had found its way back, as it continued to do, ¦through the gulf between Florida and Cuba, carry ing with it the loom tod sand which it may have stooped from; the country it bad occupied, part of which it may have deposited on*the shores of North America, and with part formed the banks of the Newfoundland. But these are only the visidns of fancy." The' Translator adds,; but they are the sublime visions, of a great ano^nlightened mind.— gfoa/is. * Mr. Filson, whose work is' lately, transla'tetfirito French-^ Trans'. 46 ' 362 TRAVELS IN NORTH- AMERICA, torn of this Jkigidjpf valleys that the rivers flow, winch almost regularly occupy the middle, leaving an equal extent of level ground on each side of {hem. But what is most remarkable, is, that the angles or sinuosities formed. by these rivers, corres pond perfectly with those we observe to. the right and left in the segments of tiiese mountains ; so that if we could' at once bring together the two sides of these valleys, we should have a, solid mass, without any iftterj-uption. The rivers pursue their course in these embankments, uptil they reach the plain, and from thence the oceari. , In this latter part of their career, their bed is not deep, and their bottom is nearly on a level with the sea. JThus. it may in .general bererriarked, that the more 1°% themountains of .the,CordelIiers,.the mofe profound is the bed of the rivers. whieh flow .through: their valleys. " In the province of Angaras, ampng the lusus natures, with which these countries 'abound, there is one which merits parti cular attention. This province,^ which is a dependency of Guancavelica, is divided into several departments ; in one of these departments, called Conaica, is. tiie small village of Vinas, situated at nine leagues distance frorn Conaica. ' About midway between them, is a mountain, known by the name of Corosunta : on arrivirig at the .foot of this mountain, you enter into a cleft, oi- if you will, an opening, through which flows the rivulet of Chapllancas; this rivulet enters an embankment the breadth of which is from twenty to five and twenty feet, and its height upwards of forty ; without, being perceptibly wider at tiie superior than the inferior part. This gap, which is occu pied in its whole width by the stream, forms the Only commu nication that exists between Vinas and Conaica. You can only cross the river in those places where, as I have already said, the opening is twenty feet broad, and( you are obliged" to cross it nine times, taking advantage of those places where it ^departs a little from the rock, which only happens where it has formed some sinuosities ; for when its course is direct, it exactly fills the opening through which it passes. This trench is formed out of the live rodk? arid with so much regularity, that all the prominent parts of one side, correspond perfectly with the.re- cipient'parts or indentures of the other in its whole height; insomuch that it inight be taken for a canal cut expressly fer the passage of the water, and which had been executed with so complete a symmetry, as that the two sides, might exactly fit each other, without leaving the smallest -interstice between. them. There is no danger in travelling this road, for the rocl£ is too solid to give any apprehension Of its* crumbling, and the small river is not rapid enough to endanger boats; yet it is difficult to suppress a sentiment of terror, on finding yourself engaged in this narrow gap, the two sides of which^oi!%their TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA. 363 perfect correspondence, pre'serit the idea of a box half opened for a moment, and always ready to close upon you. "The' cavity I have been describing is so much the more worthy our observation, as it may be looked^upon as a model, or example of what the valleys of the Cordilleras have been, when in their origin they did not exceed the depth of this* fo\ their sides, 'which now' form a gentle slope, were then doubtless perpendicularly cut, and it was not Until the waters Undermined them to a great depth, that the upper1 parts being overloaded, have successively crumble'd down. This" analogy is even coii- firmed by the. decay to be observed in the embankment formed by the ChapUancas ; a waste occasioned by tiie slow arid suc cessive effect of the rains and frost, and the Crevices produced by the sun, but which are less sensible there than elsewhere, because the rock is harder, more solid, ^nd niore continuous, not being interrupted by any bed oi earth, or other matter easily, to be' dissolved or- crumbled! Every thing, therefore, leads to a conclusion,' that the waters alone have formed this canal in the form we now see it, and that they will continue to airgment its depth, since we know that tiriie alorie is sufficient to reduce the hardest stone to a fine and almost imperceptible sand, arid that this progress is already discoverable from the little fragments of stone visible at the bottom, of the* river, as well as from those it carries to the plain,; when, finding a more extensive range, it begins to enlarge its surface. "Whether we attribute the origin of this canal to the fric tion of the waters which have gradually deepened it, Or Whether we suppose the mountain to have been rent asunder; by an earth quake, -so aS to open a new passage for this river which flowed antecedently in another direction.; it is still certain that such an aperture cannot have existed at the epocha immediately sub sequent to the deluge. It is the same with respect to the lar ger embankmerfts of this kind, kno#n by trie name of qjiebra1- das, and which are frequently to be ipet with inthe upper part of South- America. It is evident that they have been fbrriied equally by the labour of the Waters1; for on the one hand; we know that the rapidity of .their current is capable of wrenenirig off stones of an extraordinary size j. and on the other, we have manifest proofs of the continual effort made by theni to deepen thehxbed, an effort the traces- of whioh are discovered in the huge blocks they have formed into the shape of dice, or cubesj as often "as the rocks oppose too much resistance to them to admit of their dividing arid clearing away the whole extent of the bottom on which they exercise' their activity. In the river of IsuchaCa', near the village ofthat'namej'is a large! mass of .s£one,.of a regular square form_ and each'side'of wbidjriray be above five and;-thirty,or forty feet. ' Whet* the watefs are Tow, 364 TRAVELS IN NORTH-AMERICA.* it rises five and., twenty feet above'their level., But to account for the form* of these large cubic masses, as' well as of, other smaller ones, w)fich are, often to be found in the bed of rivers, and which, are all regularly shaped, we. must suppose* that the Waters have successively torn and wrenched Q,ff the rocks by which they were- surrounded, thus leaving them single,, and isolated, in their present form ; but this only until the beds of the rivers becoming deeper and deeper, the waters meet at their bases with some veins of earth or other matter easy of dissolution; for in that case you will undermine arid unset them, (so to speak) so as one day to displace them entirely and hurry them along. Thes&masses, once in motion, will shock either those on the banks, those 'they meet with in the bed even of the river, which breaking arid being*re,duced to various masses of less dimension, will ibe the m^re e^siW drifted. Such is without doubt the orir gin of alltfjafee atones we see under the water, or ori the banks, some of which are "very '^mall, and others so exiojrrrious, that no human effort is able to remove- them. . ', As to the extraordinary profundity of those valleys or quebradas, ope example will be sufficient to give an idea of it. The town of Guanvelica is built in a valley formed by different chains of mountains ; the barometer there stands at eighteen inches, one line and a half (this mea,n term is taken between eighteen inches and a quar ter, and eighteen inches one third, which form the greatest va- riatidn of jhe barometer at that place ;) aocordingtb this height of the mercury, the elevation above the leyel of the sea should be 1949 toises. On the- summit of the mountain in which is the mine of Asogues, a spot still habitable, and which is itself as much lower than other adjacent heights, a$ it is«higfier than the town of Guanvelica, the mercury only stands at sixteen inches just, which gives 2337 toises above the leyel of the sea, and about 5°0 toises for the depth of the quebrada, or valley of Guanvelica, which seems to be no other than the deepened bed of -the river we now see flowing through the middle of it." After so many observations on the extraordinary effects ofthe , waters, have we not some foundation for supposing that the Natural Bridge is also their production, and ought we not to regard it as-a sort ,of qriebrada 3 When the valleys of the Apa lachians were only vast lakes, in which the waters were retain ed prisoners, this little valley, whose depth they traverse, nfiiy have served as a partial reservoir, wherein they have remained even after those oi'the large valleys m^e their escape. The mass of the rock out of which the Natural Bridge is excavated, may have served them as a barrier, but whether it be that they have not risen to the summit of the rock, or whether they suc ceeded more easily in sapping the lowter part of it, they will in either case have left subsisting that immense gap which form TRAVELS IN N0RTH-AM«R1CA. 365 the arch such as we now See it. It would be useless, and per haps rash, to endeavour minutely to explain the manner in which the bending of this vault has been so regularly traced out; but the cause once understood, all the effects, however .varied, and however, astonishing they may appear; must have the same ori gin. We may observe besides, that the greatest bend of this vault corresponds with the angle forrhed by the valley in this place, insomuch that the rock seems to have been the more worked upon, as the effort of the waters have been more , con siderable. However this may bei I leave every one at liberty's to form such conjectures as he pleases,* and as I have, said above, my design has been less to explain this prodigy of nature, than to describe it with, such accuracy as toehable the learned to form a judgment on the subject. * Mr. Jefferson, after speaking of the abpve, passage ofthe Spanish author, differs from him and iirom the Marquis de Chastellux, in their reasoning on the probable causes of its production, as follows : " Don Ulloa inclines to the opinion, that this channel has' been effected by the wearing of the "water which runs through it, rather than that the moun tain should have been broken open by any convulsion of nature. But if it had been worn by the running of the water, would not the rocks,' which form the sides, have been worn plane ? or if, meeting in some' parts with veins of harder stone, the water had left prominences on one side, .would not the same cause have sometimes, or perhaps, generally, Occasioned prominences on the other side also ? *¥et Don Ulloa tells us, that on the other sid,e there are always corresponding cavities, and that these tally with the prominences so ' perfectly ^ that were the two sides to come together, they would fit in all-rejudic|B of theif respective ancient governments, may be unable to relish that flbld universal system of freedom and toleration which is a novelty to the old world ; but I venture to think, and trust, CORRESPONDENCE. 373 the first spot .where -they may form a settlement ; we shall one day, however, see frequent emigrations from state to state ; workmen will frequently transplant themselves, many of them will be obliged even to change situations from the nature 'of their employments, in which case it will not be singular' to see' the elections for a district of Connecticut, decided byiinhabit- ants of Rhode-Island or New-York. ' * Some political writers,' especially the more modern, have ad vanced, that p(operty alone should constitute the citizen. They arg|of opinion jtjjat he alone whose fortune is necessarily con nected with its welfare has a right to become a member of the state. In America, a specious answer is given to this reason ing ; among us, say they, landed property is so easily acquired, that every workman who can use his bands, may be looked upon as likely soon to become a man of property. But can America , remain long in her present situation f And can the regitriert of her infant state agree with her, now she has assumed the virile robe ? . ' , The following, Sir, is a.delicate . question which I can only propose to a philosopher like you.'** In establishing among themselves a purely democratic government, had the Americans a real affection for a democracy ? And if they have wished all men to be equal, is it not solely, because, from the very nature ' ' '' ¦¦» • that such emigrations will be attended with no bad consequences ; for who will be the emigrants to* a country where there are' neither gold n*or silver mines, and where subsistence is alone to be obtained by industry 1 Men of small, or no fortunes, who cannot live with comfort, nor bring up a family in Europe ; -labourers and ariizans^ of every kind ; . men" of modesty arid genius, who are craniped by insurmountable^ obstacles in countries governed by cabal and interest ; virtuous citizens compelled to groan in silence under the effects of arbitrary power. ; philosophers who pant after the liberty of thinking for themselves, and of giving vent, without danger, to those generous maxims which burst from their hearts, and of contributing their mite to the general stock of enlightened know ledge ; religious men, depressed by the hierarchical establishments of every country in Europe ; the friends to freedom ; in short, the liberal, generous, and active spirits ofthe whole world. To A'rqerica,, then, I say with fervency, in the glowing words of Mr. Eajne, who is himself an English emigrant — "O! receive the fugitives- and prepare in time an asylum for mankind." The history of the late revolution, too, may justify our hopes, for it is an observation, for the truth of which I ap peal to fact, that the Eufopeans settled in' America were possessejfr of at least as much Energy ^ and served that country with as'much zeal and enthusiasm in the cabinet, and in the field, as the native Americans, and to speak with the late Lord Chatham, who said many absurd, but more wise things than mpst statesmen, " they infused a portion of new health into the constitution^" — Trans. ;374 CORRESPONDENCE. of things, they were themselves nearly in that sitpation ? For to preserve a popular governmerit in all its integrity, it is not .sufficient, not to admit either rank or nobility, riches alone never fail to produce marked differences, by so much the greater, as there exist no others. Now, such is the present happiness of America that she has no poor, that every man in' it enjoys *a certain ease and independence, and that if some have been, able to obtain a smaller portion of them than others* they are so surrounded by^resources, that the future is more^ook-ed to thai! their present situation. Such is the general tendency to a sttfe of equality ; that the sarnie enjoyments which Would be deemed superfluous in every, other part of -the world, are here consider ed as necessaries. Thus the, salary of the workman must not only, be equal to his subsistence and that of , his family, but sup ply him with proper and commodibus furniture for his house, tea and, coffee for his wife, and tbe silk go,wr> s\\e wears as often as she goes from, home ; and this is -one of the principal causes of the scarcity of labour so generally attributed to the want of hands. Now, sir., let us suppose thatt the. increase of population may one day reduce yoiu-artizans to the situation in which they are foiind in France and*England. Do you, in that case, really believe that your principles are so truly democratical, as that the landholders and the opulent, will, still continue to regard them as their equals ? 1 shall go still farther, relying on the accuracy of your judgment to testify every thing'you may find too subtle or tpo speculative in my idea. • I shall ask you then, whether under the belief of possessing the iriost perfect de- mocrapy; you may not find that you have insensibly attained a point more remote from it, than every othei-. repriblic- Recollect, that When, the Roman 'senate was compelled to renounce its principles of tyranny, the very traces pf it were supposed to be effaced,, by granting to the people a. participation d>f the consu lar honours. That numerous and oppressed class found them selves exalted'by the prospect alone which now lay open to a small number of -.their body., the greatest part of them remain ed necessitous, but they consoled themselves by saying, we may one day become consuls. Now, observe, sir, that in your present form of government; you have not attached either sufficient grandeur, or dignity td any place, to render its possessor illus trious, still Jess the whole class from which he may be .chosen. You have, thrown far from you all hereditary honours, but have you bestowed sufficient personal distinctions ? Have you re flected that these distinctions, far from being le^s considerable than those which took place among the Qreeks and Romans, ought rather to surpass them ? The reason of this is very ob vious : the effect of honours and distinctions is. by .so much the more marked, as it operates on the grater number of men as- CORRESPONDENCE. 375 sembled together. When Cneius Duillius was Conducted^ home on his return from supper to the sound of instruments, the whole city of Rome was witness to his triumph : grant the same ho nours to (jovernor Trumbull*;* three houses at iriost in Lebanon will hear the symphony. Men must be moved by some fixed principle ; is it not better that this should^ be by vanity than interest? V have no doubt; ihat love of country will always prove a powefral motive, but, do not flatter yourself that this will long exist with the same spirit. The greatest'effbrts of thid mind, like those of the" body, are in resistance; ahd the same may happen with respect to the state, as in matters of opinion, to which we cease to be attached, when they cease to' be contested. . :*- Behold rfflany objects, Sir, which have passed* in review he- fore us. We have only glanced at them, but to distinguAU*. them more' clearly, requires more penetrating eyes than mine ; you hold the telescope ; do you apply your optics and you will make good use of them. My.task will be. accomplished if I can only prove to you that these inquiries are not foreign to my subject. I shall observe then th/ii, to know to what pre cise point, and oil what principle vou should admit the arts and sciences in your nation, it is necessary first to understand its natural tendency ', for we may direct the course of rivers, but not«to repel them to their source. Now, to discover the natural tendency of a nation, not only must we examine its ac tual legislation, but tbe> oppositions which may exist between the government and prejudices, between the laws and habits * the reaction", in short, which these different moving > powers may produce,- one upon the pther. In the present instance, for example, it is important to foresee to what degree the de mocracy is likely to prevail in America, and whether the spirit of that democracy tends to ihe equality of fortunes, or is confi ned to the equality of ranks. It is melancholy- to confess, that it is'to a veiy great inequality in the distribution of Wealth, that the fine arts are indebted for their most brilliant eras. In the tinae of Pericles, immense treasures Were concentred in Atherfty unappropriated to any particular purpose ;. under the reign of Augustus, Rome owed her acquisition of the fine arts to the spoils of the world, if the fine arts were ever really naturalized at Rome ; and 'under-thai ofthe Julii and Leo the tenth. Ec-- clesiastic pomp and riches, pushed to the highest point,' gave birth to the prodigies of that famousage. But these epochas, . , • • f .*• * Mr. Trumbull, Governor of Connecticut, inhabits the ' town of Lebanon, which occupies a league of country, and where there are noj six houses less distant than a "quarter of , a mile from each, other, S76 CORRESPONDENCE. so celebrated iri the history of the.arts^ are either those of their birth, or of their .revival ; aijd similar circumstances are not necessary to maintain them in .the flourishing and prosperous state they have attained. ¦ There is one circumstance, howev er, which we, have riot yet touched upon, and which seems in dispensable, as well for their preservation* as for their establish ment. The arts, let us not doiifet it, can never flourish, but where there is a great number of men. They rirast have large cities, .they must have capitals. America possesses already ft*p, which seem ready for their • reception, which you will yourself name • Boston, New-York, Philadelphia, Baltimore*. and Charleston, , But they are seaports, and commerce, it can not be dissembled, has inore magnificence than taste ; it pays, rather than encourages artists. — There are twot*f§reat ques tions to resolve, whethe'r large towns are useful' or prejudicial to America, and whether commercial towns should be the ca pitals. Perhaps it will be imagined, that the. first question is answered by the. sole reflection, that rural. lifo is best suited to mankind, contributing the most to their happiness, and the maintenance of virtue, without which there can be no happi ness. But it must be reipmbered, that this same virtue, those happy dispositions, those'peaceable amusements, we enjoy in the country, are noi unfrequently acquisitions made in -towns. If nature be nothing for him whohas not learnt to observe her, retirement is . sterile for Ae man without information. Now this information is to be acquired best jn towns. Le| us not confound the man retired into the country, with 'tne man edu cated in the country. The former is the most perfect of his species, arid the latter frequently, dotes not merit to belong to it. In a word, one. must have education ; I will say farther, one must have lived with a certain number of mankind to know how to live well in one's own family. To abridge the ques tion, shall I content myself with expressing to you my wishes "? I should desire that each state of America^ as far as it is prac ticable, had a capital to be the seat of government, but not a commercial city. I should desire that their capital were situa ted in the centre of the republic, so, that every citizen, rich enough to look, .after the education of his children, and to taste the pleasures of society, might inhabit it for some months of the year, without making it his only residence, without re nouncing his invaluable country-seat. I should' desire that at a small distance, but more considerable tlian that which sepa rates Cambridge from Boston, an university might be establish ed, where cinp and public law, arid all the higher sciences, should be taught, in a course of study, hot to be commenced before the age pf fourteen, and to be of only three years' dura tion. I should desire, in short, that* in this capital and its ap- CORRESPONDENCE. 377 pendage, the true national spirit might be preserved.- like the sacred fire ; that is to say, that spirit which perfectly assimi lates with liberty and public happiness. For we must never flatter ourselves with the hopes of ipodifying, after our plea sure, commercial towns. Commerce is more friendly to indi vidual, than to public liberty* it discriminates not between citizens and strangers. A trading town is a common recepta cle, where every mail transports his manners, his opinions, and his habits ; and the best are not always the most prevalent. English, French, Italian, all inix together, all lose a little1' of their distinctive character, ahd in turn communicate a portion of it ; so that neither defects nor vices appear in their genuine light ; as, in the paintings oif great artists, the different tints of light are so blended, as to leave no particular colour in its pri mitive arid natural state. Though it seems impossible to conclude this article without speaking of luxury, I have, notwithstanding, some reluctance to employ a term, the senge of which is not well ascertained. To avoid here all ambiguity, I shall consider it only as an expense, abusive in its relations, whether with the fortune of individuals., or with their" situation. In 'the former case, the idea of- luxury, ap proaches that of- dissipation, and in the latter, that of ostenta-. * I cannot here omit an anecdote whic||! places, in a strong point of view, the distinction between individual and public liberty, made by the mere merchant. In the early part of life I spent some years in the compting-house of one ofthe most considerable nrerchants of the city of London, a native of Switzerland, for the. moderate premium of one thousand guineas. ' This happening to be the period ofthe violent un constitutional proceedings against Mr. Wilkes, the foreign merchant differing from the English' apprentice, entered with zeal into. all the measures of the then administration, which, though a republican by birth, he maintained with all the virulence ofthe tools of despotism. The American war followed, and this gentleman was no less active with offers of his life and fortune, from his compting-house in the city, in support ofthe arbitrary views of the same set of mjsn, accompanied on all occasions with positions destructive of every idea; of public charity. But mark the difference, when # individual liberty was in question. Happening to dine with Mr. John Pringle, .of Philadelphia, in 1782,, the conversation fell on this merchant, who is at present one of the firSt in the world, and some questions were asked me respecting "his politics; my answers corresponded with what I have above said of him ; but judge of my astonishment, when Mr. Pringle assured pie, smiling, and gave me ocular demonstration of the faet,;that America, had not a better friend ;• producing, at the sametime, an inyoic'i'Of a cargo of gunpowder shipped by his order on joint account-,,^ the Rebels of America, at L'Orient,' by which this Mr.; , of London, cleared near £10,000 sterling ! !— Trans- 48 378 CORRESPONDENCE. tion. Let us illustrate this thought by an example : If a Dutch merchant spends his property in flowers and shells, the sort of luxury into which he has fallen is only relative to his mean's, since his taste has led him' farther than his faculties would ad mit. But if, in a republic, a very wealthy citizen expends only a part of his fortune in building anoble palace, the kixury with which he is reproached, is in that case prOpontionable to his situation ; it shocks the .public, in the same manner as»proud and arrogant behaviour inspires estrangement and hatred. ' We must do justice to commerce, it loves enjoyments more than luxury ; and if we see the nlercnant sorhetimes pass the liriiits, it is rather from, imitation than natural propensity. In France and England, we see some, ostentatious merchants, but tlje example is given them by the nobles. There is another more ridiculous, but less culpable abuse, from which commerce is not free ; which is, fashion. This must doubtless prevail wherever there are many foreigners ; for what is .usage among them becomes, fashion, -when they establish themselves else where. On the other hand, the numerous correspdndences, the interest even of the merchants, which consists in provoking, in exciting the taste of the consumers, terids to establish' the em pire of fashion. What obstacle must be opposed to this % I propose this question to myself with pleasure, as it leads me back to the fine arts by an indirect road." Lshall ask, what has been heretofore the remeffy for those caprices of opinion which have begot so many errors, so many revolutions °? Is it not rea son and philosophy 1 Well, then ! the remedy against the ca prices of the fashion is the study of the arts, the knowledge of abstract beauty, the perfection of taste. But, what 1 do you hope to fix the standard of that taste, hitherto so variable 1 How often has it changed 1 How often will it not again vary *? I shall continue to answer in the manner of Socrates, by inter rogating myself, and I shall say, what ridiculous opinions have not prevailed in the world, from the time of the Grecian sophists to the theologians of our days "? Has not reason, however, be gun to resume her- rights, and 'do you think, that when once re covered, she will ever lose them "? Why are you so unreasona ble as to expect that objects so frivolous as furniture and dress should attain perfectiori before religion and legislation 9 Let us never cease repeating, that ignorance is the source of evill and science that of good. Alas ! do you not see that the Greeks, who had some how acquired very early, such just no tions of the arts and taste ; do you not see, I say, that they never varied in their- modes ? Witness the statues "modelled at Rome by .Grecian artists ; witness the noble and elegant mode pf dress still retained by that people, though living among the Turks. Erect altars, then, to the fine arts, if ypu would de- CORRESPONDENCE. 379 stroy those of fashion and caprice. Taste, and learn to relish nectar and ambrosia, if you are afraid of becoming intoxicated with common liquors. • • Perhaps, Sir, what I am about to say should only be whisper ed in your ear. I am going tb handle a delicate subject ; I am venturing to touch the ark. But- be assured, that during a three years' residence in America, the progress of the women's dress has not escaped me. If I have enjoyed this as a feeling man, if the results of this progress have not been viewed by me with an indifferent eye, my tiriie of life and character are a pledge to you that I -have observed therii as a philosopher. Well, Sir, it is in this capacity I undertake their defence, but so long only as things are Hot carried to an excess. The Vir.tue of* the women, which is more productive of happiness, even for the men, than all the enjoyments of vice, if there be only real pleasures- arising from that source ; the virtue of t^e women, I say, has two bucklers of defence ; one is retirement, and dis tance /rom all. danger : this is the- hidden treasure mentioned by Rochefoueault, which "is untouched, because itis undisco vered. The other is loftiness,- a sentiment always' noble in'its relation to ourselves. Let them learn to appreciate themselves ; let them rise in their own estimation, and rely on that estimable pride for the preservation of their virtue as well as of their fame. They who love only pleasure, corrupt the sex, whom they corT- vert only into an instrument of their volupttfousness ; they who love women, render them better by rendering them more amia ble. But, you will say, is it by dress, and by exterior charms, that they must establish their empire ? Yes, Sir, every woman ought to seek to please;, this is the weapon conferred on her by nature to- compensate the weakness of her sex. Without this she is a slave, and can a slave have virtues ? Remember the word decus, of which we.have formed decency ; it's original import is ornament. A filthy and negligent woman is not de cent, she cannot inspire respect. I have already allowed my self to express my opinion by my wishes : I desire, then, that all the American women may be well. dressed; but I have no objection to- seeing that dress simple., They, are not formed to represent the severity of the legislation ; neither ought they to contrast with it, and convey, a tacit insult on that severity.. Gold, silver, and diamonds, then, shall be banished from Ame rican dress ; what excuse' can there be for a luxury which is not becoming "? But this indulgence, Sir, which I have express ed for the toilet of the women, I am far from allowing to the men. I am not afraid to say, that I shotild have, a very bad opinion of them, if in a country where there are neither eti quette nor titles, nor particular distinctions, they should ever give into the luxury of dress ; a luxury, which even the French 380 CORRESPONDENCE. have laid, aside,, except on marriages arid eritertainments, and Which no longer exists any where but in Germany and Italy, where certainly you will not go in search of models. Observe, Sir, that we have imperceptibly prepared the way for the fine arts, by removing the "principal obstacles which might be opposed to them ;• for if, far from rendering nations vain and frivolous, they rather tend to preserve them frorn the excesses of luxury, and the caprices of fashion, they, can cer tainly be considered neither. as dangerous nor prejudicial. Still, perhaps, you will retain some scruple on the article of luxury ; but recollect, sir, if you pleasle, the definition I have given of it, and if you reflect that every fortune which exceeds the neces sary demands, insensibly produces some sort of personal-riches, such as valuable furniture, gold and silver trinkets, sumptuous services of plate, &c. you must perceive that this constant sur plus of .annual income would be infinitely better bestowed on painting, sculpture, and other productions of. the arts. Luxu ry, we have said, is often an abusive employ of riches, restively to the condition of him, who possesses them. Now, what os- teriUtion is there in possessing a fine painting, or a handsome statue *? ' Surely the parade of a magnificent side-board will be more offensive to the sight of an unwealthy neighbour, than an elegant cabinet adorned with paintings. I doubt, even, whe ther the man who keeps a musician in his pay, be so much .an object of envy as Him who maintains race-horses and a pack of hounds. But let us go farther ; .it is not only the productions of the fine arts of which I wish to procure the possession to America ; the fine arts themselves must be placed within her bosom. Jf I am desirous of her purchasing pictures, it is that she may haye painters ;* if I encourage her to send for musicians, it is that * Ariierica, in her infant state, has already burst forth into the full splendour .of maturity in* the immortal paintings of a Copley and a West. Further glory still attends her early progress even in the pre sent day, in a Stewart, a Trumbull, and a Brown ; nor is Peak un worthy of ranking with many modern painters of no inconsiderable fame ; ages may possibly not elapse before posterity may apply to Ame- •rica, what Mr. Tickett has said, so happily heretofore of the mother country, - * See on her Titian's and her Guide's urns, Her fallen arts forlorn Hesperia mourns : While Britain wins "each garland from her brow, Her wil and freedom first, hfer painting now. For wit, let me refer the reader of taste to the poem of Mac Fingal, written by another Trumbull of Connecticut, who is justly styled the American Hudibras. Qualis ab incepto processerit, ac sibb constat. — -Trans \ CORRESPONDENCE. 381 she may become musical in her turn. Let her not apprehend the fate of the Romans, to whom she has the apparent pride, but the real humility to compare herself. The Romans, fero-- cious, unjust, grasping, from character, and ostentatious from Vanity, were able to purchase the master-pieces, but not the taste of the arts. The Americans proceeding in general from the most polished countries' of Europe, have not to strip them selves of any barbarous prejudices. ,They ought rather to compare themselves with the* Greek colonies; and certainiy, Syracuse, Marseilles, Crotona^ and Agrrgentum had.no reason to envy the mother country. There is one base on which, all they who like you are equally attached to -good taste and to your country, may safely rest their hopes, Your fellow-citi zens live, and will long continue to live, in the vicinity of na ture; she is- continually under their hands; she is always1 great and beautiful. Let thom study ; let them consult her, and they can never go astray. Caution them only, not to build too much on the pedantic .legislations of Cambridge, of Oxford, arid.Edinbui-gn, which have long assumed a sort of tyranny in the empire of opinion^ and seem .only to have composed a vast classic code for no other purpose than to keep all mankind in class, ap if they were still children. ' > Thus, Sir, you will have the complete enjoyment of the fine arts ; since you will yourselves be artists : but is it not to be feared, that the .powerful attraction with which they ope rate on sensible minds, may divert a/ rising people, from several more useful, though less agreeable occupations % I am far from being of that opinion ; I think, on the contrary, that "the most distinctive, and most peculiar advantage of America is that the rapid advances she is making are notiaborious, that they are not due to the excess of labour. Every American has twice as much leisure in the day as an European. Necessity alone compels our painful efforts and you are strangers to ne cessity. Besides that, your winters are long and rigorous, and many hours may be well spared tq domestic society ;. this re flection too, is applicable only to the lower classes of the peo ple. You, who live in Virginia, know what time is. sacrificed to play, to hunting, and* the table ; much more than is necessa ry to form a Phidias or a Polycletes. You will insist, perhaps, and you will ask, whether a taste for the arts and letters will not tend to render your fellow-citi zens effeminate ? Whether it .will not render them frivo lous and vain ? Whether the national character and manners will not necessarily be impaired, and admitting even their utili ty, you will desire to have their early progress, at least, con ducted with a certain measure ? I think, that you will find an answer to our presentinquiry in many of the preceding obser vations. But it is time for me to establish a general principle. 382 CORRESPONDENCE. the extensive consequences of which you will develope better than I cah ; as long as , t Mr. Jefferson in answer fo a prejudiced remark of the Abbe Ray- naj, who says, " on doit etre'etone que V Amerique-noit-ipas encore produit un bon r-pfite,- un habile mathejnaticien, un homftie de genie dans un,seul art,, ou, tine seule science." Mr. Jefferson, amidst abun dance of good^reasoning, says; in answer, " In war, we have a. Wash ington, whose memory will be. adored white liberty shall have feta- ries, whose name will triumph over time atrd will in future ages assunle its just station among the most, celebrated worthies ofthe world,,when that wretched philosophy shall be foTgotton, which wouldhave arranged him1 among the degeneracies pf mankind, (see-' Buffon's, system re specting animals in Ariierica.) In physics we have produced a Frank-ii tin, than whom no Jine ofthe present age has made more important discoveries, nor has enriched philosophy with more ingenious solu-v tions J)f the phenomena of nature* - We have supposed Mr; Ritten: house second to no astronomer living : that in genius he must be the first, because he is self-taught. ' As an artist he has exhibited as great a prpof of mechanical genius as the world has ever produced. He .has not indeed, made a world ; but he has by imitation approached fearer its Maker than any man who has lived' from the creatioiiito this^day, &c. (fcc." There are various ways, Mr.. Jefferson adds, of keeping CORRESPONDENCE. 387 that .America will render herself illustrious by the sciences', as well as by her arms, and government ; and if the ' attention of the philosopher be still necessary to watch over them, it is less to accelerate than to remove the obstacles which might possi bly retard their progress. Let the universities, always too dog matical, always too exclusive, be charged only to form good scholars, and leave to an untestrained philosophy the care of forming good men. In England, the universities have laboured to destroy skepticism, and Trom that period philosophy has been visibly on the decline, it seems as if the English, in every thing* wish only for a half liberty. Leave*Owls and bats to flut ter in the doubtful pferspiciiityof a feeble twilight ; the Ameri can eagle should fix her eyes upon (the sun. Nothing proves to me that it, is not good to know the truth, and what has error hitherto produced ? — the misery of the world. As for academies, they will always he useful, whilst they are very numerous.' An academician' is a senator of the -repub lic of letters ; life takes an oath to advance nothing he cannot prove; he consectateshislife to truth, with a promise to sacri fice to it, even his self-love. Such men cannot be numerous ;- such men ought riot to be thrown into. discredit, by associates unworthy of them. But if academical principles tend to make science austere and scrupulous, the. encouragements proposed to the pubhc ought to excite every mind, and furnish a free channel for opinion. - Of this nature are prizes proposed by the academies ; it is by their means that the activity of linen's minds is directed towards the most useful objects; it is to them that first efforts are indebted for celebrity ; it is by them also the young man thirsting for glory : is dispensed with sighing long after her first favours. r The more the -sciences, approach perfection, the more raje do discoveries.become ; but America has the same advantage^ in the learned world, as in -that which constitutes our residence. The extent of her empire submits to/ her observation a large portion of heaven and earth. What observations may not be made between. Penobscot and Savan nah ? between the lakes and the ocean ? ', Natural history and astronomy are her peculiar appendages, and the first, of these sciences at least, is susceptible of great improvement.. truth out of sight. Mr. Rittenhouse's model ofthe planetary system h'as the plagiary appellation of an orrery ; and the quadrant, invented by Godfrey, an American also, and with the aid of which the Europe- ' an nations traverse the globe, is called Hadley' s quadrant.— Thus too, the Translator adds, is the great Columbus robbed of the honour of giving his name to America .'—Trans. 388 CORRESPONDENCE. Recognise at least- Sir, in this feeble essay* my devotion to Jjour will, and the sincere attachment with which J have the honour to be, &6'. &c. Oil board the frigate L'Emeraudej in the Bay of Chesapeake, the 1 2th ef January, 1783." LETTER II. FROM GENEEAL WASHINGTON TO* THE MARO.TJIS 0E' CHASTELIiUK. New- Windsor, January 28, 1731. Dear Sir, — Accept my Congratulations on your safe arrival at Newport in good health, after traversing so -much of the American theatre of war ; and my*thanks for your obliging favour ofthe 12th, making mention thereof/and introductory of theCount de Chartres, whose agreeable countenance alone is a sufficient index to' the amiable qualities of his mind, and does not fail at first view to make favourable impressions on all who see him. -He spent, a few days with us at head quarters, and is gone to Philadelphia, accompanied by Count de Dillon. I parted with him yesterday at Ringwood— to which place I had repair ed, to be convenient to the suppression of a partial meeting of the Jersey troops at Pomptpn, who in imitation of those of Pennsylvania, had revolted, and were in a state of disobedience to their officers; This business was happily effected without bloodshed. Two ofthe principal actors were imrtiediately ex ecuted en the Spot, and due subordination restored, before I returned. I wish I had expressions equal to my feelings, that I might disclose to you the high sense I have of, and the value I set ilpon, jKmr approbation and friendship. It will be the wish and happmess of my life, to merit a continuation of therii ; and to assure yd\» upon all occasions of my admiration of your cha racter and virtues, and ofthe sentiments of esteem and regard with which I have the- honour to be, dear sir, Your most obedient and humble servant, George Washington. CORRESPONDENCE. 3& LETTER III. New- Windsor, June 13, 1781. My dear .ChevalIer — I hear from the purport of the letter you did me the honour to write from Newport on the 9th, that my sentiments respecting the council of war held on board the Duke de Burgogne, (the 31st May,) have been misconceived', and I shall be very unhappy if thev redeive an interpretation different from the true intent and meaning of them. If this is the case, it can only be attributed to my not understanding the business of the Duke de Lauzun perfectly. I will rely, there fore, on your goodness and candour to explain and rectify the mistake, if any has happened. My wishes perfectly coincided With the determination of the board of war, to continue the fleet at Rhode-Island, provided it could remain there in safety with the .force required, and did not impede the march of the army toward the North river ; but when the Duke de Lauzun informed me that my opinion of the propriety and safety of this measure was required by the board, and thai he came hither at the particular request of' the Counts Rochambeau and de B to obtain it, I was reduced to the painful necessity of delivering a sentiment different from that of a most respectable board, or of forfeiting all preten sions to candour, by the concealment of it. Upon this groufid it was, I wrote to the generals to the effect I did, and not be cause I was dissatisfied at the alteration of the; plan agreed to at Weathersfield. My fears for the. safety of the fleet, which I am now persuaded were carried too.far, were productive of a belief, that the generals, when separated, might feel Uneasy at every mysterious preparation of tbe enemy, and occasion a fresh call for*»militia. This had some weight in my determina tion to give Boston (where I was sure no danger could be en- cc-amtered but that of a blockade,) a preference to Newport, where, under some circumstances, though not such as were likely to happen, something might be enterprised. The fleet being at Rhode-Island, is attended certainly with many advantages in the operation proposed, and I entreat that you and the gentlemen who were of opinion that it ought to be risked there for these purposes, will be assured, that I have a high sense of the obligations you meant to confer on America by that resolve, and that your zeal to promote the common cause, and my anxiety for the safety of so valhabfo a fleet, were ' the only motives that gave birth to the apparent difference in our opinion. * r I set that value upon your friendship' and candouf, and that &90 CORRESPONDENCE. implicit belief in your attachment to America, that they are only to.be equalled by the sincerity with which, I have the.ho- nour to be, my dear sir, • Your m6st obedient and obliged servant, The Marquis de Chastellux'. George Washington- LETTER IV. Philadelphia, January 4, 1782. My dear Chevalier — I cannot suffer your old acquaintance- Mrs. Curtis, to proceed to WiUiamsburgh, without taking with her a remembrancer of my friendship, for you. I have been detained here -by Congress, to assjst in making the necessary arrangements fdr.next campaign, and am happy to find so favourable a disposition in that body, to prepare vi gorously for it. They have resolved to keep up the same num ber of. corps as constituted the army of last 'year, and have called upon the states in a. pressing manner, to complete them. Requisitions of money are also made, but how far the abili- ties^and inclinations of the states, individually, will coincide with the demands, is more, thai* 'I am able, at this early period, td inform you. A farther pecuniary aid from your generous na- tioni and a decisive naval force upon this coast, in the latter end of May, or beginning of June, unlimited in its stay and operations, would (unless the resources of Great Britain are inexhaustible, or she can form powerful alliances) ¦ bid fair to finish the war, in the course of next campaign, (if she means to prosecute ^t,) with .the ruin of that»people. The fifst, that is, an aid of money, would enable our finan ciers to support the expenses of the war with ease and credit, without anticipating or deranging those funds which Congress are endeavouring to establish, and which will be productive, though they are slow in the operation. The second, a navai superiority, would compeLthe enemy to draw their whole force to a point, which would not only be a disgrace to their arms; by the relinquishment of posts and states which they affect to have conquered, but might, eventually, be fatal to their army. Qr, by attempting to hold these, to be cut off in detail. So that, in either case; the most important good consequences would resrijt from the- measure. , . > As yoii will have received, in a more direct channel than from me, the news of the surprise and recapture of St. Eustatia, by the arms of France, I, shall only congratulate you on the CORRESPONDENCE. 391 event, and add, that it masrks, in a striking point of view, the genius of the Marquis de Boulli, for enterprise, and" for intre pidity in resources in difficult circumstances.. His conduct, upon this occasion, does him infinite honour. - ' > . Amid the numerous friends who would rejoice to soe. you at this place, none (while I .stay here) cotdd give, you a more sin cere and cordial welcome than I should! Shall I entreat you to present me to thekcircle of your friend# in the army around you. W^h all that warmth and attachment of- the purest friendship* and regard, I have the honour to be, dear sir, . . ¦ Your affectionate humble ser-vant, The Marquis de Chastellux., GeORge Washington. LETTER V. Princeton, October 13> 1783... My dear Chevalier — I have riot had the honour of a letter from you since the 4th" of March last ; but I will ascribe my disappointment to any cause sooner than to a decay of your friendship. * * Having the appearances, arid, indeed the enjoyment of peace, without the final declaration of it, I, who am' only wait ing for the ceremonials, or till the British forces shall have taken their leave of New-York," am held in an awkward and disagree able situation, being anxiously desirous to' quit the walks of public life, and under my own vine and my own fig-tree, to seek those enjoyments, and that relaxation, which a mind that has been constantly upon the stretch for more than eight years* stands so much in want of. V I have fixed this epoch to the arrival of the definitLyertreaty, or to the evacuation of my country, by our newly-acquired friends ; in the meanwhile, at the request of Congress, I spenil my time with them at this place, where they cpirie'in conse quence of the riots at Philadelphia, of which, doubtless you have been informed, for it is not'a very recent transaction. They have lately determined to fix the permanent residence of Congress, near the falls of Delaware ; but waere they will hold their sessions, till they can be properly established at that place, is yet undecided. I have lately made a tour through the Lakes George and Champlain as far as fJrqwnPoint-M;heh returning to Schenecta dy, I proceeded up thef Mohawfc river to^ Fort Schuyler, (forr merly Fori Stanwix,;) crossed over Wood Greek,, which empties into the Oneida Lake, and afford! the water feoriimunication 392 CORRESPONDENCE. with .Lake Ontario 5 I then traversed, the country to the head of the eastern branch of the Susquettannah, and viewed tiie Lake Otsego, and'the portage between "that lake, and the Mo- haw^ river at Canajoharie. Prompted by these actual observations, I could- not help tar king a more .contemplative and extensive view of the, vast in land, navigation of these United States, from riiaps', and the information of others, and could not but be struck with the im mense diffusion and importance of it, and with the goodness of that Providence which has dealt her favours to us with so. pro fuse a hand. Would to God we may have wisdom enough to make a good use of therii. I shall not rest contented till I have. explored the we'stern part of this country, and traversed those lines (or a great part of them,) which have given bounds to a new empire ; but when it may; if it ever should happen, I dare not say, as my first attention must be given to the deran ged situation of my private concerns, which are not a little injured by almost nine- years absence,*and total disregard of them. With every wish for your health and happiness, and with the most sincere and affectionate regard, I am, my dear Chevalier, your inost obedient servant,. The' Marquis de Chastellux: George' Washington. LETTER VI. Mount Vernon, February 1, 1784. My dear Chevalier— -I have had the honour to receive your favour of the 23d of August from L'Orient, and hope this let ter will find you in tbe circle pf your friends at Paris,-well re covered frpmjhe fatigues of your long inspection of the fron tiers of the, kingdom. I am at length become a private citieen^ on the banks of the Potomac, where, under my own vine and my own fig-tree, free from the bustle of a camp and the in trigues of a court, I shall view the busy world with calm indif ference, and with serenity of mind, which the soldier in pursuit of glory, and the statesman of a name, have not leisure to enjoy. I am not only retired from all public employments, but am re tiring within myself, and shall tread the private walks of life with heartfelt satisfaction. After Seeing New- York evacuated by the British forces on the 35th of 'November, and civil g^veiwtient established in the city, I repaired to Gwigress, and surrendered all my powers, with my comitmision, info their hands on )$e 23d of December, CORRESPONDENCE. 393 and arrived at this cottage the day before Christmas, where I have been close locked in frost and snow ever since. Mrs. Washington thanks yo_u for your kind remembrance of her, and prays you to accept her best wishes in return. With sentiments of pure and unabated friendship, I am, my dear Chevalier", Your post affectionate and obedient servant, The Marquis de Chastellux.' . George Washington; LETTER VIL Mount Vernon, June 2, 17 84. Dear Sir — I 'had the honour to receive a letter from you by Major L'Enforf. My official letters to the Counts de Estaing and Rochambeau (which I expect will be submitted to the members of the society of the Cincinnati in France) will inform you of the proceedings of the general meeting, held at Phila delphia on the 3d u^t., and the. reasons which induced a de parture from some of the original principles and rules of the sticiety. - As these have been detailed, I will not repeat them, and as we have had no occurrences out of the common course, except the establishment of ten new states in the Western Ter ritory, and the appointinent of Mr. Jefferson (whose talents and worth are well known to you) as one of the commissioners for forming commercial treaties in Europe; T only repeat to you the assurances of my friendship, and express to you a wish that I might see you in the shade of those' trees which my hands have planted, and which by their rapid growth at once indicate a knowledge Of my'declinatipn, and their willingness to spread their mantles over me before I go hence to return no more. For this, their gratitude, I will nurture them' while I stay. Before I conclude, permit me to. recommend Colonel Hum- p'hieys (who.is appointed secretary to the commission) to your countenance and civilities whilst , he remains in France. He possesses an excellent heari and' a ,gpM understanding. With every sentimerit of esteem, and regard, I am, my dear Chevalier, Your most affectionate servant, The Marquis de Chastellur. George Washington. 394 CORRESPONDENCE. LETTER VIII. ; Mount Vernon, September 5, 1785. Dear Sir — I am your debtor for two letters : pne of the 12th of December, the other of the 8th of April. Since the receipt of the first, I have paid my respep ts to y6u, in a line or two by Major Swan, but as it was introductory only of Jrim, it requires apology, rather than entitles me to credit, in our epistolary cor respondence. If I had as good a nack, my dear Marquis, as you have, at saying handsome things, I would4 endeavour to pay ypu in kind for the. many flattering expressions of your letters; I have an ample field to work in; but as I am a clumsy labourer in the manufactory of compliments, I must, first profess my un worthi ness of those which you have bestowed on mfe, and then, con scious of my inability of meeting you "upon that ground, confess that it is better not to enter the list, than' to retreat from it in disgrace. * It gives me great pleasure tq find, by my last letters from France, that the dark clouds which .overspread your ^hemisphere, are yielding to the sunshine of peace. My first wish is to see the blessings of it diffused through all countries, and. among all ranks in every country, and that we should consider ourselves as the children of a common parent, and be disposed to acts of brotherly 'kindness toward one another ; in that case, restric tion of trade would vanish- We should take your wines, your fruit, and surplusage of such articles as our necessities or con venience might require", and in' return give you our fish, our oil, our tobacco, our naval stores, &c. ; and in like manner should exchange produce with other countries, to the recipro cal advantage of mch : and as the globe is large, why need we wrangle for a smalf spot of it ? If one country cannot con tain us, another, should open its arms to us. But these halcyon days (if they ever did exist) are now no more. A wise Provi dence, I presume, has decreed it otherwise ; and we shall be obliged to go on in the old way, disputing, and now and then fighting, until the great globe itself dissolves. I rarely go frorh home, but my friends in and out of Congress inform me of what is on the carpet. To hand it to you after wards would be circuitous and idle ; as I am persuaded, that y6u have correspondents at New- York, who give them to you at first hand, and can relate them with more clearness and pre cision. I give the chief of my time to rural amusements; but I have lately been active in instituting a plan, Which, if success attend it, (and of whieh I have no doubt,) may be productive CORRESPONDENCE. 395 of great political, as well as commercial advantages, to the states on the Atlantic, especially the middle ones. It is the improving and extending the inland navigations of the rivers Potomac and James, and communicating them with the west ern waters, by the shortest and easiest portages, aaid good roads. Acts have passed the assemblies of Virginia and Maryland, au thorising private adventurers to undertake the work. Compa nies in consequence are incorporated, and that on this river ,js beguri ; but when we come to the difficult parts of it, we shall require an engineer of skill and practical knowledge in this branch of business, and from that country where those kind of improvements have been conducted with the greatest success. , With very great esteem and regard, I am, my dear sir, Ybur most obedient servant, The Marquis de Chastellux. George Washington, LETTER IX. Mount Vernon, August 8, 1786. My dear Marquis, — I cannot omit to seize the earliest occa- sion to acknowledge the receipt ofthe very affectionate letter' you did me the honour to write me ori the 22d May, as well as to thank you for the present of your travels in America, and the translation pf Cjoloriel Humphrey's poem ; all of which came safe'to hand, by the same conveyance. Knowing, as. I djd, the candour, liberality, and philanthropy ofthe Maquis de Chastellux, I was prepared to disbelieve any imputations tn*at might militate against thoseamiable qualities ; for character and habits are riot easily taken up^pr suddenly laid aside. Nor does that mild species of philosophy, _ which aims at promoting human happiness, ever belie itself, by devi-. ating from the generous and God-like pursuit. Having not withstanding, understood, that some misrepresentation of the work in question had been circulated, I was happy to learn that you had taken the most effectual method to put a stop to their circulation, by publishing a more ample and correct edi tion. Colonel Humphreys (who spent some weeks at Mount Vernon) eorifirmed me in the sentiment, by, giving me a most flattering account of the whole performance. He has also put into my hands the translation of that part in which you say- such, and so many handsome things of me, that (although no skeptic on ordinary occasions) I may perhaps be allowed to doubt whether your friendship and partially have not, in this 396 'CORRESPONDENCE. one instance, acquired an ascendancy over "your Cooler judg ment. ' ' Having been thus unwarily, and I may be permitted to add, almost unavoidably betrayed into a kind of necessity to speak of myself, and 'not wishing to resume that subject, I choose to Close it forever, by observing, that, as on the one hand, I con sider it as an indubitable mark of mean spiritedness and pitiful vanity to court applause from the pen or tongue of man ; so on the other, I believe it to be'' a proof of false modesty, or an unworthy affectation of humility, to appear altogether insensi ble to the commendations of the virtuous and enlightened part of our species.'* * "* ' Perhaps nothing can excite more perfect harmony iri the soul, than to have this spring vibrate in unison with the inter nal consciousne'ss of rectitude in our intentions, and an humble hope of approbation from the supreme disposer of all things. , I have communicated to Colonel Humphreys, that paragraph in your letter which announces the favourable reception his poem has met with in France. Upon the principles I have just laid down, he cannot be indifferent to the applauses of so en lightened a nation, nor to the suffrages of the King and Queen, who have been pleased to honour 'it with their royal approba tion. We have no news on this side the Atlantic, worth the pains of sending across it. The country is recovering rapidly from the ravages of war. The seeds of population are scattered far in the wilderness ; agriculture is prosecuted with industry ; the works of peace, such as opening rivers, building bridges, &c, are carried on with spirit. Trade is not so successful as _. . , _ jiL : u * In a letter .from General Washington to Mr. Arthur Young, dated Mount Vernon, Dee. 4th, 1788, the General, after replying to a request to obtain his permksibn to publish his letters on agricultural subjects, concludes with the following remarks : " I can only say for myself, that I have endeavoured, in a, state of tr-wiquil retirement, to keep myself as much from the eye ofthe world as I possibly could. I have studiously avoided, as much as was in my power, to give any cause for ill-natured, or impertinent comments on my conduct ; and I should be very unhappy to have any thing done on my behalf (however distant in itself from impropriety) which should give occasion for one^ officious tongue to*, use my name wijji indelicacy. For I wish, mbst devoutly, to glide silently and unnoticed through tie remainder of life. This is my heartrfelt wish, and these are my undis guised feelings. After having submitted them confidentially to you, I have such a reliance upon your prudence, as to leave it with you to do what you think, upon a full consideration ofthe matter, shall be wisest and best." CORRESPONDENCE. 397 we could wish. Our state governments are well administered. Some objections in our Federal government might perhapslae altered for the better. I rely much on the goodness of my countrymen ; and trust that a superintending Providence will disappoint the hopes" of our enemies. With sentiments o*f the sincerest friendship, I am, riiy dear Marquis, Your obedient and affectionate servant, The Marquis de' Chastellux. George Washington; LETTER X. Mount Vernon, April 25, 1788. Mv dearMarquis— In readingyour very friendly and accept able letter, ofthe 21,st of December, 1787, which caweto hand by the lastiriail, I was, as youmay well suppose, not less delight ed than surprised t6 come across that plain American word, " My wife." — A Wife ! — wellmy dear Marquis, I can hardly refrain from smiling to find that you are caught at last. I saw, by the eulogium you often made on the happiness of domestic life in America, that you had swallowed the bait, and that you would, as surely as you are a philosopher and a soldier, betaken one day or other. So, your day has at length come. — I am glad of it, with all my.heart and soul. It is quite good enough for you : — Now, you are well served for coming to fight in fa vour of the American rebels, all the way across the Atlantic Ocean, by catching that terrible contagion, which, like the small pox, or the plague, a man can have only once in his life, because it commonly lasts him (at least with us in Ameri ca I dont know how you manage these matters in France), for his life time.---And yet, after all the maledictions you so richly merit on the subject, the worst wish I can find it in my heart to make against Madame de Chastellux, and yourself, is, that you may neither of you get the better of this' domes tic felici,ty during the course'jofyour mortal existence. If so wonderful an event should have occasioned me, my dear Marquis, to have written in a strange style, you will un derstand me as clearly as if I had said, (what in plain English is the simple truth,) dd me the justice to believe that I take aheart • felt interest in whatever concerns your happiness ; andl in this view, I sincerely congratulate you on your auspicious matrimo nial connection. ..'-¦» I am happy to find «hat Madame de Chastellux is so intimate ly connected with the Dutchess of Orleans, as I have always 398 CORRESPONDENCE. • understood that this noble lady was an illustrious pattern of* con nubial love, as well as an excellent model of virtue in general. While you have been making love under the banner of Hy men, the great personages of the north have been making war under the inspiration, or, rather tiie infatuation of Mars. Now, for my part, 1 humbly conceive you had much the best and wisest of the bargain ; for certainly, it is more consonant to all the principles of reason and religion, (natural and revealed,) to replenish the earth with inhabitants, rather than depopulate it by killing those already in existence ; besides, it is time for the age of knight-errantry and mad heroism to be at an end. Your young iriifitary men, who want to reap the harvest of laurels, don't care, I suppose, howtnany seeds of war are sown ; but, for the sake of humanity, it is devoutly to be wished, that the manly employment of agriculture, and the humanizing bene fits of commerce, should supersede the* waste of war, and the rage of conquest ; that the swordsmight.be turned into plough shares — tjpt. spears into pruning hooks— '•and, as the Scripture expresses it, "the natiohs^learri war no more." I will now give you a little news from this side the Atlantic, and then finish. As feMis, we are plodding on in the dark road of peace and politics. We, who live in these ends of the earth only hear of the rumours of war, like the roar of distant thun der. It is to be hoped our remote local situation will prevent us froin being swept into its vortex. , The constitution which was proposed by the Federal Con vention, has been adopted by the states of Massachusetts, Con necticut, Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Georgia. No state has rejected it. The Convention of Maryland is now sit ting, arid will probably adopt it, as that of South-Carolina will do in May. The other ^Conventions will assemble early in the summer. Hitherto there has been much greater unanimity in favour ofthe proposed government than could have reasonably been expected. Should it be adopted, (and I think it will be,) America will lift up her head again, and, in a few years, be come respectable among the nations. It is a flattering and consolatory reflection, that our rising republic has the good wished of all philosophers, patriots and .virtuous men, in all na tions and that they look upon it as a kind of asylum for man kind; God grant that we may not be disappointed in our ho nest expectations by our folly or perverseness ! With sentiments of the purest attachment and es|eem,I have the honour to be^my dear Marquis, Your most obedient and humble servant,. The Marquis de Chastellux. George Washington. CORRESPONDENCE. 399 P. S. If the Duke de Lauzun is still with you, I beg you will thank him, in my name, for his kind remembrance of me, and make my compliments to him. May lstf.T-Since writing the above, I have'been favoured with a duplicate of your letter j in the hand writing of a lady, and cannot close this, without acknowledging my obligations to the flattering postscript of the fair transcriber. In effect, my dear Marquis, the characters of this interpreter of your sentiments, are/so much fairer than those through which I have been accustomed to decipher them, thafcl already consider my self as no small gainer by your matrimonial connection ; espe cially, as I hope that your amiable amanuensis will not forget, at sometimes, to add a few annotations of her own to your ori ginal text. I have jhjst received iriformation that the Convention of Ma ryland-has "ratified the proposed constitution, by a majority of 63 to 11. G. W. ADDITIONAL NOTES AND CORRECTIONS, BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR. ADDITIONAL NOTES AND CORRECTIONS, BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR. Page, 18.—- For Massachusetts, read Rhode- Island, the state in which Warren is situate. Page 19. — For Connecticut, read Conanicut, an island opposite Newport, at the mouth of Providence river, 30 miles below Provi dence. Idem. — Providence has greatly changed and doubled itself twice since the author saw it. The " Guinea trade" is no longer carried on from thence, the importation of slaves into the country having been pro hibited by Congress in 1808, pursuant to the federal constitution, by which (in favour to the southern states) they were restricted from abolishing the trade before ; and traffic in human flesh in any part of the world is forbidden by the laws of England as well as the United States, and the practice declared piratical and treated as such- by the two governments. France has also prohibited the slave trade. No longer dependant on this commerce for any portion of its prosperity, the citizens of Providence and its neighbourhood have turned their attention to domestic manufactures, in addition to their East and West India and other foreign trade and fisheries, and now present an exam ple of growth and prosperity seldom equalled in this or. any other country. From the number of 2,500 inhabitants, the large estimate of the Marquis, in 40 years the town has increased its population, in 1820, to 11,757 ; and 4 miles from Providence, on the Boston road, on each side of the boundary river between Rhode-Island and Massa chusetts, is situate Pawtucket, a flourishing village, containing, in 1810, no less than. 24 manufactories of different kinds, principally cotton, which furnish materials for the export trafle of Providence. 404 ADDITIONAL NOTES Besides the university, the town contains 9 banks, with insurance offices, and other public buildings 'and institutions. There are 4 banks also in Pawtucket. The, banks in Rhode-Island have small capitals, with the directors -personally responsible for their paper. — When Chastellux speaks of the commerce of Rhode-Island and Boston, he means the towns of Neivport and Bbston. Page 23, note. — The translator would have found, in 1 827, wine of all kinds, less than 30 days from France, Madeira, or Oporto, with which .to fill his cantines [canteens.] Page 24. — The author is not sufficiently accurate in his description of a " town or township," in this and other places. It is always a tract or territory of land, from 4 or 5 to 10 miles 'square, or other con venient dimensions, bounded and described by law, within the limits of which may be an incorporated borough, a village, or two or three parishes, and several school districts, each subject to its own local regulations, although under the common government of the town for ' general purposes — the " space" is more properly the town, and not any " certain number of houses." All the northern and middle, and most of the other states, are surveyed and laid out in townships, with out regard to the number of houses now or hereafter to be erected on them. Pages 25, 26. — Qucnebaugh for Quinnebaug, and Seunganiek for Shetucket rivers, are awkwardly spelt, neither the author nor translator being conversant with Indian names. Page 28. — Vermont was admitted as a state into the federal Union, about the year 1793, and in 1820 contained 235,764 inhabitants. Idem. — Ferries -—If the author or translator had witnessed the modern improvements in our ferry-boats, whether moved by .horse power or steam, and in one of which we have seen a • body of 848 men, besides other passengers, transported safely across a river at a single draught, the remarks on our ferries would have been omitted. Idem. — The facts of Colonel Wads worth's residence and employ ment on Long-Island before the revolution, and " the American ex pression of contestation" given to the struggle, will be quite new to the reader. Page 30:— Line 2, for two years, read one year, the elections in Connecticut having always been annual, with two sessions a year for their legislature. . Page 31. — Hartford is mentioned, and townships again, and. both in exceptionable terms. Hartford is now a city, containing a state* house, college, deaf and dumb institution, churqhes, banks, &c. with a population, in 1820, of 4,7.26 within the city, and 2,175 in the town. AND CORRECTIONS. 405 without, or 6,901 in the whole ; and is situate on the Connecticut, which was never called the Hartford river. Page 33.— The Americans have a bird they call the blue-jay, fami liar to the youth of New-England, very different from the common blue-bii-d. The whimsical blunder of the, wall-nut tree is corrected by the translator-r-lhe walnut, or hickory," is so valuable for other purposes, that, it is used less than any other kind of wood in construct ing the walls of houses. Page 35. — For Harrington, read Harwinton. Page 36. — Every state in the Union, excepting South-Carolina, is organized and divided .into counties, each of which has a court, em bracing common pleas and criminal jurisprudence. Page 37. — Washington (jaunty : — There is none thus designated in Connecticut, although one may be found in almost every other state of the twenty-four. The town or townships of Washington is here meant. " The woods of Connecticut," to any considerable extent, at the present time, would be very difficult to discover. The state is more populous, in proportion to its size, than any other in the Union. Page 39. — Kent is a town, not a county.. Both this and Washing ton are in Litchfield county. Milford is also a town, not a county. , Page 42. — " Hopel township" is not yet " built," and may be searched for in vain among our records, as well as the account that " the greatest part of the State of New-York was exchanged for Suri nam, instead of being surrendered to the English by Gov. Stuyvesant, in 1664." In the last paragraph for next, read kept, and recollect that half a dozen glass-houses in the country, with our weekly packets to Europe and increased population, render it less difficult now to repair broken windows than when the Marquis wrote. Jage 42, note. — Glass : — In 1810 there were ten manufactories of windpw-glass, (six of them in the state of New- York) besides a num ber for making double flint glass, and black bottles. At present, in the vicinity of the city of New-York, there are three large glass-houses, in successful operation, where the finest glass is blown, and in two of which the business of cutting the glass is carried on extensively, besides the numerous glass-cutting establishments in the city. Page 46.— For Apalachian Mountains, read Alleghany, their more common name. Pages 5 1 , 52.— Spell Bauman and Lyman right. Col. Bauman was afterwards post-master in New- York, and Maj. Lyman naval officer at Newport. For siege of New- York, read Yorktown in Virginia. • Page 57. — Read Ramapaugh for Romopog ; and at Totohaw road and Second river, read near the Passaic. At 60, read Passaic falls. 406 ADDITIONAL NOTES We should not forget that the English publfehefs had no Gazetteers of our country to assist their translation. Page 7*5. — The name of Troy isnot to be found in this neighbour hood, not even the classical memento" Here Troy was." In the- state of New- York, six miles above Albany, stands a fldurishirig city of that name, containing, in 1825, 7,859 inhabitants, and which was not in existence at the period of the Marquis' travels, having sprung up within the last thirty years. Page 79. — The remarks of the author on the " liberty" of conduct in unmarried people in this country, is not only singular in itself, but more so in coming from a Frenchman, and one whose liberal views of our manners and character are frequently so enthusiastic. But the confirmation of our loose customs; in the translator's note, especial ly in quoting " a grave Quaker" for his example, is too absurd and unfounded to be thought serious. The note is as false as it is indecent, and worthy only, of a modern Weld, Fearon, or other national libeller. Impartiality requires a publisher to copy his author faithfully ; but so ridiculous a slip, in a pen however respectable otherwise, should not pass without a corrective. The translator either was a man of depraved taste, frequenting low and licentious company, or accident ally drew his picture from the worst class of American society. We cannot but smile to see customs and fashions imputed to Philadelphia, that would not be tolerated in London ! Page 80. — The author was at Saourland, a German settlement. Many of the local -designations of our country at that day, are now lost and forgotten in our more improved and regularly established dis tinctions of political and natural geography. Page 82. — Princeton college, though " fallen into decay since the war," has revived again and again, like the Phenix, more flourishing and brilliant from its ashes. Besides this college, another, exclusively devoted to the study of theology, is established at Princeton. The name of the town of Maidenhead has been changed to Lawrence, in honour of the late Capt. Lawrence, of the U. S. navy,- who was killed in the war of 1812, and was a native of that neighbourhood. Page 87. — Governor Livingston, of New-Jersey, "passes for -a sensible man" to this day, and will pass for as much, and a little more, to posterity. The author did not fully -appreciate his talents and worth. His remarks on American politeness, it should be recollected, are from a French nobleman, unaccustomed, to plain republican manners. Page 89. — The company and friends of the Marquis must have been select and special indeed, to have made 5 or 6 o'clock a dining AND CORRECTIONS. 407 hour in Philadelphia. He would have been more correct to have said the general custom was from 12 to 2. Even in New- York the most fashionable hour is now 3, or in the extreme, 4 in the afternoon : and fashionable, in this case- does riot mean common, but uncommon. The Marquis moved in the highest rank of official and diplomatic circles. Page 91. — Mr. now Bishop, White is still living, one of the last of the revolutionary chaplains, in Philadelphia. Page 98. — Robert Morris, after all his wealth, and the important services he rendered his country, suffered great pecuniary hardships, lost all his magnificent possessions, and.died a bankrupt. His brother Gouverneur, who was afterwards our minister at Paris in the. French revolution, was more fortunate, or prudent, in his worldly concerns. Page 100. — » Mrs. Powell bad read a great deal." The Marquis having formed a hasty opinion that the American women read liothing, seems to think a kdy of extensive reading and literary taste quite a phenomenon. But as he frequently met with very intelligent and ac complished females in his subsequent travels, although there were no " blue stockings" in those days, it is presumed he found reason to change his opinion. The learned ladies of America were noted by an English traveller, soon after, as quite remarkable, on finding some in Connecticut familiar with the sciences and languages. See pages 144, 159, &c. Pag-e 107. — The translator's speculations on the division ofthe Union, so far from being supported by events, are contradicted by the history of every succeeding year. In peace or war, our confederation has proved the most popular, and there/ore the most efficient and pro bably durable, of all the known systems of government. Page 112. — If " the Almanac was almost the only book of astrono my studied at Philadelphia" in 1782, the remark would not apply to the eastern states. Indeed, the present state of literature in Pennsyl vania mates one smile at the author's thoughtless remark. He ap pears .too amiable to have intended it as a sneer. Franklin, from Philadelphia, was a member ofthe English Royal Society, and other learned and scientific institutions, an LL. D. &c. &c. twenty years before. In, 1750, Latin, Greek, and mathematical schools, were opened in the Philadelphia Academy, incorporated the preceding year. Mr. Thompson, afterwards secretary of Congress, and who was an assistant in the academy, a particular friend ofthe Marquis, (and who hassince translated the New Testament,) as well as Mr. Peters, and others mentioned by the author, could have given him better informa tion. 406 ADDITIONAL NOTES Page 122. — The "objections tb forts lying in one state rather than another, are -all removed, by the federal constitution, which, by making it the duty of Congress to provide- for the common defence of the country, has given them all the powers of location and (with the con sent of the state legislatures) jurisdiction necessary to carry the pfo- per measures into effect. V • Page 134. — The character ofthe Quakers, or Friends, given then}, by Chastellux, is as inapplicable to the general habits and principles of the society or sect, as the deepest shades of night are to the bril liant gleams of noonday. The scandalous picture must have been drawn from some outcast individuals of the denomination, unworthy of trust or regard by any intelligent person. Notwithstanding the dis similarity of their manners to the gaiety of the Frerlch court; a coun tryman of tbe Marquis, but a few years after, could find every thing to admire, and nothing to .condemn, in the Friends' character. — See [Brissot de] Warville's Travels, and his Examination of Chastellux. Page 135. — The author's account of the Quaker's praying on his knees, is a marvellous thing indeed, not known at the present day, any more than the sect of Jemima Wilkinson, in Rhode-Island, mentioned by the translator, with a circumstance equally distant from delicacy and truth. Jemima herself, who blasphemously called herself I AM ! and marked her clothing I. A. had a child while rambling about at the head of her followers. They scarcely merited the name of a sect ; and, making but few proselytes to their extravagances, on the death of' their Elect Lady, who had declared herself immortal, dispersed and soon became extinct. They should not be confounded, with the Sha kers, who are sedentary, numerous, and comparatively, respectable, notwithstanding they are opposed to marriage and its natural conse quences. Page 144. — For Flowy and Maddison, read Floyd '(from New- York) and Madison. „ 9 Page 153. — Philadelphia did not long continue to be "the great sink" of all American speculations. The reign of tbe " quakers and tories" soon passed away ; the seat of government was removed, and the vices, intrigues, and corruption of its retainers and attendants, whether of the court or camp, (if such there were, in the imagination of the Marquis) left " the city of brotherly love" with their patrons. The focus of monied speculations was long since settled in New- York, to which Philadelphia has at length become second in wealth, commerce, and population. It is, however, a considerable manufac turing district, and* from "40,000 souls, the estimation of the Marquis in 1782, contained, in 1820, in the city and county, 136,597. vAND CORRECTIONS. 409 Page 160. — For Romopog} read Ramapaugh, or Ramapo'. Page 164, note. — Londonderry ig in New-Hampshire, and not Massachusetts. Pages 165, 166. — For Strasbourgh, or $trattsborough, read Staats- burgh or Staatsberg. 'Page 169. — The great chain of rocks, near Claverack, is not only calcareous, but full of marine shell|%dlthough 1 30 miles from the ocean. Where the traveller then had to Jurn off to Claverack, for lodging, is now the city of Hudson, containing upwards of 5,000 inhabitants. Page 170, note. — Read Buffonit. ^ It looks too much now as if it were derived from buffoon, instead of the great naturalist. Page 172, &c. — Every reader will recollect that the" Americans designate by the name of sleigh, the vehicle called by the author in the Russian phrase, sledge. Page 174.-r-For Cokes, read Cohoes or Gahjoos. The height of the Cahoos Falls is 70 feet, and the width of the river, at the bridge three-quarters of a mile below, 997 feet. Page 179. — Line 13, for highly read lightly ; and at note, for Soree read Sorel. Page 181. — For Lake Meida read Oneida. Pige 186. — For Rill and rill, read Kill and kill, signifying creek with the Dutch. Page 191. — The murder of Miss Mac Rea has been differently re lated. The account most commonly received is, that Mr. Jones, her English lover, having offered a barrel of rum to whomsoever should conduct her to him, she was brought on her way by two" Indians, who. differing about the reward, one of them settled the dispute by sinking his tomahawk into the head of their helpless charge. P-_ge 192. — For Fort Stanwise read Stanwix. Idem.— The cataract of the Hudson, it is believed, never found a place in history, before it was designated as such by the Marquis. It was called a ford, or carrying place, in the old wars, until 1755, when Fort Edward was built there. The river being frozen, and its banks and icy surface covered with snow 15 inches deep, the rushing of the waters in broken sluices down the rapids, formed a spectacle, so novel to the Marquis, that with a little of the romantic turn of the French he easily magnified it into a frightful cataract. At this place is now the Great Dam of the Hudson, erected to provide a feeder to the Champlain Canal. This dam is of somewhat stupendous magni tude, being 27 feet, high for 900 feet across the river Two miles above Fort Edward is Baker's Falls, and 3 mile, higher, at Glen s 52 is 410 ADDITIONAL NOTES Falls, must be the cataract me!ant by the author. We here find the author talking about the Totohaw [Passaic] Falls. Page 199. — For Quakerbush read Quakenbos. Page 201. — We are glad to perceive the Marquis here at last found a beautiful girl, with some other books than an Almanac. As our author could find so few or no handsome or elegant women in Ame rica, we must conclude he had a different taste from common people. He could not expect to witness the luxurious belles, the artificial charms, the practised graces, and the voluptuous manners, of the court of Ma rie Antoinette. Yet when he accidentally meets with such a rare being as an elegant and accomplished female in his travels, he takes ca're to inform us'thaMshe is frail as she is fair, and his translator comes in with his delicate explanations to support him ! Page 206. — The Marquis, in his rage for philosophical reflections, has made another slip. Who would think, for the worth of a squirrel, with which our country is overrun, of taking the trouble of cutting down a tree — if the tree was larger than a hoop-pole ! Idem. — For Governor Turnbull, read Trumbull, a character not very great in the estimation ofthe author, however solid were his merits in the eyes of his countrymen. Page 218. — At line 16, read " wilLnot he," &c. * Page 219.-1— What confusion we have about names and surnames ! The dictionaries tell us that surname is at the same time the original or family name, and also the name added to the name of the family : so that of the two names by which a man is known, both the first and . last are surnames. The custom in New-England, and most parts of the United States, is simple, distinct, and inteUigible. The first is the given or Christian name, given at baptism, as George, John, or Tho mas, and the second is the surname, the patronymick or family name, as Washington, Adams, or Jefferson. Surname is not applied, as by lexicographers, to both names. Convenience, the origin of all grammatical rules, is necessarily preferred to theory. Page 221. — In Virginia, in 1820, were 603,597 whites, and 461,769 blacks, total 1,065,366 — a number that would now astonish the author and his translator, were they living to witness the fact. Page 236. — Last fine, for unexamined read unexampled. Page 242. — The lofty banks ofthe Potomac (in the translator's note) excites a smile in persons accustomed to the view of northern rivers. The translator had not been with the author, at the Highlands, &c..of the Hudson, or he would have spared the ironical epithet. The town is 290 miles from^the sea, but is not yet " become one of the first cities of the new world," its growth being prevented by Georgetown AND CORRECTIONS. . 411 and Washington City, erected within a distance of 8 miles. Wash ington had a population, in 1820, of 13,247, and has rapidly increased ; Georgetown had 7,360 ; and Alexandria 8,218. Page 244.— How a mill-stream was the only cellar of its owner, does not readily appear.' It could not be a store-house. The author doubtless alluded to the cellarist or butler of a convent or religious house, who furnishes .the drink to its inmates ; the stream, in this case, was the only liquor-vault, as well as bath, of the landlord, as we may gather from the Italian quotation. The delicate choice of subjects in some ofthe notes of the transla tor, forbids our attracting more notice to them by any remarks. Page 249. — The appellation ofthe " country ofthe curious," given by the translator, appertains to New-England exclusively. It is improper to apply Franklin's remarks on the road to Boston, to a journey through Virginia. Page 251. — The translator is mistaken in designating the best kind of oak for ship-building. For firmness, strength, and durability, the Live-Oak of the southern sea-coast is long establishei as decidedly and materially superior to every other species. Page 252. — Kentucky was admitted as a state in the Union, as the translator expected, and in 1820 contained 564,317 inhabitants. Page 256. — We congratulate the author, after the pleasure he de rived from the discovery of the singular and beautiful mocking-bird, the thrush, the wild turkey, the roebuck, the marmoset, and other interesting animals, on his at last meeting with a beautiful woman ; and hope his acquaintance and opinion of our countrywomen improved. Page 259. — The translator says mighty little, &c. are favourite ex pressions in America. No such thing is known, but in Virginia, and some of the western states. Page 260. — The women have become " far from handsome" again. But in 263, another beautiful woman was found, but with as many general reflections, by way of drawback, as Dr. Johnson would have made. At 267, in Petersburg, the author met another beauty, and indeed a second and quite accomplished lady, the descendant of an Indian princess. But Mrs. Bowling was more distinguished, it seems, by her amiable disposition, (a quality the Marquis found so rare in thfi American ladies) than by " her exterior beauty." ¦ Page 273. — The translator as well as the authar, frequently display an unkind feeling towards Philadelphia and its quaker features. Yet Major Butler ultimately settled there, and passed his last years there in prosperity and the first respectability, as a Senator in Congress from Georgia, U. S. Bank director &c. 4K ADDITIONAL NOTES Page 274. — Read Appomattox ;s the spelling not so material when it sufficiently designates the place', as in the case of many other names we have passed with incorrect orthography. Page 282. — The translator's note helps the text to a pretty good fish story ; but it is rather odd 'to style a fish so common in both hemi spheres a monster, and - so common 'a ihonster, too, that thousands of them may be seen at once ! The sturgeon is not considered amonster at Albany, where the people are neither too indolent to catcfr them, nor too ignorant to make very palatable food of their flesh. Indeed, it is really singular that a fish so well known, and breeding in such " ama zing numbers" in the lakes and rivers of Europe, and furnishing such valuable materials.for commerce as their flesh, caviar, and isinglass, should have been so great a stranger to writers so intelligent and well informed in general. Buffon and Goldsmith could have taught them better. Page 290, note. — Read, the river Cape Fear or Clarendon. The population of North-Carolina, in 4-820, was 419,200 whites, and 21 9,629 blacks, total 638,829. The i stateJias in reality, " become not one of the least on the continent." Page 292. — For wane read wan, and for land wsatl lands. Page 293, note. — Goudging [gouging] has been a savage practice in the wilds of Virginia, but long since vanished before the influence pf law and refinements of civilization. In a residence in that state of some years, scarcely an instance can be recollected of seeing the want of an eye by gouging, or any more countenance given to the custom than to shooting-, stabbing, cutting, or any unlawful maiming, which are prohibited as all other felonies. Enough, however, of that brutality has existed in the southern and western states, (when colo nies) to give foundation to the charge, and from its singular atrocity to secure its recital by unfriendly, or careless writers. Page 295. — "The negroes in Virginia amount," in 1820, to 401,264, and the whites to 603,597. The remark on the difference of colour between the slaves of ancient and modern , times, is highly important, and not sufficiently attended to in our discussions of the subject in free states. Some of our most wealthy and respectable citizens, being white, have been sold as slaves (for a term) for their. passage to this country, and afterwards found their way into the state legislatures and congress. But of free blacks, there seems to be an everlasting and insurmountable barrier in the colour alone, to their full enjoyment of all the rights and advantages of white society. It will perhaps be as difficult to establish their claim to physical or moral equality with our species, as to convince us that their ideas of AND CORRECTIONS. 413 beauty in the human figure and countenance are founded on as just principles of taste as ours. If our Creator has furnished us with a skin, features, hair, &c. different from theirs, and which we shall pro bably always consider superior, it will ever be difficult to reconcile their moral or political elevation to our habits, our feelings, or our convictions, either of their capacity, their merits, or their natural rank in the scale of creation. Entitled originally to inherent rights, mixed with whites they can never enjoy them. With all the political equality established by our constitutions, and the eligibility (in some states) of all to office, we do not choose the ignorant, the depraved, the Weak, the unfortunate, the female, nor the black, to legislate for us, or to rule over us. It is not until " the Ethiopian change his skin," that he will be able to participate in all the social enjoyments secured to him by any human laws, in ,» white population. Physical difference and moral inferiority, can never be counterbalanced by the theory of politi cal equality. Pages 298, 299.-^That judges and lawyers, as well as the clergy^ are excluded from all share in the government of this country, is a most singular and important error of the Marquis, and almost unac countable, when we recollect that most of the active and influential public characters of his acquaintance had been bred to the law or bar. One half or two thirds of the members of congress and the legisla tures of the United States are lawyers, to * degree of proverbial complaint. The " separate Judicial Body" mentioned by the writer, is the Judiciary department of the government in its actual administra tion, which is wisely kept separate from the Legislative and Executive branches, that their different and distinct powers may not be united and consolidated into despotism, nor blended and confounded into anarchy. The judges of the superior courts, whose province it is to interpret the laws, and decide on their constitutionality, alone are ex cluded from enacting them as legislators. The great body of lawyers, for reasons which readily suggested themselves to the author, who mistook them for the Bench, or disqualified "judicial body," have more agency and weight in managing elections and the affairs of go vernment, than any other class or denomination of citizens (and in many districts more than all the others together,) in the country. Page 304. Here we are first introduced to the famous Talleyrand, who has subsequently acted so conspicuous a part in the European world. His enthusiasm in the cause of the United States, his service as a volunteer in the ranks of the army, and his travels in the country since the war, were highly conducive to his knowledge ofthe Ameri- 414 ADDITIONAL NOTES can character and interests, with which his diplomatic vocations have been so much connected. Idem. — For hog-house read log-house. Page 306. — The text should have stated the pound only, or added that it was of fourteen (nearer 15) French ounces ; the English pound of 1 6 ounces being equal to only 14§- ounces French. The translation should have given us nothing but English weights and measures. The English pound is as 109 to 100 French ; and the fathom, or French toise, is as 6 feet English to 6.0789 French, or 6 feet 4| inches. Page 3 1 0. — Read Mr. RacAminster. 311, For Bittery, reaidKittery. Page 312. — The anecdote of Col. Langdon and the negro is excel lently characteristic. A regiment of blacks (with white officers,) was raised in Rhode-Island, and served well through the war, at the end of which they found themselves very properly rewarded by their personal freedom, for their aid in defending and securing the national liberty. Page 313. — The anticipations of Portsmouth becoming a great na val depot, have not been realized. It is too far distant from the seat of government and centre of commerce and naval resources. Although we have a number of navy-yards, the Portsmouth Of England has as yet been found at New- York. Page 314. — The text is unintelligible again, without recollecting that the translation of the money concerns of the writer into English, ^excepting when otherwise designated,) has been into sterling account. And in this page, line 22, for corn we should read wheat. Page 315. — The remarks and calculations extracted from Jeffer son's Notes, prove the sagacity and judgment of that profound philo sopher and practical statesman, more fully, than any political spe culations which have appeared from his pen. The events of the war of 1812 — 15, realized his predictions with remarkable exactness. Page 323. — The author is sorry to say that the Americans do not dance minuets so well as the French — others would be sorry if they did — so tastes differ. Page 328. — For Milk read Mill-Vond. Our land did not literally flow with milk and honey, nor were our lakes or ponds filled with milk, in the time ofthe Marquis or his translator. Page 332. — The author, in describing Cambridge, finds himself at what has since been denominated (by flattery,) " the literary empo rium of America," among a people, the Bostonians, whom he really thinks are " friends to good wine, good cheer, and hospitality," not withstanding they are awkward at a minuet. This is much better than he thought of Philadelphia, where he supposed they studied nothing in astronomy but an almanac, and the women did not read. He has AND CORRECTIONS. 415 found also (by good luck,) some handsome women in Boston, and a variety of elegant and refined enjoyments. But alas, he makes a dis covery, and the translator confirms it, that the inhabitants are fond of high play, and much addicted to gambling ! This from a resident of Paris, where gaming-houses are recognized and licensed bylaw, might lead one to think the practice might have been introduced by the French officers, at their nightly parties'and -clubs, rather than originating in native dissipation and propensities. The English translator, also, there is no reason to doubt, had seen too much of the evils of gambling in his own country, not to deprecate its prevalence or appearance in this. Its effects are horrible, every where ; but we have reason to congratulate ourselves that we are still at a great distance behind the licentiousness, the profligacy, and the vices of European courts, what ever of their fashionable follies we have adopted, and of their vices we have partly imitated. When the French and English charge us with a spirit of gambling, we may well suspect something is wrong. In this case, we may conscientiously suggest the old proverb, " When the fox preaches," &c. Page 341. — Line 22, For Ckeat, read Kakiat. Page 343. — For toises, line 13, read fathoms, and for their length see the preceding note on page 306. Pages 344, 345 The Moravians are a sect of christians, so distin guished by the purity of their manners, the scrupulous morality of their principles, and the virtuous and benevolent effects of their doctrines and example, that children of the most rigid of other denominations are sent to them for education. If sectarians are driven by the vio lence of despotic governments into extreme fanaticism, it is not so in a country, where " error of opinion may be safely tolerated, when reason is left free to combat iti" In the United States, where no se parate church or denomination is established by law, many ofthe sin gularities and asperities of the most heterodox persuasions or sects, have vanished before the liberty of discussion, the friendly interchange of sentiment, and the harmony of social intercourse. Many of the rites and practices formerly imputed to the strange schismatics which sprung up in every country where they are permitted to exist, are now matters of recollection only, and no part of present faith or practice. Page 346, note.— For National read Natural Bridge. Page 349. Mr. Pinckney, in his subsequent history, as a public writer, member of congress, minister in foreign courts, &c. has fully justified the translator's expectations. Page 353, note.— For Lecha, read Lehigh, at present one of the most abundant and profitable regions of mineral coal, found in Penn sylvania. 416 ADDITIONAL NOTES, &c. Pages 355, 366. — In the description ofthe Natural Bridge, the points called Amont and Aval, we presume have reference to the plans or maps furnished to the author, but which do not appear in his book. Page 358. — For Potama, read Potomac. Page 359, note. — Line 6, read disrupture and convulsion. Page 362. — Line 13, for Cordelliers, read Cordilleras. Page 365. — Line 5 from bottom, fbr satient read salient. Page 370. — Mr. Madison, since President, still lives in the possession of all the ''eloquence, wisdom, and genius," he has so usefully dis played in the service of his country. Page 373. — The author was incorrect in his anticipation of the direction in which the stream of population would extend. It is lite rally a fact in the United States, in their general and their relative situ ation, that " Westward the tide of empire rolls." Natives of Connecticut, and New-England generally, peopling the western part of New- York, the States of Ohio, and districts still farther west and south, not only decide the elections, but form, in many cases, nine tenths of the adult population. Page 383. — Bottom line, French censure, is Censor, or licenser of the press in France. Page 384. — The statue of Montgomery, with an additional inscrip tion, on bringing the remains of the deceased from the place of their interment, is viewed with interest^ by strangers and citizens, in the front of St. Paul's Church, in New- York. Page 388. — Line 16 from bottom, for meeting read mutiny. Page 393. — Line 11, for L'Enfort, read L' Enfant. THE END. 3 9002 00531 9901 & £ SnI