Part 15 (1/2)

INDIANA

Three s you to the Ohio; and by a very ill conducted and apparently rather dangerous ferry afted over, (after waiting for our turn with ons, &c

above three {80} hours,) and entered the State of Indiana at the town of New Albany;[36] where we found a very comfortable reception at the excellent family tavern kept by Dr Hales, a physician We had hitherto been frequently received by Representatives, Colonels, Majors, 'Squires, and Captains; these now soive place to the medical profession

An Aentleman never stands in the way of a profitable speculation; idleness only is here a disgrace, and if a man of liberal education finds that his profession will not sufficiently reht that he should seek profit in trade

I had quitted the State of Kentucky with ier than that of Ohio had produced;--the climate is fine, the land fertile and well cleared, and inclosed; the houses well built, and the landscape as we passed frequently beautiful But this is a slave State; and as this degraded situation of a part of our species has excited the horror of philanthropists on our side the globe, I will stop to say a feords on the subject;understood to be confined solely to the few slave States I have seen, and disclai, at the same time, all theoretic approbation of the institution I have read, as others, with feelings of disgust {81} and injured pride of humanity, of estates to be sold with so s un conclusions from such statements, I expected to see the slave, in , but was very agreeably surprised to find the reverse Slavery is not here what it _may be_ in our Colonies and perhaps, as I believe it is still worse, in the old quarters of the globe By the spirit of the laws the black is here _indirectly_ benefitted: though a slave, he is suffered to associate with his fellows, and one day in the seven (Sunday) is set apart for society with each other; and though there may be instances of cruel punish that it will soon be dangerous, if the time is not already arrived, for such instances to be repeated And here lies the real objection to these slave States; the slaves begin to know their own strength, and probably would not long bear oppression To see their well-proportioned figures easy and unconstrained, and lively countenances, a stranger ht be led to think that _they_ were in fact the masters of the ill-formed, e of the latter: in short they are well clothed, fed, and taken care of, and {82} so numerous that I believe they are felt already in e As to the work they do, as far as I have had an opportunity to see, I should say it is so little, that an English labourer would with ease acco a few of the _old school_, it is the general sentiment of the best informed Americans that they should be better off without slaves But the sins of the fathers have fallen upon their sons, and, as far as huet rid of the effects; they must always have an immense black population to support, unless indeed the period shall ever arrive when the latter shall change stations and _support the eastward as on the western route, whichto those not accustoain; in this, all considerations of co-inclosure of logs, a stable of the sa house will keep out the worst of the weather it is sufficient: and thus, with such buildings, with just as much corn and fother as will keep him, his family, and his stock, the {83} settler passes his indolent days; s for soood offer for what he teron with his furniture and faret leaves his abode to seek some other equally uncomfortable

This State in respect to cultivation bears not at present any cohbour, but in natural beauties far exceeds it The variety of trees, shrubs, and flowers is great; the colours of the latter gratifying the eye in all the gay luxuriance of nature;--the tirow to an enorround enty-four feet in circuer trees here We passed (_cheh several new settlements called by the people Towns, and which indeed , and other buildings--every thing in short, goes on with that spirit of enterprise which, in spite of poverty, is shewn by the people of America

Paoli stands very pleasantly: Hindostan, on a branch of the White river co with the Ohio by the Wabash, also is _to be_ a town of great trade: Washi+ngton is perhaps the worst situated for trade[37] but the land around it is {84} very fertile There are alsoabout half a dozen log huts, such as Greensville, Brownsville, Fredericksberg, &c &c called thus after the first proprietor of the land, who, if he is so fortunate as to make choice of a favourable situation, rapidly makes his fortune by the quick influx of settlers; but this is not always the case and there areremain as we found them

At Hindostan Ihow little respect is paid to any law, Itavern there, kept open (and to all the winds) by a Colonel, the entertainment both for man and horse was the worst we had lately met with--the hay it was pretended was too far off to fetch; and a few heads of Indian corn was all we could procure for the horses For ourselves, after a miserable meal, we found a bed laid in an out-house, which also served for lumber-room and larder All this travellers must learn chearfully to bear, but another evil, which too frequently follows, the high charges, it is not so easy to pay with good huood effect, to reason against one or two of the items in a quiet delicate way fit for the ears {85} of an independent; but here it did not succeed, for , if I objected to his charges he would take nothing at all, and away he went I had a great mind to take hi for his return soth left with the Colonel's lady e according to the rate istrates, to which however few of theot to the river side before a lad was sent afterto see what I would do, and co out from his hole to hear what had been left for hi his spite even before his money I now determined to see how this would end, and therefore put the money intomy name and address at a store there for hientleman passed me on horseback, pale, ”spiteful and wrathful,” and we kept a good look out, a little apprehensive of being _rifled at_ froot the arms out ready; and drove on with circuhteen miles from {86} Hindostan Here he had collected more people than I should have supposed possible in the short time, and had prepared his dramatis personae, one of whom came immediately to arrest me; with this felloent to attend another whom they called a 'Squire, a whisky seller At this respectable tribunal of the wilderness I stated my case with so as much justice as I found, the 'Squire said the billto the rates; and as curiosity not resistance was th paid it with about a quarter dollar, no great fee for his worshi+p Upon this, the Colonel was so elated with his victory that to shew his generosity, he said, he would treat his friends with half a dozen of wine and give the alishman_ that he was not to be ilishman, (not the first time I heard, it had been shewn by hieneral, that had actuated hi palace

From the effects of wine added to the elation of spirits from victory, I fully expected the affair would not end yet, and, deterht intend, I paced {87} before the tavern and eneral roolass round of the 'Squire's whiskey, or that it ed quickly I know not, in a very short time they all quietly departed, and not a word or look could be construed insulting This we s were afloat in some other countries, and was either very ainst their proceedings, several of whoally

While the towns are rapidly rising into being and i cabin, seems to remain without increase of comforts, as he is without e now beyond the boundaries of any regular tavern, necessity threw us upon seeking shelter for the night, in several of such habitations, open to every breath of the winds without, and swars, and other vermin: these are called ”houses of entertainment;” they are known to those who cross this at present wilderness under such appellatives as ”Preacher Biram's,”

”Preacher Blair's,” ”Widow More's,” &c At one of these, where, except a wretched shed behind for a kitchen, {88} there was only one rooht, and after such a supper as the house afforded, had lain down to endeavour to rest; not sleep, for that, not to mention the company above alluded to, would have been sufficiently prevented by the knives and forks ofshed After having watched for the end of this, with soth the welco away, I had just addressed eneral chorus in all keys suddenly burst upon ht their evening's devotion, put off perhaps by our arrival: when the psale_, the preacher read a long homily, which took up near an hour more, and which finished the business, and quiet seen, when just as I had coed entlemen, one a Dr , and both particular friends of theirs had arrived, and wished to have supper in the room, however that it need not at all disturb us, as they were very nice gentlely objected to this proposal; and after soentlemen condescended to take their supper in the place which had just served for the domestic chapel and kitchen, and which I believe afterwards was the general dor it up very jovially until one or two o'clock of the ht troops, had stormed and taken all my defences, and for the rest of the time effectually ”murdered sleep”

The reader will not here htly domestic worshi+p, an observance for which we should all be better, and for which I could not but respecthe was sincere in it; nor should the traveller be soured by the charges after such _entertainment_, as he is too apt to be; but he should consider that he had ive: their only beds are given up for his convenience, while they probably sleep on a bench or on the ground, and if iven to discharge the obligation I was angered with le my man-servant from me with offers of twenty dollars per ious people are but too apt to disregard ether of {90} this world: many similar offers had I believe been made to him, which sufficiently proves the scarcity of active hands, and that such need not fear to want situations

Long before we approach the neighbourhood of Vincennes the woodland opens here and there into what are terenerally flat but undulated, and covered with stunted oak, low beautifull shrubs, &c; belted in with trees so fancifully disposed that one is apt to iine the hand of art to have been eeneral as of even second-rate quality, but it is dry and healthy, and, when cultivated, brings good corn if the suht I saw some fair crops at the few spots where _squatters_ had fixed themselves These barrens increase in size and number as we proceed ard, until they end in the so much talked of _prairie_ or wild meadows; in the midst of one of which, and upon the Great Wabash river stands the pleasant town of Vincennes, upon a sandy gravel sub-soil with excellent springs of water

Before we arrived at Vincennes, however, an adventure awaited us We had baited at a house which ere told was but sixthere is in these latitudes no twilight, had {91} staid too long, and in consequence found ourselves in coe prairie; the road, which was nothing er be discerned, and I was obliged to direct two of our party to precede the carriage and find the way by feeling, not by seeing the track In thisthey heard the growl of some wild beast before them,--bears, wolves, and panthers, all of which I had just heard of, immediately came to mind, and I pulled up the horses to listen; when a tremendous roar was heard directly, succeeded by another which brought our guides, ere fe that the anie to the man to do the sa the enemy did not come forward, I ventured to drive on, and soon discovered the object of our alarm to be a bull, which had probably been as much discomfited at our approach as we at his roars We now resuh rain added to the dreariness of our situation, I had the satisfaction to find that all acted with spirit After a doubtful er duration than it really {92} e at length discovered sohts at a distance, and shortly after a horseave us the welcoht direction; so completely dark was it however that even e approached the toe could not find any track by which to enter it In this dileood-natured Irishainst; for he lad enough to be relieved froood preparation for the enjoyment of a comfortable supper and bed, free from unpleasant bed-fellows

VINCENNES, (INDIANA)

This settleh one year older than Philadelphia cannot like it boast of great extent and opulence;[38] it has not yet by any h the beneficial effects of the New Orleans ood brick dwellings are fast erecting in the best situations, behind which its log huts are hiding their di of brick intended for a public school, has been erected by the aid of a to strange neglect, the institution is suffered to go to decay and noto a General Harrison, the chief proprietor here, is also in a dilapidated state, the General having left it to reside elsewhere[39]

Further on, by the water-side, we visited a stearinds corn, saws timber into boards, and cards wool and cotton; acountry, though I was told, not just now a good concern to the proprietors

These, with twotaverns, and a few substantial houses lately erected constitute the chief buildings; the rest are a heap of wooden huts occupied by traders in skins, and various other things with the natives The Wabash, a fine river, floats the produce of this commerce and of the land, down to the Ohio, from whence it is conveyed to New Orleans chiefly in steaoods for their market at an enormous profit To elucidate a little the nature of this trade I enter a few ht here of the farmer at about a quarter dollar the bushel, soon {94} after harvest; in spring it is sent down the river to New Orleans under a freight of another quarter dollar per bushel; and is sold there fros and sixpence) to a dollar Wheat is bought at a price about sixpence or sevenpence the bushel dearer than her

For a return lading, Salt is bought at half a dollar per bushel, and sells at Vincennes froar sells at half a dollar, (2s 3d) per lb

Brown sugar sells at 37-1/2 cents, (1s 8d) per lb

Coffee at 75 cents, (3s 6d) per lb

Tea at froroceries, ht for considerably less than half their selling price, in proportion: of iron and drugs I could not obtain the price at New Orleans; but of the profit on the iron the reader ht new horse-shoes, steel toes, and eight reuineas! I remonstrated and appealed in vain, the bill was paid; yet I cannot think that such a price is charged to the inhabitants a themselves; but there is no justice and little law but one's own arm; and {95} a man must be fain to yield before a nest of ---- who join in plucking a stranger; indeed, he may think hi at his purse, for instances are not unfrequent of individuals a rendered theood (_honest_) or too bad (_deep_) for the themselves sufficiently upon a level

I did not learn the exact offence for which a deed of this nature was perpetrated with impunity at a recent period not many miles from this place, in the Prairie country, but the facts are as follows:--A party proposed to each other coolly to go and shoot neighbourwho had behaved ill to thereed upon; they went to his field, found the oldaim laid him dead!--Mr Flower himself related to me this atrocious affair, and I did not hear that any punishs in this western paradise! A beautiful garden indeed it is from the hands of nature, and with but a little industry a most desirable country to dwell inwith a people who do not shoot each other: but for a man of orderly habits and civilized e into this wilderness, {96} and sit hies faressential to such a life!--'tis a strange ano, the enterprising, the man who seeks a fortune, reat circu bad notes and bad debts, large profits may accrue to industry; but let no one, who already may possess the comforts of life, seek fortune, freedom or bliss in this western speculation; for if he does, the chances are great that he will lose all

Though the profits of trade here reat risks, which ought to be taken into the contemplation of those whothe risks, one of the greatest arises fro, as no care however great, will at all ti upon hidden trunks of trees, when they alo down if heavy laden; and in such cases all the perishable part of the cargo is either lost or ainst, as in Europe, by insurance; there not being at present anyit here A more {97} safe speculation seems to be that of the builder, and as far as I could learn, equally profitable; the house in which I was, built of boards, and which was said to cost about two hundred and twenty-five pounds sterling, gains a rent of two hundred and fifty dollars clear of all deductions There are I have little doubt, many other channels of profitable employment, and upon the whole itmen of prudence, spirit, and a little capital, where they htful country As to the ion of the inhabitants, I cannot say that with respect to either they appear in a very favourable light, if one e fro the first, in affairs of business Sunday is so little ious duty that I believe no attention is paid to it, (except by the French catholics, who have a wooden chapel;) and a stranger, who should arrive on a Sunday, ht well be led to conclude that it was a colony of Jews rather than of Christians, and that their sabbath had been kept the day before; tradesoods; farmers _hauled_ their corn; and the water-mill went h; a carpenter {98} or bricklayer receives two dollars and his board per day; but as competition increases I will not recoes: and if he should, he h price he es down nearer to a level with other places than he ht at first suppose; to be sure, there is here less co examined the town, and both ourselves and horses sufficiently rested, we made the necessary inquiries and preparations to proceed to the English Prairie in the Illinois State; fro to visit the Ger to winter at Vincennes Receiving however, entle represented as little deviating from our intended route, I accepted of it; thea native of the northern part ofhowever a little apprehension as to the fitness of the roads ere going to pass over for wheels, I inquired of hie to travel; and all ood as the town street,”