Part 17 (1/2)
The reader will be ood roads and fine weather, he supposes weuntil this day or two, the air has been filled hat in England would be thought a thick fog,--here they say it is s barrens and prairies which are yearly at this tih to woodland on fire to see the fla of the tiht, accustorowth This brings to reer, and of lives lost in the Prairie country, frorass in order to obtain a fine beautiful herbage, which, in a feeeks after succeeds it: the devouring element assisted by the wind advances so quickly that the speed of a horse has sorass as the fire reaches it, is frightfully grand; the heat first elevates and then throws it forward like waves, thus crossing the country at a rate inconceivably rapid;--instances have occurred of houses, cattle, and people suddenly falling a sacrifice to this rash {152} round: the way to avoid such a catastrophe, the neglect of which occasioned to Mr Flower the loss of soe to a sufficient distance round the preer to be apprehended only in the Prairie country An eo, wrote thus back to his alarmed friends, ”the fire is before and behind o forward nor return, and ill become of me I know not:” as his letter came safe ill hope he escaped
Within this week a considerable nuoods and people have passed on their way to the Western country: as this Indian suer, these parties would seem to be some of the improvident of the earth not to have moved earlier to their destination
_Noveh hills and tremendous rocky ways, has been one of the pleasantest drives we have experienced: the clouds were just sufficiently broken to throw as they flew, endless and varied light and shade over the most beautiful and extensive views; rocks of various for Pines and Oaks which, though small and stunted compared {153} to those in the Western country, are not on that account the less picturesque; and though the land is also equally inferior, yet such scenery, healthy air, and good water, must I conceive render Maryland a desirable residence to the man of refinement and property, in preference to any part that I have seen
_14th_ A day hout The national road not being finished we had twelve ullies
Maryland is a country of high narrow ridges, much rock, and but little land of prime quality; the timber, chiefly pine and oak, is small,--the rock which on this route everywhere abounds, is nated with iron; there is also e we passed, rewarded by th after an hour's toil up Sidling Hill we entered upon the new road and bowled along down to the s that beautiful river to Fredericktown
_18th_ Fredericktown[55] stands in a good situation, having a fine view of the ridges of hills immediately west of it The place is about half the size of Lexington (Kentucky): the inhabitants sees both public and private, the latter very tastefully and expensively furnished The Court-house, a handsoravelled; on one side we re an enorly typical of the purposes to which the central building is devoted Churches are plentiful, nine in number and soood attendance, but charges, as they are every where on this road, very high
This is a Slave State; an institution hateful to English ears; yet I will observe again that after travelling through three slave States, I ao back to theory to raise any abhorence of it: not once during the journey did I witness an instance of cruel treat to excite coait of the people of colour--they walk, talk, and appear at least as independent as their e: doubtless there may be instances of cruelty, but I am inclined to think that such are of rare occurrence, and this for other reasons, as before remarked, besides those of humanity Upon the question ”What is the proper place of the Black in the order of creation?” (a subject which, after so much has been said on both sides, yet remains {155} in dispute,) the tendency of the above observations may seem to place hiradation, alhout all her works: yet is the eneral orderly in his conduct under the every-day duties of life, and also instances are not wanting of superior abilities ah they have not had perhaps fair-play shewn them in this respect I may have occasion to observe more hereafter on this subject, meanwhile let it console the philanthropist, that if the black is not in his proper place, yet he possesses comforts, and appears very contented
_19th_ At Baltimore The view is fine from an eminence about half athe city; though not so large, it is yet theby far of the three eastern ports we have visited: whether the beauty and taste, the variety and neatness of the buildings, both public and private be considered, or the plan and situation--the whole is indeed strikingly interesting A beautiful marble column is in part finished, a national monument to the memory of those who fell in the battle at North Point;[56] not far froress a superb Catholic cathedral, and close to it stands a Unitarian church, an edifice not surpassed {156} in beauty by any in the city Besides these there are a variety of churches and other public buildings: one of the e of Physicians, a very heavy combination, and not rendered the hbourhood of a burial ground On the whole the traveller cannot but be pleased with a view of Baltimore and the State of which it is the chief town
On leaving Baltiround presents itself on the road side: the Americans inclose these places with little or no fence, and very frequently bury their dead with little or no cere a child's coffin under his ar to inter apparently by himself--Mr Birkbecka tree across the spot where they inhume a body: but the tree had sometimes been removed, and we frequently drove over hillocks in the wilderness under which lay the bones of the departed
The road now led along the western edge of the grand bay of Chesapeak, of which we caught frequent and delightful views--here indeed may A to a great distance frorandeur or utility Havre de Grace at the mouth of the Susquehannah is a small place, but beautifully and healthfully situated: it was burned by us during the last war, they say upon very siven a blow to the little prosperity it enjoyed; and a bridge now building at a short distance up the river, by rendering the ferry useless and turning the present road, will further hurt it One of the greatest dainties, the canvas-back duck, is here obtained in great nuh this was the season for them, ere not so fortunate as to feast upon the delicacy The Susquehannah is navigable for large vessels to the bridge, and for small craft, I was informed, for near five hundred miles up the country
The tavern at Havre de Grace is far better than that on the opposite shore; we had good beds and attendance The ferry, about a h Elkton, Christiana, and Newport to Wile town near the Delaware, and a place of soht reached Chester; the first inn was quite full and the next nearly so, which appeared very unaccountable; but on enquiry learned that it is {158} the chief _retiring place_ for Debtors, where in about five weeks residence they get cleared of the _Dun disease_ and coain
_23d_ A beautiful day: breakfasted near the sain entered Philadelphia, after an absence of four months, and a journey of above two thousand five hundred hout
I now take leave of the Western country of the United States; and although the readerobservations sufficient whereon to judge for himself, yet it may be proper to sum up that which I have to say upon it; and itall those who are possessed of capital, I will state, that if they are content to undergo for their own lives many difficulties, and to make a certain sacrifice of many of the little comforts they can possess and have been used to enjoy at asuood estate in America, which hereafter may place _them_ in affluence; and this may be accomplished at a distance far short of the Prairies of Illinois;--but let theain reminded {159} that it must be done at some risk, much trouble, and a certain sacrifice of many of their own comforts: so much for those who look forward As to i the different ranks, professions, and businesses in turn, I entleman and the idle man that they have _no business_ in any part of the territory The farular lish hearth, will here find the reverse of all these and more; not so bad perhaps in the country nearest to the eastern cities as in the west, where labour to e more than a small portion of his land is not to be had; and if it could, there is either no market, or it is so distant that the srain renders it little worth growing; whilst this very distance froainst hiroceries at least double that which it is in the Eastern States[57]
For professionalteachers in religion--There arephysicians spread about the country who keep taverns for their support; as to lawyers, there are enough for the population {160} For manufacturers there may perhaps be found so poor ricultural labourer, for whom this country is at present calculated; here such men may, with reasonable labour and activity, in a short ti in comparative plenty and comfort, leave their families to enjoy the same with independence It is eo thither, asno difficulties to be encountered, no privations to be endured; nora cool reception, and work not immediately offered on his arrival at the Eastern ports;--heto spend his money and waste his tiet food at least for his services,) until he arrives at a place where hands are wanted and good wages are offered for the care only to be industrious, frugal, and especially to avoid habits of drinking, a vice the most difficult to withstand where the spirits of the country are to be obtained for half a crown the gallon
There are people with us in England who object {161} to giving the poor ration, and who are disposed to conde his present condition by a change of country; I shall not stop to argue with such narrow policy and truly anti-christian reasoners more than to say, that I will leave them to point out, for I cannot, even in a political point of view, any loss to a country arising froration of a _redundant_ population
A WINTER AT PHILADELPHIA
Though a winter passage across the Atlantic ht, aided by a wish to see a little more of the climate and people ere I should bid to both farewell, deter notes and reflections are the fruit of the protracted residence, and they are presented to the reader nearly as they stand in my journal: in their nature theyto render theht be made yet less
_December_ 6th A beautiful day, even warm, as indeed the mid-day has hitherto been, yet the {162} ther stood at 33
Rode with D to the view on the Schuylkil called the ”Flat Rock” On the way called at Mr Fletcher's screw factory,--Mr F took pains to explain to us the h after all we best understood the _result_; one of the ths and turned out seven screws complete per minute; with only the attendance of a boy, it for the bank of the river, and aht us to the Flat Rock, and we crossed by an inclosed wood bridge One of the dams which have been already mentioned is here formed, and there is a canal on one side with locks for the passage of vessels;--the broad cascade of the silvery waters sparkling in the sun over the dah, broken, and wooded banks of the river, presented a scene, even without the aid of foliage, enchanting We returned by the old Lancaster road,called with D on Mr H This gentleman's life affords an instance of successful industry, by no means uncommon in this country of enterprise and speculation; it is also interwoven with so out in life's {163} career he and a brother laid out their several portions in goods such as they judged best for the market, and with theoods were quickly sold to great profit, and his brother again set sail for England to purchase more with the produce But here a cruel disappoint the intentions of his voyage, engaged on his arrival in Europe in other speculations, lost the whole of the money, and his anxious partner in Arasp, received notice of his brother's misconduct, and found hin land, and without a friend!
Young and active, however, his e now of three and twenty, he took the resolution to bind himself apprentice to a trade of which he already knew a little; at this he served his time; by steadiness and application perfected himself in the business; then set up for himself in prosperous times, and rapidly made a handsome income, which he now comfortably enjoys Let us here venture reverentially to trace the moral justice of Providence in the life of the brother, who, though enterprising and at one period apparently prosperous, was reduced by successive losses;--{164} was taken by the French and ith set at liberty he got together sufficient ht a vessel at one of the southern ports of that country, but which in coland was lost; and himself also soon after perished at sea
9th Just returned froes, and rabbits, but few of any of these were shot: the Ae half quail, and the rabbit half hare[58] Buffon and the Abbe Raynal[59] have both reer than those of Europe, but the fox, pheasant, partridge and woodcock are all certainly much smaller--The Jersey horses are excellent hacknies, for a pair of thehta heavy sandy road
We have been told there are no taxes in Aht; I insert therefore a copy of a tax paper handed to entleman of Philadelphia
+-------+-----------+--------------+------------+------+-------+---+ | | City | | Poor | | | | |Rates | 50 Cents | Co 25 Cents| 30 Cents |Water|Total | | | | 100| 100| 100| | | | +-------+-----------+--------------+------------+------+-------+---+ | Cts|Cts |Cts |Cts || Cts| | | | | | | | | | |88 : 00| 44 : 00 | 22 : 00 | 26 : 40 | |92 : 40| | +-------+-----------+--------------+------------+------+-------+---+
{165} Besides these there are still levied a poll-tax of one dollar; a dog-tax of one dollar, and I believe so the last war, a tax was laid upon top-boots, watch-chains, part of household furniture, and various other articles--Horses and carriages are also virtually taxed, for the assessor calling to put his queries in order toother questions, ”Does Mrkeep a horse oranswered in the affirmative he increases the poll-tax in proportion: this district or parish officer has, or I areat measure discretionary powers, and as he is elected by _all_ the inhabitants of the district, whether they do possess property or not, the consequence may be easily foreseen--Thus are the A: in the country indeed taxes are very little if at all paid, for the reason that the government either cannot or dare not levy them; hardly indeed, in some places dare the owners claim the land itself from the _Squatters_ An instance of this lately occurred in a distant part of Pensilvania: a proprietor having heard of several settlers upon his land without purchase or per to his allot house; a Squatter was at his door, {166} and the owner, by way of entering into conversation with hi there; to which the other assented--”But, my friend, I am told that you and several more have built here without any title to the land, and the owner is co to remove you” Theto a pig at a distance took ai to the alarmed proprietor told him, that if the owner should ever co