czm Columtiia ©nitiersitp intf)eCttj>of$eto§?or& LIBRARY LET T E R S AMERICAN FARMER, DESCRIBING rPTArN PROVINCIAL SITUATIONS, MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS, SOME IDEA OF THE STATE of T H E PEOPLE OF NORTH AMERICA. Written to a friend in England, s Bs^J. HECTOR Sr. JOHN, A FARMER IN PENNSYLVANIA. PHILADELPHIA: RROM THE PRESS OF MATHEW CARET. Utrci 4,—m.dcc.xciii, ABBE RAVNAL, F. II. S. B EHOLD, fir, an humble American planter, a Ample cultivator of the earth, addrefiing you from the farther fide of the Atlantic ; and prefuming to fix your name at the head of his trifling lucubration?. I (wifli they were worthy of fo great an hu* jnour. Yet why (houid not I be permitted I to difclofe thofe fentiments which I have fo often felt from my heart ? A few years lince, I met accidentally with your political and philofophical Lift ary, and penned it with infinite pleafurc. For the firfii time in my life, 1 reflected on the relative (late of I nations, T traced the extended ramificv.t'or.s Jof a commerce which ought to unite, but now convulJtes the world j I sK-muro: mac univerfal benevolence, that diifiuuve good [will, which is not confined to tuc i;..rrow [limits of your own country ; out, on enc cc>; Itrary, extends to the whole human rat?. Ac an eloquent and -powerful advocate, you have pleaded the caufe of humanity, in ef- poufing that of che poor Africans : you view¬ ed thefe provinces of North America in [•heir true light, as the afylum cf freedom— DEDICATION. as the cradle of future nations, and thereof fuge of dillreSTed Europeans. Why, then, / Should I refrain from loving and refpe&ing a man, whofe writings I fo much admire ? Tliefc two fentimeuts are infeparable, at leaf! in my bread. I conceived your genius to be prefent at the head of my Study : under its invincible, but powerful guidance, I pro¬ secuted my fmall labours : and now, permit me to fanftify them under the aufpiccs of your name. Let the fincerity of the motives which urge me, prevent you from thinking that this well-meant addrefs contains aught but the pured tribute of reverence and af* fe£tion. There is, no doubt, a fccret com¬ munion among good men throughout the world—a mental affinity connecting them by afimilitude of Sentiments : then why, though an American, fhould not I be permitted to Share in that extenfive intellectual confan-| guinitv ? Yes, I do : and though the namd of a man who poSTeSTes neither titles norj places, who never rofe above trie humble! rank of a farmer, may appear insignificant ; vrt, as the fentiments I have expreifed, are al‘b the echo of thofe of my countrymen ;! oil rheir behalf, as well as on my own, givej me leave to fubferibe myfelf, ' Sir, Your verv fincere admirer, Carline in J. HECTOR ST. JOHNj PennJ'jlvartia. Jdvertifenmt to the firfi London edition t , 'T'* H E following letters are the genuind X production of the American farmer whofe name they bear. They were privately written to gratify the curiofity of a friend ; and are made public, becaufe they contain much authentic information, little known on this fide the Atlantic : they cannot there¬ fore fail of being highly interefting to the people of England, at a time when every body’s attention is directed toward the affairs of America. That thefe letters are the aCtual refult of a private correfpondence, may fairly be in¬ ferred (exclufive of other evidence) from the ftyle and manner in which they are con¬ ceived ; for though plain and familiar, and fometimes animated, they are by no means exempt from fuch inaccuracies as muff un¬ avoidably occur in the rapid effufions of a confefledly inexperienced writer. Our farmer had long been an eye-witnefs of tranfaCtions that have deformed the face of America : he is one of thole, who dread¬ ed, and has feverely felt, the defolating Vi ADVERTISEMENT, confcquences of a rupture between the parent hate and her colonies : for he has been dri¬ ven from a lituation, the enjoyments of which, the reader will find pathetically de- Icri'oed in the early letters of this volume. The unhappy conteft is at length, however, drawing toward a period ; and it is now only left us to hope, that the obvious interefts and mutual wants of both countries, may in due time, and in fpite of all cbftacles, happily re¬ unite them. TABLE 0 F CONTENTS. LETTER L INTRODUCTION, LETTER n. Page 9 On the jituathn, feelings, and pleafures of an Ame¬ rican farmer, 2 2 LETTER III, What is an American ? LETTER IV. 41 Defcription of the ijland of Nantucket, with the manners, cufioms, policy, and trade of the inha¬ bitants, c)2 \ LETTER V. | Cuftomary education and employment of the inha- I bitantsof Nantucket, L E T T E R VL \Defcription of the ijland of Martha's vineyard, 1 and of the whale fjhcry, ' 124 CONTENTS. LETTER VII. Manners and cuftms at Nantucket, LETTER VIII. Peculiar cujloms at Nantucket, LETTER IX. * 5 ° DeCcriftim of Char left on ; thoughts on fluvery ; “on phyjical evil; a melancholy feene, LETTER X. Qnfnakes; and on the humming-bird, letter XI. 164 181 From mr . Ivan Alexionvitz, a Ruffian gentleman, Aefcribing the vijit he paid, a my requeffi to mr. Bar tram, the celebrated Pennfylvanta bo- Up, i8 ’ letter XII. Difir effies of a frontier-man. ?®5 LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN FARMER, LETTER I. INTRODUCTION. \yS7EO would have thought, that becanfe I re- VV ce j vec lyou with hofpitality and kindnefs, you Ihould imagiie me capable of writing with propri¬ ety and perfpicuity ? Your gratitude millcads your judgment. 1 he knowledge, which I acquired from your converlation, has amply repaid me for your five weeks entertainment. I gave you nothing more than what common hofpitality dictated ; but could any other gueft have inlirufled me as ytu did? You conduced me, on the map, from or.e European country to another ; told me many extraordinary things of our famed mother country, of which I knew very little ; of its internal navigation, agriculture, arts, manufactures, and trade : you guided me through an extenfive mat e, and I" a- bundantly profited by the journey ; the contrail therefore proves the debt of gratitude to be on my fide. 1 he treatment you received at my houfe pro¬ ceeded from the warmth of my heart, and Iron* to IKTIIODUCTOAT LETT2H. the correfponding feniibiiity of my wife ; what yon how defire, mult f.ov. from a very limitcdpov.tr of mind : the talk requiresrecoilection, and a variety of talents, width i do not poUcls. It is true 1 can de- fertbe our American modes of farming, our manners, and peculiar cuftoms, w ith iome degree of proprie¬ ty ; becaufe I have ever attentively ftudied them ; but my knowledge extends no farther. And is thi* local and unadorned information fufficient to an- fwer all your expectations, and to fatisfy your cn- riofity? I am furprifed that in the courle of your American travels, you ILould not have found out perfons more enlightened and better educated than I am; your predilection excites my wonder much more than my vanity; my 11'are of the latter being confined merely to the nealnels of my rural opera-; My father left me a few inufty books, v.lifih lis father brought from England with h.m ; but what help can 1 draw from a library confifting mrflly of Scotch divinity, the navigation of fir Francis Drake, the hifiory of queen Elizabeth, and a few mifcel- lar.eous volumes ? Our mimfter often comes to lee me, though he lives upwards of twenty miles dif- tant. 1 have ft. own him your letter, aiked his ad¬ vice, ar.d folicitcd his afiifiar.ee ; he tells me, that he hath no time to fpare, for that like the reft of us he mull till his farm, and is moreover to ftudy w hat he is to fay on the fabbath. My wife (and I never do any thing without cor.fulting her) laughs, and tells me, that you cannot be in earneft. What ! fays fi e, James, wouldlt thee pretend to fend e- p ; ftles to a great European man, who hath lived abundance cf time in that big houfe called Cam¬ bridge ; where, they fay, that worldly learning is fo. afro dant, that people gets it only by breathing the air of the place > Wouldil not thee be afltamed to INTRODUCTORY ETTER. s^nte unto a man who has never in his Ffe (lone a fiogle day’s v.'crk, no, not even felled a tree ; who hath expended the Lord knows bow many years in Undying ftars, geometry, ftor.es, and flies, and in reading folio books ? Who hath travelled, as he told us, to the city of Rome itfelf! Only think of a Lon¬ don man going to Rome ! Where is it that thele Englifii fo’ks won’t go ? One who hath fecn the factory of brimftone at Suvius, and town of Pompey under ground ! wouldil thou pretend to letter it with aperfon who hath been to Paris, to the Alps, to Peterfburg, and who hath feen lb many fine things np and down the old countries; who hath come over the great lea unto us, and hath jour¬ neyed from our New Hamplhire in the call to cur Charlefton in the forth ; who hath vi'ltedH ail our great cities, knows meft of our famous lawyers and cunning folks; who hath converfeJ with very many kmg’s men, governors, and counfellors, and yet pitches upon thee for his correfpordent, as thee calls it ? Surely he means to jeer thee ! I am fure he does, he cannot be in real fair enmt-ft. James, time mult read th’s letter over again, paragraph by paragraph, and war'd;/ ohto others, except they are prevented. Some I .hide ; others, unmindful of my admonitions, receive fome blows. Could-victuals thus be given to men without the ailiftance of any language, I am fure they would not behave better to one another, nor more philolophically than my cattle do. 1 he fame fpirit prevails in the liable ; but there I have to do with more generous animals; there my well known voice has immediate influence, and ifoon reftores SITUATION, &c. O F A N peace and tranquillity. Thus by fuperior knowledge I govern all my cattle as wife men are obliged to go¬ vern fools and the ignorant. A variety of other thoughts croud on my mind at that peculiar inftant, but they all vaniib by the time I return home. If in a cold night 1 fwiftly travel in my fledge, tarried along at the rate of twelve miles an hour, many are the reflexions excited by furrounding cir- cundtances. I afk rayfelf what fort of an agent is that which we call frofl: ? Our minifter compares it to needles, the points of which enter our pores. What is become of the heat of the fitmmer, in what part of the world is it that the N. W. keeps thel'e grand magazines of nitre ? when I fee in the morning a river over which I can travel, that in the evening before was liquid, I am sftoniihed indeed! What is become of thofe millions of infects which played in our fummer fields, and in our evening meadows ; they were fo puny and fo deli¬ cate, the period of their exiftence was fo fhort, that one cannot help wondering how they could leary, in that lhort fpace, the fublime art to hide tfcep- felves and their offspring in fo perfe£t a manner las to baffle the rigour of the feafon, and preferve that precious embryo of life, that fmall portion of ethereal heat, which, if once deftroyed, would de- ftroy the fpecies! Whence that irreflitiblepropenfity to fleep, fo common in all thofe who are feverely attacked by the frofl: ? Dreary as this feafon appears, yet it has, like all others, its miracles; it prefents to man a variety of problems, which he can never re- folve ; among the reli, we have here a let of flr.all birds, which never appear until the fnow falls; con¬ trary to all others, they dwell and appear to de¬ light in that element. It is my bees, however, which afford me the molt plealing and exteniive themes; let me look at them AMERICAN FARMER. 33 when I will, their government, their induflry, their quarrels, their paflions, always prefent me with loniething new ; for which rcafon, when weary with labour, my common place of relf is under my locuft-trees, clofe by my bee-houfe. By their move¬ ments I can predict the weather, and can tell the day of their fwarming ; but the rnoft difficult point is, when on the wing, to know whether they want to go to the woods or not. If they have previoufly pitched in fome hollow trees, it is not the allure¬ ments of fait and water, of fennel, hickory leaves, &c. nor the fineft bos, that can induce them to ftav ; they will prefer thofc rude, rough habitations to the beft polifhed mahogany hive. When that is the cafe with mine, I feklom thwart their inclina¬ tions; it'is in freedom that they work : were 1 to confine them, they would dwindle away, and quit their labour. In inch excurlions, we only part for a while ; I am generally fure to find them again the following fall. This elopement of theirs only adds to my recreations ; I know how to deceive even their fuperlative inftinft; nor do I fear lcfir.g them, though eighteen miles from my houfe, and lodged in the moft lofty trees, in the moft impervious of our forefts. I once took you along with me in one of thefe rambles; and yet you irdift on my re¬ peating the detail of our operations: it brings back into my mind many of the ufeful and entertaining reflexions, with which you fo happily beguiled our tedious hours. After I have done fowing, by way of recreation, I prepare for a week's jaunt in the woods, not to hunt either the deer or the bears, as my neighbours do, but to catch the more harmlefs bees. 1 cannot boaft that this chafe is fo noble, or fo famous among men ; but I find it left, fa tiguing, and full as profitable ; and the laft confideration is the only one that move s SITUATION, Ac. OF AN me. I take with me my flog, as a companion, for he is nfelefs as to this game ; my gun, for no man you know ought to enter the woods without one ; my blanket, home provisions, iome wax, vermiliion, honey, and a l'mall pocket compafs. With thefe im¬ plements I proceed to inch woods as are at a confi. derahle diflance from any Settlements. I carefully examine whether they abound with large trees; if So, I make a Small fire on Some flat ftones, in a con¬ venient place ; on the Sire I put Some wax ; clofe by this fire, on another ftone, I drop honey in diftinft drops, which I Surround with Small quantities of vermiliion, laid on the ftone; and then I retire care¬ fully to watch whether any bees appear. If there are any in that neighbourhood, I reft affured that the Smell of the burnt wax will unavoidably attraft them; they will Soon find out the honey, for they are fond of preying on that which is not their own ; and in their approach they will neceffarily tinge themfelves with Some particles of vermiliion, which will adhere long to their bodies. I next fix my com¬ pafs, to find put their courle, which they keep in¬ variably ftraight, when they are returning home loaded. By the alTiftance of my watch I obferve how long thole are returning which are marked with vermiliion- Thus pofTeffed of the courfe, and, in fome mcafure, of the diftance, which I can eafily guefs at, I follow the firft, and feldom fail of coming to the tree where thofe republics are lodged. I theii mark it; and, thus, with patience, I have found out Sometimes eleven Swarms in a feafon; and it is in¬ conceivable what a quantity of honey thefe trees will Sometimes afford. It entirely depends on the Size of the hollow, as the bees never reft nor Swarm till it is all replenifhed ; for like men, it is only the want of room that induces them to quit the ma¬ ternal hive. Next I proceed to feme of the neareft AMERICAN FARMER. fettlements, where I procure proper affiftance to cut down the trees, get ali my prey lecured, and then return home with my prize. The firft bees I ever procured, were thus found in the woods, by mere accident; for at that time I had no kind of lkill in this method tracing them, i he body of the tree being perfectly found, they had lodged themfelves m the hollow of one of its principal limbs, which I care¬ fully fav/ed off, and with a good deal of labour and induftry, brought it home, where I fixed it up again, in the fame petition in which I found it grow¬ ing. This was in April; I had five i'warms that year; and they have been ever lince very pro (her¬ ons. This bufinefs generally takes up a week of my time every fall; and to me it is a week of luli- tary eafe and relaxation. The feed is by that time committed to the ground; there is nothing very material to do at home ; and this additional quantity of honey, enables me to lie more generous to my home bees, and my wife to make a due quantity of mead. I he reafon, fir, that yon found mine better than that of others, is, that Hie puts two gallons of brandy in each barrel, which ripens it, and takes off that fweet, lufeious tafte, which it is apt to retain a long time- If we find any where in the woods (no matter on whofe land) what is called a bee-tree, we muft mark it; in the fall of the year when we propofe to cut it down, our duty is to inform the proprietor of the land, who is entitled to half the contents; if this is not complied with, we are expofed to an action of tref- pafs, as well as he who fhould go and cut down a bee-tree, which he had neither found out nor marked. We have twice a year the pleafure of catching pigeons, whofe numbers are fometimes fo aftonifhing as to obfeure the fun in their flight. Where is it 3 5 SITUATION, See. OF AN that they hatch ! for fitch multitudes mull require an immenfe quantity cf iood. I fancy they breed to- tvard the plains ox Ohio, and thofe about lake Mi¬ chigan, v.’hich abound in wild oats; though I have never kilted any that had that gi nin in their craws. In one of then:, left year, I found lome undigeiled rice. Nov.' the nearelt rice fields from where J live, mult be at Icaft ^60 miles; and either their digeition r.mii: be luiper.ded while they are Hying, or elfe they nuift fly with the celerity of the wind. We catch them with a net extended on the ground, to which they are allured by what we call a tame wild pigeon, made blind, and fattened to a long firing; his ihort flights, and his repeated calls, never fail to bring them down. The greatu number I ever catch- ed, was fourteen dozen, though much larger qtian. titles have often been trapped. I have frequently feen them at the market fo cheap, that for a penny you might have as many as you could carry away ; and yet from the extreme cheapnefs you mull not conclude, that they are but an ordinary food; on the contrary, I think they are excellent. Every far¬ mer has a tame wile!pigeon in a cage at his door all the year round, in order to be ready whenever the feafon comes for catching them. The pleafure I receive from the tvarblings of the birds in the fpring, is fuperior to my poor deicription, as the continual fucceffion of their tune¬ ful notes, is forever new to me. I generally rife from bed about that indiftmft interval, which, properly fpeaking, is neither night nor day ; for this is the moment of the molt univerfal vocal choir. Who can lillen unmoved, to the fweet love tales of our robins, told from tree to tree ? or to the fhrill cat birds ? The fublime accents of the thrufh from on high, always retard my fteps, that I may lillen to the delicious mufic. The variegated appear- AMERICAN FARMER. 57 ances of the dew drops, as they hang to the differ¬ ent objefts, nrnft prelent, even to a clownifn ima¬ gination, the moft voluptuous ideas. The altonifhing art which all birds difplay in the conftruction of their nefts, ill provided as we may fuppofe them with proper tools, their neatnefs, their convenience, al¬ ways make me alhamed of the iloveniinefs of our hotiles; their love to their dame, their mediant careful attention, and the peculiar fongs they ad- drel’s to her, while (lie tedioully incubates their eggs, remind me of my duty, could I ever forget it. Their affeCtion to their helplefs little ones, is a lively precept; and in ihort, the whole economy of what we proudly call the brute creation, is admi¬ rable in every circumllance ; and vain man, though adorned with the aditional gift of reafon, might learn from the perfection of inftinct, Low to regu¬ late the follies, and how to temper the errors which this fecond gift often makes him commit. This is a fubjeift, on which I have often beftotved the ■ moft ferious thoughts ; I have often blunted within myl'elf, and been greatly aftoralhed, when I have compared the unerring path they ail follow', all juft, all proper, all wife, up to the neceflary degree of perfection, with the coarfe, the imperfeft fyItems of men, not merely as governors and kings, but as mat¬ ters, as hulbands, as fathers, as citizens. But this is ■a fanctuary in which an ignorant farmer muft not 'prefume to enter. If ever man was permitted to receive and enjoy fome blellings that might allevi¬ ate the many iorrows to which he is expofed, it is certainly in the country, when he attentively con- liders thole raviiliing feenes with which he is every where furrounded. This is the only time of the year in which I am avaricious of every moment, I therefore lofe none that can add to this Ample and inoffeiftive happinefs. I roam early throughout all 3 $ SITUATION, &c. OF AN my fields; not the leaf! operation do I perform, ■which is not accompanied with the moft plealing o'ofervations; were I to extend them as far as I have carried them, I fhould become tedious; you would think me guilty of affettation, and I fliould perhaps reprefeut many things as pleafurable, from which you might not, perhaps, receive the leaft agreeable emotions. But, believe me, what I write is all true and real. Some time ago, as I fat fmoaking a contemplative pipe in my piazza, I faw with amazement a remark¬ able inftance of felfiihnefs displayed in a very fmall bird, which I had hitherto refpefted for its inoiFen- fivenefs. Three nefts were placed almofl contigu¬ ous to each other in my piazza : that of a fwal- low was affixed in the corner next to the houfe ; that of a phebe in the other; a wren pofielled a little box which I had made on purpoie, and hung between. Be not furprifed at their tamenefs ; ail mv family had long been taught to refpedt them as well as niyfelf. The wren had lit own before ligns of diflike to the box which I had given it, but I knew not on what account; at lull it refolved, fmall as it was, to drive the fwallow from its own habi¬ tation, and to my very great furprife it fucceeded. Impudence often gets the better of modefty; and this exploit was no fooner performed, than it re¬ moved every material to its own box with the moft admirable dexterity ; the ligns of triumph ap¬ peared very vilible; it fluttered its wings with un¬ common velocity, ah univerfal joy was perceivable in all its movements. Where did this little bird learn that fpirit of injuftice ? It was not endowed with what we term reafon! Here then is a proof that both thofe gifts border very near on one ano¬ ther ; for we fee the perfection of the one mixing with the errors of the other! The peaceable fvral- I AMERICAN FARMER. # low, like the palfive quaker, meekly fat at a fmall diftance, and never offered the leaf! reliftance ; but no fooner was the plunder carried away, than the injured bird went to work with unabated ardour, and in a few days the depredations were repaired. To prevent, however, a repetition of the fame vio¬ lence, I removed the wren’s box to another part of the houfe. In the middle of my parlpur I have, you may re¬ member, a curious republic of induftrious hornets; their neft hangs to the ceiling, by the fame twig on which it was fo admirably built and contrived in the woods. Its removal did not difpleafe them, for they find in my houfe plenty of. food : and I have left a hole open in one of the panes of the window, which anfwers all their purpofes. By this kind ufage they are become quite harmlefs; they live on the flies, which are very troublefome to us throughout the fumnter ; they are conftantly bufy in catching them, even on the eyelids of my children. It is furprizing how quickly they fmear them with a fort of glue, left they might efcape, and when thus prepared, they carry them to their nefts, as food for their young ones. Thefe globular nefts are molt ingenioufly di¬ vided into many itories, all provided with cells, and proper communications. The ■ materials with which this fabric is built, they procure from die cottony furze, with which our oak rails are covered; this fubftance, tempered with glue, produces a fort of pafteboard, which is very ftrong, and relifts ail the inclemencies of the weather. By their affftance, I am but little troubled with flies. All my family are fo accuftomed to their ftrong buzzing, that no one takes any notice of them ; and though they are fierce and vindictive, yet kindnefs and hofpitality has made them ufeful and harmlefs. We have a great variety of wafps; moft of 40 SITUATION, &c. OF AN" them build their nefts in mud, which they fix againft the ihingles of our roofs, as nigh the pitch as they can. Thefe aggregates reprefent nothing, at firit view, but coari'e and irregular lumps; but if you break them, you will obferve, that the infide of them contains a great number of oblong cells, in which they depoht their eggs, and in which they bury themfelves in the fall of the year. Thus immured, they fecurely pafs through the feveriry of that fea- fon; and on the return of the fun are enabled to perforate their cells, and to open themfelves a paf- fage from thefe recedes into the funlhine. The yellow wafps, which build under ground, in our meadows, are much more to be dreaded ; for when the mower unwittingly pail'es his fcythe over their holes, they immediately Tally forth with a fury and velocity fuperior even to the ftrength of man. They make the boldeft fly, and the only re¬ medy is to lie down and cover our heads with hay, for it is only at the head they aim their blows; nor is there any pofhbility of finifliing that part of the work, until, by means of fire and brimftone, they are all iiienced. But thouglt 1 have been obliged to execute this dreadful fentence, in my own defence, I have often thought it a great pity, for the fake of a little hay, to lay wafte fo ingenious a fubterranean town, furniihed with every conve- niency, and built with a moil furprifing me- chanifm. I ne-‘er fliould have done, were I to recount the many objects which involuntarily ftrike my imagi¬ nation in the midli of my work, and ipontancouily .afford me the moil plealing relief. Thefe may ap¬ pear inlignificant trifles to a perfion who has travelled through Europe and America, and is acquainted with books and with many fciences ; but fuel) Ample ob¬ jects of contemplation luffice me, who have no time AMERICAN FARMER to bellow on more extenfive obfervations. Hap¬ pily thefe require no i'tudy, they are obvious, they gikl the moments I dedicate to them, and en¬ liven the fevere labours which I perform. At home my happinefs fprings from very different objects; the gradual unfolding of my children’s real’on, the liudy of their dawning tempers attracts all my paternal attention. I have to contrive little puniiimients for their little faults, fmall encouragements for their good aftions, and a variety of other expedients dic¬ tated by varous occafions- But thefe are themes un¬ worthy your perufal, and which ought not to he car¬ ried beyond the walls of my houfe, being domcftic myfteries adapted only to the locality of the fmall fanftuary wherein my family relides. Sometimes I delight in inventing and executing machines, which Amplify my wife’s labour. I have been tolerably fuccefsful that way ; and thefe, fir, are the narrow circles within which I conftantly revolve; and what can I wilh for beyond them ? I blefs God for all the good he has given me; I envy no man’sprofperity, and wilh no other portion of happinefs, than that I may live to teach the fame philofophy to my chil¬ dren ; and give each of them a farm, Jhow them how to cultivate it, and be like their father, good fubftantial independent American farmers—an ap¬ pellation which will be the moll fortunate one, a man of my clafs can polfefs, fo long as bur civil govern¬ ment continues to Hied bleflings on our hulbandry. Adieu. <2 ) L ETTER III. I WISH I could be acquainted with the feeling and thoughts which unlit agitate the heart a: d prefent themTelves to the mind of an enlightened Euglilhmsn, when he firft lands on this continent. He mini greatly rejoice, that he lived at a time to fee this fair country discovered and fettled ; he anift neceffarily feel a fhare of national pride, when he views the chain of fettlements which emhellidie* thefe extended iliores. When he fays to hiinfeif, this is the work of my countrymen, who, when convulfed by fathom, affiifted by a variety of roife- ries and wants, reftlefs and impatient, took refuge here. They brought along with them their national genius, to which they principally owe what liberty they enjoy, and what fubftance they poilefs. Here he fees the induftry of his native country, difpiayed in a new manner, and traces in their works the em- brios of all the arts, feiences, and ingenuity which flourish in Europe. Here he beholds fair cities, fub- ftantial villages, extenfive fields, an immenfe coun¬ try filled with decent houfes, good roads, orchards, meadows, and bridges, where an hundred years ago all was wild, woody, and uncultivated! What a train of pleaiing ideas this fair fpectacle muft fuggelt! it is a prefpeft which mull infpire a good citizen with the mod heartfelt pleafure. The difficulty confifts in the manner of viewing fo ex¬ tenfive a feene. He is arrived on a new continent; a modern fociety offers itfelf to his contemplation, dif¬ ferent from what he had hitherto feen. It is not compofed, as in Europe, of great lords who poffefs every thing, and of a herd of people who have WHAT IS A N A M F. R I C A K ? 43 nothing. Here arc no ariftocratical families, no courts, no kings, no bilhops, no eccleliritica] domi¬ nion, no invilible power giving to a few a very viiible one ; no great manufacturers employing thoufands, no great refinements of luxury. The rich and the poor are not fo far removed from each other as they are in Europe. borne few towns excepted, we are all tillers of the earth, from Nova Scotia to Weft Florida. We are a people of cultivators, fcattered over an im- menfe territory, communicating with each oilier by means of good roads and navigable rivers, united by the illken bands of mild government, all reflec¬ ting the laws without dreading their power, becaufe they are equitable. We are all animated with thefpi- rit of inciuftry, which is unfettered, and unreftrain- ed, becaufe each perlbn works -for himfelf. If he travels through our rural diftricls, he views not the hoftile cuftle, and the haughty manfion, ccn- trafted with the clay-built hut and miferable cabbin, where cattle and men help to keep each other warm, and dwell in meannefs, fmoke, and indigence. A pleafing uniformity of decent competence appears throughout our habitations. Themeaneft of our log- houfes is a dry and comfortable habitation. Lawyer cr merchant are the faireft titles our towns afford ; that of a farmer is the only appellation of the rural inha¬ bitants of our country. It rouft take fome time tie he can reconcile himfelf to our dictionary, which is but fhort in words of dignity, and names of honour. There, on a.Sunday, he fees a congregation of re- fpectable farmers and their wives, all clad in neat homefpun, well mounted, or riding in their own humble waggons. There is not among them an en¬ quire, faving the unlettered magiftrate. There he fees a parfon as Ample as his flock, a farmer who does not riot on the labour of others. We have no princes, for whom we toil, ftarve, and bleed: 44 W II A T I S A N AMERICA N ? we are the moft perfect fcccty now exi.fting in the world. Here man is free as he ought to be; nor is this pleating equality fo tranfitory as many others are. iVIany ages will not fee the fhores of our great lakes rcplenilhed with inland nations, nor the .unknown bounds of North America entirely peo¬ pled. Who can tell how far it extends ? Who can tell the millions of men whom it will feed and con¬ tain ? for no European foot has as yet travelled half the extent of this mighty continent! The next wifh of this traveller will be to know whence came all thefe people ? they are a mixture of Englilh, Scotch, Iriih, French, Dutch, Germans, and Swedes. From.this.promifcnous breed, that race now called Americans have arifen. The eaftern pro¬ vinces muft indeed be excepted, as being the unmixed defcendents of Englilhmen. 1 have heard many wilh they had been more intermixed all'o : for my part, I am no wifher; and think it much better as it has happened. They exhibit a moft confpicuous figure in this great and variegated pifture ; they too enter for a great lhare in the plealing perfpettive dif- played in thefe thirteen provinces. I know it is fa- ftiionable to reflect on them; but I refpect them for what they have done ; for the accuracy and wiftlom with which they have fettled their terri-' tory; for the decency of their manners ; for their early love of letters ; their ancient college, the firft in this hemifphere ; for their induftry, which to me, who am but a farmer, is the criterion of every thing. There never was a people, fttuated as they are, who, with fo ungrateful a foil, have done more in fo fhort a time. Do you think that the monar- chial ingredients which are more prevalent in other governments, have purged them from all foul ftains ? Their hiftories affert the contrary. \ In this great American aiylum, the poor of Europe WHAT IS AN AMERICAN: ..5 have by fome means met together, and in con.- fequence of various caufes; to what purpofe lliouid they a Ik one another, what countrymen they are ? Alas, two thirds of them had no country. Can a wretch who wanders about, who works and ftarvcs, whofe life is a continual fcene of fore affliction or pinching penury; can that man call England or any other kingdom his country ? A country that had no bread for him, whofe fields procured him no harveft, who met with nothing but the frowns of the rich, the feverity of the laws, with jails and punifliments; who owned not a Angle foot of t : he extenlive fur- face of this planet ? No! urged by a variety of motives, here they came- Every thing has tended to regenerate them ; new laws, a new mode of liv¬ ing, a new focial fyftem; here they are become men: in Europe they were as fo many ufelefs plants, wanting vegetative mould, and refrelhing Ihowers; they withered, and were mowed down by want, hunger, and war : but now, by the pow¬ er of tranfplantation, like all other plants, they have taken root and ilouriflied ! Formerly they were not numbered in-any civil lift of their country, ex¬ cept in thofe of the poor ; here they rank as citi¬ zens. By what invifible power lias this furprizing metamorphofis been performed ? By that of the laws and that of their induftry- The laws, the indulgent laws, protefl: them as they arrive, ftamping on them the lymbol of adoption; they receive ample rewards for their labours; thefe accumulated rewards pro¬ cure them lands; thofe lands confer on them the title of freemen ; and to that title every benefit is affixed which men can poffibly require./ This is the, great operation daily performed by our laws. From whence proceed thefe laws? From our government. "Whence that government ? It is derived from the original genius and ftrong delire of the people, rati 46 WHAT IS AN AMERICAN* fied and confirmed by government. This is the great ' chain which links us all, this is the pifture which every province exhibits, Nova Scotia excepted. There the crow n has done all; either there were no people who had genius, or it was not much at¬ tended to : the confequence is, that the province is very thinly inhabited indeed ; the power of the crown, in conjunction with the mulketos/ has prevented men from fettling there. Yet fome part of it flourilhed once, and it contained a mild harm- lefs let of people. But for the fault of a few leaders, the Mole were banilhed. The greateft political er¬ ror the crown ever committed in America, was tp cut off men from a country which wanted nothing \ hut men! What.attachment can a poor European emigrant have for a country where he had nothing ? The knowledge of the language, the love of a Tew kin¬ dred as poor as himfelf, were the only cords that tied him : his country is now that which gives him land, bread, protection, and confequence : Ubi fcmis ibi p atria, is the motto of all emigrants. W Hat then is the American, this new man ? He is either ah European, or the defendant of an European; hence that ftrange mixture of blood, which you will find in no other country. I could point out ^ to you a man, whofe grandfather was an Enghlh- man, whofe wife was Dutch, whofe fon married a French woman, and whofe prefent four fons have now four wives of different nations. He is an Ame¬ rican, who, leaving behind him all his ancient pre¬ judices and manners, receives new ones from the hew mode of life he has embraced, the new go¬ vernment he obeys, and the new rank he holds, fie becomes an American by being received in the broad lap of our great Alma Mater. Here mdiyiduals of all nations are melted into a What is an American: 47 hew ^rac?, of. men, whofe Incurs and poftcrity will onedaycanfe great changes in the world. Americans are the weftern pilgrims, who are carrying along with' them that great mafs of arts, faiences, tigour, and . induftry, which began long lince in the call ; they ’ will finilh the great circle. The Americans -were once fcattered all over Europe ; here they are in¬ corporated into one of the fineft fyftems of popula¬ tion which has ever appeared, and which will hereafter become diftinct hy the power of the dif¬ ferent climates they inhabit. The American ought, therefore, to love this country much better than that w herein either he or his forefathers were bom. Here the rewards of his induftry follow with equal fteps the progrefs of his labour ; his labour is foun¬ ded on the balls of nature, felf-intcrcft ; can it want a ftronger allurement ? Wives and children, who before in vain demanded cf Him luni-frl of bread, now, fat and frolicfome, gladly help their father to clear thofe fields whence exuberant crops are to arife to feed and to clothe them all; wdthout any part be¬ ing claimed, either by a defpotic prince, a rich ab¬ bot, or a mighty lord. 11 orej~ebgi arydemands but little of him ; a fmall Toluntary ialary' to the mi- nifter, and gratitude to God ; can he refufe thefe ? The Ajnerican is a new man, who acts upon new principles; he muft therefore entertain new ideas, and form new opinions. From involuntary idlenefs. fervile dependance, penury, and ufelefs labour, lie has palled to toils of a very different nature, re¬ warded by ample fubliftence—This is an Ame¬ rican. • North America is divided into many provinces, forming a large affociation, fcattered along a coalt 1,500 miles extent and about 200 wide. This fociety I would fain examine, at leaft fuch as it appears in ■the middle, provinces; if it does not afford that va- 4 ? WHAT I S A N AMERICAN! riety of tinges and gradations which may be ob- fervtd in Europe, we have colours peculiar to our- felves. For inftance, it is natural to conceive that, thofe who live near the fea, muft be very different, from thofe who live in the woods; the intermediate fpace will afford a feparate and diftinct clafs. Men are like plants ; the goodnels and flavour of the fruit proceed from the peculiar foil and expolition in which they grow. We are nothing but what we derive from the air we breathe, the climate we inha¬ bit, the government we obey, the fyftem of religion we profefs, and the nature of our employment.' Here you will find but few crimes ; thefe have ac¬ quired as yet no root among us. I wifh I were able to trace all my ideas; if my ignorance pre¬ vents me from deferibing them properly, I hope I ihall be able to delineate a few of the outlines, which are all I prepofe. Thofe who live near the fea, feed more on fifh than on flefh, and often encounter that boifterous element. This renders them more bold and enter- prifing ; this leads them to neglect the confined oc¬ cupations of the land. They fee and converfe with a variety of people ; their intercourfe with mankind becomes extenfive. The fea infpires them with a love of traffic, a defire of tranfporting produce from one place to another ; leads them to a variety of refources, which fupply the place of labour. Thofe who inhabit the middle fettlements, by far • the mod numerous, mull: be very different; the fimple cultivation of the earth purifies them ; but the indulgences of the government, the foft remon-. flrances of religion, the rank of independent free-. holders, muft neceffarily infpire them with fenti-. ments, very little known in Europe among people of the fame clafs, What do I fay ? Europe has no fuch dais of men; the early knowledge they ac- WHAT IS AN AMERICAN? 49 quire, the cany bargains they make, give them a great degree of fagacity. As freemen, they will be litigious; pride and obftinacy are often the caufe of lawfuits ; the nature of our laws and governments may be another. As citizens, it is eafy to imagine, that they will carefully rend the nevfpapers, enter into every political difquifition, freely blame or cenfure governors and others. As farmers, they will be care¬ ful and anxious to get as much as they can, becaufe tvhat they get is their own. As northern men, they will love the chearful cup. As chrillians, religion curbs them not in their opinions; the general in¬ dulgence leaves every one. to think for himfelf in fpiritual matters; the -laws infpedt our actions; our thoughts are left to God. Induftry, good liv¬ ing, felfhhnefs, iitigioufnefs, country politics, the pride of freemen, religious indifference, are their characteriftics. If you recede ftill farther from the fea, you will come into more modern fettlements; they exhibit the fame ftrong lineaments, in a ruder appearance. Religion feems to have ftill lefs influ* ence, and their manners are lefs improved. Now we arrive near the great woods, near the laft inhabited diftridls; there men feem to be placed ftill farther beyond the reach of government, which in fome meafure leaves them to themfelves. How can it pervade every corner ? as they were driven there by misfortunes, neceifity of beginnings, defire of acquiring large tradts of land, idlenefs, frequent want of economy, ancient debts ; the re¬ union of fuch people does not afford a very plea- fing fpecfacle. When difcord, want of unity and friendfhip—when either drunkennefs or idlenefs prevail in fuch remote diftridts—contention, inac¬ tivity, and wretchednefs muft enfue. There are not the fame remedies to thefe evils as in a long efta- .blifhed community. The few magiftrates they have, E 2 jo WHAT IS AN AMERICAN? are in general little better than the reft; they are often in a perfect ftate of war ; that of man againft man, fometimes decided by blows, Ibmetimes by means of the law ; that of man againft every wild inhabitant of thefe venerable woods, of which they are come to difpoffefs them. There men appear to be no better than carnivorous animals of a fuperior rank, living on the flelh of wild animals when they can catch them; and when they are not able, they lhbiift on the grain. He who would wiih to fee America in its proper light, and have a true idea of its feeble beginnings and barbarous rudiments, muft vifit our extended line df frontiers where the laft fettlers dwell, and where he may fee die firftlabours of fettlement, the mode of clearing the earth, in all their different ap¬ pearances; where men are wholly left dependent on their native tempers, and on the fpur of uncer¬ tain induftry, which often fails, when not fanctified by the efficacy of a few moral rules. There, re¬ mote from the power of example, and check of ihame, many families exhibit the moll hideous parts of our fociety. They are a kind of forlorn hope, preceding by ten or twelve years the inoft refpec- table army of veterans which come after them. In that fpace, profperity will poliili fome, vice and the law will drive off the reft, who uniting again with others like rhemfelves will recede ftill farther; mak¬ ing room for more induftrious people, who will finilh their improvements, convert the log-honfe into a convenient habitation, and rejoicing that the firft heavy labours are finilhed, will change in a few years that hitherto barbarous country into a fine, fertile, well-regulated diftritt. Such is our progrefs, fuch is the march of the Eu¬ ropeans toward the interior parts of this continent. Jn all focieties there are pff-caftsj this impure pari WHAT IS AN AMERICAN! j* ferves as our precurfors or pioneers; my father himfelf was one of that clafs ; but he came upon homtft principles, and was therefore one of the few who held fall ; by good conduct and temperance, he tranfmitted to me his fair inheritance, when not above one in fourteen of his cotemporaries had the fame good fortune. . Forty years ago, this finding country was thus inhabited ; it is now purged, a general decency of manners pre\ ails throughout; and Inch has been the fate of our heft countries. Exclufive of thpfe general characteriftics, each province has its own, founded on the government, climate, mode of hulbandry, cuftoms, and peculia¬ rity of circumftances. Europeans Juhmit-infenfibly to thefe great powers, and become in the courfe of a few generations, not only Americans in general, but either Pennfylvanians, Virginians, or provinci¬ als under fome other name. Whoever traverfeo the continent, mml ealily obferve thofe ftrong differ¬ ences, which will grow more evident in time. The inhabitants of Canada, Maffachufetts, the middle provinces, the fouthern ones will be as different as their climates; their only points of unity will be thofe of religion and language. As I have endeavoured to lliow you how Euro¬ peans become Americans ; it may not be difagreea- ble to lliow you like wife how the various chriftian feels introduced, wear out, and how religious in¬ difference becomes prevalent. When any conlidera- ble number of a particular feel happen to dwell contiguous to each other, they immediately creel a temple, and there worlhip the divinity agreeably to their own peculiar ideas. Nobody dilturbs them.-If any new fell fprings up in Europe, it may happen that many of its profeffors will come and fettle in America. As they bring their zeal with them, they j2 WHATIS ANAMERICAK! are at liberty to make profelytes if they can, and to ' build a meeting and to follow the diflates of their coiiftiences; for neither the government nor any other power interferes. If they are peaceable fub- i jedts, and are induftrious, what is it to their neigh- J bours how and in what manner they think fit to . addrefs their prayers to the Supreme Being ? But if j the feftaries are not fettled dole together, if they ! are mixed with other denominations, tlieir zeal will j cool for want of fuel, and will be extinguilhed in a little time. Then the Americans become as to re¬ ligion, what they are as to country, allied to till. In them, the name of Englilhman, Frenchman, and European is loft : and in like manner, the ftritt modes of chrifttanily, as praftifed in Europe, are loft alfo. This effect will extend itfclf ftill farther hereafter ; and though this may appear to you ns a ftrange idea, yet it is a very true one. I fhall be able per- haps hereafter to explain rnyfelf better : in the mean while, let the following example ferve as my firft ] juftification. i Let us fuppofe you and I to be travelling ; we obferve that in thishoufe, to the right, lives a ca¬ tholic, who prays to God as he has been taught, and believes in tranfubftantiation ; he works and raifes wheat, he has a large family of children, all hale and robuft ; his belief, bis prayers offend no¬ body. About one mile farther on the fame road^ his, next neighbour may be a good honeft plodding Ger« man Lutheran, who addreffes hiinfelf to the fame God, the God of all, agreeably to the modes lie has been educated in, and believes in confubftauti- ation ; by fo doing he fcandalizes nobody ; he alfo works in his fields, embellilhes the earth, clears fvvamps, &c. What has the world to do v'ith his Lutheran principles ? He perfecutes nobody, and nobody perfecutes him: he viftts his neighbours, WHAT IS AN AMERICAN? and his neighbours vifit him. Next to him lives a feceder, the molt enthufiaftic of all fectaries; his zeal is hot and fiery ; but, leparated as he is from others of the fame complexion, he has no congrega¬ tion of his own to refort to, where he might cabal and mingle religious pride with worldly obftinacy. He likewife raifes good crops; his houfe is hand- fomely painted ; his orchard is one of the faireft in the neighbourhood. How does it concern the wel¬ fare of the country, or of the province at large,what this man’s religious fentiments are ? He is a good former; he is a fober, peaceable, good citizen. Wil¬ liam Penn hi.nfelf would not wi!h for more. This is the vifible charafter ; the invilible one is only guelfed at, and is nobody’s bufnefs. Next again lives a Low Dutchman, who implicitly believes the rules laid down by the fynod of Dort. He con¬ ceives no other idea of a clergyman than that of an hired man; if he does his work well, he will pay him the ftipulated fum ; if not, he will difmifs him, and do without his fermons, and let his church be tout up for years. But notwilhftanding this coarfe idea, you will find his houfe and farm to be the neateft in all the country ; and you will judge by his waggon and fit horfes, that he thinks more of the affairs of this world than of thofe of the next. He is fober and laborious; therefore he is all he ought to be as to the affairs of this life; as for thofe of the next, he mull truft to the great Creator. Each of thefe people inftruft their children as well as they can-: hut thefe inftruftions are feeble compared to thofe which are given to the youth of the pooreft clafs in Europe. Their children will therefore grow up lefs zealous and more indifferent in matters of religion than their parents. The fool- ijh vanity, or rather the fury, of making profelytes, ;4 WHAT IS A'N AMERICAN? | is unknown here ; they have no time : the feafor. | cali for all their attention ; and thus in a Few year; | this m ed n -r ■> 1 ho id will exhibit a ftrange re |i ligious rm-diy, that will be neither pure catholicifml nor pure Calvinif-n. A very perceptible indifference I even in the firft generation) will become apparent | and it may happen, that the daughter of the ca- ‘ tholic will marry the foa of the feceder, and fettle I by rhemfelves at a difhnce from theirparents. What 1 religious education will they give their children ? | A very imperfect one- if there happens to be in the 1 neighbourhood any place of worfiiip, we will fuppofe * a q’,inker’s meeting ; rather than not ihow their line clothes, they will go to it; and fome of them may j perhaps attach themfelves to that fociety. Others | will remain in a perfect ftate of indifference • the children of thefe zealous parents will not be able to tell what their religious principles are, and their grandchildren Hill lefs. The neighbourhood of a place of worfhip generally leads them to it; and the action of going thither, is the ftrongeft evidence they can giv» of their attachment to any feet. The quakers are the only people who retain a fondnefs for their own mode of worfiiip; for be they ever fo far feparated from each other, they hold a fort of communion with the fociety, and feldom depart from its rules, at leaft in this country. Thus all lefts are mixed as well as all nations; thus religious indifference is imperceptibly dif- feminated from one end of the continent to the other ; which is at prefent one of the ftrongeft charafteriftics of the Americans. Where this will reach, no one can tell; perhaps it may leave a va¬ cuum, fit to receive other fyftems. Perlecutionf: religious pride, the love of contradiftion, are the' food of what the world commonly calls religion. Thefe motives have ceafed here; zeal in Europe WHAT ISANAME RICAN? confined ; here it evaporates in the great diftar.ce l® r ‘has to travel ; there it is a grain of powder in- le jfed ; here it burns away in the open air, and xCnfumea without elFett. I' 'But to return to our back fettler". I muft tell you, that there is fomcthing in. the proximity of .die woods which is very lingular. It is v.ithwtr.. as • t is with the plants and annuals that grow and five *i the forefts ; they arc entire, ly different from thofe *iat live in the plains. I will candidly tell you ail my thought?; but you are not to expect that I hail advance any reafons. By living in or near the voods, their actions are regulated by the v ih.ueis Df the neighbourhood. The deer often come to iat their grain, the wolves to dehroy their fiietp, he bears to kill their hogs, the foxes to catch their poultry. Thisfurrpunding hoftility immediately puts ;he gun into their hands ; they watch thefe ani- jials, they kill fome; and thus by defending their property, they loon become profefTed hunters ; this is the progrefs; once hunters, farewell to the plough. The chafe renders them ferocious, gloomy, and unfociable ; a hunter wants no neighbours, he rather hates them, becaufe he dreads the compe¬ tition. In a little time their fuccefs in the woods makes them neglect their tillage. They truft to the natural fecundity of the earth, and therefore do little; careleffnefs in fencing, often expofes what little they fow, to deltrudtion; they are not at home to watch; in order, therefore, to make up the- de¬ ficiency, they go oftener to the woods. That new mode of life brings along'with it a new fet of man¬ ners, which I cannot ealily delcribe. Thefe new manners being grafted on the old flock, produce a ftrange fort of lawlefs profligacy, the imprefilons of which are indelible. The manners of the Indian natives are refpectable, compared with, this Euro- a WHAT IS AN AMERICAN.' pean medly. Their wives and children live in fioth and ina&ivity ; and having no proper purinits, you may judge what education the latter receive. Their tender minds have nothing elfe to contemplate but the example of their parents; like them they grow up a mongrel breed, half civilized, half la- vage, except nature llamps on them feme cordlitu- tional propenfities. That rich, that voluptuous fen- timent is gone, which ftruck them fo forcibly ; the pofleilion of their freeholds no longer conveys to their minds the fame pleafure and pride. To all thefe reafons you mull add their lonely fituation ; and you cannot imagine what an effeft on manners the great diltance they live from each other has! Conftder one of the lall fettlements in its firft view.- of what is it compofed ? Europeans who have not that fuificient lhare of knowledge they ought to have, in order to profper; people who have fuddenly palled from oppreffion, dread of go¬ vernment, and fear of laws, into the unlimited free- | dom of the woods. This fudden change mull have ,a very great effeft on moll men, and on that clafs particularly. Eating wild meat, whatever you may think, tends to alter their temper; though all the proof I can adduce, is, that I have feen it; and having no place of worlhip to refort to, what lit¬ tle fociety this might afford, is denied them. The Sunday meetings, exclulive of religious benefits, were the only locial bonds that might have infpired them with fome degree of emulation in neatnel's. Is it then furprifing to fee men thus fituated, im- merfed in great and heavy labours, degenerate a little? It is rather a wonder the effeft is not more diffulive. The moravians and the quakers are the only inftances in exception to what 1 have advanc¬ ed. They never fettle fmgly ; it is a colony of the fociety which emigrates; they carry with them WHAT IS AN AMERICAN'? their forms, worfhip, rules, and decency ; the others never begin fo hard ; they are always able to buy improvements, in which there is a great advantage; for by that time the country is recovered from its firft barbarity. Thus our bad people are tbofe who are half cul¬ tivators and half hunters; and the worft of them are thofe who have degenerated altogether into the hunting ftate. As old ploughmen, a id new men of the woods, as Europeans and nets made Indians, they contraft the vices of both ; tl.iy adopt the morofenefs and ferocity of a .native, without his mildncfs, or even his induftry at home. If manners are not refined, at leaft they are rendered fimple .and inoiTenlivc by tilling the earth ; all our wants are fupplied by it; our time is divided between la¬ bour and reft, and none left for the commilllon of great mifdeeds. As hunters, it is divided between the toil of the chafe, the idlenefs of repofe, or indulgence of inebriation. Hunting is but a licentious idle life ; and if it does not always pervert good difpofitions; yet, when it is united with bad luck, it leads to want: want ftimulates that propen¬ sity to rapacity and injuftie'e, too natural to needy men, which is the fatal gradation. After this expla¬ nation of the effects which follow by living in the woods, Ihall we yet vainly flatter ourfelves with the hope of converting the Indians ? We Ihould ra¬ ther begin with converting our back-fettlers; and now if I dare mention the name of religion, its fweet accents would be loft in the immenlity of thefe woods. Men thus placed, are not fit either to receive or remember its mild inftructions; they want temples and minillers; but as foon as men ceafe to r sain at home, and begin to lead an er¬ ratic life, let them be either tawny or white, they ceafe to be its difciples. 5 S WHATIS AN AM F, RICAN* Tims have I faintly and imperfectly endeavoured^ to trace our fociety from the fea to our woods ; a yet you muft not imagine that every perfon who moves back, acts upon the fame principles, or falls into the lame degeneracy. Many families carry with them all their decency of condudt, purity of morals, and refpedt of religion : but thefe are fcarce; the pow¬ er of example is fometimes irreliftible. Even among thefe back-fettlers, their depravity is greater or lei's, according to what nation or province they be¬ long. Were I to adduce proofs of this, I might be accufed of partiality. If there happens to be feme rich intervals, fome fertile bottoms, in thofe re. mote diftrids, the people will there prefer tilling the land to hunting, and will attach themfelves to it; but even on thefe fertile fpots, you may plainly perceive the inhabitants to acquire a great degree of rulucity and feltifbncfs. It is in confequence of this liraggling litnation, and the aftonifhing power it has on manners, that the back-fettlers of both the Carolinas, Virginia, and many other parts, have been long a fet of lawleis people ; it has been even dangerous to travel among them. Government can do nothing in fo extenfive a country ; better it fhould wink at thefe irregula¬ rities, than that it ftould ufe means inconliftent with its ufual mildnefs. 1 ime will efface thofe ftains: in proportion as the great body of population ap¬ proaches them, they will reform, and become po- li.hed and fubordinate. Whatever has been faid of the four New England provinces, no fuch degene¬ racy of manners has ever tarniflted their annals ; their back-fettlers have been kept tvithin the bounds of decency and government, by means of wife laws, and by the influence of religion. What a deteffable idea fuch people muff have oh en to the natives of the Europeans! They trade WHAT IS A N AMERICAN? 59 \vith them ; thd worft of people are permitted to do that, which noua but perfons of the belt cha¬ racter (hould be employed in. They get drunk with them, and often defraud the Indians. T heir ava¬ rice, removed from the eyes of their fuperiors, knows no bounds; and aided by a little fuperiority of knowledge, thefe traders deceive them, and even lbmetirr.es fried blood- Fence thofe fhotking viola¬ tions, thole hidden devaluations which have fo often llained our frontiers, when hundreds of innocent people have been facrilked for the crimes of a few. It was in conlequence of fuch behaviour, that the Indians took the hatchet againft the Virginians in 1774. Thus are our firft Heps trod, thus are our firll trees felled, in general, by the moil vicious of our people; and thus the path is opened for the arrival of a feccnd and better clafs, the true Ame¬ rican freeholders ; the mofl refpecqble let of people in this part of the world : refpeccable for their in- ■duHry, their happy independence, the great ihsre of freedom they poflefs, the good regulation of their families, and for extending die trade and the do¬ minion of their country. - _Enrope contains hardly any other diftindions but lords and tenants ; this fair country alone is fettled by freeholders, the pofleffors of the foil they culti¬ vate, members of the government they obey, and the framers of their own laws, by means of their reprefentatives. This is a thought 'which you have taught me to cherifli; our dilbnee from Europe, far from diminilhing, rather adds to our ufefulnefs and confeqiience as men and fubjects. Had our fore¬ fathers remained there, they would only have crou- ded it, and perhaps prolonged thofe ccnvtihions which had Ihook it fo long. Every induftrious Eu¬ ropean who tranfports himlelf here, may be com¬ pared to a fprout growing at the foot of a great WHAT IS AN AMERICAN? tree ; it enjoys and draws but a little portion of lap ; wrench it from the parent roots, traulplant it, audit will become a tree-bearing fruit alfo. Co- lonills are therefore intitled' to the confkleration due to the molt ufeful i’ubjecb; a hundred families barely exiftingin fome parts of Scotland, will here in fix years, caufe an annual exportation of 10,000 huihels of wheat: ioobuflsels being but a common quantity for an induftrious family to fell, if they cultivate good land. It is here, then, that the idle may he employed, the ufelefs become ufeful, and the poor become rich : but by riches I do not mean gold and filver ; we have but little of thofe metals; I mean a better fort of wealth, cleared lands, cattle, good houfes, good clothes, and an in- crenfe of people to enioy them. There is no wonder that this country has fo many charms, and prefents to Europeans fo many temptations to remain in it. A traveller in Europe becomes a ftranger as foon as he quits his own king¬ dom ; but it is other wife here. We know, properly ipeaking, no ftraugcrs; this is every perfon’s coun¬ try ; the variety of our foils, fituations, climates, governments, and produce, hath fomething which muft pleafe every body. No fooner does an European arrive, no matter of w’hat condition, than his eyes ■are opened upon the fair profpeft; he hears his language fpoke, he retraces many of his own country manners, he perpetually hears the names of fami¬ lies and towns wtith which he is acquainted ; he fees happinefs and profperity in all places diffeminated ; he meets with hofpitality, kindnefs, and plenty every where : he beholds hardly any poor, he fel- dom hears of punilhments and executions; and he wonders at the elegance of our towns, thofe mira¬ cles of induftry and freedom. He cannot admire Enough our rural diftri&s, our convenient roads. I ■ WHAT IS A N A M EU I C AN ? 61 good taverns, and our many accommodations ; he involuntarily loves a country where every thing is fo lovely. When in England, he was a mere En g- lilhman ; here he ftands on a larger portion of the globe, not lei’s than its fourth part, ar.d may fee the produdtions of the north,'in iron and naval (tores ; the provifionsof Ireland, the grain of Egypt, the indig o, the rice of China. He does r.ot find, as in Europe, a croudcd i'ocitty, where every place is over-flecked ; he does not feel that perpetual coi- lilloti of parties, that difficulty of beginning, that contention which overfets fo many. There is room for every body in America : has lie any particular talent, or induflry ? he exerts it in order to procure a livelihood, and it lucceeds. Is he a merchant? the avenues of trade are infinite ; is he eminent in any refpefl? he will be employed and refpefled. Does he love a country life ? plea- flmt farms prefent themfelves; he may purchafe what he wants, and thereby become an American farmer. Is he a labourer, fober and induflrions; be need not go many miles, nor receive many informations be¬ fore he will be hired, well fed at the table of his •employer, and paid four or five times more than he can get in Europe. Does he want uncultivated lands ? thoufands of acres prefent themfelves, which he may purchafe cheap. Whatever be his talents or Inclinations, if they are moderate, he may fatitfy •them. I do not .mean, that every one who comes will grow rich in a little time ; no, but he may •procure an eafy, decent maintenance, by his induf- :try. Inftead of ftarving, he will be fed ; infiead of being idle, he will have employment; and thel'e are riches enough for fuch men as come over here. The rich flay in Europe; it is only the -middling and poor that emigrate. Would you wilh ■to travel iu independent idlenefs, from .north €i WHAT IS AN AMERICAN? fcuth, yon will find eafy accefs, and the moft cheat* ful reception at every houl'e ; fociety without of- ten'tation, good cheer without pride, and every de¬ cent diverlion which the country affords, with lit¬ tle expenle. It is no wonder that the European who has lived here a few years, is defirous to remain; Europe with all its pomp, is not to be compared to this continent, for men of middle ftations or la¬ bourers. An European, when he firft arrives, feems limit¬ ed in his intentions, as well as in his views; but he very fuddenly alters his fade ; two hundred miles formerly appeared a very great diftance ; it is now but a trifle ; he no' fooner breathes our air than he forms fchemes, and embarks in defigns he never would have thought of in his own country. There the plenitude of fociety confines many ufeful ideas, and often extinguilhes the molt laudable fchemes which here ripen into maturity. Thus Europeans become Americans. But how is this accornpiifhed in that croud of low, indigent people, who flock here every year from all parts of Europe ! I will tell you ; they no foon- ■er arrive than they immediately feel the good ef¬ fects of that plenty of provifions we polfels: they fare oil our belt food, and are kindly entertained; their talents, character, and peculiar induftry are immediately enquired into; they find countrymen every where difleminated, let them come from what¬ ever part of Europe. Let me felect one as an epitome of the reft; he is hired, he goes to work, and works moderately ; inftead of being employed by a haughty perfon, he finds himfelf with his equal, placed at the fubftan- tial table of the farmer, or elfe at an inferior one as good; his wages are high, his bed is not like that bed of forrow on which he ufed to lie: if he be- WHAT IS AN AMERICAN! haves with propriety, and is faithful, he is careffed, and becomes, as it were, a member of the family. He begins to feel the effects of a fort of refurrection hitherto he had not lived, but limply vegetated; he now feeis hitnfelf a man, becaufe he is treated as Inch,; the laws of his own country had overlooked him in his inlignificancy ; the laws of this cover him with their mantle. Judge what an alteration there muft arife in the mind and thoughts of this man ; he begins to forget his former fervitude and dependence; his heart involuntarily fwells and glows; this firft fwell infpires him with thole'new thoughts which conilitute an American. What love can he entertain for a country where his exiftence was a burden to him ! if he is a generous good man, the love of this new adoptive parent, will link deep •into his heart. He looks around, and fees many a profperous perfon, who but a few' years before was as poor as himfelf. This encourages him much ; he begins to form fome little fcheme, the firft, alas, he ever formed in his life. If he is wife, he thus fpends twm or three years, in which time he ac¬ quires knowledge, the ule of tools, the modes of working the lands, felling trees, &c. This prepares the foundation of a good name, the moft ufeful ac- quifition he can make. He is encouraged ; he has gained friends; he is advifed and directed ; he feels bold; he purchafes fome land ; he gives all the money he has brought over, as well as what he has earned, and truths to the God of harvefts for the difeharge of the reft. His good name procures him credit; he is now pofTefled of the deed, convey¬ ing to him and his pofterity the fee limple, and ab- folute property of two hundred acres of land, ft. tuated on fitch a river. What an epccha in this man’s - life ! He is become a freeholder, from perhaps a .German boor—he is now an American, a Pennfyl- $4 WHAT IS AN AMERICAN? yanian. He is naturalized ; his name is enrolled with tliole of the other Citizens of the province. Initcad of being a vagrant, he has a place of relidence ; he is called the inhabitant of fuch a county, or of Inch a diltrict, and for the lirlt time in his life counts for ibmething ; for hitherto he had been a cypher. I only repeat what I have heard many fay, and no wonder their hearts (hould glow, and be agitated with a multitude of feelings,, not eafy to deicribe. From nothing to ftartinto being ; from a lervant to the rank of a mailer ; from being the have of I'onte defpotic prince, to become a free man, inverted with lands, to which every municipal.bleffing is annexed ! What a change indeed ! It is in confequence of that change, that he becomes an American. This great metamorpholls has'a double effect; it extinguilhes all his European prejudices ; he for¬ gets that mechanifm of fubordination, that fervility of difpofttion which poverty had taught him; and fometimes he is apt to forget it too much, often paf- ftng from one extreme to the other. If he is a good man, he -forms .fchemcs. of future profperity ; he propofes to educate his children better than he has been educated himfelf; he thinks of future modes of conduct, feels an ardour to labour he ne- yer felt before. Pride fteps in, and leads hin\ to every thing that the laws do not forbid : he re- fpecls them ; with a heart-felt gratitude he looks toward that government from whofe wifdom all his new felicity is derived, and under whofe wings and protection he now lives. Thefe reflexions conftitute him the good man and the good fubjeft. . Ye poor Europeans, ye, who f\v eat and work for the great—ye, who are obliged to give fo ynany /heaves to the church, fo' many to your lords, fo ma- py to your government, and have- hardly any left for yourfelves—ye, who are held in Ms eflinu- WHATI S An AMERICAN' 1 . 6H ■ million than favourite hunters or ufelefs lap-dogs—■ ye, who only breathe the air of nature, becaufe it cannot be withheld from you ; it is here that ye can conceive the poffibility of thofe feelings I have been delcribing; it is here the laws of naturaliza¬ tion invite every one to partake of our great la¬ bours and felicity, to till unrented, untaxed lands ! Many, corrupted beyond die power of amend¬ ment, have brought with them ail their vices, and, difregarding the advantages he'd out to them, have gone on in their former career of iniquity, until they have been overtaken and puniflied by our laws. It is not every emigrant who fucceeds ; no, it is only the fober, the honeft, and indullrious : happy thofe, to whom this tranficion hasferved as a pow¬ erful fpur tc labour, to profperity, and to the good • eftablilhment of children, born in the days of their poverty : and who had no other portion to expeft, but the rags of their parents, had it not been for their happy emigration. Others again, have been led aftray by this enchanting feene ; their new pride, inftead of leading them to the fields, has kept them in idlenefs; the idea of poffeSng lands is all that fatisfies them—though furronncled with ferti¬ lity, they have mouldered away their time in inacti¬ vity, mifinformed hufbandry, and ineffectual en¬ deavours. How much wifer, in general, the honeft Germans than ahnoft all other Europeans ; they hire themfelves ro fome of their wealthy landfmen, . and in that apprenticelhip learn every thing that is neceffary. They attentively conlider the profperous indultrj'of others, which imprints on their minds a ftrong defire of poffeffing the fame advantages. This forcible idea never quits them ; they launch forth, and by dint of lobriety, rigid pariimony, and the moil perfevering induftry, they commonly fncceed. Their aftpnilhment at their firft arrival from Ger- WIIAT IS A N A M ERICA H? many is very great; it is to them a dream ; the eon- trait mult be very powerful indeed ; they oblerve their countrymen flouriihing in every place ; they travel through whole counties where not a word of Engiiih is lpoken ; and in the names and the language of the people - they retrace Germany. They have been an ufc-fnl acquifition to tiiis conti¬ nent, mid to Pennsylvania in particular; to them it ones Some diare of its profperity to their mecha¬ nical knowledge and patience, it owes the fine! mills in all America, the belt teams of horfes, and many- other advantages. The recollection of their-former poverty and llavery never quits them as long as they live. The Scotch and the Irilh might have lived in theirowncountryperhapsaspoor-; butei,joying more civil advantages, the .eifedts of their new Situation do not flrike them fo forcibly, nor has ,it fo lalt- ing an effect. From whence the difference arifes, I .know not; but out of twelve families of emigrants of each country, generally feven Scotch will fuc- ceed, nine-German, and four Irilh. The Scotch are frugal and laborious ; but their wives cannot work fo hard as the German women, who, on the con¬ trary, vie with their hulbands, and often ihare with them the molt fevere toils of the field, which they underftand better. They have therefore no¬ thing to ftruggle again!!, but the common caiual- tiesof nature. The Irilh do not .profper fo well; they love to drink and to quarrel; they are litigious, and foon take to the gun, which is the ruin of every thing; they feem,.befide, to labour, under a greater degree of ignorance.in hulbandry than the others; perhaps it is that their induftry had lefs fcope, and was lefs exercifed at home. I'have heard many re¬ late, how the land was parcelled out in that king¬ dom ; their ancient conqueft has.been .a great detri. WHAT IS AN AMERICAN? 6,- ment to them, by over-fetting their landed proper¬ ty. The lauds, poffeffcd by a few, are leafed down ad vjinltum ; and the occupiers often pay live gui¬ neas an acre. The poor are worfe lodged there than any where elfe in Europe ; their potatoes, which are eaiily railed, are perhaps- an inducement to la- zinefs: their wages are too low, and their whilky too cheap. There is no tracing obfervations of this kind, without making at the lame time very great al¬ lowances ; as there are every where to be found a great many exceptions. The Irilhthemfelves, from different parts of that kingdom, are very different. It is difficult to account for this furprifing locality ; one would think, on fo fmall an ifiand all Irifhmen mnft be alike ; yet it is notfo ; they arc different in their aptitude to, and in their love of labour. The Sotch, on the contrary, are all induftrious and laving; they- 1 want nothing more than a field to exert themlelves in ; and they are commonly lure of fucceeding. The only.difficulty they labour under is, that technical American knowledge, which requires fome time to obtain ; it is not eafy for thole who feldom faw a tree, to conceive how it is to be felled, cut up, and fplit into rails and polls. i\As I am fond -of feeing and talking of profperous families, I intend to finifh this letter by rriatino- to you the hiftory of an honeft Scotch Hebridean, who came here in' 1774, which will fhowyouin epitome, what the Scotch can do, wherever they have room for the exertion of their induflry. Whenever I hear of any new f'etlement, I pay it a vifit once or twice a year, on purpofe to oblerve the different fleps each lcttler takes, the gradual improvements, the different tempers of each family, on which their profperity in a great meafure depends; their different modifi¬ cations of induflry, their ingenuity and contrivance; 6$ WH A TISAN AMERICAN? for being all poor, their life requires fagncity and prn * dence. In an evei ing I love to hear them tell their ' hories; they furnilb me with new ideas. I lit hill and lihen to their ancient misfortunes, obferving in many of them a ftrong degree of gratitude to God, and the government. Many a well-meant fermon have I preached to fome of them. When I found lazinefs and inattention prevail, who could refrain from wilhing well to thefe new countrymen, after ha\ing undergone lo many fatigues ? Who could withhold good advice! What a happy change it muft be, to defcend from the high, herile, bleak lands of Scotland, where every thing is barren and cold, and toreh on fome fertile farms in thefe middle provin¬ ces ! Such a tranfition mull have afforded the moll pleafing fatisfaclion. The folio wing dialogue paffed at an out fettlement, where I lately paid a viiit. Well, friend, how do you do now ? I am come fif¬ ty odd miles on purpofe to fee you; how do you go oil with your new cutting and fiafliing ? Very- well, good lir; we-learn the ufeof the axe brave¬ ly; we fiiall make it out; we have a belly full of victuals every day, cur cows run about, and come home full of milk, our hogs get fat of themfelves in the woods : oh, this is a good country ! God blefs William Penn; we fhall do very well by and by, if we keep cur healths. Your loglioufe looks neat and light; where did you get thefe lhingles ? One of our neighbours is a New-England man, and lie fbowed us how to fplit them out of chefnut-trees. Now for a bam, but all in good time, here are fine trees to build it with. Who is to frame it ? fure you don't underhand that work yet ? A countryman of ours, who has been in America thefe ten years, of¬ fers to wait for his money until the fccond crop is lodged in it. V/hat did you give for your land ? WHAT IS AN AMERICAN ? 69 Thirty-five {billings per acre, payable in feven years. How many acres have you got? An hundred and fif¬ ty. That is enough to begin with ; is not your land pretty hard to clear? Yes, fir, hard enough ; but it would be harder ftill, if it was ready cleared, for then we fliould have no timber; and I love the woods much ; the land is nothing without them. Have not you found out any bees yet ? No, fir ; and if we had, we fiiould not know what to do with them. I will tell you by and by. You are very kind. Fare¬ well, honeft man, God profperyou ; whenever you travel toward * * *, enquire for J. S. he will enter¬ tain you kindly, provided you bring him good tidings from your family and farm. In this manner I often vilit them, and carefully ex¬ amine their houfes, their modes cf ingenuity, their different ways; and make . them relate all they know, and deferibe all they feel. Thefe are feenes which I believe you would willingly fhare with me. I well remember your philanthropic turn of mind. I« it not better to contemplate under thefe humble roofs, the rudiments of future wealth and popula¬ tion, than to behold the accumulated bundles of liti¬ gious papers in the office of a lawyer? To examine how the world is gradually fettled, how the howl¬ ing fwamp is converted into a pleafing meadoev, the rough ridge into a fine field; and to hear the cheer¬ ful whittling, the rural fong, where there was no found heard before, fave the yell of the favage, the fcreechof the owl, or the biffing of the fnake ? Here an European, fatigued with luxuries, riches, and pleafures, may find a fw'eet relaxation in a feries of interefting feenes, as affefting as they are new. Eng¬ land, which now contains fo many domes, fo many cattles, was once like this, a place woody.and mar- fhy; its inhabitants, now the favourite nation of yo WHAT IS AN AMERICAN; nrts and commerce, were once painted like our neighbours. This country will fiourilh in its turn ; and the fame obfcrvations will be made, which I ltave juft delineated. Pofterity will look back with avidity and pleafure, to trace, if poilible, the era of this or that particular fettlement. Agreeable to the account which feveral Scotch; men have given me of the north of Britain, of the Orkneys, and the Hebride iflands, they feem, on ma¬ ny accounts, to be unfit for the habitation of men ; they appear to be calculated only for great flieep paftures. Who then can blame the inhabitants of thefe countries for tranfporting themfelves hither ? This great continent nmft in time abforb the poor, eft part of Europe ; and this will happen in propor¬ tion as it becomes better known ; and as war, tax¬ ation, oppreflion, and mifery increafe there. The Hebrides appear to be fit only for the reitdence of malefactors • and it would have been much better to fend felons there than either to Virginia or Ma¬ ryland. What a ftrange compliment has England heretofore paid two of the fineft provinces in Ame¬ rica ! She entertained in that refpect very miftakeh ideas; what was intended as a punilhment, became the good fortune of feveral; many of thofe who were tranfported as felons, grew rich, and ftrangers to the flings of thofe wants that urged them to vi¬ olations of the laws : they became induftrious, ex¬ emplary, and tifeful citizens. The Englifh govern¬ ment lhouldhave purchafed the moll northern and barren of thofe iflands; it Ihould have fent over to us the honeft, primitive Hebrideans, fettled them here on good lauds, as a rew ard for their virtue and ancient poverty ; and replaced them with a colony of her wicked fons. The feverity of the cli- mate, the inclemency of the feafons, the fterility of -she foil, the tempeftuoufae& of the fea, would have tVHAT IS AN AMERICAN? afflicted and pnnifhed enough. Could there be found afpot better adapted to retaliate the injury it had received by- their crimes ? Some of thofe iilands might be confiiered as the hell of Great Britain, where all evil fpirits fhould be lent. Twoeffential ends would have been anfwered by this limpie operation. The good people, by emigration, would have been rendered happier ; the bad ones would be placed where they ought to be. In a few years the dread of being fent to that wintry region would have a much dronger effect, than that of tranfporta- tion. This is no place of puniflnnent; were I a poof hopelefs, breadlefs Englillnnan, and not reflraincd by the power of fliame, I fhould be very thankful for the paflage. It is of very little importance how, and in what manner an indigent man arrives; for if he is but fober, boned, and indudrious, he has no¬ thing more to afk of heaven. Let him go to work, he will have opportunities enough to earn a com¬ fortable fupport, and even the means of procuring fotne land; which ought to be the utmollwifh of every perfon who has health and hands to work. I knew a man who came to this country, in the literal fenfe of the expreffion, ftark-naked. I think he was a Frenchman, and a failor on board an Englifli man of war. Being difcontented, he had dripped himfelf and l’wam afhore ; where finding clothes and friends, he fettled afterwards at Maraneck, in the county of Cheder, in the province of New York : he married and left a good farm to each of his fons. I knew another perfon, who was but twelve years old, when he was taken on the frontiers of Canada, by the Indians; at his arrival at Albany he was pnrchafed by a gentleman, who generoully bound him apprentice to a tailor. He lived to the age of ninety, and left behind him a fine edate and a numerous family, all well fettled; many of them HISTORY OP ANDREW, I am acquainted with. Where is then the induftri* dus European who ought to defpair l After a foreigner from any part of Europe is ar¬ rived, and become a citizen ; Ie.t him devoutly lifttn to the voice of our great parent, which lays to him, “ Welcome to my Ihores, dilireiTed Euiopean; bid's the hour in which thou didft fee my verdant fields, my fair navigable rivers, and my green moun¬ tains !—If thou wilt work, I have bread for thee ; if thou wilt be honeft, lober and imluftrious, I have greater rewards to confer on thee—eafe and inde¬ pendence. I will give thee fields to feed and clothe thee ; a comfortable fire-lide to fit by, and tell thy children by what means thou halt profpered; and a decent bed to repole on. I lliall endow thee, beiide, with the immunities of a freeman. If thou wilt care¬ fully educate thy children, teach them gratitude to God, and reverence to that government, that phi¬ lanthropic government, which has collected here lo many men and made them happy. I will alfo provide for thy progeny : and to every good man this ought to be the molt holy, the moft powerful, the molt ear¬ ned: wilh he can polfibly form, as well as the moft confolatcry profpcct when he dies. Go thou, and work and till; thou ihait profper, provided thou be juft, grateful and indullrious.” Hijlory of Andrew, the Hebridean. LET hiftorians give the detail of our charters, the i’uccefiion of our feveral governors, and of their adminiftrations; of our political ftruggles, and of the foundation of our towns : let annalilts amufe theni- felves with collefting anecdotes of the eftablilhment of our modern provinces: eagles foar high, but I a THE HEBRIDEAN. feebler bird, chearfully content myfelf with dip¬ ping from bulb to bud), and living on infigniheant infects. I am fo habituated to draw all my food and pleafure from the furface of the earth I till, that I cannot, nor indeed ain I able to quit it. I there¬ fore prefent you with a fhort hiftory of a fimple Scotchman ; though it contain not a Angle remark¬ able event to amaze the reader; no tragical feene to' convulfe the heart, or pathetic narrative to draw tears, from fympathetic eyes. All I with to deline¬ ate, is, the progrefhve fteps of a poor man, advanc¬ ing from indigence to eafe ; from opprelhon to free¬ dom ; from obfeurity and contumely to fome degree of confequence—not by virtue of any freaks of for¬ tune, but by the gradual operation of fobriety, hc- nefty, and emigration. Thefe are the limited fields, through which I love to wander ; hire to find in fome parts, the fmile of new-born happinefs, the glad heart, infpiring the cheerful fong, the glow of manly pride excited by vivid hopes and riling independence. I always return from my neighbour¬ ly excurftons extremely happy, becaufe there I fee good living almolt under every roof, and prof’e- rous endeavours almoft in every field. But you may fay, why don ,f von deferibe fome of the more an¬ cient opulent k elements of our country, where even the eye of an European has fomething to ad¬ mire ? It is true, our American fields are in gene¬ ral pleating to behold, adorned and intermixed as they are with fo many fubllantial houfes, flouriih- ing orchards, and copfes of woodlands—the pride of our farms, the fource of every good we poifels. But what I might obferve there, is but natural ami common ; for to draw comfortable fubliftence from well-fenced-, cultivated fields, is eafy to conceive. A father dies, and leaves a.decent houfe and rich farm to his fon; the fon modernizes the one, and • G 2 74 historyofandrevv, carefully tills the other; he marries the daughter of a friend and neighbour : this is the common prof- peft; but though it is rich and pleafant, yet it is far from being lb entertaining and inftruftive as the one now in my view. I had rather attend on the Ihore to welcome the poor European when he arrives. I obferve him in his firft moments of embarraffment, trace him throughout his primary difficulties, follow him ftep by ftep, until he pitches his tent on fome piece of land, and realizes that energetic wilh which has made him quit his native land, his kindred, and in¬ duced him to traverfe a boifterous ocean. It is there I want to obferve his firft thoughts, and feelings, the firft effays of an induftry, which hitherto has been fupprelied, I wifh to fee men cut down the firft trees, erect their new buildings, till their firft fields, reap their firft crops, and fay for the firft time in their lives, “ This is our own grain, raifed from American foil—on it we fliall feed and grow fat, and convert the reft into gold and filver.” I want to fee how the happy effects of their fobriety, ho- nefty, and induftry are firft difplayed : and who would not take a pleafure in feeing thefe ftrangers fettling as new countrymen, ftruggling with arduous difficulties, overcoming them, and becoming happy. Landing on this great continent is like going to fea ; they rnuft have a compafs, fome friendly di¬ cing needle; or elfe they will ufelcfsly err and wander for a long time, even with a fair wind : yet thefe are the ftruggles through which our forefathers have waded; and they have left us no other re¬ cords of them, but the poffelfion of our farms. The reflexions I make on thefe new new fettlers recal to my mind what my grandfather did in his days; they fill me with gratitude to his memory, as well as to that government, winch invited him to come. THE HEBRIDEAi and helped him when he arrived, as w ell as many others. Can I pafs over thefe reflexions, without re¬ membering thy name, O Penn ! thou befl of legil- lators; who by the wifdom of thy laws haft en¬ dowed human nature within the bounds of thy pro¬ vince, with ePery dignity it can poflibly enjoy in a civilized ftate ; and fhowed, by this lingular efta- blilhment, what all men might be, if they would follow thy example ! Iu the year 1770, I purchafed fome lands in the county of-, w'hich I intended for one of my fons; and was obliged to go there in order to fee them properly furveyed and marked out : the foil is good; but the country has a very wild afpeft. However, I obferved with pleafure, that land fells very fall; and I am in hopes, that when the lad gets a wife, it will be a well-fettled decent country. Agreeable to our cuftoms, which indeed are thole of nature, it is our duty to provide for our cldtft children v hile we live, in order that our homefteads may be left to the youngeft, who are the moft help- lefs. Some people are apt to regard the portions given to daughters as fo much loft to the family : but this is felfilh, and is not agreeable to my w r ay of thinking ; they cannot work as men do ; they marry young: I have given an honeft European a farm to till for himfelf, rent free, provided he clears an acre of fwamp every year, and that he quits it whenever my daughter (ball marry. It will procure her a fubllantial hulband, a good farmer—and that is all my ambition. While I was in the woods, I met with a party of Indians; I Ihook hands w ith them ; and I perceived they had killed a cub. I had a little peach brandy ; they perceived it alfo; we therefore joined company, kindled a large fire, ard ate. a hearty lupper. I made their hearts glad j'and we all repofed on good beds HISTORY OF ANDREW, of leaves. Soon after dark, I was fnrprifed to hear a prodigious hooting through the woods; the In¬ dians laughed heartily. One of them, more ikilful than the reft, mimicked the owls fo exadlly, that a very large one perched on a high tree over our fire. We foon brought him down ; he nxeafur- ed five feet fevcn inches from one extremity of the wings to the other. By captain-I have fent you the talons, on which I have had the heads of frnali candlefticks fixed. Pray keep them on the ta¬ ble of your ftudy for my fake. Contrary to my expectation, I found myfelf un¬ der the necefiity of going to Philadelphia, in order to pay the purchafe money, and to have the deeds properly recorded. I thought little of the journey, though it was above two hundred miles ; becaufe 1 was well acquainted with many friends, at whofe homes I intended to flop. The third night after I left the woods, I put up at mr.-’s, the moft worthy citizen I know : he happened to lodge at inv houl'e when you was there—He kindly enquir¬ ed after your welfare, and deiired I would make a friendly mention of him to you. The neatnefs of thefe good people is no phenomenon ; yet I think this excellent family furpafles every thing I know. No foouer did I lie down to reft, than I thought myfelf in a moft odoriferous arbour, fo fweet and fragrant were the duets. Next morning I found my hoft in his orchard, deftroying caterpillars. I think, friend B. faid I, that thee art greatly depart¬ ed from the good rules of the iociety ; thee feem- eth to hive quitted that happy ft nplicity for which it hath hitherto been fo remarkable. Thy rebuke, friend James, is a pretty heavy one ; what motive canft thee have for thus accuiing us ? Thy kind wife made a niftaks laft evening^ I faid; fixe put me on.a bed of rofes, inftead of a common one; I the Hebridean. am not nfed to fuch delicacies. And is that all, friend James, that thee haft to reproach us with?—'lhee wilt not call it luxury, I hope ? thee canft not but know that it is the produce of our garden ; and friend Tope fayeth, that “ to enjoy is to obey.” 1 his is a moft learned excufe indeed, friend E. and mult be valued, hecaufe it is founded upon truth. James, my wife hath done nothing mere to thy bed than what is done all the year round to all the beds in the family ; ihe fprinLles her linen v i.hroit-wa- ter before Ihe puts it under the preft ; it L her fancy, and I have nought to fay. But ths.* (halt not elcape. fo ; verily 1 will lend lor her ; thee and the nn.it lettie the matter, while I proceed on my work be¬ fore the fun gets too high.—1 ora, go thou, and call thy miftrels Jrhiladelplna. What, laid 1, is thy v. ife called by that name? I did not know that before, k’ll tell thee, James, how it came to pals her grand- mother was the hrll female child born alter Vv illiam Penn landed with the reft of our brethren; and in compliment to the city he intended to build, ihe u as called after the name he intended to give it; and fo there is always one ef the daughters of her family known by the name of Philadelphia. She loom came, and after a moft friendly altercation, I gave up the point; breakfafted, departed, and in four days reached the city. A week after, news came that a veffel was arrived with Scotch emigrants. Mr. C. and I went to the dock to fee them difembark. It was a Rene which infpired me with a variety of thoughts : here are, laid I to my friend, a number of people, driven by poverty, and other adverfe caufes, to a foreign land, in which they know nobody. The name cl a Granger, inftead of implying relief, afhllance, and kindnefs, on the contrary, conveys very different ideas. They are now diftiefied; their minds are 7 1 HISTORY OFANDRE 1 V, racked by a variety of apprehenfions, fears, and hores. It was this iall powerful fentiment which has orought them here. If they are good people, I pray that heaven may realii’e them. Whoever were to lee them tints gathered again in five or fix years, would behold a more plealing light, to which this would lerve as a very powerful contrail. By their honefty, the vygotir of their arms, and the benig¬ nity of government, their condition will be greatly improved ; they will be well clad, fat, poflelFed of that manly confidence which property confers; they will become ufcftil citizens* Some of their poftarity may act confpicuous parts in our future American traufaclions. Moll of them appeared pale and emaciated, from tile length of the paffage, and the indifferent provifion oh which they had lived. The number of children feemed as great as that of the people; they had all paid for being convey¬ ed here. The captain told us they were a qniet, peacea¬ ble, and harmlefs people, who had never dwelt in cities. This was a valuable cargo ; they feemed, a few excepted, to be in the full vigour of their lives. Several citizens, impelled either by fpontaueous at¬ tachments, or . motives of humanity, took many of them to their houfes; the city, agreeable to its ufual wifdom and humanity, ordered them all to be lodged in the barracks, and plenty of provifions to be given them. My friend pitched upon one alfo, and led him to his houfe, with his wife, and a fon about fourteen years of age. The majority of them had contracted for land the year before, by means of an agent ; the reft depended entirely upon chance ; and the one who followed us, was of this laft clafs. Poor man, he fmiled on receiving the in¬ vitation, and glad I v accepted it, bidding his wife and fon do the fame, in a language which I did THE HEBRIDEAN. *ot underftand. He gazed with uninterupted at¬ tention on every thing he faw ; the houfes, the inhabitants, the negroes, and carnages : every thing appeared equally new to him ; and we went for.-, in order to give hint time to feed on this pleanng varie¬ ty. Good God ! laid he, is this Philadelphia, that bleffed city of bread and provilions, of which we have heard fo much ! I am told it was founded the fame year in which my father was born ; why it is finer than Greenock and Glafgow, which are ten times as old. Jt is fo, faid my friend to him; and when thee haft been here a month, thee will fcon fee that it is the capital of a fine province, of w'hich thou art going to be a citi7.cn : Greenock enjoys neither fuch a climate nor fuch a foil. Thus we flow ly proceeded along, when we met feveral larce Lancafter fix-horfe waggons, juft arrived from the country. At this flupendous fight, he flopped ihort, and with great diffidence allied us what was the ufe of theie great moving houfes, and where thole big horfes came front ! Have you none fuch at home, I allied him ? Oh no; thefe huge animals would eat all the grafs of our illand ! We at laft reached my friend’s lioufe, who, in the glow of well-meant hofpitality, made them all three fit down to a good dinner, and gave them as much cy¬ der as they could drink. God blefs this country, and the good people it contains, faid he ; this is the belt meal’s victuals I have made a long time—I thank you kindly. What part of Scotland doft thee come from, friend Andrew ! faid mr. C. Some of us come from the main, fome from the illand of Barra, he anfwer- ed—I myfelf am a Barra man. I looked on the map, and by its latitude, eafily guelled that it mull be an inhofpitable climate. What fort of land have y,ou got there ? I alked hint. Bad #nough, faid he ; fco H I S T O A Y OF ANDRE W, we have no fuch trees as I fee here, no wheat, na kine, no apples. Then, I obferved, that it nmft he hard for the poor to live. We liave no poor, he an. fwered, we are. all alike, except our laird; but he Cannot help every body. Pray what is the name of your laird? Mr. Neil, faid Andrew; the like of him is not' to be found in any of the ifles ; his forefathers have lived there thirty generations ago, as we are told. Now, gentlemen, you may judge what an ancient family eltate it nmft be. But it is cold, the land is thin, and there were too many of us, which are the reafons that fomc are come to to feek their fortunes here. Well, Andrew, what ftep do you intend to take, in order to become rich ? I do not know, lir; I am but an ignorant man, a ftranger belides—I mult rely on the advice of good chrittians; they would not deceive me, I am fore. I have brought with me a charafler from our Bar¬ ra minifter ; can it do me any good here ? Oh, yes; but your future fuccefs will depend entirely on your own conduft: if you are a fober man, as the certifi¬ cate fays, laborious, and honeft, there is no fear but that you will do well. Have you brought any money with you, Andrew ? Yes, fir, eleven guineas and an half. Upon my word, it is a conliderable fum for a Barra man; how came you by fo much mo¬ ney ? Why, feven years ago, I received a legacy of thirty-feven pounds from an uncle, who loved me much ; my wife brought me two guineas, when the laird gave her to me for a wife, which I have faved everfince. I have fold all I had ; 1 worked in Glafgow for fome time. I am glad to hear you are fo faving and prudent; be fo ftill: you muft go and hire yourfelf with fome good people ; what can you dof-Ican threfh a little, and handle the fpade. Can you plough ? Yes, fir, with a little breaft plough I have brought with me. Thefe- won’t do here. THE HEBRIDEAN. Andrew ; you are an able man; if you are willing you will foon learn. I’ll tell you what I intend to -do ; I’ll fend you to my houfe, where you fhall flay two or three weeks ; there you muft exercife your- felf with the axe, that is the principal tool the Ame¬ ricans want, and particularly the back-fettlers. Can your wife fpin ? Yes, (he can. Well then, as foon as you are able to handle the axe, you lhall go and live with mr. P. R. aparticular friend of mine, who will give you four dollars per month, for the firft fix, and the nfual price of five as long as you remain with him. I fhall place your wife in another houfe, where Ihe fhall receive half a dollar a week for fpinning; and your fon a dollar a month to drive the team. You fhall have bolides good victuals to eat, and - good beds to lie on; will all this fatisfy you, Andrew? He hardly underflood what I faid ; the honeft tears of gratitude fell from his eyes as he looked at me, and its expreffionsfeemed to quiver on his lips. Though filent, this was faying a great deal; there was, belides, fomething extremely mov¬ ing to fee a man fix feet high, thus fhed tears; and this did not lcffen the good opinion I had entertained of him. At laft he told me, that my offers were more than he deferved, and that he would firft be¬ gin to work for his victuals. No, no, faid I, if von are careful and fober, and dd what you can, you fhall receive what I told you; after you have fer- ved a fhort apprenticefhip at my houfe. May God repay you for all your kindnefles, faid'Andrew : as long as I live I fhall thank you, and do what I can for you. A few days after I fent them all three to-, by the return of fome waggons, that he might have an opportunity of viewing and convincing himfelf of the utility of thofe machine's which he had at firft; Jo much admired. The further deferiptions he gave us of the He¬ ll S 2 H I S T O Pl y OF A M D A E W, brides in general, and cfbis native ifland in parti¬ cular—of the cidloms ar.d modes of living cf the inhabitants—greatly entertained me. Pray is the fterility of the foil the caufe that there are no trees, or is it becaufe there are none planted ? AY hat are the modern families of ail the kings of the earth, compared to the date of that ©f mr. hieil ? Admitting that each generation ihculd iaft but forty years, this makes a period of 1200 ; an extraordinary duration for the uninterrupted defeent of any family ! Agreeably to the defeription he gave us of thofe countries, they l’eem to live according to the rules of nature, which gives them but bare fubfiftence ; their coniiitutions are uncontaminated by any excefs or effeminacy, which their foil refnfes. If their al T lowance of food is not too fcanty, they muft all be healthy by perpetual temperance and exercife ; if fo, they are amply rewarded for their poverty. Couid they have obtained but necelfary food, they would not have left it; for it was not in confequence of opprelfion, either from their patriarch or the go¬ vernment, that they had emigrated. I wifh we had a colony of thefe honeft people fettled in fome parts of this province ; their morals, their religion, feem to be as fimple as their manners. This fociety would prefent an interefting fpeftacle, could they be tranf- ported on a richer foil. But perhaps that foil would foon alter every thing ; for our opinions, vices and virtues, are altogether local ; we are machines, falhioned by every circumftance around 11 s. Andrew arrived at my houfe a week before I did, and I found my wife, agreeably to my inftructiom, had placed the axe in his hands, as his firft talk. For fome time he was very aukward; but he was fo docile, fo willing, and grateful, as well as his wife, that I forefaw he would fucceed. Agreeably tQ my promife, I put them all with different families^ THE HEBRIDEAN. where they were well Eked, and all parties were pleafed. Andrew worked hard, lived well, grew fat, and every Sunday came to pay me a vifit on a good horle, which mr. P. R. lent iiini. Poor man it took him a long time ere he could lit on the laddie and hold the bridle properly. I believe he had never before mounted fuch a beaft, though 1 did not choofe to afk him that qucltion, for fear it might fuggeft fome mortifying ideas. After having been twelve months at mr. P. R’s, and having received his own and his family’s wages, which amounted to eighty-four dollars ; he came to fee me on a week day, and told me, that he was a man of middle age, and would willingly have land of his own, in order to procure him a home, as a ihelter againft old age : that whenever this period (liould come, his fon, to whom he would give his land, would then maintain him, and thus live all together ; he therefore requir¬ ed my advice and alfiftance. I'thought his defire very natural and praife-worthy, and told him that I lhould think of it, but that he nnift remain one. month longer with mr. P. R. who had 3000 rails to fplit. He immediately confented. The fpring was not far advanced enough yet for Andrew- to begin clearing any land, even fuppoling that he had made a purchafe ; as it is always neceffary that the leaves lhould be out, in order that this additional combuf- tible may ferve to burn the heaps of brufli more readily. A few days after, it happened that the whole fa¬ mily of mr. P. R. went to meeting, and left An¬ drew to take care of the houfe. While he w'as at the door, attentively reading the bible, nine Indi¬ ans juft come from the mountains, fnddenly made their appearance, and unloaded their packs of furs on the floor of the piazza. Conceive, if you can, what was Andrew’s confternation at this cittraor- 84 HISTORY OF A N D ft E W, dinary fight! From the fir.gr.hr appearance of theft people, the hor.eft l.ehridcan took them for a law- lefs band come to rob his trailer's houfe. He there¬ fore, like a faithful guardian, precipitately with¬ drew, and il ut the doors ; but as nioft of our houfes are without locks, he v.as reduced to the neceffity cf fixing li knife over the latch, and then flew up ihrs in queft of a broad fword which he had brought from Scotland. The Indians, who were mr. P. R’s particular friends, guefed at his fuipicions and fears ; they forcibly lifted the door, and luddenly took poflef- lion of the houfe, got ail the bread and meat they wanted, and fat themfelves down by' the fire. At this inltant Andrew, with his broad iword in his hand, entered the room ; the Isidians earneftly looking at hint, and attentively watching his motions. After a very few reflexions, Andrew found that his weapon was ufclefs, when oppofed to nine to- tnahawks; but this did not diminiih his anger ; on the contrary, it grew’greater on obferving the calm impudence with wmut tncy welc uGFumlhg T„C ,1- milyprovifions. Unable torelill, he called them names in broad Scotch, and ordered then) to delift, and he gone ; to which the Indians (as they told nte afterwards) replied in their equally broad idiom. It mull have been a nioft unintelligible altercation between this honeft Barra man, and nine Indians, who did not much care for any thing he could fay. At laft he ventured to lay his hands on one of them, in order to turn him out of the heufe. Here Andrew’s fidelity got the better of his pru¬ dence ; for the Indian, by his motions, threatened to lcalp him, w'hile the reft gave the war hoop. This horrid node fo effectually frightened poor Andrew, that, unmindful of his courage, of his broad fword, and his intentions, he ruffed out, left Tit E HEBRIDEAN. 85 them matters of the houfe, and difappeared. I have heard one of the Indians fay lince, that he never laughed fo heartily in his life. Andrew at a dif- tance, foon recovered from the fears which had been infpircdby this infernal yell, and thought of no other remedy than to go to the meeting houfe, which was about two m.les dittant. In the eagernefs of his honeft intentions, with looks of affright ftiil marked on his countenance, he called mr. P. il. out, and told him with great vehemence of ftyle, that nine montters were come to his houfe—foine blue, fotne r-d, and fome black ; that they had little axes in their hands, out of which they fmoked ; and that like highlanders, they had no breeches; that they were devouring all his victuals, and that God only knew what they would do more. Pacify yourleif, faid mr. P. R. my houfe is as fafe with tlicfe peo¬ ple, as if I was there myfelf ; as for the victuals, they are heartily welcome, honeft Andrew ; they are not people of much ceremony ; they help themfelves thus whenever they are among their friends; I do fo too in their wigwams, whenever I go to their village : you had better therefore ftep in and hear the remainder of the fermon, and when the meeting is over, we will all go back in the wag¬ gon together. At their return, mr. P. R. who fpeaks the In¬ dian language very well, explained the whole mat¬ ter ; the indans renewed their laugh, and fliook hands with honeft Andrew, whom they made fnioke out of their pipes ; and thuspeace was made, and ratified according to the Indian cuftom, by the ca- lumet. Soon after this adventure, the time approached when i had pro.n'fed Andrew my belt alliftance to fettle him; for that purpole I went to Mr. A. V. in the county of who, I was informed, had pus* ii} S6 ’ HISTORY OP ANDREW, chafed a track of land, contiguous to-fettle- ment. I gave him a faithful detail of the progrefs Andrew had made in the rural arts ; of his honef- ty, fobriety, and gratitude, and prelfed him to fell him an hundred acres. '1 his 1 cannot comply with, laid nir. A. V. but at the fame time I will do bet¬ ter ; I love to encourage honeft Europeans as much as you do, and to fee them profper : you tell me he has but one fon; I will leal’e them an hundred a- cres for any term of years you pleafe, and make it more valuable to your Scotchman than if he was poffeiled of the fee fimple. By that means he may, with what little money he has, buy a plough, a team, and fome ltock ; he will not be encumbered with debts and mortgages; what he raifes will be his own ; had he two or three Cons as able as him- felf; then I lliould think it more eligible for him to purchafe the fee fimple. I join with you in opinion, and will bring Andrew along with me in a few days. Well, honeft Andrew’, faid mr. A. V. in confide- xat on of your good name, I will let you have an hundred acres of good arable land, that fliall be laid out along a new road ; there is a bridge al¬ ready erected on the cretk thatpafies through the land, and a fine fwamp of about twenty acres. Thefe are my terms. 1 cannot fell; hilt I will leafe j'oti the quantity that mr. Janies, your friend, has alked ; the firft Seven years you 11 .all pay no rent : whatever you fow and reap, and plant and gather, ihall be entirely your own ; neither the govern¬ ment nor. the church, will have any claim on your future property : the remaining part of the time you muft give me twelve dollars and an half a year; and that is all you will have to pay me. Within- the three firft years, you muft plant fifty ap. pie trees,, and dear ieven'acres. of fwamp witlfij* THEHEBRIBEAN. 8> the firft part of the leafe ; it will be your own ad. vantage : whatever you do mote within that time, I will pay. you for it, at the common rate of the country. The term of the leafe ihal! be thirty years; hosv do you like it, Andrew ? Ch, Sir, it is ''ery good ; but 1 am afraid, that the governor, or fome oi our great men, will come and take the land from me ; your fon may fay to me, by and by, this is my fa¬ ther’s land, Andrew, you mult quit it. No, no, lauf mr- A. V. there is no fitch danger ; they are too juft to take the labour of a poor fettler; here we have no great men, but what are fubordinate to out* laws ; but to calm all your fears, I will give you a leafe, lo that none can make you afraid. If ever you are dilfatisfied with the land, a jury of your own neighbourhood ihall value all your improve¬ ments, and you ihall be paid agreeably to their verdict. You may fell the leafe, cr, if yon die, you may previoully dilpofe of it, as if the land was your own. Expreiiive, yet inarticulate joy, was mixed in his countenance, which feemed imprelTed with aftonifn- mcnt and confulion. Do you underhand me well? faid mr. A. V. No, fir, replied Andrew. ] know no¬ thing of what you mean about leafe, improvement, will, jury, &c. '1 hat is honeft ; we will exj lain thefe things to you by and by. It muft be confelfeci that thole were hard words, which he had never heard in his life; for by his account the ideas, they con¬ vey would be totally ufelds in the illnnd of Barra. No wonder, therefore, that he was embarraffed ; for how could the man, who had hardly a will of his own, (ince he W'as born, imagine he could have one after his death ? How could the perfon, w ho never polTeffed any thing, conceive that he could extend his new dominion over this land, even after Jje Ihouldbe laid ia his grave i fox my part, l thiafe 88 HISTORY OR ANDREW,' Andrew’s amazement did not imply any extraordi¬ nary degree of ignorance; he was an aftor intro¬ duced upon a new fcene ; it required fotnt t;n e ere he could reconcile himfelf to the part he was to per¬ form. However,he was foon eniign.entd, and .ntro- duced into thofe myfleries with which we native Americans are but too well acquainted. Here then is honeit Andrew, invaded with every municipal advantage they confer; heco.oe a free¬ holder, poiTefled of a vote, of a place of residence, a citizen of the province of i-’ennljlvama. Andrew's original hopes and the diftant profpects lie had form¬ ed in theilland of Barra, were at the eve of being realized : we therefore caneafily forgive him a few fpontaneous ejaculations, which would be ufelefs to repeat. This ihort tale is eafily told ; few words are fufficient to deferibe this hidden change of litua- tion ; but in his mind it was gradual, and took him above a week before he canid be lure, that without dilburfirig any money he could poffefs lands. Soon after he prepared himfelf; I lent him a barrel of pork, and 2oolb. weight of meal, and made him pur* chafe what was necelfary belides. He fet out, and hired a room in the houfe of a fettler who lived the molt contiguous to his own land. His firll work was to clear fome acres of fwamp, that he might have a fupply of hay the following year for his two horfes and cows. From the frit day he began to work, be was indefatigable; his honefty procured him friends, and his indullry the efteem of his new neighbours. One of them offered him two acres of cleared land, whereon he might plant corn, pumpkins, fqtiallies, and a few potatoes, that very feafon. It is aftomlhinghow quick men will learn when they work for themfelves. Ifaw with pleafure two months after, Andrew holding a two- £orfe plough and tracing his furrows quite ftraight; THE HEBRIDEAN. thus the fpade man of the iliand of Barra was become' the tiller of American foil. Well done, faid I, An¬ drew, well done ; I fee that God fpeeds and direfts your works; I fee profperity delineated in all your furrows and head lands. Ilaife this crop of corn with attention and care, and then you will be maf- ter of the art. *- As he had neither mowing nor reaping to do that year, I told him that the time was come to build his houfe ; and that for thispurpofe I would myfelf invite the neighbourhood to a frolic ; that thus he would have a large dwelling ereited, and fome up¬ land cleared in one day. Mr. P. R. his old friend, came at the time appointed, with all his hands, and brought victuals in plenty : I did the fame. About forty people repaired to the fpot: the fongs, and merry ftories went round the woods from duller to duller, as the people had gathered to their different works; trees fell on all fides, bulhes were cut up and heaped ; and while many were thus employed, others with their teams hauled the big logs to the lpot which Andrew had pitched upon for the erec¬ tion of his new dwelling. We all dined in the woods ; in the afternoon the logs were placed with Acids, and the ufual contrivances : thus the rude houfe was raifed, and above two acres of land cutup, clear¬ ed, and heaped. Whilll all thefe different operations were per¬ forming, Andrew was abfolutely incapable of work¬ ing ; it was to him the mollfolemn holiday he had ever leen ; it would have been facrilegious in him to have defiled it with menial labour. Poor man, lie famhilied it with joy and thankfgiving, and honeft libations—he went from one to the other with the bottle in his hand,pre!fiug every body to drink, and drinking himfelf to lliow the example. Fe fpent the whole day in fmilmg, laughing, and uttering mono-. ? himfelf in a few years in the middle of a numerous fociety. He helped others as generoufiy as others had helped him ; and 1 have dined many times at his table with feveral of his neighbours. The it. cond year he was made overfeer of the road, and ferved on two petty juries, performing as a citizen all the duties required of him. The hiltoriographer of l'ome great prince or general, does not bring his hero victorious to the end of a fuccefsful campaign, with one half of the heart-felt pleafure, with which I have conducted Andrew to the fituation he now enjoys: he is independent and eafy. Triumph and military honours do not always imply thofe two bleflings. He is unincumbered with debts, Cervices, rents, or any other dues; the fucceiTes of a cam¬ paign, the laurels of w ar, muff be purchafcd at the dearefl rate, which makes every cool, refledting ci¬ tizen to tremble and fhudder. By the literal ac¬ count hereunto annexed, you will eaftly be made acquainted with the happy effedts which conftantly flow, in this country, from fobriety and induftry, when united with good land and freedom. The account of the property he acquired with his own hands, and thofe of his fon, in four years, is as under : Dollars. The value of his improvements and leafe 225 Six cows, at 13 dollars 7 8 Two breeding mares, 50 The reft of the flock too Seventy-three bufhels of wheat 66 Money due .to him on notes 43 Pork and beef in his cellar 28 Wool and flax 19 Ploughs and other utenfils of hufbandry 31 249I. Pennfylvania currency—dollars 640 DESCRIPTION O E LETTER IV, Pefcription of the ifland of Nantucket, with the man¬ ners, cufioms, policy, and trade of the inhabitants, T HE greateft compliment that can be paid to the beft of kings, to the* wifeft minifters, or the moft patriotic rulers, is to think, that the reforma¬ tion of political abufes, and the happinefs of their people are the primary objedls of their attention. But alas ! how difagreeable muft the work of refor¬ mation be ! how dreaded the operation ! for we hear of no amendment: on the contrary, the great num¬ ber of European emigrants, yearly coming over Jiere, inform us, that the feverity of taxes, the in- juftice of laws, the tyranny of the rich, and the op- prelTive avarice of the church, are as intolerable as ever. Will tliefe calamities have no end ? Are not the great rulers of the earth afraid of lofing by degrees, their moft ufeful fubjects ? This country, providentially intended for the general afylum of the world, will flourilh by the oppreflion of other people ; they will every day become better acquaint¬ ed with the happinefs we enjoy, and feek for the means of tranfporting themfelves here, in fpite of of all obftades and laws. To what purpofe then have fo many ufeful books and divine maxims been tranfmitted to us from preceding ages? Are they all vain, all ufelefs ? Muft human nature ever be the fport of the few, and its many wounds remain un¬ healed ? How happy are we here, in having fortu¬ nately efcaped the miferies which attended our fa¬ thers ; how thankful ought we to be, that they reared us in a land where fobriety and indiiftry never fail to meet with the moft ample rewards! You have, no doubt, read feveral hiftories of NANTUCKET. this continent; yet there are a thoufand facts, a thoufand explanations overlooked. Authors will cer¬ tainly convey to you a geographical knowledge of this country ; they will acquaint you with the eras of the leveral fettlements, the foundations of our towns, the fpirit of our different charters, &c. yet they do not fufficiently dil'clofe the genius of the people, their various cuftoms, their modes of agri¬ culture, the innumerable refources which the indul- trious have, of raffing themfelves to a comfortable and eai'y fituation. Few of thefe writers have re- fided here ; and thofe who have, had not pervaded every part of the country, nor carefully examined the nature and principles of our affociation. It would be a talk worthy a fpeculative genius, to enter in¬ timately into the lituation and characters of the people, from Nova Scotia to Welt Florida; and lurely hiflory cannot poliibly prefent any lubject more plealing to behold. Senlibie how unable 1 ant to lead you through fo vaft a maze, let us look attentively for fome fmall unnoticed corner ; but where {hall we go in quell of Inch a one ? Number- lefs fettlements, each dillinguilhed by fome peculi¬ arities, prefent themfelves on every tide ; all feem to realife the molt fanguine willies that a good man could form for the happinefs of his race. Here they live by filhing on the molt plentiful coalts in the world ; there they fell trees, by the fides of large rivers, for malts and lumber; here others convert innumerable logs into the belt boards ; there again others cultivate the land, rear cattle and clear large fields. Yet I have a fpot in my view', where none of thefe occupations are performed, which will, I hope, reward us for the trouble of inipeciion ; but though it is barren in its foil, infignificant in its ex¬ tent, inconvenient in its fituation, deprived of materials for building ; it feems to have been inhfc DESCRIPTION OF bited merely to prove what mankind can do, when-, happily governed ! Here I can point to you exer¬ tions of the molt fuccefsful induftry—inllances of native i'agacity unaiiifted by fcience— the happy fruitsof a vvell-divecled perfeverance. It is always a refrefhing Ipeftacle to me, when, in my review of tlie various component parts of this immenfe lulxle , I obferve the labours of the inhabitants linguiarly rewarded by nature ; when I fee them emerged out of their firft difficulties, living with decency and eafe, and conveying to their pofteriry that plentiful i'ubfiftence, which their fathers have fo defervedly earned. But when their profperity arifes from the goodnefs of the climate, and fertility of the foil, I partalce of their happinefs, it is true ; yet flay but a little while with them, as they exhibit nothing but wliat is natural and common. On the contra¬ ry, when I meet with barren fpots fertilized, grafs growing where none grew before ; grain gathered from fields which had hitherto produced nothing better than brambles; dwellings raifed where no building materials were to be found; wealth ac¬ quired by the moll uncommon means; there I paufe, to dwell on the favourite object of my fpeculative enquiries. Willingly do I leave the former to en¬ joy the odoriferous furrow, or their rich vallies, with anxiety repairing to the fpot, where fo many difficulties have been overcome; where extraordinary exertions have produced extraordinary effefts, and where every natural obftacle has been removed by a vigorous induftry. I want not to record the annals of the ifland of .Nantucket: its inhabitants have no annals; for they are not a race of warriors. My limple wiffi is to traN them throughout their progreffive fteps, from their arrival here to this prefent hour; to enquire N AN TUCKET by what means they have railed themfclves from the moft humble, the moil infignificant beginnings, to the eafe and the wealth they now potTet's ; and to give you fome idea of their cuflonis, religion, man¬ ners, policy, and mode of living. This happy fettlement was not founded on intrull- on, forcible entries, or blood, as fo many others have - been ; it drew its origin from neceiiity on the one lide, and from good will on the other ; and everfince, all has been a lcene of uninterrupted harmony. Nei¬ ther political nor religious broils; neither difprtes with the natives, nor any other contentions, have in the lead: agitated or diiturbed its detached foci- ety. Yet the firh founders knew nothing either of Lycurgus or Solon ; for this fettlement has not been the work of eminent men, or powerful legiflators, forcing nature by the accumulated labours of art. This lingular edablilhment has been effected by means of that native indudry and perfeverance common to all men, when they are protected by a government which demands but little for its protection : when they are permitted to enjoy a fyftem of rational laws founded on perfcCt freedom. 1 he' mildnefs and humanity of fuch a government neceiTarily implies that confidence which is the fource of the mod ar¬ duous undertakings and permanent" fuccefs. Would you believe that a Candy fpot, of about twenty-three thoufand acresi, affording neither dones nor timber, meadows nor arable, yet can boad of an handfome town, confiding of more than 500 houfes, Ihould pofTefs above 200 fail of vellels, condantly employ upwards of 2000 feamen, feed more than 15,000 Iheep, 500 cows, 200 horles; and has feveral citi¬ zens worth 2o,oog1- derling ! Yet all thel’e fads are uncontro verted. Who would have imagined, that any people ihould have abandoned a fruitful and extenfive con- 96 DESCRIPTION OF tinent, filled with the riches which the moft ample vegetation affords ; replete with good foil, enamel¬ led meadows, rich paftnres, every kind of timber, and with all other materials neceffary to render life happy and comfortable : to come and inhabit a little land-bank, to which nature had refufed thole ad¬ vantages ; to dwell on a fpot where there fcarcely grew a lhrub to announce, by the budding of its leaves, the arrival of the fpring, and to warn by their fall the proximity of winter ? Had this ifland been contiguous to the Ihores of l'ome ancient mo¬ narchy, it would only have been occupied by a few wretched lilhermen, who, oppreffed by poverty, would hardly have been able to purchafe or build little filhing barks ; always dreading the weight cf taxes, or the lervitude of men of war. Inftead of that boldnefs of (peculation for which the inhabitants of this ifland are fo remarkable, they would fearfully have confined themfelves, within the narrow limits of the moft trifling-attempts; timid in their excur- fions, they never would have extricated themfelves from their firft difficulties. This ifland, on the con¬ trary, contains five thoufand hardy people, who boldly derive their riches from the element that lurronnds them, and have been compelled by the fterility of the foil to feek abroad for the means cf fublifience. You mull not imagine, from the recital of thefe faffs, that they enjoyed any exclufive privi¬ leges or royal charters, or that they were nul led by particular immunities in the infancy of their lettle- ment. No, their freedom, their Ikill, their probity, and perfeverance, have accompli Ihcd every thing, and brought them by degrees to the rank they now hold. from this firftlketch, I hope that my partiality to this ifland will be jultified. Perhapsyou hardly know that fitch a one exifts in the neighbourhood of Cape NANTUCKET. 97 Cod. What has happened here, has and will happen , every where elfe. Give mankind the full rewards of ' their induftry, allow them .to enjoy the fruit of their labour under the peaceable /hade of their vines and fig-trees, leave their native aftivity un/hackled and free, like a fair ftream without dams or other obflacles ; the firft will fertilize the very land on which they tread, the other exhibit a navi¬ gable river, fpreading plenty and cheerfulnefs, wherever the declivity of the ground leads it. If thcfe people are not famous for tracing the fragrant furrow on the plain, they plough the rougher ocean, they gather from its furface, at an immcnfe diftance, and with Herculean labours, the riches it affords ; they go to hunt and catch that huge fi/lt which by its ilrength and velocity one would imagine ought to be beyond the reach of man. This ifland has no¬ thing deferving of notice but its inhabitants; here you meet with neither ancient monuments, fpacious halls, folemn temples, nor elegant dwellings ; not a cita¬ del, nor any kind of fortification, not even a bat¬ tery to rend the air with its loud peals on any fo¬ lemn occafion. As for their rural improvements, they are many, but all of the moil Ample and ufe- ful kind. |The ifland of Nantucket lies in latitude 41 0 10'. ico miles N. E. from Cape Cod ; 27 N. from Hyanes or Barnftable, a town on the moil contiguous part of the great peninfula ; 21 miles W. by N. from Cape Pog, on the vineyard; 50 W. by N. from Wood’s hole, on Elizabeth ifland ; 80 miles ,N- from Bolton : 120 from Rhode Ifland ; 800 miles from Bermudas. Sherborn is the only town on the ifland, which confifts of about 530 houfes, that have been framed on the main; they are lathed and plai/tered within, handfomely painted and boarded without; bach has a cellar underneath, built with llones 9 to §34 DESCRIPTION OP which the town cows, amounting to five hundred, are daily led by the town lliepherd, and as regu¬ larly driven back in the evening. Ihere each ani¬ mal eatily finds the houfe to which it belongs, where they arcfure to be well rewarded for the milk they give, by a prefent of bran, grain, or fome farinace¬ ous preparation ; their economy being very great in that rcfpect. Thel'e are commonly called Tetouke- mah lots. ' You mull not imagine that every perfon on the ifland is either a landholder, or concerned in rural operations : no, the greater part are at fea, bulily employed in their different filheries : others are mere ftrangers, who come to fettle as handicrafts, mechanics, &c. and even among the natives few are pofTeiTed of determinate fhares of land : for, engaged ihfea affairs, or trade, they are fatisfiedwith pofleihng a few iheep paftures, by means of which they may have perhaps one or two cows. Many have but one ; for the great number of children they have, has caufed fuch fubdivilions of the original proprietor- fhip as is fometimes puzzling to trace ; and feveral of the moll fortunate at fea, have purchafed and realized a great number of thefe original palture titles. The bell land on the ifland is at Palpus, remark¬ able for nothing but a houfe of entertainment, guayes is a fmall but valuable trad, long lince pur. chafed by mr. Coffin, where he has erefted the bell houfe on the ifland. By long attention, proximity to the fea, &c. this fertile fpot has been well ma¬ nured, and is now the garden of Nantucket. Ad¬ joining to it, on the welt fide, there is a fmall flream, on which they have erected a fulling mill; on the ealt is the lot, known by the name of Squam, watered likewife by a fmall rivulet, on which (lands another fulling mill. Here is a fine loomy NANTUCKET. foil, producing excellent clover, v.hich is moved twice a year. Thefe mills prcptre all the cloth which is made here : yon may eafily flip pole, that having fo large a flock of llicep, they abound in wool; part of this they export, and the reft is fpun by their induftrious wives, and converted into iub- ftantial garments. To the fouth-eaft is a great di- vifion of the ifland, fenced by itl’elf, known by the name of Siafconcet lot. It is a very uneven tract of ground, abounding with fwamps ; here they turn in their fat cattle, or fuch as they intend to ftall-feed, for their winter’s provifions. It is on the fltores of this part of the ifland, near Pochick-rip, where they catch their beft fill), fuch as fea bal’s, tew-tag, or black fifh, cod, fmelt, perch, fltadine, pike, &c. They have erefted a few Hilling houles on this fliore, as well as at fankate’s head, and Sulfakatche beach, where the fifltermen dwell in the fifliing feafon. Many red cedar bufhes and beach grafs grow on the peninfula of Coitou : the foil is light and fandy, and ferves as a receptacle for rabbits. It is here that their fheep find fhelter in the fnow ftorms of the winter. At the north end of Nantucket, there is a long point of land proje&ing far into the lea, called San- dy-point; nothing grows on it but plain grsfs; and this is the place from whence they often catch por- poifes and (harks, by a very ingenious method. On this point they commonly drive their horfes in the fpringcf the year, in order to feed on the grafs it bears, which is ui'elefs when arrived at maturity. Between -that point and the main ifland they have a valuable fait meadow, called Croikaty, with a pond of the fame name, famous for black ducks. Hence we muftreturn to Squam, which abounds in clover ■and herds grafs; tliofe who poffefs it follow no io6 DESCRIPTION OP maritime occupation, and therefore neglett nothing that can render it fertile and profitable. The reft of the undefcribed part of the illand is open, and ferves as a common pafture for their fheep. To the weft of the ifland is that of Tackanuck, where in the fpring, their young cattle are driven to feed ; it lias a few oak bulhes and two freih water ponds, abounding with teals, brandts, and many other lea fowls, brought to this ifland by the proximity of their fand banks and lhallovrs; where thoufands are feen feeding at low-water. Here they have neither wolves nor foxes ; thofe inhabitants, therefore, who live out of town, raife with all fecurity as much poul¬ try as they want; their turkeys are very large and excellent. In fummer, this climate is extremely plea- faut; they are not expofed to the fcorching fun of the continent, the heats being tempered by the fea breezes with which they are perpetually refrefhed. In the winter, however, they pay feverely for thofe advantages; it is extremely cold ; the north-weft wind, the tyrant of this country, after having efcap-