A T O U R IN THE UNITED STATES AMERICA: CONTAINING An Account* of the Present Situation of that Country ; The Population, Agriculture,. Commerce, Cu s t oms, and j\l Ann e rs of the Inhabitants ; Anecdotes of feveral Members of the CONGRESS, an£ General Officers in the American Army; AND Many other very fingular and interefting Occurrences. WITH A Defcription of the INDIAN NATIONS, the general Face of the Country, Mountains, Forefts, Rivers, and the moft beautiful, grand, and pi&urefque Views throughout that vaft Continent. LIKEWISE Improvements in Husbandry that may be adopted with great Advantage in Europe. By J. F. D. SMYTH, Esq. VOL. II. OBUU- P—1MI HI PM I ■! IMi HI I ill I DUBLIN? fRINTSD 1Y T. HENSHALL, TOR MESSRS. PRICE, MONCRIEFFE, WALKER, EX8HAW, WILSON, BURNET, JENKI N, WRITE, BURTON, BYRNE, WHITESTONE, COLBERT, CASH, H EERY, AND MARCKBANE* -4E " o> <>■ >—•<>—•<>.. M,DCC,LXXXIV. CONTENTS. CHAP. XLIX. Remarkable Places^ Rivers^ Bays^ &c. Great Extent of the Rivers, Harbours. Beautiful Country and Coa/i. Choclaw Nation, or Flat- headed Indians. Their Difpojiti on. The Man- ner they fatten their heads. Number of In- habitants in Weji Florida. Prodigious Fertility of the foil. DiJIances of Pli.ces. Page i CHAP. L. Eafl Florida. Rivers. Apalache. St.. John's River. St. Auguftine. Journey by Land. Defcription of the River -j, Country, and Dif- tances. Mufquitto River. Indian Towns. 8 CHAP. LI. Attempts to make Sugar on Mufquitto -River failed. Culture of Sugar. Stone Quarry near St. Augufline. Singular Floors to the Houfes. Eafl Florida thinly fettled. Loyalifts take refuge in it. Prices of Commodities and Stock. Kates of travelling. - - j ^ chap. La Reaver from Sicknefs. Leave Eajl Florida. The Rivers Jlatamaha, Great Ogetchse, and Savan- A 2 nah. C O N T E N T S. nah. The Town of Savannah. Indian War. Georgians made a poor Figure. Flourijhing State of Georgia. Number cf Inhabitants. Va- lue of Land'. ■> Staple Commodities and Produce. Rates cf travelling. Value cf Annual Exports and Imports. - - Page 26 CHAP. LIU. Set out for Charles Town* Afterwards proceed ' to Augifla, Ninety-Six, &t. 'Culture of Indi- go. Cuiluve cf Rice. ' "Culture cf Cotton. De- fcripticn cf the Country. Of the Sea Ccaft. Of the Back Country. Fertility cf the Soil. Excellence of the "Climate, fgc. - 33 C H A P. : LIV. Method cf clearing the Land. Vafl- Herds of Cat- tle. Charles -Town. Pert-Royal. Georgetown. Wilmington in North-Carolina. Brunfwick. Fort Johnfon. American General Howe. New- hern. Bath-Town. Pamphlico Sound. Edin- ion. Albemarle Sound. 49 D.e [cripiicn of the Country. Difagreeaule and Unhealthy. Vafi Profit in making Tar and Tur- pentine. Procefs for making .Pitch, Tar, and Turpentine. Exports of North-Carolina, South- Carolina and\ Virginia Jhare great Part of the Trade of North -Carolina. Tlie great Alligator. Difmal Swamp. The Great DifmaL Harbour fyr wjjd BeHjil (jftd ftli^ CONTENDS. CHAP. LVI. Leave E dint on. Arrive at Suffolk in Virginia , Defcription- of Suffolk. Smithfield. Pagan's Creek. Crcfs James- River at Hog-Ifiand. Ar- rive at William/burg. Part wiih Mr. Mor- ris. College of Willi ain and Mary at Williamf- burgh. Foundation of it. Education of Indi- ans. Return to their former favage and uncivi- lized State. - - Page 66 CHAP. LVII. Improvements in Farming. In the Culture of Wheat. In cutting it down. In getting it in and flack- ing it. In trefning it cut of the Straw. In cleaning it from the Chaff. A Machine for that Purpife defcribcd. - 71 C M A P. LVIII. Improvements in cropping. Three crops from one field with only the labour ufed in one. Virginia method of cultivating tobacco, lnfpecling it. Difufed at the commencement of the revolt. Great frauds and ' impT/ition; notu praftifed in the tobacco trade. Different fpccics of tobacco. Annual Exports of Virgina- : and Maryland. Annual Imports. , / . \ ~ - ; ^ W\> '^9 CHAP. LIX. Set out on another Journey. The Pct:wmack> a De* fcription of it. A mojT beautiful River. Ge- neral Washington. An Account of him and Mrs. Wafnington. Chotank. Falmouth. Frederickf- burg. An Innkeeper^ named Weeden^ an Ame- A 3 rican C O N T E N T S. n7tf;z General. Dr. Mercer, an American General. The Rappahannock. The northern Creek of Virginia. Stanton. Green Briar River. Colonel Lewis. Indian War. The Great Kanhawah and Ohio. Severe Aclion. ■ Indians defeated. A Stratagem in Bujh-Figbt- ing. The Earl of Dunmore penetrates into the Heart of the Indian Country, burns their Towns and concludes a Peace. Page 90 CHAP. LX. ULeturn to Colonel Lewis 9 s. Frederickfburg. Dum- fries. Colchefler. Iron Works. Ocquaquan River. General Wafhington. Pifcattawa River. Port Tobacco. A mojl elegant Situation and Seat belonging to a Roman Catholic Priefl. EJJablijbments of the Jefuits in Maryland. Their Harams of beautiful Slaves. A profligate Prieft. Eflimation of landed Property. St. Mary's. Annapolis. Baltimore. Its fourijhing Condi- tion. Number of Inhabitants in Maryland, ill C H A P. LXL The Rebellion breaking out. Harraffments on ac- count of Loyalty. Political Opinions, Senti- ments, and Impartiality of the Author. The Manner of forming the firfl Congrefs's Commit- tees, tsfr. and the Perfons who compofed them. Againjl the private Inclinations of a great Ma- jority of the People. Politic Stroke or Meafure. Severe Perfections and extreme Hardjloips. Alexandria. - - \io -.Vvj ,.Vitf\A k\»\mvw iymt ' ' , \. ^ CONTENTS* CHAP. LXII. Alexandria. The Place where General JVaJhing- ton firjl began to countenance the general Revolt of the Colonies. A Loyalijl tarred and feathered. Patuxent River. Benedicl Town. Lower Marlborough. Upper Marlborough. Queen Anne. London Town. Annapolis. Severn River. A Hurricane. Baltimore. Patapfco River. Elk Ridge. Examined by the Com- mi t tee. My Servant tarred, feathered^ and killed. Obliged to fly for Safety. Travel an hundred and ten miles on Foot in two Days. Nottingham. Exhaufted and overcome with Fatigue. In extreme Pain. Taken very ill. Dangerous Situations. Betrayed by a falfe Friend. Taken by the Rebels. Refcued. Mojf perilous Efcape. - - Page 129 CHAP. LXIII. Set out for the MiJMippi. In a miferable State of Health. Port Royal. Charafter of the Inha- bitants. Anecdote of an unfortunate young Gen- tleman. Arrive at Blandford. Royal Stan- dard ere died at Norfolk. Repair to it. Seized upon at Surry Court Houfe. Efcape. Sleepy Hole on Nanfemond River. Arrive at Portf- mouth. Wait on the Earl of Dunmore. Informed againjl as a Spy. ' Leave Portfmouth. f Suffolk, Overtake my People ) fSt\ at Maker r en. Taken Prifoner. Efcape. Set out again for Nprfojk. Country alarmed. Take Refuge in the Great DiJVrial Swamp.' A defcription of it. Dread- ful Conflagration. Ajlonijhing Difficulties. Ar- CONTENTS. rive again at Portfmouth, Sufpecled again for a Spy, Servant carried on Board the Gover- nor's Ship by a Guard, Servant examined and acquitted, - - P^ge 141 CHAP. LXIV. Embarked, on an Expedition to the Back Country. Proceed up the Pctomack, Pafs through Mary- land. Frederick Town, a Defcription of it. Funks Town, Taken Prifoner, Hagar's Tovjn, Great Valley- Connigocheague, Ex- tremely ahufed and maltreated. Robbed of our money. Nature of the Expedition, A curious Manner of fecreting Papers. Confined and in great Danger at Frederick Town, Efcape, Fall through the Ice into the Pot mack, Afioni/hlng Dangers and Fatigue. Fly into the Mountains, Deep Snow, Break the Ice and wade deep Rivers, Wounded and Lame, Robbed by a man that I had placed confidence in. Continue to pujh fr- * ward for Detroit and Illoncis, Fort Cumber- land, Romantic Situation, Crofs the Allegany Mountains. Retaken by mere Accident on the Yohiogeny River ; - - 153 CHAR LXV. Caufe of Life being preferved, Injlances of fin- gular Mal-treatment and Barbarity, Bound with Cords, Examined before the Committee at Frederick Town, A curious Defcription of the Committee and their Examination, Great Dan- ger of being murdered. Confined in York Town Gaoly where a mojl worthy Loyalijl Dr. Kerfiey was CON TENTS. , ? *|* ^ ^ *T then a Prifoner. His Sufferings, and tra- gical Fate, Crofs the Sufquehannah on the Ice. An Account of Lancafler, York Town, and the : Sufquehannah. Arrival at Philadelphia. Car- ■ ried before the Congrefs. Sent to Prifon. . Suf- fer unparalleled Barbarity. Health declining fall, and expeft to be facrificed. Wrote fome Verfes upon the Wall with Charcoal Page 169 ' C H A P. LXVL Infupportable Severity. Brought^ before the Con* grefs. Promifed better Treatment. Captain Campbell and General Prefect ill treated. Our lives endangered by rigid Confinement. A Com- mittee of the Congrefs fent to vifit us. Their Illiberqlity and Abufe. Greater Severities than ever. Subfjled only on Bread aud Water. Thrown into the Dungeon zvhere we almoji pe- ri foe cl Philadelphia expetled to be attacked by the Briii/h Army. Congrefs fly to Baltimore. Twenty Britijh Prifoner s" marched in Irons through Derby, Marcus Hook, Brandywine, Wilmington, Newport, Chrijle en- Bridge, and the Head of Elk, Shocking Infiance of Brutality at Newport, Defcription of 'Philadelphia yind the Delaware. Opulence, Trade, and Number of Inhabitants in Pennfylvania. 1 80 C H A P. LXVI1 Defcription pf the Guard. .The Captain by Trade a Porter. Their Behaviour. Meet fever al com- panies of Rebels. A curious Scene. . Put on board of a Privateer ^ and thrown into the ffold CONTENTS. in Irons. Infulted and maltreated by two Ame- rican Colonels, by Trade, one a Hatter, tht other a Lighterman. Arrive at Baltimore, Irons taken off. Kindly and generoujly treated by the Inhabitants. Congrefs difapprove of this Lenity, change the Guard, and order us to be treated with great Severity. Effecl an efcape, one re- taken. Set fail down the Chef apeak. Land on the Eajiern Shore. Mojl alarming Situation. Find Friends. Meet with a mojl welcome Re- ception. - - Page 195 CHAP. LXVIII. Offered a Guard of two hundred Men. Decline it, and accept of two Guides. Receive the 'kind- tfi Ajjijlance from many of the principal Inhabi- tants. Arrive at Indian River. The Roebuck left that Station. The Falcon touched there, but would not take us on board. Cruel Difappoint- ment. Ardour and Zeal of the Loyalifls. In- fur re cli on of the Loyalifls. Perfuade both Sides to difperfe. Friendjhip and Kindnefs of the Men, and great Goodnefs of the Women. Cha- racter of the American Ladies. Deep Snow. Dif cover fome Ships. Set out in a Canoe. Dri- ven cut to Sea in a dark flormy Night. Dreadful Situation. Accidentally dif cover the Preflon in a prodigious thick Fog. Received on board by Commodore Hotham and all the Officers of the Prcffcn. A Hurricane deflrcys the Canoe, and blows the Ship cut to Sea. - 204 CHAP. LXIX. Take a fine Prize. Singular Circumflance attend- ing the Capture. Go on board the Daphne. Excellent Regulations on Board. AffecJhfg Story of a beautiful young Lady. Set fail for New York with the Prize Ship in Tow. Arri- CONTENTS. val at New Tori. Wait upon the Admiral and General. Meet with many Friends and Acquaintances. - - Page 219 CHAP- LXX. Vifit the Britijh Pojts and the Works thrown up by the Americans. Danbury Expedition. New England. Account of the Country , Inhabitants^ &c. Their Inhofpitality and Inquifetivenefs. Connecticut River. Hartford. New Haven. Number of Inhabitants in Connecticut^ Rhode IJlandy Maffachufjets Bay and New Hampjhire. Newport. Providence. Bo (Ion. Salem. Portf- mouth. - - 227 CHAP. LXXI. Defcription of New Tork. Its delightful and ad- vantageous Situation. Fort Wajhington. Long IJland. Defcription of it. Hell Gates^ a dread- ful and dangerous Strait. Defcription thereof. Hampftead Plains. An Account of them. A very fmgular Infecl. Dangerous Sand Banks. Lofs of the Liverpool. Defcription of Staten IJland. Account of the North River. Mo- hawks River^ and Hudfons River. Albany* Trade of New Tork. Fire. Dutch Inhabitants. Number of Souls in the Province. - 234 CHAP. LXXII. ~ew Jerfey. Defcription of it. Pertb-Amboy. Burlington. Prince Town, &c. Produce /hip- ped from New Tork and Philadelphia. Different Towns in New Jerfey. Remarkable Cataract. This Province has fuffered greatly during the War. - - 249 CHAP. CONTENTS. C H A P. LXXIII. Climate extremely cold in Winter. The Winds and Weather peculiar to North America. Par- ticular Description of the Mountains. Number of Inhabitants in New Jerfey. TJje Whole Number in all the United States of America. Great Proportion of Negroe Slaves. Aftonijhing and alarming Decreafe in Population. Extreme Weaknefs of the American States > and their Want of Refources. Abfolutely unable to defend themf elves in any future War. Page 253 CHAP. LXXIV. Brief Account of what befel fever al of the Perfons formerly mentioned in the Courfe of this Work. The Fellow who robbed me in the Mountains. The poor friendlefs Englijh Girl. The tyranni- cal barbarous Gaoler* The brutal Dutch Guard. Captain Cameron exchanged. Extraordinary Refolve of the American Congrefs and the An- fwer to it. Colonel Connolly in Confequence thereof returned a Prifoner of War and ex- changed. - - 262 C H A P. LXXV. Fatal Termination of the War. Inaufpicious to both countries. Cqnfequences to America of Se- paration from Great Britain, and of Indepen- dence. Confluences of their connexions and Alliance with France. Opprejfion, Depopula- tion, &c. of America. Unfit Place of Refi- dence. Reflexions Concerning the American Loyalifis of every Defcription. - 28a tour I N T H E UNITED STATES of AMERICA. CHAP. XLIX. Remarkable Places, Rivers, Bays, fcfc, Great Extent of the Rtvers. Harbours. Beautiful Country and Coafl. Choilaw Nation, or Flat- headed Indtans. Their Difpofition. The Man- net they flatten their Heads. Number of In- habitants ,n ^ Florida. Prodigious Ferti- lity of the Soil. Dijlances of Places. TO return to Weft Florida on the eaft- ern fide of the Miffiffippi, after this W d.greffion on the weft, at the conclufion of the firft volume ,t may not be improper to men- tion moft of the remarkable places, rivers, bays, eafternL nn, H g " River > be ^S £ ealtern boundary of the province. The Apalachicola derives its fource, in the province of South Carina, near the 2 A TOUR IN THE of the rivers Alatamaha, Savannah* Santee, and Cherokee or Holfton - y it is formed by two large branches, the eaftern is the Flint River, and the weftern is Cattahouachee River, Each of thefe branches have feveral very large water-courfes falling into them, and on their banks are the different towns of the upper, middle, and lower Creek nations, a particu- lar defcription and even the recapitulation of the names of which would be only tirefomc and difagreeable. From the fource of the Flint River, and Cattahouachee River, to the mouth of the Apalachicola is about fix hundred miles in a di- rect line, and perhaps feven hundred and fifty including the meanders. The Apalachicola enters the gulph of Mex- ico in twenty-nine deg. forty-three min. N. lat. and fifteen miles N. E. from Cape Efcon- dido, or St. Bias. There is fome difficulty in finding this open- ing, becaufe of the number of iflands and lakes before and about it, and although it is a no- ble river, whofe mouth forms a fpacious harbour, yet it has not more than the depth of two and a half, or three fathoms of water at moft, over the bar, but within it is. very deep and large. The tide flows higher up in this river than in any other on the coaft, viz. about fifty miles. The country here is a perfect level, and there is perceived a double current on this coaft, one from the weft, and another from the fouth, in the gulf o r Mexico. Proceeding weft from hence, the next is the bay of St. Andrew; then the bay of St. Jofeph, which is about thirteen miles long, and eight wide, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 3 wide, and has very good anchorage in four, five or fix fathoms water. Weft of this is the bay of Santa Rofa, which is large and extenfive. The next is the road of Penfacola, which is one of the beft in all the gulf of Mexico, and veffels can lie in fafety therein againft every kind of wind. The bottom is fandy but mixed with fhells ? and is excellent for anchorage : the bay is capa- ble of containing a great number of fhips, and has fufficient depth of water, there being never lefs than twenty-one feet over the bar, in the middle of the channel. The tides are irregular here, as well as upon all the reft of this coaft. All that has been remarked is, that in the fpace of twenty-four hours the tide ebbs out of the harbour from eighteen to nineteen hours, and is from five to fix hours flowing back again, and the greateft difference that hath been found between high and low water is about three feet, on certain days lefs, at other times without increafe or diminu- tion, although the currents are changing daily, but with no regularity. The town of Penfacola is fituated in a fandy fterile foil, and is a fmall difagreeable place. But the fineft bay in all Florida, or indeed in the gulf of Mexico, is that of Mobile, which forms a moft noble and fpacious harbour, fix miles broad, and running thirty miles north to the feveral mouths of the Alibama or Mobile River, and the Alibamous. It affords very good anchorage, and is capable of containing e whole Britifh navy* The river Mobile or Alihatna is formed by five B 2 confiderabje 4 A TOUR IN THE confiderable river?, which a!fo take their rife among the Chickefaws, Upper Creeks, and Cherokee nations, running three hundred and fifty miles in a direct courfe, and with its mean- ders above fix hundred. This river confifts of two large principal branches, each of which is divided into, or formed by many others. The Weltern branch is pro- perly the Mobile; the Eaft, which is the largeft, is named the Alibama, or Alihamous. The Mobile or weftern branch is formed by the rivers Sookhanatcha, the Tumbicbe, and the Tafcaloofa, the two laft of which take their rife in the Chickefaw nation. Weft of the firft is a ridge of mountains, run- ning nearly north and fouth, parallel to the ri- ver. And to weftward ftill of thefe mountains is Dog River and Roebuck River, which fall into the Mobile, about fifty miles below the junc- tion. The Alibama is formed by the Cabo, the Pa- taga Nahchee, the Great Koofah, and the Okw- hulke Rivers, which take their rife in the coun- try of the Upper Creeks, and Over-hills Che- rokees. The conjunction of thefe large branches is above eighty or ninety miles above point Mobile. The only confiderable rivers weft of the Mo- bile is the Pafquagoula River, and Pearl River, both of which are navigable for a great diftance, and take their rife between the Choctaw and Chickefaw nations, being compofed of a number of beautiful branches, and delightful rivulets, running through the richeft lands, and moft charming country in the world. The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The Chodtaws, or Flat-headed Indians, live on thefe laft mentioned rivers, and have a vaft number of fine towns and excellent plantations, being more inclined to agriculture than any other Indian nation on the continent. They are a ftrong and powerful nation, for Indians, but not addicted to war, and are very peaceable and well difpofed. However they are generally at variance with the Creek nations, betwixt whom and thefe there has long fubfifted an hereditary enmity. They are mere numerous than the Creeks, be- ing able to bring five thoufand warriors into the field ; but the Creeks are much the moft warlike nation. The Choflaws or Flat-heads are named fo from having their foreheads flattened in their in- fancy, by a fmall bag of fand comprefTed on their foreheads while they are at the breaft, when they are tied on a board with a hole cut through it for the back parts of their heads, and while the cranium is foft enough to be fufceptible of the impreffion, which is continued conftantly until the bones become of a firmer contexture, and re- tain the flatnefs, occafioned by this preflure, al- ways afterwards. This gives them a more difagreeable appear- ance, and hideous afpecT: than any other nation, and they fu-ffer more of their hair to remain on tiieir heads than any other Indians do, who ge- nerally keep it all pulled out by the roots, except- ing a circular fpot of about three inches diame- ter, exactly on the back part of the crown of the head, only the women, who commonly wear ail their hair without pulling any of it out. B 3 Weft 6 A TOUR IN THE Weft Florida was in a very flourifhing condi tion, for an infant country 5 the fettlements in- creafed fo faft on the Miffiflippi, that had we not ceded the whole province to Spain, it is imagin- ed the capital muft have been removed from Pen- facola, to a place named Monchack, on the banks of the Miffiflippi ; and had this been done before the war, the Spaniards would certainly have found greater difficulty in making a con- queft of this fine province, if they had been able to have effected it at all, which is indeed ex- tremely doubtful. The higheft of our fettlements on the river Miffiflippi is the Natches. The fertility of the foil upon this river is in- deed aftonifhing, and appears incredible to one who has never been on the Miffiflippi. Mr. Ed- mond Gray removed there from St. John's River in Eaft Florida in the year one thoufand feven hundred and feventy-four, with fix hands (or flaves), and made a crop the fame year of up- wards of two thoufand buftiels of Indian corn, with hand hoes only, and alfo cleared the ground from the woods, befides conftrudting temporary habitations (log houfes) to refide in. Land was alfo at that time remarkably cheap to purchafe. Their commodities are Indian corn* provifi- ons, indigo, and lumber. Their indigo bears a higher price than any other, excepting that of St. Domingo or Hif- paniola, from the fuperior richnefs and fertility of the foil on which it is produced, and they gene- rally make about one hundred and fifty weight 2 fhare, that is, for each {lave they work in the culture of it. The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. y The country is healthy, efpecially about the Natches, with a mod delightful happy climate, the fummers temperate, and the winters mild. There are judged to be above twelve hundred families in Weft Florida, the greateft part of which are fettled oh the Miffifiippi. And the moft numerous nations of Indians on the conti- nent are in this part of America, of feveral of which I have already given fome account. From Penfacola to new Orleans is above one hundred miles, to Manchack one hundred and eighty, to Natches two hundred, to Yaflbus two hundred and twenty, and to St. Auguftinc. about three hundred and twenty miles. CHAP. 8 A TOUR IN THE CHAP. L. Eajl Florida. Rivers. Apalache. St. Johns River. St. Augujtine. jzurney'by Land. De- fcripticn of the Rivers, Country, and Dijlances. Alufquito River. Indian Towns. D U RING the whole of this voyage hither- to we had been fo fortunate as to be favoured with the fineft weather imaginable, and had fcarcely been out of fight of land ; fometimes in- deed fo very near it that one misrht have pitched abifcuit on fhore, and fometimes remaining two or three days in one place, at lead with our vef- fel only^ for on fuch occafions we would fre- quently ramble a great diftance from the fpot where we landed. Throughout this very delightful voyage I fre- O J ^ O J o quently took great pleafure in contemplating on the rich and bountiful hand cf nature: for let me call my eves which way I p leafed, I was equally attracted with a view of the moft ravifh- ihg profpects. The^hore level, rifing graduaily into eminen- ces clothed with the finefr verdure, and mod beautiful fpontaneous productions, prcrnifcuoufly interfperfed, as mulberry, c^dar both red and white, cyprefs, cocoa, vanella, maho, tupelo, faffafras, live-oak, and cabbage-trees, Sec. the laft towering with their round tops above the reft, as if confeious of its fuperiority, and fovereign dignity. I ilftj obferved along this coaft feveral plots of ground, which appeared to me to be like clumps UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 9 dumps or clufters of trees, and a kind of houfes furrounded with pleafant gardens and corn. Soon after, we arrived at St. Mark de Alapa- che, in Eaft Florida, on the northern extremity of the bay of Alapaches, fourteen miles diftant from the fea, on the north-eaft fide of the river of Apalache, or St. Mark's. This place is exceedinglyhealthful and pleafant, ftanding on the flope of a hill, and has been to- lerably regular, being built of ftone, excepting fome few barackas. There is alfo the appearance of the exterior parts of the town having been fortified in the Spanifh mode, rather as a defence 1 fuppofc againft the natives than Europeans; but the whole at prefent is in a Mate of utter ruin. From the excellent and central fituation of this- fine port it might carry on a good trade in its own river, &c. and interior parts, as far as the Apalachean mountains, was it properly fettled. Indeed I underftand it did fo in the time of the Spaniards, and was then looked upon to carry on more commerce than all the other fettlements in Florida put together. There was once a pearl fi/hery in this bay, and there is faid to be a fiiver mine fome confiderable diftance up this river, at the foot of a mountain named Yamezee. Apalache or Ogelagena river enters the bay of Apalache about forty miles to the eaftward of Apalachioola River, and rifes about one hundred and thirty miles from the fea, in the confines of Georgia. It is not known to receive any river of note in all its couife, until it comes near the bay, when one confiderable river named Tagabona enters into it. 85 The A TOUR IN THE The Apalachc is a very fine river, and its en- trance forms a large bay, which has fome fhal- lows and rocks ftretching out from the land, but in the middle there is five fathom water. The courfe into the mouth of this river is north, and within is a good harbour. This place lies north one quarter weft from the Tortugas, and in the paffage are found foundings, at a great depth, all the way. A brifk trade was formerly carried on by fmall craft between this place and the Havannah, by the Spaniards, The old Spanifli town of St. Mark de Apala- che, from whence the bay derives its name, ftands exadlly in the fame place that Garcilaflb de la Vega fixes as the Porte d' Aute. The fort was built on a fmall eminence, fur- rounded by marines, fituated in the fork of the two rivers, and at about two leagues diftance there is on this river a village of Apalachian Indians, called Santo Juan, as alfo fome others in the neighbourhood. The country around is beautiful, being well /upplied with wood and water, and becomes mere fertile the higher you advance into it. From the mouth of this river we proceeded by land to St. Auguftine, by a road which is as follows. Ocon is fifteen miles from St. Marks; and ten miles beyond it is Ayavalla (an old fort); twenty-four miles further is Machalla; and eleven miles from thence is St. Matheo ; both thefe are fituated on the branches of the Rio Vafifa, which is about eighty miles in length, and enters the gulf of Mexico fifteen miles fouth-eaft from St. Marks ; twenty-five miles from St. Matheo is San UNITED STATES OF AMEK1CA, *X San Pedro, on the fouth fide of the river San Pedro, which is one hundred miles long, and enters the gulf of Mexico feventy miles from St* Marks ; eleven miles from San Pedro is Utoca; and in twelve miles more we came to Nuvoalla, fituated on the eaft fide of the Carolinian River, the courfe of which has not yet been juftly afcer- tained, but there is very good reafon to fuppofe that it runs a fouth courfe into the Rio Amafura ; eight miles from Nuvoalla is Alochua, and in eight miles more we come to Jurla Noca. All thefe places were formerly the ancient fet- tlements of the Atimucas Indians, who were driven from them, by the Englifh from Carolina in the year feventeen hundred and fix, and have fixed their fettlement on an ifland to the eaft of St. John's River, about fixty-five miles fouth- weft from St. Auguftine, and call their chief town Pueblo de Atimucas. Twenty-fix miles from Jurla Noca we came to what had once been a Spanifh fettlement, on the banks of the river St. John, where a Mr. Spalding now has a ftore, or retail warehoufe of merchandize and European goods. Though the river St. John is here only two miles broad, yet it is eight miles over that and two iflands to Fort Picolata, which is the laft ftage, and is thirty miles diftant from St. Au- guftine. By this road St. Auguftine is one hundred and eighty-eight miles from St. Mark's. The province of Eaft Florida is bounded on the weft by the Gulf of Mexico, and the river Apalachicola, which is formed by the conjuncti- on of two rivers, the Cattahouachee on the weft, and the Flint River on the eaft; from the con- fluence 12 A tour in the fiuence a line drawn to the fource of St. Mary's River, and that river, until it falls into the Atlantic Ocean, bound it, on the north; and on the eaft and fouth it is bounded by the ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico, including all iflands, &c. within fix leagues of the coaft. From Cape Efcondido, or St. Blais, at the mouth of the Apalachicola river, to the conflu- ence of the Cattahouchee and FiintRivers north, is one hundred and twenty ftatute miles. From this confluence to the fource of St. Mary's River is ninety miles, then to the mouth in a direct line one hundred and twenty-five miles ; which makes the greateft breadth of this province, from eaft to weft, two hundred and fifteen miles. Its greateft length from north to fouth, viz. from the confluence of the Cattahouchee and Flint rivers, to the fouthern extremity of the Cape of Florida, is four hundred and fifty miles. From St. Auguftine to the mouth of the Va- fifa River, or from the mouth of St. John's Ri- ver, in the Atlantic Ocean, to the neareft part of the Gulf of Mexico, is an hundred and twenty miles. From St. Auguftine fouthward it is called the Cape, and is generally about eighty or eighty- five miles acrofs, from eaft to weft, viz. from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. St. Auguftine, the capital, lies twenty-nine degrees fifty minutes north latitude ; the town runs along the fhore, at the foot of a pleafant eminence adorned with trees. Its form is oblong, divided by four regular ftreets, crofling each other at right angles. Down by the fide of the harbour, about three- fourths of a mile fouth of the town, flood the church, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA » 13 church, and formerly a monaftery, of St. Auguf- tine. The beft built part of the town is on the north fide, leading to the caftle which is named St. John's Fort. The Caftle is a fqaare building of foft ftene, fortified with whole baftions, having a rampart twenty feet high, with a parapet nine feet thick, and it is cafe-mated. The town is alfo ftrengthened with baftions, and enclofed with a ditch : the whole well fur- nifhed with cannon. The harbour is formed by the north end of St. Anaftafia or Matanza's Ifland, and a long point of land, divided from the continent by the river St. Mark, which falls into the fea a little above the caftle. At the entrance of this harbour are the north and fouth breakers, forming two channels, whofe bars have from eight to nine feet water over them at low water. On the north and fouth, without the city, are two Indian towns. There was formerly a little fort, fituated at the entrance of a river into the river Matanzas (on which is the town of St. Auguftine), about four miles fouth from the town, and at the end of a marfti. There was another fort likewifc, four miles north from St. Auguftine, called Fort Pvlufa. The foil about St. Auguftine is very difagree- able, fandy, and barren; but it is much better on the river St. John's, theneareft part of which, to this town, is about twenty-feven miles due weft. Soon after our arrival here, we made an excur- fion as far as Mufquito River, to Turnbull's, Taylor's, 14 A TOUR IN THE Taylor's, Biffet's, and Ofwald's plantations. The land is better there than at St. Auguftine, but inferior to that on the banks of St John's River. The mouth of the Mufquito River lies in lati- tude twenty-eight degrees forty eight minutes north. There is a direct communication through this river, by the Rio Amazura, into the Gulf of Mexico. The Mufquitoes are a tribe of Indians inhabit- ing both fides of this river. There is another fmall Indian fettlement named El Penon, on an ifland thirteen leagues to the north of Mufquito River, fituated at the entrance of the Matanzas River, through which there is a communication to St. Auguftine. The bar of Matanzas has eight feet water on it, but afterwards, within the river, there is from ten to fifteen fathom. On the north fide of the entrance of this river is high land, called the land of Rome. St. Anaftafia or Matanza's Ifland, is twenty- feven miles in length, reaching from the bar of Matanzas to the entrance of the harbour of St. Auguftine, which it helps to form. CHAP. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. !£ CHAP. LI. Attempts to make Sugar on Mufquito River failed, Culture of Su%ar. Stone Quarry near St. Auguf- tine. Singular Floors to the Houfes. Eajl Flo- rida thinly fettled. Loyalijls take Refuge in it. Prices of Commodities and Stock. Rates of travelling. SOME attempts have been made to cultivate the fugar cane on the Mufquito River, but they have not fucceeded, at leaft not fufficiently to render it an obje& ; becaufe the keen and penetrating north-weft winds always nipt this tender plant, the fugar cane, and not only hindered it from coming to maturity, but alfo prevented its filling with the juice which pro- duces the fugar, and likewife rendered that which was obtained, of an inferior quality. However fugar might certainly be cultivated to great advantage nearer to Cape Florida, where none of thefe difadvantages, and impediments that obftrucl its growth, would affeft it. As an account of the culture of this valuable commodity may be acceptable, I fhall venture to infert it in this place, and nearly in the fame terms of one I have already feen, which is certainly juft and accurate. This commodity was not at all known to the Greeks and Romans, though it was made in China in very early times, from whence we had the firft knowledge of it ; but the Portuguefe were the firft that cultivated it in America, and brought it into requeft, as one of the ma- terials of a very univerfal luxury in Europe. i6 TOUR IN THE * It is not fettled whether the cane, from which the fubftance is extra&ed, be a native of America, or was brought thither by the Portuguefe from India, and the coaft of Afri- ca ; but however the matter may be, in the be- ginning they made the molt, as they ftill do the beft fugars which come to market in this part of the world. 4 The fugar cane grows to the height of be- tween fix and eight feet, full of joints about four or five inches afunder; the colour of the body of the cane is yellowifli, and the top, where it fhoots into leaves, of a vivid green : the coat is pretty hard, and within contains a fpungy fubftance full of juice, the moft live- ly, elegant, and leaft cloying fweet in nature, and which fucked raw has proved extremely nutritive and wholefome. 4 They are cultivated in this manner. In the month of Auguft, that is in the rainy part of the year, after the ground is cleared and well hoed, they lay a piece of fix or feven joints of the cane flat in a channel made for it, about half a foot deep ; this they cover with the earth, and fo plant the whole field in lines regu- larly difpofed, and at proper diftances. 4 In a Ihorttime a young cane {hoots out from every joint of the ftqck which was interred, and in twelve days grows to be a pretty tall and vigorous plant ; but it is not until after fixteen months, or thereabouts, that the canes are fit to anfwer the purpofes of the planter, though they may remain a few months after, without any con- fiderable prejudice to him. * The longer they remain in the ground after they come to maturity, the lefs juice they af- ford, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. J 7 ford, but this is fomething cornpenfated by the fuperior richnefs of the juice. 6 That no time may be loft they generally divide their cane ground into three parts. c One is of (landing canes, and to be cut that feafon ; the fecond is of new planted canes ; and the third is fallow, ready to receive a frefli fupply. 4 In fome places they make fecond and third cuttings from the fame root. f The tops of the canes, and the leaves that grow upon the joints, make very good provender for their cattle, and the refufe of the cane, after grinding, ferves for fuel ; fo that no pare of this excellent plant is without its ufe.. f The canes are cut with a billet, and carried in bundles to the mill, which is now generally a windmill ; it turns three great cylinders, or rollers, platted with iron, fet perpendicularly, and cogged fo as to be all moved by the middle roller. Between thefe the canes are bruifed to pieces, and the juice runs through a hole into a vat, which is placed under the rollers to receive it; from hence it is carried through a pipe into a great refervoir, in which, however, for fear of turning four, it is not fufrered to reft long, but is conveyed out of that by other pipes into the boiling houfe, where it is received by a large cauldron : here it remains until the fcum, which conftantly arifes during the boiling, is all taken off ; from this it is paffed fucceffively into five or fix more boilers, gradually diminifhing in their fize, and treated in the fame manner. c In the laft of thefe it becomes of a very thick clammy confiftence, but mere boiling is incapable of carrying it farther; to advance the A TOUR IN THE the operation they pour in a fmall quantity of lime-water; the immediate effect of this alien mixture is to raife the liquor into a very vehe- ment fermentation, but to prevent it from Tun- ing over, a bit of butter no larger than a nut, is thrown in, upon which the fury of the fermentation immediately fubfides ; a veflel of two or three hundred gallons requiring no greater force to quiet it. * It is now taken out and placed in a cooler, where it dries, granulates and becomes fit to be put into the pots, which is the laft part of the ope- ration, < The pots are conical, or of a fugar loaf fa(hion, open at the point, which muft be confi- dered as their bottom ; here a ftrainer is put acrofs. 4 In thefe pots the fugar purges itfelf of its remaining impurity; the molaifes, or treacly part, difentangles itfelf from the reft, precipi- tates, and runs out of the aperture at the bot- tom ; it is now in the condition called Mufca- vedo fugar, of a yellowifh brown colour, and thus it is generally put into the hogfhead and fhipped off. 4 But v/hen they have a mind to refine it yet farther, and leave no remains at all of the mo- laffes, they cover the pots, I have juft mention- ed, with a fort of white clav, like that ufed for tobacco pipes, diluted with water; this penetrates the fugar, unites with the molafies, and with them runs off, leaving the fugar of a whitifh colour, but whiteft at the top. ' This is called clayed fugar ; the operation is fometimes repeated once or twice more, and the fugar every time diminifhing in quantity, gains confiderably UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 1$ confiderably in value, but ftill is called clayed fugar. ' Farther than this they do not go in the plan- tations, bccaufe a heavy duty, of fix (hillings per hundred weight, is laid upon all fugars refined there ; it is therefore unneceffary to carry the account of the procefs of refining it anyfarther/ Of the molaffes rum is made, in a manner that needs nodefcription fince it differs in nothing from the manner of diftilling any other fpirit. From the fcummings of the fugar a meaner fpirit is procured. Rum finds its market throughout North Ame- rica (wherere it is confumed by the white inha- bitants, or employed in the Indian trade, or diftributed from the continent to the fifhery of Newfoundland, and the African commerce), be- fides what comes to Great Britain and Ireland. However New England takes off a great quan- tity of molaffes raw, and from thence is diftilled there, a very inferior ill-tafted fpirit, named New England or Yankee rum, of a flavour and quality very much refembling that diftilled in the French Weft-India iflands. They compute, that when things are well managed, the rum and molaffes pay the charges of the plantation, and that the fugars are clear gain. However by the particulars we have feen, and by others which we may eafily imagine, the ex- pences of a fugar-plantation muft be very great, and the profits at the firft view precarious > for the chargeable articles of the wind-mill, the boiling, cooling, and diftilling-houfes, and the buying, and fubfifting a fuitable number of flaves and cattle, will not fuffer any man to be- gin 26 A TOUR IN THE gin a plantation here of any confequence, not to mention the purchafe'of the land, under a capi- tal of at lead five thoufand pounds. Neither is the life of a planter a life of idle- nefs and luxury; at all times he mull keep a watchful eye over his overfeers, and even overfee himfelf oocafionally. But at the boiling feafon, if he is properly attentive to his affairs, no way of life can be more laborious, and more dan- gerous to the health, from a conftant attendance, nay and night, in the extreme united heats of the climate and fo many fierce furnaces ; add to this the lofs by hurricanes, earthquakes, and bad feafons, and then confider when the fugars are in cafk, that he quits the toils of a planter, to engage in the hazards of a merchant, and fhips his produce at his own rifk. The fum of all might make one believe, that it could never anfvver to engage in this bufinefs ; but notwithstanding all this, greater eftates are made in a (horter time from fugar-plantations, than from any other culture or produce in the world. Large plantations are under the management or care of a chief overfeer, who has commonly a falary of an hundred and fifty pounds a year, with overfeers under him in proportion to the greatnefs of the plantation, one to about thirty Negroes, and at the rate of about forty pounds annually. Such plantations too have a furgeon, at a fixed falary, employed to take care of the Negroes which belong to it. But the courfe which is the left troublefome to the proprietor of the eftate, is to let the land, with all the works, and the ftock of cattle and flaves, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 21 flaves, to a tenant who gives fecurity for the payment of rent, and, the keeping up repairs and the ftock. The eftate is generally eftirnated to fuch a tenant at half the neat produce of the beft years. Such tenants, if frugal and induftrious men, foon make good eftates for themfelves. The Negroes in thefe plantations are fubfifted at a very eafy rate. This is generally by allot- ing to each family of them a fmall poition of land, and allowing them two days in the week, Saturday and Sunday to cultivate it. Some are fubfifted in this manner, but others find thdr Negroes themfelves, with a certain portion of Indian corn, commonly a peck a week for each flave, and fometimes a fait her- ring, or a fmall quantity of bacon, or fait pork a day. All the reft of the charge confifts in a cap, or coarfe hat, a fhirt, a pair of trowfers, ftockings, and fhoes, the whole not exceeding the value of forty {hillings a year. The houfes here have a very fingular ap- pearance within, being floored with a kind of reddifh ftucco, intermixed with fhells, inftead of plank, no where elfe to be met with in Britifh America, and was performed by the Spaniards, when the province was in their pofTefiion. In fummer it is always warned very clean eve- ry day, which net only affords a grateful ap- pearance to the eye, but alio produces a pleafant coolnefs, that is not to be met with in rooms with flooring of plank. In the ill and of Matanzas, or St. Anafta- fia, there is a quarry of foft ftone, which be- comes harder as it is expofed to the jftion of the external air. Of 22 A TOUR IN THE Of this ftone is compofed all the mafonry of the fort of St. John, which is indeed one of the ftrongeft on the continent. We proceeded from St. Auguftine to the mouth of St. John's River, and ftaid the firft night at thehoufe of a Mr. Morris, a very kind hofpitable planter, poflefled of a tolerable houfe and plantation, and a confiderable fortune. Here I was feized with a violent intermittent fever, which detained me thirteen days, during all which time I received the moft humane and friendly treatment from Mr. Morris and his fa- mily, as well as from Mr. Groves and Mr. Lewis, who remained with and attended me until my recovery. In this province the number of inhabitants rather decreafed before the rebellion in North America, there being fcarcely an hundred white families refiding in the whole country out of St. Auguftine, exclufive of the Negroes, and the eftates of fuch proprietors- an refide in Great Britain. In St Auguftine itfelf there are not many more, befides the garrison. Settlements do not extend farther fouth than Mufquito river, about fixty miles to the South- ward of St Auguftine. From Auguftine to the extremity of the cape, or Cape Florida, is three hundred miles ; and although this part of the province confifts of much the beft lands, no fettiements are extended farther fouth from the capital than fixty miles, as I have juft obferved. The neareft Indians, formi >able in war, to St. Auguftine are the Lower Creelcs, who refide in the fork of Flint River, and a finall tribe of them have this year gone down to the cape, perfe&ly UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 23 perfectly good humoured, friendly, and well difpefed towards us. Many families have removed from this pro- vince to Weft Florida, on account of the immenfe fuperiority of the foil in fertility, which prevents this province from increafing in population, and renders that of Weft Florida to advance in a fur- prifing degree. Befides the above, there was no aflembly at that time, and the court of juftice was faid to be very oppreflive, which alfo prevented the colony from increafing or improvement. However fince the revolt in America the face of things was changed in Eaft Florida, greatly to its advantage, there being feveral thoufand loyalifts fettled there for refuge, having fled and being expelled, from the revolted provinces, which enabled the Governor to have a Council, Affembly, &c. and advanced this province to a very flouriftiing condition. The greateft inconvenience that attends the the northern part of this province is dry fcafons, and a general want of rain, as it lies under one of the tropics. The fouthern part is more feafonable, feldom being without refrefhing fcowers for any length of time, both becaufe of the height of the laud, and the hills therein which attract the clouds, as well as its being furrounded with vaft and extenfive feas, from which vapours and moifture are perpetually exhaled. Throughout the fettled and beft known parts of Eaft Florida, the lands in general are pine barrens, with a fandy foil. About twenty or thirty miles back from the coaft they are clav with pines. One thoufand acres of good land in a body is very feldom to be found. Settlement; ^4- ATOUR IN THE Settlements are very thinly fcattered, being five, ten, and twenty miles diftant from each other. The produce or growth of timber is princi- pally pine ; there are alfo live-oak, water-oak, faflafras, hiccory, gum, afti, maple, and tu- palo, on the cape mahogany, and in the fwamps abundance of cyprefs, befides cedar, and moft other kinds of timber. There is great plenty cf good grafs, and very fine marlhes. The higheft price of improved land is ten fhillings per acre ; the loweft three fhillings, and even two. Corn fells now at two millings and fix pence per bufhel, but it fometimes brings four fhillings and fix pence. Horfes are from four to live pounds each ; a cow with calf two pounds ; pork is purchafed for twenty and twenty-five fhillings per hun- dred weight neat. The only produce of this province, w r orth mentioning for exportation, is indigo, which fells at five and fix fhillings per pound, accord- ing to the quality; one hand, that is one flave, will make from one hundred to cne hundred and fifty pounds' weight of it, befides the general wpik on the plantation in the culture of corn and cotton for his fubfiftence and clothing. Rates of travelling are as follow dinner one {hilling, fupper one (hilling, breakfail eight pence, fervants diet, fix pence each, if they are blacks, but for white fervants you pay the fame as for yourfelf, lodging four pence, ftahling for your horfes fix pence each, befides paying for their proven • r ; Indian corn, or more ge- nerally rough rice, with which horfes are fed here, two pence per quart. The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 15 The common drink is rum and water, fome- times with fugar, and fometimes made into punch with fruit, at the rate of one fliilling per quart. Every thing in the above rates is calcula- ted in fterling, which indeed is the only curren- cy both in Weft and Eaft Florida. Vol. II. C 26 A TOUR IN THE CHAP. LII. Recover from Sicknefs. Leave Eajl Florida, The Rivers Alatamaha, Great Oge tehee, and Savan- nah. The Town of Savannah. Indian War. Georgians made a poor Figure. Flour ijhing State of Georgia. Number of Inhabitants. Value of Land. Staple Commodities and Pro- duce. Rates of Travelling. Value of annual Exports and Imports. MY ftrength being fufficiently recovered to proceed on our journey, we left Mr. Morris's, and in thirty-fix miles came to St. Mary's River, the northern boundary of the province. We were ferried over this river in a fkew, or fiat boat, at Johnfon's- ferry, and entered the province of Georgia. This night we put up at the ferry on Great Sitilla River, which is twelve miles diftant from St. Mary's, having forded a confiderable water- ccurfe named Crooked or Dividing River. All this country hitherto is in its infancy, with very few fettlements, and the land but in- different in quality, though there were feveral pretty pleafant fituations, and fome very good land. On the day following we croffed Little Sitilla River, twelve miles diftant from the other, alfo a rivulet named Tortoife River, and the great river Alatamaha at the diftance of thirty-one miles from Little Sitilla. Here we remained all night, at a place laid out for a town named Darien, on the northern banks UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 27 banks of the river, where the inhabitants are chiefly Scots. The Alatamaha is a large, extenfive, and very fine river, with abundance of moft excellent land on its banks. It is at leafl as large as the Apalachicola, or the Roanoak, formerly mentioned, and derives its fource near the head-fprings of the rivers Apalachicola, and Euphafiee, the fouthern branch of the Hogohegee or Cherokee River. It is formed by two large branches, the Ock- mulghe on the fouth, and the Ockoonee on the north, each of which receives feveral very con- fiderable rivers, palling through a vaft body of extreme fine land. The great fork of the Alata- maha is about an hundred and twenty-five miles from the fea. From the fource of the Ockoonee to the mouth of the Alatamaha is not lefs than three hundred and thirty miles in a dire<3: courfe, and above five hundred along with the meanders of the river. Proceeding on our journey we left the Alata- maha, crolling a number of v/ater-courfes, viz. Sapello River, fouth and north Newport Rivers, and another very large river named the Great Ogechee, juft below the place where a confide- rable ftream enters into it, named Cowanoochee River, and at night arrived at Savannah, the ca- pital of the province of Georgia, which is forty- three miles from the Alatamaha. The Great Ogechee River, which wecrofled before we came to Savannah, is a large and excellent river, with a great quantity of fine land upon it, but not fo rich in quality as the C 2 lands 28 A TOUR IN THE lands on the Alatamaha, nor is this river fo large as it. This river runs almoft parallel to the Alata- maha, near the head of which it alfo derives its fource, and falls into the ocean at great War- fa found, aficr a direct courfe of three hundred miles, or with its meanders at leaft five hundred. The town of Savannah is fituated on the fouthern banks of the river of that name, which alfo runs nearly parallel to the Great Ogechee and Alatamaha Rivers, near the head of which the Savannah likewife derives its fource, and runs into the ocean at Tybee, after a courfe in direct lines of three hundred miles, and near fix hundred including its meanders. It is nearly about the magnitude of the Alata- maha, although I do not imagine it contains quite fo much water as that river. The banks of the river on which the Savan- nah is built are high and commanding, and the oppofite fide being low, renders the iituation of the town the more pleafant. It lies about ten miles from the fea, and con- tains perhaps one thoufand, or twelve hundred inhabitants, white and black. This river is navigable to Augufta, above two hundred and ten miles farther up in the country, a large town, but fpread over a great and un- proportionable extent of ground. The town of Augufta is fo commodioufly fituated for the Indian trade, that from the firft eftablifhment of the colony, it has been in a very flourifhing condition, and maintained very early fix hundred Whites in that branch of commerce alone. The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 29 The Indian nations, whofe trade centers here, are fome of the moft numerous and powerful tribes in America. The trade of (kins with thefe people is the largeit we have ; it includes that of Eaft Florida, part of Weft Florida, all Georgia, North and South Carolina, and the greateft part of Virginia. We are fupplied with fome furs alfo from them, but they are of an inferior fort. All fpecies of animals that bear the fur, by a wife Providence, have it more thick, and of a fofter and finer kind as you go to the northward; the greater the cold, the better they are clad. I made excuriions from Savannah to the towns of Puryfburg, Ebenezer, and every place of any note around, an account of which would be lit- tle better then a mere repetition of what has al- ready been defcribed. The land around the town of Savannah is fandy and poor, and the timber chiefly pines. However this province was certainly in a very flourifeing condition, but the richeft lands in it lie on the river Alatamaha, which was becoming a very thriving fettlement, and increafed very The lands throughout this province, as far as I have feen, are richer than that of Eaft Florida j and it is beyond any comparifon better fettled, being faid to contain, according to the compu- tation publifhed by the firft American Congrefe, one hundred eleven thoufand and feventy-five inhabitants - 9 which account I think exaggerated, nor do I imagine, from the beft information of the principal perfons in the province, that it really contains more than one hundred thoufand fouls, C 3 white 3° A TCUR IN THE white 2nd black, of which number not more than one fifth are white. This province is bounded on the north by the river Savannah, which divides it from South Carolina; and by a line drawn from the head fpring of Georgia Creek, a branch of Little River which runs into the Savannah on the fouth fide about thirty miles above Augufta, due weft, until it interfects the Miffiliippi; by the river Miffiffippi on the weft; on the fouth by Weft and Eaft Florida, as already defcribed ; and on the eaft by the Atlantic ocean, including all iflands, &c. It lies between thirty-one and thirty-three de- grees north latitude, and between eighty-one and ninety-one degrees weft longitude. In the fettlement of Georgia it w 7 as originally intended for a kind of military frontier govern- ment, as a barrier againft the Spaniards when they pofiefied the Floridas, for this purpofe it had every countenance and aiTiftance from go- vernment. But this laudable defign failing, the fettle- ment was placed exactly on the fame footing as South Carolina, in which condition it has great- ly improved, and thereby arrived at its prefent flourifhing ftate. However in this light of defence it lately cut but a very indifferent figure. In the year one thoufand feven hundred and feventy-four, the Indians commenced hoftili- ties throughout a great part of the continent, particularly in Virginia, South-Carolina, and Georgia. In V'rgir/ia, wh^re thev were by far the moft formidable, the Governor, the £arl of Dun- more, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 3* more, went out againft them in perfon, a fevere adtion was fought with them on the banks of the great Kanhavvah and Ohio, wherein the In- dians were defeated, and his Lordftiip alfo at the head of a confiderable force penetrated into the heart of their country, burnt their towns, made them fue for and conclude a peace, and give hoftages for the continuance of it. In South Carolina there was an engagement likewife, and the Whites were vl&orious. In this province, two hundred Georgian mili- tia were fent out againft them. Hearing the In- dians were approaching, a chofen detachment, confifting of thirty in number, was advanced fome diftance in front of the main body. This party, discovering fome of the enemy, made a halt, to confult whether to attack them on horfeback or on foot. It was carried to make the attack on horfe- back, in order, as the event proved, to enable them the better to run away. The Indians, who were only feventeen in num- ber, perceiving them halt, marched boldly for- ward and fired upon them ; thefe doughty heroes inftantly wheeled to the right about and fled to a man with the greateft precipitation without firing a fingle fhot, and the whole two hundred followed their example, in the utmoft confufion and difmay. The Indians being elated, upon this fuccefs, committed many depredations, until all their ammunition was expended. The Georgians, greatly terrified, fent to Great Britain for troops. Thefe harrafiments, and manv divifions amon^ft themfelves, preven- C 4 ted 32 A TOUR IN THE ted their fending delegates to the firft American Congrefs at Philadelphia. However they foon found means to bring thefe their Indian enemies to their own terms, by im- mediately fhutting up every avenue of trade with them, from whence alone the Indians derived their only fupplies of ammunition, which indeed is their fole refource for procuring food, fubfif- tence, and cloathing, as well as for war : the Georgians alfo began to raife more forces. The Indians upon this made every conceflion that could be ddiredj delivered up all who had been moft guilty of the depredations and mur- ders, and thereby obtained peace and a renewal of trade. Theyare now quite reconciled again, arid perfeftly friendly. Georgia is indeed a fine country, where it is well cultivated; there is certainly a vaft quan- tity of poor barren land in the province, but there is alfo a great deal very good and valuable. The beft lands in excellent culture fell for high prices, bringing from three, to twelve pounds fterling art acre ; fo much has the value of landed property increafed* by the culture of indigo and rice, under a mild and free govern- ment. The rates of travelling are much the fame as thofe mentioned in Eaft Florida, and the cur- rency here is alfo fterling. The trade of Georgia, at the commencement of the general revolt in America, although in its infancy, was rapidly increafing. The exports then amounted to more than feventy-four thou- fand pounds, and the imports to forty-nine thoufand pounds fterling annually. CHAP, UNITED- STATES OF AMERICA. 33 CHAP. LIII. Set out for Charles Town. Afterwards proceed to Augujla^ Ninety-Six, fife Culture of Indi- go. Culture of Rice. Culture of Cotton. De- , fcription of the Country. Of the Sea Coajl. Of the Back Country. Fertility of the Soil. Excellence of the Climate , &c. MR. Groves left us at Savannah, and fet out for his own houfe in the interior, or ra- ther the back part of Georgia, being on the Great Ogechee River, a confiderabie diftance farther back than Augufta. But Mr. Lewis and I were equally fortunate in meeting with agreeable company, for Mr. Morris of St John's River, at whofe houfe I had received fuch kind and hofpitable treatment when I was fick in Eaft Florida; having fome bufinefs in Maryland which, wryle I was at his houfe, he propofed tranfa&ing there next year, having changed his mind, refolved to commence the journey immediately, and had pufhed hard to overtake us, as we {hould accompany each, other almoft the whole way. He came to me at Savannah, and acquainted me with his intentions, propofmg for us to make the journey together, which I mod gladly ac- ceded to, as Mr. Lewis and I were to part at Charles Town, from whence he intended to take the route home to Augufta in Virginia > and Mr. Morris accordingly ftaid with us fome days, making excurfions to every place worthy of notice around Savannah, before we proceed- ed on our journey. Having remained in and near Savannah about C 5 ten 34 A TOUR WTH& ten days, we croflfed the r.iver ijito South Caro- lina, and fet out for Charles Town, where we arrived after four eafy days ride, . having turned afide from the main road to the right, and ftakl all night at Beaufoft, or, as it is fometimes call- ed, Port Royal, from the harbour which is the beft in the province, and having croffed feveral inconfiderable rivers in this journey, the princi- pal of which were the Coofahatche River, the Saltketchers or Cambahe River, and the Eddif- to, or Ponpon River, remarkable for rich wi- dows, frolic, and feafting. The diftance from Savannah to Charles Town is one hundred and thirty miles, through a coun- try the be taken to bring it to the deeper withoui-ffref- fing or making it, as great part of the beauty of the indigo depends upon the fine farina which adheres to the leaves of this plant. The apparatus for making indigo is pretty con- siderable, though not very expenfive, for befides a pump, the whole confifts only of vats and tubs, of cyprefs wood, common and cheap in this coun- try. The indigo when cut is firft laid in a vat, about twelve or fourteen feet long and four deep, to the height of about fourteen inches, to mace- rate and digeft: then this veflel, which is called the Jieeper^ is filled with water; the whole having laid from about twelve or fixteen hours, accord- ing to the weather, begins to ferment, fwell, rife, and grow fenfibly warm ; at this time fpars of wood are run acrofs, to mark the higheft point of itsafcent; when it falls below this mark, they judge that the fermentation has attained its due pitch, and begins to abate ; this directs the ma- nagers to open a cock, and let off the water into another vat which is called the beater^ the grofs matter that remains in the firft vat is carried off to manure the ground, for whicri purpofe it is excellent, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 39 excellent, and new cuttings are put in, as long as the harveft of this weed continues. When the water, ftrongly impregnated with the particles of indigo, has run into the fecond vat or beater, they attend with a fort of bottom- lefs buckets with long handles to work and agitate it, which they do inceffantly, until it heats, froths, ferments, and rifes above the rim of the veflel that contains it, to allay this violent fermentation oil is thrown in as the froth rifes* which inftantly finks it. When this beating has continued for twenty, thirty, or thirty-five minutes, according to the ftate of the weather, for in cool weather it re- quires the longeft continued beating, a fmall muddy grain begins to be formed, the falts and other particles of the plant, united and diffolved before with the water, are now re-united toge- ther, and begin to granulate. To difcover thefe particles the better and to find when the liquor is fufficiently beaten, they take up fome of it from time to time on a plate, or in a glafs ; when it appears in a hopeful con- dition, they let loofe fome lime water from an adjacent veflel, gently ftirring the whole, which wonderfully facilitates the operation ; the indigo granulates more fully, the liquor aflumes a pur- pleifh colour, and the whole is troubled and mud- dy ; it is now fuffered to fettle ; then the clearer part is permitted to run off into another fucceffi- on of veffels, from whence the water is conveyed away as faft as it clears on the top, until nothing remains but a thick mud, which is put into bags of coarfe linen. Thefe are hung up and left for fome time until the moifture is entirely drained off. To 40 A TOUR IS THE To finifh the drying, this mud is turned out of the bags, and worked upon boards of fome porous timber, with a wooden fpatula; it is fre- quently expofed to the morning and evening fun, but for a fliort time only : and then it is put into boxes or frames, which is called the curing, ex- pofed again to the fun in the fame cautious man- ner, until with great labour and attention the operation is finished, and that valuable drug or die called indigo fitted for the market. The greatelt (kill arid cans is required in every part of the procefs, or there may be great danger of ruining the whole ; the water muft not be fuffered to remain too fhort or too long a time, either in the fteeper or beater ; the beating itfelf muft be nicely managed, fo as not to exceed . or fall fhort ; and in the curing, the exact medium between too much or too little drying is not eafily aflertained. Nothing but experience can make the ovcr- feers fkilful in thefe matters. There are two methods of trying the goodnefs of indigo > by fire and by water. If it fwims it is good, if it finks it is naught, the heavier the worfe , fo if it wholly difTolves in water it is good. * Another way of proving it is by the fire or- deal ; if it entirely burns away it is good, the adulterations remain untouched. There is perhaps no branch of manufacture in which fo large profits may be made upon fo mo- derate a fund as that of indigo, and there is no country (excepting on the banks of the MifTiflip- pi) in v/hich this manufacture can be carried on to fuch advantage as Carolina, where the climate UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 41 is healthy, provifions plentiful and cheap, and every thing neceffary for that bufinefs had with the greater! eafe. To do juftice to the Carolinians they have not neglefled thefe advantages; and if they had not revolted from Great Britain, and had continued to improve their natural advantages in the cul- ture of this moft valuable commodity, and dili- gently attended to the quality of their goods, they would neceffarily have come to fupply the confumption of the principal part of the world therewith, and confequently have rendered their country the richeft. as it is one of the pleafant- eft and moft fertile parts of North America. Rice anciently formed by itfelf the ftaple of this province j this wholfome grain makes a great part of the food of all ranks of people in the fouthern parts of the world ; in the northern it is not fo much in requeft. Whilft the rigour of of the Britifh a& of na- vigation obliged them to fend all their rice direct- ly to England, to be re-lhippeil for the markets of Spain and Portugal, the charges incident to this regulation lay fo heavy upon the trade, that the cultivation of rice, efpecially in time of war, when thefe charges were greatly aggravated by the rife of the freight and insurance, hardly anfwered the charges of the planter. But after the legiflature had relaxed the law in this refpect, and permitted the South Carolinians to fend their rice dire&ly to any place to the fouthward of Cape Finifterre, this prudent in- dulgence reftored the rice trade; and although they have gone largely, and with great fpirit into the profitable article of indigo, it has not divert- ed their attention from the cultivation of rice. Juft 42 A TOUR IN THE Juft before the rebellion in America they raifed near three times the quantity of what they made formerly, and this branch alone of their com- merce was then, at the loweft eftimation, worth two hundred thoufand pounds fterling annually, viz. at the commencement of the revolt juft mentioned. The culture of rice is as follows. Rice is a hard grain, with a coarfe thick hufk ibmewhat refembHng Englifh barley, only whiter and much harder. It is fowed as foon as it conveniently can be after the vernal equinox, from which period un- til the middle, and even the laft of May, is the ufual time of putting it in the ground. It grows beft in low marfhy land, and fhould be fowed in furrows twelve inches afunder ; it re- quires to be flooded, and thrives beft, if fix inches under water; the water is occafionally drained off, and turned on again to overflow it, for three or four times. When ripe the ftraw becomes yellow, and it is either reaped with a fickle, or cut down with a fcythe and cradle, fome time in the month of September; after which it is raked and bound, or got up loofe, and threfhed or trodden out, and winnowed in the fame manner as wheat or barley. Huilcing it requires a different and particular operation, in a mill made for that purpofe. This mill is conftru&ed of two large flat wooden cylinders, formed like fmall mill-ftones, with channels or furrows cut therein, diverging in an oblique direction from the centre to the circumference, made of an heavy and exceedingly hard UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 43 hard timber called lightwood, which is the knots of the pitch pine. This is turned with the hand like the com- mon hand mills, for they have not as yet arrived at fuch a ftate of improvement and perfection in this bufinefs as to make ufe of horfe mills, which might certainly be rendered much more advan- tageous and ufeful. After the rice is thus cleared of the hulks, it is again winnowed, when it is fit for exportation. After this procefs the value of this grain upon the fpot is about ten fhillings, fterling per hundred weight. A bufhel of rice will weigh about fixty-fiveor fixty-fix pounds, and an acre of middling land will produce twenty-five bufhels. It is calculated that each Have may make about feventy-five bufiiels of rice, or about twenty-five pounds fterling, at a medium annually. Cotton is alfo a moft ufeful production of this country, and of all the fouthern provinces. It is cultivated in this manner. About eight of the feeds, which fomewhat re- femble thole of a fun-flower, are planted toge- ther in fmall, hills, about two feet afunder ; for this purpofe rich gravelly foil is much the moft proper, and that number of feeds are put in the ground becaufe fo many of them are faulty that it is very feldom more than two or three of all the eight or nine vegetate. In about ten days it is feen above the ground, and then it refembles the leaf of the kidney-bean. As the fummer advances it muft be weeded, worked, and the earth thrown towards the roots of the plants. As 44 A TOUR IN THE As it grows it {hoots forth into eight, ten, twenty or more different branches, and when ripe is about twelve or eighteen inches high above the ground ; the pods are then about the fize of a black walnut, of a dark colour, round, and pointed at the extremity. When perfectly ripe this pod burfts itfelf, with an audible crack, and the cotton expands itfelf out of four or five different cells, each of which contains a feed, furrounded by a quantity of fine cotton of a fnowy whitenefs. It then has the appearance, at a diftance, of large and elegant white rofes, of the moft beau- tiful and perfect whitenefs, and at this time it is gathered, which is about the fall of the leaf, that is the latter end of Odober. Little negroes and ufelefs hands are employed every night in picking the feeds from the cotton, which is a very tedious and tirefome operation. Cotton in this ftate upon the fpot is worth three pence fterling per pound including the feeds, and when they are picked from it, it fells for a /billing fterling per pound. An acre of land in the culture of cotton con- tains about feven thoufand five hundred hills, and at a medium would produce perhaps five hundred pounds weight. One hand or Have might cultivate five acres which would thus produce about thirty-two pounds fterling, by felling it in the feed, as it would be impoffible for fuch a quantity to be picked by any number of hands a planter could fpare. There is a more expeditious method of pick- ing cotton by a machine called a gin, which however UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 45 however breaks many of the feeds amongft the cotton, and renders it of lefs value than what is picked by hand. Befides the above two ftaple commodities, in- digo and rice, South Carolina affords a very confiderable quantity of lumber, provifion, &c. in common with the reft of the provinces, for annual exportation. In South Carolina the foil in general is rich- er, and more fertile than in Georgia. Thunder and lightning is likewife frequent, and dreadfully tremendous. This province is alfo fubjeft to hurricanes, but they are very rare, and not fo violent as thofe of the Weft Indies. Part of the month of March, all April, May, and the greateft part of June are here inexpreffibly temperate and agreeable ; but in July, Auguft and September the heat is ex- ceedingly intenfe ; and though the winters arc very fharp, efpecially when the north-weft wind prevails, yet they are feldom fevere enough to freeze any confiderable water, affedting only the mornings and evenings ; the frofts have ne- ver fufficient ftrength to refift the noon-day fun ; fo that many tender plants that do not ftand the winter in Virginia, flourifh in South Carolina, for they have oranges in great plenty, in and near Charles Town, and excellent in their kinds, both fweet and four. Olives are alfo prodyced, though they are rather neglected by the planter, than denied by the climate. The vegetation of every kind of plant is here almoft incredibly quick, for there is fomething fo kindly in the air and foil, that where the lat- ter 4.6 A TOUR IN THE ter has the moft barren and unprcmifing appear- ance, if neglected for a while it throws out an irnmenfe quantity of thofe various plants, and beautiful flowering fhrubs, for which this country is fo famous, and of which fuch fine drawings have been made in the Natural Hif- tory of Carolina. The whole country is in a manner one univer- fal foreft, where the planters have not clear- ed it. The trees are almoft the fame in every ref- pect with thofe produced in Virginia, and by the different fpecies and growth of thefe, the quality and excellence of the foil is eafily dis- covered ; for thofe grounds which bear the oak, the poplar, the walnut, the faflafras and the hickory, are extremely fertile; they are of a dark fend, intermixed with loam, and as all their lands abound with nitre, it is a long time before it is exhaufted, for here they never ufe any rnanure. The pine barren is the worft of all ; this is an almoft perfectly white fand, yet it bears the pine tree, and fome other ufeful plants natu- rally, yielding good profit in pitch, tar, and turpentine : when this fpecies of land is cleared, for two or three years together it produces very tolerable crops of Indian corn and peafe, and when it lies low and is flooded it even anfwers well for rice; for this grain, as I have already obferved, muft be under water more than half the time of its culture. But what is the beft of all for this province, this worft kind of land is favourable to a fpe- cies of the moft valuable of all its produds cne of the kinds of indigo. There UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 4r There is another fort of ground, which lies low and wet, upon fome of their rivers, this is calted fwampi which in fome places is in a manner ufelefs, in others it is far the rich- eft of all their grounds ; it is a black fat earth, and bears their great ftaple rice, which mull: have in general a very rich foil, in the greateft plenty and perfection. The country near the fea, and at the mouth of the navigable rivers, is much the worft ; for mod of the land there is of the fpecies of the pale light fandy coloured ground, and what is other wife in thefe parts is little better than an unhealthy and unprofitable fait marfh. But the country as ycu advance in it im- proves continual! v, and at an hundred miles dis- tance from Charles Town, where it begins to grow hilly, the foil is of a prodigious fertility, fitted fcr every purpofe of human life. The. air is pure and wholefome, and the fummer heats much more temperate than in the flat country, for both the Carolinas are all an even plain, for eighty and fometimes an hundred or more miles from the fea; no hill, no rock, fcarce even a pebble to be met with y Co that the belt of the maritime country, from this famenefs, muft want fomething of that fine erTect, which its beautiful products would have by a more variegated and advantageous difpofition ; but nothing can be imagined more pleafant to the eye than the back country, and its fruitfulnefs is alxnaft incredible. Wheat grows extremely well there, and yields a prodigious increafe. In the ether parts of South Carolina they raife but little, where it is apt to mildew, and fpend itfelf in {-rav/ ; and 48 A TOUR IN THE and thefe evils the planter takes very little care to redrefs, as they turn their whole attention to the culture of indigo and rice, which is more profitable, and in which they are unrivalled, being fupplied with what wheat and flour they want, in exchange for this grain, from New York and Penfylvania. CHAP. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 49 CHAP. LIV. Method of clearing the Land. Vaji Herds of Cat- tle y Charles Town. Port Royal. George Town. Wilmington in North Carolina. Brunfwick. Fort John/on. American General Howe. Newlern. Bath Town. Pamphlico Sound. Edinton. Albemarle Sound. TH E land in South Carolina is very eafily cleared every where, as there is little or no underwood. Their forefts, which is indeed the whole coun- try, confift moftly of large and lofty trees at a confiderable diftance afunder, fo that they can clear in South Carolina more land in a week than in fome of the forefts in Europe they can do in a month. Their method is to cut them down at about a foot from the ground, and then faw or fplit the trees into boards, or convert them into ftaves, heading, or other fpecies of lumber, according to the nature of the wood, or the demands of the market. If they are too far from navigation, they heap them together, and leave them to rot. The roots foon decay, and before that they find no inconvenience from them where land is fo plenty. The aboriginal animals of this country are in general the fame with thofe of Virginia, but there is yet a greater variety of beautiful fowls and birds, among which the humming bird claims the pre-eminence in extreme beauty and delicacy. Vol. II. D All A' TOUR IN THE All the animals of Europe are here in plenty ; alack cattle are multiplied prodigioufly. About feventy years ago, it was a thing ex- traordinary for one planter to have three or four cows ; now fome have a thoufand ; in North Ca- rolina, efpecially in the back parts, a great ma- ny more ; but to have two or three thoufand is very common. Thefe ramble all day at pleafure in the woods, but their calves being feparated from them, and kept in fenced paftures, the cows return every evening to them; they are then milked, detain- ed all night, again milked in the morning, and then let loofe. The hogs range in the fame manner, and re- turn like the cows, but not fo regularly, by hav- ing fhelter and fome vi£tuals provided for them at the plantation ; thefe are vaftly nume- rous, and many quite wild that never come near the houfe. Many horned cattle and horfes too run wild in the woods, as I have related in the former vo- lume, though at the firft fettlement of this coun- try there was not one of thefe animals in it. They drive a great many cattle, as well as hogs, down to the fea-ports, to be flaughtered there, and falted for the Weft-Indies; but the beef is neither fo good, nor does it keep near fo long, as what is fent to the fame market from Ireland. They alfo export a confiderable number of live cattle to Penfylvania and the Weft-Indies. Sheep are not fo plenty as the black cattle or hogs, neither is their flefti good, and their wool is very ordinary. he UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The people of South Carolina, while under the mild and eafy government of Great-Britain, lived in the fame plentiful and luxuriant manner with the Virginians defcribed in the former vo- lume. Poverty was then almoft an entire ftranger in this province, and the planters were the moft hofpitable people that could be met with, to all ftrangers, and efpecially to fuch as by accident or misfortune were rendered incapable of provi- ding for themfelves. But now the appearance of this fine province is totally changed fince the general and unhappy revolt. There is no longer the face of plenty to be feen, nor are the doors of hofpitality now open to the ftranger, whofe life, as well as property, is not even by any means fecure. Charles Town is fo generally known, and has been fo frequently defcribed already, that any thing concerning it can be little elfethan a repe- tition of what has often been mentioned by others ; but as fome account of it will be expec- ted, I fhall only juft obferve, that it lies in lati- tude thirty-two degrees forty minutes north, and longitude eighty degrees forty minutes weft, and is the only town in the province, or indeed in all the fouthern provinces, worthy of notice. It is the metropolis of South Carolina, and for ftze, beauty, and trade, may be considered as one of the firft cities in Britifh America. Charles Town is fituated on a point of land at the confluence of two navigable rivers, named Aftley, and Cooper Rivers, one of which is na- vigable for (hips twenty miles above the town, and for fmaller veflels near forty. D 2 The A TOUR IN THE The fituation is admirably chofen, for almoft every purpofe, and it has been long confidered among the firft in America for ftrength, com- merce, and beauty. The harbour is good in every refpect, but that of a bar, which hinders veiTels of more than two hundred tons burden from entering. The town is regularly, and at this time very ftrongly fortified, both by nature and art; the ftreets are well formed, the houfes are large and well built, fome of them are of brick, and others of wood, but moft of them handfome and ele- gant, and rent is extremely high. The ftreets are wide and ftraight, interfering each other at right angels, thefe running eaft and weft extend about a mile from one river to the other. It contains about a thoufand houfes, and is the feat of the Governor, and the place of meet- ing of the aflembly. The principal courts of juftice are alfo held here ftill ; a few years ago there were courts of judicature no where elfe in the province; but fuch are now held alfo at the capital of each of the fix precincts, which determine all trifling matters, and inferior caufes. The neighbourhood of Charles Town is beau- tiful beyond defcription. There is a road particularly fo, that extends the diftance of fix or eight miles, which furpaf- fes every thing of the kind in the world. Several handfome equipages are kept here. The planters and merchants are rich and well- bred : the people are Ihowy, and expenfive in their drefs and way of living ; fo that every thing confpircs to make this thelivelieft, the pleafant- UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 53 eft, and the politeft place, as it is one of the richeft too, in all America. The large fortunes that have been acquired in this city, from the acceffion and circulation of its trade, muft neceflarily have had great influence on the manners of its inhabitants ; for of all the towns in North America it is the one in which the conveniencies of luxury are moft to be met with. Confiderable additions and new works, have been added to the fortifications of Charles Town at very great labour and expence, both by the Americans and Britifh, fince the general revolt ; a cut or canal has been formed from river to river, acrofs the peninfula, without the town, which now renders it an ifland. As South Carolina met with infinitely more attention from government than the other pro- vinces, the commerce of this country alone em- ployed an hundred and forty fliips ; and its ex- ports to Great Britain of native commodities, on an averageof three years, amounted to more than three hundred and ninety-five thoufand pounds fterling annual value, and its imports three hun- dred and fixty-five thoufand pounds a year. The trade between South Carolina and the Weft Indies was very large ; that with the In- dians was likewife in a very flouriming condi- tion, and they carried Britifh goods on pack- horfes five or fix hundred miles into the country weft of Charles Town. Charles Town was computed to contain about fiften or fixteen thoufand inhabitants, before it was evacuated by the Britifh ; but now it con- tains fcarceJy that number. D 3 The 5+ A TOUR IN THE The beft harbour in this province is to the fouthward, near the borders of Georgia, named Port Royal. This might give a capacious and fafe recep- tion to the largeft fleets of the greateft bulk and burden, yet the town, which is called Beaufort, (where we juft called and remained at one night, on our journey to Charles^Town from Savannah) built upon an ifland of the fame name v/ith the harbour, is not as yet confiderable, being only an infignificant ftraggling village. We remained in Charles Town only a week, after our return from Ninety-fix, and fet out on our journey northward. On the fecond day at night we arrived at George Town, on the weft fide of Winyah Bay, which is the mouth of the river Peedee defcribed in the former volume, after crofiing an inconfi- derable water-rourfc zl a ferry, ZZTT^i Sawee, and the large and very fine river Santee, w T hich is the mouth of the rivers Congaree, Wateree, and Catawba, an account of which has alfo been given already. George Town is the capital of a precinci of the fame name, has a good harbour for fmall vef- fels, and carries on a confiderable trade. It is about twice as large a Beaufort, and may contain about an hundred houfes. The diflancefrom Charles Town to this place is about fixty-five miles. We ftaid in George Town only two days, and then fet out on our journey, which now lay very near the fea fhore. On the third evening we came to Wilming- ton, for a confiderable time the capital of North Carolina, having dined that day at a little town named UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 5^ named Brunfwick, fituated on the weft fide of Cape Fear River or Bay, and fixteen miles dif- tant from Wilmington. Wilmington is fituated on the eaft fide of Cape Fear River, which is the entrance into the At- lantic of the Deep River, Little River, and Haw River, formerly defcribed, and is alfo compofed of two principal branches, one named the North- weft River, or North-weft branch of Cape Fear, which is much the largeft, the other is called the North-eaft River, or the north-eaft branch of Cape Fear, the confluence of which is at Wilmington, and the entrance of this river into the Atlantic is at CapeFear, a remarkable promontory on the American ccaft, a little diftance from Fortjohnfon which is about nine miles below Brunfwick. Wilmington has no appearance of ever having been the capital of a province, being nothing better than a village, containing near about two hundred houfes, a few of which however are pretty good and handfome. There is a very excellent harbour here for fmall veffels, but a bar at the mouth prevents large ones from getting in. It is about one hundred miles from George Town in South Carolina, and one hundred and fixty-five from Charles Town. The land around this place is miferably poor, being nothing but a fand-bank covered with pines; but Wilmington notwithstanding carries on a confiderable trade, efpecially to the Weft indies, and to the northern colonies. The little town of Brunfwick ftands in an ex- ceedingly pleafant fituation, but is very incon- siderable; nor does it contain more than fifty or iixty houfes. D 4 Fort 56 A TOUR IN THE Fort Johnfon, which was intended to defend the mouth of this harbour, is a place of no ftrength, and it is too ridiculous to give it the name of a Fort. However there is annually an eftabliflied fum granted for fupporting the ap- pearance of a garrifon in it, and alfo under pre- tence of keeping it in repair. Here Mr. Robert Howe commanded ; a man of no fmall confequence in his own eftimation, who has fince arrived at the rank of major gene- ral in the American army. Mr. Howe, otherwife not an unworthy man, was always fo very fond of oftentation, that he almoft ftarved his poor wife and family at home, in order that he himfelf might be able to cut a figure every year at the races in Virginia and Maryland. About eighteen miles from Wilmington is More's Creek Bridge, where the unfortunate North Carolina loyalifts were defeated. The fettlements upon this river and its branches are greatly depopulated, or decreafed in the number of inhabitants, fince the general revolt, in a more confiderable degree perhaps than any other part of America. After two days ftay in Wilmington, we purfued our journey to Newbern, where we arrived at the end of three more days, being about ninety- five or an hundred miles from Wilmington. Newbern, which is now the capital of North Carolina, is fituated at the confluence of the rivers News and Trent. It is a pretty little town, fomewhat larger than Wilmington, and contains feveral exceeding good and even elegant houfes. The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 57 The low grounds on the News and Trent Rivers are here very wide, and uncommonly low; being fubjec~t to be flooded, there are fometimes inundations of feveral miles in extent, which render this part of the country very unwhole- fome. Newbern is certainly more central than any other town in NorthCarolina, and on that account it is that it is now fixed on to be the metropolis of the province. We remained only one day in Newbern, and then fet out for Bath Town, where we arrrived on the following evening, being about thirty- two miles from Newbern. Bath Town is a pretty little place, fituated at the extremity of a fmall bay that comes out of the north fide of Pamphlico River, which is the mouth of Tar River, and runs into Pamphlico Sound, about twenty-five miles below this place. This river has already been defcribed in the firft volume. Pamphlico Sound is a prodigious body of wa- ter, lying between Cape Hatteras, and the main land or continent, communicating with the ocean by feveral inlets, all of which have dangerous bars with mallow water upon them; and the bay or found itfelf is equally hazardous, being full of fhoals, and dreadful fand-banks. Although this found contains fuch an im- menfe body of water, it reeeives no rivers of any note, but News River, and Tar River, which are by no means confiderable. We fet out from Bath Town on the after- noon of the next day, and on the following even- ing came toDuckenfield,on the fouth fide of Al- bemarle found, oppofite to Edenton, which is- forty-five miles from Bath Town. D 5 The 58 A TOUR IN THE The ferry being at this place feven or eight miles wide, we were obliged to ftay here all night, and the next day alfo, the wind blowing too hard for the ferry-boats to crofs. Duckenfield is a moft delightful and charm- ing fituation, but the land is poor, as indeed it is every where that way, and the accom- modations here are miferable, as they likewife are all along this road the whole way, except- ing the towns, and in them your horfes muft fuffer. Neither could we enjoy the beauties of the perfpedive, and delightfulnefs of the fituation of this place, on account of the anxiety of our minds, and the vexation of being detained at it, even in fight of tdenton, the place where we were fo defirous of reaching. However on the fecond day the wind abated, and we were carried over this wide and beau- tiful found to Edenton, where we arrived foon enough for dinner. Albemarle Sound is the Mouth of the Roan- oak River, a very particular defcription of which has already been given in the former volume; it alfo receives the waters of the Maherren, Nottoway, Black Water and Chowan Rivers, and contains an immenfe body of water. It communicates with the fea by feveral in- lets, but by reafon of bars at the mouth of each of them only fmall vefTels and (hips of light burden can come into it. This is a vaft impediment to the trade of Eden- ton, and is alfo the great misfortune of all North Carolina. The town of Edenton ftands on the north fide of Albemarle Sound, is about the fize of Newbern, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 59 Newbern, perhaps fomething larger, and for a confiderable time was alfo the capital of the province. It is by far the moft pleafant and beautiful town in North Carolina, and drives on a very confiderable commerce, although the harbour is but indifferent, befides the disadvantages of the bars at the inlets to Albemarle Sound which prevent fhips of any confiderable burden from approaching it. CHAP. 6o A TOUR IN THE CHAP. LV. Defcription of the Country. Difagreeable and unhealthy. V ajl Profit in making Tar and Turpentine. Prscefs of making Pitch, Tar, and Turpentine. Exports of North Carolina. South Carolina and Virginia Jhare great Part of the Trade of North Carolina. The great Alligator. Di final Swamp. The Great Difi- ma I, Harbour for wild Beafis and runaway Negroes. DURING all this long journey of about three hundred and ninety or four hundred miles, I have fcarce feen any good land fince I left George Town in South Carolina. It is all univerfally an immenfe fandbank covered with pines, which however generally grow very tall and lofty. It is likewife totally a wide extended dead flat, covered in a thoufand places with ftagnated wa- ter, which without doubt muft be extremely unhealthful ; this the fallow cadaverous com- plexion and countenances of the inhabitants fufficiently evince. However, what is very extraordinary is, that this land that appears, and aflually is totally barren and altogether ufelefs and unfit for any kind of culture, yields more profit to the oc- cupiers, from the fmalleft capital imaginable, than can well be conceived was it not fo well authenticated, and is not to be paralleled in any country in the univerfe. This UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 6l This prodigious profit is derived from making tar, which is one of the moft eftimable ftaples of North Carolina. In making this commodity, they have notoc- cafion for more than two, three, or four Haves, and they can clear by each (hare or labourer from one hundred pounds, to two hundred pounds fterling, and upwards, annually. The procefles of making turpentine, tar, and pitch are as follow. Being all the produce of one tree, viz. the pine, the turpentine is drawn fimply from inci- fions, or rather notches cut in the tree : they are made frcm as great a height as a man can reach with an hatchet. Thefe incifions meet at the bottom of the tree in a point, where they pour their contents into a veflel placed there to receive them. There is nothing farther in this procefs. Tar requires a more confiderable apparatus, and greater trouble. They prepare acircular floor of clay, declining a little towards the center ; from this is laid a pipe of wood, the upper part of which is even with the floor, and reaches ten feet without the circumference; under the end the earth is dug away, and barrels placed to receive the tar as it runs. Upon the floor is built up a large pile, in form of a circular pyramid, of pine-wood fplit in pieces, and furrounded, or rather covered over with a wall, coat, or body of earth, leaving only a fmall aperture at the top where the fire is firft kindled. When the fire begins to burn, they cover this opening likewife, to confine the fire from flaming out, 62 A TOUR IN THE out, and to leave only fufficient heat to force the tar downwards to the floor. They temper the heat as they pleafe, by running a ftick into the wall or thick coat of clay, and giving it air. Barrels are placed at the end of the pipe of wood to receive the tar, and are carried away as they are filled, empty ones being put in their places. Pitch is made by boiling tar in large iron kettles fet in furnaces, or burning it in round clay holes made in the earth. Great quantities of pitch, tar, and turpentine are made in this province, and of thefe confifts a great part of their exports by fea. In the fouthern parts of North Carolina they make confiderable quantities of rice and indigo, the chief part of which is (hipped from South Carolina. In the northern parts of this province they make a great deal of tobacco, which is chiefly tranfported by land-carriage into Virginia, and (hipped from thence. In the back frontiers of North Carolinalthey raife a great many cattle and hogs, and make very confiderable quantities of butter and flour, almoft all of which alfo is carried into Virginia to market, befides the greateft part of the (kins and furs which they annually colleft. On the fea-coaft and near it, they make large quantities of Indian corn, peas, pitch, tar, and turpentine, all of which only is (hipped from the ports of this province. By this it may be readily perceived how diffi- cult a tafk it would be to afcertain the real an- nual produce of North Carolina, confidering the great value of the produdts of this province which UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. which are carried every year both to South Caroli- na and Virginia, bearing the name of, and adding to the exports of thefe provinces. However the apparent exports of North Caro- lina are computed at more than fixty-eight thou- sand pounds fterling annually, and her imports at eighteen thoufand at leaft. This I do not conceive to be more than one- third of the produce of the province; nor one- fourth of the value of the goods brought into it, the reft of which come through the channels of Virginia, and South Carolina, by the means of land-carriage. So that the annual value of the merchantible products of North Carolina may be about two hundred and ten thoufand pounds fterling, and her confumption of European or foreign goods about feventy thoufand pounds. In this view, deducing the proportion of the North Carolina commodities from the exports of Virginia and South Carolina, this province will plainly appear to be of more confequence and eftimation than fhe has hitherto been held in. No province nor colony on the continent was in a more flourifhing condition than North Ca- rolina before the general revolt, but fince that fatal period, and at this prefent time, I believe there is none more truly miferable and wretch- ed. The difference between the currency of North Carolina and fterling is thirty-three and a third per cent, in favour of the latter. The rates and expence of travelling are not materially different from thofe already mention- ed in the more fouthern provinces, but accom- modations 64 A TOUR IN THE modations are almoft every where, efpecially on and near the fea-coaft, intolerably bad, and no- thing can be more dreary, melancholy and un- comfortable than the almoft perpetual folitary dreary pines, fandy barrens, and difmal fwamps, that are met with throughout the whole of that part of the country. But there is a fwamp in this province which is indeed difmal far beyond defcription, and can only be exceeded by another, on the borders next to Virginia, adlually diftinguifhed by the name of the Great Difmal Swamp, in dreadful and horrid preheminence. This one firft mentioned is alfo called the Great Alligator Difmal Swamp, and lies between thofe two vaft expanfes of water, or rather feas, named Pamphlico and Albemarle Sounds. This aftonifhing and horrible place is about forty miles in length, and about fifteen or twen- ty in breadth with a large lake in the middle feve- ral miles in diameter. It is reported to be named from a monftrous Alligator or Crocodile of amofi prodigious magnitude that once was feen here, many of which of the common fize ftill infeft it. As the account I had of this Difmal Swamp is only from the report of thofe who have been in and around it, and who refided in its vicini- ty, I {hall defer any farther defcription of it un- til I come to mention the Great Difmal itfelf, which I examined perfonally and palled through ; as I underftand they bear fo ftrong a fimilitude, that a reprefentation of the one will give a good idea of the other. At prefent I lhall only juftobferve that thefe places are jn a great degree inacceffible, and har- bour prodigious multitudes of every kind of wild beafts UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 65 beafts peculiar to America, as well as run-away Negroes, who in thefe horrible fwamps are per- fectly fafe, and with the greateft facility elude the moil diligent fearch of their purfuers. Run-away Negroes have rcfided in thefe pla- ces for twelve, twenty, or thirty years and up- wards, fubfifting themfelves in the fwamp upon corn, hogs, and fowls, that they raifed on fome of the fpots not perpetually under water, nor fubjeft to be flooded, as forty-nine parts out of fifty of it are ; and on fuch fpots they have erec- ted habitations, and cleared fmall nelds around them ; yet thefe have always been perfectly im- penetrable to any of the inhabitants of the coun- try around, even to thofe neareft to and beft ac- quainted with the fwamps. We ourfelves travelled upon the edge of this Great Alligator Difmal Swamp the greater part of the way from Bath Town ro Duckcnficld, CHAP. 66 A TOUR IN THE CHAP. LVI. Leave Edenton. Arrive at Suffolk in Virginia. Defer ipticn of Suffolk. Smith field. Pagan's Creek. Crofs James River at Hog- If and. Ar- rive at Willi amfburg. Part with Mr. Morris. College of JVilli am and Mary at J Villi amfburg. Foundation of it. Education of Indians. Re- turn to their former favage and uncivilized State. WE remained in Edenton only a few days and then purfued our journey northward, through a country covered with fand and pines, a continued dead fiat, infefted with fwamps and the land eyery where miferably poor and barren. On the fecond day after we left Edenton in North Carolina we arrived at a town named Suf- folk in Virginia, having alfo travelled around on the edge of the Great Difmal the principal part of this journey. Suffolk is fituated on a fmall navigable water- courfe named Nanfimond River, a branch of the James River, which it enters at Crany Wand on the weft fide of Hampton Roaus, oppo- fite to New Port-Noofe. It is fixty miles from Edenton, and about twenty-two miles within the boundary line of Virginia. Suffolk contains about an hundred houfes, and carries on a pretty brifk trade, having a ve- ry UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 67 ry confiderable (hare of the commerce of the nor- thern counties of North Carolina. It is ninety miles from Halifax, and thirty from Norfolk, the road to which from hence is carried round, and through part of the Great DifmaL Suffolk ftands on a foil fo very fandy, that in every ftep in the ftreet the fand comes above your ancles, which renders it extremely difagreeable ; to remedy this inconvenience in fome fmall de- gree, near their doors they have emptied barrels of tar or pitch, which fpreads wide, the fand in- corporating with it, and forming a hard folid confiftence, fome kind of an apology for pave- ment, and thereby renders walking much more tolerable. The houfes in Suffolk are low, being general- ly not more than one ftory high, which is indeed the ground ftory only; the river NanfemQjad is navigable at and above the town, but there is a wooden bridge over it here, and only fmall vef- fels can come up even to Suffolk. The trade of this place confifts chiefly of tur- pentine, tar, pitch, tobacco, and pork which is killed, falted, and barrelled up here, alfo lum- ber, Indian corn, and fome wheat. We tarried only one day in Suffolk, and on the following afternoen rode through a little town called Smithfield, fituated upon a fmall branch of James River named Pagan's Creek. This town is fcarcely half as large as Suffolk, and carries on but a very inconfiderable trade, which is chiefly in tobacco, here being an infpec- tion for that commodity, and public warehoufes likewife, named Pagans. Smithfield is about eighteen or twenty miles from Suffolk. 68 A TOUR IN THE It is very unwholefome on account of exten- five marfhes juft in its vicinity, and Pagan's Creek is navigable to the town. This creek is croiled in a ferry boat, which is both difagreea- ble and dangerous. We went about twelve miles beyond Smith- field that night, and next morning arrived at James River. The weather being fine, and the water remark- ably fmooth and calm, we had a very agreeable paflage over at a place called Hog Ifland Ferry, and arrived at Williamfburg to dinner. As the college of William and Mary at Wil- liamfburg, being the only institution of the kind in the fouthern part of America, has not as yet been adverted to, I fhall embrace this opportu- nity of juft giving a Iketch of its foundation, and prefent eftabliihment, before I leave the co- lor.y of Virginia, ami ciofe this chapter. This college was founded by the reverend Mr. James Blair, a Scots clergyman, by voluntary fubfeription, towards which King William and Queen Mary, whofe names it bears, gave two thoufand pounds fterlingin money, and twenty thoufand acres of land, with authority to pur- chafe and hold lands to the annual value of two thoufand pounds, and likewife granted it a duty of one penny per pound on all tobacco exported from Virginia to the other plantations. Mr. Blair was the firftprefident, and continued in that fituation near fifty years. There is a president, fix profefTors, and other officers, who are nominated by the governors and viiitors. The honourable Mr. Boyle made a very large donation to this college for the education of In- dian UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 69 dian children ; but this part of the inftitution has not by any means fucceeded. Some experiments have evinced that thofe In- dians who have been educated at this college, and thereby brought to civilized and polifli- ed manners, have always embraced the firft opportunity of returning to their former wild habits, and uninformed ftate, into which they immediately plunged, forgetting and totally lofing every trace of their former civilization, and of all they had been taught. Yet notwith- flanding this, their geniuffes are found to be bright, and they receive any branch of educa- tion with great facility. Here I (hall terminate this touf, which has included the greateft part of the places of note throughout the fouthern part of the Britifli fet- tlements in North America, after having travel- led at leaft four thoufand eight hundred miles, and undergone a multitude of dangers and ex- treme fatigue ; accompanied, and attended al- moft the whole way, much to my conveni- ence and fatisfaclion, by my faithful back- wood's man, whom at firft I confidered a lit- tle better than a favage, but from whom I found more affiftance than I could poffibly have received from the moft complete pro- fefled fervant in Europe. For thefe Ameri- can back-wood's men can perform a little not only almofl in every handicraft, or neceffarymecha- nical trade, but they pofiefs a fund of refour- ces, more ferviceable on fuch occafions than money ; for in many places money could not procure them, nor fupply the wants which are furnifhed by their ready and indeed fmgular contrivances. I parted 7° A TOUR IN THE I parted with Mr. Morris about twenty-five miles from Williamfburg who purfued his jour- ney northward after exacting a folemn pro- mife from me to keep up a correfpondence with him that was only terminated by the unhap- py rebellion, which indeed fub verted every thing. Having fettled in Virginia foon after this, and being particularly attached to planting, agri- culture, and rural amufements, I continued to employ this faithful back-wood's man as an overfeer, in which capacity he acquitted him- felf as well, and equally to my advantage and fatisfaclion, as he had done during our journey. CHAP. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. CHAP. LVII. Improvements in Farming. In the Culture of Wheat, In cutting it down. In getting it in and Jiacking it. In threjhing it out of the Straw. In cleaning it from the Chaff. A Machine for that Purpofe defcribed. TJ A V I N G changed my place of refidence Jtl from Virginia to Maryland, I entered large- ly ori farming, as well as making tobacco ; and on the fecond year fowed no lefs than three hundred and fifty-three acres of land in wheat, all in fields adjoining each other, befides fifty- acres in buck-wheat and oats, twelve acres in potatoes, thirty-fix acres in tobacco, and two hundred acres in Indian corn. In cultivating this very large crop I only employed fifteen labourers (flaves), which were by no means a fufficient number ; but I de- pended on hiring people in harveft to get in my wheat as the crops of Indian corn and tobacco would engage every hour of the time of my own people. That year it had happened, that every confi- derable planter in the country had like wife fown large quantities of wheat, I mean large in ref- peft to what they had ever done before, but in no proportion like me, although many of them had more hands. Thefe planters having engaged all the fpare labourers that were to be hired during harveft, left me without any refources for getting in mine, excepting my own people, whofe hands were already too full of the other crops. A TOUR IN THE It was this extreme diftrefs for want of hands that firft: induced me to invent and hazard in- novations, which experience has proved to be confiderable improvements, in the ufual methods of agriculture - 9 and as the objedt thereof was wheat, v/hich makes fo great a part of the produce of Great Britain, I have ventured to relate, and give fome defcription of thefe im- provements here, as they may likewife be adopted for any other grain cultivated in this climate; and fhall be extremely happy indeed, if either the public, or any one individual ftiould de- rive the leaft benefit or advantage therefrom ; but it is from experience alone that its utility can be afcertained. I myfelf had the ftrongeft impediments to combat with. The planters in America are wedded to their old methods ufed by their fathers and grandfa- thers, and entertain the moft violent prejudices in their favour. This induced them to ridicule me for innovations and improvements, which in fa&neceffity compelled me to difcover and adopt, to prevent the utter ruin, and entire lofs of my whole crop ; yet thefe very perfons, who were the moft violent againft thefe new methods, after they faw their utility and fuccefs, and examined the principles on which they were founded, were not only ready enough to adopt the fame methods themfelves, but alfo did me the honour of confulting with me, and paid as great atten- tion to my fentiments and opinions on the fub- ject of agriculture, as if I had been the moft fkilful, experienced, and old eftabliftied planter. In the firft place, as it would have been im- poffible to have cut down my grain with com- mon UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 73 mon reapers and reap-hooks or fickles, I was under the neceffity of having nine of my hands taught to ufe the fcythe and cradle, with which I had an hundred acres of wheat cut down before 1 began to get any of it up and fecured from the weather. In the next place, I found that binding would have taken up more time than cutting it down, and fo far from fecuring the wheat from rain, which in this country is very fudden and hea- vy, that the (heaves fo wetted were more da- maged, more difficult to be re-dried, being obliged to be opened again, than the wheat that lay on the ground unbound without being gather- ed or raked in heaps ; I therefore concluded to lay afide this operation entirely, and have it drawn in carts unbound - y in accomplifhing which I found very little lofs, difficulty, or inconvenience, but thereby faved the labour of three days out of four, to what I fliould have done in binding. In the third place, as all the tobacco-houfes and barns on my plantation would not have contained one-quarter of the crop of wheat, I had it ftacked out of doors, on an eminence furrounding a large barn, and contiguous to the landing on the river where it would be fhipped ' y and fo far from its being more dif- ficult to be ftacked unbound, I found that circumftance a confiderable advantage j only when the ftack became high enough for the ufe of a pitchfork in throwing up the wheat, by the ready and expeditious ufe of two cords, that alfo was eafily accomplifhed without any lofs of time. Vol. II. E In 74 A TOUR IN THE In the next place, to prevent lofs and wafte in the fields, both from unfkilful cutting down and carting, I had wooden rakes made eleven feet in length, with very long teeth, and with handles fixed therein pointing towards each other at the extremity, with a ftrap of leather from one to the other, like the fhafts of a two-wheeled chaife. To each of thefe a man yoked himfelf, and dragged it acrofs the lands, when full, juft raifing it over the heap of wheat thus raked together, until the whole field w T as gone over in this manner; by this means none was loft, and I obtained three large ftacks more, containing above an hun- dred and fifty bufhels of wheat in each. When the wheat, after it was cut down, was caught in the rain, it received no damage thereby, as it was fpread thin on the ground, not being raked together; becaufe the fun, which is feldom over-caft, and is very power- ful in this country, immediately dried it again, before it could receive any prejudice. And the wheat being flacked loofe rendered the ricks or ftacks firmer more even regular and fecure, being thereby deftitute of thofe hol- low places, and vacancies, which frequently caufe the ftacks made with {heaves to fink on one fide, and fometimes overfet, befides occa- fioning leaks therein ; which admit rain, and by that means often damage the whole. In the fifth place, as it would have been im- poflible for my people to have been able to threfh out this prodigious quantity of wheat in any reafonable time, with flails even had they been employed conftantly at that work, I was therefore obliged to invent fome method to UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 75 to expedite this operation, and at the fame time fave labour. For this purpofe I had a circular floor made, one hundred and fifty yards in circumference, and of the width of twelve feet, with a very gentle declivity to the circumference every way. On each fide of this a fence was made all round the edges of the floor, with flakes and wattles, in which were four gates oppofite to each other, and this floor was made in the moft commodious part of my wheat-yard, around the large barn in the center. On this floor I laid down as much wheat in the ftraw as would yield five hundred bufhels, and having a large ftock of horfes and cattle, turned them into this circular floor, driving them round feparately, the horfes from the cat- tle, upon the wheat, pretty brifkly, until they trod out the grain from the ftraw, occafionally turning them off into a pen or inclofure, until the uppermoft part of the ftraw, from which the grain was feparated, was taken off. The wheat being firft laid pn the floor Hop- ing, with the heads upwards, the cattle and horfes were always driven one way, that is, in the direction in which the wheat lay, and the ftraw was alfo raked off* in the fame direction, without turning, until fuch time as the horfes feet touched the ground in fome places, which is after the laft raking off of the ftraw, then what remains upon the floor is turned over, and the horfes and cattle driven round in the oppofite di- rection, for the laft time ; after which the ftraw is all taken off", and the wheat mixed with the chafF, which remains on the floor, pufhed up to- gether in large heaps, with fquare boards three feet in length and fifteen inches broad, through E 2 the 76 A TOUR IN THE the center of which a long ftick is fattened for a handle. The whole of this operation thus far, of fe- parating the wheat from the draw, is performed in one day, to the quantity of five hundred bufhels, with only three or at moft four hands (labourers.) But afterwards I found it a tafk equally tedious, difficult, and troublefome, to feparate the grain from the chaff, which I alfo found to engage the labour of more hands than I could fpare for that purpofe. This again obliged me to have recourfe to in- vention, and, In the laft place, I had riddles made of this conftruflion, viz. four feet long, three feet and a half wide, and fixteen inches deep, with the fplits very narrow and nearly an inch afunder each way; this riddle had two long handles like a barrow, and w 7 as fufpended by cords and a pulley fattened to the extremity of an elaftic pole, or long fpringy fparof wood, fuch as is made ufe of by turners for turning theirwork in their lathe. The barn in the center of the treading ring-fioor had four large doors, one in every di- rection, over each of which one of thefe fpars was fixed, and at whatever door the wind came in, this riddle was fattened thereto, and fuf- pended about three feet from the floor. A child, by holding the handles, could eafily work it, by only moving it backwards and for- wards ; for the elatticity of the fpar, to which it was fufpended, gave it a play from the leaft mo- tion ; and one perfon could fill it from the heap of wheat mixed with chaff. By UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. *pf By means of this contrivance two weak hands, or a man and a boy, could eaiily perform more work at this operation, than could be done by ten ftrong men with riddles in the ufual way in the fame fpace of time. It was then run through Dutch fans, of which I kept two, to clean it perfectly, and was im- mediately fit for delivery. The whole of this fecond operation, of fe- parating and cleaning five hundred bufhels of grain from the chaff, and rendering it fit for market, was alfo performed in one day only. So that in four days, with favourable weather, I could by this method and machinery get out a thoufand bufhels of wheat from the ftfiaw, Se- parate it from the chaff, clean it, and deliver it, ready for market, with the labour only of five flaves, exclufive of . thofe who affifted to lay down the beds of wheat on the circular treading floor, which was generally done fo eaily in the morning, as to begin to tread a little after fun- rife. It was very fortunate for me that I fell upon thefe inventions and improvements, for thereby I faved all my crops, the moft part if not the whole" of which I fiiould otherwise certainly have loft. My .wheat alfo was cleaner, and fuperior in every refpecl: to any in rhe country around, and it was rendered fo by the following means. In the firft place i had procured Sicilian or forward white wheat for feed, which is of the heavy white flinty fpecies, and ripens about a fortnight fooner than the common Englifli or red wheat, than which it is alfo heavier, the flour too is whiter, and makes the moft eftimable fuperfine E 3 flour 78 A TOUR IN T H E flour in the world ; this wheat, on that account bearing a fuperior price to any other. By being more forward than any other wheat, it likewife efcapes the ruft or fmut, fo prejudicial to this crop, and to which, in this country, common wheat is fo very fubject. To prevent my feed being mixed with darnel, cheat, or falfe grain, which had begun to infeft my plantation and fields of wheat, I fteeped all my feed in a brine of fait and water ftrong enough to bear an egg, for the fpace of ten or twelve hours, and after flamming off all that fwam on the furface, I had the feed, when taken out of the brine, immediately mixed with fine fifted ftrong fiiell lime, fowed, and plowed in, always within thirty-fix hours, and generally in twenty- four hours, after it had been firft put into the brine. By this means all my fields confifted entirely of fine healthful clean wheat, without a lingle head of darnel or cheat to be difcovered by the clofeft examination ; while every crop in the vicinity, and indeed throughout the whole coun- try, was infefted and filled with cheat and falfe grain. I made many more experiments, both in the time and method of fowing this grain, as well as in feveral other refpe&s, which cannot here .be particularifed. CHAP, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 79- C H A P. LVIII. Improvement in cropping. Three crops from one field with only the labour ufed in one. Virginia method of cultivating tobacco. Infpecling it, Difufed at the commencement of the revolt. Great frauds and impofitions now praclifed in the tobacco trade. Different [pedes of tobacco. Annual Exports of Virgina and Maryland. Annual Imports. ILikewife difcover€ ced on the fcaffbld, with the tobacco thus fuf- pended in the middle to dry or cure, and are cal- led tobacco Jlicks. As the plants advance in curing the fticks are removed from the fcafFolds out of doors into the tobacco houfe, on other fcafFolds ere and with thefe ideas in his mind, which he had in no A TOUR IN THE in fome meafure communicated to many more., they were not a little alarmed, fome days after the engagement, by a great noife of hallooing and whooping like Indians approaching the camp. But all their fears and uneafinefs were difpelled when the perfon who made this mighty clamour came nearer and arrived in the camp, as he prov- ed to be one (?irthy, a meflenger from Lord Dun- more to Colonel Lewis, who firft confirmed the report of the retreat and difmay of the Indians. By his arrival and intelligence we were fully fatisfied that the whole country fouth-eaftward of us was clear of the enemy, and in perfecl: fecurity, quietnefs, and peace. CHAP* UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Ill CHAP. LX. Return to Colonel Lewis's. Frederickfburg. Dum- fries. Colchefler. Iron Works. Ocquaqua* River. General Wajhington. Pifcattawa. Port Tobacco. A mojl elegant Situation and Seat belonging to a Roman Catholic Priejl. E ft abli foments of the Jefuits in Maryland. Their Harams of beautiful Slaves. A profligate Priefi. Eftimation of landed Property. St. Mary's. Annapolis. Baltimore. Its fiourijhing Condi' tion. Number of Inhabitants in Maryland. MY reflexions on the unfortunate fituation of the poor Indians, and the death of my intimate and much refpected friend Major Lewis, had caft fuch a damp on my fpirits, that I could not enjoy any fatisfaclion in that place - y and as my own private affairs likewife called me home, I made the beft of my way up the Great Kan- hawah for the Green Briar fettlement, being furnifhed with the moil: favourable and flattering letters for Captain John Lewis, which in reality was only paying a compliment to his company, whofe good behaviour on the day of aftion had certainly been diftinguifhed, but from the very (hort time I was with them could reflect little or no credit or honour on me. When I arrived at Colonel Lewis's, I found his fon (till extremely indifpofed, and in fuch a ftate of imbecility and difeafe that I advifed him to endeavour to go to the warm fprings in Au- gufta county foe the restoration and benefit of his health j which he readily confented to do. Having 112 A TOUR IN THE Having remained only one night here I pufhed forward to Stanton, and from thence made the beftof my way to Frederickfburg, returning the fame way that I went out. At Fredrickfburg happening in company with an acquaintance that propofed to travel round by Dumfries and Colchefter in Virginia, and Pif- cattawa and Port Tobacco in Maryland, I agreed to accompany him. After crofting the Rappahannock at Falmouth, Potomack Creek, and Acquia Creek, both of which fall into the river Potomack, we arrived at Dumfries, a little town fituated on a pretty water-courfe named Quantico Creek. Here we met with excellent accommodations at an inn, one of the beft perhaps in America, kept by a Mr. , a Scots-man, where we dined 7 and afterwards travelled as far as another little town named Colchefter, upon the river Ocquaquan, which alfo, as well as Quantico Creek, falls into the Petomack. If the accommodations were good at Dumfries, they were proportionably bad at Colchefter at a houfe kept by one Coates, whom we found to be equally difagreeable with the entertainment we met with, Colchefter, although it be larger than Dum- fries, has not half as much trade, and is an ill- built nafty little town, fituated on the north fide of the river Ocquaquan, within three miles of the Potomack, of which the eminences above it command a very fine view. There are fome iron-works, furnaces, and forges, worked by cuts from the Ocquaquan, juft above Colchefter, on the fouth fide of the river, carried on by a very ingenious perfon named UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. IIJ named Ballantine, which are of great public utility. The trade of Dumfries and Colchefter confifts chiefly of tobacco and wheat ; and there is a very fine back country to fupport it, and a confider- able number of ihips were loaded here annu- ally. The face of all that part of Virginia, named the Northern Neck, which is between the rivers Rappahannock and Potomack, is quite different from the reft of that country which is generally level being almoft a dead flat from the ocean to the mountains ; but the Northern Neck on the contrary is extremely broken and hilly, the land too is generally ftiff, but very rich, ftrong, and ^fertile and the fituations and perfpe&ives are de- lightful and in the higheft degree elegant, grand, and commanding. The rich variety of land and water, hills and dales, woods and fields, that are to be feen from every eminence bordering on the Potomack, is beyond defcription beautiful, and is not to be paralleled perhaps in the world. We left Colchefter in the forenoon, and went to General Wafhington's at Mount Vernon, on the banks of the Potomack, where we dined, and afterwards crofted the river about a mile be- low his houfe, to Maryland ; and reached Pif- cattaway, a fmall town fituated upon a creek of the fame name, to fupper. Pifcattaway is low and unhealthy, but has a tolerable fhare of trade, which confilts of tobacco entirely. On the day following I returned home to my own houfe, having dined at another fmall town named Port Tobacco, fixteen miles from Pif- cattaway, H4 A TOUR IN THE cattaway, which is built upon a creek of the fame name, that falls into the Potomac!:, as well as Pifcattaway Creek. Port Tobacco is not larger than Pifcattaway, neither of them containing more than forty or fifty houfes ; but it carries on a much more con- fiderable trade, which confifts of fome wheat, but chiefly tobacco. Near the town of Port Tobacco, upon a com- manding eminence overlooking the Potomack, is a feat belonging to the late fcciety of thejefuits, in occupation of a Roman Catholic prieft named Hunter, in a fituation the moit majefHc, grand, and elegant in the whole world. The houfe it- felf is exceedingly handfome, executed in fine tafte, and of a very beautiful model j but ima- gination cannot form the idea of a perfpeclive more noble, rich, and delightful, than this charming villa in reality enjoys. And as the belt description I could give of it would come fo far fhort, as even to difgrace the place itfeif, I fhali not hazard the attempt. I accordingly terminated this journey, after travelling at leair nine hundred and fifty miles, and returned to my own houfe, quite overcome with wearinefs and fatigue* The province of Maryland, which was firft granted as an afylum for Roman Catholics, Hill contains a great majority of them, although the church of England is the eftablifrhed church, to which they pay an equal proportion as the pro- teftants. There are in all probability three Ro- man Catholics for one Protellant throughout this province; and in the counties of St. Mary's, Charles, Calvert, and Prince George's, there are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I15 are at leaft fix parts out of feven of the inhabit- ants that profefs that religion. Previous to the diflblution of the fociety the Jefuits had a powerful eftablifhment in Mary- land, and were pofleffed of an immenfe property in that province, confifting chiefly of land and /laves. Three of their principal feats or eftabliftiments are in Charles's and St. Mary's counties - y one already mentioned juft by Port Tobacco, the moft beautiful place and mod elegant fituation in the world, in the pofleffion of the reverend father Hunter, who was the principal or head of the fociety in this province; the next is at the mouth of Briton's Bay, cn the river Potomack, pofleffed by father Lewis ; and the third is at the mouth of St. Mary's River, on the Poto- mack alfo, in the occupation of father Afhby; both the 1 aft named places are in St. Mary's county. Befides thefe there are feveral other very con- fiderable eftablifhments belonging to the Jefuits, in this province, where no perfon refides but the priefts and their attendants. However at each of thefe places they fcem to have a haram of fe- male flaves, who are now become white by their mixture. There are at this time numbers of beautiful girls, many of them as fair as any living, who are abfolutely flaves in every fenfe to thefe priefts, and whofe pofterity muft remain in the fame de- grading unfortunate fituation. Since the diflblution of the fociety of Jefuits thofe that were there at that time remain in the undifturbed pofleffion of all their immenfe property. Maryland n6 A TOUR IN THE Maryland is divided nearly into two equal parts by the upper half of the vaft bay of Chefapeak, which comes up almoft through the centre of this province. This prodigious body of water and the mul- titude of large and fine rivers that empty them- felves into it on each fide, all of which are na- vigable, fome even to the extent of two hundred miles, render thefe two provinces of Virginia and Maryland extremely valuable, commodious, and delightful, by the amazing benefit and pub- lic advantages of water-carriage and communi- cation throughout the whole. In Maryland there are fixteen counties, an equal number of which are on each fide of the bay of Chefapeak; thefe two parts or divifions of the province being kept carefully ballanced, as a check one upon the other, that all the ad- vantages of trade, legiflature, &c. may bejuftly divided. By way of diftincTion one fide of the Chefapeak is called fimply the Eaftern Shore, and the other the Weftern Shore ; of which the laft however is confiderably the beft inhabited, the moft beautiful, fertile, and polite. By far the greateft number of Roman Catho- lics are on the W eftern Shore ; and, what is very furpriiing, it was alfo the moft violently rebel- lious and difaffedted. The principal Roman Catholic families in this province are generally better defcended than is common to America, where they are moft fre- quently afliamed to trace their anceitors a fingle generation back; but the chief of the families in this province, at leaft thofe of the Roman Ca- tholic religion, came over with the firft lord Baltimore, and were originally from good and refpedtable families in England. About VNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Jjy About the period of the diflblution of the fo- ciety of Jefuits, there happened a great confu- fion amongft them, as well as among all the Ro- man Catholics in the province, occafioned by a profligate prieft of that order, who, after play- ing a number of tricks with many of the female part of of his flock, thought proper to lay afide his habit and his vows, and enter into matri- mony with a rich young Roman Catholic widow lady of weak intellects, along with whom he lives to this day, in open defiance of the Pope and his bulls, yet ftill profeffing the fame reli- gion. This I mention as an extraordinary oc- currence, fo rarely to be met with, that a fimi- lar inftance I do not imagine can be produced. Landed property, by being more divided in Maryland than in Virginia, is thereby enhanced in value, and fells at a much higher price, fre- quently for no lefs than three or four times as much, efpecially on the Weftern Shore, where the foil is alfo far fuperior to that on the other fide of the bay. On the Eatlern Shore the land in general is neither good, nor valuable ; being very fandy, light, and poor, excepting near the head of the Chefapeak, where it becomes more ftiff, and fit for the culture of wheat. The town of St. Mary's, upon St. Mary's River, in the fame county, once the capital of the province, is now no more, and exifts on- ly in name. Its great inconvenience, being fitu- ated in a peninfula, in an extreme corner of the province, was the reafon of its fall, and of the feat of government being removed to Annapolis, an hundred miles diftant, more in the centre of u8 A TOUR IN THE of the colony, delightfully fituated on the river Severn, and in full view of the Chefapeak. Annapolis is a beautiful town fomething larger than Williamfburg, and the ftreets are remarkable for their fingular and whimfical man- ner of being laid out from the province-houfe in dire&ions like rays from a centre. The foil in and round Annapolis is Tandy, which renders it as agreeable in the winter as it is unpleafant in the fummer, although it con- tains a number of exceeding good buildings. There is alfo a courfe or public race ground in the vicinity of this town, on which capital races are performed twice a year ; this being the cen- tral fpot whereon the great contentions be- tween the fouthern and northern horfes are decided, in which however thofe from the fouth have evinced an undoubted fuperi- ority. But even Annapolis will not continue much longer as the capital of Maryland. The feat of government muft foon be removed to Baltimore, a large flourifhing, and very fine town, lately ere&ed, thirty miles farther back in the country than Annapolis; fituated upon Patapfco River about fifteen miles from Chefa- peak Bay, with an excellent harbour and com- modious wharfs. This town, built on a fpot which but thirty- fix years ago was covered with woods, contains already more houfes than every other town in the province together, and between twelve and fifteen thoufand inhabitants. It carries on a very great trade, which is in- creafing in a furprifing degree, chiefly in wheat, €our ? &c. &c. But as every thing has under- gone UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, U9 gone a total alteration by the rebellion, Balti- e mud ah y great fufFerer thereby, Tne number of inhabitants in Maryland were compu Jac Congrefs at three hundred and twenty thoufand, which I alfo think exaggera- ted in the fame manner as in the other provinces ; for I am well aflured that two hundred and feven- ty-five thoufand comprize all the fouls in the province; of which more than half, perhaps two-thirds are Negroes. And the whites include a great proportion of Irifh and Germans, efpe- cially in the back counties. CHAP, 120 A TOUR IN THE CHAP. LXI. The Rebellion breaking out. Harraffments on ac- count of Loyalty. Political Opinions, Senti- ments, and Impartiality of the Author. The Manner of forming the firfl Congrefs's Commit- tees, £sfr- and the Perfons who compofed them. Againfl the private Inclinations of a great Ma- jority of the People. Politic Stroke or Meafure. Severe Perfections and extreme Hard/hips. Alexandria. AFTER my return from this very fatiguing and difagreeable expedition to the back country, although I had fo much need of reft and tranquillity, yet a very fmall (hare fell to my lot; for the flames of difcord and rebellion, be- ginning to burft forth with violence all over the continent, likewife in my vicinity and through feveral counties around the inhabitants being ex- tremely difaffected to Britifh government, and my opinions and inclinations in favour thereof being decided and public, I was harrailed and perfecuted beyond meafure, by the demagogues of this formidable faction. As the natural generofity of fentiment of the bulk of the people of Great Britain, and efpeci- ally of thofe of an high rank, has prevented them from being able to form any idea of the illibera- lly of conduit of the Americans, and the bar- barous treatment pradtifed by them upon thofe unhappy perfons who have had the misfortune of falling into their hands, efpecially if ever they were active againft them, I (hall here give a brief UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 121 brief narration of what has fallen under my own obfervations, as well as what I have experienced myfelf ; at the fame time, utterly difclaiming every idea of perfonality, prejudice, and every vindictive fentiment. And to evince my candour on this fubjeet, it is necefTary for me fir ft to declare, that I was ex- ceedingly 'attached to the country and the peo- ple, very many of whom, I loved, efteemed, and refpected 5 I was habituated to, and fond of their fociety, cuitoms, and manner of life 5 I delighted in their agriculture 5 in (hort, I was equally interefted in every event that could be- fall them, with any of them all, as I intended to end my days in that country, wherein every in- dividual was happy and free, under the mild go- vernment of Great Britain ; where plenty and contentment reigned, and not a beggar was to be feen, before the flames of fedition and revolt confumed this fair and noble fabric. My political opinions alfo were decidedly in favour of civil liberty, and I equally detefted defpotifm and republican government. A mixed monarchy, fuch as that of Great Britain, was the government I approved of, and the object of my choice. So that as my fentiments have been liberal, and my conduct actuated by principle alone, fo {hall my relation of the events, that occurred in confequence thereof, be candid and impartial. In the county wherein I refided^ at the firft meeting of the people to confider about electing committees, conventions, congrefs, kc. I op- pofed the meafure with all mv power, perfuafion, and influence; and then three-fourths of thofe prefent came over to my fide on dividing. But Vol, II. G notwith 122 A TOUR IN THE notwithstanding this, the other remaining fourth part, the abettors and promoters of fedition, ap- pointed themfelves committee-men, &c. and had the effrontery to publifh in the news-papers that they were unanimoufly chofen by the peo* pie. This was the cafe in general, as well as there; and it was in this manner, and out of fuch as thefe, that the firft committees, conventions, and congrefs were chofen and compofed. From the firft I conceived this was a deep laid fcheme, that was greatly promoted by a number of favourable fortuitous events accidentally in- tervening, which as they occurred no forefight nor precaution could divert; for it is an un- doubted truth, that not one tenth part of the people at large at firft countenanced or approved thofe violent and feditious meafures that were afterwards adopted. After the firft general congrefs broke up, the people beginning to murmur, he boldeft, deep- eft, and moft politic ftroke of all was now form- ed and executed. In (hort, it was that on which the bafis of all their future authority, power, and fuccefs, was eftablifhed* A meeting of each county on bufinefs of great importance was defired, on an appointed day, in anonymous hand-bills diftributed and pafted up at public places. A very few people only met, and they were chiefly ftrolleis and idle per- fons. However, the former felf-created com- mittee now re-elected themfelves, and added eighty or ninety others, indeed every perfon of any influence in each county, though abfent, and although many of them had difapproved of their UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I23 their meafures. Of this number any five were impowered to a£t. This meafure of increafing the number of the committee-men rivetied their influence, and effectually filenced thofe who oppofed their de- figns. Frequent meetings were afterwards held, wherein the former defigners always carried their own fchemes,and thelaft nominal comrnitte-men were fatisfied with the name and lhadow of power, for in fad they had none of the fubftance. Although I had always openly and publicly djfapproved, and oppofed the whole of their proceedings, yet now they nominated me alfo as one of their committee ; propofed me to command three troops of light horfe, and the chairman waited on me with the offer of their commiflion, (and with four papers for me to fubfcribe, viz. one for the fupport of the feditious inhabitants of Bofton in New England, one for raifing a maga- zine, one for the payment of the members of the Congrefs, and the fourth was the afTociation of revolt ;) intending thereby to corrupt my prin- ciples, as they did thofe of many others, and ex- pecting that this oftentatious though really law- lefs power, woukl be fo alluring as to fafcinate me out of my loyalty. But in this however they were miftaken, for I pofitively refufed the whole, giving him for anfwer, that I would fooner fuffer death than be guilty of what they requefted and have fuch a ftain of what I confidered as ignominy upon me. Being then cited before them to anfwer for my conduit, I plainly and candidly informed them, " That I had no fhare in electing them ; that c< they neither reprefented me nor my principles; G 2 <« that 3 24 A TOUR IN THE obtain 13^ A TOUR IN THE obtain a favourable opportunity of taking me when I was fearching after them. But in this ftratagem they alfo failed. Indeed my prefervation and fafety during all this time, was chiefly owing to an opinion they had formed of my being poflefled of a defperate courage and refolution. I had purchafed a large quantity of Indian corn, wheat, and flour, for which I had alfo paid half the purchafe money, and freighted a brig- antine, when the proprietor difpofed of her to a purchafer: I then found it impra&icable to freight any other veflel before the time that ex- portation was prohibited, fo that I loft the whole ®f this by its remaining on my hands. That year I made on my plantation between five and fix thoufand bufhels of wheat, which coft me above three hundred pounds in gold to cut down and fecure, of this I was able to get only one thoufand buftiels ready for market by September, on the tenth day of which ex- portation terminated, and /hipped them onboard two f mall vefiels bound for Baltimore; one of thefe veflels was loft in a ftorm, and the other five hundred bufhels I was compelled to difpofe ©f for only one (hilling and fix pence per bufhel. I went up to Baltimore myfelf, by the way of a fmall town named Benedict, upon the fouth fide of the river Patuxent. This is a very pretty river about two miles wide, and the town is in a beautiful fituation, containing about fixty houfes. There is no great trade at Benedi&, and what there is confifts chiefly of tobacco, of what is the moft valuable of any, and is produced upon Sight and fandy, but rich foil, being peculiar to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 133 the planters on the Patuxent, whofe land is ge- nerally of that quality. The inhabitants of this town are very violent in their difaffe£ted principles, and I certainly ihould not have approached it, (for it was con- fiderably out of my way), had it not been tore- cover a fervant who had been enticed away from me to that place, where I found him, being juft twenty-four miles from my houfe. After ordering my fervant home, I proceeded up the fide of the Patuxent for Lower Marl- borough, a little town, on the north fide of the river, not fo large as Benedict, and fcarcely worth notice. Here I joined company with a gentleman nam- ed Buchannan, a confiderable merchant and fhip- builder at Baltimore, and travelled with him through Pigpoint, and another town named Upper Marlborough, fomething larger than the former, upon this river alfo, but of very little confequence; from thence we pafTcd through a ftill more infignificant town, named Queen Anne; and croffing South River at another little town called New London, we arrived at night at Annapolis, from which the laft place is only four miles diftant. The whole day was ftormy, wet, and difa- greeable, but at night there was the moft dread- ful hurricane ever remembered to have happened in this part of America. The (hocking accidents, and ftrange effects, occafioned by this moft violent guft, or tornado, it would be endlefs to enumerate ; 1 fhall there- fore only obferve, that the province houfe of Maryland, an elegant public building, juft finiflied and covered with copper, had the whole roof 134 A TOUR IN THE roof laid bare, the fheets of copper being rolled up like fcrolls of parchment. We left Annapolis early in the morning, and found the roads rendered almoft impaffable by this dreadful ftorm. We dined at a pretty town named Eikridge, fituated at the falls of the fouthern branch of the Patapfco River, which we crofted, and arrived at Baltimore. This route is by no means the nearefr, or di- rect road to Baltimore; but Mr. Buchannan having bufinefs at thefe places, I went with him for the fake of company. The town of Baltimore is built on a declivity in the form of a crefcent, on the north fide of a large bafon, or rather bay, the water whereof is not deep enough for veffels of any confiderable burden. The harbour of Baltimore isnamed FelPs Point, about two miles from the town itfelf, although the houfes are now continued almoft all the way. Here is water fufficient for the largeft mips to lay their broadfides to the wharfs. Almoft immediately after my arrival in Balti- more I had the misfortune to be feized with a violent dyfentery and was extremely ill. But in the mean time the committee deputed three of their members, named Tolly, Colqu- hoon, and Levi a Jew, to infpe through bye-ways, among feveral dangerous precipices, and deep ravines, in fome of which my horfe fell with me feveral times fiz or eight feet perpendicular, with many wounds and corttufions 1 efcaped thefe am- bufcades, and reached home, but in a condition fo wretched and miferable, that I had almoft died, not being able to leave my bed, and being in a continued agony of excruciating pain, during feveral weeks afterwards. In that time a party came to take me away, but I was fo very ill that they could not re- move me, being covered with wounds, befides that through my thigh which was extremely dangerous, unable to ftir, and being alfo delirious with a raging fever, which then proved my prefervation. Before I was half recovered from this illnefs, and before my wound was near healed, a gen- tleman came to inform me, that a captain with forty men intended to carry me to the Coun- cil of Safety as foon as I was able to be re- moved ] and that their determination was to make A TOUR IN THE make ufe of force againft me if they found it ne- ceflary. On the night following, they carried away two of my fervants for drummers, and hearing of them I went fifty miles after them in great pain, found them in a mufter-field, and was bring- ing them home, when ten rebels, rufhing fud- denly upon me, deprived me of my arms, both fervants, befides the fervant that attended me, and two very fine Englifh mares ; and detained me until midnight, when I effe&ed my efcape, and with difficulty reached home. Some nights afterwards they inveigled three more of my negroes from me; purfuing them next day, I found them, and was bringing them back, when I difcovered thirty of the rebels after me, fo was obliged to abandon my ne- groes to preferve my own liberty. In fhort I found that if I ftaid among them much longer, it would be impoflible to avoid falling into their hands. CHAP UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 141 CHAP. LXUL Set out for the MiJJiMppu In a miferabte State of Health. Port Royal. Character of the Inha- bitants. Anecdote of an unfortunate young Gen- tleman. Arrive at Blandford. Royal Stan- dard er cried at Norfolk. Repair to it- Seized upon at Surry Court Houfe. Ejcape. Sleepy Hole oh Nan/ emend River. Arrive at Portf mouth. Wait on the Earl of Duhmore. Informed againfi as a Spy. Leave Portfmoutb* Suffolk. Overtake my People^ CV, at Vlaherren. Taken .Pi out again for Norfolk. Country alarmed, lake Refuge in the Great D A defer iption of it. Dread- tion* Aji on i firing Difficulties. Ar- at Portfmouth. Sufpecled again for a Spy. Servant carried on Board the Gover- bip by a Guard. Servant examined and acquitted* "|T Had made every preparation for my departure ii tO.thc Mifliflippi, notwithftanding their edict again ft ir, had written, and fent all my letters privately to Great Britain, defiring my friends and conefpondents there to tranfmit their letters no more by the packet nor through thofe revol- ted colonies left they fliould fall into the hands of the Rebels, but to fend them immediately to the Miffiflippi or Penfacola. And on the night of the fifteenth of October, in the year (even teen hundred and feventy-five, being informed that a great force was coming next morning determin- ed to feize upon me, I privately crofled the Po- tomac k 142 A TOUR IN THE tomack in boats that I had fecretly engaged for that purpofe for fome time before, I carried along with me five fervants well armed, befides a very confiderable property; and notwithftanding this hazardous enterprize was ftill very fick, weak and emaciated, being by no means perfectly recovered of my wounds, I travelled over the Northern Neck of Vir- ginia, crofled the Rappahannock at Port Royal, where I arrived to breakfaft, and having great need of reft and refrefliment ftaid to dine there alfo. Port Royal is a very pretty little town, on the fouth fide of the Rappahannock which is here about feven hundred yards wide. It may contain eighty or perhaps an hundred houfes, all of which are very pleafantly fituated ; but it has no great fhare of trade, and the inhabitants are remark* able for furlinefs and difagreement among them- felves, which gaveoccafion to a merry facetious wag to make the following obfervation, * That he verily believed, that if only one perfon lived in Port Royal, he would quarrel with him- felf. A remarkable and affecting event happened in this town, Angular indeed in America. A young gentleman became fo loft in love with a very young lady, that underftanding fhe was willing to marry another perfon in compliance with the commands of her mother, although he was fenfible the young lady gave the preference to himfelf, he with the greateft deliberation fecrecy and refolution fwallowed fuch a quantity of opium that it ended his days ; and on the fame night that he took the fatal drug he died in great agonies, I travelled UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I travelled about fifteen miles beyond Port Royal that evening, and next day was taken fo extremely ill as to be unable to proceed. But my ufual remedy, of being copioufly blooded and taking large dofes of laudanum, enabled me again to purfue my journey, after being detained here for a whole day. My flate of health was fo bad that this was my painful and unfortunate condition, thus repeat- ed every other day, until I arrived at Blandford, upon the river Appamattox in Virginia. At this time the Royal Standard Being erected at Norfolk by the Earl of Dunmore, his Majef- ty's Governor, I thought it my duty to repair thither, which was about an hundred and thir- ty or forty miles diftant, not only to make a tender of my weak fervices, but having heard his Londfhip's life frequently threatened as I came along, and feveral plans laid to murder him privately, I was really concerned for his fafety, and apprehenfive that he might fall a victim by thefe ruffiansand aflaffins, and for that reafon went likewife to acquaint him of the danger. Accordingly I fent my fervants, horfes, and b a ?g a g e on before towards Carolina, and fet out alone for Norfolk. It happened, that on that very day a rebel edict was publilhed, ordering every perfon, travelling towards Norfolk, to be flopped, and carried to the rebel commander Patrick Henry, at Williamiburg. At Surrey court-houfe I was feized oji by a very dirty crew, who propofed carrying me prifoner to Williamfburg ; but plying them well with ptinch I fuddenly ftepped afide, mount- ed my horfe, and left them in full fpeed, whilft eight or ten of them were firing after me. Twelve 144 A TOUR IN THE Twelve or fifteen miles from thence I fell in company with a rebel pay-mafter and a com- miffary, named Wells Cooper who lived in Suf- folk, and Solomon Shepherd, whofe houfe is be- yond Sleepy Hole on Nanfemond River. Thefc gentlemen 1 completely deceived, and in compa- ny with them paffed fafr, though aot unmolefted, through that infernal pi ace Smithfield, as well as feverai places befideSc, where the inhabitants were very violent, otherwife I could not pofiibly have got down ; for every half dozen fellows we met, wanted me to give an account of myfelf, and .propofed to carry me to Henry at Williamfburg ; but thefe gentlemen always prevented them. Mr. Shepherd, who was really very kind to me, accompanied me fartheft on my journey, his houfe being within twelve or fifteen miles of Portfmouth, As foon as I arrived at Norfolk, or rather Portfmouth, for it was there I ftaid, I waited upon his Excellency the Earl of Dunmore, on board an armed ftiip named the William, where I likewife converfed for a confiderable time with Lieutenant-Colonel Connolly. I then acquainted his Lordfliip with my defigns, and he obferved that I would certainly find it impoffible to pafs along through the country, in its prefent dif- tra&ed ftate, to the Mifliffippi. I alfo mention- ed to his Lordfliip my apprehenfions of his per- fonal danger, but he feemed to pay little regard to his own fafety. I did not ftay above an hour on board the Wil- liam, and informed no perfon at all any thing, but his Lordfliip himfelf, on account of the hazard and danger I had to encounter in return- ing UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I45 ing through the country in order to overtake my fervants and proceed on my journey. My filence was fufpe£ted, and* my being a perfect ftranger induced two meddling worthlefs fellows to go onboard the Governor's fhip in the night to inform him that I was certainly a fpy from the rebels, to which piece of intelligence his Lordfhip however paid no regard. In the morning I waited again on his Excel- lency to take my leave, and fet out from Poitf- mouth with a heavy dejection on my fpirits at tfoe difagreeable reflection of the danger of returning and perhaps falling into the power of a fet of the veryeft wretches, and moft infamous ruffians in exiflence. I was alfo in pain for his Lordfhip's perfonal fafety, on account of his eafinefs of accefs. That night I lodged at Suffolk, and on the day following two men were fent from thence feven miles after me to bring me back to the Commit- tee there : but by prefenting a piftol at thefe fel- lows I quickly fent them away prodigioufly frightened. With great difficulty I proceeded as far as Edward's Tavern, on Maherren River, in the county of Bruniwick, where I overtook my fer- vants, &c. but was fuddenly furprifed and feized on by a ftrong party of rebels, in confequence of one of my fervants having given information that I had been at Norfolk with the Earl of Dunmore^ Llewellin, Hopwell, and Stanton, the "ruffians who commanded, treated me with illiberal infult and barbarity, plundering me of my horfes, flaves, baggage, arms, and about three hundred Vol. II. H and 1^6 A tOUR IN THE and fifty piftoles in gold, befides a large quantity of filver in dollars. Moft fortunately for me two Scots gentlemen coming that way called, and in the night, by their very kind afliftance, I effeded my efcape: from this party, with a fervant, three of my horfes, and a confiderable value befides. Thefe two worthy friends met me that fame night eighteen miles from thence in North Ca- rolina, and drefted me the way to proceed to Norfolk, Searching amongft the baggage which my fer- vant had recovered I found arms and ammuniti- on, which I now confidered as one of the moft eftimable acquifitions. My former journey and intentions being now entirely fruftrated, 1 fet out for Norfolk again next morning, with a very heavy and dejedted heart, and in a condition fo fick and feeble, and in fo bad a ftate of health with the excruciating pains to which I was fo fubje&, as to be obliged to be blooded and lay by every fecond day for fome time. For fecrefy, and to avoid purfuit, I travelled on the North Carolina fide of the boundary line, the inhabitants on that fide not being very vio- lent, and with the greateft difficulty and fatigue proceeded on until I arrived within fifty or fixty miles of Norfolk. Being quite exhaufted with hunger and hard- ihips, I was thereby conftrained to call at the houfe of one Copland a Quaker for fome refrefli- ment, and to prevent fufpicion I caufed my fer- vant to fit down at table along with me. I did not tarry here an hour ; and when I had travelled about nine miles farther my horfes tired, and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 147 and I remained that night and the day following at the houfe of a warm planter named John Harris, a very old man and a good friend of go- vernment. On the fecond night I was alarmed by a Ne- gro, and foon afterwards by a white man a rela- tion of Mr. Harris, who informed me that friend Copland's wife head had imagined that I was Governor Martin, of North Carolina, travelling in difguife to Lord Dunmore at Norfolk : thac this booby had raifed the alarm throughout the country, and that in confequence of it three companies of militia were in purfuit of me; that they had proceeded in fearch of me as far as Suf- folk, and were now returning beating up the whole country as they pafled ; and that under- ftanding I was well armed, they intended to fhoot me down on fight. Finding by means of feveral other friends to government that this intelligence was well foun- ded, I gave the Negro two dollars to carry me immediately into a private place in the Great Difmal Swamp, where I lay hid during the day, and travelled every night. This Great Difmal is the principal of all thofe dreadful places, called fwamps, only to be met with in America, for there is nothing of the kind to be found in all Europe, Afia, or Africa. It is in form of a vaft oval, thirty miles in breadth, and fifty in length, with a like, nearly in the center, feven miles diameter, abounding with fifh. From this lake there is no outlet or running water to any other place ; nor can there be faid to be any defcent throughout all this immenfe fwamp, excepting a little without its outer cir- H 2 cumference ; I48 A TOUR IN THE cumference; all within being in a manner en tirely covered with water out of which innumera- ble quantities of large ftraight and lofty cyprefs- trees are growing in almoft impenetrable clofe - nefs to each other throughout the whole extent ; betwixt thefe trees infinite numbers of thatftrange production cyprefs knees arife above the water from three to fifteen inches, almoft as clofe as they can Hand together. Throughout the whole of this truly difmal place, there is fcarcely the leaft appearance of any kind of foil ; for even where there is no wa- ter nothing can be difcovered but cyprefs knees, clofely intermixed with a matted body of ftrong fibrous roots vines and vegetative productions every where, in a dark and dreary fhade altoge- ther impervious to the rays of the fun. The trees, &c. growing fo clofe thick and lofty, that one perfon will lofe another therein, at ten yards diftance ; and afterwards if they wander a few hundred yards afunder, no noife, clamour, or hallooing, from either of them, can be heard by the other ; for the woods are fo clofe as to pre- vent the vibration of the air for any diftance through them j even the report of fire-arms is fmothered. The only way of hearing any found, for the leaft diftance, is by laying one's ear clofe to the ground, by which means one can hear fix times as far as any other way. There is a kind of ridges, running through- out this fwamp, from fifty yards to a quarter of a mile and upwards over, and one, two, four i and fometimes fix miles afunder. Thefe ridges are without water, although no earth or foii can be feen, but all between them is UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. covered with water from two to five and fix feet deep. On thefe ridges are aftonifhing numbers of bears, wolves, panthers, wild cats, oppoflums, racoons, fnakes, fome deer, and every kind of wild beafts; between them are vaft numbers of otters, mufk rats, beavers, and all kinds of amphibious animals. In very dry fummers fome of thefe ridges have been accidentally fet on fire, and caufed moft dreadful conflagrations, the flames confum- ing all before them, burning into the earth for a vaft depth, and over-fpreading the whole coun- try around with thick fmoke. Thefe places are foon afterwards filled with water, and become fmall lakes. There was one fire in the Great Difmal parti- cularly horrid and tremendous. It happened on an extraordinary dry fummer, and burnt with ir- refiftible fury for many weeks, fpreading terror and deftruclion around. The wild beafts were fo frightened, that pro- digious numbers of them of all kinds forfook the fwamp, over-running the plantations for many miles diftance, and the whole country was per- petually enveloped in thick fmoke, during many weeks, for ninety miles around. The efTe&s of this horrible conflagration formed a lake, a mile and a half in breadth, and above three miles long, from four to eight, ten, and even twelve feet deep. It is imagined that the great lake in the center was formed by fome former dreadful conflagration far beyond human memory; as burnt wood is frequently found in the bottom of it, even near H 3 the A TCUR IN THE the middle, and in the deepeft places through- out. This fwamp belongs to a company of proprie- tors, who have begun to render it of advantage and profit to them. They commenced with getting lumber, cyprefs fhingles, and boards, and with incredible labour they have now form- ed feveral plantations therein, which produce immenfe crops of Indian corn. They have alfo cut a navigable canal, nine miles in length, from the great lake, for the conveyance of their lumber and produce, as near to the edge of the great fwamp as poffible, and they have formed a caufeway of timber, as a road through it, from the end of the canal. The land all around it is fomewhat higher than it is within it, and is flat, fandy, wet, and barren. This is a fate harbour and place of perfe& fe~ curity for all kinds of wild beafts, as well as ftray horfes, cattle, hogs, and runaway Ne- groes many of whom live here to be old with- out the leaft danger of being difcovered. This place is alfo called the Great Defert, on account of its being deftitute of human inhabi- tants, and being the general afylum for every thing that flies from mankind and fociety. On the fecond night after the above mention- ed alarm I had three rebel guards to pafs, who were ported, to prevent any communication with Norfolk, at pafles through which every perfon that went towards that place were oblig- ed to go. The firft, at Mead's Mill near Suffolk, I avoi- ded, by fwimming the creek below. The fecond, juft by Nanfemond Church, I pafled without ihe leaft noife, and fortunately unnoticed, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA* 15I unnoticed, although I heard the centinels chal- lenge in half a minute after I had paffed them. And the third guard, at Smith's Tavern, I alfo got paft by moving on -(lowly in perfeft fi- lence; and afterwards by puming brifkly for- ward arrived at Portfmouth before day-break ; with a heart and fpirits now light and chearful although almoft exhaufted with hunger and fa- tigue. Happy however, beyond expremon, to be out of the power of the rebel banditti, al- though at the expence of the greateft part of all I had in the world. On the day following, being exceflively fa- tigued, I did not immediately wait upon his Ex- cellency the Earl of Dunmore, intending to perform that duty as foon as I was a little re- freshed. But that fame afternoon Captain Squire, of his Majefty's floop Otter, threatened to carry me as a prifoner on board his ihip, as a fpy from the rebels^ partly upon the former ridicu- lous fufpicions againit me when I was here be- fore, but chiefly becaufe I did not wait on him immediately upon my arrival. And at the fame time a guard was fent by the governor to bring me and my fervant before him, on another in- formation of the fame kind againft me, by a certain fellow from mere pique and malevolence, becaufe I would not Aiffer the aiTuming, igno- rant wretch to brow-beat, bully, and infult me. I was at this time along with Lieutenant-Co- lonel Connolly, who lodged in the fame houfe, and with whom I had paffed the greateft part of the day, when the guard came to the door, of whofe orders or intentions I had not the moft H 4 diftanr. A TOUR IN THE diftant idea, nor did I know then of any of thefe fufpicions or informations againft me. The guard indeed did not meddle with me, (in confequence I prefume of fecret orders from his Excellency, who never gave any credit to thefe infinuations, but acled thus at the prefling inftance of the forward afluming fellow whom I have juft mentioned), but they carried my fer- vant on board before his lordfliip for examina- tion, when this vile caitiff* being prefent endea- voured to intimidate him, in order to induce him to bring fome accufation againft me ; but his Excellency himfelf foon put a ftop to fuch fcan- dalous attempts. However, a gentleman, who had been alfo along with Colonel Connolly, waited upon his lordfliip with a letter from the Colonel, affiiring his Excellency that the infor- mation againft me was totally falfe and ground- lefs, which the examination of my fervant like- wife evinced in the fulieft and moft fatisfaiiory manner. C H A P. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. *53 CHAP. LXIV. Embarked on an Expedition to the Back Country, Proceed up the Potomack. Pafs through Mary- land, Frederick T ?wn, a Defcription of it. Funks Town. Taken Prifoners. Hagars Town. Great Valley. Connigocheague. Ex- tremely abufed and maltreated. Robbed of our money. Nature of the Expedition. A curious Manner of fecreting Papers. Confined and. in great Danger at Frederick Town. Efcape. Fall through the Ice into the Potomack. Aftonijhing Danger and Fatigue. Fly into the Mountains. Deep 9now. Break the Ice and wade deep Rivers. Wounded and Lame. Robbed by a man that I had placed confidence in. Continue to pujh for- ward for Detroit and Illonois. Fort Cumber- land. Romantic Situation. Crofs the Allegany Mountains. Retaken by mere Accident on the Tohiogeny River. AFTER thefe groundlefs and moft ridicu- lous fufpicions were happily cleared up, the whole intention and fubftance of a fecret ex- pedition to thebaclc country, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Connolly, then appointed Commandant of the Queen's royal regiment of Rangers, was difclofed tome, and I was carneftly folicited by the Colonel to accompany him, along with another gentleman named Cameron ; to this I moil chearfully confented, and in the above regiment we all received our commiffions. On the day following I received an order to take any velTel in the harbour, and alfo fuch of the pilots on board his Majefty's /loop the Otttr as I judged proper, for the ufe of this expedition, H 5 This *54 A TOUR IN THE This circurhftance was no fmall fatrsfa&ion to me, as I thereby convinced Captain Squire of my being no fpy, as he had alledged ; and on going on board his (hip made choice of two of his beft pilots. When we departed from Norfolk on this ex- pedition, I was obliged to leave behind me my fervant and all the property I had been able to bring down there. My fervant and horfes, which were valuable, were to be fent to the plan- tation of Mr, Atchifon, at Lord Dunmore*s re- queft; and the reft of my property I left in the houfe of a Mr. Pierce at Portfmouth, but I have never fince that time heard the leaft account of any thing belonging to me. We embarked on bor.rd a flat-bottomed decked fchooner, which I had engaged for that purpofe, with our horfes, and only one fervant who be- longed to the Colonel. Our fmall party confifted of Lieutenant-Co- lonel Connolly, Mr. Cameron, myfelf, and the fervant; and we intended to proceed in this veflel up the Chefapeak, into Potomack River, and land if poffible near to my houfe or Port Tobac- co Creek, and afterwards to pafs through the county on horfeback until we arrived at Detroit in Canada. It was propofed that I fhould pafs through Pittfburg, with difpatches to Mr. M'Kie the Indian fuperintendant, and to fome other friends of government, then proceed down the river Ohio to the mcuth of the Siotto, and from thence up that river, through the Shawnefe, Delawares, and Wiandotts, and down San- dufki River to Sandulki Old Fort, from whence 1 was to crofs lake Erie, by the Rattle Snake Iflands, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 15$ Iflands, to Detroit. While the other two gen- tlemen were to crofs the Allegany River at the Kittanning, and proceed by the neareft and moft direct route to Detroit. Here a very confiderable force was to be colle&ed from all the neareft pofls in Canada, and transported, early in the fpring, acrofs the lake Erie to Prefqtiifte; where I was tobe employed during the w inter with a de- tachmentof two hundred men in covet ingand con- ducing the building batteaux, and colle&ing pro- vifions, in order to proceed by the way of French Creek, Venango, and the Allegany River, to Pittfburg, which we were to feize on and efta- blifh as head-quarters, until the difaffefled in- tereft was entirely crufhed. and the whole ftrength of the country col-le&ed and formed in- to regular difciplined regiments. After leaving a fufficient garrifon atPirtfburg 3 we were to advance acrofs the Allegany Moun- tains with our whole force upon the back of Virginia ; and after eftablifhing a ftrong poft at Fort Cumberland, it was propofed to fall down the river Potomack, and feize on Alexandria, where the Earl of Dunmore was to meet us with the fleet, and all the force of the lower part of the province. Alexandria was to be ftrongly fortified, as a place of arms, and the communica- tion between the fouthern and northern parts of the continent thereby cut off. If a misfortune, of fuch magnitude, fhould have happened, as to oblige us to give up this enterprife at any particular ftage thereof, our re- treat was then fecured by thefe pofts which we occupied in our rear; and if it fhould have failed in the firfl: part of the expedition, by our finding A TOUR IN THE finding it impracticable to feize upon Pittf- burg, we were to fall down the Ohio in our batteaux to the Mifliffippi ; where we were to be joined by the garrifon, artillery, and ftores from Fort Gage of Kifkufidas at the Illonois; and then to proceed down to the mouth of the river Mifliffippi in Weft Florida; where we were to embark in tranfports, and come round to Norfolk in Virginia, there to join the Earl of Dunmore. For the execution of this well formed, judi- cious, and vaft undertaking, Lieutenant-Colo- nel Connolly was furnifhed with the proper and r.eceflary powers, both from General Gage the Commander in Chief, and from the Karl of Dunmore, and with ample inftruclions for his future conduit, as well as commiflions for the formation of a complete regiment at Detroit, or Pittfburg ; all of which, containing no lefs than eighteen fheets of paper, we carried along with us in a fecret manner invented by and executed under the infpediion of his lord- Ail thefe papers were concealed in the mail pillion-fticks on which the fervant carried his portmanteau, they being made hollow, for that purpofe, and covered with tin plates, and then canvafs glued thereon as ufual ; this was fo dextroufly and completely executed that it could not be difcovered on the ftricleft exami- nation. We failed up the Potomack, almoft as far as Lower Cedar Point, when a moft violent gale came on from the north-weft, which obliged us to ftand down the river again, and run up into UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 157 into St. Mary's River in Maryland, where we landed, on the twelfth of November, without occafioning the leaft fufpicion, having fent off the veflel again immediately after we had taken out our horfes. Here I undertook to be the conductor through the country for above two hundred miles ; and it was not without the utmoft addrefs, precaution, difficulty and danger that I carried them, and paf- fed myfelf quite fafe and unfufpected, through all that extent of thick fettled country,, wherein my perfon and principles were fo well known., and without being once difcovered myfelf. However we were frequently very much alarm- ed, particularly at Frederick Town, where we arrived on the evening of a general raufter, or field-day of the armed affociators, At the inn where we put up> each of us calling for fome- thing different from the others,, caufed an en- quiry, and of courfe a fufpicion concerning us, and it was propofed to bring us before the committee in the morning for examination. This plan we accidentally difconcerted by fetting out from Frederick Town in the morning at day- break ; and as the committee had all got intoxi- cated over night, it was too late next day, before they arofe, and recollected any circumftances concerning us, to fend in purfuit after us. We pafled through a village named Middle Town, about eight miles beyond Frederick ; and in the South Mountain, four miles farther, we took the wrong road, which led us to another village named Funk's Town, after Jacob Funk a German, the proprietor. We dined in this place, and pafled on through a confiderable town called Hagar's Town, named fo I58 A T01??w THfi fo plfo after the proprietor, a German; a few mf!es beyond which we unfortunately met a little man, a hatter, who knew Colonel Connolly at Pictfburg, where he had lived, and now re- collected him again, and fpoke to him. This accident giving me great une^finefs, I mentioned to the Colonel my apprebentions of cur being discovered thereby, and propofed for us to chance our route. - But he beiWg of a dif- ferent opinion, and thinking there was no dan- ger, it gave me inexpreffible concern, and had it not been for two reafons which prevenred rrte, I would then have left him and provided for my own fafety. The tirft was, that being under his command I could not dilbbey ; but of that 1 was fenfible he had too much generollty to take advantage, therefore it was not this that deterred me. The fecond reafon was, the former ridiculous fufpicions againft me at Norfolk ; and it was on that account I determined to iland or fall with him, and to wait the event With patience, fhould captivity, or even death be the confequence. We lodged atone Doctor Snay veliev'5, a Ger- man, about five or fix miles beyond Hagar's Town, upon the banks of the river Connego- cheague, and accordingly as I had dreaded, about midnight we were all lei zed on in our beds and made prifoners by a company of rifle- men from Hagar's Town, who were ordered out for that purpofe in confequence of the little hat- ter's information. This company ccnfiiled of thirty-fix men ex- clufive of officers, who ruming fuddenly into •vir room, with their rifles cocked and prefented ck>fe UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 159 clofe to our heads while in bed, obliged us to jfurrender. This happened in the night of the nineteenth of November^ one thoufand feven hundred and feventy-five. This party confifting folely of rude unfeeling German ruffians, fit for aflaffinations, murder, and death, treated us with great ignominy and infult; and without the leaft provocation abufed us perpetually with every opprobious epithet lan- guage can afford. 1 We were then carrieJ to Hagar's Town, and examined feparately before the committee there, after being fearched for papers ; our faddles and baggage alfo underwent a ftri£t fcrutiny and in- fpe&ion, but nothing was difcovered againft us. This committee was ignorant, rude, abufive, and illiberal, and ordered us to be carried to Frederick Town, under a ftrong guard, for fur- ther, examination. The fame ruffians continued to guard us, and were perpetually threatening to take our lives. As we rode along (for as yet they had not de- prived us of our own horfes) fome of them in the rear every now and then fired off a rifle directed very near us, as I could hear the ball whiftle paft within a few feet of us, every time they fired. At Frederick town I was told that / need not expeft to get clear, for / was a noted friend to Britain, and they had long endeavoured to get me in their power. Here we were ftrippcd and fearched again, and examined feparately before the committee, where one of the moft illiberal, inveterate and violent rebels named Samuel Ciiife, (fon to a refpecl- able and very worthy clergyman of this pro- vince) i6o A TOUR IN THE vince) a lawyer, and a member of the Congrefs prefided. At this place we were not a little alarmed left they (hould difcover our inftruftions, papers, &c. as they examined every thing fo ftri&ly as to take our faddles to pieces, and take out the fluffing, and even rip open the foals of our boots, in vain, for the object, of their fearch was not found, although they fo frequently handled what contained it. However, by fame neglect of Colonel Connol- Iv's fervant, an old torn piece of paper was found in his portmanteau, which difcovered part of ourdefign j and then Colonel Connolly, to pre- vent our failing immediate facrifices to a frantic mob, acknowledged our commiffions. Upon this we were a&uallv robbed of our mo- ney, by Samuel Chafe and the committee, the chairman of which was named John Hanfon, and has fince then become a Prefident of the American Congrefs, who left us only one guinea each ; and we were put under a ftrong guard in the houfe of one Charles Beatty, in a clofe room three ftories high, with the windows fcrewed faft down, reftricled from pen, ink, and pa- per, and no perfon allowed to fpeak to us. Thus were we confined, for feven weeks, ail in one room, under a ftrong guard, fuffering every fpecies of infult daily, and in danger and dread of being murdered every night. The fervant however, who was faithful to his truft, being allowed to go at large from the firft of our confinement, took care to deftroy the mail pillion-fticks, containing the papers, commif- fions, and inftructions, which we dreaded fo much being difcovered, as foon as he could effect UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. l6l it with fafety, which put an end to our anxiety and alarms on that account. Frederick Town is a fine large town, built of brick and ftone, there being very few timber houfes in it, it is far inland, being at lead fifty miles from George Town, which is the neareft navigation or port, and is not fituated upon any river or water courfe; the neareft to it being Monoccacy Creek, whicn is four miles diftant, and Potomack River, w T hich is about eight miles from it. The land around Frederick Town is heavy, ftrong, and rich, well calculated for wheat, with which it abounds - } this being as plentiful a coun- try as any in the world. The face of the country here fwells into beau- tiful hills and dales, and twelve miles beyond the town it arifes into mountains, named the South Mountain. The foil is generally of a deep nifty brown colour, and ftrongiy impreg- nated with iron. Frederick Town is not fo large as Alexandria, but more confiderable than Williamfburg, or Annapolis, and contains upwards cf two thou- sand inhabitants, who abound in provifions, and ail the neceflaries of life. Beyond the mountain Elizabeth Town, or Hagar'sTown as it is generally called, aftonifhes you by its magnitude, beauty, and good build- ings, chiefly compofed of ftone and lime. It is fituated on a plain, in the great valley between the two mighty ridges named the South Mountain, or Blue Ridge, and the North Mountain, or Great Ridge. This valley is about thirty miles wide, extend- ing many hundred miles in length, and contains a body i6i A TOUR IN THE a body of the richeft land in the world. It abounds with the moft clear and pellucid water - courfes, and all the ftones and rocks are lime- ftone. Both Frederick Town and Hagar's Town, as well as the greateft part of the back country of Maryland and Pennsylvania, are inhabited chief- ly by Germans and Irifli, but the flrft are the moft numerous; and carry on almoft every kind of manufacture, as well as a confiderable ftiare of trade. Neither of them ftands upon any large water-courfe ; but there is abundance of mills, forges, furnaces, and iron works, all around them, throughout the adjacent coun- try ; Many cf the Irifli here can fcarcely fpcak in Englifli ; and theufands of the Germans under- iiand no language but High Dutch ; however they are all very laborious, and extremely in- dubious, having improved this part of the country beyond conception j but they have no idea of fecial life, and are more like brutes than men. They came to Frederick Town from all quarters to behold us, as if we had been feme ft range fight, and were always very liberal of infults and abufe without the leaft caufe or provocation. On the thirtieth of December, orders were brought from the Congrefs, that we fhould be fent to them at Philadelphia \ and they were pre- paring to (Set out with us next day. It had been preconcerted, that if v/e fhould be taken prifoners by the way upon this expedi- tion, we fhould attempt, either by efcape or any other method, to inform the garrifon of Detroit of an expedition the rebels intended againft them from UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 163 from Pittfburg; and alfo to bring the garrifon of Fort Gage at Kifkufkias Illonois, with the ar- tillery, ftores, &c. down the Miffiffippi to the Gulf of Mexico, and from thence by transports round to join the Earl of Dunmore and the troops under his command at Norfolk. For this reafon I had been long fcheming an efcape, and had engaged one of the inhabitants named Barclay to accompany me on this hazard- ous undertaking ; and he was to be liberally re- warded for his fervices. As we were ordered to fet out for Philadelphia next morning, there was now no time to be loft in making this attempt. For this purpofe I watched all this night for the moment that the two centinels might fall afleep on their pofts at our door, which they had alfo locked on the ou elide ; at length the much wifhed-for period arrived ; and at that inftant un- fcrewing the lock, I made my efcape, with let- ters, difpatches, and every necefiary order, but by an accident was obliged to leave almoft all my cloaths behind. After fome little difficulty I found Barclay's houfe, and he getting out of bed, we immediately fet out on our journey. There was a deep encrufted fnow, and moll dreadful roads, fo that travelling was beyond ex- preffion fatiguing, efpecially as I went on foot, leaving my horfe behind to prevent any fufpicion of my route; as no one could imagine that a journey, over the Allegany mountains, to Detroit, and to the Miffiffippi, would be at- tempted during that rigorous feafon of the year ? by any perfon alone, as they muft conceive me to be, and on foot. In 164 A TOUR IN THE In order to pafs on with more privacy, I en- deavoured to crofs the Potomack, and travel up on the Virginia fide of that river, becaufe fo ma- ny people from Maryland had feen me while in confinement at Frederick Town and Hagar's Town; but in attempting to go over on the ice, I broke in, and it was with the utmoft difficulty my life was faved. Barclay would not venture. It was fnowing and freezing at the fame time, and I had feven miles over the mountains to go before I came to a houfe to thaw, dry, and warm myfelf. At laft when I reached a houfe, there was no fire, the people could not fpeak nor un- derftand a fingle word of Englifh, and itwasim- poffible for me to ftay; fo I travelled on in that wet and frozen condition all day, and at night lay before the fire, at the houfe of a poor igno- rant Dutchman ; which I alfo did the night be- fore, upon. a bear's flcin, at the houfe of a very violent Scotfman, a furveyor, cn the fide of the Potomack, after having undergone more than can be exprefied in travelling round a town named Sharpfburg, the fnow being deep and en- crufted over, but not ftrong enough to fupport my weight, fo th.at at every ftep I funk down almoft knee-deep, and cut my legs alfo by every move- ment in walking* On the firfl: day of January, 1776, at fun- rife, I came to the mouth of a river named Cun- nigocheague, where it enters the Potomac. This river was frozen half-way over, and we were compelled to break the ice, ftrip, and wade through, with the water up almoft to our fhoul- ders. Hearing of a purfuit after me, we ftruck out of the road into the North Mountain, travelled all UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 165 all day through deep fatiguing encrufted fnow, and ftaid during the night (for I flept not) under a rock in the mountain. On the fecond of January, we likewife travel - Ted all day in the mountain, and at night fcrap- ed away the fnow by the fide of a fallen tree 3 made a fire, and flept a little. On the third of January I direded our cburfe towards the road again, being then behind the purfuit, and ftaid all night at a miferable hovel by the 'fire. Here we procured fame coarfe food, which was extremely iacceptable and delicious, having been entirely without any kind of re- frefhment for the laft two days. At this place I heard a thoufand falfehoods told concerning me, and was obliged to join in the abufe againft myfelf, which was generally equally groundlefs and illiberal \ feveral of the people here faid they knew me perfectly well, and attributed ia multitude of lingular actions and exploits to me that I had never before heard df ; but they all united in infifting that we ought immediately to have been put to death when taken, to prevent efcapes and future mifchief. Our journey was fomewhat retarded, and ren- dered extremely difagreeable, by great numbers of large vvater-courfes or rivulets in our way, which we were under the neceffity of pafiing over, ali of them being partially or entirely fro- zen, yet fcarcely any able to bear us, fo that we were obliged to break the ice on each fide, and wade through. Among the multitude of thefe, I ftill recollect the names of the Great Khon- holioway, and Little Khonholloway. On the fourth of January, being under the neceffity of croffing a river that was frozen over, A TOUR IN THE ever, I had three violent falls on the ice, by which I received a deep wound in one of my feet, and a very bad {train in my ancle. This rendered travelling intolerably painful and difficult; however to me there was no al- ternative, but death to flop, or life to proceed ; and I continued to pufh on, although conftantly in extreme torture, until we arrived at a planter's houfe on the road, about a mile on this fide of a large water- courfe named May's creek; where I was compelled to flop, unable to proceed farther, being absolutely exhaufted, and quite overpower- ed with extreme pain and fatigue. Here Barclay privately made off and left me, after plundering me of what little cloaths I had been able to bring with me, and every valua- ble article I had fecrcted from the rebels, viz. fome filver and Hone buckles, gold rings, and jewels, on which I depended folely for fupport during this journey ; for the committee as 1 have obferved before, had only left us a guinea a piece in money, of which one fingle dollar was all I had remaining. This fellow furely muft have been influenced by the reflexion, that in my wretched condi- tion it woulcj be impoflible for me to accom- plifh the hazardous and extenfive journey 1 had undertaken \ and that confequently fooner or later I muft be again apprehended ; for which high rewards were offered, and the greateft exerti- ons made by the rebels. For he never could be tempted by the fmali booty he obtained to be guilty of fuch a piece of villainy, after travelling fo far, and buffering fo much as he had done, along with me, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 167 me. This fpoil from me however I prefume he thought proper to take .to himfelf when he went off, as fatisfa£tion for his trouble. No event of my life ever fhocked me more than the difcovery of this wretch's treachety, when: I found he was certainly gone, A multitude of fufpicions crowded in my mind, and a thoufand fears alarmed me. Every? moment I expe&ed to be feized upon, in can* fequence of information againft me ; and I diftrufted every perfon I faw or met* My mind diftra&ed, my body enfeebled, ema- ciated arid tormented with excruciating pain, in an enemy's country* deftitute of money or refource> and without a fingle friend, I was in a con- dition truly to be commiferated, and not to be excelled in diftrefs. This was a trial the mo ft arduous and fevere I ever met with; but ftill my refolution did not forfake me, and I determined to proceed, notwithstanding every difficulty and danger. I crofTed May's Greek, and Wills's Creek, by breaking the ice and wading them, paffed by old Fort Cumberland, which is in a beau- tiful and romantic fituation, on the north fide of the Potomack, amidft vaft mountains and mighty torrents of water, that break through the mountains in dreadful and tremen- dous chafms, appearing very diftinctty from this place. The largeft of thefe breaks in the mountains are thofe of the river Potomack and of Wills's Creek, which appear from hence fuperior to the reft in awful grandeur. There A TOtfR IN THE There is now only a little public houfe at Fort Cumberland, where that immenfe ridge particularly named the Allegany Moun- tains commences. Here I began to afcend the mighty Alle- gany, and after travelling all day in an extremity of anguifh, pain, and anxiety, af- ter having broken the ice and waded through a black arid difmal river named Savage Ri- ver, and a number of large and dangerous water-courfes befides, I arrived at Gregg's habitation, in the midli of the mountain j where I remained all night amidft the dread- ful fcreamings and howlings of multitudes of every fpecies of wild beafts. Here I was compelled to break in upon my poor folitary dollar, for, notwithftand- ing all my intended frugality, nature requi- red fupport, which money alone could procure. I fet out again next morning, and in this moft diftreffing and wretched condition con- tinued to pufh forward, until I had got over the Allegany mountains ; but, notwith- ftanding all my circumfpeilion and ftrenuous exertion?, I had the misfortune to be re- taken by mere accident on the Yohiogeny River, a branch of the Ohio, on the twelfth of January, by a party of nin~ ruffians return- ing from Pittfburg, where they had been difpatch- ed in purluit of me. CHAP. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 169 CHAP. LXV. Cauje of Life being preferred. Injrances of fin- gular Mal-treatment and Barbarity, Bound with Cords. Examined before the Committee at Frederick Town. A curious Defcription of the Committee and their Examination. Great Dan- ger of being murdered. Confined in York Town Gao^ where a moji worthy Loyalijt Dr. Kerfiey ivas then a Prifoner. His Sufferings^ and tra- gical Fate. Crofs the Sufquehannah on the Ice. An Account of Lancajler^ York Town^ and the Sufqueha-nnah. Arrival at Philadelphia. Car- ried before the Congrefs. Sent to Prifon. Suf- fer unparalleled Barbarity. Health declining faft, and expect to be facrifced. Wrote feme Verfes upon the Wall with Charcoal. NOTHING preserved me from immediate death from the hands of thefe banditti, but the hopes of the reward they fhould meet with by carrying me to the Congrefs. However there was no reftriclion to deter them from exercifing the moft wanton infult, the higheft ignominy, and the moft unaccounta- ble cruelties upon me. They fet me upon a pack-horfe, on a v/ooden pack-faddle ; they tied my arms behind me, and my legs under the horfe's belly $ they took the bridle of the horfe, and faftened a great bell around his neck; and in that condition they drove the horfe before them, with me upon his Vol. II. I back, i 7 o A TOUR IN THE back, along narrow flippery ways covered with ice, and over all the dreadful horrid precipices of the Allegany and Blue Mountains, for a diirance little ftiortof three hundred miles. During the firft day and night they never halt- ed but for neceflfary refrelhment, of which how- ver they afforded me no fhare ; and every night afterwards compelling me to lie upon the bare ground. Thus travelling in this rapid manner very pro- bably faved my life, as I have been informed fince, for another banditti of thirty men from the vicinity of Pittfburg, upon an alarm that a perfon was taken on his way to raife the Indians againft them, had purfued us under oath to kill me, but after following us for a day and a half in vain, defpairing to overtake us they returned. I was carried in this inhuman barbarous man- ner paft Tumblefton's, Grigg's, Fort Cumber- land, Creffop's or Old Town, &c. &c. and at feveral places it was with the utmoft difficulty my guard could prevent the ruffian favage inhabi- tants from murdering me in cold blood : but al- though they preferved my life, for the fake of the reward they expected for apprehending me, yet they never attempted to proteft me from the moft cruel and mortifying infults and maltreat- ment at every place they halted; and I was fre- quently even exhibited as a public fhow, as if of a different ftiape and appearance from other men. During all this time I tailed nothing but wa- ter, excepting one meal of indifferent food; this alfo contributed in fome degree to my reco- very, by abating the inflammation of the wound in my foot, and the ftrain in my ancle, both of which UNITED STATES ' OF AMERICA. lyi which were prodigioufly fuelled, and fo intole- rably painful, that, befides entirely depriving mc of ileep, I was not able to walk an hundred yards even if it had been to obtain life and liberty as a reward. I was then delivered up again to the Commit- tee of Hagar's Town ; who, after ordering me to be fearched four different times in one day, made ufe of every artifice of promifes to delude, and threats to intimidate, in order to corrupt my principles, and gain me over to their caufej and when all would not avail they ordered me to be carried to the Congrefs at Philadelphia in irons. A frefh guard was added to the former, con- Ming of a Major, and two Captains, the reft being Lieutenants, Enfigns, and Serjeants, a- mounting to twelve in number, befides the for- mer nine, who would not wait for the irons to be made, but fet out with me, bound as before, and my horfe tied alfo with two large ropes, and led by two of the guard, accompanied with fife and drum beating the rogue's n arch, which they feemed every where to be particularly fond of. In this manner I was carried to Frederick Town, and there dragged, bound with cords, before the Committee, which confifted of a taylor, a lea- ther breeches-maker, a {hoemaker, a gingerbread- baker, a butcher, and two publicans. The grcateft part of them being germans, I really underwent a moft curious examination, nearly to the following effedt. u Got tamm you' 9 (fays one) u howjh darjht you make an exjhkape from difi honorablfi committifi?" " For fiucht der dyvel (fays another) Howjh can you fit and fi$ fityff for King Sborfi akainfit difi koontery?" Sacramenter (roars out another) Difi committifi I 2 will i7 2 A TOUR IN THE will make ShorJIj knoa howjl) to behave kimfelf." " By Goat (bawls the butcher) Ich would kill all de EnkUJJj tives 9 as foon as Ich would kill van ex y ar van cow. After they had all exhaufted themfelves by haranguing in this manner, they infifted that I (hould anfwer them. I replied, c that I could have very little fay to them, having no intention of employing either of them \ as when I wanted cloaths I {hould ap- ply to another taylor ; and to other perfons alfo for leather breeches, as well as for (hoes or boots ; that I never eat gingerbread ; and had an averfion to butchers and publicans, whenever they ftepped afide from the line of their proper occupations; and,- that as I conceived they had as little bufi- nefs with me as I with them, requefted they would detain me no longer.' This threw them in a moft violent rage, and they ordered a guard of their own to take me to a dungeon. But my former guard refufed to deliver me up, and fwore that they would not truft me in their hands, left they mould permit me toefcape again, as they had done before. This I confefs gave me fome fatisfaflion, and alfo prevented me from receiving abundance of abufe and mal-treatment for that time. They left Frederick Town with me early next morning, and at the diftance of fifteen miles from it we were overtaken by a Captain and fifty armed men, who had been fent after us to take me from my guard, and carry me back to two hundred more ruffians in arms that had alTembled and marched into Frederick Town, for the fole and avowed purpofe of feizing on and putting me UNITED STATES OF AMERICA* I J v me to death immediately, in order as they al- ledged to fave the country expence; for they all appeared to be abfolutely certain, that this would be my fate after I was carried to the Congrefs at Philadelphia. This unexpected circumftance occafioned a very warm conteft between the two parties, and detained us at leaf!: three hours. My guard, it is true, feemed refolute to de- fend me, at the expence cf their blood ; becaufe by giving me up they would be deprived of their expected reward, but they muft certainly have been overpowered by numbers, if it had come to action. However I myfelf found means to perfuade this rabble from their firft intentions, which re- quired no fmall fhare of addrefs to accomplifh, as they were actually fent by the reft on purpofe for my deftru&ion ; but at length we were by this means fuffered to proceed. I was carried, in this manner, through Cref- fop's Town as I have obferved before, as well as Hancock's Town, Hagar's Town, Middle Town, Frederick Town, Tawney Town, Pe- ter Little's Town, M'Allafter's Town, and at laft arrived at York Town, commonly called Lit- tle York, in Pennfylvania, where they lodged me that night in the common gaol, being the firft prifon i ever entered in my life. Here I was confined in an apartmtnt adjoining to that where a moft meritorious and refpectabie loyalift was then kept prifoner. This gentleman's name was Doctor Kearfley, of the city of Philadelphia, who, on account of his loyal principles, was torn from friends, fa- mily, and fortune, and after been long and I 3 rigidly *74 A TOUR IN THE rigidly confined in different prifons, fell at length a facrifice to the cruel and perfecuting fpirit of thefe iniquitous fons of barbarity. Although I was here locked up in a ftrong {tone prifon, yet a guard confifting of the in- habitants, was placed in the gaol below, and a centinel at the door of my room. This night being exceffively cold, the ruffian who was placed at my door got intoxicated, and after putting himfelf in a rage, by damning and fwearing, began to fire at me through the door. Upon the report of the piece the guard came up and relieved him; but the next centinel acted in the very fame manner, and this being relieved the third did juft fo likewife; fo that I never clofed my eyes all that night, and was heartily glad when we left Little York next morning. We crofted the Sufquehannah a large broad and beautiful river, upon the ice about two miles above Wright's Ferry, and at night arrived at Lancafter, the largeft inland town in America, containing at leaft ten thoufand inhabitants, chiefly Germans andlrifli. However it is neither handfome nor agreeable, although very plentiful, and abounding with moft excellent cyder and provifions. York Town is much pleafanter than Lancaf- ter, and ftill farther diftant from navigation. It is fituated on Codorus Creek, a pretty ftream which falls into the Sufquehannah, and contains between two and three thoufand inhabitants, chiefly Irifh with a few Germans intermixed. The river Sufquehannah, which falls into, and forms the head of the vaft Bay of Chefapeak, is one of the largeft and moft beautiful rivers in America, yet perhaps one of the leaft ufeful, be- ing UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 1 75 ing navigable only about ten or fifteen miles at fartheft, from the mouth, for veflels of any bur- den ; above which it is only navigable for ca- noes, and even they meet with many inter- ruptions. The weft branch of the Sufquehannah rifes near and interlocks with the waters of the Al- legany., and the north branch of the Potomack. The eaft branch heads near the long fall and portage on the Mohawks River, a branch of the Hudfon or North River which falls into the fea at New York. The fource of this branch of the Sufquehan- nah is in the country of the Mohawks, a con- fiderable diftance north from Cherry valley, and from thence to its mouth, at the extremity of the Chefapeak, is not lefs than five hundred and twenty-five miles in direct lines, and about feven hundred miles along with its meanders. In Lancafter I was alfo lodged in the common prifon, with a guard at the door as at York ; and with this information, to comfort me and pro- mote my repofe, viz. that fome hundred barrels of gunpowder were lodged in the floor above ; and yet they allowed me a fire. Here alfo there was a loyalift confined, in the next room to me, named Mr. Brooks. In this place I received no particular abufenor infult, and we left it next morning on our jour- ney to Philadelphia. About two or three miles from Lancafter we crofted Coneftoga Creek, which falls into the Sufquehannah; and on the fecond day about noon, after crofting the Schuylkill, we arrived in Philadelphia, after the moft {hocking and dif- agreeable journey that I ever experienced ; being I 4 dragged Ij6 A TOUR IN THE dragged all this diftance, which is between four and five hundred miles, bound with cords, and treated in the moft barbarous and ignominious manner, like a criminal or felon carried to execution. At Philadelphia, the Congrefs, to exprefs their approbation of the cruelty and zeal of thofe ruffians who retook me, gave to each of them a commiffion in their fervice, and fifty dollars; and to the principal perfon among them two hundred dollars, and a captain's commiffion ©f rifle-men as a reward ; befides a liberal gratuity to each of the officers, who came as the additional guard from Hagar's Town. After being interrogated by the Congrefs, I was fent by them to the Council of Safety, (properly of deftruc"t.ion,) and from thence to the common gaol, where a very large pair of irons were brought for me ; but a gentleman prefent, named Courtney, one of the American artillery officers, went out in apparent indignation, and in a {hort time returned with an order to prevent their being put upon me. I was then thrown into a colddamp vaulted room, or cell, in the criminal apartment for females, wherein at that time more than feventy were confined. Both the iron and the wooden doors of my cell were conftantly locked and chained ; no per- fon even in the prifon was allowed to fpeak to me, nor to anfwer me if I called to them; re- ftricted from pen, ink, and paper, or the final left communication with any creature living; with- out a chair, table, bed, blanket, or ftraw, and obliged to lie on the bare floor, with a log of wood under my head ; in the midft of a moft fevere winter, without a fpark of fire, and the ificles UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 177 ificles impending from the arched roof of thi horrid vault; and fometimes fuffered to remain for three days together without a drop of water, or any kind of drink ; my fituation was too dif- trefling for human nature to endure. In this moll wretched and dreadful condition I remained for three weeks, extremely fick and very lame ; and v^ithout having changed my linen, or had my cloaths off, for thirty-three days. Indeed to think on all I fuffered, one would imagine, that human nature could hardly fup- port it. But a man, under fome circumftance?, and at certain times, can undergo more than would at other times deftroy him. Every lonefome fleeplefs night that I paffed in this dreary manfion of wretchednefs and mifery, my ears were perpetually harraffed with the moft dreadful founds, and horrible noifes, proceeding from the clanking of chains, the rattling of mafly keys, the creaking of the vaft and nume- rous iron doors, the refounding of the bolts, bars and locks, and above all the moft {hocking fcreams and howlings of the unhappy wretches confined in this horrible place of reftraint. Thefe difmal founds, too dreadful for defcrip- tion, were rendered a thoufand times more hide- ous and terrible, by the reverberation of the echo from the vaulted roofs. If parching thirft and extreme cold could have allowed me any fleep, it would have been effec- tually prevented by the agitation of mind occa- fioned by thefe frightful noifes that conftantly broke in upon the filence of the night, in regular and melancholy fucceffion. 1 5 it Ij8 A TOUR in the: If defpair ever approached me, it was in this cruel fituation ; for I not only expe£ted to fall a victim to their vindictive barbarity, but actually felt my deftru&ion advancing by inches ; as my health was loft, and my ftrength declining every hour. Yet ftill my refolution did not abandon me, for the confcious integrity of my intentions and the juftice of our caufe fupported the mind, and I determined to await my doom with patience and fortitude. It was at this time that having accidentally obtained a piece of charcoal I wrote the follow- ing lines upon the wall, expreffive of my fitua- tion and fentiments. Verfes UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 179 Verfes written with Charcoal on the Wall in Phi- ladelphia Prifon. Confinement hail! in honour's jufteft caufe, True to our King, our Country, and our Laws; Oppofing anarchy, fedition, ftrife, And every other bane of focial life. Thefe Colonies of Britifk freedom tir'd, Are by the phrenzy of diftraction nVd ; Rufhing to arms, they madly ur 6 e their fate, And levy war againft their parent ftate. Surrounding nations, in amazement, view The ftrange infatuation they purfue. Virtue, in tears, deplores their fate in vain ; And Satan fmiles to fee diforder reign ; The days of Cromwell, puritanic rage, Return'd to curfe our more unhappy age. We friends to freedom, government and laws, Are deem'd inimical unto their caufe : In vaults, with bars and iron doors confin'd, They hold our perfons, but can't rule the mind* Act now we cannot, elfe we gladly wou'd : Refign'd we fuffer for the public good. Succefs on earth fometimes to ill is given, To brave misfortunes is the gift of Heaven. What men could do we did, our caufe to ferve, We can't command fuccefs, but we'll defer ve. CHAP, i So A TOUR IN T THE CHAP. LXVL Infupportahle Severity. Brought before the Con- grefs. Promifed better Treatment. Captain Campbell and General Pre/cot ill treated. Our lives endangered by rigid Confinement. A Com- mittee of the Congrefs fent to vijit us. Their Hiiberality and Abufe. Greater Severities than ever. Subfijled only on Bread aud Water. Thrown into the Dungeon where we almoji pe- ri/hed. Philadelphia expelled to be attacked by the Brltifk Army. Congrefs fly to Baltimore, Twenty Britijh Prijonersj marched in Irons through Derby, Marcus Hook, Brandyivine y Wilmington, Neivport, Chrijle en -Bridge, and the Head of Elk. Shocking lnjlance of Brutality at Newport. Defcripticn of Philadelphia and the Delaware. Opulence, Trade, and Number of Inhabitants in Permfylvania. THIS deplorable condition, to which I was reduced, at length moved even the iron heart of the Gaoler to compaflion, and he in- treated me to make application to the Congrefs for the prefervation of life; obferving that al- though he was reftricted from allowing me pen, ink, and paper, he would fend me a pencil and a card. Determined never to acknowledge or fubmit to the authority of the Congrefs, unlefs by ccm- pulfion, I was much at a lofs in what manner, or for what purpofe to addrefs them ; and I con- cluded only to requeft, that they would either render my confinement fupportable, or order me to immediate execution, which I infinitely pre- ferred UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. l8l ferred to my prefent fituation of being deftroyed by inches. This I tranfmitted to them by the Gaoler, written with a black lead pencil up- on the back of a common playing card. They then ordered me to be brought before them ; and excepting fome infidious attempts to corrupt my principles, behaved towards me very politely, making apologies for what was paft, and promifing better treatment in future; at the fame time declaring their aftonifhment at my defperate attempt, as they called it, of reaching Detroit or Ulonois alone, (for I had not divulg- ed the circumftance about Barclay,) and on foot, at that rigorous feafon of the year, through a barbarous and hofl-ile country, and without friends, money or refource*. But although they promifed to render my con- finement more fupportable, yet I was ordered back to prifon almoft in the fame fituation as be- fore, for my condition was very little amended by them. However Captain Duncan Campbell of the eigtht-fourth regiment, or the Royal Highland Emigrants, a gentleman poffeffed of confiderable property, and Lieutenant-Colonel of the militia, in Dutchefs County in the province of New- York, being alfo confined in the fame prifon, and hearing of the cruelties cxercifed upon me, rendered nre every fervice in his power, that my precluded fituation would admit of; and I gladly embrace this opportunity of returning that wor- thy and much efteemed officer and friend my molt graetful and fincere acknowledgments. Captain Campbell was likewife extremely ill, having been in prifon above four months, and it was 182 A TOUR IN THE was only to fave his life that they at laft admit- ted him to parole. I was then removed into the room in the front lately occupied by Captain Campbell ; and Ma- jor-General Prefcott, being brought prifoner to Philadelphia about this time, was confined in the room in the criminal apartment out of which I had been juft removed. Here he alfo was kept, until the dampnefs of the walls, and the unwholefomenefs of the place caufed his wounds to break out afreih, when he was carried into the city, and placed under a guard. To hear that Colonel Connolly and Captain Cameron were here did not furprife me, being only what I had reafon to expedt. ; but you may guefs at my aftonifliment to underftand that the worthlefs afluming ignorant fellow, who had beenfo forward at Norfolk in giving falfe infor- mation againft me, was a&ually in this prifon alfo. Treachery from fuch a wretch is what might be expected ; but the extent, and at the fame time the abfurdity of his treachery defeated its own purpofes, and became truly ridiculous. He had dealt out his informations and intelli- gence to the rebels, as liberally as he did before to the Earl of Dunmore and the commanding officers of his Majefty's troops, and with nearly afimilar effect. It feems that he had not only acquainted Ge- neral Wafliington and the Congrefs with every tittle he had privately difcovered of our expedition, thus rendered abortive, but had likewife contriv- ed to deliver all the letters and difpatches from the fouthward, for General Gage and the army in Bofton, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ijj Bofton, into the hands of the enemy, and there- by preserved his own effects from being plun- dered. This man however by mere dint of aflurance contrived to impofe himfelf upon a great many friends of government as a perfon of confequence and loyal principles. After fome days the Gaoler brought me a paper containing a parole, which he faid was fent for me to fign, as they propofed now to atone for their former feverity, and acquainted me that a Colonel Nixon had interefted himfelf to procure it. But as the purport of the parole was of too illiberal a nature, and as Lieutenant-Colonel Connolly and Captain Cameron were not offered their paroles alfo, I refufed to fign it, for three days fucceffively, it being prefented to me daily for that purpofe, and fevere threats made ufe of towards me on declining it. I was then removed into the fame room with Colonel Connolly and Captain Cameron, the windows of which were nailed down, and both the iron and wooden door locked and chained clofe upon us, fo as not to admit a breath of frefh air ; we were debarred the ufe of pen, ink and paper, no perfon whatever was permitted to fee or fpeak to us, and we were thus totally pre- cluded from the whole world as effectually as if we had been in our graves. In this manner we were held for fix months, until our lives were defpaired of, which was re- prefented to the Congrefs, by Doctor Benjamin Rufh, Doctor Cadwallader, and Doctor Bond, three eminent Phyficians in Philadelphia, in written memorials ; upon which that diftruftful junto appointed a committee of themfelves, com- pofed 1 84 A TOTJR. IN THE pofed of a Mr. Wilcot: from Connecticut, and a Thomas Mac Kean of Newcaftle upon Dela- ware, to infpe£r. the prifon, and fee and examine into our fituation and Hate of health. Mr. Wilcot behaved and fpqke like a mode- rate man, but the violent raging rebel M'Kean introduced himfelf by abufing in the groffeft terms the King, Parliament and Miniftry, the whole Britifh army and navy, and particularly the Earl of Dunmore, and General Prefcot. He allured us, for our comfort, that we mould be retained for retaliation ; that if Allen, or Proc- tor, or any of their leaders, then in the hands of the King's troops, were executed, we fliould fliare the fame fate ; and that we ought to think ourfelves very happy not to be in irons, as their prifoners were always kept in irons by the Bri- tifh, (which was a mo ft notorious and malevo- lent falfehood.) In oraer to preferve us for the laudable and humane purpofe of retaliation, he ordered our windows to be opened ; and after fome time an order alfo came from the Congrefs that we mould be permitted to walk, for two hours every day, in the hot, nafty, fuffocating yard of the prifon, under the conftant infpe&ion of two centinels ; but this laft indulgence was allowed us only for a few days. All this time the Gaoler charged us at an ex- travagant rate for diet, fire, and candle, befides an allowance that he received from the Congrefs for that purpofe; by v/hich means he extorted every farthing of money from us, as far as our credit then would go. But being determined not to run in debt, I at length refuted to pay him any more than the Congrefs UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I 85 Congrefs allowed, and was obliged after this to fubfift upon bread and water alone during feven weeks. This gaoler's name was Thomas Dewees, as tyrannical, cruel, infamous a villain as ever dif- graced human nature. Some time before this, Brigadier General McDonald and twenty-five officers, chiefly Scots, among whom was the hofpitable Dutchman, Michael Holt, mentioned in the former volume, were brought prifoners to this gaol, compelled to march all the way from Carolina on foot. They were confined in three clofe rooms for fix weeks and were afterwards allowed the liberty of walking in the yard of the prifon, only every third day. In July the Congrefs appointed two new gaol* ers, brothers, of the name of Jewell, if poflible more barbarous and tyrannical than the former, and removed him and all the debtors and crimi- nals to another prifon, keeping only what they denominated prifoners of ftate in ours. The cruelties pradtifed in this place were al- mod incredible, and not to be exceeded, per- haps not equalled, by that of the Spanifh inquifition. There was always a ftrong guard here, ready to inforce their mod barbarous commands, the guard-room being in the prifon, and a great number of centinels ported both within and without on conftant duty. The reftriclions upon us were fo fevere that we were not permitted to fpeak to any in different rooms. On the twentieth of September, the gaoler Jewell accufed me of converfing with Colonel Connolly ? i86 A TOUR IN THE Connolly, and ordered a ferjeant and nine men to carry me by force into a nafty common guard- room, and from thence into a damp, cold, emp- ty vaulted room, where I was compelled to lie on the bare floor, which gave me a violent cho- lic and cold. I was then extremely ill, without any care or notice taken of me ; and remained in that fick helplefs condition, locked up in a cold damp room by myfelf, without the leaft afliftance what- soever. This produced a dyfentery, which continued upon me for feven weeks, and reduced me to the verge of death ; yet ft III I was kept locked up, without any care, attendance, or notice. Dr. Benjamin Rufh, then a member of the Congrefs, a man eminent in phyfic, but as emi- nent in rebellion, and flill more fo in unfulfil- led profeilions, after tantalizing me with the expectation of a parole, exchange, and afluran- ces of very great regard and commifleration, came one day and informed me, that many mem- bers of the Congrefs declared they personally knew me to be fo determinedly inimical to the independence of the American States, and to have always exerted fuch influence and intereft againft them, that I need not expert nor hope for any kind of indulgence whatfoever, not even to fave life. However after this, thanks to heaven, I re- covered: then Captain Cameron, Captain M'Lean, and I were confined in a room toge- ther, felected from the reft to experience the dire effects of their inhuman malice ; and a (entry extraordinary was pofted at our door, to prevent our UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 1 87 our having the leaft infercourfe or communica- tion with any one. In December the gaoler came with a guard, and plundered us again, under pretence of fearch- ing for papers ; and abufed us in the moft inju- rious manner. About this time the Britifh army approaching through the Jerfeys towards Philadelphia, the Congrefs were ftruck with a panic, and fled to Baltimore. On the tenth of December the North Caroli- na prifoners were fent off to Baltimore under a guard 5 and on the eleventh fixty Jerfey men, from Shrewfbury, chiefly Quakers, were alfo fent away, every two bound together with cords, under a fmall guard likewife. Our confinement was now become fo infup- portable that even death would have been an agreeable deliverance. This fet us on a defperate fcheme of break- ing out ; and with incredible danger, difficulty, and labour, we made way through the ftrong arched vaulting, cut afterwards with our pen* knives through a two inch oak plank door, and got up through the cupola, on the top of the prifon ; intending to defcend by a rope, to crcfs the Delaware, and pufli forward to the Britifh army then at Burlington and Mount Holly, only eighteen miles diftant. But our rope, which confided only of {heets and blankets tied together at the corners, gave way with Captain Cameron who defcended firft, and he fell forty-eight feet perpendicular on the pave- ment. His life was miraculoufly preferved, but his bones were crufhed, and he fuffered amazin gly in confequence thereof. Captain i88 A TOUR IN THE Captain M'Lean and I were then flripped of our money, papers, and of every individual thing we had, not excepting even my journal, and were thrown into the dungeon for condemn- ed felons, without light, bed-cloaths, or ftraw, or even our great coats to preferve us from the in- tenfe cold, and without food or drink for thirty- fix hours. Here I expected nothing but to end my days in mifery ; but the goodnefs and juftice of our caufe fupported my fpirits, and disregarding my own fituation I felt nothing for mytelf, all my concern and diftrefs was for poor Captain Came- ron, as they all cried " Let him die and be dam- " ned," when I intreated them to a/lift him, offering them two hundred dollars (all the mo- ney I then had) to fave his life ; upon farther enquiry concerning him, they immediately rob- bed me of all my money, telling me, "that he " was dead, and in hell, and wifhing me in the " fame condition." In this horrible fituation we remained until orders were given for our immediate removal to Baltimore, as they every day expected an attack upon Philadelphia. They then brought out of prifon twenty of us in all \ viz. feven gentlemen, eight ferjeants and privates belonging to the twenty-third and other regiment?, and five failors. They put us in irons, every two chained clofe together, and with a guard of fixty chofen Dutchmen (Germans), . fet out on the march to Baltimore on foot, croffing the Schuylkill, go- ing through Derby, and that night lodged us in UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. l8o the common gaol at Chefter, without taking off the irons at all. The irons prevented me from fleep every night ; befides they were too (mail, cutting into my fiefh, caufing me to fwell prodigioufly, and were ex- ceffively painful. Yet in this condition, with fixed bayonets they forced us to march on until ten o'clock each night, which was particularly fevere on me, who had been clofe confined thirt- en months without any kind of exercife, fo that my feet were covered with blifters, which breaking, my boots were filled with blood ; yet ftiii I was compelled to pum forward. The names of feveral of my fellow-prifoners were, MefT. William and Bridger Goodrich, and Bridger Jones, of Virginia; Mr. Abraham Wynant, of Staten Ifland, New York ; 1 no- mas Slater, of Baltimore; Captain Neal M'Lean of the eighty-fourth regiment; John Gee, fon of Mr. Gee, of Stockport near Manchefter, in England ; Serjeant White of the twenty-third regiment ; and Kirby and Barlow, &c. of the fixteenth light dragoons ; Colonel Connolly be- ing permitted to remain at Philadelphia, and Captain Cameron being incapable of being re- moved. We patted by Marcus Hook, and the famous mills, near the mouth of the river Brandywine, the mod extraordinary and valuable perhaps in the world, and through the beautiful town of Wilmington without halting; and came to New- port about ten o'clock, where we remained for the night. This Newport, although a paltry little place, ftands high in the rank of iniquity, for it is the very I9O A TOUR IN THE very neft of fedition, where rebellion fits brood- ing over the demons of licentioufnefs, difcord, perfecution, cruelty, and outrage. There happened at this detefted place an in- ftance of favage brutality, that the greateft bar- barians would blufti to be guilty of. There was a friendlefs unfortunate Englifh fervant girl at the houfe where we were confined, who, greatly fhocked at feeing us in irons, and being well affected to her king and country, happened to drop fome expreflions that betrayed thofe fenti- ments ; this poor friendlefs girl, for this crime alone, after being feverely beaten both by her mafter and miftrefs, was turned out of doors in the ftreet at midnight, in a degree of cold not to be conceived in England, and, being feized up- on by our ruffian guard, was dragged into their guard-room, where fhe was forcibly abufed by Seventeen of the villains, in the moft grofs, bru- tal, and injurious manner poffible. We left this detefted place in the morning, and after paffing through a fmall town named Chrifteen Bridge, arrived at another pretty town in the province of Maryland, at the head of Elk River, at the extremity of the Bay of Chefa- peak, that afternoon. The province of Penfylvania, through which I had juft paffed, contains eleven counties, and generally confifts of ftrong land well calculated for farming, which is the culture made ufe of, wheat and other grain compofing the ftaple of the province. The whole country is finely diverfified by hills and dales ; there are valuable farms, good build- ings, plenty of water, and excellent mills throughout the whole country. Nothing VNITED STATES OF AMERICA. igr Nothing can be more beautiful than the banks ©f the Delaware, particularly below Philadel- phia. Wilmington efpecially ftands in actuation that cannot be excelled. There are a great number of fine towns in this province ; but they are all totally eclipfed by the beautiful, large, and elegant city of Philadel- phia, as well as every other town is in North America. This city is fituated on the neck of an ifth- mus formed by the rivers Schuylkill and Dela- ware, which are here juft two miles diftant. The town is laid out from river to river, with the ftreets ftrait, wide, exactly regular, and croffing each other at right angles ; but only that part bordering on the Delaware is as yet built upon : and at prefent it contains about thirty-five thoufand inhabitants. The ftreets have lingular appellations, being named Second-ftreet, Third-ftreet,Fourth-ftreet, Fifth-ftreet, &c. which are thofe that run length- ways of the town, or parallel to the rivers, ex- cepting Water-ftreet, and Front-ftreet, which are neareft to the Delaware ; whilft thofe that run from river to river are called after every dif- ferent fpecies of trees, fuch as Cheftnut-ftreet, Spruce-ftreet, Vine-ftreet, Walnut-ftreet, Ce- dar-ftreet, Pine-ftreet, &c. excepting Market- ftreet, which is in the center, and Mulberry or Arch-ftreet, and Saffafras or Race-ftreet, which are parallel to it. The houfes in Philadelphia are of brick, and well built; the public edifices are elegant and expenfive, the New-Prifon, in which we were confined and were alfo the firft inhabitants, having coft no lefs than thirty thoufand pounds. But A TOUR IN THE But this fine town, whofe inhabitants were once juftly famed for univerfal philanthropy, and for the exercife of every humane and focial virtue, has been fo totally altered by the effects of the rebellion, that it is now a perpetual fcene of difcord and confufion, inftead of the friend- fhip, harmony, and order that once prevailed. And the entire change of their difpofitions, the illiberality of their principles, and the cruelty of their inclinations, are fufficiently evinced by the (hocking and barbarous treatment we ex- perienced therein for armoft twelve months. This province includes two of the largeft and moft beautiful rivers in North America, viz. the Sufquehannah and the Delaware; the laft of which is navigable near two hundred miles, in- cluding the Bay. At Philadelphia the Delaware is a mile and three quarters wide, and becomes broader all the wav down, fome parts of the Delaware Bay be- ing above thirty miles over 5 and at the mouth, viz. from Cape Hinlopen to' Cape May, it is about eighteen or twenty miles ; juft below Wilmington this river is five miles over. The Delaware heads not far from Albany ; and from the fource of the Mowhawk's branch to the mouth at Cape May and Cape Hinlopen it is about three hundred and fifty miles. This river is the boundarybetween Penfylvania and theprovince of New Jerfey. Although the heats in fummer are excefllvely violent, yet the cold and frofts in winter are as fevere, even to a degree of rigour not to be con- ceived in Britain; and this extreme cold extends alfo through Maryland and part of Virginia. I have UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I93 I have feen the vaft rivers of the Delaware and the Potomack freeze quite over in one night where they were five or fix miles wide. When we crofled the Sufquehannah upon the ice, horfes and waggons made a common road over it, and it was above half a mile wide. The Delaware and the Potomack are alfo croffed in the fame manner conftantly every winter for the fpace of two months. When a thaw comes, and the ice breaks en- tirely in thefe vaft rivers, the fight is dreadful and tremendous. The rivers rage, and the ice roars, arifes and, tumbles in immenfe cakes, with a hideous noife and bellowing not to be de- scribed. The rivers are totally impaflible on fuch oc- cafions, and they generally continue in that con- dition for feveral days. The trade of this province was very confide ra- ble, which all centered in the city and port of Philadelphia, and amounted annually to feven hundred and twenty thoufand pounds in exports ; about fix hundred and twenty thoufand pounds in imports; which employed three hundred and ninety-five fail of (hipping inwards, and three hundred and fifty outwards ; maintaining and giv- ing bread to feven thoufand five hundred feamen. The trade of this province confifts of grain, flour, timber, provifions, 1 umber, (hips built for fale, cop- per ore, iron in pigs and bars, befides almoft every commodity of Europe, Afia and America, this being a large and general emporium of com- merce; but wheat and flour appear to be the ftaple or principal produce. The merchants of Philadelphia are opulent, and carry on a verv extenfive trade, Vol, II. K The 194 A TOUR IN THE The warehoufes, quays, and wharfs are ex- cellent, with water fufficient for (hips of five hundred tons to load and unload clofe to them, but in the winter it is dangerous for large veflels to remain in this river on account of the driving of the ice. Here is aifo a large and commodious market- place ; and a college, that was very flourifhing before the war. There are | barracks alfo, convenient and handfome, which were ere&ed for the king's troops; and, befides feveral others of different kinds, there was an hofpital for lunatics in Phi- ladelphia, the only one in America. In the enumeration of the inhabitants made or rather publifhed by the Congrefs, this province is fet down as containing three hundred and fifty thoufand, including the three lower counties of New-caftle, Kent, and Suflex upon Dela- ware. I conceive this to be over-rated about fifty thoufand or upwards ; and above one third of the number is blacks. A great proportion of the whites in this province is Germans, Swedes, and Irifh. CHAP UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 195 CHAP, LXVII. Defcription of the Guard* The Captain by Trade a Porter. Their Behaviour. Meet fever al com- fanhf—of Rebels, jl curious Scene. Put on board of a Privateer , and thrown into the Hold in Irons. Infulted and maltreated by two Ame- rican Colonels, by Trade, one a Hatter, the other a Lighterman. Arrive at Baltimore. Irons taken off. Kindly and generoufy treated by the Inhabitants. Congrefs difapprove of this Lenity, change the Guard, and order us to be treated with great Severity. Effeft an efcape, one re- taken. Set fail down the Chefapeak. Land on the Eajlern Shore. Mofl alarming Situation. Find Friends. Meet with a mofl welcome Re- ception. OU R guard, which confided of difmounted dragoons, was officered with a captain, a lieutenant, and a cornet; but the ferjeants ap- peared to have the principal command, the offi- cers themfelves being obliged to obey their orders in preference to their own. The captain was named Jacobs, by trade a* porter of Philadelphia, by birth a German, and by inclination, difpofition, and infenfibility, almoft a brute. Seven of us, although in irons, were deliver- ed to this fellow as gentlemen, with orders to treat us with attention and refpedl ; this really was performed in an exemplary manner, as the captain, lieutenant, and cornet, always waited upon us in prifon in every menial office, and never prefumed to fpeak to us without cap 1$6 A TOUR IN THE in hand ; notwithstanding all this, they at no time relaxed a tittle in their feverity and rigour, which they exercifed upon us equally ftricl as on the privates, during the whole journey ; and they really had orders, in cafe of a refcue, efcape, or any other danger, to put us all to death im- mediately, which at one time they had almoft actually put in execution. During this march we met feveral companies of rebels, all in rags, going to reinforce Wafli- ington's army, and among the reft a Captain Cook from Maryland, with two hundred men, all as drunk as lords. This motley crew, perceiving our fcarlet cloaths at a diftance, took us for an advanced party of the Britifh army, CGcked their pieces, intending as ufual to fire and run away; but, after they difcovered that we were prifoners, they forgot to uncock their firelocks, or to form their line of march, and as they paffed us a great ma- ny of their pieces went off by accident. Several of them who were failors, bawling cut to us, " What chear, brothers ?" and ftag- gering drunk, blundered into the midft of our ranks, until their heels were brought up by our irons. As they fell their firelocks went off, more to their own furprize than ours, and for- tunately without doing us any injury. They got up again on their feet, as well as they could, wondering to fee us in that condi- tion, and cried out, " D — n my eyes, brothers, " don't be afraid. We are forry to fee you be- ** layed together though. By G — d, you are €C good fellows, and fo is King George j but no * c matter for that now. D — n my eyes, bro- thers, you flball drink fome grog with us/' &c. Upon UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 1 97 Upon this Captain Cook, their doughty com- mander, began to harangue our poor fellows with all the pomp, formality, and froth of felf- confequence, noife, and folly, in order to pre- vail on them to enter into the rebel fervice. He received for anfwer a general huzza for Kir? George, which incenfed him to fuch a degree that he drew his fwcrd againft our poor fellows in irons ; but our guards drove him off. When we arrived at :he head cf Elk, being unable to proceed farther by land, we were put cm board a privateer bound for Baltimore j and, furely it muft be to mortifv us and render us uncomfortable, they fent our little baggage and cloaths on board of another privateer. But all this not being fu&cient to glut the malevolence of thefe lavages, they fuftered two of their colonels to take poiTeffion of the cab- bin and fteerage of the veiTel, and thruft us down in the hold amongft the ballaft, which confifted of pig iron and ftones, on which we were obliged to repofe, without great coats, ftraw, or bedding cA any kind, ftill in irons, every two being chained clofe together, although we were guarded by thefe fixty Germans, be fides the privateer's crew. They even carried their cruelty fo far as not to fuffer the hatches to be fhut over us, al- though it was exceffively cold, and the fnow was falling fa ft upon us. In this condition did they keep us, for two days and nights, until we arrived at Baltimore, without abating the lea ft of their rigour, having had but one fcanty meal of indifferent food, du- ring all this time, which we brought along K 3 with ig8 A TOUR IN THE with us ; and through the whole journey we were obliged to bear our own expences and that of the guard likewife ; while the two colonels, and the reft of the rebel officers, were caroufing in eafe, plenty drunkennefs, and riot, and were perpetually infulting and maltreating us the whole time. Thefe fellows were Colonel Price, a hatter in Frederick Town, and Colonel Gun- by, an illiterate rude fkipper of a common bay craft, fomething refembling the coal lighters in the Thames. On our paflage up the Patapfco, we palled a fort, which had been ere&ed, and a chain or boom, cheveaux de frize, &c. thrown acrofs the river, about five miles below Fells Point, or Baltimore, where we arrived very foon after. The committee of Baltimore being much dif- pleafed at our being in irons, ordered them im- mediately to be taken off, and pofted a captain's guard of the Maryland matrofTes over us j but the two Meflrs. Goodriches were feparated from us, and thrown into the common prifon, where the North Carolina officers were alfo con- fined. I found Baltimore very much altered fince the laft time I was there ; the friends to government having increafed furprifingly, and even the dif- affe£ted being become more moderate and liberal in their fentiments. In a few days the Baltimore militia relieved the Maryland matrofles, and mounted our guard ; but fo generous and friendly were they to us, and fuch confidence did they repofe in our words, that they not only carried us home with them to their houfes, but likewife permitted us to go at la'rge for any length of time, and to any place, we UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. we pleafed ; indeed all the inhabitants of Baltimore feemed to vie with each other in fhew- ing us every civility and kindnefs. This indulgence however was but of fhort duration, for as foon as the Congrefs heard of it they ordered the militia to be removed, and the artillery again to mount our guard, which con- fifted of fifty- two men, of thefe nine were on conftant duty. Our reftri&ions were again rendered very fe- vere; for John Hancock, then Prefident of the Congrefs, and Charles Thompfon their Secretary, came in perfon every day, to the houfe in which we were confined, to fee that the rigid orders iffued from Congrefs concerning us were ftri&ly executed. This Chriftmas was the fecond I had pafled in this province while a prifoner ; the firft be- ing at Frederick Town. Our windows were now nailed down, and the fame feverities attempted to bo exercifed to- wards us as were made ufe of in Philadelphia; but as we were not in a prifon, and as the indi- viduals of our guard generally friendly, our con- finement was not rendered half fo rigorous and intolerable as it was in that city. Indeed all the inhabitants of Maryland, efpe- cially fuch as were not Germans, and even ma- ny of them likewife, treated us with more hu- manity, liberality, and frequently even genero- fity, than we experienced elfewhere ; and it is no fmall fatisfa&ion to me to be able to give this teftimony in their favour. As for our guard they were chiefly Europeans* and in general fo friendly to us, and fo well af- K4 feded zoo A TOUR IN THE fefted to his Majefty, that could I have brought them clear off, the greateft part would gladly have come away with me. Being informed that his Majefty's fhip the Pearl was in the bay of Chefapeak, we refolved to make a vigorous attempt to efcape, that we might get on board of her : and for this purpofe I privately engaged a floop to remain at anchor waiting for us, about feven miles below the fort chain and cheveaux de frize, for which I paid at the rate of three pounds a day, to convey us down the bay. On the night of the tenth of January, 1776, having provided cords, and every neceflary im- plement for our purpofe, and having engaged a guide to wait for us at a friend's houfe in town, we bribed the two centinels at our door to allow us to go into an adjoining empty room, and from thence we descended to the ground with ropes, which being very fmall cut burnt and lacerated my hands exceffively. This rifque was very great, as there were three cen- tinels below v/ho had not been bribed, and from whofe vigilance we had every thing to apprehend. The danger was evinced by the event; for only three of us got clear, the fourth being taken in the attempt. It was Captain M'Lean and Slater that escap- ed along with me ; Jones was retaken, and Wynant was left fick. After the greateft rifques imaginable, for we met both the patrole and the grand rounds whom we avoided by lying flat on the ground, and after a very fatiguing and circuitous route, we got on board the (loop a little after midnight, hoifted UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 201 hoifted fail with a fair wind, and ftood down the river. At day-break we found ourfelves below An- napolis, about fifty miles by water below Bal- timore, having by failing in the night efcaped the observation of the forts there and the priva- teers and fpy-boats conftantiy cruifing oft the harbour. About noon we were much alarmed by a little privateer that kept hovering about us, but we ftood boldly on, without appearing to regard her, and at night anchored in Hooper's Straits, near the Tangier Iflands; at leaft an hundred miles from the place of our efcape. Here we received the difagrceable intelligence that there was no King's fhip in the Chefapeak, which effectually difconcerted all our fchemes. . This piece of information determined us to land on the Eaftern fhore, and proceed acrofs the country to Lewes Town, and Cape Hin- lopen, at the mouth of the Delaware, where we heard his Majefty's Clip the Roebuck was ftationed. For this purpofe I ordered the floop into Nanticoke River, where I left her and my companions with a promife to fend for them next day, if I found friends. At this place I hired a poor man to carry me in a canoe down the Nanticoke, and up Wico- comico River where I underftood a great many friends to government refided ; and I told him that I wanted to purchafea quantity of provifions,, and plank. Although this man was loyal, I did not truft him with our fecret, left, on a difco-^ very of his having afforded me any afliftance, . the poor man might be ruined. It was dark when we fet out, the night was exceflively cold, freezing even the fait water, which was fix or feven miles acrofs ; we had eight K 5 miles 202 A TOUR IN THE miles down the Nanticoke, and five miles up the Wicocomico to go, and I never fufFered much more with cold in my life, having got wet and frozen, and the river being covered with ice which greatly impeded our progrefs. The houfe we were bound to was the old man's fons and when we arrived there, about mid- night, not a living creature was within; we were obliged to break open the window to get in to make a fire ; and the old man then fet out in fearch of his fon, leaving me alone in the houfe, and was to return in an hour. That time elapfed without any appearance of his return; thefecond, and even the third hour paffing in the fame manner, I began to be ex- ceedingly alarmed, efpecially as there was a wind-mill at this place, and if the old man did not betray me which I really apprehended, fo ma- ny people would come to the mill in the morn- ing that I muft certainly be difcovered. My fituation here was fo extremely uncomfor- table, that, although this was the fourth night and day I had pafled entirely without fleep, I never clofed my eyes. In the midft of an un- known hoftile country, with a very high reward offered for apprehending me, and in the power of utter Arrangers, whole poverty alone might induce them to betray me, if they themfelves fhould happen to entertain any fufpicions con- cerning me, every anxiety and dread was jufti- fied. After another hour of the greateft uneafinefs, the old man at length, at four o'clock in the morning, returned, bringing with him his fon and all his family* In UKITED STATES OF AMERICA. 20$ In the morning the young man and I fet out ©n foot for the fettlement where the loyalifts chiefly refided, leaving the old man to remain there until the return of his fon, and then ready- to execute the orders he brought from me, Wc travelled fixteen miles before breakfaft, and then found friends, to whom I revealed my- felf, and who gave me a moll cordial and kind re- ception. I then fent the young man back immediately, to defire his father to bring over my two com- panions to his houfe that night, where I fent horfes for them ; and before day they arrived at the place where I was. I a£ted thus purpofely to difconcert the enemy in cafe cf apurfuit, which it effectually did; firft by fending them up the Nanticoke, where our Hoop lay at anchor all this time, and after the moft ftricl fearch after us there in vain, for we came down the Nanticoke again in a canoe and went up the Wicocomico, they gave up the purfuit. About a year afterwards, our route being ac- cidentally difcovered, when they apprehended the poor old man whofe name was Timmons, he cleared himfelf by making an affidavit that he had not the leaft knowledge or conception who we were that he had been employed by, which was indeed ftri£Uy true, CHAP, 204 A TOUR IN THE CHAP. LXVIIL Offered a Guard of two hundred Men. Decline it^ and accept of two Guides* Receive the kind* eft AJfiftance from many of the principal Inhabi- tants* Arrive at Indian River. The Roebuck left that Station. The Falcon touched there, but would not take us on board. Cruel Difappoint- ment. Ardour and Zeal of the Loyalijls. In- fur refti on of the Loyalijls. Perfuadc both Sides to difperfe. Friendjhip and Kindnefs of the Men, and great Goodnefs of the Women. Cha- racler of the American Ladies. Deep Snow. Difcover fome Ships. Set out in a Canoe. Dri- ven out to Sea in a dark Jlormy Night. Dreadful Situation. Accidentally difcover the Prejlon in 4 prodigious thick Fog. Received on board by Commodore Hotham and all the Officers of the Prejlon. A Hurricane dejlroys the Canoe, and Hows the Ship out to Sea. THE friends to government here were hap- py beyond expreffion at this proof of my confidence, and that it was in their power to afiift us ; offering us a guard of two hundred men to convey us fafe on board the Roebuck at Cape Hinlopen. This offer, more confiftent with zeal than prudence, I declined, and defired only the affif- tance of two guides to conduct us privately in the night ; and of a great many that offered, each feemed more defirous than the other to be made choice of. Two refolute and zealous loyalifts, well ac- quainted with the country and inhabitants all the way, accompanied us, and rendered us every fervice UNITES STATES OF AMERICA, 205 fervice imaginable. They were named Mr, Hugh Dean and Mr. Robert Campbell, both Scotfmen ; the firft now refides in Nova Scotia, and the latter is an officer in the feventy-firft regiment. The place where we were thus kindly received was in the vicinity of a fmall town named Prin- cefs-Ann, the court-houfe and chief place in Somerfet County, which abounds with loyalifts throughout. Every night we were vifited by fome refpe&a- ble friends of government, among whom were Mr. Ingram a moft worthy loyalift, a merchant Jate of Norfolk in Virginia, Mr. Sheriff, a mer- chant alfo, both natives of Scotland, and Mr. Jones, then high ftieriff of the county, now a Captain in the Britifh fervice. The diftance to Cape Hinlopen was about eighty-five miles, and we travelled in the night for privacy. After feveral difficulties we arrived at Reho- both Bay, at the mouth of Indian River, and there to our extreme concern and mortification we were informed that the Roebuck had failed from Delaware Bay on the eighth inftant, juft a week before our arrival. But on the day following his Majefly's floop of war the Falcon having landed fome prifoners, and burnt a fchooner at the mouth of Indian River, we fent Slator on board of her, in a little canoe or punt that could carry but one per- fon, to defire the Captain to fend his boat for us, and for two gentlemen of the firft confe- quence, property, and intereft, in the county and vicinity of Suffex, named Thomas Robinfon and Boaz Manlove, Efqrs. who were alfo per- fecuted 206 A TOUR IN THE fecuted for their loyalty, being forced to abandon their families and homes, and hearing of us had joined company. But Captain Linzee of the Falcon, though he had landed fome prifoners near the place where we were, could not be prevailed upon, either to fend his boat, or to wait only two hours for us ; although he was mod earneftly intreated to do fo by Slator, whom we fent on board for that purpofe, and who alfo particularly and re- peatedly informed him, " that we were Britifh prifoners efcaped at the certain hazard of our lives from a long and moft cruel confinement, and that two of the firft gentlemen of property and intereft in the country were along with us, extremely anxious to get on board, being driven from their homes to avoid the perfecution of the rebels." This was inexpreffibly difcouraging to all the friends to government; and one of the moft tru- ly mortifying difappointments to us that we could poflibly have experienced. Next morning we viewed the ocean with ma- ny a longing earneft look, ftill flattering ourfelves with hope that the {hip might return, but all in vain. I continued with the two gentlemen I have juft mentioned, all well armed ; and we intended to keep concealed until another (hip of war fliould arrive on the coaft. But from that time, which was the twentieth of January, none of his Ma- jefty's (hips, nor any Britifh cruifer touched at that important ftation, until the twelfth of March. During this time the American frigate the Randolph came down the Delaware from Phila- delphia, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 207 delphia, proudly cruifed off and on the Cape for three days, being really a very fine lofty veffel, then flood out to fea. Talcing her for a King's fhip we had almoft gone on board, but foon were undeceived by our friends, who were indefatiga- ble in affifting us. It is impoffible to do juftice to the ardor and earneftnefs with which the loyalifts endeavoured to ferve us, and to fupport and defend his Ma- jefty's intereft. I am confident that there was not one of them but would have chearfully loft the laft drop of his blood for the King, and for Britifli govern- ment. The principal gentlemen of the country for fixty or eighty miles around came conftantly to us, in the dead of night, in order to affift us, and to furnifli us with all the intelligence of the country. They acquainted me with the very favourable difpofition of a great majority of the inhabitants to his Majefty's government, and requefted my directions for their future condu&. They alfo intreated me to reprefent many circumftances of great importance, of which they informed me, to the Commander in Chief, fhould I be fo fortunate as to reach New York. I advifed them to cherifh, by every means in their power, the laudable zeal of the well -affefl:- ed, but to reftrain their ardor, and at all events to avoid or prevent any infurre&ion of the friends to government, until fuch time as they were properly fupported, which period I ima- gined, and earneftly hoped, could not be far diftant. But 208 A TOUR IN THE But every exertion for this neceffary purpofe was fruftrated by the rebels having received in- timation of our being in feme manner afiifted by Mr. Dean, whom in confequence of this they fhot through the thigh, and began to commit fe- veral acts of violence and oppreffion towards the friends to government. Upon this eleven hundred of the loyalifts af- fembled, and encamped at Parker's Mill, near a fmall town named Salifbury upon the river Nan- ticoke, in Somerfet county, Maryland, where they blocked up the rebels, who had alfo col- lected in Salifbury to the number of three hun- dred well fupplied with artillery, ammunition, and fmall-arms, of which the loyalifts were ut- terly deftitute ; yet the rebels did not dare to face them. On the eleventh of February about midnight, a meffenger arrived from the loyalifts with the above mentioned intelligence, and requefting me to go there and take the command. Upon this I confulted with the principal gen- tlemen in his Majefty's intereft in the county of Suflex upon the Delaware, and it was concluded by every one that we fhould endeavour to keep all quiet, until a proper fupport fhould arrive ; as fuch a number of undifciplined men, without order, ammunition, officers, or arms, and with- out tents, forage, or provifions, taking the field and entering upon action at this rigorous feafon, muft draw upon themfelves the whole ftrength of the Congrefs from all quarters ; and they would not only be cut off, but all the loyalifts, and the whole of his Majefty's intereft on this fide of the Chefapeak, (which was very confiderable) muft by this imprudent and ill-timed meafure be in- evitably ruined. For UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 209 For thefe reafons I wrote to the leading men among the loyalifts in Somerfet to ufe their ut- moft endeavours to perfuade both fides to difperfe, without injury to the perfons or property of any of our friends ; yet by all means to be prepared againft the worft, as the faith of rebels was not to be relied on ; defiring them to fend us notice, by a faithful meflenger, if the rebels would not confent to this propofal, that we might then ex- exert our utmoft efforts for the common caufe, and for the general advantage of his Majefty's interell ; intending, if the rebels w T ere determin- ed on bloodfhed, inftantly to feize on the maga- zines and artillery in Lewis's Town, to raife and embody all the loyalifts in Suflex, and ta make ufe of the mod a£tive and vigorous exer- tions againft the common enemy in all quar- ters. An original copy of this letter was laid be- fore and approved cf by the Commander in Chief. As the whole country was infefted by maraud- ing parties, to prevent a difcovery I put the let- ter, rolled up like a fcroll, into a hollow made in the end of a crooked flick, plugging up the end fo as to render it imperceptible ; and in this manner fent it by Hoffington, the meflenger, who was to ufe it as a fwitch to ride with. He was taken five or fix times, fearched and examined by different parties of the loyalifts as well as of the rebels, but was difcharged, and at laft delivered it fafe to the perfons for whom it was intended ; after going into Salifbury, and difcovering the pofture, ftrength, and difpofition of the rebels there, On 210 A TOUR IN THE On the fixteenth, Hoffington, the mefTenger, returned with information, that in confequence of this letter, and the earneft endeavours of thofe to whom it was fent, both the loyalifts and the rebels had difperfed, and each returned to their refpe£iive habitations ; which proved to be a molt judicious and fortunate meafure, as the Congrefs foon afterwards difpatched General Smallwood, and Colonel Gueft, with five com- panies of artillery, fix field-pieces, and fix arm- ed veffels, from the Weftern (hore againft them, befides two regiments from the Eaftern fhore of Virginia, to quell the infurreclion ; who, upon their arrival, finding all quiet, returned, after committing a few depredations. Although there were fo many loyalifts in this country, all of whom I verily believe would have chearfuily afforded us any afliftance in their power, yet we thought it moil: prudent to dif- cover ourfelves to as few as pofiible ; neither did we inform but a very fmall number of our beft friends of our fecret places of retreat, and for the greater fecurity we kept clofe concealed during the day, making our removals and excurfions in the night ; nor did we ever remain three days to- gether at any one place. For my own part I went conftantly well arm- ed, having procured a firelock and bayonet, a pair of piftols, and a fword, with plenty of am- munition made up into cartridges ; and I never went to reft without all thefe at my fide, nor did I ever part with them for a moment. As from what I had already experienced, I in- finitely preferred death to captivity, I was moft refolutely determined to defend myfelf to the laft extremity, even if five hundred men fhould at- tack y KIT ED STATES OF AMERICA. 211 tack me, for they fhould never have taken me alive. This refolution rendered my mind tran- quil and eafy, and furnifhed me with calm- nefs and confidence in the midft of every danger. Our fituation unavoidably rendered us liable to many alarms. One night in particular, the matter of the houfe wherein we were concealed awaked us about midnight, and informed us that we fhould all be taken for we were furrounded with the enemy, and by the mcon-light we could plainly perceive that a formidable number cf men had actually encompafled the houfe ; we immediate- ly prepared for defence, and were levelling our pieces againft them, when Mr. Manlove difrin- guifhed one of them to be his brother. By this we difcovered that they were friends, who had given us greater furprize by endeavour- ing to avoid it, and had collected in fuch num- bers, from a great diftance around, altogether by accident, to furnifh us with intelligence concern- ing the rebels. But although the men in this loyal country were friendly and true, and ready to afford us every affiftance, it was from the gocdnefs, care, and fidelity of the women that we received our principal comfort. Their endearing fociety,'kind- nefs and attention were beyond example, and made us ample amends for all the harufhips and dangers of our perilous fituation. In what has been formerly mentioned about the ferocity and favage brutality of the Ameri- cans, the ladies mult always be excepted, for they in general are truly humane and benevo- lent. Excepting 212 A TOUR IN THE Excepting a very few inftances, during my cap- tivity and efcape, thecondudt and fentiments of the American women have been conftantly amia- ble and good. Throughout the whole of this country they excel the men, beyond comparifon, in every ap- pearance and accompliftiment, nor are they equally contaminated with rebellion; for it is by no means uncommon to fee the wives of the moft violent rebels, even of their Generals, perfectly loyal and well-affe£ted, and ready to furnifh in- telligence and afiiftance to the friends of govern- ment, at every hazard to themfelves and the gre3teft rifques imaginable. I always reprobated the idea of the fair fex being incapable of keeping fecrets, and here it was my fortune to experience the falfity of it in the moft ample manner, and in hundreds of in- ftances ; being in the power of a great many wo- men of every defcription, and not one of them ever betrayed me : but on the contrary they have frequently concealed me in their bed-chambers, whilft their rebel fuitors (to whom fometimes they were even engaged in marriage contra&s,) paid them vifits, which they contrived to render as fhort as poffible, for female ingenuity is ne- ver at a lofs. On the feventeenth of February w r e were joined by Dr. P. Kennedy from Baltimore, who alfo wifhed to take refuge on board a King's (hip from the perfecution of the rebels. And on the firft of March there came on a violent fnow ftorm, which lafted three days, and was then tnree feet deep, a circumftance very uncommon in this part of America. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 213 On the day after the fnowceafed falling, there were no lefs than thirty-two deer killed in the vicinity of the place where we were concealed. Apprehenfive of being difcovered, our fitua- tion having now become particularly irkfome and dangerous, not only from the fnow, which enabled our footfteps to be traced, but alfo from this long delay near one place, although we were perpetually changing our hidden retreats fome- times to very confiderable diftances from each other, and defpairing of a {hip of war arriving on the coaft in any reafonable time, we were forming many fchemes of proceeding to New York ; fometimes of crofling the Delaware Bay, and travelling by land through the Jerfeys, fome- times of rowing in a canoe all along the coaft, and many others equally hazardous and enter- prifing; when at laft, on the eleventh of March, we difcovered two lofty {hips and a floop {landing in for the Cape, and without waiting to hear what they were, immediately prepared for our departure. At night, on the twelfth of March, after taking a tender and affe&ionate farewell of thefe truly meritorious and ineftimable friends, who at every poffible rifque had rendered us fuch great and eflential fervices, we fet out, in a ca- noe, from the head of Rehoboth Bay, bound for the men of war at the Cape. There were eleven of us in the canoe, viz. Thomas Robinfon and Boaz Manlove of Suflex, Efquires, Dodor Kennedy of Baltimore, now a Captain in his Majefty's fervice in the regiment of Maryland Loyalifts, Mr. Kollock of Suflex, now a Captain in the regiment of Loyal Ame- ricans, and myfelf, belides three more white men, and three Indians, Our 2 14 A TOUR IN THE Our canoe was formed out of the trunk of a fingle tree hollowed or dugout, and we depend- ed folely upon oars, as thefe kind of veffels are at beft very dangerous, andnever carry a fail. We had to row over Rehoboth Bay fix miles to Indian River, thence four miles over the bar at the mouth, then eighteen miles upon the At- lantic Ocean, and afterwards three or four miles within Cape Hinlopen to Whorekill Road, in the entrance of the Delaware Bay, where we ex- pe&ed to find the fhips. When we came to the mouth of Indian River, there was a dangerous bar to crofs, and the breakers or waves were running prodigioufly high. The fky was overcaft, the night was lowering, and threatened a ftorm. It was about dark when we approached the bar, and the breakers had really a dreadful appearance. Every one but myfelf wifhed to return j I pro- mifed, perfuaded, and intreated them to proceed, but in vain, they all were averfe to venture. However being at the helm I would not give up my place, and before they were aware of it fleered the veffel in the midft of the breakers. There was then nopoflibility ofturniug back. We were compelled to ftand on and crofs the break- ers obliquely, as had we attempted to change eur courfe the canoe would have been inftantly overfet, and every foul of us mult inevitably have perifhed. By this manoeuvre I got them over the bar, againft their inclinations; but the tolling of the veffel caufed moft of them to be fea-fick. It being a ftrong ebb tide we were inadvertent- ly carried out of fight of land $ but after fome time UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 215 time perceiving the light in the light-houfe on the Cape, we fleered for it. When we had rowed about eighteen or twenty miles from Indian River, and were only three or four miles fouth-eaft of the light-houfe, a violent fquall came on, from the north-weft, with inceflant thunder, lightning, wind, and rain. Every one, excepting myfelf who was filent, unanimoufly refolved to return and make for land ; and they rowed back for the diftance of feven miles with all their might before they took time to refleft, how, in that dark ftormy night, they could diftinguifh the right channel over the bar again ; and if we miffed it, which was almoft certain, the canoe muft be dafhed to pieces by the breakers, and we could not poffibly be faved from deftru&ion. This reflection fuggefted by me caufed them to flop all on a fudden, and they next propofed running the veffel on fliore upon the beach, and carrying her acrofs it to Rehoboth Bay. I took this opportunity of perfuading them to return in fearch of the men of war ; reprefenting the danger of landing on the beach, where, the breakers running prodigioufly high, the canoe muft be ftaved before we reached the fhore, and many of us thereby muft be inevitably loft. Should we even efcape that fate, we would not all be able to carry the veffel acrofs the beach, which was a mile and a half wide over deep fand hills, to the bay ; and that, as we muft then land in the midft of our enemies, they would cer- tainly difcover us, and the whole country of the rebels 2l6 A TOUR IN THE rebels would be in purfuit of us, fo that we could not poffibly efcape them. They were then totally at a lofs what to do, as there feemed to be nothing but death before us ©n all fides. Taking advantage of this, I prevailed on them to attempt once more to get round to the Dela- ware. I cheared up their drooping fpirits, and took an oar myfelf. With amazing fatigue, and very great danger, we at length doubled Cape Hinlopen, and row- ed all over Whorekill Road, without hearing or feeing any appearance of a fhip. The night was very dark, and it was one con- tinued ftorm of thunder, lightning, wind, and hail, the violence of which forced us to the fhore ; glad to get to any part of it within the Cape for flielter. At three o'clock in the morning we reached land, and found ourfelves clofe by Lewis Town, within a few hundred yards of a rebel guard ; fo that we dared not kindle a fire, or make the leaft noife, left we flbould thereby be difcovered. In this fituation we remained upon the open beach during the reft of the night, expofed to the fnow, wind, and rain. In the mean time we fent Captain Kollock and one of the Indians to the light-houfe, in difguife, to make enquiry about the fhips. In about an hour they returned with an ac- connt, that two mips had been in the road that afternoon, that one of them had ftood out to fea, and the other lay at anchor, off the light- houfe, abreaft of the Cape. At five o'clock, juft about break of day, we embarked again in our canoe, left this hoftile fhore, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 217 fhore, and once more launched out into the Atlantic. About half a mile from land there came on a prodigious heavy thick fog, fo that we could not fee twenty yards around. Juft before the mift came on I imagined that I difcovered the looming of a fhip at a great dis- tance, and by the afiiftance of a fmall pocket compafs fleered towards the place where fhe feemed to be. Having continued that courfe for an hour, without hearing or feeing any thing, they all began to murmur and defpond - y our hands likewife were fo bliftered with rowing, that the blood ran down, and we were quite exhaufted with cold and fatigue. Juft then we heard fomething like a grampus fpouting, and rowed with all our might towards the found : the noife was foon repeated, and we were then fenfible it proceeded from fpunging a gun : this, together with fome chips and trafli floating on the fea, revived our hopes, and cheered our drooping fpirits ; and foon afterwards the crow- ing of a cock put it out of doubt that a fhip was nigh. Some of us obferving that it might be a rebel frigate it alarmed our fears, and we concluded, if we found it fo, that we would pafs ourfelves for fome people croiTing from Cape May to Lewis Town, who had got loft in the fog, and were driven out to fea. In the main time all on a fudden the fhip ap- peared near enough for us to diftinguifh the name of Preston on her ftern. Never until this moment did I confider my- felf out of danger ; and I now felt fuch a tide Vol. II. L of A TOITR IN THE of happinefs and joy, that it almoft overpowered my fenfes. Every perfon in the (hip was aftonifhed at fee- ing us ; and the worthy Commodore Hotham, as w r ell as all the officers, received us on board in the mod hofpitable, kind, and friendly man- ner ; fo that it almoft effaced the remembrance of our difappointment from the Falcon. We had not been half an hour on board, when a perfect hurricane came on from the land at north-weft. It was fo fudden, and fo violent, that, before our canoe could be hoifted on board, it tore out the iron ring-bolt from her head, forced her from the (hip, filled her, and fent her out of fight in an inftant. It alfo drove the Prefton out to fea ; and every officer on board repeatedly congratulated us on our moft fortunate and hair-breadth efcape and deliverance : becaufe had we not found the fhip, which it was really aftonifhing that we did in fuch a fog, we muft every man have inevitably perifliedj as fhe was four or five leagues from land, and we could not have rowed one league farther before the ftorm came on. CHAP. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 2ig CHAP. LXIX. Take a fine Prize. Singular Circumjlance attend- ing the Capture. Go on board the Daphne. Excellent Regulations on Board. Affetfing Story of a beautiful young Lady. Set fail for New York with the Prize Ship in Tozu. Arri- val at New York. Wait upon the Admiral and General. Meet with many Friends and Acquaintances. 'TT^HIS gale, which had inftantly difperfed J_ and carried off the fog, was extremely vio- lent, and foon forced us out of fight of land ; but it abated towards evening, and the Daphne with the Hotham floop tender and two prizes came up with us, Mr. Brown a midfhipman and I went on board the Hotham floop, and we all fleered to- wards the Cape. As we were all cloce hauled, we in the floop went confiderably nigher the wind than the fhips, and at break of day they were out of our fight ; but we difcovered a fine {hip ftanding in for the mouth of the Delaware, to which we gave chace. We found ourfelves gain upon her very faft, and coming up with her juft off Cape May, per- ceived her to be very handfome, large, and for- midable ; and we could alfo diftinguifh with our glafles the men on board drawn up with fmall arms preparing for defence, yet ftill (he ftood on towards Cape May, where the channel is {hal- low and hazardous. But the wind dying away as foon as we came pretty clofe to her, I went- in L 2 the 220 A TOUR IN THE the boat with the failors and marines to board her. When we approached along-fide we (aw eigh- teen men with fmall arms juft ready to fire into the boat, when Mr. Graves, who commanded the Hotham, obferving it, at that very inftant fired one of his two pounders into the fhip amongft them, which lucky fhot determined her fate. All her hands, twenty-fix in number, imme- diately jumped into their boats and rowed to land, after lafhing the helm hard up in order to run the fhip on fhore on Cape May, being then within two hundred yards of it, where two or three hundred rebels were drawn up under arms ready to protect her v/hen {he drove up. But the (hip wearing quite round ran back into the very hands of the Hotham floop, which imme- diately boarded and took poffefiion of her. Taking this prize gave us greater fatisfaction and pleafure, becaufe the Hotham herfelf was but a trifling fmall floop of no force, carrying only two little guns, two pounders, befides a few fwivels. We found on board the fhip, eighteen new French firelocks lying upon the deck all loaded ; befides five hundred ftand of fmall arms in her hold, three hundred and fifty barrels of gun- powder, fifty-two tons of lead, a large quantity of fail cloth, tents, camp equipage, medicines, books, and even all their papers, letters, and manufcripts. A molt valuable prize; not fo much on accpunt of what\it would produce at fale, as the lofs the enemy fuftained by the capture. This UNITED STATES CF AMERICA. 221 This fhip was named the Sally, bound from Nantz to Philadelphia, of two hundred and thirty tons burden, a beautiful veffel Philadel- phia built. A fine breeze fpringing up, we immediately flood out to fea with our prize, and foon came up with the two men of war and the other three prizes; but ours was by far the hnefl: and moll valuble. The wind blowing very frefh, and all the veffels lying top, J went on board of the Com- modore, and foon after Captain Chinnery cf the Daphne came cn beard alio. As the Daphne was to proceed immediately to New York with the prizes, I went on board of her along with Captain Chinnery, to whom the Commodore had introduced me, after returning my moft grateful thanks to the worthy Com- modore Hotham, and to all the officers on board the Prefton, for their attention, civilities, and favours, and after taking an affe&ionate fare- well : thefe polite, worthy, and very refpectable gentlemen having honoured me with the re- queft that I would keep up a correfpondence with them although that has been interrupted, I {hall never forget their kindnefs, nor my obliga- tions. The officers then on board the Prefton. be- fides Commodore Hotham and Captain Uppleby, were the three Captain Graves's, Captain Tctty, the honourable Captain De Courcv, Captain T , Captains Chriftians and Hart of the marines, Dr. Steedman, chaplain, Dr. ClifTon, furgeon,Mr. Ho] well, mafter, Mr. Titus Livius, fecretary to the Commodore, &c. and a fet of L 3 more 222 A TOUR IN THE more agreeable, accomplifhed and deferving gentlemen never ferved his Majefty in one fhip. I was received and treated on board the Daphne by Captain Chinnery, Lieutenant Paul* Lieutenant Campbell of Marines, &c. with equal attention and kindnefs to what I had met with on board the Prefton \ but a conftant and fevere indifpofition deftroyed all relifh for plea- fure, and deprived me of that exquiiite joy and fatisfa£lion ? which otherwife I mould have felt at my fortunate efcape out of the power of an illiberal, vindictive, and barbarous enemy. To my very great concern I perceived that my conftitution was quite broken, and this bad ftate of health occafioned, by long and rigorous confinement among the rebels, and by the hard- ihips of every kind I had experienced in different attempts to efcape; efpecially in the laft cold, wet, and ftormy night, before we got on board the Prefton. This indifpofion, which had been conftantly increafing upon me for eighteen months paft, was now become fo extremely fevere that I really did not expefl: long to furviveit. Had it not been for this ficknefs I fhould have been exceedingly happy indeed on board the Daphne, for Captain Chinnery wasoneof the beft of men, and his fhip v/as under the moft excel- lent regulations. Both whipping and fwearing were firangers on board, and every one obeyed the commands of his fuperior with an alacrity and chearfulnefs that made their duty a pleafure, and rendered the fervice endearing. To meet with a lady, young, handfome, and graceful, on board the Daphne out at fea, it may well be imagined occafioned to me no fmall furprize. As UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 223; As the fliort but melancholy ftory of this un- fortunate young perfon is uncommonly affect- ing, I cannot forbear relating it, as one of the multitude of mocking inftances of barbarous brutality that fo frequently occur in the coun- try which is the feat of war ; in order that the people of Great Britain may be fenfible of their good fortune and felicity, in being fo long, and fo far, from the obfervation and experience of fuch lamentable and wretched fcenes. This unfortunate lady defcended from a good family in New Jerfey, was married while very young to an American officer, who was daftard enough to abandon her at Fort Wafliington in York Ifland, where me was taken in the powder magazine by a private foldier of the Hef- fians. This unfeeling wretch, deaf to all her prayers and entreaties to be reftored to her friends, and blind to her beauty and tears, only as they inflamed his luft, retained her as his ab- folute property, and compelled her to be fub- fervient to all his brutal defires and drudgery. None but a ruffian, deftitute of fenfibility and common humanity, could have been ca- pable of fuch barbarity to a moft beautiful and delicate young creature, not then fifteen, whofe tears, entreaties, and diftrefs would have pro- cured protection and affiftance from a favage. The Heffian finding his captive unfit for his principal purpofe, viz. carrying his plunder, and having fufficiently gratified all his defires with her, actually fold her to a Britifli officer, while upon the march to New York, for a {hilling. L 4 This 224 A TOUR IN THE This officer being made acquainted with her diftrcfs and cruel treatment, not only gave her her liberty, but fent her to New York to his quarters, and fupported her decently therein. This worthy man being flain in a fkirmifti, the poor unhappy young lady was thrown up- on the wide world, deftitute of friends, mo- ney, cloaths, and almoft of the common ne- ceflaries for the fuftenance of life. In this deplorable condition (he was truly to be commiferated, and fell a viclim to the avarice and iniquity of one of thofe, I had al- moft faid beafts of prey, of her own fex, that always contrive to make a property of un- fortunate beauty. It was in this fituation that fhe had come on board the Daphne on a vifit ; and the fhip being ordered out immediately on a cruife, fhe was carried to fea without the knowledge of Captain Chinnery. This lady was named Sukey Wajh'ington, after the fort wherein (he was taken, and by that flie is pretty well known in New York. But I am apprehenfive there have been many more fuch instances of misfortune and bru- tality, although the unhappy victims have not become fo public. On the fifteenth of March about noon, we took the prize fhip in tow, and fteered our courfe for New York, with a ftiff breeze ; having made an obfervation this day, and found ourfelves in thirty-eight thirty degrees minutes north latitude; the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 225 the longitude was feventy-four degrees fifteen minutes weft. The wind continuing to blow frefh and fair, we came in fight of Never-Sink Hills (the firft high land on the American coaft to the northward of Cape Florida,) on the morn- ing following about nine o'clock ; and Toon af- terwards arrived oft Sandy-Hook and the light houfe, within which we came to anchor, with all our prizes fafe. and remained there that night. On the day following the Daphne beat up to New York, the wind being a- head, and anchored in the North PJver. On the eighteenth I went en fhc re, where l found Caleb Jones, of Princefs Anne, Somerfet county, Maryland, Efq, who had arrived at New York before me in the Brune frigate, from the Chefapeak. At New York I immediately waited on Lord Howe, and Sir Willfafti Howe, then his ma- jefty's Commanders in Chief, See. and had the pieafure of meeting with Brigadier-general Mac Donald, Captain Campbell, and feveral more of my much efteemed friends j who, af- ter the mutual congratulations cn cur being fa fortunate, contrary to every former expec- tation and probability, a? to meet together once more in the much prized enjoyment of liberty and real freedom, under the mild and benign influence of Britifh government, and in the protection cf his majefiy's arms, after the unexampled hardihips, feverities, and cruel maltreatment we had all experienced from a rude, illiberal, and barbarous enemy, continu- L 5 ed « 226 A TOUR IN THE cd in honouring me with every attention, ci- vility, and kindnefs, until our duty in the dif- ferent lines and fcenes of action in his majef- ty's fervice interrupted this agreeable intercourfe of friendfhip by feparation, being ordered to different and very diftant parts of the vaft continent of America. CHAP. UNITED STATES O* AMERICA. 227 CHAP. LXX. Vijtt the Britijh PoJIs and the JVorks thrown up by the Americans. D anbury Expedition. New England. Account of the Country, Inhabitants^ &c. Their Inhofpitality and Inquifitivenefs. Connecticut River. Hartford. New Haven. Number of Inhabitants in Connecticut, Rhode Ifland, Mafjachufjets Bay and New Hampjhire. Newport. Providence. B oft on. Salem. Portf mouth. NOTWITHSTANDING the continuance of my bad ftate of health, I immediately vifited all the pofts in the vicinity of New York occupied by the Britiih troops, and viewed the multitude of works, all over the idand, thrown up by the rebels, which will re- main lafting monuments of American folly and fearfulnefs, notwithstanding they have fo unex- pectedly, even to themfelves, fucceeded in their wild and fatal purfuits, .far beyond their moft fanguine and prefumptuous hopes. Contrary to the advice of all my friends I al- fo accompanied an expedition to Dan.bury in Connecticut, where we deftroyed a great quan- tity of ftores, &c. collected by the rebels, and depofited there as in a place of abfolute fe- curity. But as the particulars of this excurfion, as well as of all the other expeditions, campaigns, engagements and fkirmim.es in which I had the honour of ferving his majefty during the war, will be given in the regular chain of events as they occurred, in a feparate volume or appen- dix, I fhall pafs it over here, and only mention^ the 228 A TOUR IN THE the appearance of the country, and the inha- bitants, to a perfon totally a ftranger and unac- quainted with them. However from the very difadvantageous occur- rences and events attending my vifit to that pro- vince, during the circumfcribed diftance and ftay I made therein, this account muft un- avoidably be incorrect, curfory, and fuperflciai, and cannot be placed in competition with that already given of the more fouthern provinces, through which I had very often travelled under more agreeable and favourable circumftances, and had frequent and ample opportunities of becoming much more inti- mately acquainted with their inhabitants, cuf- toms, difpofitions, fentiments, commerce, pro- duce, agriculture, and foil, as well as the ap- pearance of the country, the beauties of the perfpective. and the extent of the rivers and fettlements. The whole face of nature, as well as the manners and dialed!: of the people here are wide- ly different from that of the fouthern provinces, and greatly to the difadvantage of New Eng- land. The land in general is broken, poor, and ftoney, excepting on the banks of the rivers, where there is a narrow flip of rich low grounds on each fide, commonly converted into mea- dows. The timber is inferior in magnitude and height, the Indian corn itfelf is of a diminutive growth, and every other produce of a worfe quality, as well as lefs in quantity. The inhabitants too are poflefled of narrow principles, bigoted and illiberal. Almoft uni- verfally UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 229 verfally fanatics in religion, their manners, cuf- toms, and opinions are ftrongly tinctured with puritanifm, their fentiments confined, and their benevolence of mind extremely limited. At the lame time -that they are deftitute of that hofpitaiity, and generous cpennefs of heart, fo prevalent in the fouthern provinces, they fuper- abound in impertinent curiofity, and trouble- fome inquifitivenefs. A ftranger may travel in New England manv a cav without b e : r 2: cr.ee afked to eat or drink ; but he cannot call at any houfe whatever witncut being required to give an account of himfelf by every perfon therein, and indeed frequently bv thofe that may overtake him as he rides along the road. They will defire to know 6 4 Whence he came ; Where he for which in return they give rum of an inferior quality, molafles, cordials, dried fifh, and all kinds of European goods but ahvays of the worft and cheapeft kinds. In fa£t they are the Dutch of America; and have eneroffed the fame {hare of commerce there, as the others have done in Europe; deriving their fubfiftence alfo in a fimilar manner from fifhing and trade. In "the fifhing feafon they repair to the banks of Newfoundland, where they feldom fail of loading their vefiels ; and the reft of the year they UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 2JI they trade to the fouthern provinces, the Weii Indies, and even to Europe. In thefe fifhing as well as trading voyages it is their general cuftom for every man in the veflel to have fome concern or {hare in the cargo, and confequentlv in the profits of the trade. Although New England abounds with excel- lent harbours for fmall veflel s, yet there is no confiderable river in all the four provinces, excepting Connecticut River in the province of that name, and Merrymack River, Sagahadock River, Kenebeck River, and Penobfcot River, in New Hampshire. Of all thefe, Connecticut River is much the fineft, largeft, and moft valuable, as well as the beft fettled and the longeft ; being about three hundred miles from its fource, not far diftant from lake St. Pierre in the river of St. Laurence in Canada where it interlocks with the head branches of the river St. Francis, to the mouth between the inconfiderable villages of Saybrook and Lyme in the Sound which feparates Long Ifland from the Continent. This river is navigable for fmall craft as far as the town of Hartford, which is about thirty- five miles from its entrance into the Sound. The courfe of the Connecticut, from its fource being nearly fouth-by-weft to its mouth, includes feveral degrees latitude, viz. from forty- five degrees twenty minutes to forty-one degrees fifteen minutes north. In the exaggerated calculation of the number of inhabitants publifhed by the Congrefs, the province of Connecticut was faid to contain one hundred and ninety-two thoufand ; the province of Rhode Ifland fifty-nine thoufand fix hun- dred 232 A TOUR IN THE hundred and feventy-eight ; the province of Maffachufet's Bay four hundred thoufand; and the province of New Hampfhire one hundred and fifty thoufand ; being altogether eight hun- dred and one thoufand fix hundred and feventy- eight. This undoubtedly is very confiderably beyond the truth ; for in the laft actual numbering of all the inhabitants in the United States of America, by order of Congrefs, for proportioning the afleffment for taxes, in 1783, Connecticut con- tained two hundred and fix thoufand ; Rhode Ifland fifty thoufand four hundred ; Maflachufets Bay three hundred and fifty thoufand ; and New Hampfnire eighty-two thoufand two hundred; amounting to fix hundred and eighty-eight thou- fand fix hundred fouls in all the four New England governments, of which about one twentieth part are Negroes and civilized Indians. The capital of Connecticut is Hartford, but the towns of New London and Newhaven are certainly more confiderable than it ; the reft or the towns, as has been obferved before, are no- thing better than fcattering villages, yet many of them containing a number of inhabitants nearly equal to thole of the towns above men- ; tioned. \o ' . : Of the government of Rhode I/land, New- port is the capital, and is a large and very beautiful town, with an excellent harbour. Ex- cepting Providence, which is alfo a confiderable town, there is none elfe of note in this province. Bofton, the capital of Maflachufets Bay, is one of the largeft, moft populous, and fined: cities in North America; pofieffing an excellent harbour, and a multitude of delightful perfpec- tive views from every fide. Salem UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 233 Salem in this province is the next in magni- tude to Bofton, and the reft of the towns are (Si- milar to thofe of Conne&icut, but confiderabJy larger. New Hampshire is ftill in its infancy, and its capital Porfmouth is but a froall infignificant place, not near fo confider- able as many of the towns in the other provinces which have not been thought fuf- ficiently deferving of notice even to be named here. CHAP. 234- A TOUR IN THE CHAP. LXXL Defcription of New York, Its delightful and ad- vantageous Situation, Fort IVaJhington. Long If and. Defcription of it. Hell Gates, a dread- ful and dangerous Strait, Defcription thereof Hampftead Plains, An Account of them. A very fingular Infecl. Dangerous Sand Banks. Lojs of the Liverpool, Defcription of St at en If and. Account of the North River. Mo- hawks River, and Hudfons River. Albany, Trade of New fork. Fire, Dutch Inhabitants, Number of Souls in the Province. TTAV1NG made many excurfions over the ITL greateft part of Lone Ifland, as well as Staten Ifland, York Wand, and Weft Chefter County on the continent, in the government of New York, I fhall embrace this opportunity of giving a (ketch of thefe places, in a man- ner that has not been generally defcribed. The city of New York, the capital of the province, is beautifully fituated on the fouthern extremity of an ifland of the fame name, which is about fixteen miles in length, and noc moie than three miles wide in the broadeft part. This ifland being a county in itfelf named after the capital, is formed by the Hudfon or North River on the weft -> the Eaft River, which is the name of the narrovveft extremity of the Sound, or arm of the fea, that fepa- rates Long Ifland from the Continent, on the fouth-eaft ; and a fmall branch or natural ca- nal named Haerlem River, King's-Bridgc River, or UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 235 or Spiking Devil, on the north, which com- municates between the North River, and the Eaft River, near a place on the laft mention- ed River named Hell Gates. Nothing can be more delightful than the fitu- ation of New York, commanding a variety of the moft charming profpe&s that can be con- ceived. It is built chiefly upon the Eaft River, which is the beft and fafeft harbour and is only fome- thing more than half a mile wide. The North River is better than two miles over to Powles Hook, which is a ftrong work oppofite to New York, is expofed to the north winds, and to the driving of the ice in the winter, whereby fhips are prevented from ly- ing therein during that feafon of the year. The land on the North River fide is high and bold, but on the Eaft River it gradually defcends in a beautiful declivity to the wa- ter's edge. The town is entirely commanded by a confi- derable eminence in Long lfland, directly op- pofite to it, named Brookland Heights, on which a ftrong regular fort, with four baftions, has lately been erected by the Britifh troops. About a third and it is faid the moft beau- tiful part of this town has been deftroyed by a fire, which happened foon after it was taken pofTefiion of by his Majefty's forces : and it is beyond a doubt, that this moft iniquitous and abominable action was committed by the Ame- rican incendiaries, feveral of whom were de- tected in the infamous fact of fetting fire to combuftibles 236 A TOUR IN THE combuftibles purpofely placed in the houfes, and immediately were thrown into the flames by the enraged foldiery. This city, while in poffelTion of the Britifh. troops, might contain about thirty thoufand fouls, but the numbers muft be diminifhed at leaft one-third, perhaps one-half, or more, by the evacuation. Ther-e is a great number of moft delightful fituations in the vicinity of New York, which is really a very beautiful country. The harbour efpecially the Eaft River, is one of the heft in the world, being fhcltered from every wind, having excellent anchoring ground, and fufficient depth of water for (hips of the line, which could almoft lay their broad fides to the wharfs. To defcribe the works thrown'up by the Ame- ricans upon this ifland would take up more room than this volume can afford, or the fub- jeft deferves, as they actually cover the whole iiland. Two only I fhall take notice of, viz. a ftrong work on an eminence, juft at the entrance into the town from the land which is named Bun- ker's-hill ; the other is Fort Wafhington; or Kniphaufen,on the North River, v/hofe banks are every where very high and particularly fo at this place, juft ten miles north from New York. The fituation of this fort is fmgularly ftrong and advantageous, fo as to be capable of being rendered almoft impregnable; but all this coun- try abounds with ftrong and commanding fitu- ations, King's- UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 237 King's-Bridge which joins the northern extre- mity of this ifland to the continent, is only a fmall wooden bridge, and the country around is mountainous, rocky, broken, and difagreeable, but very ftrong. Amongft the multitude of elegant feats upon this iflcuii there are three or fouKupcomhVonl^ beautiful, viz. G > n Elliot's, Judge Jones's Squire Morris's, and Mr. B^teman's. And oppofite upon the Comment, juft above Kell-gates, there is a villa, named Morrifania, which is inferior to no place in the world for the beauties, grandeur, and extent of perfpe£tivc, and the elegance of its fituation. New Ycik is juft thirty miles north from the fea, which, is at Sandy Hook ; and there is no place in the world that enjoys the advantages of every kind peculiar to the fineft navigable rivers more amply than New York. The land in the country adjacent is ftrong, ft iff, rocky, and broken, the inclofures being generally made of ftone. Long Ifland, which is in this government, is the largeft ifland from Cape Florida to Cape Sa- ble, and is indeed a very fine and mod valuable one. It is an hundred and thirty miles in length, and about fifteen mires broad at a medium, extending from oppofite Staten Ifland, and Sandy Hook in the Jerfeys, to Montock Point, which is oppo- fite to the boundary line between Connecticut and Rhode Ifland. All the fouth-eaft fide of Long Ifland, or as it is called therein the fouth fide, next to the Atlantic Ocean, is low, level, fandy, and in fer- tile, having extenfive bays running within the land 238 A TOUR IN THE land almoft the whole length of the ifland. The north-weft fide, or as it is there called the North fide, next to the Continent, is high, hilly, and broken, with numbers of fine harbours, creeks, and bays, and abundance of excellent fituations, and rich land. Through the middle of the ifland length-ways, there runs a chain of high hills, which command a view of the ocean, and a great variety of the moft delightful and extenfive profpecls. Two-thirds of the inhabitants of this ifland, efpecially on the weft end, are of low Dutch extraction, and continue to make ufe of their cuftoms and language in preference to Englifh, which however they alfo underftand. But they differ materially from the Hollanders in the article of cleanlinefs, thofe in Long Ifland being not only conftantiy inveloped in dirt and naftinefs, but their houfes and food are often ren- dered almoft intolerable with filth and unclean- nefs. There is no fuch thing as fociety amongft thefe people, at leaft for a Briton, for they and their conftant companions the hogs and cattle appear to poffefs an equal fhare of fenfibility and fentiment. Many of them however are opulent, and they all live well, or rather plen- tifully. In the whole province of New York there are fourteen counties ; of which there are in Long Ifland, viz. King's County, Queen's Coun- ty, and Suffolk County. The two firft are in the weft end of the ifland, and the laft includes all the middle and eaft end, being above half the ifland. The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 239 The inhabitants of King's County are almoft entirely Dutch. In Queen's County four fifths, of the people are fo likewife ; but the other fifth, and all Suffolk County are Englifh, as they call themfelves, being from Englifh anceftors, and ufing no other language. The towns in this ifland, as upon the conti- nent in New England, are little better than fcattering villages, ana the manner of living of the inhabitants is pretty much fimilar, but defti- tute of that degree of illiberality and narrow- mindednefs, which proceeds from the fanaticifm of the New Englanders ; for in Long Ifland there is fome fmail fhare of hofpitality, and fometimes indeed of generofity, to be met with. T his however is much more prevalent among the Englifh inhabitants than among the Dutch. Although confiderable numbers of the inha- bitants of this ifland have acquired much money during the late war, yet many more have been moft cruelly opprefTed, and vaft numbers of them repeatedly plundered by the depredations of both fides. Such fhocking inftances of barbarous brutality have frequently occurred in different parts of Long Ifland, during this unfortunate conflict, that the bare recollection of them is painful in the extreme, therefore a relation of them could not be acceptable. There are two very extraordinary places in and adjoining to this ifland, the like of which are not to be met with in all America befides, and are well deferving of the obfervation of tra- vellers. The firft is a very dangerous and dreadful ftrait or paflage, called Hell-Gates , between the Eaft 240 A TOUR IN THE Eaft river and the found ; where the two tides meeting caufe a horrible whirlpool, the vortex of which is named the Pot, and drawing in and fwallowing up every thing that approaches near it, dafhes them to pieces upon the rocks at the bottom ; at one time of tide this tremendous whirpool boils furioufly like a pot, and at ano- ther time it fucks like a funnel every thing into it. Oppofite to this is another dreadful reef of rocks, named the Frying Pan, over which the tide rages with great violence, making a noife refembling water poured upon red-hot iron; this alfo draws veflels towards it, to their certain and utter deftruclion. In an oblique direction between thefe two, there lies another fharp ledge of rocks, as dan- gerous as either of the former, named the Hog's Back, which proves fatal to as many veflels as any of the others. It requires the greateft fkill and care imagina- ble to pilot mips through this moft dreadful and dangerous ftrait, and there is fcarce a tide pafles but fome veffel is da/hed upon the rocks; for in endeavouring to avoid the Pot, they frequently 2re carried directly upon the Frying Pan ; and if a vefTel is fo fortunate as to pafs clear of both thefe, (he has ftill the utmoft difficulty to avoid being wrecked upon the Hog's Back, which lies almbfl: in the middle of the narrow channel be- tween the others. The tide here likewife rufhes on with an im- petuofity and fury dreadful to behold, and both fhores, as well as the whole bed and channel of the /trait, confift of vaft, horrible, dark brown rocks, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 241 rocks, with fliarp edges pointed in every dire&i- on, and are generally covered with wrecks. The fafeft time for palling through this mod perilous and horrid Strait is at high water with a ftiff breeze; yet even at this time a fkilful pilot is abfolutely neceffary, in order to avoid the fharp ledges and reefs of rocks, then juft fufliciently covered with water to fender them the more dangerous. Before the late war, a top-fail veflel was fel- dom ever known to pafs through Hell Gates ; but fince the commencement of it, fleets of tran- fports, with frigates for their convoy, have fre- quently ventured and accomplifhed it : the Niger indeed, a very fine frigate of thirty-two guns, generally ftruck on fome hidden rock, every time fhe attempted this paflage. But what is ftill more extraordinary, that dar- ing veteran, Sir James Wallace, to the afto- nifhment of every perfon who ever faw or heard of it, carried his Majefty's fhip the Experiment, of fifty guns, fafe through Hell Gates, from the eaft end of the Sound to New York ; when the French fleet under D'Eftaing lay off Sandy Hook, and blocked up the harbour and city of New York, fome ftiips of the line being alfo fent by D'Eftaing round the eaft end of Long Ifland to cruize in the found for the fame purpofe. So that the Experiment muft inevitably have fallen into their hands, had it not been for this bold and fuccefsful attempt of her gallant command- er. The other remarkable place is Hampftead Plains, which begin about fourteen or fifteen miles from New York, and including what is called the Brufliy Plains, extend near twenty Vol. II. M miles A TOUR IN THE miles in lengthy and from three to eight miles in breadth. Thefe plains are perfectly level, and deftitute of timber, not a tree growing upon them through- out their whole extent, which in America is a very ftriking and fingular phaenomenon. They are faid to be incapable of producing either trees, or any other growth or vegetation, excepting grafs of a coarfe and inferior quality •> only about half of them, which are named the Brufhy Plains, is covered with a production of brufh or fhrubs, extremely thick and low, being not more than about three, four, and five feet in height above the furface of the ground, and never grows higher. The foil of thefe plains confifts of a thin co- vering of a mofly kind of black earth, of a fpun- gy contexture, over an univerfal bed of gravel, which immediately abforbs the heavieft rains, and prevents water from remaining upon the ground. From this it may be naturally and readily concluded, that in wet feafons they throw out great quantities of grafs, and confequently in dry years they are entirely parched up. Thefe plains are a kind of common, and fup- port an immenfe number of fheep, black cattle, and horfes, which are fupplied with water from ponds made in different places and the bottom covered with clay to celled: and retain the rain ; for there are no fprings or running water to be met with throughout their whole extent; and they are entirely unenclofed, and almoft totally .uninhabited, excepting fome few houfes for the accommodation of travellers. • Their great extent, and the perfect equality of their furface, renders the appearance of the horizon UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 243 horizon around, to a perfon travelling over them, very much refembling that to be obferved at fea; and in the fame manner the inhabitants border- ing on thefe extenfive plains diredt a perfon, enquiring the way to any particular place, to proceed fouth, fouth-weft, eaft, or north-eaft, or fome other point of the compafs, according to the fituation of the fpot to which he is going. On the north fide of thefe plains the ground begins to fwell into afcents, and even little hills, the foil being ftiff, ftrong, and ftony. On the fouth fide the land is perfe&iy level, fandy, and rather poor. Around the edge of Hampftead, or the Great Plains, befides the towns or townfhips of Ja- maica, Hampftead, &c. the places have Angular names, felected from the fcripture it is true, but ftill very uncommon, fuch as Jerufalem, Jeri- cho, Barfheba, Bethfaida, &c. where the in- habitants are chiefly Quakers. And in the weft end of the ifland the firft Dutch fettlers named their villages after the different towns in the United Provinces in Europe from whence they came, as Flufhing, Brooklyn, Wolabacht, Haaerlem, &c. There is a very Angular infeft in this ifland, which I do not remember to have obferved in any ether part of America. They are named by the inhabitants here Katy did's from their note, which is loud and ftrong, bearing a ftriking re- femblence to thofe words. They are from an inch to an inch and three quarters in length, of a moft beautiful vivid green, as thick as a lady's finger, with two large and almoft tranfparent wings: they are perfectly inoffenfive, but extremely clamorous and noify: M 2 they 144 A TOUR IN THE they generally appear about the middle of fum- mer, in great numbers, and fix their refidencc among the leaves and fmall branches of young lively fruit trees, but the cherry is their favourite, and their green colour renders them discovered with great difficulty; but their noife is loud and inceflant, one perpetually and regularly anfwer- ing the other in notes exactly fimilar to the words Katy did, or Katy Katy did> repeated by one, and another immediately bawls out Katy did'yit, or Katy Katy did'n't. In this loud clamour they continue without ceafing until the fall of the leaf, when they totally difappear. The whole fouth-eaft coaft of Long Ifland is particularly dangerous for fhipping; being defti- tuteof a fingle harbour for any thing but boats and very fmall coafting veflels, throughout its whole extent. At the fame time there are a great many very fine bays and harbours on the north fide of the ifland. On the fouth fide, fand banks and bars prevent {hips from approaching within two miles of the Ihore : this, together with the great extent of the inland bays all along this coaft, which are generally from five to ten miles wide within the beech that feparates them from the Atlantic Ocean, whereby the appearance of the land, which is naturally low, is thus alfo rendered very diftant, and the prodigious feas that run along this open coaft, renders all this fide extremely dange- rous, efpecially in the night when the wind fets violently on fhore, and the fhips have not previ- oufly made the land in the day. This occafioned the lofs of his Majefty's fhip the Liverpool, the remains of which are ftill to be UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 245 be feen on Rockaway Beech, fo clofe to the fhore as great part of her to be dry at low water. From the weft end of Long Ifland I patted over, at what is called the Narrows, to Staten Ifland, which is about three miles from the neareft part of Long Ifland, and nine miles due fouth from New York. This ifland belongs to the government of New York, and contains juft one county named Rich- mond. It is fixteen miles long, and between eight and eleven in breadth. Like Long Ifland, the north fide of this alfo is high land, broken and ftoney, while the fouth fide is low and level. The foil is more light, and not fo fertile as up- on Long Ifland. On Staten Ifland there is but one town, which is named Richmond, and it is the county town and principal place on the ifland. At the Nar- rows, next to Long Ifland, the land is very high, and commands an extenfive view of land and water, and very beautiful profpedts. This being the place of refidence of my poor old fellow-prifoner Abraham Wynant, whom I left dangeroufly ill in Baltimore when I effe&ed my efcape, I called at his houfe to make en- quires concerning him; and greatly to my fur- prize and fatisfa&ion found him there himfelf, where he had arrived long before I had got on board the Prefton. He informed me that he was indebted to the people of Baltimore for his liberation, who had exerted themfelvesin his behalf for that purpofe, on account of his ill {rate of health, and quite inoffenfive conduct. Poor Wynant was happy beyond meafure at feeing me, having underftood that I had been killed during my efcape. M 3 The 246 A TOUR IN THE , The North or Hudfon's River is the boundary between the government of New York and that of New Jerfey until it reaches a large bay formed therein named Topham Sea, about thirty miles above the city of New York. The boundary Jine of the province of New York then crofles the river, and runs in a north-weft courfe, un- til it touches the river Vifkill, or the upper part of the eaftern branch of the Delaware. The land upon the North River is of various qualities, but generally ftcny, ft iff, and ftrong, excepting in the high lands, or mountains, where it is rocky and barren. Beyond Albany, upon the Mohawks River, the land is in general very rich and fertile, but the country is chiefly inhabited by Germans, and the climate extremely incommoded with cold during the winter, which is there long and ri- gorous. The ftiores of the North River are entirely different from any other on the continent, being remarkably high, bold, and even mountainous, to the water's edge, in general as far up as the high lands or mountains, at Weft Point, through which this noble river pafTes, above fifty-five miles above the city of New York. Beyond the high lands there are large bodies of very va- luable low grounds on each fide. This noble and mighty river is navigable as far as Albany, which is an hundred and fixty miles above New York, and the tide flows about ten or fifceen'miles ftill higher, to the confluence of the river Mohawk with the Hudfon, which are the two great branches of the North Ri- ver. By UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 247 , By the Mohawks River, which heads near Lake Oneyda, there is a communication with Lake Ontario and Canada, only a few portages intervening. On this river is a large cataract, called the Cohoes, the water of which is faid to fall feventv feet perpendicular, where the river is a quarter of a mile in breadth. By the Hudfon's River, which is the northern branch, there is an immediate and ready com- munication, through Lake George, Lake Cham- plain, and down the Sorel and St Laurence rivers, into the heaTt of Canada, which is the Ihorteft, beft, and moft generally made irfe cf. The fource of the Hudfon is not far diftant from the Cadirakui or St. Laurence, and inter- locks with the head waters of a fmall branch thereof named Swegatchi River, from whence to the entrance of the North River into the ocean at Sandy Hook is not lefs than three hundred miles, in a direct courfe, of which this noble, grand, and beautiful river is navigable almoft two hundred miles, the tide alfo flowing nearly that diftance within it. Albany is a large and very fine town, being the fecond in the province, and contains near fix thoufand inhabitants. Excepting Montreal in Canada, and Augufta in Georgia, Albany pofTefles the greateft fhare of the Indian trade of any place on the continent. All the reft of the towns in this province are actually nothing bet- ter than fcattering villages. Before the late unhappy war the trade of New York was very confiderable. Their commodi- ties were wheat, flour, barley, oats, fome Indian corn, beef, pork, (kins and furs. Their ex- ports then annually amounted to five hundred M 4 and A TOUR IN T THE and thirty thoufand pounds fterling, and their imports from Great Britain to five hundred and thirty-five thoufand pounds. In the firft computation of the number of in- habitants, publifhed by the Congrefs, this go- vernment was faid to contain two hundred and fifty thoufand : this was undoubtedly exaggera- ted about fifty thoufand, as is afcertained by their laft enumeration, in 1783, for the purpofe of proportioning an equal aflcflment of taxes, when the number of fouls was then calculated at two hundred thoufand, of which number about one third may be Negroes. CHAP, UN'ITED STATES OF AMERICA. 249 CHAP. LXXII. New Jerfey. Defcription of it. Perth- Amboy. Burlington. Prince Tou/n, &c. Produce flip- ped from New Tork and Philadelphia. Different Towns in New Jerfey. Remarkable Qatar a df* This Province has fujfered greatly during the War. THE only province now remaining to be noticed is New Jerfey : of this likewife I am enabled to give but a fuperficial account, obtained and collected during feveral excurfions and expeditions therein along with detachments of the Britifh army, both from New York, Staten Ifland, Perth Amboy, and Brunfwick, and from Philadelphia and the- Delaware, in which I had the honour of a command \ as well as in the march of the grand army, acrofs that country, from Philadelphia to Sandy Hook and New York. The inferior province of New Jerfey {lands' in the fame predicament with its two powerful neighbours of Penfylvania and New York, as North Carolina does with South Carolina and Virginia. For a great proportion of the produce of New Jerfey is exported from the cities of Philadelphia and New York, to which places it is carried to market. Perth Amboy, the capital of Eafr New Jerfey, and Burlington upon the Delaware, the capital of Weft New Jerfey, juft began to emerge from obfcurity, and to reap fome of the advantages which they might have obtained earlier, from M 5 the A TOUR IN THE the proper management of fo fine fituations : for as the people of New Jerfey had been accuftomed to fend their produce to the markets of New York and Philadelphia, to which they are con- tiguous, they find it hard, as it always is in fuch cafes, to draw the trade out of the old channel ^ for there the correfpondences were fixed, the method of dealing eftablifhed, credit given, and a ready market for needy dealers, who in all countries are fufficiently numerous ; fo that the trade of Perth Amboy, which is the more con- fiderable of the two, is ftill fcarcely worth no- tice. Perth Amboy is delightfully fituated upon a fine bay at the mouth of the Rariton River, contains near two hundred houfes, and has a moft excellent harbour. The land about this place is high, the foil flifF and ftrong, and the country in general extremely pleafant. But this town, as well as Brunfwick, Prince Town, Newark, Elizabeth Town, Bergen, Wood- bridge, &c. have fuffered extremely by the ra- vages of the war. In Eaft New Jerfey there are only five coun- ties, viz. Monmouth, Middlefex, Somerfet, Effex, and Bergen. But in Weft New Jerfey there are eight counties, viz. Cape May, Cum- berland, Salem, Gloucefter, Burlington, Hun- terdon, Suffex, and Morris. Of thefe Burling- ton is the capital, which is very pleafantly fituated on the banks of the Delaware, about eighteen miles above Philadelphia ; although it is only an infignificant place, being inferior in every refpe& even to Perth Amboy. The adjacent villages, or, as they are all de- nominated UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 2^1 nominated in America, towns, of Borden Town, Trenton, and Mount Holly, are fcarcely infe- rior to Burlington itfelf, and the towns of Free- hold and Shrewfbury in Monmouth county, as well as Greenwich, Salem, Morris Town, &c. are likewife equal to the capital. At Prince Town there is a college, which is in a very flourifhing condition, and at this time is one of the bell in America. It was efiabliihed by Governor Belcher in 1746, and has a power of conferring the fame degrees as Oxford or Cambridge. The fouthward part of this province and the eafiward part of it alfo, as far as Shrewfbury River, is low, flat, level, and fandy, exaftly refembling the lower part of North Carolina, Virginia, Sec. already defcribed, from which this part of New Jerfey fcarcely differs in any one article, excepting the inferiority cf the foil. There are alfo inland bays, all along the coaft, from Cape Maty at the mouth of Delaware Bay, to Shrewfbury River a little diflance to the fouthward from Sandy Hook, which communi- cate with each other for the greater part of the way. The high lands in this province begin at Ne- ver- Sink hills, upon the coaft, which are the firfl: and only appearance of the kind from Cape Florida to Montock Point, -and at Ancocus Ri- ver on the Delaware fide, to the northward of which the whole country is hilly, broken, and mountainous, with a llrong, (tiff, fiony foil. Among thefe eminences there are feveral very ftrong and commanding, viz. the heights above Mount Holly near Burlington, and the heights of 252 A TOUR IN THE of Middle Town near Sandy Hook, both of which were occupied by the Britifh troops in their march from Philadelphia to New York; and the Short Hills or the mountains near Morris Town on which Wafhington formed his ftrong camp his conftant place of refuge and retreat in the Jerfeys ; befides Fort Lee on the cliffs of the North River, oppofite to Fort Wafh- ington ; and a multitude of others not rendered remarkable. The rivers in this province are too infignifi- cant to merit any particular defcription. Their names are the Rariton, which is the principal, Shrewfbury River, Squan River, Meltcunk River, Monro's River, Ferke's River, Mullicus River 3 Great Egg River, Maurice River, Salem River, Ancocus River, Mufcan&cunk River, Pegue's River, Tochookanftcunk River, Raway River, Hackinfack River, and Paflaick River; on the latter of which is a remarkable cataraft; the height of the rock from which the water falls is faid to be about feventy feet perpendicu- Jar, and the river there eighty yards wide. The commodities of New Jerfey are bread, flour, wheat and other grain, beef, pork, but- ter, hams, cyder, flax, hemp, flax feed, bar iron, and lumber. It is altogether impoflible to afcertain the annual value of the exports of this province, as much the largeft proportion of the produce is carried to the adjacent markets of New York and Philadelphia, from whence they likewife draw the greateft part of their imports every year. This province has fuffered extremely by the war, much more in proportion than any other ; and it muft be many years before it can poflibly recover its former flourifliing ftate. CHAP. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 253 CHAP. LXXIIL Climate extremely cold in Winter. The Winds and Weather peculiar to North America. Par- ticular Defcription of the Mountains. Number of Inhabitants in New Jerfey. The Whole Number in all the United States of America. Great Proportion of Negroe Slaves. Aftonijhing and alarming Decreafe in Population. Extreme Weaknefs of the American States , and their Want of Refources. Abfolutely unable to defend them] elves in any future War. IN the northern part of New Jerfey and Pen- fylvania, as well as throughout all the go- vernments of New York and New England, the climate in the winter is fo intolerably cold that it will freeze up the largeft and broadeft rivers in one night and renders thofe countries much lefs pleafant and agreeable than the more fouthern provinces y for the fummers are likewife almoft equally as hot and fultry, notwithftanding the extreme feverity of the rigorous winters. In regard to the winds and weather that gene- rally prevail, it is obferved that in America all the great ftorms begin to leeward ; thus a nortk- eaft ftorm lhall be a day fooner in Virginia than at Bofton. There are generally remarkable changes in the degrees of heat and cold at Philadelphia every three or four days, but not fo often to the north- ward. The navigation of the Delaware is almoft every winter flopped by ice for two or three months, and the North River is longer frozen than the De^- laware y A TOXTR IN" THE laware ; yet New York, being on fait water, af- fords better winter navigation. Both Delaware and New York Bays are quite free from the fhip worms that infeft ail the harbours and fait water rivers to the fouthward. Land winds in dry weather raife the thickefl: fogs, attradting the moifture on the rivers and coafts they come in conta£t with, in fuch large quantities, that until they are difperfed by the fun and other caufes, they obftru£t the rays of light in direft lines. After the diffipation of thefe vapours, the moft intenfe heats are produced, and very often thunder gufts towards evening. Thunder generally proceeds from the meeting of fea and land clouds. Thofe from the fea coming fraught with ele&ricity, and meeting others lefs fo, the equilibrium is reftored by claps of thunder, erufcations, cracks, and flafties of lightning ; the more oppofite the winds, and the larger and cornpadter the clouds, the more dread- ful and tremendous are the (hocks. Thefe clouds, thus fuddenly bereft of that univerfal element of repellency and expanfion, immediately contrail, and their water guflies down in torrents. Land winds, palling over a large {haded and very often frozen continent on both fides of the vaft and ftupendou? Apalachian or Allegany Mountains, are always dry and cold \ and the fea winds on the contrary wet and warm. The north-eaft is a fettled high wind, and moftly wet ; and the fouth-weft wind is fqually and un- fettled. The hotteft weather is with a fouth wind and calms, and the coldeft with north-weft winds. Snow comes from north to north-eaft, i*ainy ftorms come from - north-eaft to eaft, and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 255 high dry wind from the weft. However the land winds in America blow above three quarters of the year. There is an immenfe ridge of mountains on the back of Virginia, Maryland, Penfylvania, and New Jerfey, extending above nine hundred miles in length, and from feventy to a hundred right acrofs, named the Endlefs Mountains, fometimes alfo generally called the Blue Mountains, of which fcarce one acre out of ten is capable of cul- ture. They are not confufedly fcattered, and here and there promifcuoufly in lofty peaks overtopping one another like mod of the moun- tains in Europe, but they ftretch in long uniform ridges fcarce half a mile perpendicular in any place. Thefe furnifii innumerable funds for (pecula- tion, and fyftems and theories of the world : but the moft obvious is, that this earth has under- gone many changes, and is now compofed on the ruins of its former ftate. Bones and {hells, which rfcaped the fate of fofter and lefs durable fub- ftances, are frequently found here mixed with ether materials, and elegantly preferved in the loofe (tones and rocky bates of the higheft of thefe vaft ridges. Thefe mountains certainly cxifted in their prefent elevated height before the general deluge, but probably not fo bare of foil as now*. The farther ridges, which are much the lar- geft and higheft, proceeding from the inclination of the whole towards the fea, are covered with very rich land even to the fummits ; whilft all the foil feems fwept from the very valleys oil this hither fide. Their great height, it may be prefumed, rendered them lefs expofed to that general 2j6 A TOUR IN THE general devaftation, and preferved them unhurt; while the foil and the loofe part of the lower hills and valleys, agitated by a greater weight of wa- ter, were borne away, fufpended in the dafhing waves, and thrown downwards in ftratas of dif- ferent kinds, as the billows fluctuated and rolled from different parts, ftill obvious in the lower lands northward and weftward of the Rariton and the Delaware. But in New Jerfey, on the other fide of thefe rivers, the land is made by an accumulation of fand from the ocean. Digging there about eigh- teen feet, through white worn fand, you come to a ftratum of fea mud intermixed with fhells and other drift trafti \ and in fome places vaft beds of fhells in pairs, entire, thirty miles from the fea. Beyond the Endlefs Mountains, the vaft ridge, particularly named the Allegany Mountains, be- gins, which are fixty miles from thence to their higheft fummit. There is a very extraordinary report among the natives, the Senekas and Onon- dagaes. It is faid, in a tradition of the Indians, that at the foot of one of thefe mountains named Onugarexnae, near the fource of a fmall river that enters the eaft branch of the Sufquehannah at Ofewingo, in Penfylvania, Indian corn, to- bacco, fquafhes, and pompions, were firft found. After thefe general obfervations concerning the weather, winds, &c. which I flatter myfelf will be thought ufeful, if not entertaining, it may be proper to recur to the former fubjecl of the ftate of population of New Jerfey, that of all the other provinces being already fpeci- ficd. The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 2*57 The number of inhabitants in New Jerfey are faid to be an hundred and thirty thoufand, which I believe to be pretty exa&. Of thefe about one half are Negroes. I have thus given not only the exaggerated ac- count of the number of the inhabitants in all the Thirteen United States, as firft publimed by the Congrefs, at the commencement of the revolt, in order to magnify the appearance of their re- fources and thereby deceive the different Euro- pean powers, who were then awaiting with afto- nifhment for the event of this unprecedented and formidable rebellion ; but have ftated a!fo the real number of the fouls in each of the provinces, as nearly the truth, and from as good authority, as could be ascertained. According to this firft calculation of the Con- grefs, which I have confidered as erroneous,, the whole number of the inhabitants amounts to three millions one hundred and thirty-feven thou- fand eight hundred and fixty-nine, including the Negroes, Mulattoes, and civilized Indians, which, even according to this exaggerated ftate- ment, bear a formidable proportion in number to the whole. For in Georgia two-fifths of the inhabitants are Negroes, and amount to eighty-eight thou- fand eight hundred and fixty. In South Caro- lina the flaves bear nearly the fame proportion to the whites, and amount to one hundred and eighty thoufand and ninety-three. In North Carolina two-thirds are blacks, being two hun- dred thoufand. In Virginia the fame proportion makes four hundred and thirty-three thoufand three hundred and thirty-four ; and in Maryland two hundred and thirteen thoufand three hundred and 258 A TOUR IN THE and thirty-four. In Penfylvania, and the three lower counties on Delaware, one-third only be- ing flaves, amounts to one hundred and fixteen thoufand fix hundred and fixty-fix. In New Jerfey about half are Negroes, which is fixty- five thoufand. In New York there are more than one-third blacks, making eighty-three thou- fand three hundred and thirty- three ; and in the four provinces of New England there being up- wards of one-twentieth Haves and civilized In- dians, they amount to forty thoufand and eighty- three. Thefe numbers added together come to no lefs than one million four hundred and twenty thou- fand feven hundred and three, of ufelefs, or ra- ther burdenfome inhabitants, when confidered as the ftrength and refources of the ftate, and being deduced from the whole, there appears to be only one million feven hundred and feventeen thoufand one hundred and fixty-fix whites re- maining, which confift of men, women, and children. Three-fourths of thefe muft be women and children, and at leaf} half of the remainder of the males unable to bear arms which leaves juft two hundred and fourteen thoufand fix hundred and forty-five. From this fmall number, all the artificers, labourers, manufacturers, failors, and foldiers, neceflary throughout the whole of the Thirteen United States, muft be furnifhed. But as the foregoing calculation is manifeftly magnified beyond the truth, no lefs than four hundred and feventy-four thoufand two hundred and fixty-nine in the whole, the reft of the de- dudtiens being made in the above proportions, leaves UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 2-59 leaves a ftill lefs number to fupply the neceffary purpofes juft fpeciiied ; viz. only one hundred and eighty-two thoufand two hundred and two ; of thefe if every fifteenth man was taken to form and keep up an army, which indeed would be more than could pofiibly be foared from the other neceftary exigences in the ceconomy and fupport of the ftate, it would only confifl: of about twelve thoufand men ; and any accidental diminution would with the otmoft difficulty indeed be re- cruited or replaced. From this view, our furprife will immediately ceafe at the inferiority of number? of the Ame- rican army, and the extreme difficulty with which it was kept up to any appearance of refpeft. But at the fame time cuv aftonifiiment will be excited beyond meafure at this trifling force, not only being fuffered fa long to remain in exig- ence, but even ultimately to accomplifh a degree of power and fuccefs they themfelves never even dreamed of, and in the face of the fineft army in the world, of five times their number, and fifty times their ftrength. But I fhall drop the curtain ever this fuhject, being determined in future never to hazard or entertain any kind of political fpeculations. The amazing decreafe in population of thefe provinces, fince the commencement of the late war, is evinced by a comparifon between the firft calculation of the number of inhabitants, made and publifiied by the Congrefs in 1775, and the following one in 1783, made by order of the Congrefs alfo, for levying a proper proportion of taxes in each ftate. According 260 A TOUR • IN THE According to the firft computation the number of the whole in the year 1775 was 351375869. In 1783 their numbers ftood as follows : From a companion of the above ftatements, there appears to be a decreafe in population of 748,589, within eight years ; an event that fure- ly ought to be fufficiently alarming ; and both thefe calculations are fupported upon the au- thority of the American Congrefs them- felves. By the enumeration which I have mention- ed as neareft the truth, there alfo appears to be a very confiderable decreafe in population, viz. the difference between 2,663,600, which I confi- dered as the real number of inhabitants in 1775, and 2,383,300, the number in 1783: by this there appears to be a decreafe of 280,300. By this laft computation, made by the Con- grefs in 1783, it appears that the refources of the New Hampfhire MafTachufet's Bay Rhode Ifland - Connecticut — New York — New Jerfey — Penfylvania — Delav/are Counties Maryland — Virginia ■ North Carolina South Carolina Georgia 82,200 350,000 50,400 2C6,000 200,000 130,000 320,000 35,000 220,700 400,000 200,000 170,000 25,000 In all 2,3 8 9>3°° American VNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 261 American ftates in men, the fureft ftrength and only a<5tual means of defence, are ftill inferior to what has been already mentioned > weak indeed, infignificant, and very inadequate to fupport the dignity and honour of independent and fovereign ftates, being, according to the foregoing pro- portion and deductions, only in the whole one hundred and fixty-three thoufand and. twenty-fix males able to bear arms ; from which, after fupplying all the other exigences of the ftate, an army could not be raifed of more than ten thou- fand men, for the purpofe of guarding and de- fending a coaft of one thoufand five hundred miles in length, and a frontier on the oppofile fide no lefs expofed, and much more extended ; befides detachments for obfervation, exclufive of any for carrying on offenfive operations, if ever they fliould again be involved in war. CHAP. 262 A TOUR IN THE CHAP. LXXIV. Brief Account of what befel fcveral of the Perfoni formerly mentioned in the Qourfe of this Work, The Fellow who robbed me in the Mountains, The poor friendlefs Englijh Girl. The tyranni- cal barbarous Gaoler. The brutal Dutch Guard* Captain Cameron exchanged. Extraordinary Refolve of the American Congrefs and the An- fwer to it. Colonel Connolly in Confequence thereof returned a Prifoner of War and ex- changed. AS in the courfe of the war I was fo fortu- nate as to obtain ample fatisfadtion of many of the individuals of the Americans, who had been the inftruments, and fometimes the occa- iion of the indignities and wanton barbarity ex- ercifed upon me while in captivity, I {hall give a brief recital of a few of thefe occurrences here, as well as of what befel my unfortunate fellow- prifoners, along with whom I was firft taken, and from whom I had been ieparated they being left at Philadelphia, before I clofe this volume; as the curiofity of my readers may have been ex- cited by the foregoing relation to be anxious to know their fate. Some few weeks previous to the embarkation of the grand army for the Chefapeak and Phila- delphia, as I was returning from Fort Wafliing- ton to New York, I met a man whofe face was familiar to my mind, and in a few moments re- collected him to be Barclay, the fellow who had privately made off after robbing me in the moun- tains, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA » 263 tains, when in the moft extreme diftrefs ima- ginable, during my former attempt to ef« cape. Having flopped him, and called him by his name, he was almoft petrified with furprize, terror, and guilt at feeing me, and immediate- ly fell on his knees intreating my forgive- nefs. I myfelf being equally aflonifhed at finding him at New York defired him, if he expected pardon or mercy, to be candid and acquaint me with the motives that induced him to commit fo bafe an a£tion as to rob and abandon me when in the very greateft need and diftrefs, and in fo dreadful and wretched a fituation. As his explanation and motives were both ori- ginals, and peculiar to himfelf, I fhail give them as nearly as poffible in his own words. 44 Arrah 44 now" (fays he) 44 yGur honour knows, that I 44 went many a weary mile with your honour, 44 and waded many a deep, broad, frozen river, 44 with your wormip, and laid many a cold 44 night in the fnow in the mountains with your 44 honour ; and ftarved without a mouthful to 44 eat for many a day with your worlhip 5 until 44 I began to think I could never hold it out * 4 much longer at all at all ; but at laft when 44 both your honour's legs were di fabled, yet 44 ftill your worfhip would keep pufhing for- 44 ward, I then thought it would never do ; and 44 that your honour would not be able to go 44 much farther at all at all 9 and that by and by 44 weftiould all be taken ; and that they would, 44 for certain, murther me alive, if ever they 44 catched me along with your worlhip ; and fo 4; I thought I would fling them there ; for I 44 would 264 A TOUR IN THE ] As (bbii as this 1 Wretch ' found that I' wa$ the Ofl&ef ^ommaildihg the J party, his terror is not to-be defctibed, v as he axpe£led nothing lefs than immediate death ; falling on his knees he begged for his life, and for mercy. I defired him to confider, what he merited from me ? He acknow- ledged that he deferved neither favour nor cbm- palfion, faid that his orders refpecting me had ^been more rigorous than againft any other, and owned that he had executed them in their full feverity; but ftill moft earneftly intreated for- givenefs. 1 told him that for the fake of his innocent wifeand children (for lie had a large family) and to convince the deluded infatuated rebels that Britons were not of that vindi&ive difpofition he had expe&ed and reprefented us to be, I would forgive him, as he profeffed fincere contrition, and propofed to take the oaths of allegiance to his Majefty : this he readily performed ; and had the audacity afterwards of applying to Earl CornWallis to be appointed Deputy Provoft Mar- ihal over the rebel prifoners in Philadelphia, in the accomplifliment of which purfuit however he very juftly failed. The other prifoners I had taken proved to be Capt. Jacobs, and the brutal Dutch guard, who carried us in irons from Philadelphia to Balti- more. When thefe fellows were brought to me, and 'difcovered < that I commanded, their horror and difmay UNITED, STATES OF AMERICA. 2^J difn>ay is Inexpreflible. In an agony of dread and de/pair, they fell upon their knees, and moft earnefliy in treated for 44 one half hour to fay their prayers." I could not conceive; what they meant, and delired to know why they were fa violently de- termined on, going, to* prayers juft then, at fo unfeafonable a time? They anfwered. Bee Jhure they fay their prayers bevore they , tay - " and I found that they really expected immediate death. A Highland officer, that was along with me, on being informed the caufe, of their ftrange re- queft and the occafion of their fears, drew his fword at Captain Jacobs, and terrified him moft unmercifully, defiring to 'know, 4< hoo feck a fal- low as he was, could dare to put a Breetijh Officer in eyrons ?" Jacobs replied, 44 Bee Jhure tvaz der dyveVs own Fork : Ich knowfb no beterfo. Poor ignorant Dytcherjh knowjh no beterjh" and then they all exclaimed, 44 flaw. Yaw* Ich knowjh no beterjh-y Ichfery Jhorry \ vor Jhure tvaz der Dyvel's own vori." I told them they need not be in fuch haftq. to go to prayers, for their lives were in, no danger: that I freely forgave them their ill treat- ment and injuries to me: that fuch of them as were really forry for their paft condudi might return to their homes upon taking the oaths cjf allegiance to their Sovereign. And that none need do even that, but fuch as chofe to do it freely, of their own accord, for thofe who de- clined it fhould only be made prifoners, their perfons being perfectly fafe. Upon this their joy and gratitude" feemed equal to their former terror; and every man of them gladly took the oaths of allegiance, and returned N 2 tf the 12th of October, 1778, the faid J. Connolly declared, " That the common rights of humanity are denied to him," and paints his fituation in fuch terms, as would tend to induce a be- lief, that the moft wanton cruelties and reftraints are impofed upon him : That in confequence of a requeft of J. Connolly, to be heard in perfon by a Committee of Congrefs, this Committee have complied with his requeft, when he declared, in prefence of your Committee, " That excepting the restraint of his perfon, under the limits above mentioned, which however indulgent they might appear, he conceived unfavourable to his ftate of health, he experienced every other relief which could be extended to a perfon in confine- ment." That Jofliua luring, Efq. Britifli Commiflary of Prifoners, in his Letter to Mr. Beatty of the firft of September, 1778, threatens to retaliate on an Ameri- can prifoner of war, of equal rank with Lieutenant- colonel Connolly, for the fufFering which it is pre- tended that oificer endures." . Whereupon Refolded, That Lieutenant-colonel John Connolly cannot, of right, claim to be confidered and treated as a prifoner •1 war : but that he was, at the time he was appre- N 4 hended, 2 7 2 A TOUR IN THE hended, and ftill i?, amenable to the law martial, a? a fpy and emiffary from the Britrfh army : That the repeated representations made by Lieu- tenant-colonel John Connolly, of the grievances he vndergoes, are not founded on facts : That General Wafhington be directed to tranfmit Ihe foregoing revolutions and ftate of facts, to the Commander in Chief of his Britannic Majefty's forces in New York ; and to inform the faid officer, that if under the pretext of retaliating for the pretended fufferings of a perfon, who, by the law of nation?, has no right to be conficlered as a prifonerof war, any American officer, entitled to be confidered and treat- ed as a prifoner of war, fnall undergo any extra- ordinary reftraints or fufferings, Congrefs are deter- mined to retaliate en the perfen of an officer of the firft rank in their pofTtflkn, for every fpecies cf hard- fhip or reftraint on fuch account inflicted. Extract from the minutes, CHARLES THOMPSON, Secretary. This very extraordinary refolution of ths Amerrcan Congrefs produced an anfwer from one cf the officers concerned and named therein, which was tranfmitted to the Congrefs at Phila- delphia, and a copy of it inclofed to the Britifh Commander in Chief, along with the following introductory letter. To Sir Henry Clint on , Commandir in Chiefs " Having feen a refolveof the American Congrefs, wherein they order their General to tranfmit to your Excellency by letter the report of one of their Com- mittees concerning the cafe (and their conclufions thereon) of Lieut. Col. Connolly, for whofe exchange I preferred a Memorial to your Excellency in Auguft UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 273 laft, as that report is either totally falfe, or a mifrer presentation of fads, which being known only to two, viz. Mr, Cameron and myfelf, and as Mr. Cameron is now gone to Britain, I conceive it would be an un- pardonable negledt to me to allow that unfortunate officer, Lieut. Col. Connolly, to fuffer through thefe mifreprefentations, or to let fuch a notorious perver- fion of truth pafs unnoticed and undetected. Therefore by a plain and impartial relation of facts, for the truth of all which I will be anfwerablej I have confuted their fhamelefs and falfe affertions, thereby depriving them even of the fhadow of an ex- cufe for the perpetration of this laft daring inftance of intended cruelty • an infult on reafon, humanity, and the law of nations. This anfwer I have prefumed to lay before your Excellency, imagining the neceffary information in this matter might pclTibly be wanting, from that offi- cer's fituation and circumftances not being explained or fufficiently known, and flattering myfeif that your Excellency's wifdom and humanity will endeavour to preferve my unhappy fellow-prifoner's life, and enr force his exchange. 1 have the honour to be, &c. &c. J. FERDINAND D. SMYTH. \ • - Capt. Q. Pv. Oyfter Bay, Long Iflmd, December 17, 1778. To the AMERICAN CONGRESS at Philadelphia. WHEN an enquiry after truth is fet on foot, from v/homfoever the enquiry originates, it becomes the duty of every individual to promote the difcovery of it ; and, as far as comes within hisown knowledge and obfervations, to make it public. But when the name of an enquiry after truth is proftituted to the purpofe of concealing it, when falfe N 5 affertions 274: A TOUR - IN* THE affertions are published Jo the world, fa6ts mifrepre- fented, and cqnclufions thereby formed totally void of foundation, and inconfiftent even with that huma- nity which is now fupported by powers at open war with each other, it then becomes an indifpenfible du- Ly;on every perfon, in whofe power it may be, to fet thofe matters enquired into, in a true and proper fight ; and it is alfo the duty,of thofe who ordered the enquiry to attend to every fuch well-fupported information, that is, if they wifh to fulfil avowed good intentions. ^ Fronrthefe motives I am induced to endeavour to fet you right, in regard to the . report of your Com - mitteeto you, concerning the cafe of Lieutenant- Colonel John Conn.ol.ly, a prifoner with you :— which report being founded on error and wrong, informa- tion, may have mifted you ; and as reprefented by you, would induce — In UNITED STATES OF -AMERICA. 2^9 , In that fituation we left him. But I fuppofe a few months imprifonment, even in a dungeon, is, by you, overlooked as a trifle of no" confequence. Having myfelf been then carried to a diftant place of confinement, I can ascertain nothing farther con- cerning him, of my own knowledge. But you con- fefs, 44 that you threw him foon afterwards in York Town gaol, on an information of his acting in a man- ner' inconfiftent with the fpirit of his paroled A mod jefuitical fubterfuge, whereby every officer on parole might, with equal propriety, be clofe confined, whenever it was found convenient. If a prifoner complies with the letter of his parole, it has always been thought fufficient. And let me acquaint you, that if adting contrary to the fpirit, or even the letter of their paroles was noticed or pu- niflied here, not an officer of your's, now at large on Long Ifland, but would long ago have been clofe. confined. It too plainly appear-, that this unfortunate officer has been equally injured by you throughout his whole captivity. And now, — Finis coronat opus, your fole, your mighty fiat, your laft refolye breaks all bounds, and ftrikes at his life, as 41 a fpy, and emiffary from the Britifh army,' rendering him amenable to a mot- ley government, and mock laws, originated, framed, and conftru&ed fince his captivity, months, and even years. And to conclude the whole, as. an infult,.on human underftanding, on ; Britiili humanity, and on the law of nations, you order your General to tranf- mit thefe refolves, acts, .and conclufions of iniquity of yours, by letter to the Commander in Chief* of his Majefly's forces j which, even as . reprefented by yourfelves, carry abfurdity and falfehood in their face, i /. ;,',„.' Your General, who wants not fenfc nor difeern-) xnent, 1 conceive never had a more difgraceful or un- welcome talk impofed on him. J If he has a fenfe .of honour or fhaifce left, or tt'at amiaUe and djfjdertt merit 280 A TOUR IN THE merit for which he was once ditlinguiflied, he would much more gladly undertake another Brooklyn, Bran- dywine, German Town, or Freehold affair, than fuch a talk of flagrant iniquity. It is almoft unnecefTary to take notice, that your rmifhing " refolve of making retaliation on a Britifli officer of the higheft rank in your po/TerHon," is only worthy of your caufe, and of the motives and men from whence it originates. It has always been obferved, that men are fond of entering on that particular line in which they are con- fcious they can excel : — hence your eagernefs after retaliation. But here again your thirft after barbarity and blood has betrayed you into the bare-faced avowal of that unequal and unjuft retaliation, of " caufing a Britim officer of the higheft rank in your power, to fufFer in the fuppofed manner of one of your Lieu- tenant-Colonels," whofe reftraint you yourfelves are alfo the occafion of, by your treatment of our unfor- tunate Lieut. Col. Connolly. However, this threat, and the execution of it, is of a piece with the whole of your proceedings. The horrid idea of an emulation in cruelty is /hock- ing to human nature, and is totally inconfiftent with generous fentiments. Thofe who are influenced by good principles can contend, even with an enemy, in difinterefted gene- rofity, and in actions /hewing greatnefs of foul. An idea that will probably a/loni/h you, being fo far out of your line of conduct. Notorious it is to the world, that you have long fported with the lives of men. Britons, even as enemies, have been more merciful to your ill-fated defenders, than you have been, under the fpecious, but pretended name, of friends and pro- tectors. The oppreffion and death of the innocent has long been familiar to you, and you have alfc imbrued your UNITED STATES 0> AMERICA. your hands in the blood of the peaceful Quaker, the inoffenlive citizen, and the harmlefs, ignorant ruftic, whofe lives and religion you affeft to de- fend. At laft, if pofiible, to add to the rneafure of your guilt, you are preparing to /lied, the blood of an in- nocent man, who has the honour to bear his Mijefty's commiflion as Lieutenant-Colonel, after above three years cruel imprifoniwent in your gaols, under the ian&ion of tribunals, and by convenient laws, made for the purpofe fince his captivity. But, for the fake of humanity, I could wifli you would firft confider the dreadful confequences of fuch a ftep. Yet, as nothiRg ef the kind.irorn you canifurprife me, I hope, if that fhould be my friend's unhappy fate, that he will bear the flrcke with a fortitude becoming the dignity of your much injured Sovereign, whom we have the honour to ferve, and the juftice of the caufe we maintain. T. FERDINAND D. SMYTH. Capt. R. Oyfter-Bay, Lan^ljland y December 17, 1778, The Congrefs, in a very Ihort time after the above anfwer had reached them, ordered the officer in queftion to be returned as a prifoner of war^ and foon afterwards in confequence thereof permitted him to be regularly ex- changed, C H A P, 282 A TOUR IN THE CHAP. LXXV. Fatal Termination of the War. Inaufpicious to both countries. Confequences to America of Se- paration from Great Britain^ and of Indepen- dence. Confequences of their connections and Alliance with France. OppreJJion^ Depopula- tion^ if??, of America. Unfit Place of Reft- dence. Reflections Concerning the American LoyaliJIs of every Defcription. THIS unhappy and unfortunate war having terminated in a manner fo peculiarly un- favourable and inaufpicious to the future profpe- rity of both countries, particularly to that of America, in a total feparation of government, intereft, and connexions, as far as people pro- ceeding from the fame origin, habituated to the fame manners and cuftoms, fpeaking the fame language, and profeffing the fame religion, can poffibly admit of* and what is ftill more extraor- dinary, and equally to be regretted, this fatal event is universally confeffed to be abfolutely zgainft the known and acknowledged intereft of tyoth. For thefe new formed United States of Ame- rica, at the expence of real freedom and the greateft (hare of felicity that ever was or will be poffefled by any people or community upon earth, at the expence of an increafing commerce and population, of opulence and perfect fecurity in pcrfon, property, and laws, of a name, as Britifti fubje&s, then held in the higeft refpeft aad veneration by all the powers in the known world; in fhort, at the expence of every bleffing UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. that could poffibly be defired, poflefTed,and enjoyed not only by the public a£ large, but by every individual thereof, have acquired what is abfo- lutely nothing' better than a (hadow, " a mo- " mentary, delufive, misconceived confequence " in the eftimation of other powers j?, f which will vanifh, like the phantom from whence jt proceeds, upon a more intimate knowledge and experience of its deception and fallacy. Nay, they have acquired what, is worfe than a fhadow ; they have fhackled themfejves in fetter.s, which every future ftruggle to difengage them- fejves from, will only rivet more firm) y an cj ren- der more heavy and oppreffive -> and to the fupport of which every year's experience will evince them to be altogether inadequate. For when the enormous load of their debt, contracted during this war, is confidered, the intereft of which alone is Sufficient to bear them down, added to their neceffkry and unavoidable expences in fupporting the dignity of thirteen , different governments, with the naval, and mi- litary, and civil eftablifliments of the whole y befides the annual pre fen ts to the Indians, and the enormous expences of ambaffadors, envoys, &c. at foreign courts, to watch over their fkeleton, commerce and intereft, to keep up their (hadow of dignity as free, independent, and Sovereign States, and to procure them fome fmall degree of refpecl: among other powers : Thefe vaft and con- tinued expenditures, compared with the refources from whence they all muft neceffarily be de- rived, viz. a country, inftead of advancing in opulence and ftrength, actually immerfed in po- verty, and decreafing in population in a degree that might alarm the moft powerful 5 a govern- ment 284 A TOUR IN THE ment unfettled, precarious, and doubtful, defti- tuteof energy, vigour, and firmnefs, and actu- ally incapable of enforcing their own decrees; a commerce fluctuating and unprofitable, with the balance of trade in every channel againft them ; two thirds of their fubjeCts abfolutely dif- affeCted to their rule, which is certainly the cafe, notwithftanding all that has been ailedged to the contrary, fecretly wifliing for the reftoration of that government which has been fo lately overturned ; and the remainder running into riots, confufion, and every kind of culpable and criminal violence and excefs, in open oppofition to and defiance of all legal authority : Without artifans, without manufacturers ; even common labour bearing an exhorbitant price, and feldom to be procured at all : When all this is duly at- tended to, what profpect is left of emancipation for this unfortunate country ? When their intoxication of having fucceeded in obtaining their boafted fatal independence has worn off, and the unavoidable preffure of taxes begins to operate and become grievous, then will they look back with inexpreffible concern and regret at the happy time when they enjoyed every felicity, fecurity, and fubftantial benefit, under the aufpices of the free and mild govern- ment of Great Britain. They will execrate the deftruCtive meafure, and moft fincerely lament the fatal period of feparation. Nor will even hope itfelf, the great fupporter in affliction, be left them for their comfort, to point out any method of extricating themfelves from their difficulties. For entangled in French politics, inthraled by ruinous obligations to, and an unnatural alliance UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 285 alliance with a nation totally different from themfelves inhabits, manners, and inclinations, in language and fentments, in religion, in form of government, and, in (hort, in every thing ; their rulers corruped by French gold, captivated by the tinfel parade, grandeur, and affected amity of that artful, perfidious, gaudy people, and influenced by their promifes and fpecious affability; unequal alfo to that fubtle nation in policy, and infineteiy inferior in opulence and power, what poffibiltty is there of the American States difengaging themfelves from their controul, or ever again becoming free ? From this reprefentation, which is by no means exaggerated, every perfon with the leaft fhare of difcernment, or even common underftanding, muft plainly fee how undefirable, and indeed unfit, a place of refidencc the United States of America muft be for any one whatfoever, either needy or affluent. For fo far is it from being poflible now to acquire a fortune in that country, that merely to retain what one already pofl'effes without diminution is a matter of difficulty, and to procure a decent and comfortable fubfiftence by trade or labour muft be next to impoffible. All the foregoing obfervations are evinced by the amazing depopulation of thefe provinces. A decreafe, for the time, unexampled in hiftory, and clearly proves every thing herein alledged. For the reafons muft be weighty indeed, that w r ould induce men to abandon their native land, their friends, fortunes, and deareft connections, and leave the fineft climate, country, and foil in the world to fettle where every thing is infi- nitely inferior, among (hangers, or an inclement barren wildernefs, and in a region of frofts and fogs. 286 ' a t6vr iw " ik£ J fogs* Yef this i$ undoubtedly the cafe at }>re- fent, and thus it Vvili continue. So that inftead of the numerous emigrations that formerly croudtd to America, increafing heir itrength, population, and .refources-, with a ra- pidity beyond all example^ the ftate of things is now reverfed, and multitudes of the inhabitants certainly ^are leaving the dominions of the Ame- rican States as fpeedily as they poffibly can. This flu&uating ftate of the country, arrd their unfettled verfatile government will likewife prevent a poffibility of any exaft account of thb United States of America being given for many years to come, as during that time they will be perpetually liable to changes y fo that what might have been a juft reprefentation in one year, may be found totally different in the next, the inevi- table confequence of their f refent fituation. Thefe obfervations naturally lead to a reflexi- on of the fituation of the American loyalifts of every description. Among whom I include all who have been true to their Sovereign in princi- ple, whether they have publicly declared it or not, as well as thofe who have openly avowed their allegiance and taken up arms in favour of Great Britain and the old eftablifhed govern- ment. •Of both thefe I confider the condition of fuch as have remained at their homes, and are now fubjeft to the domination of the Congrefs, as in reality the moft deplorable. The reft depend upon Great Britain for pro- tection, and it would be an indelible ltain up- on her honour, policy, and her moft facred en- gagements, were fhe to abandon them. But UNITED STAT£S OF AMERICA. 2$7 But the other poor unfortunate men, whofe hearts were as true as loyalty and virtue itfeflf, and who have been conftamly requeued to remain in peace at their homes, and were always prb- mjled never to be -given up or forfaken, and who, to my knowledge, would not have hefita- ted to fhed the 1 aft drop of their blood, had .they been called forth in fupport of their king and country, have now no power on earth to look •up to for protection from the infults and barba- rity of their illiberal, vindictive, implacable foes ij even hope itfclf is with-held from them, and they muft be reduced to abfolute defparation. Few have had fuch opportunities as I, of knowing and being witnefs to the ardent zeal, loyalty, and great defert, of thefe moil: unfortu- nate people, and my heart really bleeds for thek diftrelTes. How hard has been the fate of all thofe truly meritorious but unhappy men, the American Loyalifts of every denomination ! True to their king, faithful to their country, attached to the laws and conftitution, they Tiave continued firm and inflexible in the midft of perfecutions, tor- ments, and death. Many of them have abandon- ed their homes, their friends, their neareft and moft tender connections, and encountered all the toils of war, want, and mifery; folely actuated by motives the mod dilinterefted and vir- tuous. In fhort they have undergone trials and fuffer- ings with a determined .refolution and fortitude, unparalleled in hiftory ; and have fubmitted even to death foonerthan ftain their integrity, honour, 1 and principled loyalty with the odious guilt of rebellion againft their king. Yet 288 A TOUR IN THE, &C. Yet thefe very men, whofe virtues and defers arc above eftimation, have been publicly traduc- ed, vilified, and defamed, with every ipecies of obloquy and opprobrious epithet applied to them and their conduct, by the partizans of a ruin- ous faction in this country, for which they have fhed their blood, and facrificed their all. There cannot be a doubt but the more worthy and principal part of the nation reprobated fuck conduct, not only as illiberal, ungenerous, and unjuft, but impolitic alfo in the higheft degree; for fuch fubjects, as the American Loyalifts, were highly to be prized in any government, and were certainly entitled to every protection and encouragement that this could beftow. For no compenfation whatever can be adequate to the lofs fuftained by thefe deferving men, not only of their pcfTeffions, and the fociety of their friends and relations, but of that apparently efta- blifhed felicity and affluence, which they them- felves, and their pofterity after them, had the profpeel of enjoying for ages to come. FINIS: AVE* i£x ICtbrtB SEYMOUR DURST When you leave, please leave this book Because it has been said "£ver'thing comes t' him who waits Except a loaned book." Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library Gift of Seymour B. Durst Old York Library