Perkins, Nathan
A narrative of a tour through the state of Vermont
from April E7 to June 12, 1789.
\%>odatook,Vt.,1920. - '

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REV. PERKINS IN VERMONT 1 789

REV. NATHAN PERKINS AND WIFE

A
NARRATIVE OF A TOUR
THROUGH THE
STATE OF VERMONT
FROM APRIL 27 TO JUNE 12
1789 BY
THE REVd NATHAN PERKINS
OF HARTFORD

" I have zealouily & uniformly endeavoured to hold up
ye truth plainly — to alarm y<= Conscience:— to inform y«
judgement & to engage ye heart."

THE ELM TREE PRESS
ELM STREET WOODSTOCK VERMONT
1920

Copyright, 1920
Geo. Bird Grinnell

FOREWORD
Nathan Perkins was born in 1 749 and was graduated from
Princeton College in 1 770. He was fifth in descent from John
Perkins, who reached Boston on the ship Lyon in February,
1631, and afterwards settled in Ipswich. In the year 1774
Nathan Perkins received from Yale the honorary degree S. T.
D., and in 1 80 1 from Princeton that of D. D. For more than
sixty-five years he was pastor of the Third Church of West
Hartford, Connecticut, and was greatly beloved and looked up
to by his parishioners. He was considered one of the most
eminent Divines of his day.
He married Catherine Pitkin, daughter of Rev. Timothy
Pitkin and Temperance Clap, who was the daughter of the
Rev. Thomas Clap, for many years President of Yale College,
and of Mary Whiting. A son, also Nathan Perkins, born in
Hartford, graduated from Yale in the Class of 1 795, and for
many years preached at Amherst, Mass. His daughter, Eliza,
born in the year 1 800, married Hon. George Grinnell, of
Greenfield, Mass.
This narrative is a diary and expresses freely its author's views
of conditions in the new settlements and of the people he met.
As a diary, written merely for his own eye, it is hardly open
to criticism. Yet its frankness makes it amusing, and, apart fiom
its historical value, it is a human document of no little interest.
The writer was a keen judge of men and women, and recog
nized and admired the courage and endurance of the settlers
of the new country, their kindliness and helpfulness to each
other, and, above all, the splendid self sacrifice of the wives of
these settlers. To these fine qualities he pays high tribute.
[5]

The route he followed may be traced on any map of West
ern New England. It led through Connecticut and Massachu
setts up through Western Vermont, about as far as Burlington,
and the return was over the same route. At one point he en
tered New York and passed through the town of Hampton in
that state.
Just what was the bloody battle fought during the French
War on the banks of the La Platte River seems uncertain.
The river is a small stream running into Shelbume Bay just
south of Burlington Bay.
The original manuscript of the narrative is in my possession.
G. B. G.

A Narrative of a Tour through the State of Vermont in the
year 1 789 — from April 27 — to June 12 to preach ye Gos
pel to the New Settlements in that State by the Rev^ Nathan
Perkins of Hartford appointed by ye Association of Hartford
County at the instance & request of the General Association
of Connecticut. 5 13 115
April 27 I left Hartford and set out for Vermont.
Took leave of my family, a tender Companion & five
dear Children, with painful reluctance, & an anxious
heart. I affectionately recommended them to the pro
tection & care of a kind Providence, influenced by ye
Call of duty & Conscience. I reached Symsbury by one
O'clock & dined with ye Rev1* Mr. Stebbins ; not pre
pared to receive Company glad to see me, & we dis
coursed on Divinity, politics & my journey.
Two O'clock P. M. mounted my horse — rode on
as usual a slow pace, contemplating every surrounding
object — amusing myself with ye works of nature, ye
season — ye state of agriculture & rusticity of y= people's
manners. — Dear travelling. — No hay. — no oats.
My horse deeply grieved. About Sun-set arrived at
the Revd Mr. Clinton's of South wick; procured horse-
keeping with a neighbour of his. 2 s per night. Mr.
Clinton Out, but soon comes home ; I had already in
troduced myself to Mrs. Clinton. She was just getting
up from Child-bed ; not very polished nor used to
[9]

Company : thought her boy ye finest in ye world —
most beautiful — most sprightly — most promising. I
smiled & Chesterfield-like bestowed some compliments
to please ye vanity of parental fondness. Innocent
pleasantry! — She introduced me to her husband. — A
Man of moderate abilities & moderate acquirements.
— The evening passed in dulness & insipidity. Poor
Supper — wretched breakfast — tea paler than water —
Sugar heavier than lead. I then began to experience
that hard & coarse fare which, wasted away my flesh
in ye progress of my travels & made me often, often re
gret my tour, how often have I remembered home —
a table richly furnished, & elegantly set — food dressed,
in ye neatest & best manner. - - - -
Tuesday 28 of April, 8 o'clock A. M. Set out for
Westfield. Reached Revd Mr. Atwater's, a sensible,
agreable man — an ingenious and cunning philosopher.
Showed me his garden — his nursery of English &
Italian Mulberries — ye former cut off & set out like
prim-hedge — ye latter sowed as peas, & raised from
ye seed. Talked a few minutes on important Subjects
& left him loaded with his best wishes. — Went on
to Westfield mountains with a heavy heart. — The
mountains as bad riding as they well could be — 2
O'clock P. M. came to Revd Mr. Badger's, of Blan-
ford. He absent — his wife old-poor-homely-kind.
four years older than her husband, & courted him —
helped to defray ye expenses of his Education by her
[10]

own industry. A very poor dinner — bad bread — no
sauce — no elegance or good Cookery. 3 O'Clock
journeyed to Becket. About 6 O'clock reached my
Brothers & was richly & sumptuously entertained. —
Wednesday 10 O'Clock left his house, one of ye
best in ye Country. Dined with Revd Mr. Balantine
of Washington — a poor town, & a disgrace to ye ex
alted name which it bears — cold land — bad for grain
— good for grass — came to Mr. Moses Steales. They
were overjoyed to see me — ready to eat me up with
love and kindness. Wished, & wished, I could preach
there, that they might see ye house once crowded, &
that ye people might know what preaching was. Left
Washington, Wednesday, 4 o'clock, & reached Pits-
field about Sun-set. Put up at Mr. Allyn's, ye presby-
terian Minister, of ye town. Introduced myself to him.
He is a sociable man, — awkard in his manners, — a
handsome woman for his wife, — an infant at ye breast,
yc 1 1 Child, all living. Poor Cookery, — no elegance, —
common fare, — bad house-keeping. Mr. Allyn dises-
teemed by his people : a pleasant town, — a few good
buildings near ye Centre, a small meeting house, — few
people attend public worship, — loose morals, — loose
principles,— good land, — no good fencing timber ; —
200 families scattered over ye town, — quite as many
as can live there. Thursday, 8 o'clock A. M, — pro
ceeded on my journey with ye good wishes of ye gen
tleman, I left : came to Lainsborough, 6 miles, a good
Ml]

township of land,— pleasant,— thick settled, for so
young a place — many emigrated from it. People not
very civilized. Called on Revd Mr. Collins — from
home he was. His wife uncommonly glad to see me.
— a woman of ambition & pride — a daughter of y*
same properties ; very sociable. — there I had an inter
view with Revd Mr. Buckminster of Rutland — a grave
well-behaved aged man. Mr. Collins happy with his
people, enjoys their confidence & esteem. Went on to
Ashford & to Williamstown — broken, mountainous
Country — exceedingly unpleasant — Mountains lofty
indeed — above yE clouds — good land in ye Vallies.
1 5 miles — came to Revd Mr. Swift's, poor house —
poor living — no luxury — no elegance — gloomy wo
man for his wife — he epileptic, but kind — native
sense, but no acquaintance with books — Williams
town ye northwest town in ye Common Wealth of
Massachusetts. — Friday entered ye State of Vermont
— a bad appearance at y* entrance, Pawnal ye first
town, poor land — very unpleasant — very uneven —
miserable set of inhabitants — no religion, Rhode Is
land haters of religion — baptists, quakers, & some
presbyterians — no meeting house. — Friday came to
Bennington 6 miles — Capitol at present of Vermont —
a good town of land, people, proud — scornful — con
ceited & somewhat polished — small meeting house —
considerably thick-settled, as many, as can possibly get a
living; — no stone; — no fencing timber; — some elegant
[12]

building ; — a County town ; — a tolerable Court-house
& jail; — a good grammar school. The Revd Mr.
Swift their Minister, ye Apostle of Vermont — well
esteemed among his own people, & in ye State, at
large ; put up at his house : — he not at home ; gone
over to ye College. — his wife handsome, — serious, —
weakly, — Lawyer Segwick's sister, — ten children one
at ye breast, — two daughters grown up, homely, — un
polished, — countrified in manners, and without any
elegance. Visited Judge Robinson, — Chief justice of
ye State. A man of sense & of religion, rich & un
commonly dutiful to an aged Mother, eminent for her
attainments in goodness. Saturday May ye Second,
rode to Shaftsbury — Saw ye hill where ye Benning
ton battle was fought, six miles from ye town, — a bat
tle which will be greatly celebrated in ye history of
America. Called on Elder Blood of Shaftsbury, — a
baptist Minister of a public education, — candid & sup
ported as presbyterian Ministers are, — lives low,—
poor ; — wife old, — ordinarily looking ; — serious and
very dirty —A good township of land : — passed on
to Aldington, — An episcopal Church there, — a very
rough, uneven, hilly poor town, ye present governor of
ye State resided there during ye war, in a very indif
ferent house. The noted Shays & his family live here,
in great poverty & obscurity. Went on to Sunderland,
called on Col. Timothy Brownson one of ye Council
of ye State, was treated with hospitality — ye family
[13]

kind, but destitute of all taste & polish. 1 Sabbath in
May, preached at Sunderland, in a barn, to a consid
erable audience, very attentive & much affected, re
ceived much applause; a raving arminian methodist
preached in ye Evening ; Here lived formerly ye awful
Deist Ethan Allyn, — so known in Vermont, who de
lighted in calling himself ye old philosopher. In his
house now lives a quaker from Long Island, with a
young girl from Seabrook whom he seduced, though
a married man, a picture of beauty & elegance. Sab
bath Evening went to Major Brownson, rich & kind
& generous, — keeps 70 head of Cattle. — Monday 3 of
May journeyed to Manchester, half shire town hemmed
in by lofty mountains, a number of houses in ye center,
— a small meeting house, half baptists, — loose town,
— called on Mr. Elias Gilbert, a serious man ; — visited
ye house of Col. Keyes, his wife gone out on a visit ;
— he, in Canada, rafting lumber — Went on to Dor
set, called on Rev. Mr. Sill, a good friendly man, ex
tremely poor — poor looking family, — poor land, — got
some directions of him, as to my route, — passed to Pol-
let, through Rupert, called on Revd Mr. Bebee, a serious
man, who left honor & ye prospects of wealth for ye
Gospel, sensible, of little reading, — of narrow senti
ments,— a weakly wife, a poor hut,— a friendly heart,
— mean victuals,— destitute of neatness. Wednesday
5th May, set out from Pollet, for Middletown, preach
ed at one Reed's in a dark room — to a small collec-
[14]

tion of people, chiefly Connecticut Separates, very ser
ious & attentive, put up at Mr. Minor's, a kind man,—
a kind wife, — wretched fare, — wretched bed, — eat up
with flees, — no hay, — my horse starving. — Thursday
journeyed to Tinmouth, & preached, at Mr. Porter's,
one of ye Council of ye State, — his wife a most pious
woman, — a few people very much affected with my
sermon. Friday 8th day of May, heavy snow.— I went
to judge Mattock's, — was kindly received. He is
treasurer of ye State. Saturday went to Clarindon —
to Elihu Smiths esq, — a rich man, — a great boaster, —
a fine farm on ye otter Creek, preached 2 Sabbath in
May at his house, — yc people of Wallingford met with
Clarindon, very attentive. I fared badly at Clarindon,
& my horse worse, here I had an Interview with ye
Revd Mr. Swift of Bennington, & Mr. Marsh, Master
of Bennington Academy. Monday 9th May, — went
to Rutland on ye Otter-Creek, a County town, con
siderably settled, called on Mr. Williams Esq, and was
introduced to Dr. Williams from Cambridge, Massa
chusetts, late professor of philosophy there, but was
guilty of forgery & resigned, — a well looking & a
learned man — a good speaker, lofty & haughty in his
air — & preaching there, to my surprise, elevated with
y= idea of having a College there. — Lodged at Mr.
Flints in Brandon, — meanest of all lodging, — dirty, —
fleas without number. May 1 0th rode to Leicester & put
up at Col. Sawyers, & Wednesday preached a Lec-
[15]

ture, at his house, & baptised a child for him, — a
rough, violent, savage man, — extraordinary spot in na
ture for Mills, & a pond by his door, where he raises
fish. Thursday rode to Middlebury, — to Major Chip-
man's— to Mr. Smally's & to Mr. Fleide's preached
a lecture at Mr. Thayer's to a considerable of an au
dience, — they were all attention, next day, rode to
Mr. foote's, stayed all night, a high tempered, boastful
man, conceited, vulgar, — & highly inelegant, in ye
house. — Next day to New Haven, — preached at a
log house, — people serious & anxious to hear ye word.
— I was greatly worried & fatigued with riding, — poor
living, nothing but brook water to drink, — & no com
fortable victuals, — my nature almost exhausted, — went
to Mr. Cooke's in New-haven, friday & Saturday
morning nine o'Clock, preached, in a log house, & ye
people wonderfully attentive. Slept, in an open log
house, where it rained on me, in ye night, & no keep
ing for my horse. Saturday 1 6th of May rode on after
preaching to Moreton, — Pocock — mud belly deep to
my horse, & I thought I should have perished : felt
warm gratitude to heaven that my life was spared,—
my health & strength continued, through such hardships
& unwholesome food, — arrived just at night at Mr.
Steeles my old parishioner, — was cordially welcome,
& gratefully received at Hinsburgh.— preached 3th Sab
bath in May, at his house,— a large audience for ye
wilderness, & deeply attentive. He lives well. Land
[16]

good — gathered ye church & organized them on
Wednesday, preached a lecture & baptized a Child
for Mr. Elisha Steele. Thursday 20 of May set out for
Williston where governor Chittenden lives. — baptised
five children, rode through ye woods, 1 4 miles, y*5 rid
ing as bad as it could be, almost half of ye trees in ye
woods blown down by ye violence of ye wind last
year. Came to one Deacon Talcotts and he accom
panied me to his Excellency's Governor Chittenden's.
A low poor house. — a plain family — low, vulgar man,
clownish, excessively parsimonious, — made me wel
come, — hard fare, a very great farm, — 1 000 acres, —
hundred acres of wheat on ye onion river — 200 acres
of extraordinary interval land. A shrewd cunning man
— skilled in human nature & in agriculture — under
stands extremely well yc mysteries of Vermont, appa
rently and professedly serious. Williston a fine town
ship of land, — soil fertile. And all ye towns upon ye
lake Champlain & for three teer back ye best sort of
land. Not very heavy timbered, or stony or mountainous,
well intersected with streams, & y"5 streams full of
small fish. — Two noted streams ye Otter-Creek and
ye onion river — About 300 towns in the State of Ver
mont — 6 miles square — about 40 of ye towns upon
ye green mountains — very cold — snow upon ye top
of them till June; commonly — good grazing land about
half way up ye green mountains — they almost end at
latitude 44 1 -2 — I go up as far as there are any Settle-
[17]

ments large enough to gather a Congregation — within
thirty miles of Canada line — days perceiveably longer
— in reality 20 minutes longer. Moose plenty on yc
mountains over against Jericho, Essex & Colchester —
people hunt them — eat them in lieu of beef — & get
their tallow. Bears & wolves plenty — timber, beach,
— maple, — pine, hemlock, cherry, — birch & some oak
and Walnut — about as many as 40 families, in a
town, upon an average, about 40 towns totally un
settled — land extraordinarily good — from Rutland &
Tinmouth clear to Canada line. Curiosities of ye
country — ye innumerable high mountains 3 & 4 miles
up them — I — 1-2 perpendicular. — covered with snow
now three feet in depth — Lime stone in abundance
scattered every where, but no good building stone —
a lime pit of two acres in Sunderland — the lower end
of ye State poor compared to ye North end — narrow
& rough, — No cheese any where — no beef — no but
ter — I pine for home — for my own table. — Words
cannot describe ye hardships I undergo, or ye strength
of my desire to see my family — & to be with them.
How affectionately do I remember them, hundreds of
times every day, & shed a tear, in ye woods — got
lost twice in ye woods already — heard y* horrible
howling of ye wolves. Far absent — in ye wilderness
— among all strangers — all alone — among log-huts —
people nasty — poor — low-lived — indelicate — and mis
erable cooks. All sadly parsimonious — many, profane
[18]

— yet cheerful & much more contented than in Hart
ford — and the women more contented than ye men
— turned tawny by ye smoke of ye log-huts — dress
coarse, & mean, & nasty, & ragged. — Some very
clever women & men — serious & sensible. Scarcely
any politeness in ye State — Scarcely any sensible
preaching — will soon settle Ministers in most of ye
towns — and in a few years be a good Country, plea
sant, & well to live in. — Some of our Ministers from
Connecticut disesteemed, because injudicious — about
one tenth part of y6 State quakers & anabaptists —
Episcopalians, and universalists ; & a 1-4 deists. The
body of ye people will be like Connecticut — & ye
land, take it together rather preferable to ye land in
our State — rather more feasible. A great advantage
to my character, usefulness & honour coming from ye
Centre & Capital of Connecticut. They conceived a
high opinion of my abilities & address, at first, merely
from ye above circumstance of place. They were far
better pleased than I could even imagine with my per
formances compared with Mr. Williston's — Mr. Day's
— Mr. Hawley's, Mr. Bogal's & others. They were
charmed with my sermons & my delivery ; & bestow
ed encomiums which it would be vain in me to repeat,
— Such as ye very first-rate — philosophical — Deep
— penetrating — a great Scholar — angelic — The
angel Gabriel could not go before him — no wonder
his people admire him, and such-like praises. I felt
[19]

oppressed with shame — & humility. Such things do
not elevate me. I am above them & have a higher end.
I have zealously & uniformly endeavoured to hold up
ye truth plainly — to alarm ye Conscience; — to inform
ye judgment & to engage ye heart; — exhorted; — ad
monished; — comforted; — & done all I could, in con
versation, as well as, Sermons, to give ye nature of true
Religion ; — to impress its duties ; to guard from errors ;
— from superstition & enthusiasm ; — to make ye Gos
pel appear lovely & glorious. I trust my Evangelical
Tour will be greatly beneficial to as many as about 50
towns — improving to myself — I see ye mighty works
of Diety — ye hard fate of New Settlers — ye grounds,
abundant grounds of gratitude for ye elegancies of my
own house, situation & living, — & ye awful & deep
criminality of all complaint, — peevishness & ingratitude.
My living & situation is a paradise compared to Ver
mont: — far: — far happier than any I have seen. — O
how happy ! happy am I at home. I will study to be
more contented, — more serene, — more thankful. And
to make my family so. When I go from hut to hut,
from town to town, in ye Wilderness, ye people noth
ing to eat, — to drink, — or wear, — all work, & yet ye
women quiet, — serene, — peaceable, — contented, lov
ing their husbands, — their home, — wanting never to re
turn,— nor any dressy clothes ; I think how strange ! —
I ask myself are these women of ye same species with
our fine Ladies ? tough are they, brawny their limbs, —
[20]

their young girls unpolished — & will bear work as well
as mules. Woods make people love one another &
kind & obliging and good natured. They set much
more by one another than in ye old settlements. Leave
their doors unbarred. Sleep quietly amid flees — bed-
buggs — dirt & rags. O how vile, — how guilty, — how
ungrateful to providence are our women ! tell lies about
one another — envy one another — go abroad, dress &
enjoy fine roads — carriages husbands to wait on them
— & are yet uneasy — unaffectionate ! Could they see
— Could my Lady so agreeable & pleasant to me, only
see & endure what I have, how contented — how easy
— how thankful would she be ! she would feel a rapt
ure of devotion & gratitude to heaven for our happy
lot. — Every time she goes to meeting, or abroad, — or
ascends ye Chaise, she would feel her enviable lot.
No words can describe ye pleasing situation, when con
trasted with almost all ye world ! How have I longed
to see another pleasing Sabbath at home ! — I have rode
more than 1 00 miles and seen no meeting house ! —
I can now realize what our forefathers suffered in set
tling America ! — I grieve to hear what thousands &
thousands have endured — women & Children in com
ing to this State bf Vermont. — One thing is now deep
ly affecting. The frowns of ye Almighty are on this
State for their sins. The seasons have been for two
years back very unfavorable. A famine is now felt in
this land. I have heard.— I have read of famines, but
[21]

never saw one before, or was in y® midst of one. the
year 1 789 will be remembered by Vermont as a day
of calamity and famine — dearness of truck & want of
bread in all their dwellings. It is supposed by ye most
judicious & knowing that more than 1 -4 part of ye peo
ple will have neither bread nor meat for 8 weeks — and
that some will starve. How affecting ye idea ! I have
mourned with ye inhabitants. Several women I saw
had lived four or five days without any food, and had
eight or ten Children starving around them — crying
for bread & ye poor women had wept till they looked
like Ghosts. Many families have lived for weeks on
what y8 people call Leeks — a sort of wild onion —
very offensive to me — it poisons all ye milk & Butter
of ye new settlements, while ye Cows go in ye woods.
— I perform this day 22th Saturday ye office of physi
cian & nurse to Mrs. Chittenden who is very sick with
a disorder called, St. Anthony's fire. Miss Leita
Chittenden, ye young Lady 1 6 years old, & I, nurse
together. They seem to love me, as a brother, & y*5
Governor as a son. I struck them upon ye right key. —
Queer is human nature & has a blind side. His Excel
lency picked me out to understand human nature, at
first sight. He laughed about some of my zealous Con
necticut brethren Particularly Mr. Williston. The
whole Country of Vermont will in process of time, be
extremely difficulted to fence their Land. There is no
such good fencing timber as in Connecticut. Stone-
[22]

wall can never be made. The mountains are rocky,
but too steep to carry ye stone into ye Vallies. Satur
day — 2 O Clock P — M. quite home-sick today.—
Vermont will not be a grain Country after a few
years. Not a wheat — or rye — or Indian corn Coun
try, particular spots excepted. Nor a very good Coun
try for Orchards. I suffer as much for ye want of
drink as any thing. Brook-water is my chief drink.
The maple cyder is horrible stuff — no malt in ye
Country. — Their beer poor bran beer. — Visited
about 50 new towns, preached about 6 days in
seven. — Had a numerous Assembly at Williston,
people of Jericho and Essex came to hear me & Josiah
Steele from Hinsburg 1 4 miles ; preached in a barn
of Col. Spafford's 1 00 feet long. Audience peculiarly
attentive, opposed Deism in my discourse ; ventured to
speak much from rising circumstances, without writing
& have always found a very great freedom. Sabbath
Evening left his Excellency's & and went over Onion
River to Jericho — a deep stream and wide, swam my
horse over — Put up at Deacon Roade's a pious man
— had no comfortable refreshment — was almost starv
ed because I could not eat ye coarse fare provided for
me — no candles pine splinters used in lieu of them —
bed poor & full of flees — Monday 25 rode out 4
miles into ye wilderness & preached in a log house to
a number of people who were deeply effected — &
baptised three Children, & conversed much on religious
[23]

subjects. 10 O Clock A. M. — dined with Lewis
Chapin where I preached — a sensible serious man &
his wife exceedingly amiable. When I took leave of
them She wept heartily & shook hands with me affec
tionately & left a quarter of a dollar in my hand —
and did it with a grace & politeness. His Excellency
also at parting with me, in Jericho, where he accom
panied me — bid me farewell & shook hands with me,
& left a dollar in my hand. — Monday afternoon rode
6 miles to Essex, a terrible rode, & lodged with Tim
othy Bliss, Esq — a kind, serious & curteous family.
Tuesday morning very much fatigued for all yc preceed-
ing evening, people came in to see me & I talked till I
was so tired that I could not sleep — A sister of Dr.
Hopkins of Hartford lives there, a sensible woman —
rode from Mr. Bliss's 4 miles & preached at Mr. Mor
gan's. A horrible rode. There I gathered & incorpo
rated a Church, & admitted a member, and drew ye
form of Covenant. The people deeply affected. Tears
flowed plentifully — all affected, young people, & Chil
dren & myself. — Here my horse got away & steered
for Hartford, he had undergone hardships enough he
thought. — 3 O Clock P M — accompanied by Mr.
Bliss Esq — Set out for Colchester — Burlington &
Shelburn. — Arrived at Onion-river falls & passed by
Ethan Allyn's grave. An awful Infidel, one of ye wick
edest men y* ever walked this guilty globe. I stopped
& looked at his grave with a pious horror. — Rode on
[24]

to Burlington Bay — one of ye most delightful places
in nature. — Passed over Colchester-bridge, one of ye
greatest curiosities of Vermont — ye Bridge about sixty
feet from ye ground on two high rocks on each bank,
where all ye waters of ye onion river are compressed
into a narrow space of 40 feet. — From Burlington
Bay, I set out alone unaccompanied to Shelburn
through ye wilderness on ye Lake Champlain — next
to no rode — mud up to my horse's belly — roots thick
as they could be, no house for 4 miles. — I got lost.
My horse nearly gave out, excessively worried with ye
bad travelling. O how anxious was I ! I expected
every step to be killed. — I was hungry, dry, had been
almost exhausted by labours in preaching, conversing
& gathering a Church. — How much would I have
given to have been at home — to have seen my dear
wife & children. It seemed as if I never should have
ye pleasure again to see them. Night come on — I
could travel no farther — I found a little log hut & put
up there. Could get no supper — my horse no feed —
Slept on a Chaff-bed without covering — a man, his
wife & 3 children all in ye same nasty stinking room. —
rose by sun-rise Wednesday morning 26 of May —
travelled through ye woods, crossed ye River de Plate
about two miles from ye mouth — a river so called
from a bloody battle fought on its banks between ye
french & English ; — passed an ugly swamp & found
Mr. Smith's Esq 9 O Clock A. M. Got breakfast &
[25]

am homesick enough — ye woman agreeable — has
another husband alive — he ran away from her & was
gone 1 3 years, because of debt. She says, She loved
him dearly, but has gotten her affections now entirely
weaned. Last winter she & her present husband acci-
denttally met him on ye rode. And ye sight of him
gave her no uneasiness any more than to see another
man. At Burlington Bay Col. Stephen Keyes whipped
bruised & almost killed a Dr. Stephens last month be
cause he brought in a high bill for attending his father
in-law, Col. Sheldon when sick there ye winter past. —
Land extraordinarily good all along on ye lake & for
20 miles back. People troubled with ye fever & ague.
Colchester & Burlington all deists & proper heathen.
About one quarter of ye inhabitants & almost all ye
men of learning diests in ye State. People pay little
regard to ye Sabbath, hunt & fish on that day frequent
ly. Not more than 1 -6 part of ye families attend family
prayer in y* whole State. About 1 -2 would be glad to
have ye Gospel & to support public worship & ye gos
pel Ministry. The rest would chuse to have no Sabbath
no ministers — no religion — no heaven — no hell — no
morality. 
4 O Clock P M preached a lecture at Esq Smith's.
The hearers very much affected. Went home with
Capt. Comstock. His wife my cousin. A woman
greatly esteemed; live on yc Lake shore & have a good
farm. Thursday 1 1 O Clock AM — went out in a
[26]

pleasure boat on ye Lake where Arnold's fleet was
defeated by ye british, a raft of Lumber went off for
Canada — w1* covered an acre of water & had two
ltttle huts on it. The rafting business unprofitable for
ye State and for individuals that undertake it. Thursday
had an interview with an old College acquaintance, a
Candidate who had preached to 90 vacancies & been
a Candidate for 1 8 years. He rode with me to Mr.
Roswell Hopkins in New Haven ye Secretary of ye
State — a modest, diffident & sensible man. Lodged
with him — a wretched log house — Slept in ye midst
of ye family. Friday went to Esq Brash's, at ye City
— viewed ye falls of ye Otter Creek & ye works there.
The falls 40 feet, a great curiosity. Plum trees natural
to y* Country — after viewing ye falls went down ye
Creek & crossed ye ferry. And reached General
Strong's in Addison 5 O Clock P M — a pleasant
place on y6 Lake two miles north of Crown Point &
a sensible man. Here I had ye pleasure of seeing Major
Storrs, my old Pupil; now State Attorney for ye County
of Addison. Now some history of ye Country of Ver
mont follows— Lake George Southwest of Lake Cham
plain — 30 miles long & two and an half broad at a
medium. Lake Champlain 1 60 long & 3 miles broad at
a medium. West on York side broken, barren & mount
ainous land 6 high white mountains, white as y"5 new
fallen snow.— Lake Champlain heads south at Skeens-
borough & North forms a junction with ye St. Law-
[27]

rence at Chamblee called ye rapids of St. John's. Ver
mont two hundred miles long, 40 broad at yc South ;
& 98 at North, Latitude 45 — at a medium 60 miles
broad — about 300, 6 mile square towns ; and will
bear about 200 families per town or 360000 Souls.—
Saturday A M — 1 0 O Clock. Wished — and wish
ed to see my dear wife. I have almost forgotten how
she looks. It is more painful than words can describe,
to be absent from one's family alone in ye woods. Fri
day was taken sick at Crown-point. Saturday very sick
and wanted to see my family. Sabbath day quite sick
and preached at Addison. Audience very attentive.
Almost sunk into gloom. Seemed yl I could not live.
Monday passed Crown-point — Bredport — Shorum —
Orwill & Fair-Haven. Crown-point a remarkable place
more than a million of money Sterling laid out in erect
ing ye works there, the Lake half a mile wide, ye fort
on ye west side. Mount Independence in Orwill on
ye East side of ye Lake. Ticonderoga opposite on y*
West side 15 miles south of Crown-point. Orwill
Joshua Tracy Esq lives, become very rich, owns 9000
acres of land — vain — loquacious — foolish — & proud.
Fair-Haven lives Dr. Smith, a sensible, polite man —
full of vanity. Col. Lion, a driving man in business, a
deist. Passed through Hampton in Yorke State. Came
to Poultney. Vermont Clergy sate there in Associa
tion. Illiterate, miserably appearing body. Preached at
Poultney to ye Association, on y"5 divine government.
[28]

Received ye highest encomiums & warmest applause
from all ye Gentlemen of ye Clergy. Conversed some
in ye Association & was listened to as an Oracle. Here
saw Revd Mr. Avery of Stamford, on a mission to
Vermont. He appeared Chagrined & deeply mortified
at y* Superior defference showed to me ; & was full
of envy at my popularity.— Wednesday afternoon rode
to Wells and preached to a listening congregation.
After Sermon proceeded on to Pollet. At Wells six
of ye preachers attended me, & were all attention &
said, if they could preach so easy & so elegantly, & so
sentimentally, they would preach all ye time. Thurs
day preached at Pawlet ; put up at Rev*1 Mr. Be-
bee's — talked to his people. They dissatisfied with
his rigidity. — Friday 1 0 O Clock preached at Rupert
where ye Revd Mr. Bebee accompanied, and I had
two or three learned Deists to hear me. Afternoon
went on to Dorset & 4 o Clock preached there.
Lodged with Revd Mr. Sill, an aged, friendly man,
but moderate talents. Saturday accompanied by him
I rode to Manchester, put up at Mr. Richardson's.
Sabbath Morning rode 3 miles to Manchester meeting
house — here I went to Col. Keyes. His wife glad to
see me & very polite. Here I was introduced to one
of general Allyn's daughters now Mrs. Hitchcock.
Both rank deists — two more deists at meeting — I felt
very disagreeably all day. 4 o Clock rode down to
Sunderland to preach 5 O Clock where I kept my first
[29]

Sabbath in my evangelical tour. Mr. Hitchcock Sr/his
Lady — Mrs. Keyes & Mr. Langdon & others attend-;
ed me. I felt most severely to find ye Deists flocking
after me. I was very affectionately welcomed by this
people. They seemed overjoyed to see me. Many
came to see me in ye evening to bid me farewell &
gave me a little money. Monday morning June 8th
set out for home Met yc govornor of Vermont on my
rode to Shaftsbury. He expressed much love for me.
Bid him farewell. — 1 2 O Clock reached Bennington —
here saw Mr. Swift, ye Apostle for ye State. A sensi
ble worthy man. After dinner set out for Williams
town — through Pawnal. — Monday night lodged with
Rev"* Mr. Swift of that place he has y6 epilepsy. A
good man. Tuesday morning 6 o Clock set out from
his house to Lainsborough. Called on Mr. Collins. He
was gone to ye seaside with a consumptive daughter.
Sad occasion ! — My horse was very lame. Went to a
blacksmith & he found his hoof badly gravelled. Rode
on to Becket. At Washington called on Mr. Steele —
see Colo Steele — Mrs. Milichen all overwhelmed
with joy to see me. Reached my Brothers — about
dark, fatigued very much ; — overcome with ye suffer
ings of my journey. Wednesday morning 10th June
expected to have set out for home, but it rained hard.
I feel gloomy — how hard to bear disappointments ! I
set my heart upon seeing my family this day. I am dis
tressed to see them. I know not how to content myself
[30]

one hour. O how painful is absence from dear friends!
It is tearing ye heart to pieces. I would give almost
any thing to see my dear family.— But must be patient.
An alwise Being orders all things. All day I am mel-
ancholly & wretched. My wife is not out of my
thoughts one half hour. How often has she been in
my mind and remembered constantly & fervently in
my supplications to heaven. I hope she as often re
members me. It would break her heart to know how
much I have undergone. Every body is kind to me.
Brother Samuel is coming to preach at Becket. How
mysterious ye events of Providence ! Hope he will do
good. — Thursday 1 1 th June set out early for home.
How rejoiced am I to set my face homeward, acci-
dently heard a word from my family yesterday & of
a sudden death among my people, a man thrown from
a horse & instantly killed. What gratitude do I owe
to a benevolent providence that I have been preserved
through all ye perils of journeying ! — Every step my
horse takes brings me nearer home, & every moment
nearer Eternity. What a vain world is this: Human
life is but a journey. My sublimest happiness is doing
good, and I believe I have done much good in my mis
sion to ye New Settlements. I have now arrived at my
own doors — myself & family all in health. — And
my warmest praise shall be offered to ye kind, watch
ful care of an indulgent Providence. May my journey
of life end happily & of all my family.
[31]

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