Travels in the United States of America Commencing in the Year 1793, and Ending in 1797 | Page 9

house of any description.], romantically situate on the bank of
the Scuylkill. At six in the evening we ordered coffee, which I was
informed they were here famous for serving in style. I took a
memorandum of what was on the table; viz. _coffee, cheese, sweet

cakes, hung beef, sugar, pickled salmon, butter, crackers, ham, cream_,
and bread. The ladies all declared, it was a most _charming relish_!
Yours sincerely, &c.
* * * * *
_Philadelphia, March 12th, 1794._
Dear Friend,
The price of labour in this country is very great, owing to the prospect
an industrious man has of procuring an independance by cultivating a
tract of the waste lands; many millions of acres of which are how on
sale by government; to say nothing of those held by individuals. The
money arising from the sale of the former is appropriated to the
discharge of the national debt.
During my residence in Jersey, I was at no little pains to inform myself
of the difficulties attending a back settler. We will suppose a person
making such an attempt to possess one hundred pounds, though many
have been successful with a much less sum: his first care is to purchase
about three hundred acres of land, which, if it is in a remote western
settlement, he will procure for about nineteen pounds sterling: he may
know the quality of the land by the trees, with which it is entirely
covered. The hickory and the walnut are an infallible sign of a rich, and
every species of fir, of a barren, sandy, and unprofitable soil. When his
land is properly registered, his next care is to provide himself with a
horse, a plough, and other implements of agriculture; a rifle, a fowling
piece, some ammunition, and a large dog of the blood-hound breed, to
hunt deer. We will suppose him arrived at the place of his destination in
spring, as soon as the ground is clear of frost. No sooner is the arrival
of a new settler circulated, than, for many miles round, his neighbours
flock to him: they all assist in erecting his hut; this is done with logs; a
bricklayer is only wanting to make his chimney and oven. He then
clears a few acres by cutting down the large trees about four feet from
the _ground_[Footnote: These stumps are many years rotting, and,
when completely rotted, afford an excellent manure.], grubs up the

underwood, splits some of the large timber for railing fences, and sets
fire to the rest upon the spot; ploughs round the stumps of the large
timber, and in May plants maize, or indian corn. In October he has a
harvest of eight hundred or a thousand fold. This is every thing to him
and his family. Indian corn, ground and made into cakes, answers the
end of bread, and when boiled with meat, and a small proportion of a
sort of kidney-bean (which it is usual to sow with this grain), it makes
an excellent dish, which they call hominy. They also coarsely pound the
indian corn, and boil it for five hours; this is by the Indians called
_mush_; and, when a proportion of milk is added, forms their breakfast.
Indian corn is also the best food for horses employed in agriculture in
this climate: black cattle, deer, and hogs are very fond of it, and fatten
better than on any other grain. It is also excellent food for turkies, and
other poultry.
When this harvest is in, he provides himself with a cow, and a few
sheep and hogs; the latter run wild in the woods. But for a few years he
depends chiefly on his _rifle_, and _faithful dog_; with these he
provides his family with deer, bear, racoon, &c.; but what he values
most are the black, and gray squirrels; these animals are large and
numerous, are excellent roasted, and make a soup exceedingly rich and
nourishing.
He gradually clears his land, a few acres every year, and begins to plant
wheat, tobacco, &c. These, together with what hogs, and other increase
of his stock he can spare, as also the skins of deer, bear, and other
animals he shoots in the woods, he exchanges with the nearest
storekeeper, for clothing, sugar, coffee, &c.
In this state he suffers much for want of the comforts and even
necessaries of life. Suppose him afflicted with a flux or fever, attacked
by a panther, bitten by a rattle-snake, or any other of the dreadful
circumstances peculiar to his situation: but, above all, suppose a war to
break out between the Indians, and him, and his whole family scalped,
and their plantations burnt!
The following extract from an American work very feelingly describes
him under these cruel apprehensions:--

EXTRACT.
"You know the position of our