University of Virginia Library

5. PART V
HOW THE COLONIES GREW

45. The First Landing at Plymouth[163]
BY GOVERNOR WILLIAM BRADFORD (1620)

OMITTING other things, I will tell you that after long beating about at sea they came to Cape Cod and they were not a little joyful. Having thus arrived in a good harbor and having been brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries of the sea. Even now they had no friends to welcome them, nor inns to entertain or refresh their weather-beaten bodies; no houses and much less towns in which to seek for succor.

It was in the winter season, and those who know about the winters of that country know them to be sharp and violent, with cruel and fierce storms, which make it dangerous to travel even to known places, much more to search an unknown coast.[164] They knew that they were in a desolate wilderness, full of wild beasts and wild men, in what numbers they knew not. If they looked behind them, there was the mighty ocean which they had crossed, seeming now like a

gulf or a bar to separate them from all the civilized parts of the world.

It was on the eleventh day of November that they arrived at Cape Cod and necessity called them to look immediately for a place of habitation. They had brought a large shallop with them out of England, stowed away in the quarters of the ship. No\v they took her out and set their carpenters to work to trim her up. This work they saw would take a long time because the ship had become much shattered during the foul weather which struck the big vessel. Whilst the ship was being mended a few of them offered to go along the land to explore the places near by. Some of them thought that they saw a river as they went into the harbor. Sixteen men well armed started out under the leadership of Captain Standish. After some hours sailing it began to snow and rain and the sea became very rough; they broke their rudder and it was as much as two men could do to steer the shallop with a couple of oars. Their pilot bade them be of good cheer, for he saw the harbor, but the storm increased and the night came on; so they put on what sail they could in order to get there while they could see. By doing this they broke their mast in three pieces and their sail-fell overboard. The men set things to right as far as they could, and having the current with them they came into the harbor. Then the pilot saw that he had been deceived in the place and that they were in a dangerous rough cove, full of breakers. A lusty seaman who steered bade those who rowed to put the shallop about, or else they would all be cast away. This they did with speed, so that he bade them be of good cheer and to row bravely for there was a fair bay before them

which he thought they might find, and there ride in safety Though it was very dark and rained hard they got under the lee of a small island and remained there all night in safety.[165]

They did not know that this was an island until morning. Then they were divided in their minds; some wished to stay in the boat for fear they might be amongst the Indians; others were so weak and cold that they felt they could not endure that, so they went ashore to make a fire. This they did with great trouble, everything was so wet. Then the rest were delighted to come to them, for the wind had shifted to the northwest, and had frozen their clothing, which had been wet in the storm. So after a day and night of much trouble and danger, God gave them a morning of comfort and hope, for the next day was a fair sunshiny day. They found themselves on an island secure from the Indians, where they might dry their clothes, clean their firearms and rest themselves. So they gave God thanks for his mercies. This being the last day of the week, they prepared to keep the Sabbath the next day.

On Monday they sounded the harbor and found it fit for shipping.[166] They marched up into the land, found many cornfields and little running brooks, making it a place, as they supposed, fit for a settlement. At least, it was the best they could find and both the season and their present necessities made them glad to accept it, so that they returned to their big ship again with this news, which did much to comfort the hearts of the rest of their people.

On the fifteenth of December, the big ship weighed anchor to go to the place which Miles Standish and his exploring party had discovered, and came within

two leagues of it,[167] but they were obliged to wait there a day. On the sixteenth day the wind came fair, and they arrived in this harbor.[168] Afterwards they took a better view of the place and decided where to pitch their dwelling. On the twenty-fifth day they began to erect the first house, for the common use of all.

46. The First Settlement of Massachusetts
BY EDWARD JOHNSON (1628)

THESE new-comers were a supply of servants from England sent over in 1628 to provide against the wants of a lonely wilderness. Among them came over a mixed crowd of people, by whom little was done. But the much honored Mr. John Endicot came over with them to govern. He was a good person to begin this wilderness work, for he was courageous, bold, and fearless; yet sociable and of a cheerful disposition. He could be loving or austere as occasion demanded.

The place picked out by this people for a settlement was in the midst of the outstretched arm of Cape Ann. Here they began to build a town which is called Salem.

After some little time they found out how insignificant were the neighboring Indians, and the boldest among the English people gathered in different places which they began to take up for their own. Those that were sent over as servants had a great desire to see the new sights in the new world, and

found it easier to eat up of their master's provisions, than to get more.

Those that came over as their own masters had but little food left. Most of them began to regret coming when beer and corn began to fail. The poor Indians could not relieve them for they were obliged to eke out their own food with acorns.

What added to the unhappiness of the settlers was the thought that the ditch between England and their new place of abode was so wide that they could not leap over with a leaping-stick.[169] Yet some delighted their eye with the novelty of things about them; and they kept thinking of the new discoveries they would make when spring came. They managed to get through the winter's cold by keeping near the fireside, and found fuel enough groaning at their very doors. They smoked burned tobacco with all the comfort they could.

They talked, between one while and another, of the great progress they would make after the summer's sun had changed the earth's white furred gown into a green garment.

In the year 1629 there came over three godly ministers. This was to strengthen the faith of the settlers in meeting difficulties. Now although the number of the faithful people of Christ was small, yet their longing desire to gather themselves into a church was very great. The church of Christ being thus begun, the Lord in His tender mercy caused it to increase and be fruitful.

And now behold several other regiments of the soldiers of Christ, shipped for His service in the western world.[170] Their difficulties were many and mournful. The billows were high and angry, covering

them with awful water and dashing their bodies from side to side. Their goods were thrown from place to place on the ships. After the Lord had given them these trials, He sent diseases to visit their ships.[171]

On the twelfth day of July or thereabouts, 1630, these soldiers of Christ first set foot on the western end of the world. There they arrived in safety, men, women, and children. On the north side of the Charles River they landed, near a small island called

Noddell's Island.[172] Lady Arabella and some other godly women abode at Salem while their husbands remained at Charlestown to settle the civil government and to form another church of Christ.

The first court was held aboard the ship Arabella. The much honored John Winthrop was chosen governor for the remainder of that year, 1630. The worthy Thomas Dudley was chosen deputy governor.

Then sore sickness fell upon the people, so that in almost every family mourning and sorrow was heard; and they had no fresh food to strengthen them. Yet it was wonderful to see with what Christian courage these soldiers of Christ persevered amidst all calamities.

Soon they had formed other churches and towns. The fourth church was seated at Boston, which became the central town and largest city of this wilderness. The form of this town is like a heart. It is naturally situated for fortifications. It has two hills on the front part of it, facing the sea. One is well fortified with heavy cannon. The other has a very strong battery built of whole timber and filled with earth.

At the bottom of these hills lies a great bay on which this town is built.[173] It is over-topped by a third hill.[174] From all three of these overtopping towers a constant watch is kept to foresee the approach of any danger from strange enemies. Each hill is furnished with a beacon and land guns. By their redoubled echoes these give notice of any danger to all their sister towns.

The buildings of this city are beautiful and large. Some are pleasingly built of bricks, tiles, stone, and slate. They are placed in an orderly fashion upon

beautiful streets. Much shipping is built here yearly, and some ships of good size. Both tar and masts, the country affords from its own soil; there is also a supply of food, both for their own and for foreigners' ships. This town is the very market of the land. French, Portuguese, and Dutch come here to trade.

47. How the Englishmen sailed past New Amsterdam
BY DAVID DE VRIES (1612)

WHEN we arrived before Fort Amsterdam, we found a Company's ship there with a prize taken on the way laden with sugar.[175] She had brought over the new governor, Wouter Van Twiller. He had been a clerk in

the West India Department at Amsterdam. I went ashore to the fort, out of which he came to welcome us, and inquired of me how the whale fishing succeeded.

A few days later, on the eighteenth of April, an Englishman arrived here, who came from New England to trade up the Hudson River. This Englishman invited the governor to come and see him. I went with them, in company with a number of officers, who became drunk and got into such high words that the Englishman could not understand how it was that there should be such unruliness among the officers of the company, nor why the governor should have not more control over them; he was not accustomed to such conduct among his countrymen. The Englishman and his crew remained six or seven days, lying before the fort, and then said that he wished to go up the river, and that the land belonged to the English. This we denied, declaring that they had never made any settlement there.

On the twenty-fourth, however, the Englishman weighed anchor and sailed up the river to Fort Orange.[176] Then Governor Wouter Van Twiller assembled all his forces before his door, had a cask of wine brought out, filled a bumper, and cried out for those who loved the Prince of Orange[177] and him to do the same as he did, and protect him from the outrage of the Englishman who was already out of sight, sailing up the river. The people all began to laugh at him; for they understood well how to drink dry the cask of wine, but did not wish to trouble the Englishman, saying that they were friends.

As I sat at the table with him at noon I told him that he had been very foolish, as the Englishman had no permission to navigate in the river, but only a paper of. a custom house, stating that he had paid so much duty and might sail with so many passengers to New England, and not to New Netherlands. I

said, if it were my matter, I would have helped him away from the fort with beans from eight pounders,[178] and not permitted him to sail up the river. I told him that since the English had troubled us in the East Indies, we ought to take hold of them; that I had no good opinion of that nation, for they were so proud that they thought everything belonged to them; were it an affair of mine I should send a ship after him to make him haul down the river. I added that the Englishman was only making sport of the Governor.

48. Maryland, My Maryland
BY FATHER ANDREW WHITE (1634)

ON the third of March we sailed into the Chesapeake Bay, bending our course to the north that we might reach the Potomac River. The Chesapeake Bay, ten leagues broad, and four, five, six, and even seven fathoms deep, flows gently between its shores; it abounds in fish when the season of the year is favorable. A more beautiful body of water you can scarcely find.

A larger or more beautiful river than the Potomac I have never seen. The Thames compared with it can scarcely be considered a rivulet. It is not made impure by marshes, but on each shore of solid earth there are beautiful groves of trees, not choked up with an undergrowth of brambles and bushes, but looking as if the place were laid out by hand, in a manner so open that you might freely drive a four-horse coach in the midst of the trees.

At the very mouth of the river we beheld the natives armed. That night fires were kindled through the whole region, and since so large a ship had never been seen by them, messengers were sent everywhere to announce, "a canoe, as large as an island, has brought as many men as there are trees in the woods." We proceeded, however, to the Heron Islands, so called from the immense flocks of birds of this kind.

The first island that: presented itself we called by the name of St Clement's; the second, St. Catherine's, and the third St. Cecilia's; for, having arrived at the wished-for country we gave such names as we

liked to the places that we found. We landed first at St. Clement's, to which the approach is difficult, except by wading, because of the shelving nature of the shore. Here the young women, who had landed for the purpose of washing, were nearly drowned by the upsetting of the boat, and a great portion of my linen was lost no trifling misfortune in these parts

This island abounds in cedar, sassafras, and the herbs and flowers for making salads of every kind, and with the nut of a wild tree, which bears a very hard nut, in a thick shell, with a kernel very small but remarkably pleasant to taste.[179] Since this island was only four hundred acres in extent, however, it did not appear to be a place sufficiently large for a new settlement. Nevertheless, a site was sought for building a fort to shut out foreigners from the trade of the river, and to protect our boundaries.

On the day of the Annunciation of the Holy Virgin Mary, on the twenty-fifth of March, in the year 1634, we offered in this island, for the first time, the sacrifice of the mass: in this region of the world it had never been celebrated before.[180]

49. Creatures in Pennsylvania
BY GABRIEL THOMAS (1698)

THE natives of this country are very charitable to one another. The lame and the blind amongst them live as well as the best. They are also very kind and obliging to the Christians.[181]

In person they are ordinarily tall, straight, and well formed. Their tread is strong, and they generally

walk with the chin high up. Of complexion, they are dark, but in features they are gypsy-like, greasing themselves with bear's fat, and using nothing to protect them against the injuries of the sun and weather, so their skins cannot fail to be dark. Their eyes are small and black. They have pleasing faces.

Their language is dignified and polite. But they use few words. One word serves in the place of three. The language is sweet, and of noble sound.

Take here a specimen:—

This is the English of it:—

As soon as their children are born, they wash them in cold water, especially in cold weather. To harden them and make them courageous, they plunge them in the river. The children find their feet early; usually at nine months they can walk alone.

The boys fish till they are fifteen years of age, then hunt. When they have given a proof of their manhood by getting together a large lot of skins, they may marry. This is usually at the age of seventeen or eighteen. The girls stay with their mothers, and help to hoe the ground, plant corn, and carry burdens. They marry when they are about thirteen or fourteen years of age.

The next people who settled in what is now Pennsylvania after the Indians were the Dutch. They called the country New Netherland. They were the first planters in those parts, but they made little or no improvement in the land. They gave themselves

wholly to trading in skins and furs, which the Indians furnished to them for rum, strong liquors, sugar, and other things.

Soon after the Dutch, came the Swedes and Fins.

They gave themselves to farming, and were the first Christian people that made any great improvement there.

The air in this region is very fine and pleasant, and healthful. The heavens are serene, seldom cloudy, and somewhat like the better part of France. The corn harvest is ended before the middle of July, and most years they have between twenty and thirty bushels for every bushel they sow.

There are several sorts of wild beasts good for trade and for food. Panthers, wolves, deer, beaver, otter, hares, musk-rats, minks, wild-cats, foxes, raccoons, rabbits, and opossums are to be found. The possum is a strange creature, having a pouch to shelter her young ones. By this means she saves them from danger, when anything comes to disturb them. There are also bears, and some wolves. But they are now pretty well destroyed by the Indians for the sake of the reward given them by the Christians for so doing. Here is also that wonderful creature, the flying squirrel! It has a kind of skinny wings, almost like those of the bat. It has the same kind of hair and color as the common squirrel, but is much smaller.

I have myself seen it fly from one tree to another in the woods. But how long it can keep on flying is not exactly known. There are in the woods many red deer. I have bought of the Indians a whole deer skin and all for a little gunpowder.

The venison is excellent food, most delicious, far exceeding that of Europe. This is the opinion of most careful and observing people.

There are vast numbers of other wild creatures, such as the elk and buffalo. All of these beasts, birds, and fish, are free to any one who will shoot or take them away. There is no hindrance or opposition whatever.

There are among other things various sorts of frogs. The bull-frog makes a roaring noise hardly to be distinguished from that of the beast from which it takes its name.

There is another sort of frog that crawls up to the tops of trees.[182] There it seems to imitate the notes of several birds. There are many other strange and different creatures.

Bees thrive and increase wonderfully in that country. The Swedes often get a great supply of them in the woods, where they are free to anybody. Choice honey is sold in the capital city[183] for five pence a pound. Wax is also plentiful and cheap; they have a considerable trade in it.

I must needs say, even the present encouragements are very great and inviting. Poor people, both men and women, of all kinds, can here get three times the wages for their labor that they can in England.

The Christian children born here are generally fine-looking and beautiful to behold. In general they are seen to be better-natured, milder, and more tender-hearted than those born in England.

50. Plantation Life in Virginia
BY ROBERT BEVERLY (1720)

As the families live altogether at country-seats, they each have their graziers, seedsmen, gardeners, brewers, bakers, butchers, and cooks.[184] They have plenty and a variety of provisions for their table; and as for spicery, and other things that the country does not produce, they have constant supplies of them from England. The gentry pretend to have their victuals served up as nicely as if they were in London.

When I come to speak of their cattle, I cannot forbear charging my countrymen with exceeding unthrift. By not providing sufficiently for them during the winter, they starve their young cattle, or at least stunt their growth.

Their fish is in vast plenty and variety, and extraordinarily good of its kind. Beef and pork are commonly sold there, at from one penny to two pence the pound, or more, according to the time of the year; their fattest and largest pullets at six pence a piece; their chickens at three or four shillings the dozen; their ducks at eight pence or nine pence a piece; their geese at ten pence or a shilling; their turkey hens at fifteen or eighteen pence; their turkey cocks at two shillings or half a crown.[185] Oysters and wild fowl are not so dear as poultry, and in their season are the cheapest food they have. Their deer are commonly sold from five to ten shillings according to their scarcity or goodness.[186]

The bread in gentlemen's houses is generally made of wheat, but some choose the pone, which is the bread

made of Indian meal. Many of the poorer sort of people have so little regard for the English grain that although they might have it with the least trouble in the world, yet they do not sow the ground because they will not be at the trouble of making a fence particularly for it. And therefore their constant bread is pone, so called from the Indian name oppone.

A kitchen garden does not thrive better nor faster in any part of the universe, than in Virginia. They have all the fruit plants that grow in England, and in greater perfection than in England. Besides these they have several roots, herbs, vine-fruits, and salad flowers peculiar to themselves, most of which will neither increase, nor grow to perfection in England.

Their small drink is either wine and water, beer, milk and water, or water alone.[187] The richer sort of people generally brew their small beer with malt, which they have from England, though barley grows there very well; but for want of the convenience of malthouses, the inhabitants take no care to sow it. The poorer sort brew their beer from molasses and bran; from Indian corn, malted by drying it in a stove; from persimmons dried in cakes and baked; from potatoes; or from the green stalks of Indian corn cut small, and bruised.

Their strong drink is Madeira wine, cider, mobby punch, made either of rum from the Caribbee Islands, or brandy distilled from their apples and peaches; besides brandy, wine and strong beer, which they have constantly from England.

Their fuel is altogether wood, which every man burns at pleasure, for it costs him only the cutting,

and carrying it home. In all new grounds it is such an incumbrance, that they are forced to burn great heaps of it, to rid the land. They have very good pit-coal in several places of the country, but no man has yet thought it worth his while to make use of it, as he has wood in plenty, which is lying conveniently near him.[188]

They get their clothing of all sorts from England, as linen, woolen, silk, hats, and leather: yet flax and hemp grow nowhere in the world better than there. Their sheep yield good increase, and bear good fleeces; but they shear them only to cool them. The mulberry-tree, whose leaf is the proper food of the silk worm, grows there like a weed, and silk worms have been observed to thrive extremely well. Most of their hides lie and spoil, or are made use of only for covering dry goods, in a leaky house. Indeed, some few hides with much ado are tanned, and made into servants' shoes, but in so careless a fashion, that the planters do not care to buy them, if they can get others. Sometimes perhaps a better manager than ordinary, will vouchsafe to make a pair of breeches of a deerskin. Nay, they are such abominably poor managers ,that though their country be over-run with wood, yet they have all their wooden ware from England; their cabinets, chairs, tables, stools, chests, boxes, cart-wheels, and all other things, even so much as their bowls and birchen brooms, to the eternal reproach of their laziness.

For their recreation, the plantations, orchards, and gardens constantly afford them fragrant and delightful walks. In their woods and fields, they have an unknown variety of vegetables, and other rarities of nature to discover and observe. They have hunting,

fishing, and fowling, with which they entertain them selves in a hundred ways. There is the most good-nature and hospitality practiced in the world, both towards friends and strangers; but the worst of it is, this generosity is attended now and then, with a little too much intemperance.

A neighborhood is as much scattered as in the country in England; but the goodness of the roads, and the fairness of the weather, bring people often together. The inhabitants are very courteous to travellers. A stranger has only to inquire upon the road, where any gentleman, or good house keeper lives, and there he may depend upon being received with hospitality. This good nature is so general among their people, that the gentry, when they go abroad, order their principal servant to entertain all visitors, with everything the plantation affords. And the poor planters who have but one bed will very often sit up, or lie upon a couch all night, to make room for a weary traveller to rest himself after his journey.

51. Puritan Amusements
BY P. BENNETT (1704)

SEVERAL families in Boston keep a coach, and a pair of horses, and some few drive with four horses; as for chaises and saddle horses, considering the size of the place, they outdo London.[189] They have some nimble lively horses for their coaches but not any of that beautiful, large, black breed so common in London.

The common horses used in carts about the town

are very small and poor. They seldom have their fill of anything but labor. The country carts and wagons are generally drawn by oxen, from two to six, according to the distance or to the burden they are loaded with.

When the ladies ride out to take the air, it is generally in a chaise or chair, and then but a single horse is used.[190] They have a negro servant to drive them. The gentlemen ride out here as in England, some in chairs, and others on horseback, with their negroes to attend them.

They travel in much the same manner on business as for pleasure. Their roads are exceedingly good in summer. Yet it is safe travelling night or day; for they have no highway robbers to interrupt them. Riding through the woods is pleasant, and the country is dotted with farm houses, cottages, and some few gentlemen's country houses.

The best of their inns and public houses are far short of the beauty and convenience of ours in England. They have generally a little rum to drink, and some of them have a sorry sort of Madeira wine. For food they have Indian corn roasted, and bread made of Indian meal. Sometimes they have a fowl or fish dressed after a fashion; they have pretty good butter, and a very sad sort of cheese. But those who are used to these things think them tolerable.

For their amusements, every afternoon, after drinking tea, the gentlemen and ladies walk the Mall. From there they go to one another's houses to spend the evening, that is, those who are not disposed to attend the evening lecture.[191] This they may do, if they please, six nights out of seven, the year round.

What they call the Mall is a walk on a fine green

A COLONIAL KITCHEN.

[Description: Black and white illustration of a kitchen: a woman tends to the fire, another rolls dough, children play, etc.]

common.[192] It is nearly half a mile over, with two rows of young trees planted opposite to each other. There is a fine footway between in imitation of St. James's Park.[193] Part of the bay of the sea which encircles the town, takes its course along the northwest side of the Common.[194]

Their country sports are chiefly shooting and fishing. For the former the woods afford them plenty of game. The rivers and ponds, with which this country abounds, yield them a great plenty as well as a great variety of fine fish.

The government is in the hands of the Dissenters, who do not allow theatres or music houses.[195] But although plays and such entertainments are not held here, the people don't seem to be dispirited or to mope for want of them. For both the ladies and gentlemen dress and appear as gay, usually, as courtiers in England on a coronation day or birthday. And the ladies here visit, drink tea, and do everything else in the height of fashion. They neglect the affairs of their families with as good a grace as the finest ladies in London.

52. Impressions of South Carolina
BY ELIZA LUCAS (May 22d, 1742)

I AM now set down, my dear brother, to obey your commands and give you a short description of the part of the world I now inhabit.

South Carolina is an extensive country near the sea. Most of the settled part of it is upon a flat. The soil near Charlestown sandy; but further inland it is

clay and swamp lands. The country abounds with fine navigable rivers and great quantities of fine timber. At a great distance, that is to say about a hundred and fifty miles from Charlestown, it is very hilly.

The soil in general is very fertile and there are few European or American fruits or grains but what grow here. The country abounds with wild fowl, deer, and fish. Beef, veal, and mutton are here in much greater perfection than in the islands, though not equal to that of England. Fruit is extremely good and grows in profusion. The oranges exceed any I ever tasted in the West Indies or from Spain or Portugal.[196]

The people in general are hospitable and honest; and the better sort add to these qualities a polite genteel behavior. The poorer sort are the most indolent people in the world, or they would never be so wretched in so plentiful a country as this.

The winters here are fine and pleasant. But four months in the year are extremely disagreeable,—excessively hot, much thunder and lightning, anti mosquitoes and sand flies in abundance. Charlestown, the metropolis, is a neat pretty place. The inhabitants are polite and live in a very genteel manner. The streets and houses are regularly built. The ladies and gentlemen are gay in their dress. Upon the whole you will find as many agreeable people of both sexes, for the size of the place, as almost anywhere.

St. Phillips Church in Charlestown is a very elegant one and much frequented. There are several more places of public worship in the town, and in general the people are of a religious turn of mind.

I began in haste and have shown no order in writing, or I should have told you, before I came to summer,

that we have a most charming spring in this country. Especially is this true for those who travel through the country. For the scent of the young myrtle and yellow jessamine, with which the woods abound, is delightful.

The staple commodity here is rice, which is the only thing they export to Europe. Beef, pork, and lumber they send to the West Indies.

Mama and Polly join in love, with dear brother.

Yours affectionately,

E. LUCAS.

To GEORGE LUCAS, Esquire.

53. Slavery in Virginia
LETTERS OF PETER FONTAINE (1757)

As to your query, whether enslaving our fellow creatures be a practice agreeable to Christianity, I shall only mention something of our present state here. Like Adam we are all apt to shift off the blame from ourselves and lay it upon others, how justly in our case you may judge. The negroes are enslaved by the negroes themselves before they are purchased by the masters of the ships who bring them here. It is to be sure at our choice whether we buy them or not, so this then is our crime, folly, or whatever you will please to call it.

Our Assembly, foreseeing the bad consequences of importing such numbers amongst us, hath often attempted to lay a duty upon them which would amount to a prohibition, such as ten or twenty pounds a head;[197] but no Governor dare pass such a law, having

instructions to the contrary from the Board of Trade at home.[198] By this means they are forced upon us, whether we will or will not. This plainly shows the African Company hath the advantage of the colonies, and may do as it pleases with the Ministry

Since we have been exhausted of our little stock of cash by the war, the importation of slaves has stopped; our poverty then is our best security There is no more picking for their ravenous jaws upon bare bones; but should we begin to thrive they will be at the same business again.

All our taxes are now laid upon slaves and on shippers of tobacco, which the English wink at while we are in danger of being torn from them; but we dare not do it in time of peace, it being looked upon as the highest presumption to lay any burden upon trade.[199]

This is our part of the grievance, but to live in Virginia without slaves is morally impossible. Before our troubles, you could not hire a servant or slave for love or money; so that, unless you are robust enough to cut wood, to go to mill, to work at the hoe, etc., you must starve, or board in some family where they both fleece and half starve you. There is no set price upon corn, wheat, and provisions, so they take advantage of the necessities of strangers, who are thus obliged to purchase some slaves and land. This of course draws us all into the original sin and curse of the country of purchasing slaves. This is the reason we have no merchants, traders, or artificers of any sort who do not become planters in a short time.

A common laborer, white or black, if you can be so much favored as to hire one, is a shilling sterling or fifteen pence currency per day;[200] a bungling carpenter

two shillings or two shillings and sixpence per day; beside diet and lodging. That is, for a lazy fellow to get wood and water, £19. 16. 3, current per annum; add to this seven or eight pounds more and you have a slave for life.

Nevertheless I cannot help expressing my concern at the nature of our Virginia estates, so far as they consist in slaves. I suppose we have, young and old, one hundred and fifty thousand of them in the country, a number, at least, equal to the whites. It is a hard task to do our duty towards them as we ought. We run the hazard of temporal ruin if they are not compelled to work hard on the one hand and on the other, that of not being able to render a good account of our stewardship in the other and better world, if we oppress and tyrannize over them.

Besides, according to our present method, which every body appears afraid to go out of, it seems quite necessary to lay most stress on that useless weed, tobacco, as our staple commodity. This is the reason that all other useful trades and occupations are neglected. Every Virginia tradesman must be at least half a planter, and, of course, not to be depended upon as a tradesman.

54. In New Jersey
BY A GENTLEMAN (1756)

THE province of New Jersey, of which I come now to give you some description, has been settled a little more than a hundred years. It is as well cultivated as any of the colonies, yet is in a careless condition,

or at least seems so to one who has not seen newly settled places.

The farms which lie interspersed in the bosom of thick woods, resemble the face of the sky after a tempest, when the clouds are breaking away and dispersing. The pleasantest spots that you see here are but homely beauties. Almost everywhere you pass upon the roads, you are either in woods, or have woods on one side of you. And the view which is on the open side is terminated by trees within the breadth of a field or two. So that the horizon is hardly any where clear, and to view the country from an eminence it seems to be almost all woods.

The roads in most places are very good, but then you travel in a maze. You have neither milestone nor Mercury for your direction. Only here and there is a tree marked with the initial letter of the name of the next town, but so ill cut that one can hardly know it to be an alphabetical character.[201] A few scattered houses make here a village. And in those towns where the buildings stand in line they are not near together.

The people are naturally brisk and of a lively temper. They stand much upon a footing of equality with each other. Those of the common sort by conversing freely with persons in office acquire a knowledge of things and business. Thus they receive a brightening by which they are far superior to our country men of the same rank.

Religion is here divided into many sects and parties. The men who are extremely kind husbands go commonly the way of the wife in this matter.

The poor people in general live better here than in most places, I believe. This is because of the plenty

and cheapness of provisions. They are able to place their children in good families by the time they are six or seven years of age, and they have little experience of what it costs to bring them up. So that very few of them turn beggars, or go to seek their bread from home: if they do go, they carry their working tools upon their backs.

You must certainly think that thefts and robberies cannot but be rife among us, as these colonies are obliged to take all the rogues and villains that are yearly transported from the several jails in England. But I can assure you it is far otherwise. People think so little of the danger of these things that many families never fasten their doors when they go to bed. And the good housewives that have cloth in bleaching never take it in at nights. As to picking of pockets, the practice is utterly unknown, and the roads are perfectly uninfested and secure.

But the wonder of this will evaporate when I tell you that none of the Newgate gentry[202] are landed here, but always either in Virginia or some of the southern colonies, where however they are no calamity. For the masters of the transports make them all bind themselves to him by indenture for four years.[203] Thus they are obliged to honest labor.

The spring here is commonly late, but when the year does begin to dress, the ornaments of Nature are out all at once. In a few days the scene is quite changed. The vast orchards are clad in a thick bloom which makes the country look and smell like paradise.

The country is well watered with fine streams and rivers, and every house has a well. The woods, though abounding with very beautiful birds, are the

dullest of all sylvan scenes. The mocking bird is the mimic of them all, and a complete joker in his way.

Nothing is so beautiful and diminutive as that little feathered spark, the humming bird, who with the most gallant address courts the daughters of the garden in a coat of plumage composed of the finest feathers.

In summer time for about two months the air is bespangled every night with a kind of flies which they call fire-flies. They abound in swamps and woods of a wet soil. In those gloomy places they make an extraordinary appearance. Their light is not steady; and in the silent night, hovering about in their bright form they almost give the mind an impression of a haunted place.