Travels in the United States of America Part 1

Travels in the United States of America.

by William Priest.

PREFACE.

An elegant writer observes that a preface may be dispensed with in any work, if the author (either from his humility of justice) think that his style be calculated only to put his readers to sleep. Though I do not think the publication of the following sheets will _materially_ affect the price of opium, I cannot intrude this volume on the public without informing them, what all my friends will vouch for the truth of, viz.-- that on my return from America, in 1797, I wrote the work in its present form _for their_ perusal; and, that conscious of my want of talent as a writer, I resisted all their entreaties for its publication, till within these three months.

The public, I presume, will not be _wholly_ disappointed; the _extracts_ I have made from _Jefferson_, _Belknap_, and other american writers, are worthy their attention: _I_ have no other merit than having placed them in a tolerable point of view.

"The G.o.d of Truth, and all who know me, will bear testimony that, from my whole soul, I despise deceit, as I do all silly claims to superior wisdom, and infallibility, which so many writers, by a thousand artifices, endeavour to make their readers imagine they possess."

_London, May 7th, 1797._

DEAR SIR,

Since my return, my friends have made a thousand inquiries respecting the state of America. I do not know how I can inform them of my sentiments on that subject better, than by having the rough draught I preserved of the letters I wrote to you from that country fairly copied for their use. If, like you, they are _really_ my friends, they will take the will for the deed. The _truth_ of my information, and my _wish_ to contribute to their amus.e.m.e.nt, will be a sufficient apology for the many imperfections they will meet with, in the desultory epistles of

Yours very sincerely.

_Annapolis, December 1st, 1793._

DEAR FRIEND,

The enclosed extracts from my journal will I hope convince you, I have not _entirely_ forgot my promise at parting. When at Philadelphia I delivered your letters to----. Believe me

Yours very sincerely.

JOURNAL.

_Gravesend, on board the George Barclay,_

_31st of July, 1793._

Arrived onboard at 2 this afternoon, with an intention of sailing to Philadelphia: Gravesend is so called from it's being _the end of a sailors grave_, as those who die on a voyage after pa.s.sing the fort are thrown over board.

_August 1st._

Got under weigh with a light breeze at S.W., which not being sufficient to stem the returning tide, we dropped out anchor again off the Nore light.

_Aug. 2nd_.--Weighed anchor with the wind at S.E., and on the morning of the 3rd; off Deal, sent a boat on sh.o.r.e, which soon returned with a supply of meat, water, sheep, poultry gin, and gingerbread; dismissed our pilot, and soon after doubted the South Foreland; the prospect of Dover and the adjacent coast delightful.

_Aug 8th_.--Beating to windward with a fresh breeze off the Lizard; finding it impossible to clear the land, put about, and by three in the afternoon were safe moored in Falmouth harbour. Went on sh.o.r.e; the lower order of the inhabitants chaunt, or rather speak in recitative, a strange dialect, in which I could distinguish several English words.

Took a walk to Pendennis castle, which protects the West entrance of the harbour; found it garrisoned by a party of invalides, who informed me they had not two nights in bed to one up; hard duty after twenty years servitude!

_Aug. 9th_.--Dined on john dory, which I cannot think equal either to turbot or sole. Falmouth has the best fish market in England: I am informed, in the course of the year, they have upward of fifty different species for sale, on very moderate terms.

_Aug. 15th._--Weighed anchor, and having a good breeze at N.E., we were soon clear of the land. On the evening of the 16th came on a smart breeze at S.W.; at 2 A.M. the wind changed to W.N.W. and _blew a hard gale_, which split our jib, and at last obliged us to lie too, under our courses: s.h.i.+pped some very heavy seas over our quarter, which drowned three parts of our stock of geese and other poultry; the baggage of near fifty pa.s.sengers, for want of being properly lashed, was das.h.i.+ng about the steerage; which, with the shrieks of the women, heaving of the vessel, rattling of the wind, and all the _et cetera_ of a storm, was dreadful indeed.

_Aug. 18th_.--Wind N.W. moderate; the morning delightful; appeared doubly so, contrasted with the horrours of the night.

_Aug. 31st_.--Fresh breeze at S.W. increasing to a hard gale, reduced us once more to our courses: at 8 P.M. calm, with a very heavy swell.

_Sunday 1st September._

Pleasant breeze at N.N.E. The following hymn was written by Mr. Harwood, for this morning's service.

HYMN.

I.

Father of Heav'n, to thee we raise (Mark'd by thy kind peculiar care,) Our songs of thankfulness and praise, To thee ascends the grateful pray'r.

II.

Thou didst direct the gentlest breath, That o'er the sleeping waters stole; Thine is the dreadful voice of death, In which thy angry thunders roll.

III.

Father of all, 'tis thine to give, Not what our erring pray'r demands; With joy thy blessings we receive, And bow submissive 'neath thy hand.

_Sept. 7th_.--First appearance of the gulf-weed. The trade wind, between the Equator and the extent of the northern Tropic, setting from the eastward, forces the water against the islands, and at length into the gulf of Mexico where it meets with an uniform opposition from the main, causing a strong current to the N.E., or points somewhat in that direction. This stream is so violent as to tear up the sea weeds in the gulf, and bear them as far to the north as lat.i.tude 44: the stream is soon after absorbed in the Western ocean; but causes certain counter currents, which, for want of being properly allowed for by mariners, have been the causes of many s.h.i.+pwrecks.

_Sept. 8th_.--Fine morning; wind at W.S.W. A beautiful dolphin struck at an artificial flying fish, hanging at our bow-sprit; the hook breaking, he escaped;--continued playing round our bows for some time, and struck at several flying fish; but we could not again tempt him with the artificial bait.

_Mem_. To read this lesson once a month.

_Sept. 9th_.--Calm and fog, several flocks of wild fowl. Suppose ourselves near the banks of Newfoundland. Thermometer sunk 18 degrees since yesterday.

_Sept. 10th_.--Pleasant morning, having run to the S.W. during the night: no sign of the banks. A land bird, of the thrush kind, came and settled on our main yard; seemed quite exhausted; fell upon the deck, and was taken up by the cabin boy. The poor creature must have been driven off the coast of America in a violent gale at N.W., the distance from any land being upwards of a thousand miles; no other circ.u.mstance could account for it's flying so far.

_Sept. 19th_.--Wind at N.N.W. very moderate;--the afternoon calm. The sun set this evening with uncommon beauty, that glorious luminary was surrounded with clouds of a vivid yellow, green, and red; strongly shaded with black half the extent of the horizon. The moon at the same time rising to the east-ward, with a cool and faint sky, formed a strong and beautiful contrast.

_Sept. 21st_.--Wind S. with rain. Caught four dolphins, which afforded us a most delicious repast: in the paunch of one was found a dodon, or globe-fish; the sailors call it a parrot-fish, from its having a beak exactly resembling that bird.--At 9 A.M. spoke with the Queen Charlotte of London, bound to Bristol, out ten days from Baltimore; the captain's account of the longitude 67. Our joy in being so near the land was of short continuance; for, in one hour after, we spoke with the Union, eight days from Philadelphia. The captain informed us, there was a sort of plague in that city, which carries off great numbers, and that ten thousand of the inhabitants had fled to the country, to avoid the infection.

_Sept. 24th_.--Soundings at 60 fathom: lay to all night.

_Sept. 25th_.--Woke with the cry of "Land." At 10 A.M. we took a pilot on board: he informed us the disorder at Philadelphia is the yellow fever, imported in a french schooner from the West Indies; some of the pa.s.sengers of this vessel died of this fatal disorder, at a lodging-house in Water-street, and communicated the infection to the family. It is now spreading rapidly through the city, in all directions. The faculty, so far from being able to cure this disorder, have, in several instances, fallen victims to it's fury. Within this few days, a Dr. Rush has discovered this disorder is _not_ the yellow fever of the West Indies and has applied an opposite mode of cure by copious bleedings, mercurial medicines, &c.

with some success. What is truly extraordinary, the infection does not affect _people of colour!_